Chapter 17
It had been a very long few days. Grace, Will, Jack, and Elizabeth had left the cave after Barbossa's death only to find out that Jack's crew had sailed away with the Black Pearl. Jack's only choice had been to come aboard the Dauntless where Norrington had once again taken him prisoner. Now he was going to hang him.
Grace paced back and forth along the outside wall of the fort, not able to make herself join the crowd gathered inside. A light breeze tugged against her new dress. Norrington had been kind enough to loan her enough money to pay for board at a boarding house and buy some new clothes, but he had not listened to her pleas for Jack's life. It just didn't seem right.
As she continued pacing, she noticed someone in a feathered hat and cape coming towards her. With a second look she saw that it was Will looking more dashing than ever. They smiled briefly at each other, but were both serious.
"Are you going inside?" Grace asked.
Will nodded. "Yes."
Grace breathed deeply, still unsure if she could. As she glanced down, she realized there were two swords hanging at Will's sides. She looked up into his eyes and saw a look of determination.
"You're going to try to save him," she murmured.
"Pirate or not, I can't willingly let him hang," Will replied.
Grace felt hope for Jack, but concern for Will.
"Be careful, Will," she said, wishing desperately that she was in a position to help. "Norrington will not look kindly on this."
"I know."
Will walked into the fort and this time Grace did too. Whatever happened, she wanted to be there. They reached the fort's courtyard and Grace looked up at Jack standing on the gallows. An official was reading off an impressively long list of Jack's crimes.
" . . . sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness. And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."
Grace worked her way along with Will, but fell behind as he approached Elizabeth, Governor Swann, and Norrington. She heard him greet each one and then stop on Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, I should have told you every day from the moment I met you . . . I love you."
Grace took a deep breath to calm herself. She wanted to be happy for Will, but it hurt hearing him tell someone else he loved them. She also wondered if she should have expressed her feelings in some way instead of keeping them hidden inside her. But she knew it was too late and wasn't the time to be dwelling on it. Will had already started heading towards the gallows and Grace's eyes followed him closely. In a moment, she heard a squawk and looked up to see a bright green parrot flying over them. It was Mr. Cotton's parrot, which meant the pirate had to be close by and it gave Grace hope that this rescue would be successful.
The executioner placed the noose around Jack's neck and drums started to pound. Grace's heart almost seemed to match their rhythm. The executioner placed his hand on the trapdoor's lever. Suddenly, the drums stopped. Everything happened in a fraction of a second after that. Will shouted for the people to move right as the executioner pulled the lever. A sword flew out of Will's hand and embedded itself in the fallen trapdoor right as Jack fell. His feet quickly found the sword that saved him from being strangled.
By now the whole crowd was panicking and Grace had trouble not getting pushed around by them. She watched Will hurry up to the top of the gallows and start fighting with the executioner. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Norrington and several of his men on their way to the gallows. If they reached it, Will would be overpowered. Thinking fast, Grace pushed her way towards them and stepped in front of Norrington.
Norrington shouted for all the people to move, but didn't realize it was Grace standing in his way. She stayed just where she was until she heard a chain snap and looked up to see the executioner falling off the gallows right above them. Quickly she jumped out of the way just in time as the huge man fell right on top of Norrington and his men, buying Will and Jack some time. Grace ran to the edge of the crowd to get a view of them again. They were fighting towards the fort's parapet, using the rope that had once been around Jack's neck to take down soldiers. By the time they reached the parapet, it was easy to see that the rescue had failed as both men were surrounded by soldiers. Grace and Elizabeth followed Norrington and Governor Swann to the parapet.
"I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt but not from you." Norrington glared at Will.
"On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency," Governor Swann said. "And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"
"And a good man," Will replied calmly, dropping his sword. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."
"You forget your place, Turner," Norrington said.
"It's right here, between you and Jack," Will replied.
The way he said it gave Grace chills. At the same moment, she and Elizabeth stepped forward and stood on either side of Will.
"As is mine," Elizabeth said.
"And mine," Grace echoed.
"Elizabeth! Miss Morgan!" Governor Swann exclaimed. Both he and Norrington looked bewildered. The governor looked at the soldiers and commanded, "Lower your weapons . . . for goodness' sake put them down!"
The men lowered their weapons. Norrington was looking at Elizabeth like he'd lost something precious.
"So this is where your heart truly lies, then?"
"It is," Elizabeth answered.
As Norrington came to terms with his, Jack stepped forward and strode over to Governor Swann.
"Well, I'm actually feeling rather good about this. I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually? Ecumenically? Grammatically?" Governor Swann made a face and Jack turned to Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that." He began making his way towards the edge of the parapet and paused. "Elizabeth . . . it would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry."
Elizabeth cocked and eyebrow and frowned at him, but Jack's attention had already left her.
"Grace, love," Jack said, smirking devilishly. "Next time, don't burn the rum."
Grace giggled as Jack's eyes went to Will.
"Will . . . nice hat." Jack bounded up to the very edge of the parapet and faced everyone once more. "Friends! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that—"
He backed up too much and suddenly lost his balance, tumbling over the edge. Everyone rushed up to see if he had survived the fall. Water rippled far below them, and then Jack's head popped up.
"Idiot. He has nowhere to go but back to the noose," one of the soldiers said.
"Sail ho!" someone shouted.
Not far from land a ship was spotted. Grace grinned seeing that it had black sails. Jack's crew had come for him.
"What's your plan of action? Sir?" the soldier asked Norrington.
Grace looked at the commodore and saw that he struggled with the decision.
"Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?" Governor Swann suggested.
Grace smiled when Norrington smiled also. They were going to give Jack a chance. The smile left Norrington's face.
"Mr. Turner," he said firmly.
Grace's breath caught. Just because they were giving Jack a chance, didn't guarantee Will's safety. Would Norrington take everything out on him because of Elizabeth's choice?
Will turned towards him, but Elizabeth grabbed his arm, concerned as well.
"I will accept the consequences of my actions," Will told her.
Grace was both very proud of him and worried at the same time. Will stepped down in front of Norrington, and Norrington held up his sword.
"This is a beautiful sword," he said mysteriously. "I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."
Will smiled, surprised and relieved. "Thank you."
Norrington smiled too and nodded. He glanced at Elizabeth. "Miss Swann, best of luck to you both."
He turned and started to leave the parapet.
"Commodore! What about Sparrow?" the soldier asked.
"Oh, I think we can afford to give him oneday's head start."
Grace smiled as she looked out at the Black Pearl. You're a lucky one, Jack. Her attention was drawn back to Will, Elizabeth, and Governor Swann who were the only ones left standing on the parapet besides her.
"So, this is the path you've chosen, is it?" Governor Swann asked his daughter. "After all, he is a blacksmith."
Elizabeth smiled at Will. "No." She pulled off his hat. "He's a pirate."
As they leaned in for the kiss Grace knew was coming, she turned away and left them to each other. The emotion she was feeling must have been evident on her face when she came upon Norrington near the gallows.
"Looks like we both came out of this without the one thing we wanted," Norrington said.
Grace looked at him in surprise. He didn't appear to be the kind who could read people very well, but he could obviously see they were in the same position.
"Yes," she murmured.
"And yet life goes on."
Grace nodded slowly. She hadn't thought farther than this day and Norrington was right, life would go on. It was a new life for her, full of untold opportunities and she made up her mind that she was going to make the most of it.
---------------------------------------------------------
Fear not! Grace hasn't lost Will yet. Part 2 soon to come :o)
