Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. I make no profit from this work of fiction.
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Things you need to know:
This story was requested by vampygurl402 - in the respect that they asked for a story in this fandom with a Will/Jack pairing. I doubt that what I am creating is what they expected, but it is what it is.
This will be an adventure. There are moments of Jack/Will, but don't expect flowery fluff at every turn.
This story is AU. The sequels never happened, and the ending to the first movie is altered.
Prologue
The sound of swords clanging against one another echoed across the water. Though the canons were silent, the battle that raged on the HMS Dauntless was no less devastating than any sea warfare in which he had engaged at her helm. His throat ached as he strained his voice, determined that his orders be heard above the screams of the men falling overboard. The men rowed the boats as fast as the oars would slice through the thick waters. Still the Dauntless seemed so far away, too far for them to reach in time to be of any help.
With the full moon shining brightly above them, they could see the bodies of their fallen comrades floating next to the ship. The corpses' mouths were locked open in horror, their faces covered in the blood from their wounds that the choppy waves had not yet washed away. Biting back any fear they might feel, the soldiers continued to row, bringing the boats quickly back to the ship. Hulls clanged against one another as the smaller craft collided with the larger vessel. Ordering his men up the ladder, Norrington followed the fifth man out of his boat. As soon as his hands touched the rope ladder, the first man of his boat came tumbling back toward him, his throat cut and a hole in his gut.
Smoke clogged the commodore's lungs as he cleared the ladder. He swung his legs onto the deck, immediately drawing his pistol and aiming at the nearest pirate. The sound of the shot was lost in the cacophony of the raging battle, and as the man continued in his assault, thrusting his sword into the chest of one of the British sailors, Norrington questioned whether the shot had even fired. He tilted the barrel back, taking a deep breath to try to capture the scent of the gunpowder in the air. Unable to determine that the pistol has discharged with the vast amount of sulfur peppering the air, he holstered the gun, unsheathing his cutlass with his right hand and drawing the dirk he had long kept hidden into his left.
The pirate advanced toward the Briton, lunging with his body instead of his weapon. The commodore didn't hesitate. His cutlass pierced clearly through the chest of his attacker. Norrington's world narrowed to the small bubble of air surrounding the two of them as he watched the pirate change when he staggered from the shadow of the sail into the moonlight. His skin melted away, revealing only bones where the blade had cut into him. When he had stepped back, the blade had come free, the Briton stopping himself from stumbling forward after the outlaw. Staring at the monstrous creature before him, Norrington fought back the fear that threatened to overtake him. No matter what anyone thought of him personally, he was a British soldier, and he would never dishonor himself or his king.
He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat, stepping forward to engage the horror that was laughing at him. His advance surprised the pirate who stumbled back out of the moonlight. Taking advantage of the return of the fleshy shell, Norrington began hacking off the creature's limbs, tossing the dismembered pieces away from him as he was able to grasp them. He heard several splash into the water. With his focus on destroying the monster he could see, he never heard the approach of another pirate behind him.
Blood seeped into his shirt as the dagger pierced through him. He felt the distinctive burn of the wound as his flesh fell open, the nerves exposed to the salt air of the ocean. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pivoted on his left foot, bringing his blade down in an arc meant to remove the arm of his opponent. The maneuver succeeded, the pirate's hand become a skeletal appendage as it fell into the moonlight, wriggling and flailing on the deck. The pirate roared at Norrington, enraged at the injury before turning from the Briton to grab his detached limb. Blinking in surprise, the soldier only hesitated briefly before flipping his dagger around and tossing the smaller weapon toward the hand. It sliced through the second knuckle, pinning the hand to the deck.
Eyes narrowed, the pirate turned back to him, leaning down briefly to grab a pistol from one of the fallen sailors on deck. Despite his resolve, Norrington could not help the fear that coursed through him. As though he could scent it, the outlaw grinned malevolently at the Briton, toying with the soldier a bit as he took aim with the small firearm. His arrogance became his undoing, the sword behind him slicing cleanly through his neck in complete silence. Norrington's eyes were fixed on the head as it rolled into the moonlight, the skeletal jaw still working even though no sound escaped the gaping maw.
Turning back, he found the pirate's body still standing, the pistol still aimed at him, though with far less accuracy. He stepped to the side, ducking down as he moved to make certain that if the shot fired it would not clip him. Moving alongside the walking corpse, he raised up, pushing forcefully to knock the pirate off-balance.
"That won't stop 'im, dandy! Throw 'im overboard or 'e'll keep coming after ya!" The man who had lobbed off the pirate's head was yelling at him over the ruckus, the sword that saved him making short work of another of the cursed monsters. Nodding that he understood, Norrington shoved the headless body towards the railing of the ship. He took care to ignore all of the fallen bodies on the deck, knowing that he would need to wait until later to mourn his comrades. A snarl escaped him as they reached the edge of the deck and the pirate's attached hand reached out in an attempt to brace himself. The pistol dropped to the deck as the outlaw released it, the shot ringing out loudly as it discharged.
He pushed with all of his energy, successfully knocking the pirate overboard even as he felt the bullet pierce his chest. Hearing the splash of the body as it dropped into the water, Norrington fell to his knees, his breath coming in painful gasps. When he coughed, blood spattered onto his hand, the crimson liquid trickling from the corner of his mouth as he succumbed to the injury the pirate had inflicted. Air seemed thinner to him as he struggled for a single breath, his lungs fighting to take in enough oxygen to sustain life.
His eyes became heavy. Just as he felt he could no longer exert the force needed to keep them open, he saw a bright golden flash, hearing the clink of the medallion as it struck against the chain in the monkey's hand. Tiny bones gripped tightly to the thinly braided gold, loud screeches echoing above the din of the battle. The moonlight seemed to fade from his vision, the world swirling to a small circle as his line of sight narrowed to a thin range. Glancing past the primate, he saw several of the pirates pushed into the pool of light filtering through the beams. Their skin remained on their bones, and the shots of his soldiers pierced through their flesh. He allowed himself one last satisfied grin as his eyes finally fell closed.
When he started to wake, he could hear the arrogant voice of the swaggering braggart who called himself "Captain" Jack Sparrow. He groaned and tried to sit up. When his perspective did not change, he assumed he was simply too weak to move. No matter his will power, he would never be able to overcome the physical limitations nature imposed upon him. He settled for rolling to his side and wondering how he could have survived the bullet that entered his chest. Norrington had been certain of his death, and had welcomed his end with open arms, knowing he had served well his king and country.
"Hey, hey. Careful there, little one." If he had been able to speak, the Briton would have voiced his outrage at the name. "You took a nasty tumble." Recognition dawned on him, and he gave a satisfied smile at having Elizabeth fawn over his injuries. He would concede to the name if she would be personally nursing him back to health. He contented himself to relax into her touch and listen to the voices around him. "Yes, you just relax." He let the tension flow out of his muscles as her fingers caressed his fur.
Norrington's eyes popped open, the brightness of the sun overhead blinding him briefly. The realization that he had fur had brought him to full consciousness. He found himself fully terrified at the thought of what might have occurred at the hands of those monsters during the battle. If they were able to survive being beheaded, who knew what magic they were able to conjure. When his vision finally cleared, he was alarmed to find that everything seemed much larger. Nothing could have possible prepared him for the sight that greeted him.
At the wheel of the ship, standing tall and proud, his long hair being blown away from his face by the strong winds as the ship cut through the water, he saw Will Turner. Just the thought that a blacksmith was piloting his vessel made him cringe. Opening his mouth to insist the whelp remove himself from the bridge at once, Norrington nearly fainted dead away at hearing the high-pitched screeches that came from his lips. Feeling Elizabeth's fingers attempt to soothe his fur did nothing to alleviate his terror. He should have known the moment he saw the medallion in the monkey's hand that the primate was up to no good. The motion of the fingers sifting through his fur had a numbing effect on his senses, keeping him from speaking. Though his reasoning may have been somewhat dulled, he was able to follow the conversation.
"Mister Turner, are you quite certain? You've more than proven your skill with the sword, and this adventure has surely drawn the need for such escapades from you, yes?"
Will shook his head, gracing Governor Swann with an amused smile. "Sir, it's not that simple."
Norrington's eyes narrowed as he watched the governor take a step closer to the wretched boy, his posture showing that he intended to convey something confidential. The Briton's blood boiled, causing his fur to rise as his agitation grew. Elizabeth cooed to him, and though he tried to fight the reaction, he was lulled by her petting him. His ears stayed pricked up as he settled into her arms.
"Look, Mister Turner. I'm willing to extend a pardon to you for the acts of piracy." The governor's smile was genuine, as though he was truly doing the boy a great favor.
Will's lips quirked into a wry smile. "That's generous."
The governor nodded, smiling broadly. He leaned back, folding his hands behind his back and strutting about the upper deck. Will shook his head at the governor's obliviousness. "But you must give up this notion of being a sailor." He had his back to the boy, so he did not see Will's shoulders shaking with laughter. "Since James was sadly lost to us, you might even consider enlisting in His Majesty's Royal Navy. We certainly will need more men to help us defend Port Royal. Especially considering the number of men we lost to this venture." There was censure in his voice as he spoke the last, as though he blamed the boy for the soldiers' deaths.
All joviality evaporated. Will became very serious, his hands gripping the ship's wheel tightly. Several of the men on the deck turned from their duties to stare at the governor. Swann did not seem to notice the attention he had gained with the venom in his words. He was also unaware of the tension gripping all of Will's muscles.
Hands wringing the grips on the wheel, the newest pirate clenched his teeth as he spoke. "While the lives lost can never be replaced, Governor, they were not given lightly. Or without knowledge of what was asked." The sailors on deck had all turned to face the pair. Elizabeth stood, cradling the monkey in her arms as she cautiously approached the two men. "No man in Acadia is unaware of the dangers of these times."
Swann turned back towards the deck, his step faltering as he realized he had the full attention of the men on board. "I'm certainly not intending to belittle anyone's sacrifice."
One of the few surviving soldiers stepped forward from the group on the lower deck, crossing his arms over his chest. "Especially not since they saved your daughter." All color drained from the governor's face. He looked as though he had been slapped.
Elizabeth stepped up to the surviving Briton, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And I greatly appreciate it. I will mourn each and every man who battled those pirates to save me." Her other hand gently ruffled the fur of the monkey in her arms. "I did lose a fiancee after all." The sailor hung his head, nodding. "But there is not a single man who helped rescue me who should be prosecuted for the actions he had to take. Each of you is a hero." When she finished speaking she looked up at her father. The governor's eyes were downcast, a light blush tinging his cheeks.
Swann cleared his throat, looking up at the group. "On the advice of my daughter, which I believe to be well inspired, I am issuing a pardon to each of the men involved in this venture to recover my beloved Elizabeth." The pirates on board the Dauntless gave him a half smile. They recognized a man who was trying to save face very quickly. "Of course, I cannot offer any pardons for previous actions. Or future ones."
Will rolled his eyes. "And no one would expect otherwise." Chuckles filled the air. "Of course, we could never have asked for better timing." All eyes turned back towards the ship's bow, seeing the flags of Annapolis Royal flying in the distance. Will called to the sailor who had stood up to the governor. "The ship needs a pilot to take her into port, my good man."
He rose to the bridge, nodding to Will as he took the wheel. The pirates quickly prepared the boats, lowering them to the sea as the Dauntless continued to drift slowly towards port. Moored just a short distance behind them was the Pearl, Jack's plumed black hat waving back and forth as he motioned to the men to get underway. Shaking his head and smiling, Will made his way across the ship to the boats. Elizabeth rushed towards him, laying a hand on his arm.
"Will, surely you're coming back with me?" Whether the tears in her eyes were real, Will could not say, but he knew he could not stay with her. He had liked her for years, longed for her company and her attention, felt his heart burst with want of her. But the moment he stepped foot on the pirate ship, a love of something far greater gripped him. The sea called to him with her salty air and her tumbling waves.
He took her hand in his, kissing the back of her knuckles. "Miss Swann, I will always cherish the time we have spent together." She gave him a tight grin. "But you know as well as I – my heart lies with the adventure of the high seas."
Giving him a sad smile, she nodded. "At least take the monkey." She disentangled the primate from where he was clinging to her. "If nothing else, it will annoy Jack to have his namesake on board."
Grasping the monkey tightly, he took the animal from her. Holding the primate close, Will climbed into the boat. The last pirate standing on the Dauntless smiled at her as he prepared to leave the British ship. "If ye ever want to be a pirate, Miss Swann, ye have the heart fer it." her laughter echoed over the waves, following them over the water as they rowed toward the Pearl.
Nipping at Will's fingers, Norrington finally managed to free himself from the whelp's grasp. There was nothing more humiliating than being held tightly by the boy he had always held in contempt. If he had to become accustomed to inhabiting a lower life form, he would not sacrifice his dignity by being the pet of someone so incredibly unworthy. He skittered away from Will, who was wrapping his bleeding fingers in the hem of his shirt. Scampering along the length of the boat, Norrington finally perched himself at the opposite end, content to stare out over the waters with his back to everything he had ever known. As soon as the boat was in range of the ship, he did not hesitate to let instinct take over, leaping toward the dangling rope to pull himself quickly on board. Finally turning back toward the port, he could see the Dauntless sailing slowly into harbor.
"Alright, ye bloody British pythons! Get off me ship!" Jack's voice echoed across the deck, every head coming aboard swiveling to find him. As Will pulled himself over the railing, he let his fingers fall loose from the binding in his shirttails. The older pirate noticed the blood drops falling to his deck, narrowing his eyes. "Ya best be cleanin' that up. Ya might be Bootstrap's boy, but thar's no excuse fer leavin' a mess on me desk."
Shaking with repressed laughter, Gibbs handed Will a rag to wipe up the blood, waiting to put a tourniquet on the boy's fingers until he had finished. The older man's eyes twinkled as he looked at the former blacksmith, but before Will had a chance to question it, Jack sauntered over to the pair. "Haven't ya got that cleaned up yet, boy?" Will never had the opportunity to answer, the pirate turning sharply to shout at the British sailors still standing on the deck. "If ya're still on me ship then ya've decided ta become a pirate. Aye?"
A loud shout of agreement rang out among the crew, followed quickly by several loud splashes as the Britons jumped ship. Laughter echoed across the water, and even Norrington could not help the chittering of amusement that escaped him. Will grinned as he watched the men swim to the boats their comrades were quickly rowing towards the port. His attention was fully on them when Jack finally turned back to him, waving the first mate away.
The captain shook his head as though to rid himself of some thought as he stared at the boy. Finally reaching forward he snagged the injured hand, unwrapping the bloody fingers and gently pulling the digits closer to his face. "Monkey bite, eh?" Jack turned, his eyes landing on Norrington. "Oy! Don't go bitin' 'im jus' 'cause 'e's pretty." Returning his attention to Will, Jack found a blush creeping steadily up the boy's cheeks. Ignoring it, he gently swiped the blood away from the flesh as it dribbled between Will's fingers. It had crusted over in the webbing between his second and third digits. Jack's reaction was either devoid of thought, or contained a great deal of it. Will could not be certain which was true as he watched the pirate's tongue flick quickly out of his mouth into the small crevice, wetting the dried blood. Lips followed the tongue as it made its way back up to the tip of Will's middle finger, closing tightly about the end before releasing the digit with an audible pop. Cloth quickly covered the reddened flesh, leaving Will to blink stupidly as he stared at the fingers deftly wrapping his own. When he finally looked up into the pirate captain's face, he saw that Jack's eyes were dancing underneath his ostentatious hat. "After all, bein' named after me, tha' monkey has nothing ta be jealous of." The wink only caused Will's blush to deepen.
Turning away, Jack fought the giddy laughter that wanted to spill forth. He skipped up to the bridge of the ship, taking the wheel from his first mate. He turned to the spirited woman who was glaring at him, her arms crossed as she leaned against the deck railing. "That's two of me ships ya done gave to Davy Jones, Cap'n Jack."
He smiled, tipping his hat to her in acknowledgment. "So it is. And I promised you a ship." He turned to the crew gathering on the deck. "An' Captain Jack Sparrow doesn't go back on 'is word!" A cheer rose up from the pirates. "To Tortuga, then!" He turned back to her. "What say ye, Anamaria?"
"You'll get me a ship?" Her words were forced out through clenched teeth. "An' not sink it this time?"
Jack's head fell back as he laughed. "On me word as a pirate." She nodded once and he turned back to the pirates milling about deck. "Hoist the anchor, boys! To Tortuga!" Merry shouts bandied about the deck as the men got the ship ready to be underway. Will shook his head as he looked up at the bridge, thinking sadly that the woman had not been specific enough. Jack was a pirate of his word – and just his word. If there were a way to squirm out of the bargain, Jack would find it. After all, he was a pirate.
The crew had caroused long into the night, making merry and drinking aboard the Pearl long before gathering their things to head into the port. Most were happy to part ways at Tortuga. Will had stayed aboard the ship when they had gone ashore, quickly finding himself far too tired to care much about whatever mischief Jack might get into as long as he did not bring it back to the ship with him. He sat, taking a long drink from the bottle of rum he had found in Jack's cabin and considering carefully what he was consigning himself to as a member of this pirate crew. Though he had enjoyed the grand adventure, he needed to carefully consider whether he would still welcome the danger he had faced. He certainly had no concern over the treasures of gold and silver that Jack seemed to lust after. Will cared more for the thrill that had wound its way along his veins, like a fire chasing gunpowder just under his skin. He had found contentment in the thrill of battle with Barbossa that he had not felt even when Elizabeth finally kissed him. He doubted she would have given him that peck on the lips if her fiancee had lived, but he was glad that she had. Otherwise he might have made a mistake and married her, resigning himself to a life in the governor's household when all he had really ever wanted was to have the freedom that he felt Jack could give him.
"Ah, me." Letting himself slide down to sit on the deck, he felt the glass bottle slip from his grip. He turned his head, his eyes following it as it rolled about the boards beside his leg. The sound of the liquid sloshing out as its contents poured onto the ship made the young man snort. Try as he might, Will was unable to muster up the strength to care about the liquor flowing out through the open neck of the bottle. He frowned as he stared at the dark brown liquid staining the deck, his eyes not moving until the stained brown leather boots entered his field of vision. Letting his gaze roam upward, Will found his eyes tracing along muscular thighs, narrow hips, and lingering on a broad chest before finally coming to rest on a smiling mouth. Letting his own tongue poke out slightly to wet his dry lips, Will gave in to a goofy grin as the smile moved closer. "Comin' my way?"
Jack shook his head at the slurred words. Crouching down so that he was eye level with the younger man, he could not help the smile that played on his lips. "Considering that's my rum ya've been swillin', I'm not even goin' ta ask." In his younger years he might have taken advantage of the lad, but age had given him caution if not wisdom. Not sure how long the boy wanted to stay at sea, he certainly did not want to make an enemy he would spend the rest of his days trying to outrun. Instead of spending too much time inwardly debating the issue, Jack hefted Will up, turning his head away when the boy exhaled. "Oh, ya're definitely drunk." Will's boots clunked loudly against the deck as Jack half-dragged the younger man to his cabin, giving a halfhearted chuckle. "At least I know where this rum went."
Neither of the men noticed the small monkey climb down from his perch on the mainsail. He had been watching everything on the ship, hoping for an answer, desperately wanting to see which group he should remain with. He had no desire to let Anamaria walk away with the only clues to his freedom – even if that meant his death was part of the bargain. But chances were that Jack would have a better idea of how he could be set free, since the pirate had already managed to lay most of the cursed crew of the Pearl to rest.
Landing quietly on the deck, Norrington wrapped his tail firmly about his legs as he stared into the bottle that had spilled onto the deck. Reflected in the glass he could see his own image rather than that of the primate in whom he was imprisoned. He stared at himself for several minutes before another glint of light caught his eye in the reflection. He leaned closer before turning sharply to make certain that his eyes were not mistaken.
Looking in the direction of Jack's cabin, his jaw fell open at the sight that met his eyes. Hanging in the window was the medallion that had started his nightmare. James Norrington had his answer, and he could not help but frown as he realized that it came from a bottle of illegal rum.
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