A Life as a Pirate

“Time to walk up, love,” Jack whispered into my ear.
I groaned and turned over putting my head in the pillow. “Go away,” I grumbled.
Jack chuckled, “Bell, wake up.” I lifted my head from the pillow with my hair falling in front of my scowling face. Jack smiled and pushed my hair back and tucked it behind my ears. He then stood up and handed me my boots and sword. “Up!” he demanded.
I growled as I grabbed for my boots but he quickly pulled them away. Narrowing my eyes I grabbed for them again but he took a step back. I sat up throwing my legs over the side of the bed and grabbed for them again, but again Jack stepped back. I scrunched up my face and lunged at Jack, knocking him to the floor.
“Happy,” I smiled.
He dropped my boots and sword and placed his hands on my hips, “Very.”
I rolled my eyes and stood up. I put on my boots and grabbed my sword. “Where are we headed, Captain?”
“A very old friend of mine,” he smiled opening the door to the bright sunlight. “Come, come. I want to be there by nightfall.”
I groaned, “How far do I have to walk?”
“Only to the boats, love,” he chuckled, “No further than that.”
I grumbled to myself as we walked out into the daylight and over to the boats. I climbed in next to Cotton and Jack climbed in after me. We sat at the front of the boat as we started down a small canal. I leaned up against Jack and watched as the day slowly turned into night and little fireflies were scattered all around the foggy water.
Jack stood as we finally reached out destination and climbed out, and then turning to help up to as well.
“No worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Think as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are. Were. Have been,” he said getting less and less confident as he spoke. “Before.”
“I’ll watch your back,” said Gibbs.
“It’s me front I’m worried about,” he grumbled. I followed Jack up and I heard a row of words behind me. I listened to them and smiled.
“Mind the boat.” Gibbs said to Will.
“Mind the boat.” Will said to Ragetti.
“Mind the boat.” Ragetti said to Pintel.
“Mind the boat.” Pintel said to Marty.
“Mind the boat.” Marty said to Cotton.
The bird squawks, “Mind the boat.” And Mr. Cotton is left alone with the boats.
I shook my head and watched as Jack slowly pushed the door open. And crouch walked in.
“Jack Sparrow,” a voice with a thick Jamaican accent came from within.
Jack stood up, “Tia Dalma.” I hid behind Will as he walked in and I peered around him at the woman.
She had dark tanned skin and dreadlocked hair like Jack. Her dress was matted and torn and many interesting things hung from her ceiling and littered her cabin.
“I always knew the wind was going to blow you back to me one day,” she smiled.
She looked at Will; I quickly hid behind him as her smile fell. “You…” she said, “You have a touch of…destiny about you, William Turner,” as she got closer I quickly went too hid behind Gibbs. Jack watched me intently but I was not giving up hiding, there was something off about this woman and I didn’t like it.
“You know me,” my brother whispered.
“You want to know me,” she smiled seductively.
“There’ll be no knowing here. We’ve come for help and we’re not leaving without it,” Jack said intervening the two. “I thought I knew you.
“Not so well as I had hoped…”
“Miss Turner, what you be doin’,” Gibbs asked me.
I straightened up from behind him, “Uh, nothing,” I mumbled.
Tia Dalma looked over to me and cocked her head. “Come ‘ere, child,” she said waving me closer. I slowly walked over to her, keeping my head down. She lifted my chin up once I had stopped and inspected me. “You,” she murmured. “Are not who you t’ink you are.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“You,” she said pointing to me, “Come with me.”
“Oi! What about…”
“You wait your turn, Jack Sparrow,” she said eyeing him. “This is of more greater need t’en you.”
I followed the woman to the back of the house and she went riffling through some of her things, muttering to herself. She then turned around and smiled at me. “I ‘ave some t’ings for you.”
“But why,” I asked her as he picked something up from acrossed the room, “You don’t even know me.”
“Jezabell Turner,” she smiled wickedly at me. “But you are not a Turner like you t’ink.”
“What,” I whispered.
“You were adoptad before you could even crawl, child. You’re parents t’at you know never told William.”
“So he doesn’t know either…”
She shook her head, “No.”
“But how do you know?”
Her smile grew, “I can always tell a relation of mine.” I gave her an odd look. “You, Jezabell, are a cousin of mine.”
“I…I…I’m related to you,” I stuttered.
She nodded, “And t’ere somet’ing else…” She came closer and whispered into my ear, “You are a Goddess.”
“Excuse me,” I asked looking at her like she was crazy.
“You are a goddess,” she said picking up a small velvet pouch. Tia Dalma pulled out a sliver necklace with a blue gem pendent shaped as a tear drop. “T’is is for you,” she put the necklace around my neck as I lifted up my hair, “It will protect you as long as you are on da sea.”
“Why the sea,” I whisper touching the necklace.
She chuckled, “Because you are a goddess of da sea, child. T’is necklace, as long as it’s on, can sense when you are in danga. And the sea shall help you.”
I shook my head, “But I can’t even swim.”
“You t’ink you can’t swim,” she smiled wiggling her finger at me, “but you can. You just got to relax, child, let the sea take over your body. You will find t’at you are a very good swimmer.” She walked away to another pile of things and pulled out a sword. “T’is is for you. De handle is made out of gold,” she said handing the sword over to me. “It ‘as been waiting here for you.”
I pulled the sword out of its leather hilt and held it. It was beautiful. I swung it a few times and it moved through the air in one fluid motion. It felt right in my hands. “I love it,” I murmured stroking the sword.
“It’s yours,” she smiled.
I put the sword back in its hilt and strapped it to my waist. “We should probably get back before Jack…”
“Jack Sparrow can wait,” she snapped. “I ‘ave one more present for you,” she smiled again and walked around the corner. I heard a little yip from what sounded like a dog and Tia Dalma came back around the corner with a little German Sheppard puppy following behind her.
“Oh my, he’s so cute,” I smiled kneeling down as the puppy came running at me. He licked my face repeatedly wagging his tail with joy. I looked up at Tia Dalma and saw she had nothing else with her, “Oh no.” I said shaking my head as I stood up. “Jack would never allow…”
“Jack will allow it,” she smiled. “I will make sure of it. He is for the lonely times that are ahead, child.”
“Lonely?” I questioned.
“In good time,” she murmured to me, “Come! Let us see what it is Jack Sparrow and William Turner need.”
We walked back out into the main room and I saw Will watching Jack pace back and forth, chewing on his thumb nail.
“Come,” Tia Dalma said sitting down in her chair.
“Come,” Jack said waving Will over to take the seat next to her. I saw both Jack and Will eye me but didn’t say a word to me.
I just bowed me head and patted the dog’s head that was now following me around.
“What service may I do you?” Tia smiled touching my brothers…Will’s face. “You know I demand payment,” Tia said lifting her head up at Jack.
“I brought payment,” he said and then whistled. Pintel brought forward the cage that held Barbossa’s monkey, Jack. “Look,” Jack said smiling as he pulled out his pistol. He then shot the monkey and the monkey screamed in pain but did not die, “An undead monkey.” He set the cage down in front of Tia, “Top that.”
Tia turned the cage and let the monkey out. “Don’t!” Gibbs gasped as the monkey skittered away. “You’ve no idea how long it took us to catch that.”
“The payment is fair,” she smiled putting the cage under the table.
Will pulled out the cloth with the drawing of a key on it, “We’re looking for this. And what it goes to.”
“De compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead to you t’is?” She questioned Jack.
He frowned, “Maybe. Why?”
“I hear you,” she chuckled, “Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Or do you know,” she eyed me slightly, “but are loath to claim it as your own?” Jack didn’t respond. “Your key go to a chest. And it is what lay inside the chest you seek, don’t it?”
“What is inside?” asked Gibbs.
“Gold?” asked Pintel. “Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?”
“Nothing bad, I hope?” said Ragetti.
“You know of Davy Jones,” asked Tia and the men replied with yes, “A man of de sea. A great sailor, until he run afoul of that which vex all men.” I watched Jack pick something up and place it in his pocket. He saw me and slightly smiled.
“What vexes all men?” asked Will.
“What indeed?” smiled Tia Dalma as he placed her hand on Will’s.
“The sea,” guessed Gibbs.
“Sums,” guessed Pintel.
“The dichotomy of good and evil,” guessed Ragetti.
“A woman,” said Jack.
“A woman,” agreed Tia. “He fell in love.”
“No, no, no, no. I heard it was the sea he fell in love with,” Gibbs countered.
“Same story, different versions, and all are true. See, it was a woman as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea.” I frowned watching Tia Dalma. Didn’t she say we were goddesses of the sea? Was it her he fell in love with? “’im never stopped lovein’ her. But the pain it cause him was too much to live with but not enough to cause ‘im to die.”
“What exactly did he put into the chest?” asked Will.
“Him heart,” she smiled.
“Literally or figuratively?” asked Ragetti.
“He couldn’t literally put his heart in a chest,” growled Pintel. “Could he?”
“It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings. And so, him carve out him heart, lock it away in a chest and hide the chest from the world. The key he keep with him at all times.”
Will stood up and faced Jack, “You knew this.”
“I did not. I didn’t know where the key was. But now we do. All that’s left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, eh?” he smiled snapping his fingers.
Jack went to leave and Tia Dalma stood up, “Let me see your hand.”
Jack gave her his left hand and she began to untie the cloth that was around it.
“The black spot!” gasped Gibbs. He quickly did a small dance and Ragetti and Pintel follow after him.
“My eyesight’s as good as ever, just so you know,” said Jack.
I frowned as Tia Dalma went back into the room we came from muttering to herself, “I have just the thing. Now, where did I put it?” She started to dig through things, “My little beauty, where are you? Such a long time in such a mess.” She finally came back with a big jar that looked to be full of dirt. “Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land with you,” she then handed him the jar.
Jack took it and eyed it oddly. “Dirt. This is a jar of dirt.”
“Yes.”
“Is the jar of dirt going to help?”
“If you don’t want it, give it back,” she said holding her hands.
Jack turned away protecting the jar of dirt, “No.”
She smiled, “Then it helps.” Pintel was eyeing the jar of dirt and Jack pulled it away from him holding it closer to his chest. I couldn’t help but giggle.
“It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman,” Will said to Tia Dalma.
Tia Dalma picked up a few things and shook them in her hands, “A touch of destiny.” She then threw down the crab claws on the table that had what looked like a small map. I frowned as she began to explain where we will need to go. I petted the dogs head and watched him eye his tail. I smiled.
“You need a name don’t you,” I murmured to the dog.
Jack lifted an eyebrow, “What’s the dog doing here? He’s not allowed on the ship…” I frowned.
“Jack Sparrow, you will allow the dog on your ship by my word,” said Tia Dalma.
“But…it’s a dog.”
“Yes, and you have a jar of dirt.”
“Oi. My jar of dirt is comforting,” he said rubbing the jar leaning at me.
“The dog is comforting to me,” I smiled patting the dogs head.
Jack’s eyes narrowed. The dog barked at him and he jumped. I giggled, “Good boy,” I said giving the dog attention.
“De dog will go on de Black Pearl with Jezabell, Jack Sparrow,” smiled Tia Dalma.
Jack grumbled a fine and we all left. I gave Tia a quick hug whispering thank you to her and followed out after the rest of the crew. We climbed back into the boats and headed back to the Pearl. I sat in the front with Jack again.
“I don’t like him,” Jack said eyeing the dog.
I giggled, “Why’s that?”
“First because he’s a dog. Second because he’s gonna take my place on the bed,” he grumbled.
I smiled, “You know, I could say the same for that jar of dirt in your arms, Jack.”
He set the jar down next to him. “What did Tia Dalma talk with you about?”
I looked at the others in the boat and shook my head. He nodded with an ‘ahh’. I thought for a moment and then leaned over, sticking my hand in the water. The water was cold at first but after a moment it began to warm up around my hand. As if someone was holding it. I leaned over the edge and stared at myself in the water. I gasped and fell into the water at what I saw.
“Jezabell!” I heard Jack yell as I fell in.
The water engulfed me but it was warm and welcoming. I felt the water swirl around me. I felt…free. I moved and was able to swim back up to the surface. I took a big breath of air while staying afloat. I smiled at Jack’s shocked face as he stood at the end of the boat. I smiled up at him and swam towards the boat. But I passed it. Swimming up to Will’s boat. Will was seated in the back, smiling I grabbed him and pulled him into the water with me.
Will came back up and pulled a dagger at my throat. I only giggled. His eyes widened and he quickly grabbed me holding me up. I shook my head pushing him away.
“I can swim,” I smiled. “This is amazing!” I cried throwing my hands up in the air.
Will laughed, “Good to know, now get back in the boat.”
I smiled swimming back to the boat and climbing in next to Jack. “She taught you how to swim.”
“Sorta,” I giggled. He eyed me suspiciously but I just leaned over and cuddled up next to him. He chuckled and stroked my wet hair.
The rest of the ride back to the ship was calm and quiet. I stayed curled up next to Jack while the puppy rested his head on my lap. I stuck my hand in the water and let the warm swirl around me. Jack chuckled watching me and kissed the top of my head.
Jack pushed me up onto the Black Pearl first and then handed up the puppy. I set him down on the deck and leaned over taking Jack’s hand. He climbed up the ladder and then quickly dragged me to his cabin; the puppy bounding behind us. Jack shut the door behind us, almost slamming it on the puppy’s tail.
“Jack…” I began but he quickly pressed his lips against mine. I pushed him away slightly and looked up at him, “Jack…What is this about?”
He placed his hands on my cheeks, thumbs running over my cheek bones, “Your eyes,” he murmured, “swirl grey, blue when you are in the water. It’s so…hypnotizing. So beautiful."
I blushed slightly. "That's probably from the necklace." I looked down at the blue pendent.
"What does it do?" Jake asked touching it.
"Protect me," I shrugged.
"Is my protection not enough," he asked smirking.
"Obviously not," I teased back.
"Oh, I'd love to see that shiny thing protect you from me" he growled grabbing my arms and pulling me closer.
"Do I need protection from you?" I asked, pulling his pistle from its hilt.
"Possibly," he smirked.
"Oh?" I asked lifting his gun into his eye sight. Jake cocked his head to the side as he chucked his holster. "Seems you've been disarmed, Jack."
"Captian," Jack stressed, "Captian Jack."
I smiled, "Then where's your hat, Jack?" I smiled. His eyes narrowed. "Seems anyone of us could be captian. Even me."
"And what would you have me do, Captian?"
"Go get me some food," I said waving his gun around.
Jack bowed, "As you wish, my Captian." I laughed as he left the room. The puppy jumped up on my legs and I giggled.
"What should we name you?" I cooed. The puppy barked as there was a knock t the door. "Yes?"
The door opened and Will stepped in. He raised an eyebrow. "Where's Jack?"
"The galley, getting me food," I said sitting at Jack's desk and putting my feet up. "What did you need?" Will shook his head. "What's wrong, Will?"
Will placed an arm up on the widow and looked at the sea behind us. "What's Jack to you, Jez?"
"What do you mean?" I frown.
"What does Jack mean to you, Jez?" he hissed.
"Why do you ask," I frown geting up.
"Answer the question, Jezabel," growled Will.
I clenched my jaw, "I don't know exactly what he means to me, but I'm sure the feeling is quite similar to your feeling towards Elizabeth."
"Why?!" snapped Will. He turned to me, "Why?"
"I can't explain why, Will! Can you explain why you feel the way you feel for Elizabeth?" I snapped back.
"That's not the same," Will said quietly.
"How is it not, William? Why are you so against this?" I frown.
"Because you're not a pirate, Jez," Will said grabbing my arms. "I know Dad was..." He stopped when I looked away. "Jez?"
"My dad wasn't a Pirate, Will," I whisper pulling away from him. "Yours was."
Will blinked, "What?"
"We...we aren't really siblings, Will," I whisper. "I was adopted by your mother and father when we were really little."
Will shook his head, "How do you know this?"
"Tia Dalma told me," I frowned. "She's my cousin I guewss and she knew I was adopted."
"So...all this time, you haven't been my sister?" asked Will.
"No," I whispered, tears slipping off my cheeks.
Will shook his head, scoffing, "Well, I guess our previous conversation means nothing. What I think doesn't matter." Will then stormed out of the room, slaming the door behind him.
I bitmy lip and turned to the window and looked out at the water. I heard the door open and shut, and clunking boots across the floor. "Bell?" Jack whispered gently touching my shoulders.
"You heard that, didn't you," I whispered.
"Yes," he nodded. "Is it true? You aren't a Turner?"
"I guess not." I snort, "I guess if they had only used my blood for the Cortez curse, it wouldn't have worked."
"I'm sorry, Bell," he said wrapping his arms around me.
"It doesn't matter," I said, shrugging. "Will apparently doesn't."
Jack was quiet a moment. "I brought you food," he said letting me go.
"I'm not that hungry anymore," I sighed. "Sorry, Jack."
Jack's face fell, "Well, then what would you like to do?"
I sighed, "You've got a ship to sail, Captian." I waved my hands. "Go."
Jack took my waist, "Will you be alright?"
I nod, "Yes, Jack. I'll be fine." Jack kissed me before dashing out of the room. I shook my head and sat down in front of the window to watch the skys grow dark. A storm was coming.