A Pirate's Life for Me

Chapter 15 Goodbyes

"I'm sorry, Jack." Elizabeth said at last, unable to bear the silence any more, and Jack simply shrugged.

"They done what's right by them." Jack answered calmly, facing his fate. "Can't expect more than that."

Elizabeth bit her lip, glancing to her sister, but Annalise was resolutely refusing to meet any of their eyes as she stared at the rowboat's floor while they travelled in silence.

***********

Jack glanced up from his cell as he heard soft, urgent voices at the entrance to the dungeons, the guard leaning up to speak with whomever had come by. He raised a brow as he heard the soft clink of silver coins being exchanged, and cocked his head curiously as the guard stepped aside to reveal a hooded figure.

Despite the cloak and hood, Jack instantly recognized the curved face that peeked out, a face he hadn't seen since he'd been hauled aboard the Dauntless and thrown into the brig, despite protests.

As the slight figure hurried over, he asked lightly: "To what do I owe this pleasure, Miss Swann?"

She made a face at that, and, as the guard walked up the stairs to give them privacy, she pulled down her hood while saying: "Will helped me get inside - I just had to see you, at least once."

"Well, I must say you're a pretty sight for sore eyes here, Anna." Jack commented lightly, glancing around the repaired jail. "Though we really do have to stop meeting each other like this."

"Jack." Annalise sighed, standing close to the cell bars and pressing her face against the cool metal. "I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault, love." Jack reassured. "You did what you could. And at least you managed to save young William."

"It wasn't enough, though." Annalise muttered, running a frustrated hand through her dark curls. "I can't believe they wouldn't even consider a lighter punishment, after everything you did to help us."

"Well, pirate." Jack shrugged, a teasing smile on his face but Annalise didn't reciprocate.

Her eyes saddened, and Jack bit his lip as she murmured softly: "I wish I'd stopped the crew from leaving. I feel there must have been something I could have done."

"Ah, love." Jack shrugged lightly. "They did what any of us would have done."

"Not you." Annalise argued, but Jack chided lightly: "You think so highly of me, love. But that's what pirates are; it's in the Code."

"You're pirates." Annalise muttered. "You don't follow rules that are more like guidelines anyways."

Jack chuckled and, standing up, he mused: "Guidelines, eh?"

Annalise looked up at him as Jack waltzed over to the bars with his usual swagger, but she frowned slightly as Jack started to rummage around in his pockets.

"Jack?" She asked, puzzled – surely, the guards wouldn't have let him keep anything of value. He ignored her as he pulled something out, keeping it clutched in his fist so she couldn't see what it was.

"Here you go, love." He announced, reaching out to take her hand.

Annalise looked over curiously as he placed something cold in her palm, and she raised a brow.

"Jack, I don't need a neckla-" Annalise broke off, blinking in utter surprise as he removed his hand and she saw what it was.

There, in the centre of her hand, was an iron pendant, the chain for the necklace hanging over the edge of her hand. The pendant was simple, just a bird in flight, but the meaning was not lost on Annalise as she slowly lifted her eyes to stare at Jack.