Aztecs' Curse

Chapter 17

       Jack had sweet dreams. Though it wasn't the best he had slept, as he was still unsettled with everything that had happened, he could remember Victoria in his dreams. And, that young woman in his dreams couldn't have been a bad thing. One thing did, however, stir him from whatever dreams he was having of the woman. The smell of smoke.
     Eyes flying open, Jack's brows furrowed as he stared up at the smoke-riddled sky in confusion. The last thing he could remember was drinking with Victoria, wishing he could tell her that he did--indeed--feel for her, and the bonfire. But, there was no possible way that the bonfire could've gotten out of hand. Was there?
     He pushed himself onto his feet and whirled to face the tiny jungle of the island, frown deepening when he saw Elizabeth throwing a small barrel into a pile of larger ones, causing a small explosion. What a bloody good waste of rum, he thought to himself before instinctively waving his arms and shouting, "No! Not good! Stop!" If she kept this up, they surely wouldn't have anything to drown in when time came for them to starve to death--especially since she was burning the only actual food they had, as well as the homeliness of the place, as homely as it can get. "Not good!" His head pounded as he strode up the sand towards her. "What are you doing? You've burned all the food, the shade, the rum."
     "Yes," Elizabeth said as she paced right by him and stopped, squinting as she peered over the ocean, "the rum is gone."
     "Why is the rum gone?" Jack asked, his confusion slowly melding into anger.
     "One," Elizabeth responded as she whirled around to face him, "because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for my sister and I. Do you think there is the slightest chance that they won't see it?"
     The more she spoke, the less it felt like he even cared. Though, the idea of the Navy showing up for Victoria relieved him far more than the pirates coming back for her--even if he was dead either way. Despite this, he decided to make a complete ass of himself--though he actually was quite offended as well. "But why is the rum gone?"
     Elizabeth ignored him and sat down, facing the ocean again. "Just wait, Captain Sparrow. Give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye open, and you will see while sails on that horizon."
     Jack whipped out his pistol, teeth clenching as he stared down at Elizabeth, but then he stopped. He couldn't, actually, shoot her, could he? Sure, he was furious. But, over rum? With a shake of his head, he put his pistol back and stormed off.

* * *     Victoria had been hoping to avoid Jack, which was why she had stopped helping her sister set the island on fire when she happened to glance over and see Jack stirring from his slumber. She had finally, began to explore the tiny place, pacing around as she debating what she wanted to say to him--if she even wanted to say anything--before the Navy came for her and her sister. After all, they would most likely only lock Jack up. She was even sure they'd string him up when they got back home, whenever that would be, what with Will being in the hands of pirates. All in all, she refused to let that happen. Despite her being wounded that Jack, indeed, felt nothing for her, it didn't mean she would leave him to his fate; at least, not without trying.
     She had just circled around the part of the jungle that was untouched by the fire her sister had instructed they create when she ran right into Sparrow, throwing her arms up and letting out a startled yelp as she began to fall backwards, only to be caught in his arms and straightened back up. One of his arms circled her waist, the other clutching onto her left wrist, his eyes wide before they narrowed and then relaxed. Then, all too soon, he let go and stepped back.
     "I was wondering where you were," he said.
     "Were you?" she mumbled, mostly to herself, and averted his gaze. She was rather happy that nothing had happened between the two of them the night before, despite her wishing that something had. With a wave of her hand, she said, "I'm sorry about all of this, Jack... But, this is our best chance."
     "What if they're nowhere near here," he argued. "What if the Navy is distracted by something elsewhere? Or perhaps chasing rumors of your whereabouts? Our only chance at survival is burning right there, behind me."
     "I know," she said quietly, cringing at his words. With a sigh, she forced herself to meet his eyes. "But, it's our best chance. It's...it's your best chance, Jack."
     He stared at her, his mouth having had been opening before it clamped shut at her words, and suddenly something she couldn't read filtered across his features and his eyes looked pained. "Oh, Victoria..." One of his hands stretched out for her face, his brows furrowed.
     "There they are!" Elizabeth shrieked in the distance, and the two whirled to face her before they glanced towards the ocean.
     Sure enough, in the distance, was a ship.* * *     "But we've got to save Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed in disbelief. They were saved, on one of the many Navy ships, and not only that, but they were on-board with her father, of whom was insistent upon them going home and home only.
     It made Victoria furious.
     "No!" their father snapped, and Victoria glanced over to see him raising his hands as if to attempt to calm her little sister. "You're safe now--you and your sister both." He passed by Elizabeth, walking up to Victoria. "We will return to Port Royal immediately, not gallivanting after pirates."
     "Then we condemn him to death," Elizabeth snapped.
     Swann stopped, staring at Victoria, of whom grit her teeth when she realized he was expecting her to defend him, and instead she replied with, "She's not wrong." Beside her, though she hardly gave him a peek through the corners of her eyelids, Norrington appeared.
     He sighed, and turned to Elizabeth. "The boy's fate is regrettable, but then so is his decision to engage in piracy."
     "That's not fair!" Victoria piped up, grabbing his shoulder and yanking at it, drawing his attention. "If that is your excuse for him, then what of mine? I've engaged in piracy as well!" In fact, she did a little more than just that.
     He shook his head, eyes pained. "I refuse to allow such thoughts to cross more than what ears are on this ship." He raised his voice. "As I expect no one to speak of it!" He continued to stare down at her, even as disbelief filtered across her features. "Victoria, you were desperate."
     "And so was Will!" Elizabeth shouted before lowering her voice, insistent. "To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me."
     "If I may be so bold as to interject my professional opinion," Jack called out from along the side of the ship, where he was guarded by two soldiers, of whom followed after him as he walked up to the family, stopping in front of Norrington. "The Pearl was listing after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it. The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up, eh?"
     Victoria gave Jack a pleased smile, which he caught and returned with a bashful one of his own before he quickly made a passive face. When she noticed her father staring at her, she quickly ducked her head.
     After giving Victoria a glance, Norrington said, "By remembering that I serve others, mister Sparrow, not only myself." Hands now clasped behind his back, he turned and began to strode away.
     Just as Elizabeth opened her mouth to argue, Victoria strode after him, waving for her to stay back. "Commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me." She grew desperate when he hardly faltered, knowing that he wasn't daft of her obvious feelings for Jack--though maybe, just maybe, he would listen to her if she said what she was about to next. "As a wedding gift."
     He stopped in the middle of the stairs, which he had just began to climb up, and turned to face her, surprise written across his eyes as well as hope.
     "Victoria?" her father said, standing beside her now, though she refused to look away from Norrington. "Are you accepting the commodore's proposal?"
     There was a moment of silence, and despite the cold and harsh feeling of all eyes on her, she refused to look anywhere except at Norrington, of whom waited eagerly for her answer. "I am."
     "A wedding," Jack suddenly said from behind her. "I love weddings." Though, his voice seemed off--if anything, it sounded bitter. It only made it all the more difficult for Victoria to refrain from looking at him. "Drinks all around!"
     "Jack," Elizabeth muttered.
     When Norrington shot him a glare, he said, "I know. 'Clap him in irons,' right?"
     He kept a straight face, and slowly began to walk back down the stairs. "Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?"
     "Inescapably clear," Jack responded. Victoria watched out of the corners of her eyes as the two soldiers set to watch him dragged him away. Despite how quickly it happened, she still caught the mournful look in his eyes, which he hid with a soft smile as he stared at her.
     "Victoria, darling," Norrington suddenly said, and she turned to see him right in front of her, a stern look in his eyes. "Do you, truly, accept my proposal?" Before she could even open her mouth to speak, he lifted a hand to her face, gazing into her eyes. "Will you become my wife?"
     "I do," she said without hesitating. "And, I will." As long as it meant saving the man that her sister loved.
     Even if it meant losing the one that she loved herself.* * *     Will watched silently as a couple of the Black Pearl's pirates washed the floor with what looked to be some sort of gunk, which washed a sort of indescribable stench over him that he attempted to ignore, leaning casually against the bars of the cell. After a moment of consideration, he said, "You knew William Turner."

     Pintel stopped with his mop and sneered over at him. "Ol' Bootstrap Bill. We knew him. Never sat well with Bootstrap what we did to Jack Sparrow, the mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed and remain cursed."

     "Stupid blighter," the one-eyed pirate said as he slowed his mopping.

     "Good man," Gibbs piped up.

     "But as you can imagine," Pintel said, staring at Gibbs before turning to Will again, "that didn't sit too well with the captain."

     "That didn't sit too well with the captain at all," the other pirate said with a laugh. "Tell him what Barbossa did."

     "I'm telling the story!" Pintel roared at him before looking back at Will. "So, what the captain did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstraps. Last we saw of ol' Bill Turner, he was sinkin' into the crushin' black oblivion of Davy Jones's locker!" As Will filled with a sense of dread, he added, "'Course, it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse."

     "Now that's what you call ironic," the one-eyed pirate said, and they both started laughing.

     Will's teeth clenched as he pondered over what he had just been told, narrowing his eyes as the two pirates stopped laughing and he glanced over to see Barbossa watching them.

     "Bring him," the captain said before throwing the cell keys at the one-eyed pirate.

     "Please, Victoria," Will muttered under his breath as he backed away from the bars, wishing that somehow she would hear him, "take care of your sister for me..."