Author's Note: I'm getting closer to those fifty reviews and even closer to the end of this story. But don't worry! I'm already in planning stages of the sequel. I feel as though I just can't put it down and away, yet.
Jack: Ye know, ye write like yer bein' paid fer it.
Aoife: Oh, how I wish!
Jack: More Cap'n Jack Sparrow! Just what every lass wants ta 'ear. (Clears throat) There's not gonna be more of the eunch, is there?
Aoife: (Rolls eyes) Please read and review.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Fifteen --- Dishonest As It Honestly Gets
Seeing me come up besides him, Jack looped his arm through mine. "Come look at the beautiful things. Maybe we can find a pretty jewel fer yer pretty neck," he said, loudly for Barbossa to hear. Will and Edana were pushed away from the chest, where they could do no damage, even if they wanted to, by two pirates, who watched their every move. Barbossa watched me and Jack carefully himself. Jack picked up random jewels and would occasionally hold them to my throat. "Keelin," he whispered as he picked up a ruby. "I 'ave a plan but it includes ye puttin' yerself in 'arm's way."
"Fantastic. I get to fight, don't I?" I grinned.
He rolled his eyes and nodded slightly. "A ruby's not yer color, love. It contrasts with yer 'air," he said for Barbossa to hear. Softer again, he added, "Ye can manage ta not get killed, right?"
"For you, anything, Jack," I replied. He grinned at me seductively.
"That's what I like ta see on ye," he said, louder again for Barbossa, holding up an emerald in the shape of a heart. I took it from his hand and pocketed it.
"I must admit Jack, I thought I 'ad ye figured," Barbossa commented. "But it turns out ye're a 'ard man ta predict."
"Me?" Jack asked in mock surprise. "I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man ye can always trust ta be dishonest."
"Honestly," Eddie and I chorused.
Jack smiled and added, "It's the 'onest ones ye oughta watch out fer." He let go of me and sashayed over to the pirate who was skipping rocks. "Because ye can never predict when they're gonna do somethin' incredibly…stupid." He kicked the pirate into the water and grabbed the sword that was in the pirate's belt as he fell. He tossed it to Will, who amazingly, caught it behind his back, hands tied.
It was then that I realized I had no weapon. I picked up stones and chucked them at the two pirates guarding Will and Eddie, as Will kicked one of them to the ground. The other was distracted by me and Ed grabbed his sword and tried to toss it to me. It landed in between me and the pirate. I jumped towards it and he followed suit. My hand wrapped around the handle as he grabbed the blade. I tugged desperately but he had a strong grip on the non-sharp side and he tugged back. I did the only other thing that I could think of…I kicked him…there. He dropped the sword and fell to the ground moaning in pain. I closed my eyes and drove the sword into his gut. I took a deep breath and when I opened my eyes, he was lying in a pool of blood, but not yet dead.
"Keelin," Ed whispered. "Cut my bonds." She turned around, exposing her bound hands to me. I raised the sword and easily sliced through the rope around her wrists. I stared at the blood on my sword numbly before she jabbed me in the side.
I turned around as Barbossa yelled, "Ye're off the edge of the map, mate! 'Ere there be monsters!" Jack ran away from him, his arms flapping wildly. Barbossa cornered him near the chest and sighed mockingly. "Ye can't beat me, Jack."
Deciding to test him, Jack thrust his sword into Barbossa's stomach. Barbossa sighed heavily and yanked it out, with no blood on it. "Jack, watch out!" I cried. But it was too late. Barbossa impaled the sword into Jack's gut sharply. "No!" my cry echoed through out the cave.
Jack's dark eyes widened as he realized what had happened and he stumbled a few steps backwards. Into the moonlight he went and he changed to nothing more than bones and his clothes turned to rags. He held up his arms, glancing at them curiously. "That's interestin'," he said to himself, softly. Turning his attention back to Barbossa, he flipped a medallion in between his fingers dramatically. He smirked and said, "Couldn't resist, mate." Barbossa sneered and leapt towards him. Jack turned abruptly and ran, knocking a table over in the process. "Sorry!" he yelled, running faster.
A pirate, Scarum, jumped in front of me, grinning hideously. He attacked with his sword and I instantly parried. As we fought, Will snuck behind him and thrust his sword clear through his back. Scarum fell to the ground withering. My hands shook violently and I felt the sudden urge to be sick. I turned away and took some deep breaths to calm myself down.
I watched as Barbossa and Jack circled back around. Barbossa stumbled and leaned against a chest, Jack's cutlass pointed at his chest. "So what now, Jack Sparrow? Will it be two immortals locked in an epic battle 'till Judgment Day and trumpets sound? Hmm?"
Jack shrugged and replied, "Or ye could surrender."
"Arr!" Barbossa growled and jumped off the rock and after Jack.
Clubba, another one of the pirates, jumped in front of Will, who was standing next to me and Edana, watching the battle. "I'm gonna teach ye the meanin' of pain," Clubba growled with a grin. Edana's eyes flashed angrily, the blue taking on an icy hue.
She picked up a heavy pole near her feet and growled, "Ya like pain? Try wearing a corset, bastard!" She whacked him across the head and he crumpled in a heap on the ground. Will and I stared at her in amazement. "What?" she shrugged.
"Will, before you go, take this," I said, ripping the medallion from around my neck. I sliced my hand on my sword and rolled the coin in the fresh blood.
"You have one too?" he asked, staring at the bloody coin in surprise.
"It's a long story," I replied.
Before Will could make his way to the chest, three more pirates jumped in front of us. We defeated them quickly, stringing them up on the pole that Eddie had found, their skeleton figures eerie in the moonlight. Will lit a grenade and shoved it into Jacoby's stomach. Eddie and I pushed them out of the moonlight, where they became human again. "No fair," Jacoby whined, pressing his stomach.
"Run!" Will hollered, leaping towards the chest. Edana sprinted ahead of me and she and Will leapt up to the chest as I hopped to the last rock to cross the water. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Barbossa aimed his pistol and I heard shots ring out.
A scream echoed around the cavern as I felt a sharp pain shoot through my leg. I glanced around, looking for who had screamed and I realized that it had been me. My leg felt like it was going to give out and I looked down. Blood was gushing from my leg and I felt slightly lightheaded and dizzy. I grabbed my leg and gasped at the pain that rushed through my body. "Keelin!" Ed cried, starting towards me. Barbossa aimed his gun at her and she froze where she was.
"Ten years ye carry that pistol and now ye waste yer shot," Barbossa smirked.
"No, he didn't," Will said. Barbossa turned to see him standing over the chest, a bloody knife in one hand and the medallions, including the one that Jack tossed to him when I wasn't looking. He dropped them into the chest and Barbossa spun around to face Jack again. He ripped open his jacket and glanced at where the bullet had pierced his skin. Blood began profusely gushing out, staining his shirt.
"I feel…cold," he whispered before collapsing to the ground, dead, an apple rolling out of his hand.
I glanced down at my own bleeding leg again and moaned loudly another sharp pain shot through my leg. Black spots began to appear and I searched for Jack through them. He was standing a few feet from Barbossa but he turned and glanced at me. "Jack!" I called softly before black clouded my entire vision.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Edana's POV)
As Barbossa fell to the ground, dead, I darted over to Keelin. She whispered Jack's name and falling to the ground, unconscious. "Jack!" I screamed. I knelt besides her and pulled her head out of the water so that she wouldn't drown as well as bleed to death and placed it on my lap. Jack skidded next to me and ripped his sash off from around his hips. He tied it around her leg tightly, making it into a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. It slowed a little bit, but not enough. I stroked Keelin's fiery red hair and watched as the flush in her cheeks quickly disappeared.
"She's losin' too much blood," Jack said, a worried look across his features.
"What can we do?" Will asked, standing behind me.
"We've gotta get 'er ta The Pearl," Jack replied.
"They left," I whispered sadly.
"What did ye say?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The Pearl's not here. They left," I repeated, louder.
"Why would they leave?" Will asked confused.
"The Code," Jack reminded him. As soft 'oh' escaped Will's perfect lips and I turned to Jack.
"What can we do? We've gotta get her outta here?" I asked.
"Let 'em think we're dead," he said.
"How?" Will asked.
"It won't work," I replied. "They'll find us. We should just bring her to The Dauntless."
Jack thought about it for a moment before agreeing. "They'll 'ave a ship's doctor on board who can 'elp 'er."
"Jack, they'll lock you in the brig and then hang you," I said. "You can't come with us."
"I'm not leavin' 'er," he replied stubbornly. "I'll accept the consequences of me actions. Besides, an opportune moment might just appear, I feel it in me bones," he added.
"Jack," I said as he lifted her from my lap. "Do you love her?"
He shifted her in his arms so that he was able to carry her bridal-style before answering, "I'm not sure…but I think I might. Time will tell."
"You better hope that it's soon," Will said, glancing down at her pale face.
Jack glanced down at her face and said, "Let's find a rowboat to get 'er there." Will helped me to my feet and we set out. Will found a rowboat behind shoved behind a rock and I helped him dislodge it and pull it out onto the water. Jack climbed in, gently holding Keelin in his arms. Will helped me in before picking up the paddles and rowing out of the cave.
Our boat reached The Dauntless quickly and Norrington ordered his men to bring us aboard. When he saw Keelin unconscious in Jack's arms, he told Gillette to call for the ship's doctor immediately.
"Where should I put 'er, Commodore?" Jack asked.
"Follow me," Norrington replied, staring at Jack's bloody clothes. We were led to a cabin near the back of the ship under the deck. "The captain sleeps in the room two doors down on the left. My room is right across there. The ladies may have this room and you men can have the room that is adjoined through that door there. Any funny business and you will spend the rest of the voyage to Port Royale in the brig. The doctor'll be here soon," he said before turning on his heel, walking out the door, shutting it behind him.
Jack laid Keelin on the bed and then sat on the other side, holding her hand. I examined the cabin we had been brought to. A good sized bed was in the middle of the room. A small desk with a chair was across from there and a wardrobe was next to the tiny window on the wall. Will sat in the chair and moved it to face the bed. He motioned for me to come over and I did, willingly. He pulled me down on his lap and I sat down, gratefully. He wrapped his arms around me and planted a kiss in my hair.
A knock on the door startled me and I jumped. Will pulled me closer and rubbed my arms gently. "Come in," Jack called from his seat on the bed.
The door creaked open and a tall young blonde haired man entered. "I'm Richard Pickering, the ship's doctor," he said, glancing about. He shot me and Will a strange glance before adverting his eyes and then I realized that what we were doing was considered "inappropriate".
Richard leaned over Keelin and examined her leg, Jack watching him like a hawk. "Alright, the bullet it still lodged in her leg and the loss of the blood is extremely dangerous. I'm going to try to get that bullet out and stitch it up. If that doesn't work, we'll have to amputate her leg."
"Hell, no you're not!" I shrieked. Will held me down and whispered calming sentences in my ear.
"Well I hope not either," Richard replied with a slight coldness in the edge of his voice. "This should be successful and once it's out, she'll have a fever for a few days, but other than that, she should be fine."
"Do what ye can fer 'er," Jack said quietly.
Richard looked at Jack, who was staring at Keelin with a…hopeless, maybe lost, look on his face. I couldn't even tell what it was. "You can stay and help me if you so wish," he said to Jack.
Jack glanced at him briefly and flashed him a grave smile. "Thank ye," he replied softly.
"Edana, let's leave them to their work and catch some fresh air," Will said, gently pushing me off of his lap. I nodded numbly and followed him out the door and up on to the deck. He led me to the railing and wrapped his arms around my waist as I stared out over the water.
If Pickering wasn't successful, Keelin could die. The possibility of her dying, God, I hadn't even thought of that. To lose my best friend, and on her birthday…I couldn't even wrap my mind around the thought. If she died…tears pooled up in my eyes and I tried blinking them away but they fell fast and steady down my cheeks.
"Edana?" Will asked softly, turning me around to face him. I buried my face in his chest and sobbed hysterically. He tightened his grip on my waist with one arm and the other stroked my hair. "Shh," he whispered in my ear repeatedly. "It'll be alright," he promised.
When my tears stopped a couple of minutes later, Will picked me up in his arms bridal-style and carried me down below. "Will, where are we going?" I sniffed, wiping my face on my sleeve.
"You need to get some sleep," he whispered, pushing open the door to the other cabin.
"But—"
"Not buts, young lady. You really need to get some sleep," he said sternly with a gentle smile gracing his lips. He laid me down on the bed and made to leave.
"Where are you going?" I asked sleepily.
"To check on Keelin. I'll wake you when I hear news," he replied.
I nodded and my eyes slid closed as he shut the door behind him.