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I'm back, baby, and I'm better than ever! So I'm trying to finish SCASSF. That is my goal for the end of this year. If not, then definitely by January. I've been working on this baby for a year and half now. My, where has time gone?
Disclaimer: Will, Jack, Elizabeth, Ana, and the other PotC characters don’t belong to me. They are the property of Disney, Gore, Jerry, Ted, and Terry. However I do own Sammi, Teague, and Eva Sparrow as well as Danielle, James, and Charlotte Turner! Oh, and I own Ophelia too, I suppose. Sammi is by far my favorite OC that I've created, I just love her.
A/N: Ahh! It’s been four months since my last update! I’m so sorry. I’ve been undergoing a lot of changes in my life right now, and it’s just been hectic. Plus my whole obsession with Star Trek has kind of been distracting. But I promised I’d finished this fic, and I shall. My goal is to have it completed by December 31st.
Thanks again to my wonderful, beta, xylot3. She’s come through for me once again!
Ch. 28: It Takes Two
It takes two to make a thing go right
It takes two to make it outta sight!
-Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock
333
Location: St. Maarten, earlier that morning
Sammi and William came down to find Faith in the kitchen. As they scarfed down Faith’s delicious blueberry pancakes, Sammi informed William about what happened during her voyage. William was thrilled that her fellow travelers had chosen her to be their captain. He was horrified when she spoke of discovering France’s secret slave force. And he was mighty confused by the mysterious power of the coveted gems.
“Why do the French need those gems so badly?” William asked. “To sell them?”
“Have you even been listening?” Sammi sighed. “They need the gems to power their machines.”
“I knew that,” William said with a sheepish smile. He’d tried to pay attention, really he had.
“And the Frenchmen are on their way here, today, to harvest more gems and quite possibly murder my father as well as one of us!” Dramatic as ever, Sammi clutched at her chest in mock-horror.
“Don’t worry.” William took her hand in his. “Our families will protect the cave and make sure the Frenchmen don’t cause trouble.”
“Speaking of families, why don’t we go see what they are up to,” Sammi suggested.
“No need!” Jack announced as he paraded into the room, with Eva and Teague trailing behind him.
“Sammi!”
“You’re back!” Her siblings cried as she was suddenly ambushed on both sides.
“William, help! They’re choking me,” she gasped. They backed off, giving her a chance to stand and receive a proper hug. “I missed you two,” Sammi admitted.
“It wasn’t the same without you,” Teague said, ever honest.
“Well, I didn’t miss you that much,” Eva sniffed, her nose in the air.
“Uh huh,” Sammi said knowingly. The Turners and her mum arrived moments later and there were happy reunions all around.
“Sammi! It’s really you!” Dani, Jamie, and Char pounced on their favorite young pirate.
“In the flesh, luvs,” Sammi reassured them, ruffling their heads in turn. “Geez, if I’d known I would’ve received this kind of reception, I would’ve come home sooner!” She winked slyly at William, who blushed.
“Sammi, come see our new puppy!” Dani and Char pulled her hand towards them as James nodded enthusiastically.
“No, Sammi needs to see my room!” Eva insisted, yanking on her other hand in the opposite direction. “I redecorated it and everything!”
“Our puppy is better than your stupid room, Eva,” Dani insisted.
“Nuh uh,” Eva cried, sticking out her tongue at her friend. “You take that back, Danielle Turner!”
“Make me,” Dani smirked. Sammi didn’t understand why the parents didn’t just jump in an intervene before things got too out of hand, but they seemed preoccupied.
“Fight, fight, fight!” Teague, Jamie, and Char chanted as they watched their sisters circle each other. Somehow, during all of the confusion, Sammi managed to wrestle her hands away from her captors.
“As great as it is to see everyone,” Sammi cried over the din, “I need to head down to the harbor and meet up with my crew. We’re expecting someone - or someones, rather - with less-than-favorable intentions toward our family and I want to be there when we detain them.”
“No need,” Jack said brightly. “We’ve already captured him.” Sammi didn’t miss the dark looks exchanged between her and William’s parents.
“Excuse me?” Sammi glanced at William, whose expression held as much confusion as her own.
“What’s going on?” Eva wanted to know, abandoning her argument with Dani for the moment. “Tell us, Father.”
“Yes, tell us,” Dani chimed in. Soon all of the children were clamoring for an explanation.
“I will, but I need to talk with Sammi and William first,” Jack promised.
“But what about me?” Teague protested, affronted. “Ten is definitely old enough to know about what’s really going on.”
“I need you to stay here and look after the children while we talk,” Jack insisted. Frowning at being left out, Teague turned to appeal to his mother. But when she mouthed the word ‘later’, Teague decided to abide by his parents’ wishes. Just so long as he eventually found out the truth…
“Hey, you lot,” he announced, calling the children over. “I know where Mum keeps her secret stash of cookies…”
“Where, Teague?” Charlotte asked.
“Show us!” Jamie begged.
Silently thanking Teague for keeping their offspring occupied, Ana turned to her eldest and ushered her out of the kitchen. Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and William followed them into the Sparrows’ bedroom where they could have privacy.
Closing the door behind him with a resounding clang, William took a seat next to his best friend on the bed. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him as if it were the most natural pose in the world. The parents looked at each other, unable to contain their shock.
“So, tell us, what’s really going on?” Sammi asked, not comprehending the strange looks the parents were sending her and William.
“In a minute,” Ana said, distracted. “Is there something you two would like to tell us?” Sammi and William glanced at each other, both trying desperately not to laugh.
“Are you two…?” Elizabeth gasped. Sammi grinned at William as he gave her a tiny nod. The young pirate captain decided they’d been kept in dark for long enough.
“We are,” Sammi confirmed with a smile. “William finally figured out that what he was looking for, was, in fact, me.”
“Sammi,” William groaned, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t put it exactly like that,” he insisted at the stares of his father and the Sparrows. “But it is true that we are courting as of this morning.” Will and Elizabeth exchanged a knowing look, as did Ana and Jack. It seemed they had a chance at their families being united by blood after all!
“I can’t believe it! I always knew you two would end up together,” Elizabeth gushed.
“I’m just glad you two finally came to your senses,” said Ana. Both women’s faces were alight with joy, as their children’s happiness added to their own.
“So am I,” agreed Will. “We weren’t sure if you’d see what you’d been missing.”
“I was stubborn, and he was misinformed,” said Sammi. “We both had to court other people to see what we were missing.”
“Wait, who did you court?” Jack wanted to know.
“David.” William inwardly winced, not wanting to think about Sammi with David. But it wasn’t because he was jealous, not at all.
“Ah, that makes sense,” said Ana, pursing her lips. “I knew that poor boy had a thing for you.”
“Just like Ophelia had a thing for me,” William added. “But we weren’t right for each other.” Sammi nodded in agreement.
“Thankfully, William and I were able to work out our differences. We had some trying times, but what love is worth it without sacrifice?”
“Well said, Samantha,” praised her father, as he remembered giving up pirating for half the year to be with Ana and raise their family together. “This is bloody fantastic,” Jack exclaimed, hugging his daughter and William in turn. “Finally, I don’t have to worry about my daughter being taken advantage of by the one she’s courting.”
“That may be true,” said Will, “but I cannot say the same about my son. If I recall correctly, Sparrows can be very persuasive.” Sammi just smiled sweetly at the Turners as William flushed in embarrassment. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, hoping he would realize there was nothing to be ashamed of. Their parents supported their relationship! It was like a dream come true, not to have to hide her true feelings for her best friend any longer. She could express them as much as she pleased in public, within reason of course.
“So, about the Frenchmen,” William said loudly, bringing their attention back to the original reason for the meeting.
“Yes, what’s this about, Father?” Sammi asked, once everyone had gotten over their shock of realizing that she and William were finally together.
“It’s like this,” Jack began. “When you mentioned the Frenchman who was pursuing you last night, I took it upon myself to search for him down at the docks this morning,” the pirate lord explained. “Imagine my surprise when I spotted him sitting out on the dock, as calm as you please. It wasn’t much trouble for Will and I to subdue him. He kept insisting that we had the wrong man, so we gagged him before we tossed him in the Pearl’s brig.” Sammi frowned. It couldn’t be that easy, could it?
“Did you see Norrington around?” She wondered. “I need to speak with him.”
“Bloody hell, Samantha, that bastard’s dead!” Jack exclaimed. “Why would I happen to see a dead man this morning?”
“Because he’s a ghost,” his daughter informed him. She went on to explain the powers of the gems the French were so keen on harvesting actually allowed ghosts to be seen by the living if they were nearby.
“Sorry, love,” said Jack. “Haven’t seen ol’ Norrie-face in seventeen years, and I’d like to keep it that way.” He shuddered in horror, remembering how the Commodore had once been a part of his crew.
“Hmm,” Sammi muttered. Something didn’t quite feel right to her. She had a feeling her parents were keeping a critical piece of information from her. Elizabeth glanced worriedly at Ana.
“What’s wrong, Mum?” William wondered. “The Frenchman’s caught. Why the long face?” Ana trembled in Jack’s arms.
“Are you sure you’re ready to tell them?” Jack asked softly.
“I’m ready,” Ana said, her voice determined.
“Tell us what?” Sammi asked, scooting even closer to her new boyfriend.
“There’s something you two don’t know about that man, Debouvier,” Ana said slowly, as if every word hurt to speak. “I would recognize that evil face anywhere. He’s the very same man that raped my older sister years ago and also the same one who drugged me when we visited the Turkish prison.”
“That’s - that’s impossible,” Sammi muttered. “No way. I’ve spent too many months with him to know that he wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“Listen to me, Samantha!” Ana fumed. “You were not there to see it. Debouvier tried to steal me away from Jack - I’ll never forgive him for that, nor the death of my sister.” William gulped as he recalled that very incident. Sammi, on the other hand, had no recollection, as she had not been allowed to visit the Turkish prison.
“I remember him!” William realized. “He was really nice to me, but I always thought there was something eerie about him. He was unnaturally pale, almost with skin like a vampire. Sammi, you actually sailed with this man?”
“Yes, but -” William interrupted her.
“Has he made any advances towards you?” She hesitated.
“Well…not really, but there were a few times where I felt uncomfortable around him. He kept staring at my chest, but he insisted he was only looking at my gold Fleur de Lis necklace.”
“I’ll bet David was always around just in case you needed protection,” William predicted. Sammi frowned.
“How did you know that?” William smiled.
“Because it’s what I would’ve done.” Sammi threw her hands up in frustration.
“He didn’t do anything to me, alright? I didn’t need protecting. Besides, Debouvier was my most experienced and knowledgeable crewmember,” she informed them. “He saved the ship several times over. If he’d wanted to harm me in any way, he had plenty of chances during the voyage. I don’t believe he wants to hurt any of us. ”
“Don’t be naïve, Samantha,” Jack gently chided. “He’s just biding his time. Perhaps he didn’t have the opportunity to harm you with your younger crew members around. I’m sure they were protective of you as well.” Sammi reluctantly nodded.
“They were.” She missed Fletcher, Horner, and Ted, and wished to check up on them as soon as possible. It was her responsibility as captain to look out for their safety. She linked eyes with all four adults in the room. “I know I just got back, and I really do want to spend time with you, but I need to go down to the docks and speak with my crew to find out what happened to the other Frenchmen who were supported to arrive. And keep an eye out for Norrie, I suppose,” she added in an afterthought.
“Wait a moment, how many Frenchmen were after you?” Elizabeth wondered. Sammi shrugged.
“I don’t know, but it sure wasn’t just one. Think about it. Regardless if Debouvier is involved in the plot or not, he still came back from France on my ship,” Sammi pointed out.
“Meaning the others who crewed the French ship are still at large,” Jack finished in horror.
“Exactly,” Sammi finished, as William shot her a worried look.
“We’d better get down there right away - there’s no telling what’s happened while we’ve been sitting around and talking,” Ana fretted.
“Aye, luv. Let’s go stop the French before this mess gets out of hand,” Jack affirmed.
333
Leaving Faith behind to watch the younger children, the Sparrow and Turner clans raced down to the docks to await the incoming French ship. When they arrived at the harbor, they quickly realized that the Roi Solei was nowhere to be found.
“Bugger!” Sammi swore.
“Maybe they haven’t arrived yet,” suggested the optimistic William.
“Or maybe they have,” said Elizabeth, trying to be realistic. “There are plenty of secret nooks and crannies to tie up a ship on the island’s edge. If they don’t want to be found, they won’t be.”
“I’ve got to find my crew and ask them if they saw anything,” Sammi exclaimed, brushing past William as inspiration struck. She clambered down the dock to her ship’s berth, and found her small but sturdy vessel relaxing in the warm Caribbean waters.
“I can’t believe they aren’t up yet,” she grumbled as she approached the Wicked Wench. “Horner! Fletcher! Ted! Daaaaaaaaaaavid!” She called. “You slugabeds get up here right now! This is your captain speaking. That’s an order, on the double!” But no one answered her.
That’s odd, Captain Sparrow thought to herself. They’re usually too afraid of what might happen if they disobeyed an order. She climbed onto the ship and conducted a brief search of the area, only to come up empty handed. Where the hell were they? Maybe they got hungry or something, and went ashore in search of a home-cooked meal, she reasoned.
Sammi proceeded to check the galley for a note from her crew explaining their absence. Sure enough, she found a note on the table but it was not written in one of her crewmembers’ handwriting. She tore open the seal, as the letter was addressed to her. But what she found wasn’t a simple ‘be right back’ message. Instead, she found something far more sinister.
“Oh no,” she moaned as she skimmed the contents of the letter. “They’ve been kidnapped by the Frenchmen! All four of them! How did this happen?” Now she was furious. Norrie was supposed to delay the French from arriving. What had gone wrong? “Where’s that bloody ghost when you need him?” she screeched.
“No need to shout,” came the irritated, disembodied voice.
“Where have you BEEN?” she spat. He gave a long, suffering sigh.
“The French soon figured out that I couldn’t harm them, so they disregarded my presence, arrived on the island this morning, and took your crew just after your father and Mr. Turner left with Monsieur Debouvier as their hostage.”
“Well, for Pete’s sake, where did the French take my crew?” Sammi cried, almost hysterical. After all, she felt responsible for the lives of each of her men, and especially for her old friend David’s.
From the dock, the Sparrows and Turners watched, dumbfound, as Sammi shouted and waved her arms at what they perceived to be thin air. William, of course, knew she was talking to Norrington.
“I followed them into my cave, where the French had been resuming their work on that machine,” the specter explained. “Samantha, the French have all four boys tied up so that there’s no chance of escape. That’s where I was, why I didn’t come find you sooner.”
“Oh. Right,” Sammi muttered, embarrassed that she’d yelled at him before she knew the whole story. “How many French were there?”
“At least twenty,” was the ghost’s grim answer.
“Twenty? Bugger, bugger, bugger…” Sammi went on a tirade that lasted a full two minutes before she was able to calm herself. “Alright,” she sighed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Nothing we can do about it now. We need to tell my parents and the Turners about what happened.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?” The scowl was apparent even in his voice.
“Oh, c’mon,” Sammi coaxed. “You’ll get to talk with Elizabeth again,” she reminded him.
“I’d rather not without my body,” was his stiff reply. Ghosts!
“Where’s your gem?” She wondered.
“The bloody French searched the ship and confiscated our only gem, therefore I cannot take my usual human form,” was his bitter reply.
“Those greedy bastards,” she fumed. “Don’t worry, Norrie, I’ll steal one back somehow for you, but for now you’ll have to do without a body.”
“If I must.” The ghost gave a long suffering sigh. “But only if I get to scare your father.”
“You’re on!” Sammi grinned.
End Part I
Feedback is always appreciated.
Disclaimer: Will, Jack, Elizabeth, Ana, and the other PotC characters don’t belong to me. They are the property of Disney, Gore, Jerry, Ted, and Terry. However I do own Sammi, Teague, and Eva Sparrow as well as Danielle, James, and Charlotte Turner! Oh, and I own Ophelia too, I suppose. Sammi is by far my favorite OC that I've created, I just love her.
A/N: Ahh! It’s been four months since my last update! I’m so sorry. I’ve been undergoing a lot of changes in my life right now, and it’s just been hectic. Plus my whole obsession with Star Trek has kind of been distracting. But I promised I’d finished this fic, and I shall. My goal is to have it completed by December 31st.
Thanks again to my wonderful, beta, xylot3. She’s come through for me once again!
Ch. 28: It Takes Two
It takes two to make a thing go right
It takes two to make it outta sight!
-Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock
333
Location: St. Maarten, earlier that morning
Sammi and William came down to find Faith in the kitchen. As they scarfed down Faith’s delicious blueberry pancakes, Sammi informed William about what happened during her voyage. William was thrilled that her fellow travelers had chosen her to be their captain. He was horrified when she spoke of discovering France’s secret slave force. And he was mighty confused by the mysterious power of the coveted gems.
“Why do the French need those gems so badly?” William asked. “To sell them?”
“Have you even been listening?” Sammi sighed. “They need the gems to power their machines.”
“I knew that,” William said with a sheepish smile. He’d tried to pay attention, really he had.
“And the Frenchmen are on their way here, today, to harvest more gems and quite possibly murder my father as well as one of us!” Dramatic as ever, Sammi clutched at her chest in mock-horror.
“Don’t worry.” William took her hand in his. “Our families will protect the cave and make sure the Frenchmen don’t cause trouble.”
“Speaking of families, why don’t we go see what they are up to,” Sammi suggested.
“No need!” Jack announced as he paraded into the room, with Eva and Teague trailing behind him.
“Sammi!”
“You’re back!” Her siblings cried as she was suddenly ambushed on both sides.
“William, help! They’re choking me,” she gasped. They backed off, giving her a chance to stand and receive a proper hug. “I missed you two,” Sammi admitted.
“It wasn’t the same without you,” Teague said, ever honest.
“Well, I didn’t miss you that much,” Eva sniffed, her nose in the air.
“Uh huh,” Sammi said knowingly. The Turners and her mum arrived moments later and there were happy reunions all around.
“Sammi! It’s really you!” Dani, Jamie, and Char pounced on their favorite young pirate.
“In the flesh, luvs,” Sammi reassured them, ruffling their heads in turn. “Geez, if I’d known I would’ve received this kind of reception, I would’ve come home sooner!” She winked slyly at William, who blushed.
“Sammi, come see our new puppy!” Dani and Char pulled her hand towards them as James nodded enthusiastically.
“No, Sammi needs to see my room!” Eva insisted, yanking on her other hand in the opposite direction. “I redecorated it and everything!”
“Our puppy is better than your stupid room, Eva,” Dani insisted.
“Nuh uh,” Eva cried, sticking out her tongue at her friend. “You take that back, Danielle Turner!”
“Make me,” Dani smirked. Sammi didn’t understand why the parents didn’t just jump in an intervene before things got too out of hand, but they seemed preoccupied.
“Fight, fight, fight!” Teague, Jamie, and Char chanted as they watched their sisters circle each other. Somehow, during all of the confusion, Sammi managed to wrestle her hands away from her captors.
“As great as it is to see everyone,” Sammi cried over the din, “I need to head down to the harbor and meet up with my crew. We’re expecting someone - or someones, rather - with less-than-favorable intentions toward our family and I want to be there when we detain them.”
“No need,” Jack said brightly. “We’ve already captured him.” Sammi didn’t miss the dark looks exchanged between her and William’s parents.
“Excuse me?” Sammi glanced at William, whose expression held as much confusion as her own.
“What’s going on?” Eva wanted to know, abandoning her argument with Dani for the moment. “Tell us, Father.”
“Yes, tell us,” Dani chimed in. Soon all of the children were clamoring for an explanation.
“I will, but I need to talk with Sammi and William first,” Jack promised.
“But what about me?” Teague protested, affronted. “Ten is definitely old enough to know about what’s really going on.”
“I need you to stay here and look after the children while we talk,” Jack insisted. Frowning at being left out, Teague turned to appeal to his mother. But when she mouthed the word ‘later’, Teague decided to abide by his parents’ wishes. Just so long as he eventually found out the truth…
“Hey, you lot,” he announced, calling the children over. “I know where Mum keeps her secret stash of cookies…”
“Where, Teague?” Charlotte asked.
“Show us!” Jamie begged.
Silently thanking Teague for keeping their offspring occupied, Ana turned to her eldest and ushered her out of the kitchen. Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and William followed them into the Sparrows’ bedroom where they could have privacy.
Closing the door behind him with a resounding clang, William took a seat next to his best friend on the bed. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him as if it were the most natural pose in the world. The parents looked at each other, unable to contain their shock.
“So, tell us, what’s really going on?” Sammi asked, not comprehending the strange looks the parents were sending her and William.
“In a minute,” Ana said, distracted. “Is there something you two would like to tell us?” Sammi and William glanced at each other, both trying desperately not to laugh.
“Are you two…?” Elizabeth gasped. Sammi grinned at William as he gave her a tiny nod. The young pirate captain decided they’d been kept in dark for long enough.
“We are,” Sammi confirmed with a smile. “William finally figured out that what he was looking for, was, in fact, me.”
“Sammi,” William groaned, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t put it exactly like that,” he insisted at the stares of his father and the Sparrows. “But it is true that we are courting as of this morning.” Will and Elizabeth exchanged a knowing look, as did Ana and Jack. It seemed they had a chance at their families being united by blood after all!
“I can’t believe it! I always knew you two would end up together,” Elizabeth gushed.
“I’m just glad you two finally came to your senses,” said Ana. Both women’s faces were alight with joy, as their children’s happiness added to their own.
“So am I,” agreed Will. “We weren’t sure if you’d see what you’d been missing.”
“I was stubborn, and he was misinformed,” said Sammi. “We both had to court other people to see what we were missing.”
“Wait, who did you court?” Jack wanted to know.
“David.” William inwardly winced, not wanting to think about Sammi with David. But it wasn’t because he was jealous, not at all.
“Ah, that makes sense,” said Ana, pursing her lips. “I knew that poor boy had a thing for you.”
“Just like Ophelia had a thing for me,” William added. “But we weren’t right for each other.” Sammi nodded in agreement.
“Thankfully, William and I were able to work out our differences. We had some trying times, but what love is worth it without sacrifice?”
“Well said, Samantha,” praised her father, as he remembered giving up pirating for half the year to be with Ana and raise their family together. “This is bloody fantastic,” Jack exclaimed, hugging his daughter and William in turn. “Finally, I don’t have to worry about my daughter being taken advantage of by the one she’s courting.”
“That may be true,” said Will, “but I cannot say the same about my son. If I recall correctly, Sparrows can be very persuasive.” Sammi just smiled sweetly at the Turners as William flushed in embarrassment. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, hoping he would realize there was nothing to be ashamed of. Their parents supported their relationship! It was like a dream come true, not to have to hide her true feelings for her best friend any longer. She could express them as much as she pleased in public, within reason of course.
“So, about the Frenchmen,” William said loudly, bringing their attention back to the original reason for the meeting.
“Yes, what’s this about, Father?” Sammi asked, once everyone had gotten over their shock of realizing that she and William were finally together.
“It’s like this,” Jack began. “When you mentioned the Frenchman who was pursuing you last night, I took it upon myself to search for him down at the docks this morning,” the pirate lord explained. “Imagine my surprise when I spotted him sitting out on the dock, as calm as you please. It wasn’t much trouble for Will and I to subdue him. He kept insisting that we had the wrong man, so we gagged him before we tossed him in the Pearl’s brig.” Sammi frowned. It couldn’t be that easy, could it?
“Did you see Norrington around?” She wondered. “I need to speak with him.”
“Bloody hell, Samantha, that bastard’s dead!” Jack exclaimed. “Why would I happen to see a dead man this morning?”
“Because he’s a ghost,” his daughter informed him. She went on to explain the powers of the gems the French were so keen on harvesting actually allowed ghosts to be seen by the living if they were nearby.
“Sorry, love,” said Jack. “Haven’t seen ol’ Norrie-face in seventeen years, and I’d like to keep it that way.” He shuddered in horror, remembering how the Commodore had once been a part of his crew.
“Hmm,” Sammi muttered. Something didn’t quite feel right to her. She had a feeling her parents were keeping a critical piece of information from her. Elizabeth glanced worriedly at Ana.
“What’s wrong, Mum?” William wondered. “The Frenchman’s caught. Why the long face?” Ana trembled in Jack’s arms.
“Are you sure you’re ready to tell them?” Jack asked softly.
“I’m ready,” Ana said, her voice determined.
“Tell us what?” Sammi asked, scooting even closer to her new boyfriend.
“There’s something you two don’t know about that man, Debouvier,” Ana said slowly, as if every word hurt to speak. “I would recognize that evil face anywhere. He’s the very same man that raped my older sister years ago and also the same one who drugged me when we visited the Turkish prison.”
“That’s - that’s impossible,” Sammi muttered. “No way. I’ve spent too many months with him to know that he wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“Listen to me, Samantha!” Ana fumed. “You were not there to see it. Debouvier tried to steal me away from Jack - I’ll never forgive him for that, nor the death of my sister.” William gulped as he recalled that very incident. Sammi, on the other hand, had no recollection, as she had not been allowed to visit the Turkish prison.
“I remember him!” William realized. “He was really nice to me, but I always thought there was something eerie about him. He was unnaturally pale, almost with skin like a vampire. Sammi, you actually sailed with this man?”
“Yes, but -” William interrupted her.
“Has he made any advances towards you?” She hesitated.
“Well…not really, but there were a few times where I felt uncomfortable around him. He kept staring at my chest, but he insisted he was only looking at my gold Fleur de Lis necklace.”
“I’ll bet David was always around just in case you needed protection,” William predicted. Sammi frowned.
“How did you know that?” William smiled.
“Because it’s what I would’ve done.” Sammi threw her hands up in frustration.
“He didn’t do anything to me, alright? I didn’t need protecting. Besides, Debouvier was my most experienced and knowledgeable crewmember,” she informed them. “He saved the ship several times over. If he’d wanted to harm me in any way, he had plenty of chances during the voyage. I don’t believe he wants to hurt any of us. ”
“Don’t be naïve, Samantha,” Jack gently chided. “He’s just biding his time. Perhaps he didn’t have the opportunity to harm you with your younger crew members around. I’m sure they were protective of you as well.” Sammi reluctantly nodded.
“They were.” She missed Fletcher, Horner, and Ted, and wished to check up on them as soon as possible. It was her responsibility as captain to look out for their safety. She linked eyes with all four adults in the room. “I know I just got back, and I really do want to spend time with you, but I need to go down to the docks and speak with my crew to find out what happened to the other Frenchmen who were supported to arrive. And keep an eye out for Norrie, I suppose,” she added in an afterthought.
“Wait a moment, how many Frenchmen were after you?” Elizabeth wondered. Sammi shrugged.
“I don’t know, but it sure wasn’t just one. Think about it. Regardless if Debouvier is involved in the plot or not, he still came back from France on my ship,” Sammi pointed out.
“Meaning the others who crewed the French ship are still at large,” Jack finished in horror.
“Exactly,” Sammi finished, as William shot her a worried look.
“We’d better get down there right away - there’s no telling what’s happened while we’ve been sitting around and talking,” Ana fretted.
“Aye, luv. Let’s go stop the French before this mess gets out of hand,” Jack affirmed.
333
Leaving Faith behind to watch the younger children, the Sparrow and Turner clans raced down to the docks to await the incoming French ship. When they arrived at the harbor, they quickly realized that the Roi Solei was nowhere to be found.
“Bugger!” Sammi swore.
“Maybe they haven’t arrived yet,” suggested the optimistic William.
“Or maybe they have,” said Elizabeth, trying to be realistic. “There are plenty of secret nooks and crannies to tie up a ship on the island’s edge. If they don’t want to be found, they won’t be.”
“I’ve got to find my crew and ask them if they saw anything,” Sammi exclaimed, brushing past William as inspiration struck. She clambered down the dock to her ship’s berth, and found her small but sturdy vessel relaxing in the warm Caribbean waters.
“I can’t believe they aren’t up yet,” she grumbled as she approached the Wicked Wench. “Horner! Fletcher! Ted! Daaaaaaaaaaavid!” She called. “You slugabeds get up here right now! This is your captain speaking. That’s an order, on the double!” But no one answered her.
That’s odd, Captain Sparrow thought to herself. They’re usually too afraid of what might happen if they disobeyed an order. She climbed onto the ship and conducted a brief search of the area, only to come up empty handed. Where the hell were they? Maybe they got hungry or something, and went ashore in search of a home-cooked meal, she reasoned.
Sammi proceeded to check the galley for a note from her crew explaining their absence. Sure enough, she found a note on the table but it was not written in one of her crewmembers’ handwriting. She tore open the seal, as the letter was addressed to her. But what she found wasn’t a simple ‘be right back’ message. Instead, she found something far more sinister.
“Oh no,” she moaned as she skimmed the contents of the letter. “They’ve been kidnapped by the Frenchmen! All four of them! How did this happen?” Now she was furious. Norrie was supposed to delay the French from arriving. What had gone wrong? “Where’s that bloody ghost when you need him?” she screeched.
“No need to shout,” came the irritated, disembodied voice.
“Where have you BEEN?” she spat. He gave a long, suffering sigh.
“The French soon figured out that I couldn’t harm them, so they disregarded my presence, arrived on the island this morning, and took your crew just after your father and Mr. Turner left with Monsieur Debouvier as their hostage.”
“Well, for Pete’s sake, where did the French take my crew?” Sammi cried, almost hysterical. After all, she felt responsible for the lives of each of her men, and especially for her old friend David’s.
From the dock, the Sparrows and Turners watched, dumbfound, as Sammi shouted and waved her arms at what they perceived to be thin air. William, of course, knew she was talking to Norrington.
“I followed them into my cave, where the French had been resuming their work on that machine,” the specter explained. “Samantha, the French have all four boys tied up so that there’s no chance of escape. That’s where I was, why I didn’t come find you sooner.”
“Oh. Right,” Sammi muttered, embarrassed that she’d yelled at him before she knew the whole story. “How many French were there?”
“At least twenty,” was the ghost’s grim answer.
“Twenty? Bugger, bugger, bugger…” Sammi went on a tirade that lasted a full two minutes before she was able to calm herself. “Alright,” she sighed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Nothing we can do about it now. We need to tell my parents and the Turners about what happened.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?” The scowl was apparent even in his voice.
“Oh, c’mon,” Sammi coaxed. “You’ll get to talk with Elizabeth again,” she reminded him.
“I’d rather not without my body,” was his stiff reply. Ghosts!
“Where’s your gem?” She wondered.
“The bloody French searched the ship and confiscated our only gem, therefore I cannot take my usual human form,” was his bitter reply.
“Those greedy bastards,” she fumed. “Don’t worry, Norrie, I’ll steal one back somehow for you, but for now you’ll have to do without a body.”
“If I must.” The ghost gave a long suffering sigh. “But only if I get to scare your father.”
“You’re on!” Sammi grinned.
End Part I
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