Adeena Cole: At World's End

Chapter Nine: Powerful

"It'll stay that way." I said with a burning fierceness. "Tia, what else can I do?"

She grinned.

***

Jack coughed and pushed himself up, hearing a great whoosh noise as the water slid off the Pearl and tumbled into the ocean.

And the great Captain Jack Sparrow does it again, he thought with a bit of pride. Everyone else was pulling themselves up, panting and dripping with water. Barboussa looked particularly ridiculous. Jack found a bit of happiness in that.

"Blessed sweet westerlies! We're back!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"It's the sunrise..." Elizabeth murmured, her hair sticking to her forehead. Even soaked, she was beautiful. Jack scolded himself half-heartedly.

Pintel and Ragetti were rushing to escape the mess they had gotten into, tied to the mast. "This was your idea!" Pintel growled.

He stood up, followed by Barboussa, Lizzy, and Will. He knew what was coming.

He drew both pistols as the other three did, already tired of the argument before it had began.

"Parley?" Cotton's parrot squawked. The monkey had a flintlock pointed at his head.

Apparently, someone else was sick of fighting as well.

Jack felt someone stop beside him. "Really? We haven't even charted the course yet."

He smiled widely. Adeena held up her handgun, the one she called Pistolina, for whatever reason, a hard look in her eyes.

I am very lucky, he realized. Very lucky she has chosen me...

Barboussa chuckled.

So did the rest of them. They lowered their guns, grinning, obviously faking.

"Alright then," The grizzled captan growled, and Jack the Monkey squeaked as everyone pulled up their weapons again. "The pirates be a-gatherin' at Shipwreck Cove, and we'll be a-goin', there's no arguing it, right Jack?"

He stiffened, thinking of Teague's cold eyes. "I is arguing the point," He shot back. "If there's pirates a-gatherin', I am a-pointing my ship the other way."

Barboussa's lips tightened as Jack mocked the way he had spoken.

"The pirates are gathering to fight Beckett, and you are a pirate!" Elizabeth turned both her guns on him. Adeena hissed and put Pistolina to her forehead.

William let his eyes rest on Jack. "Fight or not, Jack, you aren't running."

Jack's heart twinged uncomfortably.

"If we don' stand together, they'll hunt us down, one by one, until there be none left but you." Barboussa spat at Jack, his beady eyes sparking with anger. Jack felt his own resentment for the traitor rise.

The last pirate... he thought.

"I quite like the sound of that," He chose to say, grinning. "Captain Jack Sparrow, the Last Pirate."

He saw Adeena give him a sharp glance. He chose to say nothing,

"Aye, and ye'll be fightin' Jones alone. How does that figure into yer plans?" Barboussa raised an eyebrow.