"Come along." Jack told his two younger travelling companions as Gibbs disappeared through the throng of people. "I've secured us rooms for the night."
Lizzie and Will started in surprise, but quickly followed Jack as he headed for the stairs in the corner of the tavern leading up to the inn on the upper floors, neither particularly wanting to stay any longer in the bar.
"What about Mr. Gibbs?" Lizzie asked as she hurried to catch up with Jack, and he explained: "Mr. Gibbs is going to find us a crew. Since that will probably take the whole night, and we can't really go until morning anyway, we shall stay here."
"Is that a good idea?" Will asked as he joined them as well. "We've already lost so much time-"
He cut off as Jack suddenly turned on the steps to look down at the pair. Lizzie stumbled a little as she and Will were forced to a stop on the step below - unless they wanted to ram right into the pirate - while Jack leant down to be eye-level with them as he said seriously: "We won't be getting anywhere without a crew, mate."
Lizzie blinked at him while Will hesitated, before he nodded in defeat.
"Right, good." Jack stated as he turned around once more and headed up the stairs again.
"Don't you worry, we'll find the bonny lass before long." He called over his shoulder as they went. "So just sleep easy tonight."
"Right. Sleep easy." Will muttered, and Lizzie advised with a sigh: "He's right though. And we've decided to trust him to get us to Anna, so that's what we'll have to do."
"I don't trust him after that." Will admitted, and Lizzie agreed simply: "Neither do I, but until we find Anna, our hands are tied."
They both quieted as they walked onto the landing to see Jack waiting by a doorway. He gestured to it as they stopped before him, holding out a key as he informed Lizzie: "This'll be your room, Anna."
"We're splitting up?" Lizzie asked, more than a little surprised that Jack had been considerate enough to book them separately. "I didn't think it of you, Captain Sparrow."
Jack pretended to clutch his chest in pain as he said: "You wound me, love. But even I wouldn't have you stay in a room with men. Young Mr. Turner and I will be right next door."
He gestured to the room beside hers, while at the same time holding up their key, which Will took to examine as continued to look a little doubtful.
"Is it safe though?" Will questioned, and Jack nodded as he replied: "Aye, I know this place. The doors are thick and sturdy, you'll be fine on your own lass, you have my word."
Lizzie grinned a little as she took the offered key from Jack, saying jokingly: "My, my, Captain Sparrow. You're a right gentleman."
"Now that, I am not." He chuckled, and then a mischievous gleam entered his eye. "And if that ever tickles your fancy, love, I wouldn't mind warming your bed."
"Enough, Jack." Will warned, while Lizzie laughed. "You'd do better than to say such vulgar things before Lizzie."
"It's fine, Will." Lizzie chuckled as she turned to unlock her door, but she glanced back over her shoulder as she teased suggestively: "I suspect Jack is simply trying to make up for something else."
Will choked while Jack raised a brow and he dared: "Is that a challenge, Miss Swann?"
"Well, if you can prove you have manners befitting a real man, then I will consider myself to have lost." Lizzie returned, smiling smugly at having deliberately led Jack into misconstruing her words as a sexual innuendo.
And thus, having had the last say and the satisfaction of the dumfounded look on Jack's face while Will burst out laughing, she shut the door firmly in Jack's face.
Will was still chuckling as he stepped across to the door beside Lizzie's room, getting ready to go to bed himself.
Jack meanwhile was still staring at Lizzie's door before he curved his lip up a little as he murmured admiringly: "Now, that has been a first."
And with that he turned, and sauntered back over to the room he'd booked to share with Will – despite his abhorrence to do so, it was more economical and Jack Sparrow was, unfortunately, already almost broke – only to find Turner had locked the door.
Jack blinked, before he sighed as he heard the distinct sound of Will laughing inside at the same time he realized that he didn't have a key.
"Bugger." Jack muttered, before he paused. He glanced between the two doors to his younger companions, weighing his options before he shrugged.
With a smirk, Jack turned and trotted back down the stairs, heading out in search of some nighttime company.
The next morning, Lizzie woke up to insistent banging on her door. She got up, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she made her way blearily to the door, mumbling as the other person knocked again impatiently: "Coming, coming."
She opened the door with a yawn, only to jump as Will grabbed her shoulders, saying urgently: "Have you seen Jack?"
"Who?" Lizzie asked wittily, and Will repeated impatiently and a bit worriedly: "Jack Sparrow. He never came back last night."
Lizzie frowned, asking in confusion: "What do you mean, he never came back last night?"
"I locked him out for a joke." Will explained agitatedly. "And to get back at him for cheating before. Anyway," he went on as Lizzie looked bewildered, "I opened it to find he wasn't there. I didn't think too much of it then, but when I woke up this morning, he still wasn't back. I'm certain he never returned last night."
"So?" Lizzie asked, before it hit her. "You don't think…?"
Will nodded grimly, and Lizzie gasped: "Oh no."
"Exactly." Will agreed, letting go of her and he ordered as he headed quickly for the stairs: "Get your things and meet me downstairs. We have to find him, before he can leave us stranded here."
Lizzie quickly turned to grab her sword and her belt – the only things she really needed having not been comfortable enough to remove her clothes despite Jack's reassurances last night – and she quickly ran after Will as she wrapped her belt around her waist.
"Where do you think he may have gone?" She asked worriedly, and Will replied grimly: "I don't know. He could be anywhere-"
He broke off as he screeched to a halt, and Lizzie bumped into him.
"Will?" She asked, before she caught sight of what he'd seen.
Jack was sitting at the bar already, and he looked like he was nursing a light hangover. But what really caught their attention was the way his shirt was crumpled and carelessly shrugged on, the strings still opened to reveal most of his shirt. In particular, what caught their eyes was the slightest smear of red lipstick on the collar, and the small bruise-like mark just visible on his chest beneath the opened shirt.
"Oh, for the love of-" Will sighed as he rubbed his face while Lizzie rolled her eyes.
Jack, meanwhile, had spotted them, and he waved cheerfully though he winced a little at his own movements.
"You two are up earlier than I thought." He commented, and Will demanded as he strode over: "Why didn't you return last night?"
"You locked me out." Jack reminded him, and Will said in exasperation: "You could have gotten a spare key!"
"Where's the fun in that lad?" Jack shrugged, and Lizzie commented a little dryly: "Yes, we can see you had fun last night."
"Hmm?" Jack asked, before glancing down at his attire.
He smirked and then looked back up at her as he asked suggestively: "Why, are you jealous, love?"
"Keep dreaming, Sparrow." Lizzie returned, while Will interjected, annoyed: "Where's Mr. Gibbs?"
"We agreed to meet at nine on the docks." Jack replied as he stood up, stretching a little and Lizzie averted her eyes as the movement exposed more of Jack's chest.
He noticed, and smirked at her while she scowled, a little embarrassed, and Will frowned at Jack.
But Jack went on before Will could say anything: "We still have some time, so if you two want to get breakfast now would be the time."
Lizzie's stomach growled at the thought of food, to her intense embarrassment and Jack's amusement. His eyes glittered with mirth as he looked at her, while Lizzie pointedly didn't meet his eyes and Will coughed before he cleared his throat.
"Breakfast it is." He said awkwardly, and Jack finally cracked and laughed while Lizzie made a face.
"Feast your eyes, Captain." Gibbs said proudly as they walked before the raggedy group the first mate had gathered. "All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt."
Lizzie blinked as they reached what initially appeared to be a gap in the line of scruffy men, only to look down to see a man maybe three to four feet tall standing there.
Will also blinked while Jack simply glanced down as Mr. Gibbs added: "And crazy to boot."
"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will asked skeptically, glancing down the line.
Lizzie couldn't help but share his doubt as she looked at a few of the men who looked as though they had definitely seen better days. Compared to the spotless men she was used to seeing in the British Navy, this group did seem rather… inadequate.
Jack paused, looking at the crew thoughtfully as he slowly walked a little further down the line. Will and Lizzie followed him, watching him curiously as he eyed each person, before stopping before an elderly gentlemen with a blue and yellow parrot sitting on his left shoulder.
"You, sailor!" Jack called, and Gibbs informed him: "Cotton, sir."
"Mr. Cotton." Jack said firmly as he stared the other man down. "Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?"
Mr. Cotton glanced at Gibbs, not replying, and Lizzie raised a brow in surprise at the man's nerve while Jack snapped impatiently: "Mr. Cotton! Answer, man."
"He's a mute, sir." Mr. Gibbs interjected quickly. "Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him."
Cotton opened his mouth to show them his cut tongue, making Jack physically reel back and right into Lizzie while she and Will stared at Cotton in shock.
Jack was busy making a horrified face, as Mr. Gibbs added thoughtfully: "No one's yet figured how."
Lizzie shot a glance at Will, who shrugged back as Jack paused before he ordered: "Mr. Cotton 's... parrot. Same question."
"Wind in the sails!" The parrot squawked. "Wind in the sails!"
The three stared at the parrot, and Mr. Gibbs chimed in: "Mostly, we figure, that means 'yes'."
"'Course it does." Jack said quickly, before turning to Will and Lizzie as he asked: "Satisfied?"
Lizzie just gave him a look while Will stated in a dry undertone: "Well, you've proved they're mad."
They were interrupted as a somewhat feminine voice called sharply from down the line: "And what's the benefit for us?"
Lizzie frowned, glancing down as her companions did the same. Jack in particular peered at what appeared to be a young, dark-skinned man with his wide-brimmed hat pulled down to hide his face. Jack slowly approached the man, trying to get a look as he carefully reached out and lifted the man's hat only for Lizzie to blink in surprise.
Whom she had assumed was a man from the sailor's outfit, was actually a woman with pretty dark eyes that were currently fixed angrily on Jack.
"Anamaria." Jack greeted with a light smile as he pulled the woman's hat completely off, freeing her long dark hair.
Lizzie blinked again as Anamaria answered by slapping Jack right across the face, harder than even Giselle or Scarlett had.
Jack blinked as he found himself face-to-face with Will, who had raised his brow as he commented sarcastically: "I suppose you didn't deserve that one either."
"No, that one I deserved." Jack admitted before turning back to face the fuming woman before them.
Anamaria nodded as she smiled tightly, though it dropped quickly as she snarled at Jack: "You stole my boat!"
"Actually-" Jack began, but she interrupted him as she slapped him hard again, forcing his head around as he faced Lizzie this time.
"I see why you deserved it." Lizzie commented lightly, and he scowled at her as he defended: "Borrowed. I borrowed."
He turned back to Anamaria as he admitted: "Borrowed without permission… But with every intention of bringing it back to you."
He tried to smile apologetically, but Anamaria was beyond anger as she snapped at him furiously: "But you didn't!"
"You'll get another one." Jack said quickly with what he hoped was a pacifying smile, before he flinched as Anamaria pointed a threatening finger at him as she warned: "I will."
"A better one." Lizzie interjected quickly, leaning around Jack's shoulder while he cowered a little away from the angry female before him.
"A better one!" Jack agreed quickly, and Will interjected as he also leaned around Jack's other shoulder: "That one."
He pointed to the side, and Lizzie snorted – before quickly hiding it in a cough – while Jack frowned and turned to Will as he asked: "What one?"
Will raised his brow, gesturing silently behind Jack, and Jack turned to see Lizzie.
"What-?" He began, and she jerked her head over her shoulder as she walked around him to stand beside Will.
His eyes travelled passed her to see… the Interceptor, anchored in the harbor.
"That one?!" Jack snarled as he turned his eyes back on Lizzie and Will, but Lizzie just folded her arms while Will's eyes flickered to Anamaria as he silently challenged Jack.
Jack almost scowled, but he hid it quickly, instead forcing a smile as he turned to Anamaria, saying sweetly: "Aye, that one. What say you?"
"Aye!" Anamaria agreed at once, and the crew took up the cheer: "Aye!"
They all trooped off, getting ready to make way as Cotton's parrot called: "Anchors aweigh."
Anamaria snatched her hat back from Jack, shooting him a murderous glare while he raised his hands in surrender. Lizzie chuckled: "Oooh, someone's wrapped around a woman's finger."
"I am not, nor will I ever be." Jack replied, glancing back at her with an arched brow, before he wiggled his brows and smirked. "Despite how much it pains me to inform you, Anna, my one and only love is the sea."
"And rum." Lizzie noted, and he blinked in surprise at her quick comeback while she continued: "And I'll have you know that my one and only love will be reserved for a man who can move my heart with his honest goodness. So, unfortunately, you don't make the cut Captain, but please be my guest and hold your breath in hope."
She shot him a winning smile as she walked off, leaving them on the dock. Will laughed while Jack's lips twitched into a smile despite himself, when Gibbs came up to him, protesting: "No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir, let alone two."
Jack glanced at the sky and the clouds in the distance, and his face fell into a grim frown as he replied seriously: "It'd be far worse not to have them."
On that cryptic note, he turned and walked off, leaving Will and Gibbs to frown and peer into the distance as they tried to work out what Jack meant.
A few hours later, they got their answer. It hit them in the face with a literal splash as the storm broke out and the waves thrashed around them, threatening to tip the ship with every movement while lightning flashed in the distance.
Between the heavy rain and the waves that crashed over the ship, it was almost impossible to see but the crew did their best as they half ran, half skid along the decks to secure the ship against the storm.
Lizzie was running around with the lot of them, none of them able to afford let even one hand rest though Jack and Mr. Gibbs warned her to stay near the centre of the deck and to hang onto the safety ropes just in case. Despite this, Lizzie was doing rather well, helping the men tie the ropes tightly as they fought against nature itself.
"Hang onto the rope, Miss Lizzie!" Mr. Gibbs called in warning as a particularly high wave came crashing down on the side of their ship, throwing up sea spray and threatening to send them all tumbling across the deck and over the other railings.
Lizzie did as he said, hanging on for her life for the moment as the wave crashed over them and knocked her down, before she struggled back up and moved carefully back along the deck. She clung to the safety rope for support as she reached the riggings beside Gibbs, and she began to tug on them as Will came up beside them.
"How can we sail to an island that nobody can find," Will shouted at Gibbs questioningly over the howling storm as he hauled on the ropes beside them, "with a compass that doesn't work?"
He gestured at Jack blindly, where the pirate Captain was steering them while holding the strange compass that Norrington had previously declared broken.
"Aye, the compass doesn't point north," Gibbs agreed, "but we're not trying to find north, are we?"
Both Will and Lizzie frowned, but Gibbs turned to stagger up to Jack as he yelled: "We should drop canvas, sir."
"She can hold a bit longer." Jack replied as he eyed the ship and their path critically before steering them again while he held his compass.
"What's in your head that's put you in such a fine mood, Captain?" Gibbs asked, noting Jack's lifted spirits despite the storm.
"We're catching up." Jack answered as he smiled, and it was a little frightening really in the darkness only lit by the flashes of lightning.
Lizzie caught his expression before she was flung to the side once more as the ship rocked dangerously and she was forced to grip onto her rope lest she be lost to the sea forever
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A Pirate's Life for Me by Heartlocket1004
Movies » Pirates of the Caribbean Rated: T, English, Romance Adventure, [OC, Capt. Jack Sparrow] [Will T., Anna S., Words: 124k, Favs: 1k, Follows: 1k, Published: Nov 27, 2016 Updated: Jul 31, 2022
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Chapter 8: Leverage
The storm had died down by morning, leaving behind only a dreary fog that seemed to get thicker the closer they got to their destination. Lizzie peered over the side of the Interceptor, staring out at what little could be seen. She noted the sharp rocks that seemed to jut out at every side, and the various bits of wreckage that laid proof to the many who had fallen to the lagoon's traps.
"Dead men tell no tales." Cotton's parrot croaked as they sailed deeper into the lagoon.
The crew had joined Lizzie at the ship railings, staring out as a grim air fell on them and Gibbs commented flatly: "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage."
Lizzie glanced down at the waters, shuddering as she spotted the distinct outlines of sharks swimming below. Will meanwhile glanced back to the helm, watching as Jack closed his compass when Cotton – who had been standing behind the captain – stared at it.
As Gibbs turned and started to get them ready to weigh anchor, Will followed him. Lizzie trailed behind as well as Will questioned: "How is it that Jack came by that compass?"
"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta." Gibbs replied. "That was before I met him, back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl."
Both Lizzie and Will turned to Gibbs sharply, asking: "What?"
Gibbs blinked, looking suddenly sheepish as he realized he'd compromised Jack a bit. Will turned to look over at Jack again as he said flatly: "He failed to mention that."
"Well, he plays things closer to the vest now." Gibbs shrugged, recovering. "And a hard-learned lesson it was."
Lizzie glanced at the man curiously, and Gibbs explained: "See, three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share."
Lizzie raised a brow at that, while Gibbs continued: "That should mean the location of the treasure, too, so Jack gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny."
Will also turned to look at Gibbs, surprised at this turn of events, and Gibbs explained enthusiastic that he had an attentive audience: "They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die, but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."
"Ah." Will murmured softly in realization. "So that's the reason for all the…"
He swaggered a little, mimicking Jack to indicate what he meant. Lizzie snorted, but Gibbs was not amused as he explained: "Reason's got nothing to do with it."
He sat down on a barrel as he told them: "Now Will, Miss Lizzie."
They sat down beside Gibbs, listening closely as the man explained: "When a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot – one shot. Well it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued."
Lizzie nodded thoughtfully, seeing the truth in his words, but then Gibbs revealed: "But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly."
He placed his two fingers to his temple to indicate what he meant and Lizzie blanched while Will's eyes widened in understanding. Gibbs grinned at the effect his words had had, before he went on enthusiastically: "But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot."
Lizzie remembered his pistol, with only one shot for which Norrington had mocked him, and suddenly it all made sense.
"Oh, but he won't use it, though, save for one man." Gibbs was finishing. "His mutinous first mate."
"Barbossa." Lizzie murmured in realization, and Gibbs nodded: "Aye."
Will meanwhile was frowning, and he questioned suddenly: "How did Jack get off the island?"
"Well, I'll tell ye." Gibbs said, once again enthusiastic. "He waded out into the shallows and there he waited three days and three nights till all manner of sea creature came acclimated to his presence. Then on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft."
Both Lizzie and Will stared at Gibbs skeptically.
"He roped a couple of sea turtles?" Will repeated flatly, and Gibbs nodded: "Aye, sea turtles."
"What did he use for rope?" Lizzie asked doubtfully, and Gibbs opened his mouth before he blinked and frowned. He'd never thought of that.
He glanced up, and his eyes widened. Will and Lizzie looked up to see Jack had come over at some point and was standing before them, looking down his nose at them.
"Human hair…" Jack answered and Lizzie wrinkled her nose before she choked as he finished: "From my back."
"That's disgusting." Lizzie said, revolted, and he shrugged: "Man's gotta live, love."
He then turned to shout over his shoulder at the rest of the crew: "Let go of the anchor!"
"Let go of the anchor, sir!" The crew replied swiftly as they moved to weigh anchor and get the boats ready while Lizzie's heart picked up with hope and fear as she braced herself to save her sister.
"Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore." Jack stated, and Lizzie frowned.
"What about me?" She protested as Jack began to walk to the rowboat, and Jack replied firmly: "You stay here, love, that island is no place for a pretty thing like you."
"Then it's no place for my sister, which means I'm going in there to get her." Lizzie shot back as she walked right passed Jack and to the rowboat.
Jack rolled his eyes at her, and he asked Will skeptically: "And you aren't going to stop her?"
"One thing I've learnt about both Anna and Lizzie," Will shrugged, "is that once they've made up their minds, they won't be swayed to change it."
Jack nodded thoughtfully and let the subject drop as Will followed Lizzie, when Gibbs called: "Captain! What if the worst should happen?"
Both Lizzie and Will glanced over as Jack paused before he murmured: "Keep to the code."
Lizzie frowned while Will's brows knit in confusion as Gibbs nodded, murmuring in understanding: "Aye, the code."
The trio moved carefully through the cave entrance, Jack rowing while Will held up a lantern so that they could see through the darkness. Lizzie sat between the two men, her back against Jack's as he pulled strongly through the waters while she and Will peered around cautiously.
They both flinched a little as they spotted a skull amongst the rocks, and Will asked quickly: "What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?"
"Pirate's Code." Jack explained, while Lizzie recited: "Any man that falls behind is left behind."
Jack blinked and glanced over his shoulder at her, asking in surprise: "How do you know that, love?"
"Anna and I read about it." Lizzie admitted. "We… went through a period where we were interested in pirates."
"Hmm." Jack hummed thoughtfully, before he glanced at Will as the younger man said dryly: "'Left behind'? No heroes amongst thieves, eh?"
Lizzie smiled a little, while Jack piped up flatly: "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one."
Will's eyes narrowed at the accusation, but Jack listed: "Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga…"
Will peered over the side of the boat as his torch lit up something that sparkled in the waters. Jack also glanced over, and he finished: "And you're completely obsessed with treasure."
Lizzie snorted while Will frowned, turning away from the gold littering the small river's bed as they reached land.
They jumped out, Jack taking Lizzie's hand and placing it on his arm in mock chivalry that made her roll her eyes even as she followed him when he led her deeper inside the cave as Will towed the rowboat while he scowled: "That's not true. I am not 'obsessed' with treasure."
Lizzie glanced back at Will with faint amusement as they turned a corner to reach a small opening looking down into the cave below. Her eyes widened in horror while Jack smiled a little as he looked at Will, stating: "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."
Will's eyes narrowed while Lizzie whispered: "Oh, my God."
Will crept up beside them just as he heard Barbossa call: "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near at end."
Will's eyes also widened as he stared at the scene Lizzie was looking at in fear - Anna, wearing a full, wine-red dress that Lizzie had never seen before, standing between Barbossa and a stone chest before the entire crew of the Black Pearl.
"Anna." Will whispered, as Lizzie stared at her sister in dismay, while Barbossa continued to shout passionately: "For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here," he pointed at his crew, "has proved his mettle a hundred times over," the men jeered, "and a hundred times again!"
The crew burst into cheers, as one of them piped up: "Suffered, I have."
"At least she's alive." Lizzie murmured shakily, while Barbossa shouted: "Punished, we were. The lot of us - disproportionate to our crimes!"
"But for how long?" Will asked softly and Lizzie bit her lip as the crew murmured in agreement while Barbossa continued: "Here it is," he kicked off the lid of the chest and revealing the gold coins inside, "the cursed treasure of Cortés himself."
Will and Lizzie glanced at Jack, the former desperately and the latter worriedly, but Jack simply kept his narrowed eyes glued on the scene before them as Barbossa shouted: "Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…save for this."
He pointed at Anna's neck, causing the crowd to cheer again and Will immediately tried to scramble up and over the ledge to go into the cave as he gasped desperately: "Jack!"
"Will!" Lizzie gasped as his movements upset a pile of gold in the corner of the ledge, while Jack pulled Will down quickly, murmuring: "Not yet."
Lizzie ducked with them, as Jack looked at Will and said sternly: "We wait for the opportune moment."
His eyes moved to Lizzie, clearly warning her as well, before he quickly moved down the path, heading for a path that went around the cave as Barbossa continued to rant in the background.
"Will-" Lizzie began, but Will cut her off as he stalked after Jack, demanding of the pirate: "When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?"
Jack paused, before he questioned: "May I ask you something?"
He turned to face them both as he asked pointedly: "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?"
Will frowned while Lizzie pursed her lips as Jack pleaded Will: "Do us a favor – I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here," he pointed at their current position, "and try not to do anything stupid."
He turned to go, before abruptly turning back and looking at Lizzie as he added: "Same goes for you, Anna."
She frowned at him while Will's eyes narrowed as Jack turned and hurried off. Lizzie glanced at Will as he suddenly took off after Jack, keeping his tread silent as he only moved off to grab an oar before hurrying after the pirate Captain.
"Will, maybe we should give him a chance-" Lizzie whispered as she hurried after Will, but he replied grimly: "I'm not going to let him use me, and risk Anna's life."
Lizzie bit her lip as they spotted Jack, indecisive about what to do, while in the background she could hear the pirates starting to chant.
"Begun by blood," Barbossa was saying, "by blood undone."
Lizzie dithered worriedly, unsure if she should call a warning to Jack or not. Part of her felt bad betraying Jack, but the other, larger part of her was worried about her sister. In that moment that Lizzie struggled with a decision, Will raised his oar.
Perhaps Jack heard, or sensed danger, because the pirate turned around abruptly, but it was a moment too late. Will whacked Jack over the head with the oar, knocking the pirate out, and he muttered as he tossed the oar beside the prone pirate: "Sorry, Jack. I'm not going to be your leverage."
Lizzie shook her head, and as Will began to take off around the other side of the cave outskirts, heading deeper inside, she hissed unhappily: "I still don't think this is a good idea."
"If you've got a better one, I'm all ears." He hissed back.
Lizzie bit her lip, and with a satisfied look, Will turned back to the path. They peeked out the edge of their pathway and into the cave just in time to see Barbossa cut Anna's… palm.
Lizzie breathed out in relief as Will also sagged momentarily while Anna blinked before she asked Barbossa in a confused voice: "That's it?"
"Waste not." Barbossa grinned before he pressed the medallion to her palm and then forced her hand out over the chest.
Anna struggled momentarily, but Barbossa's grip on her was too strong and she was forced to drop her medallion, tinged red with her blood, into the chest where it landed with a small clang.
"Come on, Anna." Lizzie whispered worriedly, but Anna didn't move, simply staring numbly at her cut hand while all the pirates waited with eager anticipation.
Will tugged on Lizzie's arm, and he muttered: "Come on."
He nodded to the side, where a path led to a shallow river that opened up in a small pool right behind the gold mound that the chest – and consequently Anna – was perched atop. They hurried off, Will gesturing for Lizzie to wait by the water's edge as he slipped inside while Lizzie heard a pirate call from inside the cave: "Did it work?"
"I don't feel no different." Another voice chimed in, and another questioned: "How do we tell?"
Lizzie flinched as a shot rang out, clutching her chest in terror as she feared the worst, only to breathe a sigh of relief as the first voice noted in surprise: "You're not dead."
"No." The other said in relief, before he shouted angrily: "He shot me!"
"It didn't work." Another voice cried, while another pirate shouted: "The curse it still upon us!"
There were general murmurs and gasps, and Lizzie peeked out just in time to see Barbossa grabbing Anna's face and snarling something right in her face. Will disappeared below the water just as Barbossa shook Anna by the shoulders, shouting: "Was your father William Turner?"
Lizzie's eyes widened in shock as her suspicions were confirmed, while Anna answered with what she assumed was a negative. The only question Lizzie had was, why on earth had Barbossa mistaken Anna for Will?
'You can ask that later!' Annalisa hissed at herself as she watched anxiously while Barbossa yelled at her sister: "Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago," he grabbed the medallion and shook it in Anna's face as he spat, "the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where?"
As her sister just stared defiantly back, Barbossa backhanded her across the face, knocking Anna down the treasure pile while the medallion flew over her head. Annalisa gasped, before quickly stifling the sound and cursing herself for being so stupid.
Luckily, no-one heard her as the pirates began to turn on each other, one shouting at the pair that Lizzie recognized as the two who had chased her and Anna back in their mansion: "You two! You brought us the wrong person!"
"No!" The shorter one argued, panicking. "She had the medallion. She's the proper age!"
Lizzie looked over worriedly, her heart racing with adrenaline as she saw Will poke his head out of the water right by where Anna had fallen
"She said her name was Turner, you heard her!" Another pirate was crying as Lizzie watched Will rouse her sister, indicating for her to be quiet and to follow him. "I think she lied to us!"
She watched as Anna grabbed the medallion before quickly following Will, and Lizzie waited patiently for them to return while a pirate shouted furiously: "You brought us here for nothing!"
"I won't take questioning and no second guesses, not from the likes of you, Master Twigg." Barbossa scoffed, just as Will and Anna resurfaced beside Lizzie.
"Lisa?" Anna asked in confusion, but Lizzie shook her head as she whispered urgently: "Come on!"
Will took Anna's hand as Lizzie took the lead, and the pair quickly led Anna with them as the pirates shouted at Barbossa: "Who's to blame? Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse."
"It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!" Another shouted as the trio turned the corner and ducked into the passage for the boats.
"This way, hurry!" Lizzie told her sister as they ran for the boat, while in the distance they heard a pirate shout angrily: "And it's you who brought us here in the first place."
They made it to the boat, and Lizzie quickly helped Anna in as Will raced to grab all the pirates' oars from their rowboats, carrying them back to their own boat at the speed of light.
"Will, hurry!" Lizzie warned as they heard roars and shouts coming from the caves, and Will jumped in as Lizzie stared to row them out of the lagoon. He took over, rowing them powerfully down the river and out of the cave just in time before the pirates came out to where they had beached their rowboats.
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A Pirate's Life for Me by Heartlocket1004
Movies » Pirates of the Caribbean Rated: T, English, Romance Adventure, [OC, Capt. Jack Sparrow] [Will T., Anna S., Words: 124k, Favs: 1k, Follows: 1k, Published: Nov 27, 2016 Updated: Jul 31, 2022
364
Chapter 9: Chase
Jack smirked a little as he stood in the crowd of pirates, staring at his incredulous ex-first mate.
He'd awoken from the blow to his head to find himself surrounded by his former crew, and had been forced to declare parley to be taken before Barbossa in the first place. And in doing so, Jack had probably prolonged his life by about five minutes, considering the dirty looks he was getting from his former crew.
Barbossa, to his credit, was looking more surprised as he stared at Jack, before he demanded: "How the blazes did you get off that island?"
Jack sneered a little as he returned: "When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate."
Barbossa raised a brow, waiting patiently, and Jack smirked.
"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." He informed them, and Barbossa almost rolled his eyes.
"Ah, well, I won't be making that mistake again." Barbossa scoffed, before turning to the crew as he jeered: "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?"
The crew smirked, though many of them also growled a little as they stared at their former captain with great distaste.
Barbossa turned back to Jack, nodding to his crew: "Kill him."
The pirates all drew their weapons, most of them pulling their pistols, as Barbossa turned to leave when Jack called suddenly: "The girl's blood didn't work, did it?"
His words had the desired effect.
Barbossa stopped walking instantly while the crew hesitated as they saw their captain stop, before Barbossa ordered: "Hold your fire!"
There were general unhappy mutters and groans at that, but all the pirates lowered their weapons – albeit reluctantly – as Barbossa turned and walked back down to stand before Jack once more.
He examined the other pirate, before his lips curved up in a smirk as he asked: "You know whose blood we need?"
Jack returned the smirk a little, though he deep inside he hated that he had to use this card as bait already, as he acknowledged: "I know whose blood ye need."
Lizzie climbed back aboard the Interceptor first, nodding guiltily to the crew before turning quickly to help her sister climb over as well. Anna landed with a gasp, bracing herself against her sister's arm as she straightened up, only to find herself staring at another raggedy crew.
"Not more pirates." Anna sighed, her face scrunching a little in dismay, when Mr. Gibbs strode forward, greeting: "Welcome aboard, Miss Anna."
Anna blinked before she frowned in confusion as she asked: "Mr. Gibbs? Lisa, what's going on?"
"It's a very long story." Lizzie sighed, while Will finally made it up – after dumping all the other oars into the ocean – behind them.
Gibbs glanced at Will, and then down curiously as he asked: "Hey, boy, where be Jack?"
"Jack?" Anna repeated, glancing at Lizzie and Will in surprise. "Jack Sparrow?"
"Um…" Lizzie began, when Will cut in as he told the crew flatly: "He fell behind."
He took Lizzie's arm, squeezing it slightly in warning, and she shut her mouth as he led her and Anna quickly below the deck. Lizzie bit her lip as she heard Cotton's parrot squawk unhappily, before Gibbs shouted: "Keep to the code."
"Weigh anchor!" Anamaria ordered just as Lizzie disappeared below deck. "Hoist the sails!"
"What is going on?" Anna demanded as Lizzie moved her into a cabin room to help dry her while Will went off in search of bandages for Anna's hand. "Lisa, what are you doing here, and with pirates no less, and what did Mr. Gibbs mean about Jack Sparrow?"
"Well, my sister got herself kidnapped so of course I had to come and rescue her." Lizzie tried to say lightly, but Anna just shot her an unamused look.
"Seriously, Lisa." She stressed, sounding haggard, and Lizzie sighed.
"I couldn't stand just sitting around and hoping the Navy would find you, alive." Lizzie admitted. "So when Will and I sprung Jack from prison, I decided to join them in coming to get you."
"That was stupidly dangerous." Anna scolded, and Lizzie shot back: "As was telling the pirates your name was Turner."
Anna sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, admitting: "I thought they were after me because I was the Governor's daughter, so I was rushing to come up with a different name."
"So you chose Anna Turner?" Lizzie teased lightly, and Anna smiled faintly.
But the seriousness of the situation soon had them both falling back to their grim expressions as Anna went on: "What about Jack? What happened there?"
"Complicated." Lizzie sighed, before glancing up as she spotted movement.
Will was standing awkwardly with a bowl of warm water, a cloth, and bandages but Anna didn't see him as she commented to her sister: "That sounds more like something happened between you and Jack, then something that happened to Jack."
"It's not like that at all." Lizzie shook her head as she stood up, gesturing for Will to come in. "He was just kind enough to show us the way here."
"Right." Anna said as she glanced back curiously, before her eyes widened a little as she spotted Will at last. "Okay."
He walked in, taking Lizzie's seat at her insistent patting, while she continued: "And that was complicated enough. Though I have a feeling with Jack Sparrow, everything becomes complicated. But, I'll leave you two to it."
And with that abrupt ending, she turned and walked up the stairs leaving the pair to have a much-needed talk. Her heart was heavy as Lizzie returned back on the deck just in time to see as they sailed safely away from the Isla de Muerta. Leaving Jack behind.
Jack stood in his former Captain's quarters, opposite Barbossa as the man sat at the map table with his monkey perched behind him, as he made negotiations with the Pearl's current Captain.
Not that it was going all that well.
"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach," Barbossa said in disbelief, "with nothing but a name, and your word it's the one I need, and watch you sail away in my ship?"
He snorted, and Jack answered as though it were obvious: "No."
Jack swaggered about the cabin as he corrected: "I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on my ship and then I'll shout the name back to you."
He leant on the table, across the bowl of apples, to look right at Barbossa as he asked: "Savvy?"
"But that still leaves us with the problem," Barbossa pointed out, "of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need."
Jack picked up a green apple placed at the top of the pile in the fruit bowl as he pointed out in turn: "Of the two of us, I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny."
He looked through the pile of apples, noting Barbossa's slight scowl as he did so, while he continued nonchalantly: "Therefore, my word is the one we'll be trusting."
He picked up one of the ripe green apples, and he added as he leant back in a chair: "Although…I suppose I should be thanking you because," he lifted his boots onto the table, "in fact, if you hadn't betrayed me and left me to die, I would have an equal share in that curse, same as you."
He bit into the apple, commenting lightly around his mouthful: "Funny ol' world, innit?"
Barbossa forced a smile at him, and Jack smirked before offering him the apple.
"Captain," Bo'sun called as he walked in behind Jack, "we're coming up on the Interceptor."
The monkey screeched as it launched itself across the table, right in front of Jack and startling him, before it dashed off out the door. Barbossa followed his monkey as he walked out and headed topside while Jack followed more slowly out onto the deck.
Jack leaned over the riggings to see the Inceptor sailing not too far away, and he quickly hurried up to where Barbossa had just pulled his telescope to peer at the Interceptor from the ship's bow.
"I'm having a thought here, Barbossa." Jack began, standing right in front of the telescope and forcing Barbossa to lower it as he scowled at Jack.
Jack pretended not to notice as he offered: "What say we run up a flag of truce? I scurry over to the Interceptor, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"
Barbossa smiled a little bit, for the first time since he and Jack had reunited on the Isla de Muerta, and he said softly: "Now you see, Jack, that's exactly the attitude that lost you the Pearl."
Jack's expression soured slightly as well, but Barbossa didn't care as he finished with a snarl: "People are easy to search when they're dead."
He turned to Bo'sun, ordering: "Lock him in the brig."
Jack blinked before he was grabbed by the shoulder and dragged off, Barbossa snatching the apple off of him. As Jack was taken away, the pirate captain glanced down at the apple, before he threw it over the ship railing in a fit of frustration and anger.
Lizzie looked back anxiously, staring at the approaching ship behind them as Gibbs shouted to the crew: "Hands aloft to loose t'gallants! With this wind at her stern, she'll carry every sail we've got."
The crew were dashing about as Lizzie moved to stand back by Gibbs and Anamaria by the wheel, when Anna came running over, asking: "What's happening?"
"The Black Pearl." Lizzie explained, and Anamaria chimed in grimly: "She's gaining on us."
Anna quickly hurried over to peer over the side of the ship, as Lizzie had been doing just moment's before, and she stared aghast at the ship with tattered black sails closing in on them.
She hurried back to her twin and Gibbs, exclaiming: "This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean!"
"You can tell them that after they've caught us." Anamaria replied flatly.
"We're shallow on the draft, right?" Lizzie suddenly piped up, glancing about the ship anxiously.
The other three paused slightly, and Anna's eyes lit up as she caught onto her sister's plan, while Anamaria said slowly: "Aye."
"Can't we lose them amongst those shoals, then?" Anna chimed in excitedly, and Lizzie nodded.
Anamaria's eyes widened as she stared at the shiny path of the sea indicating the shoals, and she and Gibbs exchanged looks of surprise.
"We don't have to outrun them long." Gibbs agreed. "Just long enough."
"Lighten the ship!" Anamaria shouted. "Stem to stern!"
The sisters looked back to the deck anxiously as Gibbs added: "Anything that we can afford to lose, see that it's lost!"
Jack frowned as he glanced around the brig before grimacing as Bo'sun shoved him into one of the cells. He glanced down at his feet again as Bo'sun locked the door behind him, and Jack commented dryly as water sloshed all over his boots: "Apparently there's a leak."
Bo'sun simply scowled as he walked off, leaving Jack to sigh as he was left alone once more in a jail cell. At least this one was aboard his beloved Pearl… though the other one had had a window.
Jack looked about the dim brig, before he noted a small sliver of light coming in from a corner of his cell. Leaning down, he saw it was a small hole in the hull, just big enough that he would be able to see out of it.
He peered through, noting that they were still sailing across the ocean at a rather fast pace. So, they were still chasing the Interceptor… which was good because it gave him time. The only problem was, how to get out of this cell?
Lizzie looked back anxiously to see the Black Pearl opening up its gun ports, their cannons readied and presumably armed, while the Jolly Roger flag was raised to fly high. She glanced back at their own crew, who were busy throwing out barrels and crates over the sides of the ship, and she bit her lip.
"We won't make it." She murmured, and Anna glanced at her sister just as Will poked his head up from the lower deck.
He glanced around, noting the activity and hurried over to look back at the Pearl just as they released the oars.
He glanced down as one of their crew started to throw a cannon off the ship, and he quickly stepped on it, stopping the man as he murmured grimly: "We're gonna need that."
"They're going to gain on us." Lizzie warned, and Anamaria glanced back to see the oars as well.
Anna pursed her lips as Anamaria looked back at them grimly, saying regretfully: "It was a good plan…up 'till now."
"Gibbs!" Will shouted as he ran up and grabbed the first mate. "We have to make a stand. We must fight! Load the guns!"
"With what?" Anamaria demanded, and Will replied determinedly: "Anything. Everything! Anything we have left."
He looked at Gibbs beseechingly, and Lizzie watched as Gibbs's jaw set with determination before he shouted at the crew: "Load the guns!"
Anamaria had rolled her eyes, but Lizzie murmured firmly: "It's our only chance."
The captain shot the brunette a look, her lips thinned, as Gibbs continued to order: "Take shot and langrage. Nails and crushed glass!"
Will had glanced back at Anna, meeting her eyes for a long moment as something passed between them. Lizzie watched them, a small frown appearing as she noted Will's reluctance and Anna's proud determination, but she shook her head as Will ran down to the deck and Anna turned back to look at the Pearl.
As their crew readied the canons with whatever they could find, Gibbs came running back up to the stern. Anamaria was doing her best to steer them as far away from the Pearl for as long as possible, but Lizzie watched as the Black Pearl continued to gain on them.
Will, Gibbs, and Anna watched as well, and Gibbs shouted: "The Pearl is going to luff up on our port quarter. She'll rake us without ever presenting a target."
"Lower the anchor on the right side." Lizzie said suddenly, looking at Anamaria.
The captain stared at her while Anna glanced at her twin as Lizzie insisted: "On the starboard side!"
"It'll work." Anna supported her sister, looking at the other two men, and Gibbs gaped while Will cocked his head as he admitted: "It certainly has the element of surprise."
"You're daft, ladies!" Anamaria snapped, staring at the two and then at Will. "All three of you are!"
"Daft like Jack!" Gibbs murmured before he turned and shouted at the crew: "Lower the starboard anchor!"
The crew stared at him like he'd lost it, but Gibbs snapped: "Do it, ye dogs, or it's you we'll load into the cannons!"
Will hurried down to help the men as the crew threw down the anchor and positioned the cannons. Lizzie braced herself as their anchor hit something and wedged itself firmly in place, spinning the ship around with the sudden jerk.
They all grabbed hold as the ship spun wildly, clinging to stay upright, and Anna shouted at Anamaria: "Let go."
Anamaria blinked even as she did as the blonde woman said, letting go of the wheel and letting the ship swing even harder about. The whole ship swung to be horizontal to the Pearl, their cannons aimed and readied.
Lizzie braced herself as the Pearl reacted by swinging hard to port, drawing up beside the Interceptor. She could see both sides running about wildly, preparing themselves for the frontal confrontation, and she also reached for her sword as she braced herself for the signal.
"Now!" Will yelled, and Lizzie shouted: "Fire!"
"Fire!" Barbossa could be heard shouting from the Black Pearl, and Anna shouted: "Fire all!"
They held on as they were hit by the Pearl's cannons, while their own shots hit right into the Pearl's hull.
"Duck!" Lizzie ordered, and the three women ducked as the opposition began to fire their rifles as well, while their own crew returned the favour as they opened fire as well.
Inside the Pearl, Jack watched as the two ships lined up, before his eyes widened and he quickly ducked as the Interceptor fired at them.
It wasn't a moment too soon, as a hole the size of his face was blasted through the hull right where he'd been leaning against the wall to look outside, and Jack yelled through it: "Stop blowing holes in my ship!"
He grumbled as he turned, before pausing as he saw something floating on the water right beside him. He quickly reached out, nabbing what appeared to be Gibbs's hipflask and eagerly opened in and held it over his mouth… only for nothing to come out.
Jack grumbled again, before he paused again as he saw the cell door. He stood up slowly, staring at the hole in the door's lock, and carefully pushed the door. It creaked as it opened, and Jack grinned as he walked out.
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A Pirate's Life for Me by Heartlocket1004
Movies » Pirates of the Caribbean Rated: T, English, Romance Adventure, [OC, Capt. Jack Sparrow] [Will T., Anna S., Words: 124k, Favs: 1k, Follows: 1k, Published: Nov 27, 2016 Updated: Jul 31, 2022
364
Chapter 10: Full circle
Lizzie flinched as she fired her rifle, not used to the recoil, as Anna ducked down beside her, her rifle now empty. Gibbs, Will, and Anamaria fired away beside them as Lizzie aimed and fired again, taking out a pirate with her lost shot before she ducked down as well.
"We could use a few more ideas, lasses." Gibbs shouted as they fired again and again, and Anna glanced at her sister, who just looked back helplessly.
"Your turn!" Anna shouted at Gibbs, who growled: "We need us a devil's dowry."
"We'll give them her." Anamaria growled, pointing her pistol right at Anna's head just as Will ran out of shots.
The three friends from Port Royal froze, Will staring at Anna while Lizzie stared at Anna's neck.
"She's not what they're after." Will whispered, while Lizzie murmured in horror: "Where is it?"
Anna touched her neck, remembering what was missing, and she whispered in equal horror to her sister: "The medallion."
Will turned and dashed for the lower deck, going off to search for the medallion, while Anna and Lizzie hurried to grab another rifle from the stash. They'd just begun firing again, Lizzie taking out a pirate on the Pearl's crow nest, when suddenly a cannonball from the other side came whizzing by and struck their own mast.
She looked up in horror as their mast tethered before it fell over, a few of their crew falling from it as it did.
"Watch out!" She cried to their crew as the mast fell.
They all ducked, but luckily – or not – the mast tipped over and fell directly onto the Pearl. She watched as the pirates on the other side all scrambled to get out of the way, before her eyes focused on one figure who seemed unbothered. She stared as Barbossa took one casual step forward, placing himself directly beneath the Interceptor's sails as the mast fell onto the Pearl, and leaving him untouched.
"They're coming aboard." Lizzie muttered as she saw the Pearl's crew gathering once more, carrying grapples.
"They're coming aboard!" She shouted, and Anna, Gibbs, and Anamaria also took up the cry to warn the crew, and they all braced themselves once more as the Pearl's crew threw their grapples.
They fired for all they were worth to stop the pirates trying to board, but there was only so much you could do against a crew that couldn't be killed. Lizzie fired at the pirates as they came swinging on board, but even though all her shots hit a mark and the pirate came tumbling down, he soon got up and began shouting and fighting their crew.
"Anna!" Lizzie cried in warning, and Anna turned to whack the pirate who'd been sneaking up behind her with her rifle.
Lizzie meanwhile drew her sword, engaging in a duel with another pirate as she tried to fend off another. She'd just knocked the sword out of the one pirate's hand and whacked him in the temple with the butt of her sword, thereby knocking him out, when the other one tried to stab her as he saw an opening.
Suddenly, hand reached out and grabbed the pirate's wrist, stopping him, and Lizzie whirled around to see Jack standing there.
"That's not very nice." Jack told the pirate, and Lizzie used the moment to smack the pirate in the face with the butt of her sword, causing the pirate to topple over the ship's railings and fall into the sea.
"Jack?" Lizzie gasped, and he demanded, utterly serious for once: "Where's the medallion?"
She blinked, then gasped: "Anna!"
He frowned, but she turned and dashed over to her sister, who was fighting two pirates on her own. She whacked the first pirate across the head – having found that knocking them out worked better than trying to stab them – while Anna punched the other one in the face.
"Lisa!" Anna gasped in relief, when Jack came running up.
He grabbed both women, hauling them down for cover as bullets whizzed above their heads, and he demanded both of them: "Where's the medallion?"
Lizzie frowned while Anna scowled and she spat: "Wretch!"
She lifted her hand to slap him, but Jack caught her wrist and he glanced at the bandaged hand. His eyes narrowed, before he smirked and he asked instead: "Ahh. Where's dear William?"
Both their eyes widened, and Anna whispered: "Will…"
"Oh, no." Lizzie gasped as they both whirled around to look at the entry to the lower deck… which was blocked by the fallen mast.
"Anna!" Lizzie tried to stop her sister but Anna had already taken off, regardless of gunfire and swords as he ran for her trapped beloved.
Lizzie took off after her sister, while Jack rolled his eyes at them, before he spotted Barbossa's monkey heading for the fallen mast… carrying the medallion.
"Monkey!" He called as he began to chase after it, going across the mast.
"Will!" Anna cried as she reached through the bars of the deck cover, and Will called desperately as the water began rising up: "Anna!"
"Lisa, help!" Anna cried, and both sisters tried to move the mast but it was too heavy.
"It won't budge." Lizzie gasped while Anna leant back down over to Will as she cried fearfully: "I can't move it."
"Jack-!" Lizzie turned to call for help, before she cried in warning: "Anna!"
But it was too late, and the pirates descended on the two women, grabbing them and disarming Lizzie as they started to drag the pair away.
"Let me go!" Lizzie shouted as she struggled furiously, while Anna did the same as she screamed: "Will!"
"Anna!" Will called after her as they were dragged away, kicking and screaming, with the rest of the crew that still remained.
Jack meanwhile had almost caught up to the monkey at the other end of the fallen mast, and he reached forward eagerly only to freeze. He slowly withdrew his hand, looking up at Barbossa as the pirate smiled smugly down at him, his monkey perched on his shoulder and the medallion in his hand.
"Why, thank ye, Jack." Barbossa said haughtily, and Jack forced a smile as he replied: "You're welcome."
"Not you." Barbossa corrected. "We named the monkey 'Jack'."
Jack's eyes narrowed in irritation, though he kept the fake smile on his face. Barbossa turned back to his crew as he held up the medallion, shouting: "Gents, our hope is restored!"
Lizzie grit her teeth as she stood tied to the mast beside her sister, the rest of their crew tied with them, while the short pirate she'd encountered before snarled at them menacingly, his sword pointed warningly: "If any of you as much as thinks the word 'parley', I'll have your guts for garters."
Anna was squirming beside her, subtly loosening the ropes, and Lizzie touched her sister's hand, silently begging Anna. Of course the blonde ignored her sister, slipping below the loosened ropes and starting to run for the ship's railings. Lizzie slipped out after her sister in alarm, only to be caught by someone around the forearm.
She whipped around to see Jack holding her back, his eyes dead serious for once and for once no trace of the joking Captain as he shook his head. Her eyes narrowed, angry that he'd stopped her, when a huge explosion from behind rocked the ship.
Lizzie whipped around in horror to see Anna had frozen mid-run, also staring at the burning remains of the Interceptor.
"Will." Anna gasped, and Lizzie's heart sank. No…
"You!" Anna suddenly ran at Barbossa, physically assaulting him in her grief and anger as she screamed at the pirate: "You've got to stop it! Stop it!"
But Barbossa easily stopped her, grabbing Anna's arms harshly as he stated with false warmth: "Welcome back, Miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favor."
He thrust her at his crew, who immediately started grabbing at her hungrily.
"Let her go!" Lizzie shouted in outrage, twisting to get away from Jack and to her sister, but Jack held her firmly, moving to cover her as Barbossa whirled around, looking for the speaker.
His eyes fell on Lizzie behind Jack, his brow rising as she glared at him with fiery blue eyes over Jack's shoulder. Jack sighed and let Lizzie go as she stepped around him to face the other pirate Captain fearlessly, and Barbossa opened his mouth, when another voice cut in sharply: "Barbossa!"
They all turned to the ship's railings in surprise to see Will jumping over onto the deck, his pistol drawn and his own dark eyes filled with determination.
"Will." Anna breathed in relief, but Will kept his gaze fixed on Anna as he ordered: "She goes free."
He pointed his pistol right at Barbossa's chest, and the pirate Captain raised a brow.
"What's in your head, boy?" Barbossa questioned, and Will shouted determinedly as he gestured at Anna: "She goes free!"
"You've only got one shot," Barbossa pointed out, unimpressed, "and we can't die."
"Don't do anything stupid." Jack hissed at Will from where he was standing, and Will glanced at the pirate, at Lizzie, at Anna and then back at Barbossa.
"You can't." He agreed before he suddenly backed up and jumped back onto the ship's railings, clinging to the mast lines to keep himself steady as he added: "I can."
He pointed the pistol at his own head, and Lizzie widened her eyes at the bold move while Jack sighed: "Like that."
Barbossa frowned at Jack and then back at Will, sizing up the younger man thoughtfully.
"Who are you?" He asked curiously, and Jack quickly intersected as he dashed over to stand before Barbossa: "No one. He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though - eunuch."
Barbossa raised a brow, clearly not believing Jack's tall tale, while Will interrupted impatiently: "My name is Will Turner."
Barbossa immediately looked back at Will while Jack hung his head and sidled away in defeat as Will continued: "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins."
"He's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us." One of the pirates, the one with the wooden eye, cried as he pointed at Will while the rest of the crew murmured in shock as they finally put together the resemblance.
"On my word do as I say," Will threatened as he held his gun closer to his head, "or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker."
"Name your terms, Mr. Turner." Barbossa called, and Will replied instantly: "Anna goes free. And Lizzie."
Lizzie smacked herself on the forehead, while Barbossa rolled his eyes as he said dryly: "Yes, we know that one. Anything else?"
Jack was pointing silently to himself, and Will quickly added as he gestured to the crew tied to the mast: "And the crew – the crew are not to be harmed."
Jack's eyes narrowed as he pointed insistently to himself, knowing exactly which loopholes Barbossa would use, but unfortunately Will didn't know and he didn't take the hint.
Barbossa smiled widely as he finished the deal: "Agreed."
"Go on, Poppet, go! Walk the plank!" A pirate yelled.
Lizzie's hands tightened into fists as she watched her sister get pushed out onto the plank, the blonde standing tall as she could even as she stared dubiously down into the watery depths below. The water was at least rather shallow as the Pearl drifted near a tiny island, but it would still be quite the drop and with no choice where to go after.
Her worry for her sister only warred with the concern for her own wellbeing, considering she was next. Two pirates held her in place, her hands behind her back, even as they cheered and egged Anna on as she took the first step out on the plank.
"Barbossa, you lying bastard!" Will swore as he struggled against his own captors. "You swore they'd go free!"
"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy." Barbossa snapped as he turned around to face the young man. "I agreed she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where."
Will glared at the pirate as he was gagged, while Lizzie frowned at the dirty cards Barbossa was pulling. No wonder Jack seemed so adept at talking his way out of situations.
Barbossa meanwhile turned back to face Anna, and he said with a meaningful smile: "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?"
"Aye." The pirates chuckled, and Lizzie's eyes narrowed in anger.
But Barbossa stated calmly: "So I'll be having that dress back before you go."
Anna blinked before her eyes lit with fiery anger, but she simply began stripping off the dress she wore as the pirates catcalled laughingly.
"I always liked you." Jack whispered to the pirate nearest him, but the pirate simply growled and bared his teeth and Jack quickly backed down again while Lizzie shot him an unimpressed look.
Anna meanwhile had taken off the dress, and she growled as she thrust it at him: "It goes with your black heart."
Barbossa simply smiled, and then pressed the dress to his face as he joked: "Ooh, it's still warm."
The pirates laughed, before another pirate shooed Anna: "Off you go! Come on!"
Lizzie watched anxiously as Anna slowly walked out further along the plank, staring fearfully at the water below. She glanced back once again, locking eyes with Will who stared at her beseechingly. The pirates all waited, before looking between the pair and becoming annoyed.
"Too long!" Bo'sun shouted and he stomped hard on the plank.
The plank shook from the impact, causing Anna to lose her balance and she fell off and into the sea.
"Anna!" Lizzie gasped, and Barbossa smirked at her.
"Not to worry, Miss Swann. You'll be joining her shortly." He taunted as the pirates holding Lizzie shoved her forwards onto the plank even as she squirmed.
The pirates laughed as Lizzie was pushed onto the plank, and they leered in with their swords drawn once more as the young woman was forced to walk along the thin wooden board. She stood as tall as her sister had, standing straight despite her clenched fists as she glanced at the sea.
"Any last words?" Barbossa laughed, and Lizzie glared daggers at him.
"Only this," she hissed, "that just as that medallion came back to bite you, one day you'll regret challenging us."
Barbossa raised a brow and he leaned in, breathing his rum-filled, smelly breath all over her as he returned: "And you will learn that this world is not like your high society, Miss Swann."
He stepped back as he added: "There is no such thing as karma!"
He kicked the plank, sending Lizzie tumbling down after her sister as the rest of the pirates all laughed while Barbossa smirked.
"Though I see why the lass caught your eye, Jack." Barbossa called as he turned to his former Captain as Jack was dragged forward. "She's as feisty as her sister."
Jack winced as he was dragged up onto the plank, and he tried to say lightly: "Aye, well, pirate mate. And as a fellow pirate, I'd really rather hoped we were past all this."
He gestured to the plank, and Barbossa smiled as he wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulder, saying fondly: "Jack…. Jack . Did ya not notice?"
He nodded at the island in the distance as he said amusedly: "That be the same little island that we made you Governor of on our last little trip."
Jack glanced at the tiny spit of land before he turned back to Barbossa as he said hopefully: "I did notice."
Barbossa smiled as he said: "Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape…but I doubt it."
He raised a brow before he unsheathed his sword and held it to Jack's throat.
"Off you go." He dismissed, forcing Jack back a few steps onto the plank.
Jack glanced down briefly before he said quickly: "Last time, you left me a pistol with one shot."
"By the powers, you're right." Barbossa declared. "Where be Jack 's pistol? Bring it forward."
The pistol was brought forward, and Barbossa held it out to Jack, who glanced at the water again before he said, grasping at straws: "Seeing as there's three of us, a gentleman… would give us three pistols."
"It'll be one pistol as before," Barbossa answered dismissively, "and you can be the gentleman and shoot one of the ladies. Mayhaps you can enjoy your wench as you both starve to death, or be kinder to her and shoot her while you starve with her sister."
He tossed the pistol into the water, and Jack quickly dove off the plank after it. It sank to the ocean floor, but Jack was a swift swimmer and he easily grasped it with his bound hands before he kicked up off the sea floor and up towards air.
Jack swam towards the island, rubbing his wrists as he went, and the combined friction and salt water quickly undid the ropes as he swam. Lizzie met him in the shallows, where she helped him remove the last of the ropes while Anna stood on the beach as they all stared at the ship disappearing into the distance.
"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship." Jack sighed.
A/N Merry Christmas, everyone!
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A Pirate's Life for Me by Heartlocket1004
Movies » Pirates of the Caribbean Rated: T, English, Romance Adventure, [OC, Capt. Jack Sparrow] [Will T., Anna S., Words: 124k, Favs: 1k, Follows: 1k, Published: Nov 27, 2016 Updated: Jul 31, 2022
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Chapter 11: Marooned
Anna strode after Jack, Lizzie trailing behind her sister, as Jack walked amongst the trees, knocking on a few of the palm trees randomly.
"But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you?" Anna insisted as she walked determinedly after Jack. "So we can escape in the same way you did then."
Jack finally whirled on the blonde woman, asking irritably: "To what point and purpose, young missy? The Black Pearl is gone," he gestured to the sea, "and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice."
He gestured at Anna's night gown, which was still sticking very close to her body from the sea water, and he went on pointedly: "Unlikely. Young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him."
He turned back to his task, and Lizzie watched him, puzzled, as he knocked on another tree trunk before taking four large steps and starting to jump up and down a few times on the ground.
'What is he doing?' Lizzie wondered, while Anna, unwilling to give up, continued to plead as she followed Jack: "But you're Captain Jack Sparrow . You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot."
She grabbed Jack's arm, forcing him to look at her as she demanded quietly: Are you the pirate my sister and I have read about or not?"
Jack hesitated, glancing from Anna to Lizzie as though weighing Anna's last statement. Lizzie stepped up with her sister, and she asked Jack softly: "Jack. How did you escape last time? And don't say sea turtles."
He pursed his lips at her before he finally snapped at them: "Last time… I was here a grand total of three days, all right?"
Both Lizzie and Anna frowned, while Jack turned to the ground as he continued: "Last time," he opened a hidden cellar door where he'd been jumping earlier to both sisters' surprise, "the rumrunners used this island as a cache."
He walked down into the secret cellar as he went on: "Came by, and I was able to barter a passage off. From the looks of things," he poked around the dusty cellar, "they've long been out of business. Probably," he grunted, "have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that."
He climbed out with three bottles of rum in his hands, while Lizzie and Anna stared at him in utter disbelief and, particularly Anna, disappointment.
"So that's it then?" Anna asked, despairing and upset. "That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow?"
Lizzie meanwhile said incredulously: "You spent three days, lying on a beach… drinking rum?"
He glanced at her, his dark eyes unreadable, before he shrugged as he opened his arms wide.
"Welcome to the Caribbean, loves." He answered, before thrusting a bottle of rum into first Lizzie and then Anna's arms.
Both sisters looked down at the bottles in distaste, while Jack walked off towards the beach to resume his old habits. Lizzie sighed, disappointment clouding her, as she looked up, only to see a gleam enter Anna's eyes. The blonde looked at her sister, her face brightening as she had an idea.
"No." Lizzie said before Anna could even open her mouth.
"You don't know what I was going to say!" Anna protested, and Lizzie sighed.
"You were going to ask me to help you get Jack so drunk that he passes out, then build a signal with all the rum, shade, and possible food sources on this island in order to get rescued by the Navy, and then go after Will." Lizzie listed, and Anna stared at her sister.
"Okay, maybe you did know what I was going to say." The blonde said a little petulantly, and Lizzie pointed out: "I'm your sister. Moreover, I'm your twin sister. Of course I knew what you were going to say."
"But why won't you help me?" Anna whined, and Lizzie sighed again.
"Because that's using him." Lizzie pointed out, and Anna returned: "He was going to use Will to get a ship back."
Lizzie sighed for a third time, while Anna pleaded: "Please, Lisa. Will's getting closer to his death as we speak, and I can't lose him like this, I can't."
Lizzie let out her deepest sigh yet, but she nodded at last.
"All right, I'll help." She agreed. "It's the only semi-probable way we'll make it off this island alive, anyway."
Anna beamed and she hugged her twin sister ecstatically.
"Okay." She said determinedly as she looked about. "Let me get an actual plan together – can you go distract Jack for a while?"
"Sure." Lizzie answered, rolling her eyes, and Anna grinned at her sister before hurrying down into the rum cellar to check its stock while Lizzie headed towards the beach.
She spotted Jack instantly, lounging casually on the beach with his bottle of rum between two fingers of his right hand. She watched as he gripped the bottle and swung it up once more to take a long drink, his wild hair swinging lightly at the movement, before lowering it as he kept his dark eyes far on the horizon.
"It's not as beautiful from here."
Jack glanced back at Lizzie's comment, and he snorted as he looked back at the horizon while Lizzie walked over.
"Where is dear Anna?" Jack asked sarcastically, and Lizzie shrugged as she settled beside him.
"She's still back there." Lizzie answered, and Jack snorted: "Still sulking?"
Lizzie made a noncommittal noise, and Jack glanced at her.
"You are taking the fact that you're to die of starvation on a tiny spit of land, extremely well." Jack observed and Lizzie chuckled.
"Well, no use in bemoaning it now." She replied. "It was my choice to take the risks when I left Port Royal with you and Will, and I'm not so naïve that I thought it would be all easy sailing… if you'll excuse the pun."
Jack chuckled as he took another swig of rum.
"You're a strange one, love." Jack noted. "Brave and unpredictable, and not afraid to say what's on your mind – not like those other snobby aristocrats."
"They aren't all bad, you know." Lizzie said mildly. "Sure, most of them are stuffy and suffocating, but some of them can be nice people… once you get to know them."
"Right." He snorted. "That wasn't the feeling I got when I met them."
"Maybe because you're a pirate, and pirates aren't usually welcomed with open arms." Lizzie pointed out dryly, and Jack chuckled again at her tone though his eyes became thoughtful as he turned to look at her.
"I wasn't always a pirate, Anna." He said, and Lizzie blinked at his more serious tone and the nickname he'd appointed her. "I was once a respectable Captain, too."
"Respectable, in the conventional way, or in your understanding?" Lizzie asked bluntly, and Jack snorted again.
"There's the honesty that could burn a man's heart." Jack chuckled and Lizzie smiled.
It faded however as she examined Jack, and she asked slowly: "What happened?"
"I did something the East India Trading Company," he spat the name disgustedly, "didn't agree with."
"The EITC?" Lizzie repeated in surprise. "You actually worked for them?"
"In my youth." Jack answered, the distaste clear and Lizzie raised a questioning brow.
"What happened?" Lizzie asked, her curiosity getting the better of her, and Jack held her blue eyes with his dark ones.
"I released the cargo." He told her with all the bluntness he accused her of.
Lizzie blinked while Jack watched, waiting patiently for his words to sink in. Lizzie blinked again, before her mouth parted in a slight 'o' as horror flooded her face.
"Aye." Jack nodded, and Lizzie whispered: "They were carrying slaves?"
"Selling them." Jack corrected, and Lizzie blanched slightly.
"I thought that was made illegal years ago." She murmured, and Jack shrugged.
"Well, it was supposed to be all hush-hush." Jack answered flatly. "I guess that's what they'd tell you, that it had all stopped, to keep your pretty head from worrying."
"I resent that." Lizzie told him, feeling offended by his sexist comment, and Jack answered seriously: "You wouldn't have been more than a kid when I lost my ship because of what I did."
"What you did?" Lizzie repeated incredulously. "You did the right thing!"
"I disobeyed orders." Jack shrugged. "Never did like it though, so it all turned out for the better, I suppose anyway."
Lizzie however stared at Jack, unconvinced by his easy, light tone and casual demeanor.
"It was the Pearl, wasn't it?" She asked quietly, and Jack looked at her sharply. "The ship you had to sacrifice as punishment. That's why you're so obsessed with it."
Jack stared at Lizzie and she matched his gaze as he said slowly: "No-one else has ever managed to figure that out on their own before, love."
"Maybe they weren't looking for it." Lizzie replied, and Jack raised a brow.
"Aye." He murmured, though his expression was still like a watchful cat's as he stared at Lizzie while he took another swig of his rum.
Lizzie stared back, her curiosity heightened, and she boldly asked: "Was it the first ship you stole, then?"
"Hmm?" Jack asked, tilting his head in confusion, and Lizzie explained: "The Pearl. After I assume you were branded," she gestured vaguely at his arm where she'd seen his pirate brand what felt like ages ago, "did you steal back the Pearl?"
Jack stared at her again, and his expression was unreadable as he peered into Lizzie's eyes. She met his gaze, her eyes searching his in the same way that he was examining hers. It always fascinated Lizzie how impossible it was to read Jack's eyes, despite his easy and deceptively open facial expressions and gestures.
She stared into the dark pools, getting lost in them as though they were black holes that sucked her in and yet had no end. But the deeper she fell, the more she saw and the clearer his emotions seemed. There was pain, longing, and fond remembrance… and something else.
Before she could place her finger on it, Jack spoke in a hushed voice: "No."
Lizzie blinked, while Jack continued in a low voice, still staring into her eyes: "I didn't steal her back – she was burnt and sunk to the ocean floor after the EITC caught up with us; with me."
Lizzie almost shivered at the deepness of Jack's voice, still captivated by his eyes as she registered his words.
"Then how is the Pearl sailing around, raising horror stories throughout the Caribbean?" Lizzie countered, her voice also soft and low.
"I made a deal," Jack answered in the same deep voice as he leant closer to Lizzie, as though equally trapped in her gaze as she was in his, "with the devil."
Lizzie stared at him, swallowing once. Partly because of what he'd said, and partly because… he was too close.
They had leant in closer unconsciously, Lizzie caught up in Jack's story and Jack immersed in her. But now, Lizzie was aware of just how heavy the air around them appeared to be, almost filled with static electricity given how sensitive and anxious she suddenly felt.
Her throat was dry, and she unconsciously licked her lips as she stared at Jack only for her chest to tighten as his eyes glanced down to catch the movement. Jack's eyes slowly returned to hers, filled with a new hunger that Lizzie wasn't certain she disliked.
Jack appeared to be debating something as he stared into her eyes, and Lizzie saw some resolve forming in his mind as a firm determination filled his gaze.
But what that decision was, she didn't find out as suddenly Anna called as she walked out onto the beach: "So, I was thinking."
Jack didn't move, but Lizzie did at the sound of her twin. The brunette woman almost jumped out of her skin, leaning back automatically and away from Jack as she turned to face her approaching sister.
Her expression was carefully neutral, but Lizzie could feel the faintest hint of a blush working its way up her neck and face. Jack appeared to notice it as well, but Lizzie was surprised at the more annoyed expression on his face than a triumphant or at least amused on that she'd been expecting.
Anna appeared to notice something was wrong, for she paused to shoot her sister a questioning look. Lizzie quickly shook her head, while Jack frowned and looked between them, but Anna cut in again as she declared: "If I have to go, I want to go feeling as little as possible."
She held out the armful of bottles that she'd hijacked from the storage cellar, causing Jack to raise a brow while Lizzie hid a sigh.
This was what her sister's grand plan was that had culminated in? This was what Anna had interrupted them for?
'Although,' a small voice in her head, that sounded like her father and occasionally her sister, noted, 'it's a good thing she did. You were getting a little too immersed there, Lisa.'
'I was not.' The other part of her, the more rebellious side, argued. 'I was simply listening to Jack's tragic, and unfair, story.'
'Of course.' The other, more irritating voice said sarcastically. 'And you definitely were not admiring Jack's chest, and those deep, deep, expressive eyes'
'… Shut up.'
Lizzie sighed to herself as Anna plonked herself down beside her sister and Jack, holding out the rum. This was going to be a very long evening.
"We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs." Jack and Anna sang drunkenly. "Drink up me 'earties yo ho!"
The trio were prancing around a small bonfire of sorts, each swinging a bottle of rum wildly as they sang horribly off-key yet delightedly. Or at least, that's what they had been doing.
Lizzie had toppled down onto the sand, exhausted, just moments earlier but she was still clutching her bottle and laughing with her sister and Jack as they continued to sing: "Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me."
"I love this song!" Jack crowed as he stumbled around towards Lizzie. "Really bad eggs! Ooh."
He toppled down beside Lizzie, Anna soon following, and declared enthusiastically as he faced the two women: "When I get the Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!"
"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main." Anna cheered, waving her bottle around.
"Not just the Spanish Main, lass." Jack corrected. "The entire ocean."
He spread out his hands, as evenly as he could given how drunk he was, as he continued dreamily: "The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go, we'll go."
He nodded at Lizzie and she sat up just a little bit higher to show she was listening more attentively as Jack said seriously (or as serious as he could be with how he was slurring his words): "That's what a ship is, remember? I told you?"
She nodded as he continued dismissively: "It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs but what a ship is…" he focused on Lizzie again, "what the Black Pearl really is…" his eyes darkened as did hers, "is freedom."
Anna raised a brow behind his back as Lizzie leant in to Jack, saying in a low voice: "And you said I would want that freedom."
"Aye." Jack answered, his voice deep and husky with the alcohol. "And you do. I can see it in your eyes. Both of you."
He glanced back at Anna, gesturing to make his point, and then refocused on Lizzie as he continued intently: "But your longing is clearer, Anna. You long for that freedom."
"And I said I didn't." Lizzie answered, her voice as husky as his.
"But you were lying, love. We both know you were." Jack answered, leaning in closer to her. "Do you continue to deny it now, Anna?"
Lizzie suppressed a shiver, and feeling Anna's questioning gaze, she quickly changed subjects as she said: "Captain Sparrow, I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk."
… So maybe her plan to change subjects failed a little. Anna's brows were high on her forehead at Lizzie's suggestive tone and manner, while Jack's eyes – if possible – darkened even more.
"I know exactly what you mean, love." Jack murmured, setting down his bottle of rum and curling his moustache in a rather disturbing manner. Although Lizzie wasn't yet sure if she liked or disliked it, as appeared to often be the case with Jack Sparrow.
As Jack started to lean closer to Lizzie, Anna quickly butted in as she lifted her bottle and called: "To freedom."
"To freedom!" Lizzie agreed hurriedly, lifting her own bottle.
Jack raised a brow but he grinned as he took his bottle back, lifting it to clink against Lizzie's as he answered: "To the Black Pearl."
They all lifted their bottles, but Lizzie and Anna only pretended to take another swig while Jack drained his fifth bottle.
He fell back as he leant his head back to chug the last dregs, and both Lizzie and Anna stared at him as he landed with a soft thud on the sand, out cold. He soon began to snore softly, causing Lizzie to roll her eyes while her sister looked at her skeptically.
"You didn't have to flirt with him that much." Anna pointed out and Lizzie shrugged.
"I know." She replied, and Anna examined her sister intently in the dim firelight for a moment. Lizzie met her gaze evenly for a moment before she dropped her gaze, and Anna's jaw dropped.
"Oh, my God." Anna breathed and Lizzie turned her face away.
Anna stared at her sister, stunned, as she whispered in realization: "You weren't just flirting. How did I not see this?"
"You were busy being kidnapped." Lizzie replied dryly, but Anna refused to be distracted.
"Why him?" She demanded, and Lizzie glanced back at the sleeping Jack.
"I don't know." She answered quietly.
As Anna stared, Lizzie shrugged as she added: "But, don't worry. I think it's more out of curiosity than anything else."
"I see…" Anna answered slowly, her voice filled with doubt that Lizzie chose to ignore as she stood up.
"Come on." Lizzie muttered evasively. "I thought you had a plan to execute."
Lizzie walked off towards the trees, heading for the rum cellar, while Anna stared for a moment longer after her sister.
She didn't believe Lizzie's words, and Anna also suspected that Lizzie herself didn't believe them either. There was a tone and look in her sister's voice and eyes that Anna had never seen even the slightest hint of before in all their interactions with other men.
And now, to see it as clearly as the light of day for a man so vile in her opinion… Anna wasn't sure if she should be happy or distressed for her sister. She glanced at Jack one last time, her gaze filled with unease and worry, before getting up as well and hurrying after her twin.
She would focus now on saving Will. And if, if they all survived through this, then she would worry and confront her sister about Jack Sparrow.
A/N To HunterofArtermis: I don't normally reply to reviews here, but since you write under a guest I couldn't respond any other way! J To answer your question, I do write under Quotev as well, so it is also my story that you saw! Thanks for checking, and for always reading and reviewing! Have a wonderful New Year!
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