Fight For The Right

17~ An Ill- Conceived Escape Attempt

"I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill- conceived escape attempt today," he said to Will. "But not from you. Well..." with his sword point he flicked the tip of my hat, allowing it to fall to the ground and my hair to fall across my shoulders. "... from you, maybe."

My father looked horrified. "Maddie?" he croaked out, then cleared his throat. "On our return to Port Royal, I grant you clemency," he said to Will. "And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"

"And a good man," Will threw his sword to ground. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman with hang two pairs of boots -"

"Three pairs of boots," I corrected him with a cold glare at Norrington.

"- three pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

"Mine too." I squared my shoulders and stood proudly beside Will. I knew there was a slight - okay, BIG possibility that this wouldn't work out, but hopefully Jeffrey would stick to plan B if it came to that, as we'd discussed.

"You forget your place, Turner," Norrington growled then turned on me. "And you! How could a lass like you turn out to become such a... pirate?"

I raised my sword to his throat. "Would you like to repeat that, Commodore?" I hissed.

Will placed his hand on my arm and forced me to lower my sword. "My place, Commodore? It's right here.. between you and Jack."

"As is mine," Elizabeth and I said at the same time as she stood on the other side of Will.

"Elizabeth! Maddie!" My father gasped. "Lower your weapons. For goodness' sake put them down!"

Slowly the soldiers lowered their bayonets as Norrington stared sadly at my sister. "So this is where your heart truly lies, then?"

"It is."

I've never heard my sister sound so sure of anything, it quite suprised me. Over my shoulder I glaced at Jack. Remember our deal? I mouthed to him. He nodded and frowned when he saw something over my shoulder that I couldn't see.

"Well!" he exclaimed. "I'm actually feeling rather good about this." He moved out to my father. "I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually... Ecumenically... Grammatically?" Then he moved over to Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that." He walked past us, pausing. "Elizabeth... it would never have worked out between us, darling. I'm sorry." Elizabeth smirked at him. "Will... nice hat."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when he came over to me. "Save it, I don't want to hear your excuses," I held up my hand when he opened his mouth.

He winked at me. "Are you sure about that, love?"

Suddenly he grabbed the knife from my boot and spun me around so he was holding it at my throat. "Stay calm, love..." he hissed in my ear. "Just stay calm." He began backing away towards the edge of the battlement, dragging me with him. Everyone stared at him.

"Friends!" he announced. "This is the day that you will always remember as the day that -"

Suddenly I felt myself falling backwards, and falling down towards the water. Jack released me as we hit the water and I gasped with the shock of the impact. When we resurfaced Jack handed me back my knife, which I stuck back in my boot. I glared at him as he spat out a handful of water. "Jack! Are you crazy?! You could've gotten us killed!"

"Ah, but I didn't! I stuck to my end of the deal, so we're square."

A sentry up on the battlements suddenly yelled, "Sail ho!"

We both turned as saw the Black Pearl around the corner from Port Royal. Beside it, I saw a familiar small sail boat. "You need a lift?" Jack asked me as we began swimming towards it.

"No thanks. I've got my vessel all sorted. A promise I made a friend." We swam in silence for a while before I suddenly splashed him. "You know, a bit more warning would've been mice, back there?"

He splashed me back grinning. "I had to think on the spot, love. Besides, that was part of our deal, wasn't it? I take you with me?"

"Yes, but I didn't expect you to push me off the battlement!"

"Technically, we fell. I didn't push you."

"How did you know where I kept my knife, anyway?"

"How did you know your plan would work?" he shot back.

I scowled at him. "I didn't," I replied around a mouthful of water. "I had to think on the spot," I added with a smirk.

*Elizabeth's P.O.V"

I gasped, along with my father and Will, when Maddie went tumbling off the battlement with Jack. We all raced to the edge, just in time to see them resurface from the water. "Jack! Are you crazy?!" I heard Maddie shouting. "You could've gotten us killed!"

"Ah, but I didn't!" Jack shouted back. "I stuck to my end of the deal, so we're square."

Wait, did he say deal? I glanced at Will with raised eyebrows. They had planned for this to happen?

"Idiots," Gillette sneered. "They have nowhere to go but back to the noose."

Suddenly a sentry called out, "Sail ho!"

We all looked up, and off the coast of Port Royal, sailing towards us, was the Black Pearl. I couldn't help but smile. Trust Maddie to think of a mad plan to help Jack escape and then hitch a ride.

"I thought your sister had already left," my father whispered in my ear.

I shrugged. "So had I. But, at least she is free now."

"What's your plan of action?" Gillette asked Norrington. "Sir?"

My father replied for him. "Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy. Piracy itself can be the right course."

Norrington nodded then stepped back. "Mr. Turner."

I grasped his hand and he looked at me with sad eyes. "I will accept the consequences of my actions."

Norrington unsheathed his sword and held it up to Will. "This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the came care and devotion in every aspect of his life."

"Thank you," Will replied.

Commodore began walking away from the battlement when Gillette called him back. "Commodore! What about Sparrow and Miss Swann?"

"Well, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start. As for Miss Swann..." he glanced at me quickly. "... she's a free spirit." He turned and the soldiers all followed him. I think some of them were disappointed with Norrington's decision.

"So," my father went to follow but turned to me. "This is the path you've chosen, is it? After all... he is a blacksmith."

"No," I smile, taking off Will's hat. "He's a pirate."

Will placed his hand on my head and pressed his lips against mine. My stomach fluttered and my heart rate increased. His lips were so soft, it was one of the best feelings of my life.