Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. Sorry.

Hi everyone, I am so sorry that it has taken ages for me to write this- school's back, and I have loads of work to do! I've tried making my chapters a little longer for your reading enjoyment though, I hope that helps! Also, I think I am getting to about a third to halfway through my story, so any suggestions, comments or constructive criticism would be welcome in the form of reviews! Come on, press that purple button, you know you want to…

baby swann

Chapter 11: The Parrot and the Pirates

Elizabeth sprinted quickly and quietly through Tortuga, noticing the empty streets- most people were either inside the pubs drinking, or passed out cold on the ground. She was especially thankful for this as it meant that she would not be drawing any unwanted attention to herself. Elizabeth wondered fleetingly for a moment how Jack must have felt when he was wondering around Tortuga in her body earlier- being just another person, not having every second person recognising you and/or wanting to kill you. It must have been such a liberating and free feeling for someone who was notorious all throughout the Caribbean. However, Elizabeth thought ruefully, Jack probably enjoyed all the attention, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it was Jack's attention-seeking tendencies that had made a need of this rum antidote in the first place.

Elizabeth climbed aboard the Black Pearl, sliding down into the galley and softly making her way towards the room Jack was sleeping in. "I hope he's alright", Elizabeth prayed softly, gripping Anita Dalma's bottle tightly in her hand.

It was clear when Elizabeth entered the room that Jack had vomited again- she fought back her own urge to vomit when she saw the mess on the ground. Jack was tossing and turning on the bed, his bed sheets all tangled and twisted. As Elizabeth approached him, she saw that he was drenched in sweat, and his clothes were soaked.

Elizabeth had never seen her body in a state like this before, and it shocked and sickened her. Checking Jack's left hand, she saw it was still tightly clenched around the shark's tooth, and Elizabeth let out a small sigh of relief. Perhaps she was becoming superstitious after all.

"Jack?" she whispered softly, squeezing Jack's free hand gently. "Jack, I got the antidote!" she said slightly louder.

Jack rolled over in bed. "Hmmm…what?" he murmured. His eyes slowly opened. "Love?" he rasped, and Elizabeth smiled. "Oh well done love… I knew you could do it", he said, trying to sit up. As he did though, he clutched his head, and dropped, moaning, back on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked anxiously.

Jack tried to smile, and for an instant there was a trace of his old cockiness in his voice. "I'm experiencing that strange phenomenon that you lesser beings like to call a hangover, savvy? Awful thing… you know, love, I've never ever fallen sick before this? Being sick for me is a new and rather unpleasant experience".

Elizabeth opened the cork on Anita Dalma's bottle, and pressed it gently into Jack's hand. "Don't worry Captain, you'll be back on your feet in no time and then we'll be able to go off and find that witch!" she said confidently, and then suddenly stopped as she tried to remember whether she was supposed to know about the witch or not.

Jack, however, seemed not to notice her slip of tongue, as he was busy draining the potion. When he had finished it, he tipped the bottle upside down and peered into it, trying to get the last few drops into his mouth. "Wonderful woman, that Anita Dalma", he said absently. "She's made the potion rum flavoured! Although I don't know if there'll be any rum for me anymore after this nasty experience", he said, dropping the bottle on the ground and flopping back into bed.

"Aww don't say that!" Elizabeth said playfully, picking up the glass bottle and placing it carefully on the table beside the bed. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow!"

Jack shut his eyes, and the shadow of a smile flitted across his face. "Aye", he said contentedly, "I just needed to hear it from you". And then he was in the land of the sleeping, leaving a confused Elizabeth in his wake.

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Gibbs woke with a groan, noticing the incredible throbbing in his head. "Ana?" he said thickly- it was pitch dark, and his last memories before he was knocked out were of playing poker with Ana Maria.

"Aye", came the reply, and there was a clatter and a bump, and suddenly there was a flickering light illuminating Ana Maria's worried face.

"I feel like my brain's trying to push its way out of my head", Gibbs complained. "What happened?"

"We were tricked and ambushed, savvy?" Ana Maria said grumpily. "I should have known- never trust a man when you can't see where his tongue is".

"Aye, or his teeth", Gibbs agreed, remembering the man with a shudder. He looked around, but could see nothing but darkness beyond the tiny circle of light from Ana Maria's candle. "So where are we?"

"I don't really know" Ana Maria admitted ruefully. "I think we're on a ship- can you feel us rocking? Maybe we're locked in the brig or something. I've been trying to find ways to get out for the last half hour, and I know there's a door over there, but it's bolted. There's a few empty crates scattered around, and in one of them I found a few candles and a box of matches."

"Do you reckon the toothless man is their leader?" Gibbs said, not even listening to what Ana Maria was saying.

"No, I don't think so. He's being ordered around by someone bigger than him- the leader of "The Club", remember?" Ana Maria said. "I think they are using us as bait to get to Jack… and there, we have a problem".

"Why, won't he come?" Gibbs said nervously.

Ana Maria sighed. "No, he will come. And that's the problem".

"Ahh", said Gibbs understandingly, and they fell into an uneasy silence.

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Elizabeth had fallen asleep on the ground beside Jack's bed, covering herself in a ragged blanket. She was exhausted from the events of the past few days, and was overcome with a weary relief that Jack was going to be getting better.

However, she was rudely awoken the next morning by something attacking at her hair and bandana. "What?" she moaned, trying to swipe it away from her face. Yet it refused to go, and finally, Elizabeth was forced to sit up and open her eyes. What she saw amazed her.

"Jack!" she barked, as she grabbed Mr Cotton's parrot, which was what had been attacking her face, and holding it tightly.

Jack basically exploded out of bed, and Elizabeth was pleased to note that he looked incredibly better. "What's wrong, love? I feel wonderful today…"

"Jack, look, its Mr Cotton's parrot! It came onto the Black Pearl all by itself!" Elizabeth said, shaking the parrot in front of Jack's face for effect.

Jack peered at the parrot, his eyes narrow. "Why is there a rag taped around its beak? And what's that attached to its leg?" he said slowly.

"Oh, I hadn't noticed that!" Elizabeth said, shifting her grip so she could see the tiny rolled up piece of parchment that was attached to the parrot's leg. She tried to undo the knot on the piece of string that held it there, but her fingers were too thick. "I can't undo the knot!" she cried, frustrated.

"Let me help, love", Jack said, and using Elizabeth's long, thin fingers, he plucked open the knot and the piece of parchment fell out.

Jack picked up the parchment carefully, while Elizabeth held the struggling parrot. "What does it say?" Elizabeth asked anxiously.

Jack didn't reply for a long time, and Elizabeth feared for the worst. "Jack, talk to me!" she said.

Jack shook his head. "I don't understand it… it doesn't make any sense", he said slowly. Elizabeth snatched the parchment off him, trying to have a look for herself. She sighed.

"Jack, it's upside down" she said flatly.

Jack took the parchment back quickly, his eyes clearing. "Oh, right", he said, slightly embarrassed, and proceeded to read.

"This message was intended for Captain Jack Sparrow. Captain, two of your crew members, Mr Gibbs and Ms Ana Maria, are being held for ransom. If you ever want to see your friends alive again, follow these instructions carefully".

"Jack!" Elizabeth hissed, her hand unconsciously tightening around the parrot. Jack continued reading.

"You have been given compass bearings enclosed with this letter. You are to sail in that direction on the Black Pearl with your crew, until you reach the nearest port. You are to disembark from the Pearl alone, leaving your crew behind, and from there you will receive further instructions. Be warned, failure to comply with these instructions will result in the death of your friends without hesitation. We are always watching."

Elizabeth's jaw dropped open. "Captain, we've got to get the crew and save them! We can't leave Gibbs and Ana Maria to die! Look, wait here and I'll ring the bell…"

"You will do no such thing, Ms Swann", Jack said, his words razor sharp. Elizabeth froze. Jack's voice softened. "'Lizabeth, love, I've received ransom notes before. Half of them aren't even serious, and I don't want to walk into a trap, savvy? You also realise that if we do take this journey, I'll be putting you in even more unnecessary danger!"

"Why?" asked Elizabeth stupidly, and the she stopped, realising she already knew.

"Because you're me, savvy?" Jack said, sounding exasperated. Elizabeth bowed her head. "Listen, first things first, we need to find out if Gibbs and Ana Maria have actually been taken. There's no point us getting all worried when they're just out there drinking themselves stupid. I'll have to go out and search for them", Jack said, standing up and pacing the cabin. "Or you… but no, you're too conspicuous, might get a death threat or two on your way…"

Suddenly, Elizabeth's head snapped up. "Jack", she said, her voice sounding worried, "If this is Mr Cotton's parrot… then where's Mr Cotton?"

Jack stopped pacing, and both pairs of eyes looking at the brightly coloured parrot squirming in Elizabeth's grasp. Tentatively, Elizabeth took the rag away from the parrot's beak, fearing for the worst. She was correct.

"Squark squark, Mr Cotton dead! Squark squark, Mr Cotton dead!" the parrot repeated over and over again, drilling the message into Jack and Elizabeth's heads. It was only when Elizabeth couldn't take it anymore that she thrust the rag in the parrot's mouth, and her eyes turned to Jack.

"It seems you were right after all, Ms Swann", Jack said solemnly, and in her entire life, Elizabeth had never felt so wrong about being right before.