Chapter 9

From the crow's nest, Jewel watched as the sun sunk below the waves. Jack chattered to her, sitting on her shoulder.

"No, not yet." Jewel replied, scratching under his chin with one hand and fiddling with her red jewel necklace with the other. Jack chattered a question.

"Sure. Let's go find him." she replied with a smile. Jack screeched in happiness and jumped off her shoulder. He climbed out of the crow's nest and down the ratlines to the deck. Jewel was not far behind, but because of his monkey prowess, Jack had to wait for her. She reached the deck, Jack jumping on her shoulder, and walked to the helm. Barbossa nd her father were nowhere to be seen.

"Cotton, where are the 'dueling captains'?" Jewel asked. Cotton looked down at the ground and stomped his foot.

"Ah, thank you." Jewel said, understand what he meant. She went down the stairs and through a curtain leading to the captain's cabin. She was pleased to see both of the men she was looking for. Jack sat behind his desk, Barbossa was pacing in front of him until he noticed Jewel and his monkey.

"I see he's taken a liking to ye." he said

"Really?" Jewel asked. She turned her head to look at the monkey, who turned his head to look at her, before facing forward.

"I haven't really noticed." she said with a shrug. Jack jumped off of Jewel's shoulder and onto the desk where her father's hat was resting. While he was doing that, she looked around at the cabin. Because of the kraken attack, it was in complete shambles. Wood was splintered everywhere, the back windows were non-existent, and there was no more cot.

"Bugger what a mess." Jewel commented. Jack the monkey put on Captain Jack's hat and ran past the Captain. He quickly snatched the hat off of the monkey as he ran past and jumped up on the swinging bar he rested on.

"I see you neglected to properly take care of me ship." Barbossa commented, agreeing with Jewel in the fact that the cabin was a dump.

"What, this?" Jack said, pointing to the hole behind him, "Just ventilating to clear out the stench of the previous occupant." Jack waved his hat in front of him. Barbossa stopped walking across the cabin. Jewel snorted a laugh and giggled a little. Barbossa scoffed at them, continuing his pacing.

"Thinking of putting in french doors actually. I like a bit of cross breeze." he said with a smirk. Jewel rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say dad." she said. Gibbs pushed through the curtain and stood at attention in front of the captains.

"Heading, captain?" he asked. Jack stood and put on his hat, pointing to Gibbs.

"Two degrees starboard." he said. Barbossa looked appalled at the order, staring at Jack.

"I'm captain of the starboard side!" he complained, before looking to Gibbs, "Two degrees starboard."

"Oh bugger." Jewel said under her breath, getting more and more annoyed with their fighting every second.

"The captain will now take the helm." Barbossa announced. Jack quickly walked past Jewel and Gibbs, Barbossa hurriedly rushing to be in front of him.

"Aye captains!" Gibbs said, surprised by their actions. Jewel groaned and closed her eyes appearing on the deck with the helm. She looked down and saw Jack and Barbossa hurry up both flights of stairs. Gibbs stood in the middle, completely flustered. She turned around to face the helm.

Barbossa and Jack calmly stood on opposite sides of it. Cotton stood back behind it, out of range of any conflict. Barbossa turned the wheel to the right a bit. Jack tilted his head slightly before slowly turning the wheel to the left a little bit. Barbossa looked over at Jack.

"Don't think about it." Jewel said. Barbossa looked forward, beyond Jewel. He grabbed the wheel and turned it right, his hand not moving from the handle he was grasping. Jack grabbed onto a handle to move the helm, but Barbossa was holding it firmly in place. Jack used both of his hands to try to move it, with Barbossa grabbing onto the wheel with both hands to keep the wheel in it's position in response.

Jewel raised an eyebrow at the awkward position both of the men were in, practically climbing on the wheel. Jack suddenly pulled back on the helm quickly. Jewel winced and Barbossa made a cry of surprise. Jack looked over at him as he walked off in defeat holding onto the area between his legs. Jack smirked and looked ready to do a victory dance before he calmly moved the helm to the left. Jewel walked up to him.

"Will the two of you please stop fighting?" she asked

"I rather doubt it." Jack said, not looking at her, "Will you please stop defending him?"

"I doubt that will happen." Jewel said

"He killed your mother, he almost killed me, he almost even killed you!" Jack said, outraged that his daughter was not on his side.

"It's a long story dad, but Barbossa has changed, and I trust him." Jewel replied. Jack shook his head.

"You've changed luv," he said. Jewel casually pushed a lock of hair away from her ear which had the gold earring, revealing it to her father.

"Maybe you should, too, dad." she replied walking down the stairs.

"I said no earrings." Jack said loudly

"You were dead!" she yelled back, "I wanted one so much, and took advantage of your death to do it." Jack hurried away from the helm and grabbed Jewel's arm.

"You disobeyed a direct order from your father and captain luv-" Jack started. Jewel slapped him across the face. He was so surprised that he let go of her.

"No! You might be my captain, you may be my captain, but you do not control me! I will not be held back from what I want because of you anymore!" she yelled in his face. Jewel stormed away from her father, who only stared in shock at his retreating daughter.