A/N: sorry thiss took so long. last chappie for this story! enjoy!
Chapter 20: The Pirate Prince Returns
Krystal stood on the yardarm of the main topgallant, beneath the flag she had her sail-maker stitch up. She was proud of that flag. She'd designed it herself. She sighed as she stared out to sea, scanning the horizon for Martinique.
"Captain?"
Krystal jumped and looked to her left…down at the yardarm to find Matthew hanging from the arm, trying to get up ad stand next to his captain.
"A little help?" he hoped, holding out a hand to her and Krystal smirked with a scoff as she held her hand to him and he grasped it.
"You know, Spit Fire," she strained against carefully helping him up while keeping her balance, "you shouldn't do things you don't know how to do, yet."
"Sorry, Captain," he replied, straightening himself out. "What are you doing up here?"
"Thinking," she replied. "And watching for Martinique. Where's Mamali?"
"Sleeping," Matthew smiled. "It's almost midnight, after all."
"Is it?" Krystal wondered, distantly.
"Aye," Matthew nodded and looked to her as she looked out to sea and he asked, "Did Mamali's chief ask about her?"
"Aye," Krystal nodded, still not looking at him. "I lied through my teeth, of course."
"And he believed you?" he smirked.
"Aye," she scoffed.
There was a pause as Matthew glanced at her a few times before risking to ask, "So, what was the detour for, Captain?"
"I had a few questions for the Chief, is all," Krystal shrugged.
"And did you get your answers?"
Krystal fell silent…
"How do you know Jack?" Krystal asked the chief in Spanish, and his new translator did his job as she waited for a response.
"I promised him I would not tell anyone," the chief replied.
"He told me everything when I was his student," Krystal explained. "He would have told me if he could."
After the chief gave her a skeptical glance, he spoke to his translator.
"He asked me what he should do about getting you back from Davy Jones," he confessed.
"Brilliant," Krystal thought to herself, irritably. "It took him a week to figure out what to do in that situation where it would have taken me a second to decide what to do if he had been in my position! Romantic or not, it took him too bloody long if he truly saw as a 'great treasure' of his!"
"Why did he come here for the answer?" she wondered.
"He is part of our tribe as you are," the chief replied and Krystal's eyes widened in utter shock. "But he has taken us for granted. He never comes here anymore."
"Aye," Krystal nodded, finally answering her bosun's question. "I did."
"I'm glad for ye, captain," Matthew nodded, turning back to the horizon and Krystal gave a smirk and scoff.
"Jack…" she whispered, catching Matthew's attention but he only glanced at her, saying nothing then smirked at what he heard from his captain next. Not too loud, but not too softly, either.
I hear your voice on the wind
And I hear you call out my name
Matthew soon joined in, and Krystal glanced at him but didn't object as she continued.
"Listen, my child," you say to me
"I am The Voice of your history
Be not afraid, come follow me
Answer my call and I'll set you free"
Krystal smirked as Matthew harmonized his lower tenor with her soprano, neither of them noticing the crew on deck below gathering around and listening.
I am The Voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am The Voice of your hunger and pain
I am The Voice that always is calling you
I am The Voice – I will remain
Matthew looked to his captain and noticed a small glint of moonlight reflect off of her cheek, then quickly turned away. He knew she would be angry if she realized he'd seen her cry. A captain couldn't be soft, and even though he knew Jack Sparrow was her soft spot, even though he'd just seen a tear form over her cheek, he knew she was far from it.
I am The Voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance on the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow
John and Jasmine looked up from the deck and smiled as they reached for two ropes to climb up the rigging, Mamali watching with a frown as she kept Nemo the lemur on her shoulder. She had awoken and went looking for Matthew only to be told that he was on deck, and now she smiled as she heard him singing.
I am The Voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am The Voice of the future
Bring your peace
Bring me your peace and my wounds – they will heal
Krystal felt a hand on her right shoulder and looked up to see John and Jasmine, balancing on the yardarm, and smiled before they all continued the last verses of the song.
I am The Voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am The Voice of your hunger and pain
I am The Voice that always is calling you
I am The Voice
I am The Voice of the past that will always be
I am The Voice of your hunger and pain
I am The Voice of the future
I am The Voice
I am The Voice
I am The Voice
I am The Voice
"Are you alright, Captain?" John wondered in a whisper after a small moment of silence.
"I'll be fine, John," she whispered back, not looking at him as she lifted a hand to pat his as it still sat on her shoulder. "I thought you and Jasmine would be…asleep by now."
"We wanted to take a moonlight stroll on deck," John shrugged, lowering his hand. "We heard you singing and decided to join you. It's a rare opportunity to hear you sing sober, Captain."
Krystal scoffed before replying, "Well, thank you, Mr. Stewart. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be alone awhile."
"'Acourse, Ma'am," John nodded and turned to Jasmine. "Come along, my love. The captain wants to be alone with her thoughts."
Jasmine nodded as John waved Matthew down as well and he nodded in compliance.
"Buenas noches, Capitán," Matthew nodded before starting down the ratlines.
"Buenas noches, nin o," Krystal smiled, weakly before turning back to the horizon with a sigh as she was left alone.
"I'd go looking for Jack," she thought, "but that'd have us going everywhere without any benefit to the crew. The treasure in Martinique will keep them for just so long. I don't want a mutiny on my hands." She gave a small smirk as she thought, "I'll just let him find me."
Jack sat back in his dinghy with a bottle of rum in his hand, his hat tilted forward, shading his eyes and his feet propped up on the port railing as he hummed one of his favorite songs.
We're rascals and scoundrels
We're villains and knaves
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We're devils and black sheep
We're really bad eggs
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho
A pirate's life for me
"Dinghy off the starboard bow!"
"What the-?"
Jack shot up and looked around to see a huge ship coming up to his right and swallowed.
"Not good."
A line was thrown form the ship and he pulled out his compass.
"Wonder if I'm still on course…"
He trailed off as he looked at his compass and his eyes widened as the needle pointed…directly toward the ship. He frowned and shook the thing but it still directed the needle toward the ship. The dinghy bumped into the ship, catching his attention and a young man landed in the small boat as Jack put his compass away again. The boy looked to be about seventeen with chocolate brown hair that fell at his shoulders and coal black eyes.
"Hello, Captain Sparrow," the boy grinned.
"Oh good," Jack chirped, struggling to stand. "You know me. I'm on a little mission to regain my ship. Perhaps you can just…let me go on my way?"
"I'm sorry, Sir," the boy replied, shaking his head. "My captain wishes to wishes to see you."
"Could you inform your captain that I have no time to sign autographs this time 'round?"
"Please, Sir," Matthew continued. "It you would only see my captain I'm sure we could help you find your ship if you asked."
Jack thought for a moment, glancing at the ship which his compass had pointed at. Clearly there was something on the ship he wanted, whether he knew what it was or not.
"Alright, lad," Jack sighed, waving at him. "I'll go."
The boy grinned again and climbed to the deck of the ship with Jack following him close behind as a few other crew members jumped down to tie the boat and hoist it up onto the deck. Jack frowned as he thought he recognized a few of the men but said nothing. All dirty, smelly, scallywags were starting to look the same to him. Even the boat seemed familiar, but those were all starting to look the same as well.
The boy led Jack across the deck and into a room that looked like a Captain's quarters, a tall chair sitting behind a table, facing away from Jack as he entered.
"Captain?" the boy called, stopping himself and Jack in the center of the room. "Captain Jack Sparrow to see you."
A hand waved the boy off and he nodded, turning to walk out the open doors to the cabin and shut them behind him.
"Alright," Jack chirped, stepping up to the desk to lean on it. "I'll make this quick. I've lost my ship…again, and I was hoping, perhaps that you could help me with my dilemma since you've called me onto your ship."
"¿Por qué?" an awfully feminine voice asked flatly, and Jack smirked, glad that he'd picked up at least a little Spanish from Krystal.
"Because," he still smirked, sitting on the edge of the desk. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
The voice laughed and the chair suddenly spun around, sending Jack to the floor in shock. He shot to his feet again and stared into turquoise blue eyes on a smiling face in disbelief.
"You certainly are," Krystal murmured. "I knew I'd find you eventually."
"Am I dreaming, love?" Jack breathed, leaning on the table with both hands to get a good look at her. "That really you?"
Krystal stood up and slowly walked around the table to stand directly in front of him. She slid her hands around his neck and placed her lips onto his, giving him a passionate kiss before pulling away and looking into his eyes.
"Did that feel real?" she whispered. Jack grinned, saying nothing as he pulled her back onto his lips, slipping his arms around her waist and making her giggled as they pulled each other closer. After breaking the kiss, they only stood in silence for a moment, gazing at each other.
"I missed you, Krystal," Jack breathed, rubbing his nose against hers in a quick Eskimo kiss.
"I missed you, too, Jack," she breathed back before smirking, "So, you lost your ship again, eh?"
"Unfortunately," Jack muttered, neither one of them leaving the other's arms. "Barbossa…again."
"You sad, sad man," Krystal pouted, comically. "I'll help you get the Pearl back. But…" She held a finger to his lips as she resumed, "…you have to do something for me."
"Of course I do, love," Jack smirked, rolling his eyes. "What is it?"
"You promised some time ago that you would catch me and never let me go," she reminded him, slipping her hands to rest on his chest. "I'm gonna hold you to that."
"Hold me to it, then," Jack smirked. "I'll be glad to fulfill the task."
"Good," she nodded, pressing a kiss to his nose. "Now, let's go find your ship. You've met Matthew, my bosun. You're his idol."
"Really?" Jack smirked, pulling her a little closer by her waist. "I like the lad already."
Krystal chuckled and snuggled under his chin, her cheek against his chest as she breathed, "I love you."
"I love you, too."
A knock sounded on the door.
"What?" they barked in irritated unison, stepping away from each other. The door opened as John let himself in.
"Captain," he nodded to Krystal. "Heading?"
"Not sure, yet," she smirked then turned to Jack. "Open up that compass of yours to find out which direction your ship is headed."
"Actually, I've got a little something else in mind," Jack grinned and pulled something out from his jacket. He unrolled the thing he'd pulled out and set it on Krystal's desk as she leaned over it in wide-eyed astonishment. Jack leaned next to her, watching her reaction with glowing eyes and a grin before leaning toward her ear and whispering, "The Fountain of Youth, love."
"But-" she choked and cleared her throat as Jack only smirked at her. "But it's impossible!"
"Nothing's impossible, love," he insisted. "I'm living proof of that."
Krystal looked at him in skepticism then raised a brow at him and asked, "How did you get Sao Feng's charts?"
Jack's eyes shifted as he muttered, "Barbossa. He was gonna try for it as well, but I'm far more clever."
Krystal thought for a moment then spun around to look at John, who had been waiting patiently for his orders.
"Nor east, Mr. Stewart!" she ordered. "Step to!"
"Aye, Captain!" John smiled then spun around and left, closing the doors behind him.
Krystal turned to Jack again and took his hands in hers, smiling, "Now, you must tell me everything that's happened."
"Oh, I must, eh?" he smirked, turning to sit on the edge of the desk, still holding her hands and pulling her between his knees.
"Yes," she nodded as his hands left hers and settled on her waist again. "Start with the bits after the Kraken."
"Shall I tell you what the inside of it was like?" he smirked and she wrinkled her nose.
"I can imagine," she muttered. "Start with the Locker."
A/N: and that's where the third movie picks up. lol! well, how'd you like it? thanks to those who stuck with this story and hopefully enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. the saga continues in True Treasure! Reviews?