Even If You Cannot Hear My Voice...

by, Smeagol's girl

(A Jack Sparrow fic. The Black Pearl has just destroyed another ship and taken a few prisoners. The one left to Jack turns out to be someone he thought had died when they were younger. Now she holds the secret of where a dangerous treasure is hidden but won't talk. How long can he find excuses to keep her alive before the other sailors force him to dispose of her? Sort of inspired by an episode of LOST on ABC, the one about the man from Iraq (no idea how you spell his name so I won't even try). Rated PG-13 for slightly graphic torture scenes. I own nothing. This is an angst/romance fic and it probly won't have a happy ending, just to warn you.)

"Comodore, we have him."

Comodore Norrington's eyes glanced up from the document in front of him, and he stared at Gilette for a breif moment.

"Here?" he asked. Gilette nodded, grinning proudly as he usually did. "Send him in then, and do not bind him."

"But, sir," Gilette started to object.

"Do not bind him, Gilette. Just make sure he is unarmed." Reluctantly, the man agreed to this and slipped out, later returning with a somewhat disgruntled pirate. As soon as the pirate was standing in Norrington's office, he sent Gilette away, assuring him he'd call if he needed anything, and then looked the pirate up and down. "For a great pirate, you are becoming easier and easier to catch," he said with a smirk.

"I was actually looking foreward to a litte reunion, Comodore," said the pirate, swaying and making greater hand gestures than needed as he spoke.

"Indeed."
"I guess it's back to the gallows then, eh mate?"

"Perhaps," said Norrington, standing from his seat and slowly approaching the pirate. "Or, we can come to some sort of agreement." The pirate made a confused face. He was clearly not expecting to hear this.

"What do you want?"

"I have a sort of mission for you, one that only a fast ship like the Black Pearl can manage."

"What's in it for me, mate?"

"Wealth beyond your imagination," he said, grinning. "If you can do this one task for me, you and your crew will be rewarded handsomely. And, I have the power to drop the hunt for your ship and the death sentence bestowed upon you." The pirate seemed to be thinking about it, but then looked at him with narrow eyes.

"Don't really know if your word means that much to me, mate. I can imagine quite a lot, savvy?"

"Believe me, Mr. Sparrow. You will be rewarded with more treasure than you'll know what to do with."

"What's the job?" he asked, watching him cunningly.

"What did that git want with yeh?" asked Gibbs as he and Jack began to sail away, the crew busily working around them.

"He wants us to set sail for the islands of Esther." Gibbs made a face and looked at him.

"Why?" he asked. "I thought he'd just hang the whole crew an' be done with it."

"Not yet," said Jack.

"Well, are we going to do it? Now tha' he's let you go, he can't hold you ter his word." He laughed and Jack smirked.

"His offer wasn't all that impressive, mate, but it's not like we have anything better to do."

"Just what is he after anyway?" asked Gibbs, suspiciously. "What could be down in bloody Esther that's so importan' to him?"

"The question is 'who' could be down there. He's after the idle of Esther, an item so powerful that a fleet who poses it is practically invinceable. Also holds the ashes of the heathen god that protected the islands for years, savvy?"

"Then why are we bloody givin' it to Norrington's army once we find it?" Jack raised a finger to stop him, a devilish look in his eyes.

"I never said we were," said Jack with a grin. Gibbs smilled and nodded.

"I like yer thinkin'. How far is it to the islands?"

"A two month's journey without resting. We'll have to get there with all haste."

"Why?" Jack glanced at him, his coy face showing a hint of sincerity for once.

"Do you really think we were the only ones assigned the job?" Gibbs nodded in understanding and then left to give out orders. "We'll have to make a quick stop to Tortuga and pick up Turner." Gibbs stopped and turned around, looking at him confused.

"What's a boy like him doin' down there? Thought he was too civilized for tha' sort o' thing?"

"I told him to meet us there," said Jack. "That way his bloody wife won't try to tag along." Jack stared out at the horizon and smiled to himself. "Now," he muttered. "Bring me that horizon..."