Chapter Text
She had grown considerably bored at the ceremony of James Norrington as he was promoted to Commodore. Of course, she knew it was coming, she had received word of the promotion in her most recent letter correspondence from her father. It wasn't like James Norrington hadn't worked hard to achieve all that he had. She actually applauded his devotion but couldn't help but giggle at his failings in gaining Elizabeth Swann's favour.
Rebecca Mayfair was one of Elizabeth's close friends and so knew everything that the young woman was not feeling towards Norrington. Rebecca's presence was one of the most valuable as she came from a high family line that were particularly close to the king. As such, she was expected to attend the ceremony. Luckily, Rebecca was stood by her close friend, Elizabeth. She was always glad for Elizabeth's company for she did not address Rebecca so formally like everyone else did. This was one of the benefits of growing up together, both ladies knew everything there was to know about each other. Including their shared dislike of standing around in the searing heat of the Caribbean sun.
Having travelled to Port Royal a few years after Elizabeth had, as a young teen, Rebecca had hoped that the island would have more to offer her than being cooped up in London did. However, there was little to get excited about in Port Royal day-to-day life. But if she were to be honest; she would much rather be here than in London. In London, Rebecca had her life run and dictated by her father. She would wear what he bought her. She would eat the meal that had been planned for her. She would even attend events to merely smile by her father’s side. And even when he was busy, she was to expected to represent the family. There was no time for socialising or having fun.
The day that she boarded the ship to sail to Port Royal was a godsend for her. As soon as she was aboard, she had wanted to put as much distance between herself and London, and her father as she could. Now, she received letters from him every now and then. They generally spoke about the same thing, how her father wanted her to return. He would speak about how vile pirates were and his worries of her being so easily within their grasp on the little island. The letters would always finish off with his words of expectance...expectance that she would return in the coming year or so and marry his business partner. That was something that had always sent a shiver up Rebecca's spine whenever she read the words.
Feeling the sun's heat burning into her exposed skin Rebecca watched as the ceremony began to come to a close. The Governor, Elizabeth's father, said a few words before presenting Norrington with a new sword. Norrington, gladly accepting his new post and gift reached out of the sharp weapon and lifted it up to inspect it. Looking amongst the crowd, Rebecca noticed how everyone was so focussed on the new commodore and took this chance to slip away. Even Elizabeth was focussed on observing the commodore twirling his new blade about.
She walked gracefully as she moved about in her sky blue and yellow dress. A dress she had chosen herself and had it fit her perfectly. Much to Elizabeth's dismay who often described her dresses as either so big that she could barely fit through a door or so tight that breathing almost seemed impossible. Rebecca new what her friend was describing and was thankful to have good relations with the seamstresses of the port.
Her long, wavy brown hair was tied back into a bun at the top of her head with a few strands dangling down that framed her face nicely. She made hast as she walked down to the docks to where she knew that she could be alone and breathe in the sea air. Of course, she had been down there before and with her status the guards let her walk right through. They saw her regularly enough at the docks to know that she was only ever there for peace and quiet.
As she walked down the ramp of the docks to be as close to the water as she could, the brunette saw Mullroy and Murtogg were on duty. Their role was to keep people away from the Navy ship that was docked, The Interceptor. Of all the guards she had socialised with at the docks, Mullyroy and Murtogg were by far her favourite. Both of the men had a nice nature about them. They would always ask how she was and happily have a conversation with her without telling her that she should be in the company of a husband etcetera. They both were speaking to one another in the shade of the dock when she approached them, but quickly stopped to stand up straight as soon as they noticed her. "Lady Mayfair" they spoke in unison which made her chuckle "I hope you are having a pleasant day".
Rebecca moved swiftly past them and responded "A gorgeous day, thank you gentlemen. And how many times have I got to tell you both that you may call me Rebecca or Becca". She continued walking so that she could stand at the end of the dock. Looking over her shoulder as she heard Mullroy reply to her.
"There will be plenty more times I assure you, Lady Mayfair" he smiled.
She returned his smile as she turned her head back round to face the approaching end of the dock. Walking past the Interceptor as she did. It was such a large a magnificent ship, she had boarded it a couple of times and always admired the beautiful carvings in the woodwork. The brunette sighed in contentment as she reached the end of the dock and breathed in a deep breath of salty air. The day was so clear that you could see anything and everything that appeared on the horizon line. Another of the navy's ships, the Dauntless, was anchored just inside the port as a deterrent for any passing pirates that may be thinking of attacking the island.
Rebecca would often spend hours looking out at the sea wondering what was left to discover. She would often ponder what pirates would be doing at that exact moment; whether they were pillaging another town or drowning themselves in rum out at sea. She was sure that some would perhaps enjoy a quiet life like hers but that would only account to a very few pirates. She had yet to come across one and was certain that if she did, she would never hear the end of it from her father. She closed her eyes and took in the hot feeling of the sun's rays on her tanned skin. The sound of the water hitting the dock anchoring her in that moment as she wondered what it would be like to live out there on a ship with nothing but ocean ahead of you and wind in the sails. She could only think of her experience on her crossing from London to Port Royal and yet she already knew that it wasn't even close to what she was pondering.
"This dock is off limits to civilians" her thoughts were pushed aside as she heard shuffling from behind her. She looked over to the two men on duty to see that they were now stood at their posts and trying to keep someone at bay from entering the dock. She could not see him clearly with the sun now shining directly into her face so chose to investigate. She noted how Mullroy and Murtogg straightened their backs and turned serious now that they were in someone else's company.
As the young woman walked over to them, she listened to the other persons voice as he spoke softly with a hint of sarcasm "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately" he tried walking around the two but they quickly shifted to block his path again to which he only narrowed his eyes as he thought of a way to get past them. "Apparently there's some high-toned and fancy to-do at the fort, eh? How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?"
"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians" replied Murtogg.
Becca shifted around them so that the three off them now saw her and she could now see the man trying to get past. He wore a tricorn leather hat on his head that almost completely hid his red bandana underneath. His clothes looked worn but suited him well right from his coat down to his boots. His hair was brown and dreadlocked. Attached to some of the dreadlocks were small trinkets that suggested to Rebecca that he had journeyed to many places. "And these fine gentlemen are doing a splendid job of it" she complimented them as she decided to join the conversation "believe me you are not missing out on much by missing the ceremony"
"Thank you, milady," Mullroy bowed slightly as he thanked her.
"It's a fine goal, to be sure, but it seems to me that…" the man walked over to the edge to point at a ship further out at sea while the two marines moved with him so that they continued to block his path further into the docks. Rebecca couldn't help but giggle at the way they shuffled together as she too moved with them to see the unknown man point at the HMS Dauntless. "A ship like that makes this one here a bit superfluous" their gazes followed to where he had pointed to.
Murtogg replied to him quickly having turned his attention back "The Dauntless is the power in these waters true enough, but there's no ship that can match the Interceptor for speed" as the last word escaped his mouth the unidentified gentlemen placed his finger upon his chin as he pretended to think for a moment. "I've heard of one. It's supposed to be very fast, nigh uncatchable…The Black Pearl" he raised his eye brows as he spoke. Rebecca having heard of the legendary ship listened more closely to them now as they spoke, her curiosity peaked. At the name of the pirate ship, Mullroy burst out laughing that got him strange looks form each of them "there's no real ship that can match the Interceptor"
"The Black Pearl is a real ship" Murtogg argued back and the two marines now faced each other.
"No, no it's not" Mullroy was having none of it and laughed it off.
She took her chance to glance at the mysterious man before she spoke up believing fully well that it was real "What makes you think that it isn't?"
"Excuse me milady but they are just stories" she nodded understanding his reasoning.
"It is real, I've seen it" the other marine continued to argue.
Mullroy frowned as he heard this and repeated his words "You've seen it?" the other nodded "You haven't seen it" he was about to start laughing again. Rebecca could tell this was going to go into one of their little arguments and sighed. "Yes. I have" her gaze looked over to the unnamed man and saw that he had got bored of the two quite quickly and was rolling his eyes at them. "You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out?"
"No"
"No" It seemed as though they both were stopping with their discussion as they turned back from one another and the gentlemen smiled.
"But I have seen a ship with black sails" the little debate didn't stop there it would seem. Rebecca couldn't deny that it amused her. Even as she was used to their little squabbles. "Ohhh and no ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil, that hell itself spat him back out, could possibly have black sails therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship then The Black Pearl. Is that what you're saying?" Rebecca listened as his voice got higher while he spoke but her attention was drawn away when she saw that the marines had neglected the guy long enough that he slipped past them and was now on the Interceptor at the helm. Seeing this she quickly left the marines and followed him on-board.
He seemed quite pleased with himself as he stood with pride by the wheel, obviously knowing what he was doing. "Of course, if there was any hope in catching The Black Pearl, the Interceptor would be the most logical choice" she surprised him with her presence. "But no one see's The Black Pearl that is why there are only stories. After all, dead men tell no tales."
It seemed as though she had shocked the man by her last remark as his mouth hung open slightly before he was able to reply to her "so, milady believes in The Black Pearl" it was quite curious that he was interested in her belief of such stories.
She raised her eye brows at him as she thought about why she did really did think it was all true. "Why not?" her gaze quickly shifted to the wooden decking then back to his face "It's not a very exciting life when you don't believe in anything, even if you haven't seen it with your own eyes" her words seemed to intrigue him that such a civilized woman could be so open minded and calm about the thought of pirates. He gave her a cheeky smile that flashed her a golden tooth. She was about to say something about it but was stopped when she heard the running boots of Mullroy and Murtogg. The two marines had stopped their bickering and had finally noticed that neither Rebecca or the stranger where on the dock anymore. "You! Get away from there" both Mullroy and Murtogg ran quickly onto the ship and joined Rebecca and the man on the helm, their weapons pointed at him. "You don't have permission to be aboard".
"I'm sorry, it's just such a pretty boat. Ship!" he quickly changed his words so that he would get off lightly. Rebecca of course was no fool, she had never been in the company of a pirate let alone seen one. But it didn't take a genius to work out that this man was a pirate and had every intention of taking one of the ships docked in Port Royal.
"What's your name?" now the two men in red and white were quite on edge as they had gone from having a conversation with the civilian to him sneaking aboard the Interceptor.
"Smith. Or Smithy, if you like" he seemed quite calm in replying to the question as though he had rehearsed the lines for the occasion.
"What's your purpose in Port Royal 'Mr Smith'?" Mullroy was not overly convinced that it really was his name. It seemed too original and simplistic for the kind of situation that he was in. "Yeah and no lies!"
With their weapons raised Smith walked over to them cautiously. "All right. I confess" as he approached the two marines backed off slightly being wary of him. "It is my intention to commandeer a ship, pick up a crew in Tortuga, rape, pillage and otherwise pilfer my black guts out." They all stayed silent. Mullroy and Murtogg not fully expecting him to say something along those lines and not completely sure if that was the truth that they had asked for. Rebecca stared into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth. They asked and he was giving it to them, but of course he still hadn't revealed his real name.
"I said no lies!" the two men were definitely confused at the stranger’s confession. "I think he's telling the truth" Mullroy said very calmly. Of course, by this time they had forgotten that they were still in her company. The stranger looked to her as she did to him. She met his lush brown stare with her blue one and let the silence consume them.
"Excuse me Lady Mayfair, but perhaps you should re-join the gathering" Rebecca was in agreement of this. The events seeming to have escalated.
"Yes of course" She moved elegantly over to the side and stopped before departing "good day gentlemen" she bid farewell to the two marines. "Good day, 'Mister Smith" Rebecca gave the man a gentle smile before departing the ship, taking it slowly as she moved between the ship and the dock. At that point she was too far away from the men to hear what they were saying. She could tell they were continuing to bicker about who was telling the truth but she didn't let this bother her. Instead, her mind was racing with the thought of having just met a pirate, though she could not be 100% certain. The only thing she did know was that there was a man that had the intention to steal a ship and it was her duty to report this. Her heels made her exit quite noisy as she picked up her pace to get back to the ceremony.
Norrington would surely still be there for the little reception held afterwards. Particularly as Rebecca was aware of his intention to propose to Elizabeth once he was alone with her. Rebecca had struggled with this bit of gossip for a little while, she knew Elizabeth did not want to marry James Norrington but she also knew it was not her place to spoil the surprise coming Elizabeth's way. Just as Rebecca was about to ascend the ramp from earlier, she heard a large splash the in the water right by the cliff face. Her eyes searched the surface of the water for what could have caused it. She looked up at the cliff, thinking a large rock must have fallen off but to her surprise she merely saw the form of Norrington leaning over the side at the top of the cliff. She could just about make out the echo of his voice as he screamed down towards the water that still rippled from the impact "Elizabeth!"
Rebecca gasped at the realisation that her friend had fallen from the fort. Her heart jumped as she the thought came to her that no one had come up for air since the splash. "Lizzie!" Rebecca tried shouting for her too. She wasn't quite sure what to do at that moment. Of course, she could swim but not very well in a heavy dress. Then she quickly remembered Mullroy and Murtogg aboard the Interceptor. Her head snapped back to the helm of the ship to see all three men by the side, looking on at the commotion as well. However, it was only the suspected pirate in the middle that acted upon seeing that neither of the others were going to do anything. He began taking his hat and coat off along with his other possessions that were attached to him. Shoving them into Murtogg's and Mullroy's arms, he stepped up and dived into the water after Elizabeth.
As the man dived out of view, Becca hastily ran back down the dock towards the side. He had been under the water for some time which made Becca worry that something could have happened to the both of them. Rebecca was about to try shouting out for Elizabeth again when she stumbled slightly. She frowned as she could have sworn, she felt the dock shake beneath her feet. The sun then hid behind the clouds as the day turned grey. The wind suddenly picked up too, it had strangely changed direction so that it was blowing into Port Royal. In this moment, Rebecca's patience was wearing thin and she was about to rip off her dress and dive in after both of them when she caught a glimpse of air bubbles rising to the surface just a little way from the dock. Her eyes widened when she saw the man crash to the surface with an unconscious Elizabeth.
The man shook his head as he gasped for air before swimming quickly towards the dock with a very still Elizabeth. Within seconds both of them were dragged back under water from the weight. Rebecca fell to her knees on the edge of the dock waiting for them both to come up again, her face full of fear. She wondered where the two marines were and cast a quick look back to the ship to see them still stood on it looking very dumbstruck. Regaining her posture, she gave them both stern looks. "Well don't just stand there, look lively!" At once they moved off of the ship. The dreadlocked man now appearing on the other side of the dock with Elizabeth over his shoulder. Mullroy and Murtogg dropped what was in their arms and took her from him placing her down carefully on the wooden surface. "Lizzie?!" Rebecca didn't waste time in moving to the still woman's side, moving some of her wet hair from her face to help clear her airway.
"Not breathing" Mullroy shouted but was unclear about what to do about it. It was then that they realised that she was in nothing but her white chemise and peach corset. The dress that Elizabeth was wearing must have been dragging them down in the water so it was a good idea to remove it
"Move!" the now drenched man brought out a small blade that he had hidden away in his possession and made an incision in Elizabeth's corset, throwing the blade down he tore the corset off and threw it up at an on looking Murtogg. Being free from the tightly laced corset Elizabeth coughed out water and struggled to breathe in for a moment. Rebecca acted quickly, lifting Elizabeth slightly so that the soaked woman was now resting against her and giving her some steady pats on the back to help remove the excess what from her lungs. "I never would have thought of that" Mullroy wiped a bit of sweat from his brow.
"Clearly you've never been to Singapore". Elizabeth's rescuer then set his eyes on something as he stared down at the woman he just saved. His hand then moved down to the glistening gold that was clasped around Elizabeth's neck. It was a small circular medallion with a skull in the middle of it and strange markings around the outside. "Where did you get that?" before anything more could be said Norrington arrived with Governor Swann and a group of soldiers with muskets. The newly appointed commodore unsheathing his sword, pointing it right at the throat of Elizabeth's rescuer pirate. "On your feet" he demanded. The demands were obeyed instantly with the wet man raising his hands slightly in a small surrender.
The governor navigated around all the soldiers to get to his daughter. He helped Rebecca pull her up and then placed his coat around her soaked form. James Norrington then looked to Rebecca surprised to see her at the docks and bowed his head to her "My Lady" he then made sure to place himself in between both Elizabeth, Rebecca and the wet man. Taking a look at Murtogg, who was still holding the corset, but quickly threw it away when he saw that he was being looked at. The Governor was quick to speak as soon as he looked at Elizabeth's rescuer "Shoot him!"
"Father!" Elizabeth didn't let anyone else speak as she protested against her father's words. "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"
Taking a quick glance at the woman he loved Norrington lowered his sword and sheathed it. The man turned to Elizabeth and nodded his head to her in thanks. "I believe thanks are in order" Norrington held his hand out, but the other was very much hesitant to take it. In slow motion he began to hold his hand out to take Norrington's in a hand shake. Norrington, on the other hand, did not have friendly intentions with his outstretched hand. He grasped the man tight and pulled the sleeve of his white shirt up to look at his arm. It was then that the stranger was identified properly as a pirate by the burned 'P' brand on his arm, just above his wrist. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company did we, Pirate?" James Norrington didn't miss a thing, he kept a firm grip on him as he screwed his face slightly once he made eye contact with the pirate.
"Hang him" the words rang in his ears as he broke the stare to give the Governor an annoyed glare. Rebecca took a deep breath in as she fought the urge to jump into the conversation. She didn't like how everyone went straight to killing the pirate instead of thanking him for saving Elizabeth. "Keep your guns on him men. Gillette, fetch some irons" the commadore was set in his role as he barked more orders. He then lifted the white shirt sleeve of the pirate bit more to reveal a tattoo above the burned brand. The tattoo depicted a sparrow flying with sunset in the background which inked into his skin. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"
Rebecca took a step closer as she finally learned the pirate’s real name. She had heard of it before, of course. There were so many stories she had heard about the famous Jack Sparrow. Though with all the pirate stories going round she wasn't entirely sure he was real. Releasing Jacks arm Norrington gave him a rather disgusted look. "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please sir" the pirate retorted. Norrington looked rather confused as he searched the bay with his eyes. "I don't see your ship…Captain"
"I'm in the market, as it were" Jack narrowed his eyes at the commodore while the latter gave him a small smirk at the man's misfortunes.
"He said he'd come to commandeer one" Murtogg spoke up as he remained by Jacks side with his musket. "Told you he was telling the truth; these are his sir" Mullroy leaned down to pick up the pirate's possessions and present them to the Commodore. He first picked up the pistol and inspected it before throwing it back down "No additional shot nor powder" he then picked up the small box looking item that was black with gold edging. Norrington opened it to find a spinning dial "a compass that doesn't point north" he smiled at Jack again who looked rather troubled. The last item the commodore looked at was Jacks sword. "And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of"
At the words Sparrow grinned and lifted his fingers before speaking "But you have heard of me". Jack smirked as he looked towards Rebecca and gave her a flash of his golden tooth again. Having had enough of him Norrington grasped Jacks arm and led him through the armed marines to where Gillette waited with the requested irons. Seeing this Elizabeth pushed her father's coat off of her shoulders and stormed after him. "Commodore, I really must protest!" standing in front of Norrington so that she was between him and the pirate she spoke aloud her thoughts. "Pirate or not, this man saved my life"
Rebecca then saw her opportunity to step in as well. The marines let her pass so that she was now beside Norrington. "Commodore I second Elizabeth's argument" all eyes then adverted to her "you had two loyal, trained marines on duty here of the Interceptor and neither had the know-how to save Miss Swann. The only person that did was here merely by coincidence and just so happens to be branded as a pirate" taking in her words Norrington thought for a moment, the atmosphere going eerie. He only spoke up when he was given a nudge by Governor Swann. "I'm sorry but one good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness!"
"Though it seems enough to condemn him" Jack jumped in as the irons were secured around his wrists.
"Indeed" Norrington's voice showed just how annoyed he was getting with Jack. Rebecca then raised her voice "perhaps we should not pass judgement until we can ascertain the reasoning for the branding. After all he saved Miss Swann's life", again everyone was silent. The words that came from her mouth made each and every one of them question the law put to them if a pirate was to be found. The brunette couldn't deny that there was evil in the world but looking at Jack Sparrow, a pirate she had heard many stories of, she did not see evil at all. She simply saw a man. With the guards distracted and seeing the opportunity as he was restricted to irons, Jack lunged forward. His arms going over Elizabeth's head so that the chains were wrapped around her neck. She yelped at the sudden action that surprised her from behind.
Rebecca's eyes widened as she once again was witnessing her friend in danger. At the action of hostility, she was immediately encircled by the marines to make sure that no harm would come to her. She was used to this, but couldn't help but think that the marines would be more useful at protecting others like Elizabeth in times like this. "Don't shoot" Governor Swann yelled out.
Jack whispered into Elizabeth's ear so only she could hear him before letting out his demand. "Commodore Norrington, my effects please. And my hat". Though Rebecca couldn't see what was going on she could fully well hear them. "Commodore" Jack was getting impatient. Mullroy brought Sparrow’s belongings forward as Jack spoke softly to Elizabeth. Her nerves grew as the only thing that could be heard was small ruffling and the rattle of the chains that were attached to Jack's wrists.
Before long, his voice sounded out loud and she could finally see through the men that were shielding her. The pirate giving her a small wink and a shine of his golden teeth. She watched as Jack Sparrow held his pistol to Elizabeth's head while they backed away. "Gentlemen, my ladies, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught…Captain Jack Sparrow!" He pushed her into the Commodore and Governor before turning away to escape. The next thing Rebecca knew she was next to Commodore Norrington as he held Elizabeth. A few men went to grab Jack but fell into a hole in the dock made by a small cannon falling through the platform. All eyes shot upwards at the pirate that was holding on for dear life to a small piece of rope while being span around. "Now will you shoot him?" the governor was not impressed by the soldiers’ efforts to detain the pirate.
"Open fire!" Norrington ordered. Jack yelled out as he was not in control of the spinning and was now being shot at, but out of every single marine that was present not one of them could shoot him accurately. Rebecca couldn't help but laugh aloud. A wide smile glowing on her face as she watched Jack's improvised escape plan unfold. She did worry about him getting hit by one of the gun shots but the pirate didn't stick around as he managed to escape further into Port Royal. "On his heels" Norrington moved away with the marines leaving the two women and the governor as Jack escaped sliding down a rope to the dock and running away while shots were still being fired at him. The way the man moved as he ran continued to amuse Becca. Her smile getting bigger and bigger.
After all the excitement moved away from the dock, Becca turned to Elizabeth to check on her. "Lizzie, are you okay?" she nodded in reply as her father began to lead her away.
"Lady Mayfair, may I ask that you accompany us home and dine with us. It is not safe with a pirate around"
"Thank you, Governor Swann. I appreciate your concern and invitation but I had arranged to spend some time with a friend. I am sure I will be fine with them"
"Of course," the two of them took their leave and headed in the opposite direction to the way Jack ran. Becca waved goodbye to her friend and the governor. Once they were both out of sight, Rebecca took her leave. She began heading in the same direction Jack and Norrington headed. Her destination being the Ports blacksmith. She passed a couple of guards along the way as they hunted the pirate. Everyone seeming anxious to find the escaped man as the day was now drawing to a close. The governor was well aware that Becca was good friends with Will Turner, the young blacksmith. The two had grown close one day when Becca has spotted W the young man pining after the governor’s daughter. Becca had tried to stay out of the little love affair that was developing between the two. Knowing fully well that both parties felt the same way about each other, but neither voicing those feelings. Still, she somehow got dragged into the ordeal either way.
As the brunette travelled further into the Port, she noted how intense the search for Sparrow had gotten. Residents now retreating to their homes for safety. Formations of soldiers armed with muskets appearing wherever she looked. Moving through the brick archway next to the blacksmiths she saw the marines surrounding the front door that failed to open and Commodore Norrington behind them waiting for them to gain access. Seeing this she deduced that Jack Sparrow was inside, perhaps even with Will and Mr Brown. She knew she should wait until it was safe but she worried what was going on behind those closed doors. Knowing of a back entrance to the building, Becca manoeuvred around the soldiers to get to the back entrance.
The door itself was already open ajar which did plant the seed of nervousness within Rebecca. But she did not let this stop her. Tugging the door open all the way she burst inside and was surprised by what she saw. Her eyes lay on Jack pointing his pistol at Will that was covered in sand. The young blacksmith himself holding up an axe to attack Jack with. Honestly, the only normal thing within the building was the sight of Mr Brown, out cold, in his chair with an empty bottle of rum resting on his front. Most women would have left quickly worrying that the gun would then be pointed at them but not Rebecca. Instead, she stayed still. Her focus completely on the holder of what she perceived as the most dangerous weapon in the room, the pistol. She met the eyes of Jack as he did her. Whatever fight that had been going on was now paused as the men weren't sure what to make of her untimely entrance.
The brunette wanted to say something but the sound of a bang as the soldiers tried to gain access diverted everyone's attention. Sparrow severely aware that he needed a quick escape and he needed it now. Rebecca noted how Jack seemed to hesitate as he held the pistol, still pointed at Will. Before the brown-haired woman could begin to say something, she caught a small bit of movement from behind the pirate. That movement was Mr Brown, as he had now awoken from his drunken slumber. With his empty bottle in hand, he raised it up aiming for Sparrow's head. "Wait" Becca shouted in an attempt to stop the older blacksmith but it was too late, the glass bottle shattered on impact with Jack's head.
Shards of glass being scattered around the ground. It took a couple of seconds for Jacks body to react but Becca could already see it in Jack's eyes that he had been knocked unconscious. His body then falling forwards until it crashed on to the ground. At the same moment the front door burst open and Becca was quick to hide behind the back exit doorway. The soldiers that had beat down the door then flooded into the building along with Norrington with his gun in hand. Seeing the unconscious pirate on the floor he put his gun down "Excellent work, Mr Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive"
"Just doing my civic duty, sir" Will looked over to his mentor in despair as his efforts went unnoticed. Rebecca knew that he was the one that had been fighting Jack and trying to keep him from escaping. But he understood her reaction to hide. Should Norrington have found her then he likely would have presumed the worst and would have escorted her back home whether she liked it or not.
"Well, I trust that you will always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away" Norrington left with some of the marines while others helped hoist Jack up and drag him away to the jail. Mr Brown followed them out as well no doubt going off to have another bottle, leaving just Will and Rebecca as she re-entered the building, shutting the back door completely.
The young blacksmith let out a breath of exhaustion from his recent fight. Sitting down on the chair that Mr Brown has been sleeping on. Rebecca let out a giggle as she studied Will carefully. She saw a bucket of water on a nearby table with a small bit of cloth hanging from a hook. Taking the cloth, she soaked it in the water and then approached Will. "Were you building sandcastles with him or something?" Becca mocked the young man playfully as she wiped the wet cloth over his forehead, removing a layer of sand. He took the cloth from her and began to wipe over his face vigorously to remove the dirt.
"I'd like to see you do better. It wasn't easy fighting him you know"
She stopped him immediately from finishing his sentence "hold it there Turner. You know I would've been useless; you've only recently been teaching me how to use a sword and that was because I asked" he chuckled to himself as he remembered the day she had approached him and asked that he teach her. Mr Brown was there that day as well and almost passed out from how much laughing he was doing during their first practice session. "You’re only frustrated that you didn't get the credit for helping capture Jack Sparrow. I don't think it would have helped you gain favour with Elizabeth anyway"
Will turned quickly to her at the mention of the name. "You're really bringing this up again"
"I keep telling you Will, just tell her how you feel and things will be fine" he shook his head at the thought of actually doing what she was suggesting "hey, both of you are my friends so I know both sides of this story". He didn't reply to that but instead moved on to begin working. "I'd do something soon if were you though. Seeing as Commodore Norrington proposed to her this afternoon" immediately Will stopped what he was doing and turned around.
"He did! What did she say?"
"Nothing…Yet" Becca smirked at how she had gained Will's full attention. "She accidentally fell from the fort and things sort of escalated from there. She's fine though so don't worry" she couldn't quite put her finger on it but the look that Will now displayed on his faced just demonstrated how much he cared for Elizabeth. He soon returned to his work, their conversation continuing as the night set in and there was almost a chill in the air.
As the moon rose higher and higher in the night sky, the two friends activities moved from a casual conversation to dualling with swords. Will had been teaching himself to use the blades he helped to create everyday. In an effort to learn to protect herself, Rebecca had managed to talk Will into teaching her also. She was very much aware Will was taking it easy on her but she didn't mind. Each time they trained, she learned. By the time the training was over and the brunette went to leave, it had been a couple of hours and the Port had quietened down. Opening the door to the blacksmiths, Becca could smell food cooking from nearby houses. The night sky was clouded over as if a storm was brewing. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home, Becca?" she smiled softly at the nickname. A sign of how close their friendship was.
"I'm sure, thank you Will." he leaned down to her and wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug. She returned the gesture before retracting and beginning her walk home. "Good night" she bid him farewell.
"Good night, Rebecca" Will waved her good bye. It wasn't often that he would call her by her full name. If they were in the presence of others then Will would formally address her, as did everyone else. But when they were in secluded company, Will always preferred to call her Becca. She too preferred this. Too often she was addressed as 'Lady Mayfair' or 'Miss Rebecca' or even 'milady'. But these were just labels to her, labels that didn't feel correct. She never felt like she earned to be called such things. It was only ever her family name that was the reason behind it all. There was one nickname that she liked to be known by but she was hardly ever called it, and that was 'Rebby'. She remembered her mother was the first person to call her that when she was little. The name having a nice ring to it as it was given to her out of love. Her father never called her such things though. So, after Rebecca's mother passed, she figured she would never hear that name again...that was until Elizabeth called her Rebby one day when the two of them were up to no good as teenagers. Becca remembered the moment she heard that name again, she had almost cried and it hadn't gone unnoticed. That was the day Becca was able to share her memories of her mother with Elizabeth. With someone that was willing to listen.
Before Becca could ponder on those memories any longer, a small gust of wind picked up which caught her off guard. Rebecca was just about to take a turning to her home when she looked over to the direction that the wind was travelling. It was heading inland; towards the cliffs of the fort.
Looking up a flicker of light could be seen in the cliff face, that was where the jail was. Her mind then raced to today's events with the pirate. He had shown up out of nowhere and caused quite a bit of commotion. His branding of a pirate having been well earned by how he went about trying to steal ships, threatening civilians, and engaging in fights. But he had shown something else too. He had shown his ability to care when he risked his freedom to save Elizabeth. He had shown his cunning in trying to trick Mullroy and Murtogg with the truth. He even hesitated to shoot Will in the blacksmiths. Something Becca very much doubted was due to her sudden entrance. It too less that a moment for the brunette to completely ignore the path leading to her house but to follow the wind towards the jail. She walked with vigour in her step. The bun, her hair was tied into, bouncing at how speedily she walked to her new destination.
The fort always felt like a series of mazes. Rebecca having to meander around quite a few turnings and doorways to finally get to the entrance to the jail. She knew she was in the right place just by the stagnant smell that was now protruding up her nose. She began descending some steps she wondered if a guard was around to question why she was there. She didn't worry about being turned away, she knew they would let her in. But there would be some questions in the morning for sure.
Getting to the bottom of the steps, she noticed the seat for an on-duty guard was empty and now all she heard was small voices of the jail inmates further in. She took slow and steady steps now, the light from the lit torches did very little to help her see where she was stepping. It wasn't long however, until she came across the source of the voices. Several men in one cell leaning out, one with a bone in his hand. Laying down opposite the cell was the jail guard dog, he was a very loyal pooch. The keys to the cells held tightly in his mouth. The man holding the bone was waving it about as all of them tried to entice the dog over to them.
The dog was first to notice her presence and sat up upon seeing her. As soon as the men noticed her, they all became silent. Letting out a bark the dog brushed up against Rebecca's dress and she happily gave him a light rub on his head. She then turned her attention to the desperate men in the cell and shook her head at them. Giving them a disappointed scowl she spoke "I realise that in circumstances such as yours, desperate times call for desperate measures. But surely you must realise that the dog is not going to give you the keys. I think you'll find that the only moving he will be doing is away from you" Becca whistled as she finished her sentence and the dog quickly obeyed by moving further down the corridor and laying underneath a bench. The men then began groaning as they moved away from the bars of the cell.
Having immediately recognising her voice Jack Sparrow grinned at her words. It wasn't long ago that he had tried to tell them the same thing but they weren't having it. He sat at the back of his own cell, his back resting on the wall. One of his legs lay outstretched in front of him and the other bent so the knee was pointing up. His left arm rest atop his knee. Jack's signature tricorn hat was sat over the top of his forehead so that the front was partially covering his eyes. Rebecca watched as he acknowledged her presence by readjusting his hat so that it sat firmly atop his head. His face now fully visible. "Why did you hesitate?" she paused for a second before continuing "you had your gun pointed right at Will and yet you didn't fire. You could have escaped by now"
There was a hint of confusion on Jack's face at her question. She was right. He could have shot the young man, there and then, and ran out of the back before the guards burst in but indeed, he hesitated. "I have my reasons. Why are you so interested?"
She couldn't quite answer that, other than to say she was intrigued. She had never officially met a pirate before. She had only ever heard about them from her father and those he did business with. But here was one in a cell in front of her and he wasn't what she was expecting. The conversation turned silent as she didn't reply and it seemed he was not up for sharing his own explanations. Rebecca really did question her own actions then. Why did she come down here? Surely it wasn't all to do with her interest in the pirates’ actions. She wanted to question why he saved Elizabeth but before she could Jack stood up and approached the cell door.
Rebecca didn't move, perhaps that was foolish. He could grab her and threaten her at any moment but she remained exactly where she was and Jack noticed. "I can't help but notice you're quite the important person around here. You seem to hold a status that has this port wrapped around your finger". Rebecca frowned at that. Was he implying that she was running the place? That she was taking advantage of her status... "You even had quite a bit of protection at the docks, I noticed. For a high-toned ladyship, I would have thought you would have been at the fancy event at the fort then alone at the docks".
She didn't like being associated with a ladyship title. Especially as she technically never had one bestowed upon her. "My name is Rebecca Mayfair. May I ask why you are so interested, Mr Sparrow?" she turned his previous reply against him which made the two of them smirk at each other. They had somehow entered a dance of wills. Both of them unwilling to share the truth behind their actions. It was like they had engaged in a game of who could get to the answers first. "You didn't have to be in this cell tonight. I tried to fight for your freedom on the docks but I fear that your rash actions with Miss Swann have diminished what influence I may have had over your imprisonment" she stopped talking as the next few words were caught on the edge of her tongue. She did not like the sound of them in her head which made it difficult for her to fully voice them. She did not want to believe in her next words but they only voiced the truth "I cannot help you now".
Rebecca was now beginning to think that visiting the pirate was not the best idea. So far it had achieved nothing. In fact, Jack was getting more out of this conversation that she was. She took a hesitant step back as she went to take her leave but Jack spotted this. He saw her hesitation wasn't because she feared him but because she couldn't help him. "Tell me Rebecca... did you know I was a pirate at the docks? Did you know my name wasn't really 'Smith'?". Before she could reply to him their attentions went to the loud noises coming from outside. There was the sudden sound of explosions and yelling as marines acted quickly to return fire. "I know those guns" Jack ran from his position at bars to the back of his cell to look out of a small bared hole in the wall. "It's the Pearl" his eyes set on the ship with black sails that was anchored inside of the bay. It looked like a ghost ship in the murkiness of the fog that had rolled in. Every now and then there was a flash of light from the Pearl's deck as its cannon fired at Port Royal. Rebecca could only hold her breath at the name. The Black Pearl was real. She was right to believe in it and it was in the bay at that very moment.
Hearing the name as well the men in the adjacent cells moved closer to him to Jack, "The Black Pearl? I've heard stories. She's been preying on ships and settlements for nearly ten years. Never leaves any survivors"
"No survivors? Then where do the stories come from; I wonder?" Jack smirked over to the other men before looking back out.
Rebecca had heard of many stories, a few were in books that she had managed to source during her time in Port Royal. One of the books she had read multiple times and she had no problem reciting a sentence from it. "The charcoal beauty of the Caribbean. Her speed unmatched, and nothing left in her wake but fire and rubble." Rebecca's skin shivered as she finished and then heard the cry of injured men within the fort. Jack looked over his shoulder at Becca, his attention caught by her description of the Black Pearl. His brown eyes then locked with her blue orbs as she spoke once more "the Pearl will destroy all of Port Royal" hearing the cannons fire once more from the black ship, Jack turned back to peer out of his small window. He watched as black smoke began to rise into the night sky from where the cannons had started fires in civilians’ homes. Another loud bang sounded as the Pearl fired her cannons once again. This time Jack saw the firing line was heading straight towards him. His eyes grew from the sudden realisation and he acted quickly, jumping down from the small window.
"Get down!" he yelled as he fell to the floor for cover. Before Becca could react however the wall within the cell was blown away by cannon fire. Her body was thrown back against the wall as rubble crumbled around her. She slid down to the ground with a groan, her back feeling like it was on fire from the sudden impact.
Staring at where the cannon had hit, Jack saw that there was a gaping hole in the adjacent cell which the other men quickly fled out of. Only one of them gave him one quick glance back before escaping "my sympathies friend. You've no manner of luck at all"
Unfortunately for Jack there wasn't much damage to his part of the wall so he could not escape as well. Being the only pirate left he contemplated using the men's plan of enticing the guard dog over with the bone. A pained groan sounded which switched his attention back to Becca.
She tried picking slowly herself up and groaned again. "Rebecca, are you all right?" she did not answer him, her head hurt and her ears were ringing slightly from the explosion. She felt dazed and grabbed onto the cell bars for support. Jack's hand found its way onto hers as he tried to look into her eyes. She vigorously blinked as she tried to awake herself, shaking off the feeling. Sparrow then placed his left hand on her cheek, his thumb brushed away a bit of dirt on her face. He tried to get her to focus on him to bring her out of the daze. "Hey, you ok, luv? Look at me" as he finished his sentence a gun shot fired just outside of the jail. That definitely brought Becca out of her daze now as the danger now moved from the firing ship in the port to just outside the jail. Following the gunshot red and white coat guards fell lifelessly down the stairs. "Hide" Jack voiced in a loud whisper as he let go of Rebecca and pushed himself back further into his cell.
Fully recovered from her daze, Rebecca ran down the corridor and slid round a corner that led to more cells just as two pirates descended the stairs. "This ain't the armoury" one of them yelled in frustration. Rebecca didn't dare look round the corner just in case she was spotted. She was scared, that she could not deny. Her heart raced as she heard two pirates enter further into the jail; their footsteps were not exactly light. She held her breath hoping that they would not find her for they had no reason to look around the jail.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here Twigg. Captain Jack Sparrow" one of them spoke in a condescending tone. Rebecca let out her breath as she heard him identify Jack. Out of curiosity she couldn't help but peek round a little to see them as their attention was now on an imprisoned Jack. Both men were roughly the same height, one wearing a hat on his head and wore a light brownish coat while the other wore a black coat and had dreadlocks. They approached Jacks cell as said pirate leant on the door of his cell.
The taller of the intruding men spat on the ground in front of the detained pirate, while the other continued to mock Jack "last time I saw you, you were all alone on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance" The dreadlocked pirate laughed at the memories they had of Jack Sparrow. "His fortunes aren't improved much" the two laughed.
Jack took a quickly glance at Rebecca and then shot his eyes back to the imposing pirates so that he wouldn't give away her presence. "Worry about your own fortunes gentlemen. The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers" what Jack said must have hit a nerve as the pirate in the black coat grit his teeth and violently reached into the cell, grasping Jack by the neck. Becca's eyes widened to almost double the size as she observed the mans outstretched arm turning into bones as soon as it was exposed to the moonlight from Jacks cell window. "So, there is a curse. That's interesting"
"You know nothing of hell" the pirate violently pulled Jacks face towards the metal of the cell door and then let him go. The two took a second glance round before swiftly leaving the way they came in.
Jack thought of the stories about the curse that was set aboard The Black Pearl. "That's very interesting", it was true and only seemed to be evident in the light of the moon. What could have caused such a curse on his former crew?