Out of curiosity, is there anyone who hasn't figured out what Barbossa's pet is? I mean, I know it's obvious since we all already know about Syrena and that she has to come in the story somehow. Part of me wished no one knew so that building up this mystery would be worth it.

Birds of a Feather

The Curse of the Black Pearl

Chapter Six

Welcome to Tortuga

"Hell exists, and it's called Tortuga," Philip gripped his cross tightly as he looked around in revulsion of the sinful town. He was walking so close to Will that Will was honestly surprised Philip wasn't stepping on his feet.

"If this is Hell, Son," Jack laughed, "then I better get on with dying."

Philip just glared at the pirate.

"Jackie!" a very voluptuous woman ran up to the trio.

"Eveline!" Jack greeted the woman was a warm embrace.

Will watched in amusement as Philip's face lost all color. The woman was clearly a prostitute. Her extravagant makeup was thickly caked on. She looked pretty, yet very unhygienic. Her hair was tangled with knots and grease, though Will could tell she tried to take care of it best she could. He imagined that like himself, Eveline didn't have the ability to wash up frequently, though she tried as the layers of sweat and dirt weren't as thick as most people in Port Royal. Will could understand, he too struggled with staying clean especially since he spent most of his days covered in soot.

Eveline's clothing was revealing, and she wore a corset over her dress that pushed her amble bosom up so that it was bursting out of her dress. Will was fairly certain she was the most naked Philip Swift had ever seen a woman since the day of his birth. Growing up on the poorer end of Port Royal, Will found the skin she revealed to not be too dire, but for the – well, Will had to be honest – prudish Philip Swift, the woman was downright scandalous.

"Save me Lord from the wickedness of this city," Philip began to mutter a prayer, much to the amusement of his companions. "Protect myself and Will from this Sodom, from this Gomorrah."

"Sodom costs extra," Eveline winked at Philip. "But I don't take customers who have Gomorrah."

Will was honestly surprised that Philip didn't faint.

"Lay off him, Eveline," Jack decided to show the boy some mercy. "He's of the religious persuasion."

"Oh, a Holy Man," Eveline chuckled. She ran a hand over Philip's arms, which to his credit were well muscled, "I've always wanted to try the corruption act."

"Maybe some other time," Will tried to ease the woman away from Philip, who was about half a second away from curling into a ball and finding a corner to cry in. Will owed Philip big time for dragging the poor preacher to such a sinful town. "Jack, we're here for a reason?"

"Of course," Jack turned to the woman. "Eveline, we're in need of your expert services."

Eveline frowned, "You know you have to give me a day's notice for a three partner service. Especially if one's a virgin."

"I'm dead," Philip was just beyond help. "I have died and the Lord has judged my sinful life and condemned me to Hell."

"It's not that kind of service, Eveline." Jack glanced at Will and whispered conspiratorially to the woman, "Besides, the other boy's a eunuch. Wouldn't want to inflict that on you."

Jack's words instantly snapped Philip out of his ramblings.

Philip looked at Will in horror and sympathy, "You're a-"

"No, I'm not!" Will snapped.

Philip gave a sigh of relief, "Oh good. I have far too many humiliating stories about you and Elizabeth to not get to share them with your children."

"Our what?" It was now Will's turn to go pale.

"Oi! Philiam!" Jack snapped them to attention.

To Philip's relief the prostitute had left them.

"Come on!" Jack urged them forward. "That bonny lass isn't going to save herself. Though she might give Barbossa a run for his money. But then again, that's not exactly a good thing when we're talking about mouthing off to a ship of bloodthirsty pirates."

Will and Philip shuddered at the thought of what Barbossa may do.

"So what exactly are we doing in Tortuga?" Philip's arms were folded and he was hunched into himself, darting his eyes around the hellish revelry of the town. "Lord protect us, I think they're dunking the mayor in the well."

"To answer your question, Clergyman," Jack's ignored Philip's scathing look, "we are going to go see an old friend of mine who can help us find a crew. Eveline was generous enough give us his whereabouts."

"And are you going to be generous enough to give us his name?" Will asked.

"His name, young William, is Joshamee Gibbs."

Will and Philip stopped dead in their tracks.

"Joshamee Gibbs?" they repeated in unison.

"I take it you know him?" Jack looked amused at the thought.

"He was on our trip when Elizabeth and I crossed from England," Philip explained. "It's when we found Will floating on a raft in the middle of the ocean."

Jack frowned, "You make friends in a strange fashion, Clergyman."

"I can't believe Mister Gibbs is a pirate," Philip shook his head as they resumed their trek through town.

"I can," Will muttered. "I mean the man always drank on the job, spoke constantly about pirates, and got himself dishonourably discharged from the Navy."

"He always did encourage Elizabeth's fascination," Philip eyed a prostitute dragging a gleeful pirate into a back alley. "How long do we have to stay in this town, Jack?"

"You enjoy it, lad," Jack laughed, walking between them. "It is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga. Savvy? What do you think?"

Philip opened his mouth to speak.

"It'll linger," Will cut off before Philip could start lecturing Jack it repent his immoral life.

"I'll tell you, mate," Jack threw an arm around each boy's shoulders, "if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted."

"If every town were like this one," Philip mumbled, "I would start searching for the four horsemen of the apocalypse."

"Scarlett!" Jack pushed the boys back at the sight of a redhead.

Without a word, the woman stormed over to Jack, slapped him, and stormed off.

"Not sure l deserved that," Jack rubbed his check, frowning at the boys who were withholding laughter. He turned back to see a familiar blonde, "Giselle!"

Giselle smiled coyly, "Who was she?"

"What?"

Giselle slapped Jack and stormed away. To Jack's displeasure, the boys were shaking with suppressed laughter. Philip was even gripping Will's shoulder to keep himself steady.

"I may have deserved that," Jack admitted.

"I was wrong," Philip laughed. "This town does have some benefits."

"I'll be damned," Gibbs stared at Philip in amazement as he, Jack, and Will led the pirate into a bar called The Faithful Bride. "I never would have expected to see a bible thumping, Governor's nephew in a godforsaken town like this."

Philip winced at the misuse of the Lord's name, "It's not really by choice. They took my cousin."

"The one who was obsessed with pirates?" Gibbs asked.

"Yep."

Gibbs chuckled and slapped Philip on the arm, "I suppose there's something to be said about being careful what one wishes for."

Neither Philip nor Will found the comment humorous.

As Gibbs found a table for himself and Jack, Will and Philip watched awkwardly at the brawling pirates filling the bar that surrounded them on all sides.

"Keep a sharp eye," Jack ordered before departing for Gibbs.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Will muttered. He looked at Philip and took joy in knowing that he wasn't alone in his awkward misery, "Philip?"

"Yes, Will?"

"I know I'm not much for prayer, but do you think you could-"

"Pray that if we're going to die that it's at the hands of my irate uncle and Norrington, and not a random pirate hitting us with a chair?"

"Yes, please."

"Already on it."

"I'm not going to be Sparrow's leverage!" Will snapped later that night as he and Philip returned to the ship. Jack and Gibbs claimed to be off recruiting, though the boys knew they also probably had other business.

"Agreed," Philip nodded as he and Will pulled up the gangplank.

"What do you even think he meant by me being leverage?"

"Well," Philip hesitated, "I don't know for sure, but I have… ideas."

"And what ideas are those?" Will asked.

Philip sighed, debating whether or not to tell Will. So much had happened over the last few days that it would be nice for Will not have to worry about something for a while. Then again, Will would have to worry about how Jack would use him as leverage, so giving Will a bit of an edge couldn't hurt.

"Will, do you remember how Elizabeth and I had the same dream the night before she was taken?" Philip asked.

"Yes?" Will frowned, wondering where Philip was going with this. "It was of the day we all met."

"Exactly. Uh… well, you know that time and time again we get accounts in the Bible where God used dreams to speak to his people."

Will raised a brow, "And what exactly was God telling you?"

"I don't know," Philip admitted. His mind was all over the place, trying to figure out how to convey everything to Will. "Will… have you ever owned something valuable?"

"What? I mean, I guess." Will was completely lost in the line nonsensical questions. "It would depend on your definition of valuable. But what does that have to do with-"

"Well, I remember that day? The day we met. When you were passed out, I saw Elizabeth hiding something behind her back. I couldn't tell what it was, but I saw a flash of gold."

There was an odd look of recognition on Will's face, but the blacksmith stayed silent.

"I didn't think anything of it again until Norrington's promotion ceremony," Philip continued. "When Elizabeth was saved by Jack, I saw her wearing a necklace. It was a gold medallion with Aztec symbols and in the middle-"

"A skull," Will finished. His mouth was hanging slightly open, "I thought I lost that in the attack. You're saying Elizabeth has my medallion?"

"Will, where did you get it?"

Philip winced as his suspicions were confirmed.

"My father," Will whispered. His head was a jumble of emotion: fear, anger, confusion, shock, and thousand others. "But what does this have to do with anything?"

"I'm not sure, but… I think it's why they took Elizabeth."

"No, Philip-"

"Listen to me! You received a strange medallion from your pirate father, and your ship was attacked by pirates the day Elizabeth stole it. Elizabeth and I receive the same dream about it, prompting her to wear it the day when Port Royal was attacked by pirates."

"What about Sparrow? He showed up that day too."

"I think that was just God giving us a way to save her," Philip replied. "I know it's all confusing, but this has to be about the medallion."

"But why did they take Elizabeth?" Will asked. "If I'm the leverage, and the medallion went to me, why take her?"

Then it clicked.

"Because they thought she was you," Philip said softly. "Will… The pirates aren't holding Elizabeth for ransom, they need her alive for something. Or at least they think they do. But what they really need is you, the true owner of the medallion."

"But why would they think she's me?"

"She could have said her name was Turner. Think about it, we didn't know at the time why they had attacked Port Royal. Elizabeth probably thought they wanted her because she was the Governor's daughter, so using the name Swann would have put her at risk. Swift was also risky, and so she told them Turner."

Will burst out laughing, "You almost had me there, Swift. Elizabeth would never say her name was Elizabeth Turner."

"Why not? She used to pretend it was for years." It was only once the words had left his mouth that Philip realised what he had done. He looked over at the wide-eyed Will, "Oh no."

"She what?" Disbelief filled Will's voice. He couldn't dare to dream it meant what he thought it did.

"I… Uh." Philip stared at his best friend, frozen in utter terror as he imagined ten thousand ways Elizabeth would murder him for revealing her crush on Will. But then he thought back. He thought to all the times he had to deal with the whinging and whining and unnecessary dramatics over Will and Elizabeth thinking the other wasn't in love with them, and Philip was finally through with suffering in silence. So he threw up his hands and said, "You what know? Fine! I'm done with this. Will, you have feelings for Elizabeth, and Elizabeth has feelings for you. You're both convinced the other doesn't share those feelings, which is stupid and wrong because have you ever stood in a room with the pair of you making eyes at each other? Even blind Bartimaeus begging at the side of the road could see the attraction between the two of you! And I have no doubt that Elizabeth would like nothing more than to turn down Norrington's proposal and marry you instead."

"Elizabeth?" Will whispered. He couldn't believe the words he was hearing. After all those years, it turned those feelings he felt for Elizabeth he dared never to reveal to anyone but Philip were not wasted. "She… She truly has feelings for me?"

"Do I seem like a person who would lie about that?" Philip questioned. "She's been in love with you since the day she met you, and now you know. So either give her up or go get her. You have my full blessing, William Richard Turner Junior. As the Lord told Noah, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

"Philip, stop!" Will snapped. "Even if she does care for me, there's no means by which I can be with her."

"Of course there is!" Philip exclaimed. "Here's your chance. Go be the dashing hero who saves her from rogue, murderous pirates, and for the love of all that's sacred, stop bugging me about it."

And once Philip finished the speech he had played in his head so many times, he simply walked away, hands thrown in the air in victory, leaving with the final word like he had imagined doing for so many years.

Will just sighed.

"Maid or not, it suits you," Barbossa complimented Elizabeth as she joined him for dinner.

The dress was ankle length, and rather simple in design, but the beautiful red and black fabric, black and white lace, and gold buttons told of opulence.

As reluctant as she was to accept the dress Barbossa had gifted her, Elizabeth was thankful to finally be out of her night clothes. While Philip had made a fuss over her prancing around Port Royal in her undergarments, Elizabeth felt more undressed in her nightgown in front of the pirates than if she had attended Norrington's promotion ceremony in the nude.

It was why she had accepted the dress in the end. Her options were dining with Barbossa in his cabin while she wore the dress or have dinner with the crew completely naked. She made a note to never tell anyone about it if she were to ever get out of this adventure alive. The thought of Elizabeth being naked in front of pirates would be an easy way to finish off last members of her family. It would be awkward to explain to Port Royal why Philip Swift and Weatherby Swann had suddenly dropped dead.

"Dare I ask of its previous owner?" Elizabeth cheekily shot.

"Now, none of that," Barbossa chastised. He gestured to the food, "Please. Dig in."

Ever the proper lady, Elizabeth daintily consumed her meal. Though the pirates had put together a magnificent feast, it wasn't something Elizabeth was unfamiliar with.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress," Barbossa said. "You must be hungry."

Elizabeth shared a look with him for a moment. They both knew she had refused all previous meals the pirates had given her, simply as a way to retain some control over the situation. But as her stomach rumbled and the delicious aroma of many tasty dishes assailed her nostrils, she couldn't help herself.

She threw down her utensils, and grabbed a chicken leg with both hands. For the first time in her life, Elizabeth didn't have to follow table manners and such etiquette. Elizabeth greedily ripped into the chicken in a show that would give her father a heart attack. It was at that point Elizabeth decided that if she survived the kidnapping, it would be best to cite trauma and refuse to tell her father about anything.

Elizabeth seized a piece of bread and scarfed it down, barely pausing it swallow as she took more bites.

"Try the wine," Barbossa offered her a glass.

She snatched it from his hand and gulped it down. Though she was no expert, Elizabeth could tell that it was a fine vintage that much have cost the pirates a lot… if they had purchased it.

"And the apples," Barbossa said, holding up a flawless green apple. "One of those next?"

It was in that moment Elizabeth noticed Barbossa had not touched any of the food himself. She was brought back to the memories of her childhood in England with Philip, and Philip's mother telling them the tale of Snow White. Aunt Rebecca had always been a fabulous storyteller and Elizabeth had always insisted she be the one to tell the bedtime stories whenever Rebecca was home in London.

Elizabeth dropped the food in horror, "It's poisoned."

Barbossa just chuckled, "There would be no sense to be killing you, Miss Turner."

"Then release me. You have your trinket. I'm of no further value to you."

Barbossa pulled the medallion from his jacket and leaned in, dangling the chain.

"You don't know what this is, do you?" Barbossa had no question in his voice.

"It's a pirate medallion," Elizabeth said with a careless shrug.

But it was not just some pirate medallion Elizabeth found out as Barbossa told her the story of the curse. When he told her of heathen gods having the power to curse medallions, Elizabeth couldn't help but think of how Philip would burst out laughing at the thought. Missing her cousin, Elizabeth amused herself with the idea of Philip trying to preach the word of the Lord to this fearsome pirate captain.

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa," Elizabeth scoffed, trying to pretend she wasn't engrossed with the tale. "Nor do believe in monsters that you claim to keep locked in cabins aboard a pirate ship."

Barbossa just smiled at Elizabeth, "It not be some monster, not the one I have at least. But it do be a fearsome, murderous creature few truly believe exist. As for the curse of the gold, that's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale."

As Barbossa stood from the table and continued to tell his tale, Elizabeth took the opportunity to discretely hide her dinner knife. For a minute the thought of the monster – or creature, or whatever she was supposed to call it – flashed through her mind. If her plan to escape failed again, Barbossa would give her to the monster. But as she thought of the people she loved – Philip, Will, her father, even Norrington – Elizabeth knew she had to try.

"There is one way we can end our curse," Barbossa's story finally came to a close. "All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."

Elizabeth swallowed hard, her mind shifting between the imminent danger against herself and the thought that it was not her blood that needed to be repaid, but rather Will's.

"And the blood to be repaid?" Elizabeth asked.

"That's why there's no sense to be killin' you… yet," Barbossa replied. He once again held up the green apple, "Apple?"

Elizabeth slapped the apple out of his hand and brandished the knife. She made a break for the cabin door, but Barbossa was on her heels. After a brief chase – which Barbossa appeared to enjoy far too much to the point of even saying 'Arr' – Elizabeth found her opportunity. She had only one choice, and plunged the knife straight into Barbossa's heart.

As the pirate looked down at the knife stuck in him, Elizabeth couldn't help but think of Philip's disappointed face. Yes, the murder had been in self-defence, but it was not an immediate threat. Would Philip forgive her? Would God?

But Elizabeth found that there was no God upon that pirate ship, for Barbossa easily reached down and pulled the knife out of his chest. The attack had not wounded him in the slightest.

"I'm curious," Barbossa held up the bloody knife that glistened in the candlelight. "After killing me, what is it you're planning on doing next?"

At Elizabeth ran out to the deck, only to find that everything Barbossa had said was true.

Elizabeth screamed, trying to escape while sorting the shock of the fact that the entire crew were now skeletons. Even the monkey was cursed to be undead as she found out while hiding under the stairs of the top deck.

"Look!" Barbossa grabbed Elizabeth and turned her when she had tried to return to the cabin.

She was forced to take in the entire cursed crew, and even the ship looked ragged and skeletal. Truly this was a ship from Hell itself.

"The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die. But neither are we dead." Barbossa spun her back around, holding her close to him, "For too long I've been parched of thirst, and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face, nor the spray of the sea."

Elizabeth backed away in horror as Barbossa reached out to touch her.

"Nor the warmth of a woman's flesh," Barbossa finished. He stepped into the moonlight and revealed his own enchanted form, "You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner. You're in one!"

Barbossa lifted the bottle of wine he had been holding in his left hand, pulled the cork out with his teeth, and demonstrated how it splashed uselessly through his body and to the ground.

Elizabeth gasped and tried to run back into the cabin. Barbossa threw the bottle aside, the glass smashing on the deck. He grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her away from the cabin.

"I warned yah, Miss Turner," Barbossa said, "one more stunt and I'd give you to the creature. Back to work, all of you! Masters Ragetti and Pintel, with me! Come now, Miss Turner. You've seen ghost stories are real, now it's time to believe in monsters."

Elizabeth kicked and screamed as Barbossa dragged her to the feared cabin. Ragetti and Pintel followed close behind, laughing like schoolboys the whole way there.

"No, please!" Elizabeth begged as they reached the door. She could hear sloshing liquid inside, "I promise I won't escape again!"

"I'm a forgiving man, Miss Turner," Barbossa replied. "But I've given you your chances. Now you'll face the consequences. Admit it; you want to know what's inside. Here's your chance to see."

Barbossa threw open the door, and shoved Elizabeth forward into the room. Her eyes set disbelievingly on the strange, yet easily identifiable, creature.

It was a mermaid.