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well here goes nothing....truly, I can't write, but I'm so desperate for this to happen I'm going to do it myself.

BTW This ships Sailorrie...in case it wasn't obvious.....

The sailor we all know as Leo was working her way to the docks, carrying copious amounts of rum, legal tender that allowed her to room on a dingy 'ole ship, captained by a man who seemingly spent more time in Tortuga than he did on the sees. This would work out in her favor, she hoped, for she had a plans to over throw the captain in order to peruse her real purpose for leaving dry land-

-Her lover.

Well, truth be told, he wasn't really Her lover, in fact he didn't know she existed, but by God he'll learn of her name yet. She stepped past a few hesitant pirates and made her way to the captain's quarters.

"Captain Sparrow!" She shouted, "What do I do with the Rum?"

There were a few grunts from within the quarters, they were obviouslt remarks of annoyance. After a few moments he slowly opened his door, "Well don't drink it, that's a way to start, but if you really wanted to be useful why don't you stow it below deck with the rest of the rum, eh?" After finishing with some trademarked hand gestures he looked into the eyes on the puny little red head, "don't tell me you don't know how to get below decks Darlin?" We squinted a her which made Leo want to vomit. "I can tell we're not going to get along very well, aye?"


**Okay as you can see I suck at this, but i really want help! don't care who you are or how sucky you claim your writing skills are, please help me write this ****

*raises hand* I wanna help i really do!

but I'll do it when I get some ideas...

That was only the first day of what would seem like a lifetime to Leo. She never imagined working on a ship, especially Jack Sparrow's ship, required so much work. Every day it seemed the infamous ebony sails had to be patched up, decks needed actual swabbing, and food was always scarce. Her hands, so pale and delicate before, now took on a permanent pink hue with rows of calluses on her palms and the undersides of her fingers. Every muscle called to her to use her last ounces of strength to comandeer a longboat and row back to land, any land.
But tonight was the night.
Finally, Mr. Gibbs left the captain's cabin, rolling his eyes as usual. "Mother's love, he's impossible," he muttered to himself, not noticing Leo, her back pressed tightly against one of the walls of the cabin. As soon as the first mate was conveniently below decks, she rolled the balls of her feet and burst through the cabin door.
"Was that rehearsed?" Jack asked her. "It was the smoothest breaking and entering I've ever seen."
"Do you know why I'm here?"
"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! Savvy? I think I know why every young lady storms through that door."
"No, Jack. I need your compass," she said. "I need it to find someone."
"And you just expect me to hand it over? I'd shoot you, but I find you amusing," Jack laughed.
"I'm prepared to make an exchange." Leo let a confident smirk escape from her pouty lips.




Ooh, someone else's turn! GREAT idea, Sailor.

"An exchange, eh?" the captain lifted his hand to his chin, playing with the two beaded braids. "And just what sort of exchange did you have in mind, lass?". His eyes raked her form, his eyebrow raised. Leo's mouth formed a thin line at his attentions. Oh, how she craved that sort of look...from another.

"Certainly not the kind you are thinking." she said. " I had a more material exchange in mind, Captain Sparrow."
"Out with it then, I haven't got all day." He glanced out the darkened windows, "Er..night, I mean."
She pulled a set of tied black sticks from her jacket, tossing them on the table with a roll of parchment. Jack picked up the sticks cautiously.
"Am I to assume this is my payment for you to use my compass, then?"
"Yes."
"What it is?"
"I Ching wands from the orient. I attained them on my last voyage. They are used --"
"--as a medium for meditative divination, I know." He finished. Jack fingered the compass at his waist.
"I am not one to barter my posessions, missy." He said coldly.
Leo stood firm, holding her ground. "I am aware of that sir."
Jack leaned back in his chair, chuckling.
"You've got pluck, lass, you certainly have. You've tempted me with this offer...I do have a certain intriuge for unusual items from the East." He wrenched the compass from its position at his belt and tossed to the young sailor, who caught it deftly.
"You've got one minute."

One minute was all she needed. Inhaling, she opened the mythical compass, its cranberry-colored arrow already beginning to revolve. It halted.
"Captain Sparrow," Sailor said, "The Black Pearl needs to go due east. Now."

"Why." It was clearly not a question, but a flat statement.
"What do you mean why?" Leo asked crossly. "We need to go east. Now!"
"You don't own The Pearl lassie..." Jack replied. He glared at her. "There is no need for one to tell me what to do. Especially, not you."
She inhaled deeply, and tried not to shoot the captain. She squeezed her gun hard, and sighed, preparing herself to launch in another act of persuasion, one she hadn't used for quite a long time. There was no need to do it, everyone else seemed rather soft when it comes to her and gives in easily. But not this one.


-----------------------

*tries* so.. was it alright? If it messes things up or I'm too OOC just omit my post.

oh, and AWEsome posts everyone.. I definitely like to see where this goes.

... so many tense errors.. lol, sorry about those... >.<

"Have you ever been in love, Captain Sparrow?" She bit her lip, knowing he would laugh in her face and would throw a rum bottle at her. No, actually he would throw something else. She knew the stories of how he valued his rum.
There came no response. She opened her eyes and saw a stunned expression on the face that was usually so playful. For a moment, it was as if she was the only one in the cabin, Jack Sparrow somewhere else.
"So what you're telling me," he coughed, "is that this is about a man?"
"Yes. I'm begging you, Captain Sparrow, take me to him and help me save him and I'll find some way to reward you."
"Who are we looking for?" Jack stroked the two braids that made up his beard.
"James Norrington."
"Can't say I heard you right."
"James Norrington, Jack. When I heard he was killed, I knew I had to go after him."
"The Pearl's fast, my dear, but not enough to go into the afterlife and retrieve anyone." Jack glided around his desk and poured himself a drink.
"It can and I know how it can. Just let the ship go where it needs to go."
"I like you, Leo," Jack said. "I shall help you resurrect your sticky corpse in exchange for whatever reward you have in mind."
"It's a deal then," Leo said. "Let me take the helm and I'll fill you in on all the details as we get there."

I'm coming, James. I'm coming.

James Norrington woke on a sandy beach, feet pointed in the soft ocean. He was all alone, staring up at the bright blue sky, seemingly he was still in the Caribbean, but....Wasn't he, just with...He sat his himself up cradling his head in his hands. "What's happened, where am...I?" After a few moments of non responsiveness, he heard a voice that was carried on the winds, "I'm coming," it...no she....definitely a female, Norrington concluded in his mind.

"Elizabeth!" He shouted standing up quickly, then regretted it for now he felt quite dizzy. "Wait, why is that name familiar?" He wondered "Who's Elizabeth...Elizab-Elize-Eliza...What did I just say?" He sat down again on the sandy beach feeling utterly alone and confused. "It's finally happened, I've lost my mind," he said

"Norrington?" he heard a familiar voice call out. It seemed like the ship appeared out of a fog, but the sky was as clear as the shimmering water. It was a ship he remembered well. His eyes went wide. His hands flew to his waist, but no sword awaited his skilled hands. That no-good, self-serving squid took his gift, his honor that came with all his years of service.
"James Norrington! We're coming!" it called again. Where had he heard that voice before?
"By your leave..." He remembered. Turner? Will Blacksmith Turner?
Running to the edge of the surf, he saw quite a different face from the tentacled one before. Turner, with a determined expression on his face, steered the ship towards him.
"William Turner?" James asked.

"It's Captain, now, actually," Will said, standing tall and staring at James Norrington. "Not quite up to Commodore or Admiral, but it's enough, in it's own way."

James Norrington looked up at the man he had known only as a blacksmith with new eyes. He was wearing a black tunic and black breeches, a black bandana wound around his head, and golden-hilted sword hanging in it's black sheath.

"What're you doing here?" James asked. "Come to think of it, what am I doing here?" His thoughts focused once more on the voice he had heard - I'm coming... I'm coming... and when he looked up at Captain Turner he was surprised to see a glint of sympathy in his eyes.

"Norrington, I don't really know how to tell you this, so I'll just come straight out with it," Will said, squatting on the deck. "You're... you're dead."

James let out a snort of disbelief, but then a flash of a memory came to him... darkness, a deep stench of fish, a tentacled face, and the sharp pain of a blade running through him. He felt himself fall, and grasped at the mast to help break his fall to the hard wooden deck.

"I'm sorry," Will said brusquely.

"But what about...?" the voice re-entered his mind, but he was not able to attach a name to hit. Frustrated, he rubbed his hand over his forehead and back through his brown hair.

Ooh, very well done, sirius writer. I think that's my favorite part so far.


"What about what?" Will asked, his voice mixed with sympathy and sincere curiosity.
"Nothing," James snapped. "Dead, you say?"
"It's not so bad, James. My job, my curse, is to ferry those who have died at sea to where they need to go, where they can be at peace. I'd like to offer you something: join my crew. Help me. It would pass the time so much to have an acquaintance with me."
James stared out at the horizon. The brightness of the sun, the distant call of gulls-- all silently pleaded with him to stay at sea at least a little while longer, especially that voice. It wasn't so much a voice, he thought, more of a feeling, like a memory.
"As I recall," he coughed, a hint of cynicism scathing its way up his throat, "certain things happen to those who are part of the Flying Dutchman crew."
"Not with me captaining it," Will stated, his chest puffing out. "Come aboard and you'll see."


***

Sailor hated relinquishing the helm of the Pearl to anyone else, especially to Jack himself. A sinking feeling always made her hands shake at the fact any of them could turn the ship right around and lock her in the brig...or worse.
"Vast ocean, isn't it?" Jack came from behind her. Her eyes snapped shut in surprise, not giving her spine the opportunity to chill at the shock of his presence.
"Not vast enough."
"Sometimes," Jack said, inching his way over to her, "it's so vast one loses sight of a reward that was promised to them."
Beginning to turn to confront him, her frustration was drowned out by the sound of her own heart, as if it were beating its way out of her body. Her eyes locked onto the sight in front of the ship.
"Bugger," Jack muttered. "Hard to starboard! All hands on deck!"
Not far enough from the Black Pearl, the slick black scales of something disappeared back under the water, a long tail the last to vanish from sight. The water rippled.
"What was that?" Leo gasped, still steering as far starboard as she could.
"Sea serpent." Gibbs ran up to them, his hands against his knees as he caught his breath. "Looks to be as long as the ship itself, cap'n."
"Maybe it won't know we're here," Leo said out loud, drawing a long sword from her own belt.
"No" Jack said. "It's right below us."

"Well, thanks for that information, Sparrow," Sailor muttered under her breath, still turning the wheel hard to starboard. She jerked against in suddenly as the wheel came to a sudden stop. "Gibbs, hold this for me, would you?"

Ignoring the "Mother's blood, what an unfortunate woman to have aboard," that Joshamee Gibbs stated in a stage whisper, Sailor ran to the edge of the deck and looked below her. Something green, slimy, and terrible ominous made a quick appearance - about three feet long.

"It doesn't look so frightful to me," she spat up at Jack.

"Well luv, tails never do look as 'frightful' as entire bodies, now do they?" Jack smirked, then took his place beside Sailor to stare down into the water.

"Maybe it's just... guiding us... along?" Sailor said doubtfully.

"Mhmmm... just like the Kraken just went out for pleasure swims? Arm yourself, Sailor, and not just with that sword. Ol' Jack's predicting a regular firestorm... and you better be ready for it."

Leo nodded at the 1st mate and was about to do just that when the beast attacked the ship and rocked it sideways. Leo grabbed hold and watched in horror as a couple of unlucky pirates were tossed over board. The beast flicked it's tail towards the surface and tossed water towards the ship, it seemed to the crew that it was playing. Leo looked to where she had last seen the captain hoping he had a plan but did not find him. When she deemed that it was safe she let go of the banister and began searching for him.

"Jack! Jack!" Leo screamed, her legs staggering with the rocking ship. Gripping the rail was all she could do to stay upright. She at last saw their captain at the helm, having taken it over. He steered the Pearl a safe distance from the sea serpent.
"Nice to know you missed me," Jack laughed, side-stepping the puddles of sea water on the deck. "Are you all right?" After seeing her nod, he continued. "Then you can swab this up."
Before she could remark, she saw the serpent turning around to them.
"You were fantastic playmates!" it hissed, something of a smile forming along its long mouth.
"Play?" Gibbs sputtered. "That scaly..."
"Not a match for you, though," Jack cut Gibbs off, addressing the serpent back. It slithered through the water closer to them. The crew grasped the railing of the ship, bracing themselves.
"Thank you," it said, flipping through the sea. Leo wondered if it was actually a baby, shuddering at the possibility of two larger creatures searching aggressively for their child. "Because you played with me, I will answer one question. Anything you want to know."
Leo knew an opportunity had come. She let it out of her mouth before Jack could spit anything out.
"Where is James Norrington?"