A/N: That moment when you totally lose track of what the characters did with the medallion, and Will may actually still be holding it, rendering the part where the ship blows up pointless. Oops. Excuse me while I fix that.
Birds of a Feather
The Curse of the Black Pearl
Chapter Twelve
Walk or Die
Philip couldn't believe it. The Mermaid had legs? But how? Why?
Actually, the why wasn't all that mysterious. What point was there in seduction if the climatic act was halted by the logistics of fins?
He kept his eyes averted. Philip didn't know what The Mermaid's view on nudity was, but he himself had a few thoughts on the subject. And it was those very thoughts he was trying to prevent.
Of course Philip didn't immediately equate the exposure of flesh to lustful thoughts. The Bible mostly spoke on the topic in regards to uncovering for an act of lewdness, and Lord knew there was far too many incidents in it of grief leading to the stripping of clothing.
The shame of naked skin was one of the punishments for the Sin of Man, so Philip found himself puzzled on how it related to mermaids. Should he assume The Mermaid had no beliefs of modesty? She did go around without clothing after all. Should he avert his eyes for his own sake? He had already seen everything accidentally, and the image seemed determined to burn itself in his memory.
It wasn't until he heard her gasp that Philip dared to look.
The Mermaid realised what had happened the minute Philip looked away. She gasped. A thousand emotions ran through her system, but the foremost was fear. She had worked so hard to keep secret what happened to her when she came out of the water. All of that effort demolished thanks to one cannon shot.
Mermaids weren't exactly modest creatures; far from it. The Mermaid remembered from her early years how the others used their bodies as a means to lure in humans.
But The Mermaid was different; she didn't like exposing her body as much. She hated the lustful, judgemental eyes that swept over the most private of her features. It was the reason she had kept her legs hidden for so many years: if the men knew she could have the body of a female human, they might try something.
Yet her reasons for fearing Philip felt different. It wasn't an attack she feared from him, but a strange new sensation. The Mermaid finally understood what it meant to be exposed to someone. There was nothing she could hide from Philip, and she feared the amount of trust she was forced to place in him. Not the trust he wouldn't take advantage of her. Not the trust he wouldn't expose her secret. But rather the trust that he wouldn't ridicule and chastise the most vulnerable pieces of her.
As Philip's eyes turned back on her, The Mermaid immediately curled up to cover herself. Her eyes stayed low, fearing the look on his face and she tried to make her shaky breath even. She was ready for his judgement.
Her eyes darkened when Philip started stripping off his vest and shirt. Had she misjudged him? Would lust truly overtake him? The Mermaid stood on guard for the inevitable attack.
Suddenly she felt something touch her arm. It was soft and white. The Mermaid gasped and immediately looked down.
Philip had covered her with his shirt.
"You... looked cold," Philip nervously explained, putting his vest back on.
The Mermaid smiled, "Thank you."
As they grinned at each other, they both knew her temperature had nothing to do with his gift.
Philip tenderly caressed her arms to "make her a bit warmer" while The Mermaid buttoned up his shirt over her body. She affectionately looked back at him, pausing as her hazel eyes meet his green. The Mermaid very much enjoyed the feeling of Philip holding her.
A cannon shot brought the moment to a screeching halt. It was then they remembered reality: in the middle of a pirate battle, both injured, and The Mermaid holding Philip prisoner.
"Can you still heal yourself in the middle of a battle?" Philip asked, looking over her wounds. He dare not even ask her to try healing him again with their limited amount of water and need to cannon dodge.
"It doesn't matter," The Mermaid shook her head. "I have new injuries from my fall. The tank doesn't have enough water to heal me. I'd need to go into the ocean."
Another shot slammed into the room. Without a thought, The Mermaid recoiled into Philip's embrace and he wrapped an arm around her waist. Philip protectively pulled her head into his chest and lowered his head atop hers. As they tried to evade the shot, they felt a little safer being in each other's arms.
"Are they… Are they firing cutlery?" Philip stared in shock at the pile of forks and spoons littering the cabin. "Why? Why? Do they not remember how heavily armed that ship is? Why cutlery?"
"Don't look at me," The Mermaid shrugged. "I'm here with you."
They ducked another shot.
"Well, we're not going to be here much longer if we stay." Philip began pulling The Mermaid to her feet, "Come on. We have to go."
"Wait, Philip," The Mermaid tried to argue.
The Mermaid was thankful that find that Philip's shirt was large enough that it fell almost to her knees. As she stood on her unnatural feet, The Mermaid wobbled precariously. It was only the steadying hand she placed on his chest and Philip's own arm wrapped around her back that kept her upright.
The Mermaid tried not to take advantage of the situation. For a rich boy who spent most of his time on God, Philip was in impressive shape.
"What is your plan?" The Mermaid asked.
"We'll get on deck as quickly as possible and dive over the ship's edge," Philip explained. "You can heal and I can get back to my ship."
"You're asking me to let you go?"
"We both know they'll kill me if I stay. Please, remember how it felt it be a prisoner on this ship. Do I deserve the same fate?"
"No… I'm just…" She took a deep breath, "I do not know if I can make it out of here."
Philip understood, "You can't walk?"
"I haven't tried in very many years."
Another cannon fired on the cabin.
"Please," Philip begged The Mermaid. "Try. For my sake."
The Mermaid took another deep breath and gathered her strength and fortitude. Slowly, she put one foot in front of the other and took a step.
She immediately collapsed to the floor.
"I cannot," The Mermaid tried and failed to keep the sorrow from her voice.
Philip knelt down, "You'll die if you don't."
The Mermaid looked up at him, "Then I die."
The simplicity of her tone hit Philip like a blow.
"Go," The Mermaid ordered. "Escape while you can."
"No. Not without you."
"Go Philip!"
Philip couldn't believe the conviction he felt. How long had he known her? An hour? Two? Yet deep in his heart he knew he had to save this girl.
The idea came to Philip without hesitation, "Put your arms around me."
"I do not ask for help!" The Mermaid snarled.
Her passion faltered when her eyes met his once more. In them she found a lack of all she feared. He did not judge her, lust for her, or hate her. Instead she found kindness, caring, and optimism. The Mermaid saw for herself that everything Elizabeth had said was true. He was selfless, honest, and loyal.
"But you need it," Philip calmly replied.
The Mermaid finally understood. He wanted to save her for no other reason than her own safety.
The choice was simple: walk with him, or die alone.
"I will go with you," The Mermaid decided. "But I do not wish for the others to see my legs."
"Is there something we can do about that?" Philip asked.
"Outside there's a chest of supplies. Mostly fish, but Ragetti and Pintel keep a blanket in it. Cover my legs with it."
Philip did just that. He retrieved the blanket – thanking God that there was no one in the hallway to stop him – and The Mermaid directed him on how to cover her.
"Unfortunately we do not have an oar to aid in the deception," The Mermaid regretted. "But this should do for now."
"Then let's get going," Philip said.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, Philip gently pulled up her legs to carry her bridal style. As the security of Philip's hold enveloped her, The Mermaid felt something changed inside her. Their exchange inside the cabin had been so brief, yet it told her everything she ever needed to know about Philip Swift.
From that moment on, she would go anywhere with him.
Elizabeth winced as they fired another shot at the Black Pearl.
"I hope that wasn't Philip," Elizabeth groaned as she, Will, Gibbs, and Anamaria shot at the pirates attempting to board.
"The kid knew what he was getting into when he stayed behind," Gibbs replied. "How about focusing on the more important matter at hand? We could use a few more ideas, Lass!"
Elizabeth glared at Gibbs, "Your turn!"
Ironically after sailing with a ship full of pirates, it had somehow come down to Will and Elizabeth to figure a way out of their mess.
"Keep away from the water!" Elizabeth called to one of their pirates who was getting too close to the edge for her liking. "They probably have The Mermaid guarding the water."
"Aye," Gibbs agreed. "Last thing you want is a mermaid sinking her teeth into you."
"Then maybe you should focus on coming up with a plan to get out of here," Will pointed out. "Are you honestly telling me that Elizabeth and I are the most experienced at fighting pirates among this crew. For goodness sake, you were in the Navy for years!"
"Aye, but there be only one way to call off this lot," Gibbs said. "We need us a devil's dowry."
Elizabeth yelped when Anamaria suddenly grabbed her.
"We'll give them her!" she exclaimed, pointing a gun to Elizabeth's head.
"She's not what they're after," Will resisted the urge to turn his weapon on Anamaria. He had no qualms about ending the pirate's life if she dared to injure Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's eyes went wide and she looked down at her dress, "The medallion."
Will's face froze. Images of his interaction with Elizabeth flew through his mind. Through their passionate kissing, Will had placed the medallion on the table.
"Please let it still be there," Will whispered, vaguely taking in that Anamaria had let go of Elizabeth. Without another word, he turned and made a run for the hatch that led down below.
"Wait! Will!" Elizabeth called after him. "Stop!"
Will stopped in his tracks and turned around just in time for Elizabeth to smack right into him.
"Okay, maybe not that quickly," Elizabeth groaned.
Will laughed, remembering Philip saying the exact same thing, "Your family follows people too closely."
"Will." Worry glittered in her eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to find the medallion."
"And after that? What then? Are you going to hide or confront the pirates?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure."
Elizabeth shook her head, "Don't lie to me. You're going to go to Barbossa, aren't you?"
Will sighed, "If I can get him to stop attacking, you'll be safe."
"I don't need you to save me now. I can take care of myself."
"I'm not saying you can't. Don't you understand?" Will asked. "Even if we escape now, he's going to come after us again and again until he gets what he wants. If I do this now, make this sacrifice, it will save us all. You, me, Philip, your family. I have to do this."
Elizabeth heaved a heavy sigh, "I understand. Please just be careful. If anything happened to you-"
"I know," Will smiled. "Now go on. See if you and the others can find some way to get out of this. I'll go look for the medallion."
"Alright, but not without this first." Elizabeth pulled Will into another passionate lip lock. They were completely uncaring of the chaos around them. All of their focus and effort was poured into that one possible last expression of love. As Elizabeth ended the kiss, she grinned at Will, "Remember your promise, Mister Turner. No matter what happens, we'll be together."
"As you wish, Miss Swann."
"Nobody mind us," Philip said far too casually and far too nervously as he emerged on deck carrying The Mermaid. "Just minding our own business, getting a mermaid to the water to heal her injuries. Nothing suspicious about that."
"Maybe you should stop talking, Philip," The Mermaid advised.
"Sounds like a good plan."
Thankfully through all the chaos, no one had actually been paying enough attention to notice them. All were too busy as the men at the cannons began loading the chain shots, and Barbossa hollered his orders.
"Raise your colors, you bloomin' cockroaches!" Barbossa yelled. "Hands, grapnels, at the ready. Prepare to board!"
Philip frowned at The Mermaid, "Do you have any idea what he just said?"
"A little," The Mermaid shrugged. "Most times I just smile and nod."
"That sounds like me during any social event I've ever attended. I guess our lives aren't that different."
"Except yours has a little less chance of death."
"You'd be surprised. Did Elizabeth tell you that she fell off a cliff during a promotion ceremony. You'd never guess who saved her."
"Duck."
"No, not a duck-"
"No, DUCK!" The Mermaid pulled at his neck in an attempt to force him down.
Philip just barely dodged the blade swung at his head.
"You have got to be kidding me," Philip shouted in exasperation at Koehler. "There's – what – fifty men on this ship? How do I keep running into you?"
"It's a gift," Koehler swung his blade at Philip again.
Trying not to harm The Mermaid, Philip struggled to avoid the pirate's attacks. The Mermaid did her best to help, using her seaweed to take a few shots at Twigg, but she and Philip were running out of choices.
"Put me on the ground," The Mermaid whispered to him.
"What? No," Philip shook his head. "You need to get to the water."
"And you need to defend yourself. You have a sword. Use it!"
"He's not going to pause for a minute to let me put you down. I don't have an opportunity!"
"Are you sure?" The Mermaid's eyes were caught on something over Philip's shoulder.
Philip frowned, about to question her when suddenly a monkey launched at Koehler's head.
"Thank you, Jack," The Mermaid grinned as Koehler tried to pry the monkey off as it bit and scratched the pirate ferociously.
"What did you just call that monkey?" Philip asked as he laid The Mermaid on the deck and drew his sword.
"No time. Duck!"
That time Philip recognized the warning as Koehler threw Jack the Monkey across the deck. Koehler struck his blade at Philip, and was surprised to find that he deflected the blow.
Philip struggled to remember everything that Will had taught him but found that it all came down to the first piece of advice Will had told him. Use the sharp part and that should get you along well enough for now. And get him along just barely it did for it seemed like Koehler liked to toy with his food first.
"What are you doing on deck?" a voice yelled, pulling The Mermaid's attention away from the duel.
The Mermaid glanced back at the voice, and shot Twigg in the face with her seaweed.
"Maybe you should focus on the task at hand," The Mermaid smirked. She glanced at Philip and Koehler's duel and shot another strand of seaweed at Koehler's ankle. Pulling hard, she sent Koehler crashing down face first on the deck, saving Philip from what surely would have been a death blow. "That's for hurting Jack."
"I'll get you for that," Koehler pounced at The Mermaid.
Out of nowhere, Pintel slammed into Koehler, knocking him away from The Mermaid.
"Didn't we tell you to leave her alone?" Pintel struggled to hold him down.
Koehler growled and flipped over onto his back, throwing off Pintel before launching into his attack.
As the pirates dueled – and Philip took the moment of respite to recover – The Mermaid heard a creak. She turned and saw Twigg rising to his feet. The Mermaid readied another shot of seaweed when Ragetti suddenly tackled Twigg to the ground.
"Are you alright, Fins?" Ragetti called as he managed to surprisingly have the upper hand in his fight, and successfully pinned down Twigg to the deck. "You look injured."
"I am," The Mermaid answered. "They attacked me in the cabin before the Interceptor caught up."
"Attacked?" Pintel still clashed with Koehler. He was faring less successfully than Ragetti, Pintel's face already marred with blood. "Did the prisoner hurt you, Fins?"
Philip suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a particularly nasty pair of glares from Ragetti and Pintel. He would go to his deathbed swearing that was the only time Philip had ever been genuinely afraid of the pair.
"Actually Philip's been helping me," The Mermaid replied. "I need to get to the water and he's carrying me."
"Alright," Pintel eyed Philip suspiciously. "But I've still got my eye on you."
"Go ahead Fins!" Ragetti was full on sitting on Twigg by that point. "We'll hold them off!"
"Fins?" Philip questioned as he picked up The Mermaid.
The Mermaid shrugged as they started heading for the railing, "Their nickname for me. Not a real name though."
"You know, you seem pretty calm for having just been attacked by the same men that brutally assaulted us only minutes earlier."
"I'm safer here. They both know that all I need is to scream for Barbossa and they'd be done for."
"One of these days you're going to have to tell me why the two of you are so close."
The Mermaid raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying we'll see each other again after this?"
"Well, I- Uh," Philip struggled to come up with a response.
Before he could, a loud noise brought all fighting to a standstill. The mast of the Interceptor suddenly came crashing down onto the deck of the Black Pearl.
"I know," Philip caught The Mermaid's look. "Duck."
But he didn't jump quickly enough. A piece of the mast caught Philip in the back and sent him crashing to the ground. The Mermaid yelped as they went flying forward, and to her horror, she accidentally let go of him.
Silence filled the deck as everyone slowly got to their feet. But they didn't resume their attack, instead all of their eyes set on the freed Philip, the shirt-clad Mermaid, and the blanket lying between them.
"She has legs."
"The Monster has legs."
"Look at the Creature."
"Can you believe it?"
"The stories are true!"
"They've been hiding she has legs!"
"Did you know?"
As the voices raised in volume, The Mermaid looked around the deck in fear. She saw the protective fury settle in the eyes of Barbossa, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was mad that she was on the deck in the first place.
"Alright! Nothing to see here!" Pintel was immediately on the scene with Ragetti. The pair stood on either side of The Mermaid, backs facing her and arms outstretched to shield her from prying eyes.
"Yeah," Ragetti nodded. "Nothing at all!"
"Looks like you two have some explaining to do," Koehler advanced forward with Twigg.
An icy chill ran down The Mermaid's spine as they looked at her. They were the ones she wanted least to know that she had legs. Now that they knew, what was left to stop them from taking their attacks to the next level?
"Gentlemen!" Barbossa's voice rang across the ship. "If you all have forgotten, we're currently engaged in a battle! Pistols and cutlasses, Men! Koehler and Twigg to the powder magazine! And the rest of you, bring me that medallion!"
The pirates had no choice but to leave the mermaid revelation for another time. With a loud cry, the crew armed themselves and rushed forward.
"Mermaid. Er- Fins," Philip whispered, crawling closely to The Mermaid. As her head whipped around and The Mermaid glared at him, Philip once again wished that he had a better name to call her. "Are you-"
Philip yelled as Barbossa grabbed him by the hair and lifted him to his feet.
"How be it my mermaid ended up like this?" Barbossa demanded.
"Barbossa, no!" The Mermaid cried out. "He did not harm me! Koehler and Twigg attacked us in the cabin, and then we had to escape when the shots fired! He was just trying to get me to the water to heal!"
"And to it you should be." Barbossa snapped, "Mermaid in the water. Bring me any man unlucky enough to fall overboard. Do not kill them in case they're Turner. Unless it's the girl. Do with that wench how you wish."
The Mermaid frowned at the sight of Philip still trapped in Barbossa's grasp, "And what of Swift? What will you do it him?"
Barbossa raised an eyebrow, "What be it to you?"
"Save judgement for him later. Please, as a favor to me."
"Be anyone else who asked me that, the answer would be no."
"And since I asked?"
Barbossa threw Philip at Ragetti and Pintel, "Tie him to the mast! I'll deal with him later. Now, Mermaid! You have your orders."
"Aye, Captain!" The Mermaid nodded. She smiled at Philip - glad to see him safe - and dove into the water.
Elizabeth fought against the pirates valiantly. She was actually quite impressed how well she managed given she was still in Barbossa's dress. Elizabeth felt joy as she attacked her former captors. It felt like she was in one of Aunt Rebecca's stories. Elizabeth knew her father would have fainted at sight of her fighting pirates, but Elizabeth was sure Aunt Rebecca was in heaven cheering her on.
Suddenly, one of the pirates beside Elizabeth fell into water. She watched in horror as he dropped toward the ocean, but became even more terrified when she saw what happened next. The Mermaid burst to the surface and grabbed the man.
"I've got another one!" The Mermaid called up to her ship. A line was thrown down to The Mermaid, which she tied to her victim and he was pulled up onto the ship.
"No!" Elizabeth couldn't stop herself from crying out.
The noise caught The Mermaid's attention. Her head snapped to Elizabeth and a cruel grin spread across The Mermaid's face.
"Hello, Miss Swann," The Mermaid called up. "What? Afraid the stupid monster will get you?"
Elizabeth gulped. Oh great, The Mermaid had in fact heard her words in the cave. Elizabeth was really in trouble now.
A pirate suddenly grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her to face him. His blade waved threateningly, but he made no attack. Someone had grabbed the man's sword hand, and the pirate turn to see who.
"That's not very nice," Captain Jack Sparrow chastised.
Elizabeth smacked the pirate in the face, and he fell overboard.
"Have your precious mermaid save you," Elizabeth mumbled.
A shot fired at Jack and Elizabeth, and Jack pulled her down out of the way.
"Where's the medallion?" Jack asked.
Elizabeth looked furious but there was something more important on her mind, "Where's Philip?"
Jack pulled a face, "I asked you first."
"Wretch!" Elizabeth tried to strike Jack but he stopped her.
"Ah," Jack observed the bandage wrapped around her hand. "Where's dear William?"
The words hit Elizabeth sharply. It had been far too long since he went below. Something had to be wrong.
"Will," Elizabeth whispered before running off.
Jack grinned to himself as he watched Elizabeth, "Called it."
Then he realized he wasn't talking to anyone.
"Oh... right."
"Gents, our hope is restored!" Barbossa called out
The Mermaid grinned, looked up at the ship, and ordered, "Haul me up!"
Once on deck, The Mermaid cheered with her crew as she sat on a barrel. She smile when she saw that Philip was still safe.
The pirate who had hauled The Mermaid sneered at her legs, "So are you going to walk or flop across the deck?"
The Mermaid hissed and swiped at him with extended claws. The pirate just ducked and laughed.
"Elizabeth!" Philip cried out joyfully as his cousin was hauled across the deck by her pirate captor.
"Philip!" Elizabeth wretched her arm from the pirate's grasp and pulled Philip into a hug. "Thank God, you're safe."
"Well…" Philip looked around as their crew was tied to the mast, "in a manner of speaking. Still, I owe you one Lord."
"Careful, he may take you up on that," Elizabeth laughed. Suddenly, she stopped, "Wait… What happened to your shirt?"
"Uh…" Philip couldn't help but glance at The Mermaid watching them from her barrel still wearing said garment. "It's a long story."
The look on Elizabeth's face as she put two and two together was priceless.
Quickly, Philip sought to change the subject, "The more important question is where is you know who?"
"I don't know who you're talking about," Elizabeth elbowed him, giving him the look of shut up and don't rat me out for this that all siblings recognized. As much as she feared for Will's safety - the image of ship filling with water as Will begged her for help played over and over in her mind - she was not going to say a word about the son of Bootstrap Bill Turner being anywhere near them.
Philip understood the look and the implications, but he also knew the pirates were aware Will was likely on the ship and there was not point in Philip not knowing his best friend's location. But before Philip and Elizabeth could argue over the matter, they were quite rudely interrupted.
"Come here you!" Pintel grabbed Philip and Elizabeth by the arms and dragged them towards the mast. The pirates had them secured to the mast before they could say another word, though Pintel made especially sure not to rough the preacher up too badly as The Mermaid's watched them ever so carefully. "Any of you so much as thinks the word "parley," I'll have your guts for garters."
Philip frowned at Elizabeth, "Something I should know?"
But Elizabeth was far more focused on the fact that Will was nowhere to be found. Did that mean... Oh God, had Will not made it off the ship? Panic made her heart hammer in her chest and she yanked at the ropes to see how she could break free. Thankfully the pirates hadn't secured her tight enough, so Elizabeth threw off the ropes and raced forward.
"Elizabeth, no!" Philip cried out as she rushed forward.
She didn't know what she was going to do, but Elizabeth had to save Will.
And then the Interceptor exploded.
"Norrington to going to kill me," Philip whispered.
It took all of Elizabeth strength not to scream out in sorrow and agony, or to drop to her knees and sob as heart wrenchingly as she had heard her father and aunt do after the losses of Mother and Uncle Nathaniel. Her father tried to hide his sorrow, but in an image Elizabeth had never forgotten, Aunt Rebecca had taken to mourning her husband with the same vigor as Job... Literally stating it as such when the far too young to deal with it Elizabeth asked about it.
But then her eyes set on Barbossa and The Mermaid watching her curiously, and in an instant grief turned to rage.
"You've got to stop it!" Elizabeth threw herself Barbossa to hit, scratch, claw, and kill him for taking Will away.
"Elizabeth!" Philip cried out.
He tried to fight against his bonds to intercede and save his cousin, but it seemed Bo'sun had caught on to the game. When Philip moved forward, Bo'sun grabbed his shoulder and slammed the boy back against the mast, pinning him to it and holding him there until told otherwise. Philip tried his best to convince Bo'sun to please don't let the pirates attack Elizabeth and show some mercy, but Bo'sun didn't even acknowledge he heard Philip speaking, much less about what.
Helplessly, Philip couldn't do anything but watch the scene nervously. He just couldn't understand what had set Elizabeth off?
It was that moment Philip realised Will was not on the ship.
"Lord Almighty," Philip whispered, skin white with shock as he gripped his cross. He must have frozen in place for he felt Bo'sun release his shoulder, trusting the minister wouldn't make a break for it.
Will. Will wasn't on the ship, which meant he had been on the Dauntless, which meant he was now... No, it couldn't be true, Will couldn't be… No! Philip refused to believe it. God had taken his father, his mother, and his aunt, but not his brother. Not Will! Not here. Not like this. Please Lord... Not like this.
Not this time.
"Welcome back, Miss," Barbossa gripping Elizabeth's arms to incapacitate her. "You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now you return the favor."
Then came a hiss, and Philip saw something move. He only realised too late what it was.
"No! Don't!" Philip yelled.
But The Mermaid pounced. She pulled Elizabeth to the ground, hissing and scratching, doing all she could to protect her master.
"Stop it!" Elizabeth tried to fight back, but The Mermaid was too strong and Elizabeth too overcome with grief.
"What can you expect from a stupid monster?" The Mermaid echoed Elizabeth's cruel words as Barbossa watched in amusement.
"No! Stop! Please!" Philip called out to the struggling pair. He wanted to race for them, but his legs felt weak as he struggled to understand accept he had just lost his best friend... And now he could lose his sister. "Please, Fins! Don't hurt Elizabeth!"
To Elizabeth's absolute shock - as well as to many other's - The Mermaid stopped. She looked directly at Philip, back at Elizabeth, and then slowly stepped away.
"What are you doing?" Barbossa questioned as The Mermaid retreated to her barrel.
"I'm no animal who attacks on your command. I'm better than that. I'm better than just some creature," The Mermaid boldly said.
Elizabeth was beyond confused to then see Philip and The Mermaid share a warm smile. What in the world had happened in the last few hours? She thought making out with Will was a big step, but apparently just ran in the Swann family.
"I'll deal with you later," Barbossa snarled at The Mermaid. How dare she defy him in front of the crew? "If the creature won't have at you, Miss Swann then I'll let the men."
He grabbed Elizabeth and roughly shoved her towards the other pirates. Philip struggled against his bonds as Elizabeth screamed, trying to fight the pirates off.
"BARBOSSA!" a voice roared.
Everyone turned in unison to see a man standing on the deck rail.
"Will," Elizabeth whispered.
"I knew it," Philip grinned, exhaling a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He lifted his eyes to the heavens and said to God, "You had me going for a moment."
And The Mermaid smirked; she recognized exactly who it was.
Will jumped down from the railing looking as heroic as possible, cocked a gun, and pointed it at Barbossa, "She goes free."
"What's in your head, Boy?" Barbossa questioned. Despite her previous defiance, Barbossa was still surprised to see that The Mermaid was not defending him. In fact, she almost looked amused.
Will repeated dangerously, "She goes free."