Birds of a Feather

The Curse of the Black Pearl

Chapter Twenty-Six

Return of the Sparrow

"Jack!"

Jack Sparrow nearly jumped a foot when Philip Swift suddenly grabbed his shoulder. Jack had been perched atop a pile of treasure, watching the pirates, not unlike he had done with Will and Philip their first trip to Isla de Muerta.

"Swift!" Jack snapped, pushing Philip off him. "What on Earth are you doing, Mate?"

"I want to help you save Will," he replied.

"Uh, no thanks," Jack said bitterly. "Last time I had your help got me an oar to the face."

"I'm sorry, Jack. Truly." Philip paused, "…Although technically it was Will who-"

"You really want to do this, Preacher?"

"Sorry. Look," Philip sighed. He could hear the chanting of the Pirates for his best friend's blood, and in that moment, Philip knew nothing but that he had to save his best friend. "I have to save Will. He's my best friend; practically my brother. And you are my only hope, Sparrow. Please… I will do anything you ask me. Just help me save Will."

Jack stared at Philip. Then, a smile crept on his lips that Philip didn't like one bit.

"Anything?" Jack asked.

Philip knew he would regret this, "...Anything."

"I did not agree to be your hostage, Jack!" Philip exclaimed as Sparrow dragged him forward in a headlock, holding a knife to his throat.

"Few men do," Jack shrugged.

As Sparrow dragged Philip through the crowd, Barbossa hyped his crew with the ecstatic chants of Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! The pirates cheered and roared the dangerous word over and over, Twigg and Koehler holding Will down over the chest of Aztec gold while Barbossa waved his knife like orchestrating a symphony.

Philip had to admit that Barbossa was quite the showman. A few different choices in life, and Hector Barbossa could have been one heck of a preacher. Even Nathaniel Swift couldn't get Rebecca Swann that excited.

…About God. Rebecca could be quite a fanatic during worship, and Nathaniel could get her going like no tomorrow about God. Not excited as in... No, he meant excited by God and nothing else.

Oh, Philip should have phrased that a whole lot better.

"Begun by blood!" Barbossa roared out the speech he had clearly been practicing for years considering this was the second time he was giving it word for word. He was so desperate for that moment of freedom that he didn't notice the pirates getting quieter and quieter. "By blood-"

Until his eyes fell on Jack Sparrow.

You had got to be kidding him.

"Jack!" Will exclaimed. Then he noticed who Jack was dragging up to the altar with him. "Philip?"

"Hey Will," Philip gave a small wave, looking merely annoyed and sounding far too casual for having a knife held to his throat.

"It's not possible," Barbossa whispered.

"Not probable," Jack corrected.

Will fought against Twigg and Koehler to stand up, "Where's Elizabeth?"

"Oh sure," Philip said flatly. "We're not going to address the fact I have a knife to my throat?"

"Not with that cadence, we're not."

Philip shook his head. He should have gone with Syrena.

"Well, Dear Mini Smith," Jack laughed alone at the double meaning of Will being both a Blacksmith and the son of Sarah Smith. "Unlike her cousin, she's safe, just like I promised."

"When did you ever promise to keep her safe?" Philip rolled his eyes. "Besides, you had her locked up in a cabin."

"Do you not realize I will actually cut your throat? Turner here's likely going to die, and we're surrounded by pirates. Norrington will never know I was the one to do it."

"Norrington?" Will scowled.

"Yeah, Lizzie's safe on his ship right now," Jack said, purposefully ignoring the face Philip pulled at the usage of the name Lizzie. "She's set to marry Norrington, just like she promised."

"What?" Will exclaimed.

He might have simply pulled an upset and confused face under normal circumstances, but the day before yesterday he had been kissing Elizabeth. Heck, the last time the pair of them shared a private moment Elizabeth had said to him "Remember your promise, Mister Turner. No matter what happens, we'll be together."

Apparently her promise meant quite a bit less than his because now she was marrying Norrington? Did she even like Norrington? Not in the childish like like fashion, but in actual I enjoy spending time with this person fashion. Philip could probably confidently say yeah, Elizabeth likes him well enough, but as a lowly blacksmith, Will didn't have much basis to judge that on.

"Elizabeth is going to marry Norrington?" Will blurted out.

Philip shrugged, "I guess she traded her hand in marriage for our lives. I don't know if she'll actually go through with it, though. She might have a bit too much of my mother in her to see it to the end… Although if history is repeating itself, that means she'll run off with a preacher named Swift who lives in her house, and Elizabeth's honestly not my type."

"Do you have a type?"

"Apparently it's mermaid."

The look on Barbossa's face suggested to Philip that the Captain really wanted to switch out Philip for Will in that moment.

"Look Boys, it all works out for us," Jack cut in. "I keep my promise, Elizabeth keeps hers, I assume the preacher keeps whatever vow he's made, and Will gets to die for her just like he promised. So we're all men of our word, really."

Jack paused.

"Except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman."

If Philip didn't have a knife to his throat, his head would be in his hands.

"Shut up!" Barbossa barked, having had more than enough of this himself. "You're next!"

"Wait!" Philip shouted. "Stop!"

"Yeah, is that directed toward me or him?" Jack gestured between himself and Philip.

Twigg and Koehler shoved Will over the chest again. They exchanged a grin, a haughty look in their eyes now that they knew Philip wasn't anywhere near Syrena to try to save her before the four of them got to have their fun. Maybe they'd even make the preacher break his vows, forced at gunpoint to have his own turn with the Monster in front of them after they had already broken her in.

"No!" Philip fought in Jack's arm. "Sparrow, we have to stop this! Will! Will!"

Barbossa grabbed Will by the shoulder, helping hold him down. He had a small smile on his lips as he pressed the dagger into Turner's throat. How many times had he pictured doing this to the boy's mother? Barbossa would give anything to make Sarah Smith watch him kill her son.

He pushed the blade against Will's throat and thought of the man who had put them all into this situation. Maybe after Barbossa killed the whelp, he would throw the dying young man into the sea to be collected by Davy Jones. What victory it would be to make Bootstrap face the horror of his dead son on the deck of the Flying Dutchman?

"You don't want to be doing that, Mate," Jack suddenly spoke up.

Barbossa didn't even know why he paused to look up, "No, I really think I do."

Philip frowned at Jack as Barbossa turned back to kill Will. What was Sparrow playing at?

"Your funeral," Jack shrugged. He still held the knife to Philip's throat but the blade barely enough touched the skin. Maybe he was just afraid of being torn apart by a mermaid if he did kill Philip.

Barbossa knew better than to be baited by Jack Sparrow. No, he knew the man and his crazy tricks. It was best he just slit the whelp's throat and finally have the curse lifted. He didn't need to pay any mind to the not Captain Jack Sparrow. There was no point or purpose to even glance at Sparrow, much less pay any-

Oh damn it!

Barbossa rolled his eyes and lowered the knife, turning to look to Jack. He couldn't believe he was letting himself be baited by Sparrow.

"Why don't I want to be doing it?" Barbossa asked, equally annoyed with himself and Jack.

"Oh, because," Jack went to move forward, but Philip had locked his knees. He rolled his own eyes and jerked Philip violently forward, making the boy let out a loud choke, "Come on, Lad, don't make this difficult."

Scowling, Philip moved his feet to let Jack gallivant towards Barbossa, still dragging the preacher with a knife to his neck. Will and Philip had become inconsequential hostages while Barbossa and Jack battled in their game of wills.

"Because the HMS Dauntless," Jack announced as Will was allowed to stand back up straight, though not without some fuss, "pride of the Royal Navy is floating just offshore waiting for you."

The pirates buzzed in excitement. Clearly they did not share Barbossa's wish to spend a few months uncursed before risking life and death against soldiers of the sea. And in all fairness, what true pirate didn't desire such a fight?

As Jack and Barbossa exchanged murderous gazes as the pirates cheered around them, Will and Philip were able to find each others' gazes.

Will and Philip did not possess magic, but after being best friends for ten years, they could read each other like an open book. A single mouthed word could convey to the other entire sentences and paragraphs of queries and answers.

So when Will mouthed the word Elizabeth, Philip knew Will was asking How is Elizabeth? Where is she? Will she be safe in this mess of a fight to come?

And when Philip merely mouthed the word Safe, Will knew that Philip meant Don't you worry one bit. Elizabeth's in safety, and besides, she's a strong, independent woman neither of us could even dream of having to protect from this lot.

Pirates? Will mouthed, meaning But what about the pirates? With this curse it seems impossible to escape their wrath. She's already upset them, I can't imagine what will happen if they get a hold of her.

Philip smiled and mouthed I got this.

It meant I got this.

And got it, he did.

Syrena swam carefully under the boats. There seemed to be dozens of British men in longboats. They were quiet as a mouse, except for two voices on the wind.

The moon was full, so her mermaid powers were at the height of her ability. She could hear a seagull sneeze a league away on nights such as this. So submerged deep in the black water, Syrena heard the men speak.

"What we doing here?" a man asked.

Another answered, "The pirates come out, unprepared and unawares. We catch them in a crossfire, send them down to see Old Hob."

Syrena blinked, a little surprised that Philip had guessed the situation correctly. Maybe the pair of them were better at this whole battle thing than they expected.

"I know why we're here," the first man said after a pause. "I meant why aren't we doing what it was… what Mr. Sparrow said we should do with the cannons and all?"

"Because it was Mr. Sparrow who said it," another man said.

Syrena perked up at that. That must have been the Commodore Norrington that Elizabeth, Philip, and Jack had spoken so much about.

She hesitated for a moment, knowing what she was supposed to be doing. Syrena had to go find Elizabeth and somehow get her to trust the Mermaid again (or maybe for the first time.) Still… Syrena couldn't help but be tempted to see this great man who Elizabeth had set aside Turner for, despite her great love of the Blacksmith. Proving to be more cat than mermaid, Syrena let her curiosity win out, and she lifted herself above the water so that only the top of her head to her eyes were visible.

Syrena didn't need to wonder which one Norrington was. Clearly he was the great man standing in the longboat, grandly uniformed, wearing a gold-fringed black tricorne hat, and had white hair.

He spoke with power and stood strong, shoulders back, head high, and spine straight. He told his men not to fear and stay steady. Norrington's voice was commanding but you could hear the humanity and concern for his men.

James Norrington appeared to be to Syrena a kind, courageous, and strong man.

Syrena smiled and dipped back under the water.

Will Turner was a thousand times better. After all, only one of them had done whatever it took to get Elizabeth home safe. And it wasn't the one who had her locked in a cabin.

"What was that?" Murtogg's head snapped to the side.

"What was what?" Mullroy asked, once more annoyed with his friend's antics.

"That," Murtogg pointed over the edge of the boat. "I thought I saw something in the water."

"You always see something in the water."

"But I swear it this time! I saw a girl in the water!"

"What would a girl be doing in the water?" Mullroy rolled his eyes. "Stop trying to pull one over on me."

"Come on, Mull," Murtogg insisted, "I saw a girl! I swear it on my own mother's grave!"

"Your mother ain't even dead."

The bickering carried on the wind as Syrena swam away toward the large British ship floating next to the Black Pearl. She fought hard not to giggle at the soldiers' antics.

"Oh, knock it off!" Mullroy snapped. "There is not one, single, solitary shred of proof that there is any girl in that water!"

Mischief in her heart, Syrena lifted her tail slightly out of the water. The moonlight caught it, though you would only see it if you were looking for it. She slammed her tail down with a loud SPLASH!

It sent the duo into even more of a tizzy.

Chuckling to herself, Syrena swam to the Interceptor thinking herself so clever as to not get caught.

She didn't see the eyes of James Norrington follow after her.

"Just hear me out, Mate," Jack Sparrow continued to make his offer while holding a knife to Philip's throat. Now he was standing on the mound of treasure holding the chest, so Will and Philip were forced to stand there awkwardly as the pirates' hostages. "You order your men to row to the Dauntless. They do what they do best."

The pirates laughed as Jack gestured to them.

Philip didn't like the looks on the pirates' faces, but his attention was caught by Ragetti and Pintel finally stumbling into the cavern, joining the back of the crowd. At once their eyes met Philip's, and Philip didn't think he had even seen someone look so confused in their life.

"Robert's your uncle. Fannie's your aunt." Jack paused and glanced at Will, "Actually if we're being technical, Robert's your grandfather. Fannie's not your grandmother though. I think Sarah's mother was… Clara Sawyer?"

"Jack," Will said flatly. "Is now the time?"

"Right," Jack turned back to Barbossa, "But there you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet."

Philip didn't pay attention to Jack and Barbossa's subsequent bargaining. He was focused on the confused Ragetti and Pintel.

Across the cave they waved at Philip to get his attention. It took a few times for them to notice, but Philip nodded that he saw them. Immediately they tried mouthing something to him, but as Philip had not been friends with them for years, he had no clue what they were trying to say. It wasn't until Ragetti started making swimming motions with his hand, miming a fish that Philip understood they were asking about Syrena.

Philip couldn't help but feel guilty. Last time they had seen him they were betting on Philip and Syrena escaping to safety. Now Philip was a hostage and Syrena was nowhere to be found.

"And you get to introduce yourself as Commodore Barbossa. Savvy?" Jack noticed Philip wasn't paying attention and elbowed him in the stomach, "We were all paying attention, right?"

Philip groaned, winded from the hit, "Sure."

"It's always important to pay attention to the Captains while they're speaking, Lad," Jack warned. "So pay close attention."

Philip honestly couldn't tell if Jack was trying to insinuate something or is he just liked the attention.

"I suppose in exchange, you want me not to kill the whelps," Barbossa said.

"No, no, no. Not at all," Jack insisted. "By all means, kill the whelps. Especially the preacher. You should have seen the embrace I found him in with the Mermaid. Nothing to forsake his Holy Vows for, but certainly not a hug you give your Mum."

It was hard for Philip to tell what he liked more: the relieved look Ragetti and Pintel shared or the panicked and angry one Twigg and Koehler exchanged.

Philip smirked as he caught the eyes of the murderous Twigg and Koehler.

"She's gone," Philip enjoyed the effect of his words on them far too much. "Syrena is gone, and you will never touch her again."

"We'll see," Koehler growled.

"He released my mermaid?" Barbossa couldn't deny there was something soft in his eyes. As much as he would miss Syrena, he was glad to hear the Missionary had gotten her to safety.

"Let her swim right away from here," Jack lied, not knowing what had happened to Syrena, but felt safe enough with the fib considering the Mermaid was nowhere to be found. "I would absolutely kill the man who let mine free as well as the man who is the only thing between myself and freedom after a twelve years long curse… Just not yet."

While Philip was too consumed by thoughts of Syrena's safety, Will had heeded the warning to pay close attention. He watched Jack carefully as he spoke of when to break the curse. No one could deny that Jack wasn't staring straight at Will as Jack spoke the next words.

"Wait to lift the curse," Jack's eyes didn't have to beg Will to understand, if the boy truly was the son of Smith and Turner, he would understand, "until the opportune moment."

The boy was truly the son of Smith and Turner… but he still didn't know exactly where Jack was going with this.

Even more worrisome was how Barbossa noticed the looks between Jack and Will.

"For instance. . ." Jack picked up a handful of medallions.

Will squinted to see how many Jack collected, but after a moment of focus Will was fairly certain it was four medallions.

"After you've killed Norrington's men…" Jack continued.

Will scowled. Didn't Jack have to give his blood to break the curse if he took-

Oh.

Oh.

"Every…"

Jack dropped the first medallion.

"Last…"

He dropped the second.

"One…"

He dropped the third.

The pirates laughed, but Will quaked as he focused on Jack's hand, the one that gripped the fourth medallion. He saw the way Jack pressed his fingers in an upward motion across his hand.

Jack flipped over hand and opened his fingers wide, palm flat down… but no fourth coin to be found.

Glancing up, Jack's eyes found Will's, waiting to see if the boy understood. For the briefest of seconds, Jack saw a flicker in Will's eyes. A flicker that used to be the signal from Jack's beloved former First Mate, Smith.

Will Turner was truly the son of Sarah Smith and Bill Turner.

Now it was time to act it.

"You've been planning this from the beginning," Will dramatically accused. "Ever since you learned my name!"

Jack paused, trying to hold back a smile as he uttered an honest word, "Yeah."

And William Turner understood.

…Philip Swift, however, did not.

"Will!" Philip exclaimed. "What in the Lord's wonderous name are you doing? Don't just stand there and let them kill you! You need to-"

A dirty hand smothered Philip's mouth.

"That'll be enough from you, Preacher Boy," Jack warned. "The grown ups are talking now."

"I want 50% of your plunder," Barbossa said.

"15," Jack haggled.

"40."

"25."

Barbossa considered it.

"I'll buy you the hat," Jack knew just what card to play to seal the deal. "A really big one… Commodore."

Barbossa smiled – something Jack had only seen a handful of times before – and it was a genuine smile of joy. Jack wagered he'd get that sort of smile if he had offered only one other thing: the death of Sarah Smith.

…But Jack was too late to cause or prevent that.

And he really wish he'd prevented that.

Jack remembered the last time he had seen his ex-First Mate. It had been after the mutiny, tracking her down with an offer to team up and get revenge on Barbossa. It would be a dream come true for Smith, only second to finding the Trident of Poseidon.

But… by then it was too late for her to have such an adventure. Jack could remember every detail about Smith's face. How pale she had become, how sunken her eyes looked, the tears that fell from those eyes as she feared what would happen to her son when she passed, and worst of all, the blood that came from her mouth as she coughed into her beloved handkerchief.

"Come on, Smith, this can't be the end of our adventures," Jack had pleaded with her. "There's got to be a way to fix this. To see each other again. I'll do anything."

Sarah Smith had just smiled at him, "There is only one thing you can do. Will you do it?"

"Anything. I promise, Smith."

"Find me when you get to the Locker, Jack," Sarah pressed that handkerchief into his palm. "Then we'll have our adventures again. I promise, Jack."

"I promise, Sarah."

Jack's hand went to his belt where he had kept the handkerchief ever since then. Everywhere he went it he would always utter not without my effects. There were five effects he held more precious than anything in the world: a Siamese coin woven into Moroccan beads that declared he was the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean. A faded black tricorne hat that once belonged to the dreaded Robert Smith given to him by Sarah Smith after the defeat of Salazar, signifying she gave up captaincy of her own father's ship to Jack. A loaded pistol from a vile mutiny that Jack planned to use against Hector Barbossa the moment the curse broke. A compass that pointed to what you want most which had been gifted to him by Tia Dalma with the whisper a touch of destiny.

But more beloved than all was the faded yellow handkerchief with a compass cross embroidered on it, the S on South having added two additional letters, making it read SST for its true owner.

Sarah Smith Turner.

His hand found no handkerchief on his belt.

Jack's eyes widened as he patted his side for the handkerchief. His heart fell as he realized he couldn't make a fuss over the loss, no matter what it meant to him. It was Jack's last real memento of Sarah.

There were few people in his dark life that he had ever been able to call a true friend: Sarah Smith might have even been the only one to hold the title.

And now he had lost his only reminder of her.

His eyes set on Will.

No… he had one more reminder to protect.

"We have an accord," Barbossa announced to the crew who had betrayed Jack.

As he shook Barbossa's hand – still gripping Philip's shoulder with one hand – Jack resisted a sneer. He would be a fool to think the crew would ever loyally serve under his colours again. And with the rum all burned, Jack didn't fancy visiting his little island a third time.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me."

Jack could hear Elizabeth's song ringing out in his mind as he observed his traitorous crew.

"We're beggars and blighters, ne'er-do-well cads."

He turned his eyes back to Will Turner, the son of his… his best friends.

"Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho."

He remembered Bill's plea to keep Will out of this mess.

"Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads."

And he remembered Sarah's plea to protect Will if he ever got into the middle of it.

"Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho."

Jack smiled. He would keep his promise to his friends… and he would finally have his revenge on Barbossa.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me."

"All hands to the boats!" Jack exclaimed to the crew, more than ready to avenge himself and the Turners. Out of his peripheral, Jack saw Barbossa scowling at him. Jack gave a small bow, his hand still squeezing Philip's shoulder, "Apologies. You give the orders."

"Gents…" Barbossa ordered. "Take a walk."

Wait, what?

Jack struggled to hold back his surprise as the pirates began swarming out of the caves, clearly not into the longboats.

"Not to the boats?" Jack tried not to sound nervous.

Barbossa just stared at him for a moment and then grabbed Philip.

"You mind telling me how be it you got free from Masters Ragetti and Pintel?" Barbossa snarled.

Jack muttered, "You act like that's hard."

But Philip just looked Barbossa straight in the eye, "Don't act like you don't know."

Wrong move. Barbossa slammed Philip face first into the chest of Cortes, leaving Philip bloodied and bruised. Before Philip could react, Barbossa threw him off the treasure mound, expertly making Philip land head first into the rocks, knocking him out.

The Swann cousins were clearly not the first people Barbossa violently threw off mounds of treasure.

Will fought against Twigg and Koehler's grasp to attack Barbossa. To his luck, Will managed to break free, but before he could do anything, a tall, bald pirate with lines painted down the center of his face grabbed Will.

"Masters Twigg and Koehler," Barbossa ordered. "You'll join the crew in the attack."

The pair scowled.

Twigg objected, "But what about-"

"What about what?" Barbossa challenged, stepping in front of Twigg so there was not an inch between them. "Some business you have to attend to?"

The pair just glared at their captain.

"No, Sir," Koehler said. "None."

"Good," Barbossa replied darkly. "You do as I say and stay out of that which does not concern you. So, what objection did you dare meddle in?"

Twigg considered his response, "I was only asking how Ragetti and Pintel were going to be dealt with for letting go Swift."

"Oh, I think they're being punished enough," Barbossa nodded towards the horde of exiting pirates.

Bo'sun was forcing Ragetti and Pintel into some dresses. They were the same they had previously tried to call dibs on before learning the contents of the chest they were stored in.

Twigg and Koehler grimaced and turned back to Barbossa.

"Let me say it here and now," Barbossa warned. "If either of you touch my mermaid or the preacher, I will kill you the moment the curse breaks. Now… take a walk."

"But who will hold back Turner?" Koehler asked.

"I said take a walk." Barbossa strode away from them. He called out to the tall pirate holding Will, "Weatherby! You keep a hold on Turner."

Will blinked at the name "Excuse me?"

"What?" Barbossa asked. "You think we'll let you run free?"

"No, I was just-" Will stared at the pirate who had of all names the same one as the Governor of Port Royal. "Never mind."

"Monk! Jacoby!" Barbossa called out. "You stay here with Sparrow, Weatherby, Turner, and I."

"Do you want me to hold Swift?" Jacoby asked, playing around with the bombs on his belt.

Barbossa glanced at Philip unconscious on the rocks, "I don't think this one will be flying the coop anytime soon."

The almost Captain Jack Sparrow frowned at the scene before him. Will captive, Philip unconscious, the pirates going for a walk whatever that meant instead of rowing out in the longboats like he had expected.

Jack Sparrow's plan wasn't going according to plan.

A/N: Yes, apparently that tall pirate that holds Will captive on Isla de Muerta is actually called Weatherby. I completely understand names being reused. Smith is common and a bit of a running joke, so sure, use the name Smythe for Carina. The reused Swift in DMTNT as the shop owner actually makes sense because in the original script for the fifth movie (the one where Philip and Syrena appeared, which you should read if you haven't) Philip actually became an apprentice cartographer and so the name Swift must have come from there. And of course, you would reuse common names like James or John or whatever.

But how do you put two completely unrelated characters named Weatherby in the same movie? It's the name Weatherby! It's not that common! The only other Weatherby I can think of in media is the one from Archie comics. And it's not like Weatherby means anything special. It's means Sheep Farmstead. Why do two characters have this name? What Disney executive was obsessed with the name Weatherby?

I'm sorry, but like I had Rebecca say, Weatherby is a terrible name. Why on Earth would you make one of the pirates be called that?

…She says in a film series that contains the names Will, Bill, Phil, Carina, Marina (in a deleted scene), and Syrena.

My apologies to any reader out there with the name Weatherby.