What Would You Do? *1*

Author: Pilgrim
Title: What Would You Do?
Rating: NC-17 by the end possibly sooner depends on how the story progresses again
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the PotC characters or movies (unfortunately); anything you recognize isn’t mine (god damn them to hell!) Before anyone asks yes, Oria is mine who else could have thought up such a creature?
Feedback: Please! First time fan fiction writer and desperate for tips, tricks, advice, stuff me full of info please! I want to improve and take over the world with my genius mwhahaha! Lol, only kidding but feedback would be fantastic, send it to raukarwen_deomene@yahoo.com or review!
Notes: So far unread, so really need feedback on it.

Chapter 12 - Fond Farewells

They were stood in the shade of a bridge, they had decided rather quickly on this when Jack found out Oria had not had any form of liquid for over a day and been left in the sun. The rather scary incident where she nearly collapsed in the direct path of a troop of soldiers had given him more than a small turn and he wasn’t sure his heart was up for another round. He’d had enough surprises over the past few days to last him a life time. Will was now glaring at him as he gazed out at the ships.

“We’re going to steal the ship? That ship?” Oria was studying it intently, assessing every angle with an expert eye.

“Commandeer, we’re going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term…” Jack corrected, he paused and turned to regard Will intently, “… One question about your business boy, or there’s no use going. This girl how far are you willing to go to save her?” Will glared at him and Oria flicked her attention to the scene unfolding in front of her.

“I’d die for her.” Jack smiled and turned back to surveying the ships with a grin at Oria who rolled her eyes and turned her attention back likewise.

“Oh good. No worries then.” He pointed to a pair of guards watching over the ships.

“Right, me and the boy are going to go and clamber under one of those there canoes. You are going to provide a delightful change of scenery to said guards while me and the lad scramble about our business. With them duly distracted you will then join us under the canoe and we’ll go on our merry way.” Oria glared at him accusingly.

“Distraction?” He grinned winningly and nodded with enthusiasm.

“Well I would but without having the appropriate… equipment… so to speak, I don’t think I would necessarily get very far without either arousing suspicion or the hang mans noose. Honestly, I’d rather avoid an acquaintance with the latter.” She was watching his hands with a frown.

“Why all the…” She mimicked his frantic hand movements and slight swaying motion. He glared at her and pointed to the guards, she rolled her eyes and nodded, “Fine the second they turn their backs you run over to your little canoe and I’ll join you.” Jack reached as if to grasp her again, once more she was no longer in the space and he frowned as he saw her striding over to the guards.

“When did that girl get so slippery?” He muttered under his breath. Will stared at him in surprise, Oria didn’t take long to get the guards attention in the opposite direction to the canoes and the pair ran over and quickly dived under one as a patrol jogged past. They heard raucous cheering as a gentle tap came on the top of the canoe; Jack lifted it suspiciously so that it gave just enough space to see the toes of a pair of boots.

“Lift up the canoe Jack, it’s only me for gods sake, who else do you know that goes around knocking on canoes?” Will glanced over as she slipped in between them, the men she had been ‘distracting’ were in the middle of a brawl, surrounded and egged on by the patrol that had passed them by only a few seconds ago. Jack motioned for them to move off and they crawled into the ocean, it wasn't long before they were quite a way under.

“This is either madness or brilliance.” Jack grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

“It’s remarkable how often those two traits coincide.” Oria hissed slightly as the salty water lapped at the fresh burn and stung viciously. Jack ducked out and spotted the Dauntless floating above them, he ducked back in, “Alright, the ship is directly over head, we can climb up the back, there’s plenty of hand holds. Everyone ready?” Oria dived out and swam up quickly followed by Jack and Will. Will glanced up as they cleared the water.

“Jack we can’t reach them, they’re too high up.” Jack smiled conspiratorially.

“Not for Oria.” Will glanced at the girl; she was studying the back of the ship intently her eyes slowly travelling up the worn boards.

“Jack a slight leg up if you please.” He followed her towards the ship, she pointed to a small hand hold and he grasped it firmly with both hands, she clambered lightly up his back. Jack was grinning at Will over his shoulder.

“Warn you now boy, don’t try this with any other woman, this one is especially light for such purposes as scaling the backs of ships.” She balanced on Jacks’ shoulders and stretched up from his shoulders to grasp a window ledge, she dragged herself up till her elbows were on it,

“Jack where are my feet going?” He swam backwards slightly and shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun.

“Right foot, left and up a bit. That’s it, good, left foot down and right. Careful, I think its’ loose, there’s another small hole further left. That’s it, lower. Have to say love rather nice view from down here.” Oria glared down at him from over her shoulder, he grinned apologetically.

"Watch it Sparrow or we'll be seeing how well your wings work." With her toes in the small holes she pushed the window open and paused as she pushed herself further up and swung her legs inside hooking them over the sill. Oria leaned backwards and stretched down.

“Will, you first.” He looked doubtful.

“What am I going to do?” She waved her hands encouragingly.

“Look if you don’t hurry some sailor is going to find my legs in his room, just grab my hands and I’ll support you. Find some purchase with your feet if you can and climb up till you reach a hand hold.” He frowned and stretched feeling her hands wrap about his wrists he grasped her own and pushed his feet against the side of the ship.

Glancing up he watched as her entire body tensed and took the majority of his weight. He scrambled up as fast as he could and reached the ledge, he watched as she stretched down again for Jack. Her belly was level with his gaze and he watched the muscles tense as they took Jacks’ weight and helped him up the side of the ship till there was a suitable handhold.

Will watched as she pulled herself back up easily and swung her legs back out to follow the two men up the ships back. Eventually they reached the banister and Jack dragged Will and then Oria over it, she drew her swords warily, the sailors were busy on the deck. Jack drew his sword and jogged down the steps closely followed by Oria, Will chose to leap over the railing and land on his right with sword drawn.

“Everyone stay calm we are taking over the ship.” The sailors turned around and laughed at the appearance of a bedraggled pirate, partially drowned boy and a girl. Gillette stepped forward recognising the two pirates immediately. He ignored Oria dutifully, women were below his standing.

“This ship can not be crewed by two men; you’ll never make it out of the bay.” Jack took out his gun and aimed it at Gillette’s’ nose with a grin.

“Son… I’m Captain Jack Sparrow…” He primed the pistol, “Savvy?” Oria stared at him, now that was different, an air of confidence that permeated the very air and demanded respect, genuine respect. This was not the fake childish naive Jack she had known; this was something different, something stronger.

The men laughed a bit but more nervously, a gun shot went off and they scattered like flies. Gillette gave a terrified scream and ran about like a headless chicken till he eventually fell into one of the row boats. Jack glanced over his shoulder to where Oria stood with her pistol still smoking.

“Sorry, got bored.” She shrugged, truth be told she wasn’t too sure about this new commanding Jack; it was a definite change to the one she knew. He grinned and they watched as the sailors scrambled into one row boat and quickly departed, Oria blew the smoke from her gun and refilled it ready to fire again before tucking it back into its’ sheath,

“Right let’s get this ship moving, Oria, disable the rudder chain while Will and I make ourselves appear useful with the sails to avoid suspicion.” She nodded and quickly strode off to do the Captains’ bidding. He watched her go before turning his attention back to Will. He couldn’t wait to get her on her own once more.

:/

Groves raised the spy glass to his eye as he spotted a rather full row boat heading back to the port from the Dauntless.

“Commodore?” Norrington turned and glanced out at the row boat giving a similar confused expression and drew out his own spy glass.

“Sir! They’ve taken the Dauntless! They’ve taken the ship! Sparrow and Turner and that wench! They’ve taken the Dauntless!” Norrington turned his spy glass to the Dauntless, it looked empty till he spotted Jack and Will trying desperately to untangle one of the sails and merely making the job worse, the pirate doing nothing more than frantically waving his arms up and down comically with the occasional bounce. He lowered the spy glass with a smirk.

“Rash Turner, too rash. That is without doubt the worst pirate I have ever seen.” Oria strode back down to Jack wiping oil and grease from her hands onto her britches with a grin.

“Done and done Captain.” He nodded and glanced about the ship.

“Get some ropes ready to swing over on.” She nodded and jogged down to the prow untying two ropes and struggling with a third more tightly tied one, the others were too critical to untie. Will glanced over Jacks’ shoulder; the pirate was stood cockily with his gun resting on his shoulder and a hand on the helm.

“Here they come.” Jack glanced back and grinned devilishly. It was time for the fun to start.

“Over to the prow lad, quickly. Oria, we’ve got company!” She tugged at the knot frantically but it was not for budging.

“It won’t come undone.” Jack grasped one free rope and motioned for Will to do the same before dragging Oria back by the waist. She gave a slight surprised cry and grasped his arm with her hands to balance herself.

“Leave it; we’ll go over on this one together, just like old times eh?” She pushed back against him as the Interceptor slammed into the side of the Dauntless and a sailor glanced over where they were hidden behind some barrels. Jack grinned at the closeness; it had been far too long in coming and he tightened his grip to keep her there. They heard the heavy boots of the Commodore come over the boarding plank.

“Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges.” Jack tightened his grip on the rope and adjusted the grip about Oria’s waist and motioned for Will to follow as he dragged Oria closer to the edge of the ship.

“Hold on love.” She turned in his grasp and wrapped her arms about his neck tightly as his own grip tightened about her waist and they swung over on to the Interceptor, “Oria, cut the lines, Will the sails if you please and Jack to the helm. Aye Captain.” He grinned; it was good to be called Captain again, even if he was the one calling himself Captain. Jack jogged up to the helm as Oria drew a dagger and slashed through the ropes and pushed the boarding plank over into the ocean. Norrington turned at the splash and stared in disbelief as the Interceptor pulled away.

“Sailors back to the Interceptor now!” The sailors rushed, one grasped one of the ropes they had used to swing over and attempted the same feat. Oria drew her pistol and shot through the rope, the sailor swung past them clutching the end of the rope and crying as he flew over the Interceptor landing with a heavy splash in the water on the other side of the ship.

“Thank you Commodore for getting us ready to make way. We’d have had a hard time of it by ourselves.” Jack crowed, taking his hat off to the man with a winning grin, Oria stepped up alongside him.

“Set top sails and clear up this mess.” Norrington growled at, Groves shook his head.

“With the wind at quarter astern we won’t catch them.” Norrington grimaced, this was a decision he didn’t approve of but it was more favourable than the other option.

“We don’t need to catch them, just get them in range of the long nines.” Groves nodded curtly; it was not in his nature to question before commanding.

“Hands come about. Run out the guns!” He turned back to the Commodore, “We open fire on our own ship sir?” Norrington nodded sighing heavily as he leaned on the railing.

“I’d rather see her at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of pirates.” A sailor tugged at the wheel with no effect, his face falling as he realised what was wrong.

“Commodore, he’s disabled the rudder chain. Sir.” Groves stared at the departing Interceptor disbelievingly, a faint glimmer of awe in his eye.

“That has got to be the best pirate I have ever seen.” Norrington gritted his teeth, that was not something he wanted to hear.

“So it would seem.” His eyes widened as they lighted on Oria, she was priming a pistol and turning to face him. He ducked at the last minute as the shot fired over his head and exploded against the wood of the mast.

Standing he glared in her general direction and defined a smirk on her lips as she blew the smoke away from her pistol. How he wanted to wipe that smirk from her face, that glint in her eyes of self-assurance and self-dominance. Jack was a pain but she was the devil incarnate and he was going to make sure he had the last word in both accounts.