Hidden Past

Chapter 7: Fresh Start

The red coats walked slowly and decisively onto the ship, their leader looking around. "Impressive Mister Feng. I honestly didn't think you could pull this off." Mercer said blandly. His eyes fell on Jack and he smiled wickedly. "Most impressive indeed.

"And a gift to Lord Beckett, one that we had not agreed on, I trust that I will be well compensated." Sao Feng hissed, drawing the attention to Victoria who glared at him. 

The woman leaned in. "I swear to god I will make sure that my father will torture you for all of eternity." Sao Feng stiffened and shoved her to Mercer.

The man smiled and nodded. "Yes, I think Lord Beckett will be quite pleased." 

So Jack and Victoria were marched off of the Black Pearl and into hell. They entered Beckett's office. "It's curious." The man started, Victoria remained glued to where she stood, unable to move or speak. "Your friends appear to be quite desperate, Jack. Perhaps they no longer believe that a gathering of squabbling pirates is enough to take down the Flying Dutchman." Beckett mused. "And so despair leads to betrayal. But you and I are no strangers to betrayal, are we, Jack?"

Victoria looked at the man in questioned and sighed when she saw him snooping around the office. "It isn't here, Jack." Beckett stated.

The man stood up straight and looked at Beckett, deciding to play stupid. "What? What isn't? "

"The heart of Davy Jones. It's safely aboard the Dutchman, and so unavailable for use as leverage to satisfy your debt to the good Captain." Beckett said knowingly. 

Jack shrugged. "By my reckoning, that account has been settled."

"Oh my god you are stupid." Victoria muttered, shaking her head at Jack. 

"By your death? And yet, here you are." Beckett pointed out.

Victoria grimaced before smiling. "Close your eyes and pretend it's all a bad dream. That's how I get by."

"And if Davy Jones were to learn of your survival?" Victoria looked at Jack, her eyes wide in fear. She may be a little more than angry at him at the moment, but she did have feelings for him. "And you, my cheating fiance." Beckett finally recognized her presence. This time it was Jack's turn to look at Victoria in fear. "You are lucky and I more patient than most husbands my dear." 

Beckett stood in front of them. "Perhaps you would consider an alternate arrangement, one that requires absolutely nothing from you but information." 

Jack perked up causing Victoria to scowl. "Regarding the Brethren Court, no doubt? In exchange for fair compensation, square my debt with Jones, guarantee my freedom, and Victoria?

Beckett narrowed his eyes. "No Victoria, she's mine. But everything else? Of course. It's just good business."

Jack paused, considering his options. "Were I in a divulgatory mood, what then might I divulge?" 

"Jack!" Victoria complained. 

Beckett's hand reached out and curled around her mouth, squeezing painfully. "Shut it woman." He hissed into her ear. "Everything. Where are they meeting? Who are the pirate lords? What is the purpose of the nine pieces of eight?"

"Jmmk dmt!" Victoria pleaded, her voice muffled. 

Jack took in a breath. "You can keep Barbossa, the belligerent homunculus and his friend with the wooden eye both, and Turner... especially Turner. The rest go with me aboard the Pearl, including Victoria, and I will lead you to Shipwreck Cove, where I will hand you the pirates and you will NOT hand me to Jones. Bloody fair deal, don't you think?" Jack bargained. 

"And what becomes of Miss Swann? And what makes you think this spit fire won't alert the others." 

Jack furrowed his eyebrows at the mention of Elizabeth. He hadn't thought about all that much. In fact he was avoiding thinking about her. "What interest is she to you? And Victoria won't tell anybody, trust me." 

Beckett released Victoria and pulled out Jacks compass. "It points to what you want most, and that's not the Brethren Court, is it?" Jack stated, reading Beckett's mind. 

"Then what is?" Beckett asked, following Jack's game. 

The Pirate shrugged and put his hand on Victoria's waist, easing her anxiety a small bit. "Me. Dead." 

"Although if I kill you, then I can use the compass to find... Shipwreck Cove, was it? Cut out the middleman, as it were." Beckett stated, grabbing Victoria's arm and yanking her to him. 

The Daughter of Davy Jones shrugged his hand off of her and smirked. She may hate this plan of Jack's but she was not about to let Beckett find Shipwreck cove. "No because then it would point to me, and you know you will never truly have me." 

"With me killed, you'd arrive at Shipwreck Cove, find its stronghold nigh impregnable, able to withstand blockade for years, and then you'd wish, 'Oh, if only there were someone I had not killed inside to assure that the pirates then come outside...'"

The Pirate Hunter narrowed his eyes, his arms folding across his chest. "And you can accomplish all this, can you?"

Knowing he had won, Jack smiled and once more laid his hand on top of Victoria's waist. "You may kill me, but you may never insult me. Who am I?"

Beckett narrowed his eyes and looked at Jack in confusion. 

Victoria laughed out loud at Jack's hurt look. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" A hole in the ship was made in a second by a cannonball.In the confusion, Jack lurched forward and shook Beckett's hand. "Done!"  

With that he tugged Victoria to the deck with him, tying a rope around a cannonball and loading it in the cannon. To add the finishing touch he placed a little Beckett figurine in the Cannon's mouth. "Jack what the hell are you doing?" 

"Trust me love." 

"You're mad!" Beckett shouted at Jack who smiled and wrapped his arm around Victoria, holding her tightly.  

The pirates smiled at him and nodded. "Thank goodness for that, because if I wasn't, this would probably never work." The cannon fired and hit the main mast, sending Jack and Victoria launching to the deck of the Pearl, Victoria landing on the deck and Jack barely landing on the detailing back. The crew rushed forward and stared at Jack in shock "And that was without a single drop of rum." 

A small ruckus sounded and a struggling William was brought forward. With eyes alight with unadulterated fury, Victoria marched forward. "You traitorous scumbag." She stated, slapping him hard. "You are lucky that I am not throwing you off the ship and feeding you to the sharks."

Jack came up behind Victoria. "Send this pestilent traitorous cowhearted yeasty codpiece to the brig." He stated. Will was dragged away. Before Victoria could think to get a sjingle word out, Jack grabbed her arm and led her to the Captain's Quarters. "We need to talk." 

So they disappeared. Victoria was apprehensive as she stood in the corner and Jack pulled out a bottle of rum. "I was serious about the no rum thing." Jack stated, taking a swig. "Not a single drop since the day I died." 

"How dreadfull, I'm sure you're fine." Victoria stated, sitting on the bed. 

A soft sigh sounded and the man sat besides her. "Listen, Victoria, I really am sorry. I should have told you and it was wrong of me to kiss her back. I really don't have any feelings for her." 

"I know that Jack, but it's always something. Why can't we just be happy without any issues?" She asked softly. "I am trying to forgive you, but I can't, not yet." 

Jack nodded and leaned in, his breath fanning her neck, just like the hallucination of him did. "Let's start over, try to rebuild." 

Victoria considered the option before nodding. "Fine." 

"Great, so you won't rat me out?" Jack asked her hopefully. 

"Not yet at least."