IN THE ASHES / j. sparrow

𝐗𝐈𝐈. marooned

"last time..." he gently pushed her backward. "i was here a grand total of three days, all right? last time..."

jack found the trapdoor he had been looking for, and heaved it open. inside were barrels and bottles of rum, all covered with dust and cobwebs.

"...the rumrunners who used this island as a cache came by, and i was able to barter passage off."

he jumped into the pit and disappeared into the tunnel for a moment.

"from the looks of things, they've long been out of business," he grabbed some bottles and made his way out of the trapdoor. "probably have your bloody friend norrington to thank for that."

he walked past elizabeth and bella, heading for the beach. they followed after him in disbelief.

"so that's it, then? that's the secret grand adventure of the infamous jack sparrow?" elizabeth questioned angrily.

"you spent three days lying on the beach drinking rum?" bella said incredulously. this didn't sound like the jack sparrow she had gotten to know over the past few days at all.

jack turned around to her in a false smile. "welcome to the caribbean, love." he pushed a bottle into her hand and kept walking back to the beach.

elizabeth and bella exchanged a look and followed him again.

"we'll stay alive a month, maybe more. keep a weather eye open for passing ships, and our chances are fair," jack told them carelessly.

"and what about will? we have to do something!" elizabeth exclaimed. bella cringed at the fact that saving will was all she was concerned with.

"you're absolutely right," jack tossed her a bottle. "here's luck to you, will turner!"

elizabeth frowned down at her bottle. bella could tell an idea was forming in her head, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

* * *

"we're devils, we're black sheep, we're really bad eggs! drink up me hearties, yo ho! yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"

"i love this song!" shouted jack. "really bad eggs!"

very, very drunk, he fell on the beach. bella collapsed next to him.

"when i get the pearl back, i'm going to teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!" jack announced exuberantly.

"and you will be positively the most fearsome pirates in the spanish main!" declared elizabeth, falling down on the other side of bella.

"not just the spanish main, love," he shook his head. "the entire ocean . . . the entire world!"

even though she herself was fairly drunk, bella could tell that jack was level-ten-hammered.

"wherever we want to go, we go. that's what a ship is, you know. it's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. that's what a ship needs . . . but what a ship is — what the black pearl really is . . . is freedom."

despite the alcohol slightly blurring bella's thoughts, she found this speech quite moving. she sighed, laying her head down on jack's shoulder.

"it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island while that monster gets your pearl again," bella told jack.

"yes . . . but the company is infinitely better than last time, and the scenery has definitely improved . . ." jack's hand softly wrapped around bella's shoulder. suddenly, she was aware of the island's chilly night breeze compared to the warmth of his touch, the comforting scent of saltwater and rum—