Times of Courage

by Lady Dawson

Chapter Nine: Facing the Gallows

Finn was up and walking around by the time that they arrived in Port Royal, but Arianna still constricted him to bed as much as she could. He complained at her, but she secretly thought that he was glad of the attention. The moment that she got him back to his own house, the servants took care of him and she reluctantly left him in their charge, promising Finn that she'd be back once she'd checked on her brother. She had the distinct feeling that he was about to do something rash.

Arianna arrived at the gallows, where Jack was about to be hung as they were reading his crimes aloud. She was still dressed in the clothes she'd worn when she left here, but nobody passed her a second glance as she pushed through the crowds to find Will.

It wasn't that hard to do, mostly because the moment that they pulled the lever that made the floor drop, Will appeared out of nowhere, throwing a sword for Jack to stand on and causing a scene.

"Will!" Arianna yelled at him, pushing her way through the crowd. He was out of her mind, she decided as she yanked out her own sword, tackling a soldier aiming at her brother from behind. Seizing his sword, she tossed it to the freed Jack.

"Who are you?" Jack asked, bewildered as she was fencing with one of the soldiers.

She threw him an aggravated look as she kicked the soldier down. "That's no way to talk to someone who's risking their neck for you, Captain," she retorted. Jack grinned, obviously recognising her voice and swordplay, and joined in. Will was right behind them, fighting off soldiers as they made their way to the top of Port Royal, overlooking the ocean.

Arianna turned to find soldiers aiming guns at all three of them. She turned around, but they were surrounded. Letting out an aggravated sigh, Arianna glanced towards Will as Norrington and the governor approached, both of them looking at the twins in aggravation.

"I thought that we might have to deal with some ill-conceived escape attempt," Norrington commented as he glared at both Will and Arianna. "But not from the two of you."

"When we returned to Port Royal, I granted the both of you clemency," the governor snapped, looking as though this had been greatly wasted on the Turner twins. "And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him?" He nodded to Jack. "He's a pirate!"

"And a good man!" Arianna shouted. She ignored the scandalised and disapproving looks that she was receiving from everyone. It was over; she was done playing by the rules of society, which stated she had to act and behave a certain way just because she was a woman.

"If my sister and I have done nothing more than grant the hangman three pairs of boots, then so be it," Will retorted, glaring at the governor and Norrington as Elizabeth arrived. "At least my conscious will be clear."

Norrington stepped forward, placing his sword at the base of her brother's neck. "You forget your place, Turner," he snapped.

Will didn't back down, staring determinedly at Norrington. "It's right here," he replied. "Between you and Jack."

Elizabeth moved forward so quickly that Arianna half-thought she flew to Will's side. Taking his arm, she looked towards her father and fiancé. "As is mine," she told them. Startled gasps emerged from the crowd and Arianna grinned triumphantly.

"Mine, too," she told them, joining her brother and future sister-in-law as they formed a line in front of Jack.

"Lower your weapons," Governor Swann said unhappily as he stared at his headstrong daughter. When they didn't move, he said more sharply, "For goodness sake, put them down!"

One-by-one, they lowered their weapons as Norrington stared brokenly at Elizabeth who looked at him remorsefully. "So," he said quietly, "this is where your heart truly lies, then?"

"It is," Elizabeth said with finality in her tone. Arianna glanced through the crowd and saw Finn approaching, his green eyes unsurprised as he saw the scene in front of him. He rolled his eyes at her as she spotted a rather familiar looking bird taking off.

"Well, I'm actually feeling rather good about this," Jack remarked, walking forward. "I think we've all arrived at a very special place, haven't we?" he asked, looking at Governor Swann, who looked revolted to be addressed at by a pirate. "Spiritually? Ecumenically? Grammatically?" he added as he headed over to Norrington. "I was rooting for you, mate. Know that," he told the commodore before passing the couple. "Elizabeth," he said and she looked at him. "It would never have worked out between us, darling. I'm sorry," he said, looking regretful. "Arianna, good luck," he added, looking at her. "Will . . . nice hat." Her brother grinned as Jack climbed up onto the parapet, looking back at the group at large. "Men! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that you—"

Jack was unable to complete his well-rehearsed sentence as he toppled over the edge, falling into the ocean water, where he had saved Elizabeth not even a week ago.

"Idiot," one of the soldiers muttered. "He's nowhere to go but back to the noose." Arianna shook her head as Finn joined her, taking her arm gently and she laid her head onto his chest, mindful of his injuries as the Black Pearl approached on the horizon, ready to pick up her captain.

"They have got impeccable timing," she observed. A few people chuckled at her words and even the governor's eyes looked less angry. Norrington looked over towards the Pearl.

"What's your plan of action?" one of his men asked him. Norrington said nothing and he asked, "Sir?"

"Perhaps, on the rare occasion of pursing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?" the governor suggested. Norrington smiled slightly and nodded.

Then he turned around sharply. "Mr. Turner!" he snapped, drawing out his sword. Arianna was hardly surprised when he didn't even look at her; nobody wanted to hang a woman.

"I will accept the consequence of my actions," Will told him without the slightest amount of concern for himself. Arianna felt Finn's hands tighten on her shoulders as she waited for what their sentence would be.

However, Norrington looked towards Elizabeth, his eyes softening as he studied the blade of the sword, its light shining off of it. Arianna smiled slightly, remembering how long it had taken Will to forge that magnificent sword. "This is a beautiful sword," Norrington said without looking at her brother. "I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."

Will actually smiled then. "Thank you," he said as he rejoined Elizabeth. Her brother and the love of his life looked at each other with happiness.

"Oh, and Miss Turner," he added, looking towards Arianna now. She looked at him, half-expecting her to condemn her. Will looked at them in concern, but Norrington smiled towards her and Finn. "The best of luck to you both," he told her. "Lieutenant Warren, congratulations."

"Thank you, Commodore," Finn said as he held Arianna in his arms. She couldn't believe how unbelievably right it felt, being in his arms like this. And she never thought, just a few days ago, that she would end up here like this.

"Commodore!" a soldier called to Norrington. He looked towards him questionably. "What about Sparrow?"

Norrington considered, then shrugged. "Oh, I expect that we can afford to give him one day's head start." Then he walked away, leaving the governor to stare at his daughter.

"So," he said unhappily, "this is the path you've chosen, is it?" She smiled and nodded. "After all, he is a blacksmith."

"No," Elizabeth said as she lifted Will's hat off of him. "He's a pirate."

Arianna smiled as Finn wrapped an arm around her, leading her away from Will and Elizabeth as they headed down to the beach below.

"Well, that was certainly an interesting start to the day," Finn remarked as he sat down, rubbing where his wound was and wincing. She sat down next to him. "To be honest, I didn't think that the commodore was just going to let you get away with that."

"Neither did I," Arianna said with a laugh. "But I suppose he is full of surprises." She paused. "So, if he had condemned me, then what would you have done?"

"Begged him to let you go," Finn answered quietly. "And if that didn't work, I'd bust you out and sail away with you, leaving this world behind." She smiled. "I'm still working on where we'd go, but it would be some place wild and fantastical."

Arianna laughed. "I think that I've had quite enough adventure for one day," she told him. "Who knows? Maybe the next one, you'll join us. Because I have a feeling that we have not heard the last of Captain Jack Sparrow." She smiled and looked out to the sea.

"Maybe I will," Finn said with a smile. "You know, before you left, I went to my father and asked permission to court you." She blinked, startled and thrilled by his words. "He wasn't happy, but he wanted to know why, out of all the girls here in Port Royal, I would choose you."

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "And what did you tell him?" she finally asked.

"I told him," Finn said quietly, "that the moment I saw you, I felt as though my destiny had appeared before me. I knew in that moment that we were meant to be, Arianna. And I know you felt it, too." His green eyes bore into hers and she reluctantly smiled. "So? Will you have me?"

Arianna smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him. "You've got to promise me one thing, though, Finn," she told him. He raised his eyebrows in question. "Don't try and change me into a proper, respectable woman of society. I can't and won't do the things that are expected of me because it's not a part of who I am. I'm tired of acting a certain way simply because I'm a woman."

Finn nodded once. "All right," he said without any argument. Arianna grinned. "It seems that we have an agreement, Miss Turner."

Arianna smirked as he held her in his arms and she pulled him on top of her, kissing him for the whole world to see. And for that moment, for the first time since she was a little girl back in England, Arianna Turner was truly happy.

"Yo ho, all hands," she sang softly as the waves splashed up around them. Finn grinned slightly. "Hoist the colours high. Heave ho. Thieves and beggar. Never shall we die . . ."

--Fin--

AN: All right, part one of Arianna's story is now complete. Don't worry, I've already started on the sequel and "Times of Trouble," the next installment of her story, will be up as soon as I get enough reviews. Let's say three or four . . . and if I get them today, then I'll post the first chapter of the story tonight. Savvy?