The Devil's Temptress: The Curse of the Black Pearl || Jack Sparrow

IX. One Night

"We should make a move soon." Jack spoke as he stood, or attempted to stand would be a better description. With his arms stacked with gold and jewels, rubies and emeralds were hanging from his neck and the crown had fell to a slant.

Same old Jack. Nikki looked at him, hiding a smile but flinched as he chucked one last trinket he deemed to be rubbish over his shoulder. She had picked up a couple of things as she had sat back and watched him, but they only stayed in her hand for a moment before she dropped them back to the pile. She didn't want any memories of this place adorning her hair or wrists, she would be lucky if her mind allowed her to forget most of what she had felt during the curse, she did not need reminders.

"We don't have a crew." Nikki pointed out as she followed in his footsteps.

"Who do you think brought me here love?" Jack quipped, speaking the words from the corner of his mouth as he swaggered to Will.

As they approached, Nicolette watched as the young Elizabeth walked away from Will who appeared to be watching after her with an obvious infatuation. Not that it was a great surprise, she had experienced first hand how he felt when he had sacrificed himself on the Pearl.

"If you were waiting for the opportune moment...that was it." Nicolette found herself rolling her eyes at the transaction. A decade had passed and the man had learnt no new catchphrases. "Now, if you'll be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop us off my at my ship."

"You're letting her go with you? After everything she's done." Will was quick to ask, studying Nicolette with shock as she stopped and turned.

"Pirates, love." Nicolette whispered, patting the boy on the shoulder. "Forgive and forget." With a seductive sway of her hips she began to walk ahead, leaving a very conflicted young man and a half amused, half aroused pirate.

She still had that little quirk obviously, the one she liked to use too often and it caused Jack to smile as he watched after her. That was until he remember the last time she had used that 'little quirk' on himself and stuck his tongue out, gagging.

"Believe me lad, it would be far worse to leave her. At least this way I can keep an eye on her."

Jack wiped the image of Nicolette fawning over him at his bedside from his mind as he followed her winding path to the long boats, each of them in high spirits to put this island and it's treasure behind them.

However that lasted approximately three minutes. That's how long it took Will to row out of the cave and for both Nicolette and Jack to notice the empty clearing in the waters. No black sails, no charred decks...just the Navy, waiting.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Elizabeth sat beside Will, facing the two pirates who could have not looked more miserable if they had tried. As Jack sat almost crossed legged with his loot piled on his lap, Nikki grimaced watching the British flag laying limp in the soft breeze.

"They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that."

He was taking it awfully well, given the past few days he had been through to get back what was his. Nikki however...well...

She leant forward, eyes never shifting from the ship she wished would vanish into the islands fog, and whispered to Will with a pained voice, "...you can shoot me now if you like?"

To his shock, Will found himself amused by the pirate who had taken on a different aura. She looked younger, a paleness lifted from her skin and a shine added to her eyes. Her lips were pinker and her chin held high, though her clothes still remained looking too big for her, hanging from her skinny, starved frame.

"Only if you return the favour." Her conflicting eyes flashed to Will and she grinned, one side of her mouth spreading into a sly looking grin.

........