Author's Note --- Thanks also to me-heart-long-for-ye-sparrow for your reviews! Sorry this took so long to update. I've been busy between track meets and not letting parents read my beloved stories. Okay, so a 92 on the English regents, an 80 on my math B midterm, and an 83 on my Physiology midterm. Not too shabby, eh?
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Chapter Seven --- Aye, Avast!
Will threw the cell door down to the ground with a loud crash as Edana jumped out of the way. "Hurry," she cried. "Someone'll have heard that!"
"Not without my effects," Jack replied, dragging me along behind him. "'Elp me lass."
"No," I said, shaking my head, backing away.
Big mistake. He pulled me in close and whispered in my ear, "Unless ye want ta be locked in the cell with 'the likes of me' again fer the night, ye'll 'elp me." I nodded as he grinned and I grabbed his belt. I threw it over his shoulder and strapped it on as he put his pistol and sword in their proper places. I turned around when I finished to find Ed watching in on amusement, her arms crossed, eyebrow raised and a enormous catlike grin on her face. I stuck my tongue out at her as we left through the back of the fort to get to the harbor. We reached the bridge that lay over the creek that ran into town. I peered around the corner to see The Interceptor sitting at the dock, Marines loading her up with cargo.
"We're going to steal a ship?" Will asked, worriedly. He followed Jack's eyes as they left went from The Interceptor to The Dauntless. "That ship?"
"Commandeer, we're goin' ta commandeer that ship, nautical term," Jack replied. "One question about yer business, boy, or it's no use goin'. This girl, how far are ye willin' to go to save 'er?"
Without hesitation, Will answered, "I'd die for her." I watched as Eddie rolled her eyes and gagged from behind him.
"Good," Jack said, a grin on his face as he watched Eddie. "No worries then." A group of Marines marched past and after they left, Jack told us of his plan to commandeer the ship. Ed and I already knew what he had in mind but poor Will looked blown away. We quickly set the plan into action and climbed under a deserted rowboat. We heard another group of Marines pass and then the coast was clear. Racing down to the water, we pulled the boat down with us, creating an airpocket underneath.
"This is either crazy or brillance," Will remarked dryly once we had gone some way away from land.
"Remarkable 'ow those two traits coincide," Jack replied. I grinned and continued walking. I heard a small crunch from behind me as Will stepped in the crab trap.
We reached The Dauntless's underbelly and we carefully swam up and around the side. Jack threw the rope from the crab trap up and over a hook on the side of the ship. "Lass, come 'ere," he motioned to me. Cautiously, I swam over towards him, taking heed of his previous warning. When I was close enough, he snatched out and wrapped an arm around my waist. I opened my mouth to yelp but his hand covered my mouth roughly. "Mr. Turner, grab the other girl and climb quickly," he said before throwing me over his shoulder, starting to climb.
Once we were out of Will and Edana's hearing, I whispered in his ear in a deathly tone, "Jack! Let me go! I am quite capable of climbing!"
"No chance, love." He shifted me around on his shoulder a bit and then continued, "Ye got lucky last time from gettin' away. I just want ye to be safe, savvy? Can't afford fer a slow girl ta slow me down." In no time, we reached the deck. I was thrown over the railing and I landed with a non-too-gentle thud. I groaned and rolled over onto my back. Jack leapt up and over the side with graceful ease, like a cat and he extended his hand to me. "Sorry love," he said a slight grin at his mouth.
I pushed his hand away and replied bitterly, "I can handle myself, Captain Sparrow."
"There's no need for formalities, love, it's just Jack when we're together," he said cockily. I bit back a retort as Will jumped over the rail. He bent back over and grasped Eddie's wrist, pulling her up gently. "Alright, let's do this as I told ye," Jack said, unsheathing his sword. We followed suit and crept after the pirate. He bounded down the stairs and pointed his sword directly at the back of the lieutenant that was onboard. Ed and I stayed on the last few stairs, swords pointed. Will leapt over the railing halfway down the stairs and copied Sparrow's move.
"Everybody stay calm," Jack announced, getting the attention of all the sailors on the ship.
"We are taking over the ship," Ed and I chorused.
"Aye, avast!" Will added. Jack and I turned towards him to give him the look that said, 'Are you stupid?' He widened his eyes, a look that replied, 'How was I supposed to know?'
The lieutenant raised an eyebrow and said, "You understand that this ship cannot be crewed by just four men. You'll never make it out of the bay." He laughed with the sailors, who were already going on about what a great story this was turning out to be.
"Um, excuse me," I put in. "Two men and two women."
"That's right," Ed added, snapping her fingers.
The men stared flabbergasted as Jack pulled out his pistol, cocked and aimed it in between the lieutenant's eyes. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he said. "Savvy?"
The lieutenant gulped and nodded. "Um, if you'll just lower the rowboat, we'll get right in." He and the sailors piled in and we watched as the men lowered them to the water.
"That was awesome," Edana breathed excitedly.
"I know!" We highfived as the men came back.
"Alright ladies, but the point ta dressin' as men is ta keep yer gender hidden," Jack said. He eyed my own wet figure and added, "Especially from other men."
"I oughta slam you," I growled, raising my fist.
"Now, now, remember what 'appened this mornin'," Jack jeered. Naughty images shot through my mind and I resorted to lowering my fist. He added, "There's a good girl."
I spun around and leaned over the railing of The Dauntless as Ed followed me and Jack began to "show" Will how to raise the masts. "So, what did happen?" she asked, a mocking tone in her voice.
"You know what, I don't wanna talk about it."
"Oh, come on! I'm your best friend! Tell me!"
"Captain Sparrow thinks that he can just come on to any female that crosses his path," I spat.
"He came on to already?" she asked, surprised. She sighed and faced the water. "My bet was the island was the furthest he'd give it till. I'm surprised he held off on Elizabeth for so long."
"Thanks for your support."
"Any time," she shrugged. "Come on, let's fool the Commodore into thinking we are actually men." I followed her over towards Will, who clearly didn't know what to do on a ship. I turned one more time to see if The Interceptor had started off yet. She had and a fuming Commodore paced on her decks.
"Too late," I said. "They're coming."
Jack partly turned and grinned. "Aye," he said and quickly disabled the rudder chain on the helm. Finished, he brought us to some ropes in the front of the ship.
We waited patiently in the shadows as The Interceptor quickly ran along side The Dauntless. The Marines lowered a gangplank and scurried across, guns at the ready. "Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges!" Norrington ordered furiously.
I grabbed my rope in my hands as Jack whispered, "Go." I swung over, followed by Jack, Will and Edana. I landed with a soft thud. Will began to raise the foresail with Jack as Eddie and I cut the ropes attached to the grappling hooks.
The gangplank fell from the two ships as we moved apart. Norrington appeared at the rail, his face unreadable.
"Thank ye Commodore, for gettin' our ship ready ta make way! We'd've 'ad a 'ard time of it by ourselves!" Jack yelled with a tip of his hat. I smiled and waved bye for now.
