Pilferer: POTC

Reunion

Mary's POV

It was a long night. The pirates didn't rest much, so neither did I. Not wanting to risk losing them. Sure I'm tired from lack of sleep. But it'll be worth it when I rescue Syrena and we return to the pod. I nearly lost them when they had to go through water as a woman explained to Jack how the fountain works.

One of the men noticed Syrena couldn't breath and opened the glass coffin. Wedging a small book in to prevent it from being locked again. Giving her fresh air. I am grateful someone seems to care for her.

Jack hasn't left the group once. Though I did see him talking to the man who saved Syrena. Jack called him a missionary, so he must be a priest. Which meant the book he had must have been the bible. But why would a priest be in a pirate crew? Could he be a prisoner? Is Jack a prisoner?

Suddenly they reach a cliff and I hide behind a tree. Close enough to eavesdrop. But if I am spotted, no way I'd be able to out run the pirates. Though I could make a run for the cliff and pray I land in the river below.

"Just as I thought. Not this way!" Jack calls. As he stands in front of a broken bridge.

"This is the way, isn't it?" the woman ask him.

"'Course it is, but we should go around to the east" Jack tells her.

"That would take us out of the path of the chalices" she tells him.

"Then, we'll circle back" he tells her.

"There is no time" she states.

"You're the one who insisted on bringing the bloody mermaid" he snaps. I scowl, she had a name. Though I guess no one knows it.

"Well, the mutiny didn't help" she retorts.

"You walk like a girl" he tells her.

"You would know" she shots back.

"Someone must go" Blackbeard states.

"You mean split up?" the woman asks.

"You mean jump? This I cannot wait to see" Jack declares. Smiling.

"Sparrow will go" Blackbeard states and Jack loses his smile. "Find the ship, retrieve the chalices" he tells him.

"Sparrow? What makes you think he will come back?" the woman asks Blackbeard. Good question, what insurance does he have to would make Jack come back?

"Yes, what makes you think he will come back?" Jack asks.

"We cannot trust him, Father. I'll go" the woman states. She's Blackbeard's daughter? No wonder why she is allowed in his crew.

"She'll go" Jack agrees. She goes to jump and Blackbeard stops her. Before walking over to Jack.

"How much farther to the Fountain? I'm running out of time" Blackbeard states. Jack looks at his special compass.

"About a day's march north, following that river, you'll get to a series of pools. Then you're close" Jack answers pointing north. Blackbeard takes Jack's compass.

"You will go" he tells him. If Jack goes, this could be my only chance to speak to him. But that would mean leaving Syrena with Blackbeard and his crew. Who knows what they'd do to her. But I can't do this alone. And I can't believe I'm saying this in my head. But I trust Jack.

"I was sure it would come to this" Jack tells the woman. Before looking down at the river below. "You know that feeling you get sometimes when you're standing in a high place? Sudden urge to jump?" he asks the crew. Who say nothing. "I don't have it" he states.

Blackbeard points his pistol at Jack. "I need those chalices" he tells him.

"Shoot. Save me the bother of the fall" Jack tells him. I silently edge my way around the group towards the cliff. If Jack goes, I'll time my dive so that we hit the water at the same time. Covering the sound of me hitting the water.

"You will go. You will return or I will kill her" Blackbeard states pointing his pistol at the woman. So that's what he has that will insure Jack returns. Jack must know her and have feelings for her. Which is odd as I never pictured Jack being serious about any woman.

"You won't kill your own daughter" Jack states. Blackbeard has his quarter master collect six pistols. Removing bullets from all of them, but two. Ordering not to tell him which two. He then had Jack choose one. The first was empty.

The second one Jack grabbed, was loaded. Luckily he was pointing it to the sky when he fired it. "Again" Blackbeard tells him.

"If you're so keen on killing her, why don't you just let her jump?" Jack asks him.

"If you jump and die, then she will have her chance" Blackbeard tells him. "Again" he says. Jack heads over to the quarter master.

"If I jump, will I survive?" he asks him.

"The doll" the quarter master tells the woman. Who hands him a voodoo doll that looks like Jack. He mutters something and tosses it over the cliff. Making Jack scream. When Jack finally shuts up, the quarter master says "yes, now you will survive".

"This is nonsense! I'm going!" the woman shouts heading for the cliff. Jack dashes past her and I run. We both jump and land in the water safely. I stay submerged while Jack surfaces.

"Wet, wet again" he complains. I follow him to the shore grabbing my pants along the way. By the time I am dressed, he is missing. I find his footprints and follow them. Running. I soon spot him under a stone arch on the beach looking up at wrecked ship. "The Santiago. Famously captained by Ponce de Leon" he says turning around. He jumps in surprise at seeing me.

"Hi Jack" I say.

"Mary-rose" he says.

"Mary is fine, I need your hep Jack. To save Syrena" I tell him.

"Let me guess, the mermaid?" he asks. I nod. "How do you know a mermaid?" he asks me.

"Does it matter?" I ask him.

"Yes" he says.

"I went to White Cap Bay after you killed Beckett. Turns out I have mermaid blood and I embraced it. But that isn't the point Jack, I came here to ask for your help in saving Syrena" I tell him. "Do you really think Blackbeard will let her live once he has a tear?" I ask him.

"Fine, I'll help" he states and heads for the ship.

"That's it?" I ask as I follow him. Surprised, he'd agree so easily.

"Your friend won't only has until tomorrow morning to live. We must find the chalices and get to the fountain before Blackbeard" he tells me.

"You've been before right?" I ask him.

"Yes, just never made it in" he states. "I'm hoping the chalices will be the key to it" he adds. We soon reach the ship. "Perhaps you should stay out here, it doesn't look sturdy" he tells me.

"We just have to move slowly, it'll be faster if we're both looking for the chalices" I tell him. We enter the ship. We begin the search. During is Barbossa appears and we discover the chalices are gone. Apparently the Spanish had taken them. So first Blackbeard, then the royal navy and now the Spanish are after the fountain. Who'd be next? "You don't seem surprised to see me" I state as he sits on the bed with Jack.

"I saw someone was following Blackbeard's crew and figured it was you" he states. "Don't touch the map" he tells Jack. Who drops the map. "They know the path, but I can also see where they'll most likely make camp" he declares looking at the map. We all get off the ship safely, Jack tells me where to go. Saying he and Barbossa would get the chalices. And make sure I am alone with Syrena, so that I can save her. Though we'll be cutting it close.

A/N

Picture above of Barbossa and Jack on the bed together.

Final chapters:

Saving Syrena

Saving Phillip

Epilogue: Land or Sea?