"Congratulations, lad," yelled Jack. "Scarlet, be a good lass and get another round for the proud new dad!" The woman disappeared, heading toward the bar with Jack's coin. Nothing could keep the smile of a proud father from creeping over Will's face. He took the drink that Jack offered him and downed it in one gulp. Moments later, the fatherly glow was gone, a stoic expression of focus replaced it. Even through his now semi-drunken gaze, Jack knew there would be no getting out of this until he could prove is innocence. "So much for a drunken celebration," Jack sighed. "So, what've you got in your head what says I'm the mastermind behind the ab-duck-shun of your bonnie lass?"
"I was coming out of an inn at Port Royal; Elizabeth didn't want to go to her father's house yet. Anyway I could see the Swann from the doorway. I saw one of the middies from the Pearl go aboard my ship and come ashore with my wife and son. I even know the mangy cur's name. I killed him a few times."
"What!?" spat Jack. "I don't know how much you've had to drink, but a man can only die once."
"I know that Jack. The man was cursed when I tried to kill him!"
"Then why are you blamin' me?! Those men were Barbossa's business, an' Norrington hanged most of them after I was on me way." The drunken Captain paused. "That's it!!" exclaimed Jack slapping his hand on the table. "Norrington. He must have saved a few of Barbossa's men from the noose so they could the dirty work he couldn't send his red coated fancies to do. An' I thought 'im t' be a honorabible man." Jack drained his mug just as Scarlet returned with yet another bottle of rum. Jack pulled her into his lap and they began to exchange dirty jokes that had Scarlet blushing like a school girl. It wasn't long before a whispered exchange and the two made to go up to the rooms above the tavern.
Will was stunned. The commodore had obviously been in love with Elizabeth or he wouldn't have gone through all the mess three years ago. Why, then, did he have her kidnapped now? Then it hit Will like a hurricane gale. "Jack," called Will to the pirate who was following a scantily clad woman up the stairs. "Know where we can find Elizabeth!!!" Jack sighed heavily, rolled his eyes and tapped Scarlet on the shoulder and said that they would have to take a rain check on their… play time. He jumped over the stair rail and landed heavily on the floor of the crowded tavern. After regaining his balance, Jack strutted over to the table where Will was sitting.
"So… Are you going to tell me what that crooked, honest mind of yers has cooked up or not?" said Jack angry.
"Yes. It's all your fault. Norrington took my wife to get to you." There was a brief pause while Jack got his eyes to focus on Will's face.
"How's that? She's yer wife."
"Norrington thinks I won't come without help. And who would I go to for help?" Jack looked around and pointed to a fellow sleeping soundly in a dark corner. "No, I don't even know him. You, the famous Captain Jack Sparrow. He who can get out of any situation. So, what you think we should do?"
"Stay here and wait for ol' Norry to let 'er go."
"No dice. You and I are going to Port Royal in your ship and we are going to rescue Elizabeth and Jack Jr."
"So you think you gonna commandeer me ship. That won't happen, mate. I just got 'er back. Davy Jones 'im self won't take it from me."
"No you'll come willingly."
"Why's that? What have you got to offer?" Jack looked pointedly at Scarlet who was talking to the girl who fell into Jack's lap earlier. Will just smiled and gave Jack a shove toward the door.
Once outside, Will took Jack to go back to the Pearl, while he went to roundup what crew members he could. Jack was grateful for about two minutes. It was then that he realized that Will had given him an order, and he had actually obeyed.
"I'm the captain here," muttered Jack on his way back to the Pearl. "And why the hell can't he take 'is own bleedin' ship?" Will had told him that he had a plan that couldn't be said in the tavern, too many ears. Jack walked up the gangplank muttering to himself about love and women. Once aboard, Jack felt a stinging slap across his face. "What the bloody hell was that for?!" exclaimed Jack rubbing the coloring hand shaped splotch on his left cheek.
"You're not alone Captain," said Ana Maria smoothly. "I heard you mumbling from below decks. I'm afraid I took offence to that last comment."
"Where's the rest of the crew?" asked Jack looking around the deck to find only a handful of men lounging about in coils of rope.
"Off getting soused, no doubt." She gestured to the docks.
"Where are they Ana Maria?"
"I just told you, in the taverns or the beds of the local chambermaids and Lords wives, but I don't know exactly. Thank God for that, really."
"Well send a ships boy to find them, all of them. We're leaving with the morning tide." Then Jack stomped off toward his cabin saying something about needing another drink.
"Captain, why are we leaving?" Ana Maria yelled after him.
"Love," came the answer drifting on the evening fog.
Ana Maria gave a sigh of mixed emotions. After that thing a couple of years ago with that Turner boy, she completely fell head over heels for the man. Feelings that she had kept at bay for years surfaced and would not leave this time. She had to talk to him, so after sending a pack of ship's boys for the crew she walked up to the aft cabin with one thing in mind.
There was a knock at the door of Jack's cabin. He rolled his eyes, 'Probably Ana Maria wondering which ship's boy to send after the crew,' he thought. He opened the door to see Ana Maria just as he had thought, but it was plain to see she wasn't there to talk about ship's boys. "Can I help you?" asked Jack.
"You could ask me in, you know."
"Okay then, come on in my lady," Jack bowed her in. Ana Maria walked in some what stunned by the pirates change in actions. "Can I offer you a drink? We have rum, rum and… more rum."
"I'll have… umm… rum please." This friendly conversion was so out of character for either of them, they shocked themselves. Jack went to the cabinet where he kept his rum and found nothing.
"Why is the rum gone?" asked Jack to no one in particular. Ana Maria walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Jack was shocked into stillness, in a move that couldn't have been preformed better by a sober man and danced out of the arms encircling him.
"And what can I do for you, my lovely little thing?" asked Jack taking a seat behind a table and motioning for Ana Maria to do the same. She didn't sit though. She walked around the table and covered his mouth with hers. "I think I know exactly what to do for that," said Jack, touching the side of his nose with his index finger.
Moments later, Will walked on board the Black Pearl followed by the rest of the ship's crew in varying stages of drunkenness. The ship gave a small lurch, some of the crew stayed up right, barely. The other part of the crew was not so lucky. Groans filled the air around the Pearl's men tried getting up. The wind had picked up a bit and with that the waves began to rock the ship. More groaning and foul words arose over the deck of the Black Pearl. The only man sober enough to stay standing was Will; being alone with his thoughts during the walk to find the crew had brought him back to his senses. The young man search the decks for Jack, but the pirate was no were to be seen. Will walked up to the aft cabin and knocked on the door (always proper, that Will). There was the sound of people struggling with each other to get to the door. Jack, clutching a piece of canvas around his middle, opened the door and rolled his eyes at ol' dependable Will standing there. "Couldn't this have waited five minutes?"
"Do you want to know my plan or not?"
"Wait, I'll… we'll be right with you. You should've told me in the tavern, it is my ship after all."
Will smiled at the door as it slammed in his face. "Get up you dogs!!" Will shouted at the crew. "We sail with the morning tide."
"Oi! You ain't the captain!" yelled a particularly soused sailor.
"For this voyage, I am." The sailor looked like he was ready for a fight, but one look from the pissed off Will, the sailor backed down.
"Who said you were?" Jack emerged from the cabin still buttoning his shirt. Right behind him came a well satisfied Ana Maria tying red sash around her middle. Some of the crew gawked at her; other gave loud cat calls and congratulations to their captain. Ana Maria chose to ignore these, she was second in command, no matter what happened between her and Jack, they still had to do what she ordered.
"We're going to Port Royal boys," said Will. Ana Maria just shook her head. 'Here we go again,' she thought.
"Captain, I told Turner that he could take command this round." Jack rounded on her.
"What the blood hell are you talkin' about, Ana?"
"You owe me a ship, if I am not mistaken. That be a mighty big favor there Jack. So, I gave the Pearl to Turner until he gets Elizabeth back. That can be how you return said favor." Ana had her back the crew so they couldn't see the look she was giving Sparrow. One that said there is something a little more in it for him. It took time, but eventually the pirate caved and was rewarded with an unfortunately chaste kiss.
They were days out to sea, and Will had yet to present his grand ideas to the rest of the crew. A few sailors were even talking mutiny against him; Jack was one of them.
"Where the bloody hell is he!" shouted Jack. "This was his bloody idea and his bloody plan, which I might add, I still don't know!" The door creaked open revealing a pale cabin boy standing at attention.
"Sir," piped the boy. "We've found Master Turner."
"Well…" said Jack impatiently. "Where is the yella bellied pain in my poop deck!"
The cabin boy's reply was drowned out by a loud clatter of something falling outside the cabin. Luckily for the cabin boy and whom ever dropped the clattering something, the captain heard what the cabin boy had said and strode out of the cabin towards the (I have decided to have some technical difficulties in this very spot for some devious reason or another.)
Will looked toward the dark smudge that had just appeared on the horizon. "We're so close," he thought aloud to himself. For a moment he stood pondering his plan. 'I really should tell Jack the rest of the plan,' he thought, for real this time. Will began to shift his feet to turn around when he felt the cold bite of pointed steel on the small of his back.
"Turn 'round," said a gruff voice. Will did this, but as he did he drew his sword. Before Jack knew what was happening, he was disarmed and pined to the deck with Will's sword at his throat. "Drawin' your sword on the captain again, young Mas'er Turner?" asked Jack in a patronizing voice.
"No sir," replied Will flintily. "I drew my sword on an old friend who was about to make a grievous mistake." Will's eyes flashed in warning. "Why would I draw a sword on myself?" he added.
"Don't you worry, Cap'n," said Jack slapping Will unnecessarily hard on the back. "You'll have your bonnie lass back in your arms in no time at all, and I'll have me ship back in mine. Now before I leave, what the devil are you doing on the bow spirit?"
"I needed to think."
"Oh… What does that have to do with the price of peanuts in Singapore?" Will looked bewildered.
"Nothing, whenever I need to think I go to the highest place I can. I figured the riggin' and the Crow's Nest were taken. So, I came up here."
"Well, that is about the strangest thing I have ever heard in my life. On the other, hand you are the strangest person I have ever meant in my life so it fits. So… umm are you ever going to tell me the rest of your plan involving my ship and my crew and not yours?"
"Yes, when we near Port Royal, have you're man at the tiller veer west twenty degrees. There's a small harbor, just big enough to fit the Pearl. We'll hide there then you and I will head out for the town on foot."
"Why not just take the whole blooming town by force?"
"First, I didn't think you wanted holes in your ship. Second, I have a feeling that Norrington might just do something incredibly stupid if we try something like that. Third, I need to talk to an old friend."
"Okay, why is it going to be just you and me? Can't we take a few of Barbossa's escaped men as expendables?"
"No, I don't want to shed too much blood. If all goes well, then a sword need not be drawn."
"Then pray that all does not go well." Jack smiled devilishly at that last statement.
"If you're not careful with this little venture, you, my friend will end up back in the gallows." Jack was taken aback by this. It was true if he did ever show his face in Port Royal he would be clapped in irons and in the gallows before he could say "Parlay". Why then was Will so intent on getting him to go to that very place unaccompanied?
"Jack!" shouted Will waving his hand in front of Jack's face. "Did you fall asleep with our eyes open again?" Jack shook his head still looking slightly bewildered. "Well, I'm going below to work things out and try to get some sleep."