Thieves of a Feather
Thank you so much guys for putting up with my laziness...I owe a lot to all of you and to my beta Jen who's been here for a long time...anyway please enjoy for this is the last chapter. Keep in mind this was started when there was only the first movie to think of and I ended it on that note too...but thank you all!
Chapter Fourteen: The farewell plan
Two months later
In the hospital parking lot of St. Mary's it was a very warm summer day, the parking lot was beyond crowded and many people were too happy to be leaving to notice the highly publicized Black Pearl gang sitting in a car, waiting for something.
Ana-Maria sat in the back seat of the black 1956 Cadillac with Danny chewing on her nails nervously, Danny was playing go fish with Gibbs and Cotton was sleeping in the passenger seat. Ana check her watch, only seven minutes to go.
"So you really think that Swann can pull this off?" Ana asked out loud. Danny shrugged in response.
"She had better. " Danny replied easily. "Got any two's Gibbs?"
"The lass will be fine what really matters if Jack is faking his coma now or not." Gibbs added his two cents and nodded for Danny to go fish. Ana-Maria sat back in her seat; she had to be very insane to let Elizabeth do this.
Danny took notice of Ana-Maria's un-easiness and decided to settle the matter.
"I believe she'll get the job done, she's a smart woman Ana, and I believe she loves Jack enough to risk more then just her freedom at this point. In any case I think Jack is not faking, because after being in the hospital this long, he wants nothing more to be in the Caribbean with the woman he loves and Elizabeth no doubt feels the same...minus the woman part because she is the woman." Danny answered nonchalantly ignoring Ana's next outburst.
"What! Jack does not love her!" Ana exclaimed practically tackling Danny for an answer. "Does he? When did that happen?"
"Before Jack completely lost consciousness he told her he was not sorry for what happened and he loved her and not to forget the good times." Danny answered evenly thankful Ana sat back in her seat and gave a laugh.
"Who knew Jack had it in him to fall in love?"
"Shiver me timbers." Mr. Cottons' Parrot squawked.
"Crap how did you know I had three's?" Danny answered the parrot handing over the cards to Gibbs eager hands.
Elizabeth had always wanted to be an actress. She had told Jack as much when they had been watching a movie when he finally managed to stop at the hotel room for more then five minutes. Now here was her big chance, only there was more at stake then just an academy award.
In her blue scrubs, hair pulled back into a librarian bun and thin rimmed glasses on, with thick lines of eye showdown around them making her look startling different and dark but shy at the same time. Elizabeth pushed a covered cart in front of her almost as she had been doing the same routine for years.
First rule is just to act like I belong and if I believe they will believe it to. Elizabeth thought evenly. She stood a bit straighter stopping in other patient's rooms for a few minutes while they slept or chit-chatted with them as they watched television pretending to be hiding from a doctor. Most patients did not mind or care.
When she finally arrived outside of Captain Jack Sparrow's room she felt both nervous and exhilarated. She let out a slow breath as she approached the two morning guards that were playing go-fish. Elizabeth had met them in her previous visits to Jack. She just hoped that the dark brown wig, glasses, and blue contacts hid her appearance enough that she could pull off her ruse.
"Good morning officers, sorry to bug you, but are you Murtogg and Mullroy?" Elizabeth asked timidly taking on they shyness of a school girl, she hid her English accent making it sound thick and syrupy at once, they did not suspect it was the prime minister's daughter. She forced her self to blush by thinking of when Jack and she had made love. In retrospect that was not such a good idea but it did the trick, Murtogg was now fawning over her.
"Yes miss, can I help you." Murtogg said barely managing to keep his own blush off his face. Elizabeth shook her head yes and played bashful.
"There's a call for you by a Will Turner I believe he said he wanted to talk to you and that he call back in ten minutes. Something about a promotion I believe." She gave a small shrug. Murtogg jumped up dropping his playing cards.
"Really I am getting a promotion!" Mullroy stood up disbelief all over his features glaring at his friend.
"How is it you are getting promoted when I'm not, we joined the academy on the same day!" Mullroy asked irate. Elizabeth coughed bring back their attention to her.
"Mr. Turner said Murtogg to bring his friend as he needed to talk with him to. You can pick up the call on the main floor room business room eighteen." Elizabeth said handing them a torn piece of paper with the instructions on it.
"But we can't leave the room unguarded Inspector Norrington will be furious." Mullroy said as he looked over his friend's broad shoulder to try and get a look at the piece of paper.
"But Tuner said he wanted to speak with both of us." Murtogg defended, "'Sides it's not like he is going to be wakening up anytime soon."
Elizabeth bit her tongue to keep from shouting and opted for a polite smile that hurt her cheeks.
"I can watch him for you; I had to give him a sponge bath anyway, so I can stay till you two get back." Elizabeth said politely and the two officers looked at each other.
"We really shouldn't..."Murtogg said after a moment then looked at the paper in front of him then inside Jack's room for a second before looking at his friend,; Elizabeth was getting nervous.
'What am I going to do if they don't buy it...what ever I do don't panic.' She thought trying to calm her nerves and keep her face as interested in their conversation without being to obvious.
"But Turner might be mad if we don't show up either." Mullroy told his friend evenly. "We might as well get some good news if were going to be yelled at from one superior then another."
"Inspector Norrington is far worse at yelling then Turner." Murtogg shot back and now the two began a staring war.
Elizabeth checked her watch. "Eight minutes left."
"But at least we are promoted." Mullroy answered the challenged and Murtogg nodded in response.
"Alright, I think we can do with some overdue good news and a raise." He turned to Elizabeth and she gave a small smile. "Are you sure you can stay till we get back miss?" He asked kindly ready to stay if he needed to.
"I am sure, besides you would have had to leave till I was done anyway, policy you know but I promise not to leave till you return."
"Thank you so much miss you are truly helping out the police force." Murtogg said smiling and he and Mullroy walked off.
When they had left Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief and quickly went inside pushing the covered cart in front of her. Once inside she shut the door behind her. Everyone was to busy to notice her anyway.
She placed the cart at the foot of Jack's bed and went over to him leaning over his still form. She swallowed the lump forming at her throat. It hurt her to see Jack Sparrow, a man so full of passion and life lying still with a bunch of IV tubes sticking out of his arms and heart monitors tangled around him. It looked to Elizabeth as they were chains that he could not break.
"Jack, please this is your only shot to get out so I am begging you if what Danny is said is true wake up."
Nothing.
"Jack please we don't have time for you to be playing around now." She gave him a little shake to emphasize her point. She had a feeling the Murtogg and Mullroy would only search for a non-existent room on their own for so long.
Once again nothing. She let the tears fall and placed her forehead against his. She had to face the facts what Danny said was not coming true.
"We always had a plan for this."
"What plan? Can it help Jack out?" Elizabeth asked Danny as they sat for a discreet lunch at the hotel Elizabeth had been locked in for a week since her father practically did not want her to set foot outside unless Norrington and Turner were with her. She did see Will a lot because unlike Norrington he never refused her request to see Jack and her father was thrilled that she was seeing a respectable boy.
"Yep, it should if Jack is faking his coma as planned." Danny took a bite of her cake. Taking notice of Elizabeth anticipation, Danny swallowed the cake and continued with her information. "He said if something went wrong on a heist or was hurt and sent to the hospital he would fake being unconscious, that way he get sent to minimum security wing, not to mention if the Fed's kept watch on him it would be minimal because they would think he was in a coma anyway. So it was always an emergency plan to sneak in and get him out."
"Then why haven't you? He's been there too long." Elizabeth felt like crying, but she did not show it and to her own ears her words sounded bitter towards her friend Danny.
"There are two main reasons among several little ones. First, is cops, Norrington in the night along with William there unless you are horizontal hustling him in the bed room, and don't deny it." Danny said as Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest a cold smile graced Danny's lips for a moment before tears welled in her eyes. Danny took off her glasses and dabbed her eyes with a cloth napkin by her side. "Second is none of us can get in without being caught. Not to mention we don't know of anyone brave enough to risk being arrested for Jack aside from me but as you can tell," Danny pointed to the agent standing at the window looking inside. "I am not being let out of sight for a while unless I sneak out which I have been doing to get the information I needed to get Jack out. What I lack is a brave soul."
Danny took a drink of her ice water let it ease the lump in her throat down, she almost choked on an ice cube when Elizabeth spoke.
"I'll do it. I'll get Jack out."
"Are you trying to kill me? No way you can do this, one slip and bang all of us in prison." Danny said cleaning her chin of the water she had spit out.
"I won't fail." Elizabeth said her words full of conviction. Danny rubbed her forehead.
"Lizzie are you sure, I mean aren't you with William now?" Danny asked knowing that Elizabeth would get Jack out of the hospital and to freedom.
"My reason for being with William is not what you think it is, I love Jack, but I know I can't be apart of his life anymore." Elizabeth said her eyes downcast afraid Danny would know why she was now with Will.
"Even after what Jack told you that day?" Danny asked cautiously hoping to get an honest answer.
"Yes, but I think we have more pressing matters at hand." Elizabeth answered curtly there by breaking off the topic just discussed.
"Now Lizzie this is not how I pictured you giving me a bath." Jack quipped as he smiled charmingly, despite the five o'clock shadow and tussled hair he still looked handsome...roguish even. Before Elizabeth could respond to him he kissed her deeply making her lose track of any coherent thought. They only parted when air became an issue.
"Now love what's with the sleeping beauty type awakening, not that I don't enjoy the kind." He wiped at her tears still grinned his roguish grin and Elizabeth pulled away and began to turn off the machines in order to not set off the alarms by making them fall back on their default settings. She helped Jack sit up and began to gently pull the IV's from his arms.
"No time to play around, can you walk Jack?" she said half distracted as she uncovered the cart and reviled in the second shelf a change of clothes for Jack. She handed to them as he stood out of bed, truth be told his limbs were a little stiff but nothing a good three mile walk could not cure.
"Yes I can love but so much for the romantic reunion." Jack said deflated as he tugged on the jeans and pulled off the drab hospital gown. "Where is everyone else?" Jack asked as he pulled on his boots and tied them before putting on his shirt.
"Waiting for the opportune moment I wager, and Jack we don't have much time but I have to tell you something." Elizabeth said now pulling off her scrubs to revel a new outfit, one that was not like her at all yet complimented her very well. Black jeans that stopped at her mid calf, low rise converses and a silk blue mandarin style Chinese shirt was the outfit now disguising her. Leave it to Danny to do the shopping. She left her wig on but took it out of the bun she was wearing and threw the glasses in the cart and hid the cart in the corner of the room, where it would be ignored until the investigation.
"What is it love; you look like you are guilty for something?" Jack teased lightly. "Bloody hell what's happening." Jack asked Elizabeth as the hospital sprinkler system's kicked in.
"No it's too soon." Elizabeth breathed and then she realized it might be better if Jack did not know, and she did not have the heart to tell him good-bye face to face and was glad she had already given Danny the letter to give to Jack later when he was freed.
She grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him to the door. She took a quick look outside and saw that everyone was running around as if the water was acid. She pulled Jack along thankful the water provided an excuse for their running and made it to the stairwell. They ran down the flights of stairs as if the devil was on their heels. Jack thought it was because they were trying to get out before anyone got wise. But for Elizabeth she was desperate to get Jack to safety and server all ties with him.
They made it past the main floor to the basement where Elizabeth knew the gang would be waiting she pulled Jack from opening the door.
"Jack I just wanted to say I am not sorry." Elizabeth bit back her tears and kissed Jack chastely. Now here comes the lie. She thought as she pulled away.
"You go on ahead and I'll just make it seem like I just arrived and got caught in Danny's storm." She instructed as she pulled Jack to the car. Danny was the first to jump out.
"You're not coming with us?" Jack asked slightly confused.
"Come on Jack we have to go now!" Danny yelled as she tugged on Jack's arm. "They're on their way, that's why I had to set off things earlier then expected."
"Lizzie I don't plan on leaving with out you." Jack said holding his ground despite Danny's violent tugs. Gibbs got out of the car, readying for plan C.
Elizabeth touched the side of Jack's cheek and he unconsciously leaned into it. "Jack, I want to thank you for everything." She sniffed still smiling and keeping his interest that he did not see Danny pull from her coat a syringe and slam it into his arm. He did not even feel himself falling, Gibbs catching him and placing him in the car. Jack did not hear Elizabeth whisper I love you or, the rumble of the jet engines when the gang had made it to their privet jet.
He did not wake up till after three days later with Danny taking care of him. Danny after making Jack promise not to kill her gave the letter Elizabeth had written.
Jack,
I hate what I did to you but it was not Danny's fault. I asked her to keep you unconscious for three days. I did not want to risk you ruining my wedding day. This decision to marry Will had nothing to do with you, but I needed to have a safe life, one where I could be happy. I enjoyed my adventure with you and I do love you, and will never forget you, but it can never work between us. Our lives are just to separate. You need to be free and I could not give you that freedom. I hope you can forgive me.
Elizabeth
Jack was ready to tell Danny to get the jets ready when Danny threw a two day old newspaper at him. From the paper he now knew they were in the Caribbean, but what hurt most of all was the front page of a happy looking Elizabeth running down the church stairs with William Turner in a wedding gown of white. She looked beautiful. Jack crumpled the paper.
"Danny pet?" Jack said solemnly lying back in the covers.
"Yes Jack?" Danny said quietly near tears as she had never seen Jack look so tired and defeated before.
"Got any rum?"
Four years later
It was hotter then normal but little Jonathan "Sly" Sparrow did not mind in the least as he played in the sand, the sun tanning his olive skin darker. He was use to it after all the Caribbean islands were his home. It had been since he was born. Right now he was playing in the serf under his mother's watchful gaze, dreaming of being a pirate. It was normal day only his father was not around but he said he'd be back in time for his birthday and his daddy despite being odd and having very odd friends never broke his word. After all, his daddy was a real honest man.
A shell washed up by his fort of sand and his pirate ship floated upright for a moment before turning on its side as the tide went out. He picked up the shell, it was a sand dollar. He examined the delicate pattern of a star shaped flower. The texture was smooth from being beaten by sand and waves. He ran over to his mother and extended his arm to show her.
"For you mommy." He said sweetly. And Elizabeth smiled as she pulled her son for a hug.
"Thank you darling it's beautiful." Elizabeth said enthused, "When we get home it's going into my collection."
"Mommy when is daddy coming home?" Jonathan asked as he sat down by his mother and started to make a sand castle.
"He'll be home most likely tomorrow darling." If he can follow the plan... Elizabeth thought cynically.
"Mommy will grandpapa be at my party tomorrow?" Little Jonathan asked looking at his mother who's dark brown eyes mirrored hers, she looked at her son a puzzled expression on her face.
"I'm not sure why grandpa would ever think to miss it." Elizabeth answered honestly. Unless he's still mad about Jack kidnapping me.
It was true, Jack may have been a thief but he'd be damn if something or someone he wanted would be taken from him. After one week of getting drunk at his Caribbean home with Danny keeping a close eye on him, he final got up, stumbled into the shower and then after having a good breakfast for dinner, told Danny to start planning for a way to get in contact with Elizabeth.
Turns out when Danny had told him that the only way to get in contact with her is when she was going to the doctors.' Jack had been very concerned and when Danny finally broke down under Jack's gaze she told him Elizabeth was pregnant. Jack had been devastated, having no clue that the child was his. He crawled his way back into a bottle for three days before Danny told him he was an idiot and forced him to stop being a namby-pamby and go and get the woman he loved.
Danny and Ana-Maria (against many protest) helped Jack sneak in the Doctors office and sneak him into her room.
Finally after much arguing and kissing and forgiving Jack asked her would she come to the Caribbean with him. Elizabeth said yes and she had told Jack she never really married Will it was just a ploy. Danny had made fake pictures and delivered it to Jack at her insistence. Jack almost killed Danny when he and Elizabeth got into the car.
"Come on sweetie lets go inside we can play out side tomorrow." Elizabeth said as she stood up and then carried her son and his bucket full of toys her sand dollar back to their home.
Captain Jack Sparrow was indeed a lucky man. He watched as Danny, Ana-Maria slept in their seats, as Cotton fed his parrot and Gibbs flying their private jet back to the Caribbean. He had his rum, his crew, his freedom and as his fingers played it the small white shell on a braided rope that hung around his neck, a gift made from his son that he never took off, he was happy he had a family waiting at home.
Their last heist had been a success and with no other mishaps other then almost getting beaten by Elizabeth's father when he found Jack hiding in the closet. He then moved to his bag and brought out the aged cutlass from the sixtieth century, stolen from the home of one Hector Barbossa along with other artifacts which would fetch very high prices. His son Jonathan would no doubt be pleased, his mother on the other hand...well Jack could always use his charms to persuade her to his side, if not with his charms (which was doubtful they would fail) he always had some lovely jewelry stolen from the home of another crime lord.
After landing that night Jack quickly said good-bye to his friends reminding them that it was his son's birthday the next day. Ana-Maria threw an empty water bottle at him.
"We know that is, all you bloody well talked about on the plane! And yes before you ask I already got him a gift!" Ana-Maria huffed and got into her waiting car.
"She is just going to be a wonderful godmother Jack." Gibbs said nonchalant before Cotton and him Drove off together to quickly find a gift for the three year old that they forgot. It was going to be a long night for the two bachelors and the parrot. Danny turned to Jack.
"So headed home C.J?" She asked as Jack walked her over to her waiting car. "A day early might I add."
"Yep can't wait to see the surprise on their faces." Jack said as he gave Danny a hug and she smiled. "What?" Jack asked inquisitively.
Danny giggled which only caused Jack to frown. "You have changed Jack and for the better. I'll see you at little Jonathan's party, night." Danny got into her car and drove off.
Jack got into his own Black Pontiac GTO that he had bought (illegally of course) the sound of the Rolling Stones Paint it Black blaring on the radio.
"Daddy!" Jonathan cried as he jumped down from his seat at the dinner table and ran into his father grabbing on to his strong leg. Jack patted his son on the head and walked carrying his son.
"Jack you have a growth on your leg." Elizabeth said innocently as she kissed Jack chastely in front of their son. Jack had every intention and being corruptive in their bedroom later on. And Elizabeth had a faint idea what he was planning from the glint of mischief in his eyes.
"So I have." He said as Elizabeth picked up their son, Jonathan then hugged his mother. Jack then took Elizabeth by her small waist as they walked back to the kitchen. "You know what Lizzie?" Jack asked and took their son from her and placing him on his shoulders where the boy laughed.
"What Jack?" She answered turning to him.
"I would not have it any other way." Jack answered her sincerely and gave a trademark smirk. It was good to be home.