Fic: Ghosts 2/? [PotC, Sparrabeth, PG-13]
Title: Ghosts 2/?
Author: GylzGirl
Rating: PG-13 for now
Fandom: PotC
Pairing: Sparrabeth
Continuity: This fic is a sequel to Fate Intervenes.
Summary: After leaving Libertalia, Jack and Elizabeth Sparrow once again take to sailing the seas on the Black Pearl; but raw emotions, rough seas and the past seek to test their happily ever after.
Beta: Karen, the Awesome.
Author's Notes: I'm thrilled with the response so far. Thank you to everyone who left such lovely feedback. I'm updating as fast as I can. I've got a lot of RL stuff going on right now but I'm writing whenever I get the chance.
******************************
CHAPTER TWO: Shipwreck
The thunder was now competing with a much more ominous sound; a cacophony of rending wood. The Pearl spun forcefully in the water causing the crew to grab hold of anything nearby they thought would stabilize them. Jack managed to reach up and seize onto the railing. Elizabeth made a dive for his leg when the ship lurched again and she was sent sliding across the now tilted deck. Jack could only watch as she flew away from his outstretched hand and slammed against starboard. She blinked and clutched her side, winded. In the next instant, she captured the railing and hung on for dear life.
Icy sea water sloshed onto the deck leaving frothy trails as it rolled before disappearing between the wood slats. Another wave lapped water over the railing and doused Elizabeth. Wet, cold and sputtering, she nodded to Jack that she was fine and tightened her hold of the rail. Lightening cracked above, splintering the sky with white light. The ocean rose up, temporarily leveling the deck as the Pearl was carried sideways across the water. The wave that was carrying them suddenly seemed to loose momentum and the ship dipped and wobbled before being struck again. This wave tilted the ship to port and Elizabeth found herself hanging from her stronghold. Panic raced through her system as her wet hands began to slip around the dampened wood. Her boots scratched against the deck uselessly trying to gain some leverage with which to pull herself back up.
Just as she was certain she was about to lose her grip, the ship righted itself again. Not knowing how long a lull they'd have this time, there was a furious outbreak of activity on deck. Elizabeth clambered to her feet and went immediately to the rigging along with several other members of the crew. Jack stood and made his way to Gibbs who was still gripping the wheel.
"Think it were a reef, Jack. Never even saw the blighted thing with this chop."
"We need to head inland 'fore we start takin' on water. Get a look at how bad the gash be," Jack said.
"Blast! Whole thing's a spider's web!" Marty's voice carried down from the top mast. All heads on deck looked up to see the mess the rigging had become.
Grasping a dangling rope, Elizabeth began to climb up the mast. Jack made no move to stop her but kept a watchful eye as he continued his conversation with Gibbs. "Any idea where we are, Mate?"
"Aye, but it be a vague one to be sure. Too many clouded nights with no stars to fix on," Gibbs said.
"Marty!" Jack yelled up.
"Aye?"
"Scout for land. Any scrub'll do."
Marty and Elizabeth exchanged a look. She nodded and he scrambled up even higher. She pulled her boot-dagger out and began to work on some of the ropes. Jack grinned below. Elizabeth and Marty, both being the lightest of the crew, had made the topmost rigging their domain. She had become most adept at those duties, graceful as anything when she climbed and swung. She hadn't ventured up since they left Libertalia and it did Jack's heart good to see her return to herself just that little bit more. A recollection of Elizabeth climbing a coconut tree in a tattered pink dress surfaced and he smiled even wider.
Elizabeth slipped her dagger back into its boot-sheath. When she did, she caught Jack smiling up at her, his face full of love. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Island ahead port, Jack," Marty shouted. "Few houses and some big castle thing. Not far but this side be rockier than Gibraltar's left nut. Have to come at it due west."
Elizabeth's eyes followed Marty's gaze. She gasped. Castle was indeed an apt description; dark stone, nearly as dark as the rocky land it perched upon and turreted towers. She wondered at what kind of people were likely to inhabit such a place. She worried about what kind of reception they'd receive and what condition the Pearl would be in when they made it to the shore. The only purpose she could conclude from this remote habitation was the burning need to be left alone. How long would they be infringing on these people whose very choice of location screamed at others to stay away. What if the Pearl was shredded upon closer approach? Elizabeth didn't fancy the idea of being trapped on a black rock in the middle of the ocean with no way to escape. Lightening flashed again and drew her eyes away from the mysterious island and back to the surface of the water. It was swelling angrily and rolling towards them with all speed.
"Brace yourselves, boys," Elizabeth yelled. "We're about to go for another tumble." She wove her limbs into the rigging, as did Marty. Jack got a good grip of the wheel. Gibbs held fast to some rope around the base of the mast. The rest of the crew got hold of whatever they could as the Black Pearl once again rose with the swell of the Caribbean and drifted sideways. The angle was gentler this time and it seemed luck had finally favored them for this latest push was in the direction of the island.
About five minutes after that, however, luck clearly got distracted by something shiny and forgot all about them. Another abrupt jerk, accompanied by the disconcerting crack of wood, rocked the ship. The Pearl pitched in the water. A massive wave rolled across the deck and back out to sea, taking a few of the crew with it.
Jack coughed away the brackish water. He didn't need to spare a glance to check on Gibbs because the drenched man was sputtering beside him. He craned his neck to see Elizabeth and Marty clutching to ropes. They'd lost their footholds and were dangling like the trinkets in his hair. "Jack!" she yelled.
"Hold on, Lizzie," Jack shouted. "Soon have it right."
Jack began to turn the wheel when he heard Gibbs gasp beside him. "Mary, Mother o'God."
Jack turned his head and saw the biggest wave yet looming starboard. He froze in place and took a deep breath. "Bugger." The deck was flooded. Jack felt his feet come up and held tighter to the pegs.
"JACK!!" He heard Elizabeth scream from overhead. His head snapped up just in time to see her lose her grip on the rope and fall. Fortunately, the slant of the Pearl caused her to miss crashing to the deck. Adversely, she flew completely past the railing and dropped into the rough sea. She quickly slipped from view.
Jack's wide eyes met those of his First Mate. "Gibbs!"
Having watched the whole thing himself, all Gibbs could say was, "Go, Jack!"
"The helm, man!" Jack said.
"Aye," the older man shouted. He lunged from his handhold to the wooden wheel.
"I'll meet ye on the beach or else…"
"Else wise what?" Gibbs asked.
Jack smiled. "Else wise, you've just made Captain." He clapped Gibbs on the back, took a running start and dove into the ocean where he last saw Elizabeth.
******
The sea was a freezing, churning, blindness. The clouds above had effectively blotted out any useful sunlight. All manner of flotsam was agitating in the water, stirred up by the rough waves. It was like being suspended in ink; one man groping blindly in the darkness, hoping to happen upon a specific mermaid in the expanse of the Caribbean. Opportunely, that one man happened to be Captain Jack Sparrow and if there was anything he had experience in, it was fetching Elizabeth from the aquatic depths. After all, it was how they met.
Jack closed his eyes against the debris and relaxed his body until he got a feel for the direction the current longed to drag him. Once detected, he propelled himself headlong that way, his hands outstretched before him, searching. He happened upon several pieces of driftwood before he encountered something suppler. It felt familiar and leg-ish. He could feel material which raised his hopes that he didn't have hold of a shark. He also felt smooth skin which indicated female. He squeezed what he assumed to be the calf. When there was no response, a chill that had nothing to do with the water spread throughout his system. Jack almost didn't want to surface, afraid of what he'd see. But if there was anything he could do for her, it sure as Hell wasn't going to be under here running out of air himself.
Bobbing to the surface, dragging in a breath that was nearly equal parts liquid and air, Jack blinked water from his eyes and focused on the sight before him. He had indeed found Elizabeth. She had washed against the side of an outcropping of rock. She was lucky enough to have washed up out of the water and wedged there in a crevice. Of course, it was only lucky if she were still alive. Her eyes were closed and the only movement of her body was caused by the waves around her. There was a bloody gash on her forehead. The ends of her hair were splayed across the water's surface creating a ghostly halo. Jack swallowed hard and pulled himself half up onto the rock beside her.
"Elizabeth," Jack yelled loudly, hoping to startle her awake. She didn't even twitch. He lowered his head to her breast, placed his ear over her heart and hoped he'd be able to discern a beat under the din of the storm and the waves. Upon hearing the steady thump-thump of her heart working, he squeezed her tightly and began to breathe again. Sliding an arm around her waist, he hoisted them both farther up the ledge to get his bearings.
The first thing Jack noticed was the island Marty had found. As he had mentioned, this side seemed almost entirely comprised of black rocky cliff with stone formations stretching out into the water. The rocks they were sitting on were some of the farthest out but still, clearly, belonged to the island. It was little wonder they hadn't seen it until they were almost on top of it. He could see several of his crew swimming in towards the start of a beach on the west side of the island. He couldn't tell how large the beach was because the view was obscured by yet more obsidian-colored stone.
A recognizable creaking of wood caught Jack's interest. He cast a glance over his shoulder to see the Black Pearl bobbling brokenly in the surf. She was being steered toward the beach, which meant that Gibbs must be alright. She was limping in but at least she was still moving, which was more than Elizabeth was doing. Jack turned his attention back to his injured wife. "Elizabeth," he called once more. Still there was no reaction. He had to get her ashore. Jack slipped carefully into the water. Gently, he disentangled Elizabeth from the rock and pulled her down next to him. It took him a few tries to get her head balanced on his shoulder with the still steady chop of the breakers pushing on them. Eventually, he managed it. One arm supporting his wife, Jack began to swim for the beach.
Jack glided through the black water smoothly. As soon as his boots touched ground under the water, he switched his hold of Elizabeth to a carrying position. They emerged from the water slowly, both drenched to the bone. Jack nearly stumbled once fully on the beach. He walked a few paces to a driftwood log and sat heavily, Elizabeth across his lap. He shook his head. He was bloody exhausted, but there was so much yet to do.
A loud thudding noise signaled the Pearl hitting bottom just off shore. Jack watched as hurled ropes began to spider down from her deck. Resting crewman scrambled back out to the water to take hold of the ends and start to drag her securely onto the beach. More ropes appeared over the side. This time Gibbs and those crew that had not washed over were climbing down into the thigh-deep water. Upon landing, they used their ropes to assist in towing the Pearl ashore.
On seeing Jack, Gibbs left the towing to the crew and made straight for him. He saw Elizabeth, pale, bloody and motionless across Jack's lap. "Glory be, Jack. Tell me she's not."
"She's not. But she is hurt. Stay and help her, Mate. I'll see to the Pearl."
"No, Jack," Gibbs said. Jack looked up at him. "I be of no use to her without supplies. And all of ours are either soaked through or sunk to the depths." Gibbs looked above to the higher ground and dwellings Marty had seen from the ship. "Go and find her help, Jack. I'll see to things here."
Jack nodded and stood with Elizabeth. Hoisting her up to get a tighter hold, he turned and made for the trail leading from the beach to the hillside. He walked more unsteadily than usual, tired to his very soul. They finally cleared a ridge and the small settlement of homes came into view. Shadowed figures moved around the front of the houses. Jack held tighter to Elizabeth. They could have landed anywhere and could be about to deal with any kind of people. But, he needed their help. Jack worried his lip with his teeth. Being in this vulnerable a position made him jumpy. However, he had little choice.
"Oy, over here!" He yelled with far more bravado than he felt. "She's hurt… render assistance and all that? Come on now! Tout suite!"
Four of the figures broke away from the others and approached. A kind-faced young man led the group and took in the sight Jack and Elizabeth made. "We heard the shipwreck. Is anyone else hurt?" he said in Spanish.
Jack blinked for a moment, a little ashamed. "I don't know," he answered honestly in English. The young man signaled for the other men to head down to the beach and check.
The young man of perhaps 20 continued in heavily accented English. "I'm afraid we haven't supplies enough in the village but the big house will be able to help. My name is Alejo Clemente. Please, I'll take her and you can follow me up."
Jack recognized the introduction as a means of garnering trust. His first impression of the boy was that it was done in benevolence as Jack was certain he looked as likely to drop from fatigue as he felt. Still, there was no way he was releasing Elizabeth to a stranger.
"Just show me, thanks all the same."
Alejo nodded, taking no offense. "It's this way, Sir."
"Jack. Name's Jack."
"This way, Jack."
TBC: CHAPTER THREE: The Marquesa de Andelusia
Previously:
1. Lost at Sea
Crossposted to sparrabeth, deppfanfiction, and pirates_bride
Author: GylzGirl
Rating: PG-13 for now
Fandom: PotC
Pairing: Sparrabeth
Continuity: This fic is a sequel to Fate Intervenes.
Summary: After leaving Libertalia, Jack and Elizabeth Sparrow once again take to sailing the seas on the Black Pearl; but raw emotions, rough seas and the past seek to test their happily ever after.
Beta: Karen, the Awesome.
Author's Notes: I'm thrilled with the response so far. Thank you to everyone who left such lovely feedback. I'm updating as fast as I can. I've got a lot of RL stuff going on right now but I'm writing whenever I get the chance.
******************************
CHAPTER TWO: Shipwreck
The thunder was now competing with a much more ominous sound; a cacophony of rending wood. The Pearl spun forcefully in the water causing the crew to grab hold of anything nearby they thought would stabilize them. Jack managed to reach up and seize onto the railing. Elizabeth made a dive for his leg when the ship lurched again and she was sent sliding across the now tilted deck. Jack could only watch as she flew away from his outstretched hand and slammed against starboard. She blinked and clutched her side, winded. In the next instant, she captured the railing and hung on for dear life.
Icy sea water sloshed onto the deck leaving frothy trails as it rolled before disappearing between the wood slats. Another wave lapped water over the railing and doused Elizabeth. Wet, cold and sputtering, she nodded to Jack that she was fine and tightened her hold of the rail. Lightening cracked above, splintering the sky with white light. The ocean rose up, temporarily leveling the deck as the Pearl was carried sideways across the water. The wave that was carrying them suddenly seemed to loose momentum and the ship dipped and wobbled before being struck again. This wave tilted the ship to port and Elizabeth found herself hanging from her stronghold. Panic raced through her system as her wet hands began to slip around the dampened wood. Her boots scratched against the deck uselessly trying to gain some leverage with which to pull herself back up.
Just as she was certain she was about to lose her grip, the ship righted itself again. Not knowing how long a lull they'd have this time, there was a furious outbreak of activity on deck. Elizabeth clambered to her feet and went immediately to the rigging along with several other members of the crew. Jack stood and made his way to Gibbs who was still gripping the wheel.
"Think it were a reef, Jack. Never even saw the blighted thing with this chop."
"We need to head inland 'fore we start takin' on water. Get a look at how bad the gash be," Jack said.
"Blast! Whole thing's a spider's web!" Marty's voice carried down from the top mast. All heads on deck looked up to see the mess the rigging had become.
Grasping a dangling rope, Elizabeth began to climb up the mast. Jack made no move to stop her but kept a watchful eye as he continued his conversation with Gibbs. "Any idea where we are, Mate?"
"Aye, but it be a vague one to be sure. Too many clouded nights with no stars to fix on," Gibbs said.
"Marty!" Jack yelled up.
"Aye?"
"Scout for land. Any scrub'll do."
Marty and Elizabeth exchanged a look. She nodded and he scrambled up even higher. She pulled her boot-dagger out and began to work on some of the ropes. Jack grinned below. Elizabeth and Marty, both being the lightest of the crew, had made the topmost rigging their domain. She had become most adept at those duties, graceful as anything when she climbed and swung. She hadn't ventured up since they left Libertalia and it did Jack's heart good to see her return to herself just that little bit more. A recollection of Elizabeth climbing a coconut tree in a tattered pink dress surfaced and he smiled even wider.
Elizabeth slipped her dagger back into its boot-sheath. When she did, she caught Jack smiling up at her, his face full of love. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Island ahead port, Jack," Marty shouted. "Few houses and some big castle thing. Not far but this side be rockier than Gibraltar's left nut. Have to come at it due west."
Elizabeth's eyes followed Marty's gaze. She gasped. Castle was indeed an apt description; dark stone, nearly as dark as the rocky land it perched upon and turreted towers. She wondered at what kind of people were likely to inhabit such a place. She worried about what kind of reception they'd receive and what condition the Pearl would be in when they made it to the shore. The only purpose she could conclude from this remote habitation was the burning need to be left alone. How long would they be infringing on these people whose very choice of location screamed at others to stay away. What if the Pearl was shredded upon closer approach? Elizabeth didn't fancy the idea of being trapped on a black rock in the middle of the ocean with no way to escape. Lightening flashed again and drew her eyes away from the mysterious island and back to the surface of the water. It was swelling angrily and rolling towards them with all speed.
"Brace yourselves, boys," Elizabeth yelled. "We're about to go for another tumble." She wove her limbs into the rigging, as did Marty. Jack got a good grip of the wheel. Gibbs held fast to some rope around the base of the mast. The rest of the crew got hold of whatever they could as the Black Pearl once again rose with the swell of the Caribbean and drifted sideways. The angle was gentler this time and it seemed luck had finally favored them for this latest push was in the direction of the island.
About five minutes after that, however, luck clearly got distracted by something shiny and forgot all about them. Another abrupt jerk, accompanied by the disconcerting crack of wood, rocked the ship. The Pearl pitched in the water. A massive wave rolled across the deck and back out to sea, taking a few of the crew with it.
Jack coughed away the brackish water. He didn't need to spare a glance to check on Gibbs because the drenched man was sputtering beside him. He craned his neck to see Elizabeth and Marty clutching to ropes. They'd lost their footholds and were dangling like the trinkets in his hair. "Jack!" she yelled.
"Hold on, Lizzie," Jack shouted. "Soon have it right."
Jack began to turn the wheel when he heard Gibbs gasp beside him. "Mary, Mother o'God."
Jack turned his head and saw the biggest wave yet looming starboard. He froze in place and took a deep breath. "Bugger." The deck was flooded. Jack felt his feet come up and held tighter to the pegs.
"JACK!!" He heard Elizabeth scream from overhead. His head snapped up just in time to see her lose her grip on the rope and fall. Fortunately, the slant of the Pearl caused her to miss crashing to the deck. Adversely, she flew completely past the railing and dropped into the rough sea. She quickly slipped from view.
Jack's wide eyes met those of his First Mate. "Gibbs!"
Having watched the whole thing himself, all Gibbs could say was, "Go, Jack!"
"The helm, man!" Jack said.
"Aye," the older man shouted. He lunged from his handhold to the wooden wheel.
"I'll meet ye on the beach or else…"
"Else wise what?" Gibbs asked.
Jack smiled. "Else wise, you've just made Captain." He clapped Gibbs on the back, took a running start and dove into the ocean where he last saw Elizabeth.
******
The sea was a freezing, churning, blindness. The clouds above had effectively blotted out any useful sunlight. All manner of flotsam was agitating in the water, stirred up by the rough waves. It was like being suspended in ink; one man groping blindly in the darkness, hoping to happen upon a specific mermaid in the expanse of the Caribbean. Opportunely, that one man happened to be Captain Jack Sparrow and if there was anything he had experience in, it was fetching Elizabeth from the aquatic depths. After all, it was how they met.
Jack closed his eyes against the debris and relaxed his body until he got a feel for the direction the current longed to drag him. Once detected, he propelled himself headlong that way, his hands outstretched before him, searching. He happened upon several pieces of driftwood before he encountered something suppler. It felt familiar and leg-ish. He could feel material which raised his hopes that he didn't have hold of a shark. He also felt smooth skin which indicated female. He squeezed what he assumed to be the calf. When there was no response, a chill that had nothing to do with the water spread throughout his system. Jack almost didn't want to surface, afraid of what he'd see. But if there was anything he could do for her, it sure as Hell wasn't going to be under here running out of air himself.
Bobbing to the surface, dragging in a breath that was nearly equal parts liquid and air, Jack blinked water from his eyes and focused on the sight before him. He had indeed found Elizabeth. She had washed against the side of an outcropping of rock. She was lucky enough to have washed up out of the water and wedged there in a crevice. Of course, it was only lucky if she were still alive. Her eyes were closed and the only movement of her body was caused by the waves around her. There was a bloody gash on her forehead. The ends of her hair were splayed across the water's surface creating a ghostly halo. Jack swallowed hard and pulled himself half up onto the rock beside her.
"Elizabeth," Jack yelled loudly, hoping to startle her awake. She didn't even twitch. He lowered his head to her breast, placed his ear over her heart and hoped he'd be able to discern a beat under the din of the storm and the waves. Upon hearing the steady thump-thump of her heart working, he squeezed her tightly and began to breathe again. Sliding an arm around her waist, he hoisted them both farther up the ledge to get his bearings.
The first thing Jack noticed was the island Marty had found. As he had mentioned, this side seemed almost entirely comprised of black rocky cliff with stone formations stretching out into the water. The rocks they were sitting on were some of the farthest out but still, clearly, belonged to the island. It was little wonder they hadn't seen it until they were almost on top of it. He could see several of his crew swimming in towards the start of a beach on the west side of the island. He couldn't tell how large the beach was because the view was obscured by yet more obsidian-colored stone.
A recognizable creaking of wood caught Jack's interest. He cast a glance over his shoulder to see the Black Pearl bobbling brokenly in the surf. She was being steered toward the beach, which meant that Gibbs must be alright. She was limping in but at least she was still moving, which was more than Elizabeth was doing. Jack turned his attention back to his injured wife. "Elizabeth," he called once more. Still there was no reaction. He had to get her ashore. Jack slipped carefully into the water. Gently, he disentangled Elizabeth from the rock and pulled her down next to him. It took him a few tries to get her head balanced on his shoulder with the still steady chop of the breakers pushing on them. Eventually, he managed it. One arm supporting his wife, Jack began to swim for the beach.
Jack glided through the black water smoothly. As soon as his boots touched ground under the water, he switched his hold of Elizabeth to a carrying position. They emerged from the water slowly, both drenched to the bone. Jack nearly stumbled once fully on the beach. He walked a few paces to a driftwood log and sat heavily, Elizabeth across his lap. He shook his head. He was bloody exhausted, but there was so much yet to do.
A loud thudding noise signaled the Pearl hitting bottom just off shore. Jack watched as hurled ropes began to spider down from her deck. Resting crewman scrambled back out to the water to take hold of the ends and start to drag her securely onto the beach. More ropes appeared over the side. This time Gibbs and those crew that had not washed over were climbing down into the thigh-deep water. Upon landing, they used their ropes to assist in towing the Pearl ashore.
On seeing Jack, Gibbs left the towing to the crew and made straight for him. He saw Elizabeth, pale, bloody and motionless across Jack's lap. "Glory be, Jack. Tell me she's not."
"She's not. But she is hurt. Stay and help her, Mate. I'll see to the Pearl."
"No, Jack," Gibbs said. Jack looked up at him. "I be of no use to her without supplies. And all of ours are either soaked through or sunk to the depths." Gibbs looked above to the higher ground and dwellings Marty had seen from the ship. "Go and find her help, Jack. I'll see to things here."
Jack nodded and stood with Elizabeth. Hoisting her up to get a tighter hold, he turned and made for the trail leading from the beach to the hillside. He walked more unsteadily than usual, tired to his very soul. They finally cleared a ridge and the small settlement of homes came into view. Shadowed figures moved around the front of the houses. Jack held tighter to Elizabeth. They could have landed anywhere and could be about to deal with any kind of people. But, he needed their help. Jack worried his lip with his teeth. Being in this vulnerable a position made him jumpy. However, he had little choice.
"Oy, over here!" He yelled with far more bravado than he felt. "She's hurt… render assistance and all that? Come on now! Tout suite!"
Four of the figures broke away from the others and approached. A kind-faced young man led the group and took in the sight Jack and Elizabeth made. "We heard the shipwreck. Is anyone else hurt?" he said in Spanish.
Jack blinked for a moment, a little ashamed. "I don't know," he answered honestly in English. The young man signaled for the other men to head down to the beach and check.
The young man of perhaps 20 continued in heavily accented English. "I'm afraid we haven't supplies enough in the village but the big house will be able to help. My name is Alejo Clemente. Please, I'll take her and you can follow me up."
Jack recognized the introduction as a means of garnering trust. His first impression of the boy was that it was done in benevolence as Jack was certain he looked as likely to drop from fatigue as he felt. Still, there was no way he was releasing Elizabeth to a stranger.
"Just show me, thanks all the same."
Alejo nodded, taking no offense. "It's this way, Sir."
"Jack. Name's Jack."
"This way, Jack."
TBC: CHAPTER THREE: The Marquesa de Andelusia
Previously:
1. Lost at Sea
Crossposted to sparrabeth, deppfanfiction, and pirates_bride