Sparrow's Love

Chapter 3: Escape

"What's going on here? Why are both my daughters practically naked and my youngest hugging a stranger? Maria, stop it now!" I hear Mr. Swann shout. I pull away while looking down blushing. I stand up and so does Mr. Smith and Elizabeth.

"Well Father, I passed out because of the lack of oxygen in my lungs and fell from the fort. Maria and this man here jumped in to rescue me. So, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now," Elizabeth explains to Mr. Swann and the Commodore.

"You can put your weapons down now, men," Mr. Swann says to the armed guards.

"I believe thanks are in order," Commodore says as he stretches out his hand to Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith hesitates then takes his hand. Commodore suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled back his sleeve. I couldn't believe what I saw. He's a pirate. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company did we, pirate?" Commodore asks. Mr. Smith winces slightly.

"Hang him," Mr. Swann says and Mr. Smith looks at him as if he were telling him to 'shut up.'

"Keep your guns on him! Gillette, fetch some irons!" Commodore demands. He moves his sleeve up further to reveal a tattoo of a flying sparrow. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" I should have known all along that his name wasn't Smith. Doesn't matter really. I like the name Jack better.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir," Jack says.

"Well, I don't see your ship, Captain," Commodore says.

"I'm in the market, as it were," Jack replies coolly. I must give him praise. He doesn't seem fazed at all.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one," Murtogg says.

"Told you he was telling the truth. These are his, sir," Mullroy says handing Jack's effects to Commodore.

Commodore picks up the pistol. "No additional shot nor powder." He picks up the compass and opens it. "A compass that doesn't point North." He then examines the sword. "And I half expected it to be made of wood." Commodore looks at him in disbelief. "You are without doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me," Jack says.

Commodore grabbed Jack's arm and dragged him towards Gillette who was behind the troops.

"Commodore I really must protest," Elizabeth says following after them. I also follow and stand next to Elizabeth.

"Carefully, Lieutenant," Commodore says to Gillette.

"Pirate or not, this man saved my life, along with Maria," Elizabeth says motioning to me.

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness," Commodore says.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack says.

"Indeed," Commodore agrees.

Gillette finishes clasping the irons on Jack and walks away.

"Finally," Jack says and places his chains around my neck. I gasp in surprise and Elizabeth jumps away and stands next to Mr. Swann and looks at me in distress.

"Shoot him!" Commodore cries.

"No don't! My Maria is with him." I smile at my father's/Mr. Swann's words.

"I knew you'd warm up to me," Jack says to Mr. Swann. "Commodore Norrington my effects please, and my hat," Jack says. Commodore hesitates. "Commodore!" He says while tightening the chains around my neck to encourage him. I groan at the tightness. "It is Maria, isn't it?" Jack asks while moving backwards slightly.

"It's Miss Swann," I reply in anger.

"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind. Come, come, dear. We don't have all day," Jack says and Commodore hands me his effects. He swings me around to face him and points his pistol to my head. "Now, if you'll be very kind." I put his hat on his head, and I strap his sword belt around his body. "Easy on the goods, darling," he says while I tighten his belt.

I look up at him and whisper, "Take me with you." He nods in reply and swings me back around still with his pistol to my head.

"By the way, I'll be taking this little Miss with me. I need some fun," he says winking suggestively at Elizabeth while pulling me with him. "Gentleman, milady. You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow," he says and pulls me behind him and says, "Hold on tight, love."

I wrap my arms around him and with that, we are catapulted into the air. No shots were fired because I'm with him.