Captain of His Heart

Chapter Ten

      After they'd been locked in the brigs, Jacqueline rested against the cell wall, water dampening her clothes.

      "I hate him." Jack muttered.

      "You'll get your shot, Jack. I know it." He peered at her, before his attention became captured with something else.

      "What?" He scrambled towards the back wall.

      "There's a hole." He pressed his face against the wall, and she waited for him to say something. 

      "Well?" She grew impatient, and Jack pulled away with a frown.

      "There's nothing there." She slumped backwards, and rested her face in her hands.

      "You alright love?" Jack crawled towards her, and she lifted her head.

      "I miss my ship. My crew." When she glanced at Jack he had an apologetic look on her face, and she instantaneously regretted her words.

      No, I don't mean it in that way. I'm glad I came with you, Jack." She entwined her hand with Jack's, who offered her a smile. After a minute, she perked up. "Jack?"

      "Hmm?"

      "Do you hear that?" They shared a look before rushing towards the hole in the wall, and she got there first. A laugh escaped her as the Interceptor came into view.

      "What?" She moved, allowing Jack to see. He breathed out what she assumed to be a sigh of relief. He stood and offered her his hand. She accepted gratefully, and he helped lift her off the ground.

      "Things are about to get interesting." She cocked a brow at his words. Minutes passed, and the ship began to rock, becoming more violent each second.

      She grabbed onto rope to prevent herself from falling, and Jack did the same. Cannon fire sounded, and the wall burst open from a canon, creating a large gap in the ship. The two both collapsed to the ground.

      "Stop blowing holes in my ship!" Jack shouted. She followed the trail of the cannonball and smacked Jack's arm. The cell door gaped open, and the two rushed to freedom. She quickly found her effects, stuffing her daggers away, keeping her sword clutched in her hand. Jack followed her up to the main deck, where she engaged in battle with one of the crew members. She focused solely on her fight, unaware of her surroundings until she glanced around. Jack perched on his hands and knees before Barbossa, and parts of Jack's crew were being moved to the Pearl. As she slashed her sword, hands grabbed her from behind, and she yelped. Everyone had now been captured and gathered onto the Black Pearl, and she searched for Jack. She spotted him only a few feet away and she pushed past the crew to get to him as the Interceptor blew up in flames. Elizabeth rushed forward, screaming at Barbossa. Jacqueline reached Jack and raised a brow. He mouthed one word to her and she understood. Will. 

      "He was a good kid." She whispered. She redirected her attention to the captain of the Pearl, who clutched Elizabeth's wrists.

      "She goes free!" A shout erupted, and she whipped her head to find the owner. Sure enough, Will Turner stood on the railing of the Pearl. Am I really drunk right now? She turned her head towards Jack, who shrugged. At least he saw it too.

      "Don't do anything stupid." Jack pleaded in a low voice. Will held a pistol, aimed for Barbossa's heart.

      "You've only got one shot, and we can't die." Will changed the direction of the pistol so it now pointed under his chin.

      "But I can."

      "Like that." Jack inched forward, and she followed him. 

      "Who are you?" Jacqueline stayed at the rim of the crowd as Jack fully stepped forward, exclaiming,

      "No one, he's no one... distant cousin of my aunt's nephew, twice removed... lovely singing voice though." Jack whispered the next thing, and she only barely picked up on it. "Eunuch."

      "My name is William Turner. Bootstrap Bill is my father." The short pirate who cursed out parlay before—she learned his name to be Pintel—yelled,

      "He's the spittin' image of Bootstrap come back to haunt us!"

      "Name your terms." Barbossa watched Will with keen eyes, and Jacqueline surveyed the young Turner.

      "Elizabeth goes free." Jacqueline rolled her eyes.

      "Yes, we know that one. Anything else?" She noticed Jack, motioning with his hands at himself. She raised a brow, waiting for him to include her. Fortunately for him, Jack finally pointed at Jacqueline, and Will stated,

      "The crew. The crew is not to be harmed." Barbossa and Will struck their deal, yet it did not sit well with Jacqueline. Apparently, not with Jack either, as for the past few minutes he'd been nervously biting his nails. She decided to ignore the crew and she approached Jack.

      "What's going through your mind?" He shook his head at her, his eyes dark.

      "Unpleasant things, love." She opened her mouth to respond, but her words caught as a speck appeared in the distance.

      "What?" Jack spun around, and she heard him mutter, "Oh bugger." The Black Pearl quickly advanced towards the island, and something about it had Jack freaking out.

      "Jack, what is it?" He refused to speak, and in the next moment two of the cursed crew roughly grabbed her and forced her to the plank.

      "Barbossa! You said they'd go free!" Will struggled against his captives, and the captain snapped,

      "Do not question me honor, boy! You never said when or where." Barbossa stalked towards Jacqueline, and she spit in his face.

      "You're vile, Barbossa. I long the day somebody puts a bullet in your skull. As a matter of fact—" The man in front of Everleigh interrupted her sentence by smacking her in the face. She whipped around, pain instantly burdening her cheek.

      "Does it make you feel powerful? To hit women?" She dared to face him once more, a smirk growing on her face, even when she felt blood trickle down her chin. 

      "Just needed you to shut that damned mouth of yours. Off you go, Captain Everleigh. Oh, and one more thing. Once you die on that island, send my regards to your father." Her anger was no longer under her own control, and she lunged for Barbossa.

      "Why you—" Two arms held her back, and she whirled around to come only inches away from Jack's face.

      "Jacqueline, please. It's not worth dying for." Still fuming, Jacqueline broke out of Jack's grasp, marched to the end of the plank, and dove into the water. No good, bottom of the barrel, cold-hearted wretch. She continued to insult Barbossa in her mind as she kicked her legs furiously. She was the first to make it to the island, followed by Elizabeth, then Jack. Sparrow lifted something towards her, and she recognized it as a collection of her effects.

      "Thank you." She grumbled, snatching the items out of his grasp. Jack turned to gaze at the Pearl, now a speck in the distance.

      "That's the second time I've watched them sail away with my ship." She felt bad, as she'd been too absorbed in her own anger to notice what had been happening with Jack.

      "This is the island, isn't it?" She asked, a softness to her tone. Jack faced the two women and nodded slowly.

      "I'm sorry." It was all she could muster at the current time, and he acknowledged that with a small dip of the head. Elizabeth, without a word, began to walk away, and Jack studied his pistol. She busied herself with a dagger, examining how dull it had become.

      "Are you alright?" She perked up. Jack gazed at her lips, and she was reminded of Barbossa's hit.

      "Aye, I'm okay." She wiped blood away from her face, and the two remained silent after that, her wary of Jack's angry mood.