Pirates of the Caribbean 6: Hoist the Colours

What He Found

I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and rubbed my palms together. He was shaking, his mouth gaping, his knees weak. He took a step closer to me.

"You." He whispered, and his eyes suddenly filled with a joy and softness which I'd never seen in the dashing Captain. He shuddered and smiled, trying to hold in a joyful sob while moving closer with each step. I stepped away from the desk and he approached me, jerking out a nervous arm and holding his hand inches from my face.

"You-you're alive." He was still whispering in astonishment, droplets of tears crowning his eyes. Right when I thought I'd watch them finally drip down his face, seeing him reveal feelings for the first time, his eyes changed. His perfect, lovely world was flooded with the memories of realizations. Pain struck his eyes, as if he'd just now recalled what he'd heard moments before he lost me... how I'd hurt him. Then, the dull emotionless covered his cheeks again. He cleared his throat and retracted his hand.

"I have your necklace. I was wondering how a pirate captain had come to possess the necklace of a dead girl." He stated matter-of-factly, as if he didn't even truly believe I was standing before him.

"Jack, do you think this is some kind of game?"

He shrugged. "There is no way that my first mate-- my closest confidante-- could be my old bonny lass, savvy? That old Jones is messing with my eyes."

I don't think frustration has ever set as deeply into my core as it did in that moment.

"Captain Jack Sparrow!" I wailed, trying to hold back my tears. I roughly grabbed him by the wrist.

"Touch me! Touch my face! See for yourself." Throwing back my hair, his eyes grabbed onto my scars, and his stone face collapsed into shame for a moment.

"And if you don't want to touch my face, then at least look. Look at the pain in it. Or ask. Ask me any question and I can prove my identity. Or think. Think about the pain I went through. Good blazes, Jack! Give me something!"

I advanced a step closer to him, desperately searching his eyes for a soft spot. If I could grasp onto that long enough, maybe I'd have time to explain. His eyes physically hurt to look at, full of empathy and sorrow, so I fixated down on his boots. His hand quivered as it reached out again, lightly cupping my cheek finally. A static feeling rushed through our skin, as if in the same moment he'd realized the reality of my existence I'd finally realized his.

"I missed you, mate, I..." He stuttered quietly, and I nodded as I felt at his hand, still rested on my face.

"Jack, you have no idea how much it hurt to leave it the way we did," I paused and closed my eyes. "If I would have had the time I would have told you... I would've explained that I wasn't--"

"Oi," He startled me out of my dismal rush of regret. "Let's not talk about that right now. We're going to have to do enough of that to figure out this bloody 'curse of the land'." Suddenly, he'd flipped back to the Jack Sparrow everyone was familiar with.

Snapping his fingers, he then flicked a hand above his head as he turned on his heels, sashaying towards the door with his ultimate confident swagger.

"Come on, chop chop. I have a crew to run and a ship to man." After he'd landed at the door, he looked back at me. "I don't have time to dally on these mere..." He animated with his hand and eyebrows. "...empty sentimentalities. Savvy?"

"Wow, Jack. What's your rush?" I crossed my arms.

Flinging the door open, I saw a quite startled first mate on the other side.

"Mr. Gibbs!" He triumphantly announced.

"Jack! Whaddya find?" Mr. Gibbs seemed startled.

Jack shrugged. "Just a salty wench. Or, I suppose, the salty wench." He stuttered, wiping his nose and shifting his feet, trying to seem apathetic.

"I-I mean the salty wench which I was searching for." Gibbs shot him a witty smile, seeing right through his uncaring display.

"...who is also two salty wenches. Or at least a salty wench I didn't know. Well, I suppose I knew her, but I didn't know that she was her. Or--" He waved his hand once again.

"Come along. Gibbs, you know what to do. We'll see you on the other side."

"Aye, Captain!" Gibbs motioned towards Pentel, then headed to the left down the gloomy hall. Stepping to the other side of the threshold, Jack feigned politeness.

"Ladies first," He bowed towards the right, motioning for me to take step with him. I wasn't even going to ask why we were separating from our crew.

I started to pass him, then stopped inches from his cheek.

"Jack is that really all you have to say to me after all this time? Is this the moment I've waited for for decades?"

He gripped my wrist tightly, then headed out the door, glancing back at me and flinging me behind him.

"We can talk later about all of this serious-lovey-dovey cursey-worsey mumbo-jumbo. Let's just get out of here."

We were back in the dark, moldy hallway. I couldn't see very far in front of me before the future disappeared in muggy darkness, and I glanced over to see Jack light a lantern while keeping his brisk pace.

"So what's the glorious plan of Captain Jack Sparrow?" As he walked in front of me, he spun around to face me and continued to move backwards. Opening his arms, he smiled.

"I value the element of imporivis--" he stopped as he felt himself run into something from behind. I gazed beyond him, seeing the outline of a man hidden in the darkness.

"Oi, 'ello. And who might you be?" As Jack spun around to meet the silhouette, his lantern lit up the face of the mystery.

"Oh, Dad. Fancy meeting you here."

"Jackieee." Captain Teague seemed to growl happily. "Long time no see, eh?" He turned to me. "And it's been a long time since I've seen you..." he motioned towards my attire. "...as this salty wench."

Jack whooped, seeing as how they shared the same sentiments. I rolled my eyes.

"While you boys stand around having a big time at my expense, I'm going to go try to get us out of this bloody mess." I pushed past them, but then felt someone grab me. I turned around to see Edward holding my forearm.

"I have to help the lot of you get out of this forsaken place. Jackie and me's got a plan, savvy?" I ripped away, striding over to stand back next to Jack.

"Fine. Lead the way, Teague." He shook his finger in my face, tapping his tongue.

"Ah, ah. You were much more respectful of me when you were still pretending to be that flower captain, weren't ya?"

"Aye. Blue Iris was so refreshing." Jack seemed to fantasize with his hands, his face then becoming gloomy. "But now we have to deal with her again."

They both groaned in agreement and I cleared my throat, smoothing my frock.

"My apologies. I'll be sure to avoid becoming the deceased, supportive, significant other of Jack Sparrow for an extended period of time so as to not annoy himself and his father in the future." Jack eyed me as I fired back, and it was silent for a few moments.

"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow."