The trip was silent, the sea favouring them as the Black Pearl made its way towards the meeting point. A particular night, when no soul was on the deck, a shadow moved along in utter silence. Dragging a stabbed and now dead man, the figure tied it to a barrel at the bow of the ship.
However, this hadn't gone unnoticed by two individuals. One stayed in the shadows and the other decided to make itself visible.
"Bravo, you escaped the brig even quicker than I expected. William, do you notice something? Or rather do you notice something that is not there to be noted?" Jack said, leaning against the wooden railing.
Will lifted an eyebrow when he realised. "You haven't raised an alarm"
The pirate smirked. "Odd, isn't it? But not as odd as this. Come up with this all by your lonesome, did you?"
"I said to myself, think like Jack"
"And this is what you've arrived at? Lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove so as to gain his trust, accomplish your own ends? It's like you don't know me at all, mate. And how does dear childhood friend Artemis feels about this?"
"Not utterly surprised," a familiar female voice said and the two men looked at a shadowed corner, only to see the woman sitting casually, one leg propped up.
"Artemis" Will said, suddenly being unable to find any words or excuse to justify his actions.
"Well, she knows now" Jack continued. "And what about your dearly beloved feel about this? *Will hesitates* Ah, you've not seen fit to trust her with it"
The young man left out a sigh and lowered his head slightly. "I'm losing her Jack. Every step I take for my father is a step away from Elizabeth"
Jack seemed to understand the situation, sending a glance at Artemis who stood there silently, deep in her thoughts. She had seen how the two of them had drifted apart and she wasn't a fan of it.
Yet, she understood. Their goals were different, no…they were opposite and keeping secrets like that simply grew the gap between them. She felt Jack's eyes, wondering why he was looking at her but then his next words somehow seem to give her a hint.
"Mate, if you choose to lock your heart away, you'll lose it for certain" she looked shocked but the low lighting of the lanterns barely showed details of her face. She listened carefully as Jack continued. "If I may lend a machete to your intellectual thicket—avoid the choice altogether. Change the facts. Let someone else dispatch Jones"
"Who? *hesitates* You?"
Artemis blinked and stayed quiet, listening.
"Death has a curious way of reshuffling one's priorities. I'll slip aboard the Dutchman, find the heart, stab the beating thing. Your father goes free, and you're free to be with your charming murderess"
"And you're willing to carve out your heart and bind yourself to the Dutchman, forever"
"No mate, I'm free forever. Free to sail the seas beyond the edges of the map, free from death itself"
"You've got to do the job though, Jack. You have to ferry souls to the next world. Or end up just like Jones" Will said, stroking his chin.
"I don't have the face for tentacles. But immortal has to count for something…Plus, all can be endured with good company" he said and looked at Artemis who gave him a weak smile. She wasn't sure how to feel about that, especially the tentacle part. However, sailing forever without fear and with a command of the sea…it felt nice, it sounded nice. Jack suddenly remembered something. "Oh!" he tossed Will the compass.
"What's this for?"
"Think like me, it'll come to you" he then exhaled a puff of strong rummy breath into Will's face and caused him to fall overboard. Jack then cut barrel with the body on it loose and pushed it overboard too. "My regards to Davy Jones!"
Jack turned with an amused grin which dropped once he noticed Artemis. She was now standing, hands folded in front of her chest. "Somedays I think I have you figured out Jack and then others…you just surprise me"
The man grinned and took a step to be now in front of her. "Well, that is part of my charm love"
Lifting her head to look into his eyes, she frowned slightly. "Why do all of this? Jones doesn't know you escaped? And why risk it now?"
The man placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "It's all part of the plan love. Do you trust me?"
"Do I have a choice?" she joked lightly, a smile appearing but she noticed the serious look in his brown eyes.
His face was serious and it held a dangerous calm behind it. It excited her and almost hypnotized her as she kept looking into his eyes. Her lips parted slightly and his brown orbs fell on them, eyelids dropping slightly.
His face lowered closer to hers, tilting very faintly but his gaze never leaving hers. Slowly, her right hand went to his cheek and their lips met. Closing her eyes, she felt him kissing first before she kissed back.
She was shocked for a moment, sharing her first kiss with a notorious Pirate who had a peculiar place in her heart. Yet, the shock turned into excitement as the kiss continued. It felt odd and yet she felt as if this was how it was meant to be…with him.
Two seconds later and they broke apart slightly, her hand slowly returning to her side as their gazes were once again locked.
"Lass" he breathed out, his voice holding a tone which made her knees feel weak.
However, the trance was broken by the screaming sound of a very familiar monkey. It caused them to startle and look at the side, where the monkey was watching.
"Jack" Artemis exclaimed, calling the monkey who immediately jumped on her extended arm and rested its body around her neck.
"I cannot believe they named this monster after me" the pirate complained and she smiled amused.
"It's late…we better rest" She turned to walk and head towards the main mast but felt his fingers gently grabbing hers.
"Lass…what I said before, I mean it. When this is all over, I want you to join me"
She was shocked and stood frozen, her heart beating faster from before and finding her mind unable to produce the words she wanted. Instead, she pulled her hand away slowly and kept her back turned.
"We have time until then Jack" and with those words, she kept walking, leaving the man behind.
The rest of the trip was peaceful with no other incidents. Since the night with the kiss, Artemis and Jack had come slightly closer but there was always this awkward sensation from times to times.
Jack made no other move, instead he decided to wait. Simply because Artemis was giving him signs more complex than some dead language. He couldn't understand why he felt like that and why she reacted this way.
His…experience with ladies didn't prepare him for that and instead decided to play it smart and safe. After all, the final battle was about to take place and his mind was too preoccupied with the many plans he had formed behind so many backs.
At last, the familiar rocks and land that surrounded and formed the known Shipwreck Island came into view.
Artemis stood along with Gibbs, Jack and some other crew members at the side of the ship with a clear view of the island and its details.
"Look alive and keep a weather eye! Not for nought, it's called Shipwreck Island, where lies Shipwreck Cove and the town of Shipwreck"
"You heard him. Step lively!" Pintel shouted the orders.
"For all that pirates are clever cobs, we are an unimaginative lot when it comes to naming things," Jack said, causing Artemis to look at him with a lifted red eyebrow while Gibbs gave a nod. "I once sailed with a geezer lost both of his arms and part of his eye"
"And what'd you call him?" Gibbs asked.
"Larry"
"Larry?" Artemis repeated, trying to hold back her laughter at the sudden revelation.
Meanwhile, at the very front of the ship, Barbossa and Tia Dalma were in a lowered tone and secret discussion.
"I don't renege on a bargain once struck. But we agreed on ends only, the means are mine to decide" the man said.
Tia though, showed with her face she was not pleased with such tone. "Caution, Barbossa. Do not forget it was by my power you return from the dead, or what it means should you fail me"
"Don't forget why you had to bring me back, and why I could not leave Jack to his well-deserved fate. It took nine pirate lords to bind you, Calypso. And it'll take no less than nine to set ye free. Masters Pintel and Ragetti *the two men suddenly appear* take this fishwife to the brig"
"Right this way, Mrs Fish," Pintel said as Tia was dragged to the brig but that didn't go unnoticed by Artemis who immediately went to confront Barbossa.
Defeated and annoyed, Artemis failed to confront the man as much as she wanted as she was immediately pulled away by Jack. She had only managed to get the information of a plan and that it was mere precaution the whole Tia in the Brig.
Yet, she didn't believe it and she made a plan to find more while also going down to visit the woman who suddenly held a special place in her heart. Her planning and inner fight with her thoughts were interrupted when Pintel nudged her side with his elbow.
"Look at them all!"
"Huh?" she exclaimed and it was then she noticed the dozens of pirate ships all anchored.
She blinked and dropped the hands that were folded in front of her chest. Instead, she leaned against the wooden railing and looked, taking in each unique structure and design of each ship along with the flag that accompanied it.
She had only heard, almost dreamt of how the other Pirate ships looked like and of course the famous Pirate lords. She was kinda excited about this meeting, wanting to see the famous names that existed since she was a mere child and heard the stories from her father's crew.
For that moment, her mind forgot the plans she made and a childish joy took over her core. Her excitement didn't go unnoticed as Barbossa took her other side and watched with the tip of his blue eye.
"There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime"
"And I owe them all money" Jack commented, causing the redhead to crack a smile.
"Well, then Jack" she slapped his back gently twice. "It was nice meeting you"
