"Not All Treasure is Silver and Gold"

Chapter 27

Jack was pouting in his cell. Will was pouting in his cell. Neither man would speak to the other. One reason was because what was there to say? They were locked in cages being shipped like cargo to India for a trial. Two, a guard was posted to watch over at them every second and would report all conversation to the men in charge.

And while the two men miserably sat locked up, James Norrington and his crew found the crew of The Adventurer at a tavern n Singapore. James immediately spoke to Gibbs.

"Why are you here?" Norrington asked the man.

"I could ask the same thing," Gibbs replied.

"Where is your captain?"

"India."

"Yes, India. Care for a drink, Commodore?"

"It's Lord now, and no. I'm going to India. Have you seen Singapore Steve?"

"That pompous twit? No, no."

James turned around to address his crew. "Ready the ship. We leave for India tonight." He turned around to look at the ever more drunk Gibbs. "And why are you not in India if Sparrow and Turner are? Shouldn't you be with your captain?"

"They were taken as prisoners. I'm temporary captain," and that was all he could say. He passed out drunk in his chair.

James knew he had befriended pirates and had even been one for a while, but the whole thing still semi-disgusted him.

And what had become of Singapore Steve? He had Danielle. James felt he was duty-bound to protect both Danielle and Elizabeth. And while he was protecting them, he had to leave his fiancée, Arabella, behind and James truly missed her.

As James sat at his desk in his cabin, a wonderfully brilliant idea passed through his head.

They hadn't left port yet, so it was very easy to re-direct the men. But not only was he going to need his crew's cooperation, he would need Jack's crew to help.

Singapore Steve had to be on his way, so they would set a trap.

The next day The Adventurer was sitting blatantly out in the open water. It was the perfect trap. Steve would be overjoyed to take the ship. But what Steve wouldn't know is that some of James' men would be stationed below deck, waiting for the men. So, they sat and waited. They waited and waited and waited. Gibbs could only tell them that the ship would be blood red and easy to identify if a ship ever came.

Hours later, a ship was finally on the horizon. But it wasn't red. It wasn't even a pirate ship. As it finally approached The Adventurer, James and Gibbs were completely confused. It was one of the governor's ships, easily identifiable by the crest on the stern.

As soon as they ships were side by side, James boarded the other ship quickly. He was more furious than he had ever been.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he yelled. He looked around the ship.

"I'm looking for Jack. Where is he?"

"You took a ship?"

"Elizabeth and Bella as well. I couldn't very well go gallivanting off all by my onsies now, could I?"

"This was stupid, Danielle. But we can't discuss this now. Take the ship into port and take down the sails as quickly as you can. Don't argue with me, you'll waste time," he instructed her. "And do not move. I will explain about Jack later."

"Fine and we will be talking about this later," she looked at him. She didn't like being ordered around but she might need his help later.

James re-boarded The Adventurer and hid once more.

Hours later, that awful red ship was on the horizon. And just as planned, Singapore Steve was ecstatic that Jack Sparrow's ship was sitting all by itself just waiting to be taken over. So they approached and he prepared his crew to take the ship.

Steve, being ridiculously dumb, boarded and so did most of his men. James then gave the signal and the crew of Steve's ship was taken prisoner. James boarded the opposing ship quickly with a couple of his men on were able to easily take the ugly ship.

To no one's surprise (except maybe Singapore Steve and his crew) James' plan worked. It was too easy.

So, when they had all of their captives secure, James headed for Dani and her ship.

"Where is Jack?" she asked the minute she saw him. "If the ship is here, he must be here, too."

"Well…" he started.

"Well, what?" she asked impatiently. She started to tap her boot annoyingly as she stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. Dani had started to pick up some of Elizabeth's habits. "I poisoned you once before, don't think I couldn't do it better again," she added.

He didn't look scared at all, but answered her, "He's been captured."

"Captured?" she asked breathlessly. "By whom? You have Singapore Steve and his crew and Beckett is dead."

"That would be the Indian government. But what Mr. Gibbs has informed me of is that it was all part of Jack's plan," James said as he tried to calm her.

"And Will?" Dani asked.

"He seems to be with your husband."

"Damn. So they are both on the way to India? And they'll be prosecuted for something they didn't do? Damn!" she swore as she punched the mast, and then howled in pain.

"Don't worry, Danielle—" he had started to say when he saw Arabella. She ran to him and he embraced her.

"I'm sorry, James…" she said into his shoulder.

Danielle shook her head and walked away. She was too jealous to watch.

"Elizabeth!" she shouted as she reached the hallway.

"Yes?" she answered back.

"We are leaving for India in ten minutes. It seems our dearly beloveds have been taken prisoner and are on their way to their inevitable executions. But we're going to fix things."

"Oh, no you aren't," James told them. He had followed Danielle and heard what she had said. "I am going to take Singapore Steve to India to sort this mess out. You will stay here with The Adventurer and be safe," James informed her. "He broke down and confessed to it all: the theft of the jewel and the plot to frame Jack. It was a good plan, except…"

"We are smarter."

"But who do we go about getting to meet with the ruler of India?"

"I'll figure something out on the way there. You stay here. Promise me?" James asked of Danielle.

"Promise," she smiled sweetly back at him and shook his hand.

But the fingers on her other hand were crossed the whole time.

A/N: Ta-da! Chapter 27 is done! Ta-da once again! Please review! I would love to hear some more about what people are liking about my story so I can continue. Please, please, please? Dani is hugely pissed that she isn't getting a whole lot of review right now. She's demanding 6-7 reviews and she's threatening to walk out of the story if her demands aren't met.

Manda