Summary: Upon the death of his father, Jack Sparrow's light of life seems to be fading dimmer so he seeks Tia Dalma for answers. Not only does she have the answers, but she reveals to him the things that he'd lost and shows him how it feels to love again.
*Takes place between Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest
Chapter One: Death of the Sparrow
"Jackie…" the gruff voice was gentle… very soft, and at first couldn't even have been heard, but the room was so silent, it sounded a lot louder than even shouting at the time. Jack could not look at him, not like this. He stayed still, his head hung low and he stared at his feet. "Jackie. Come 'ere boy." The voice came again, Jack's head slowly lifted and his eyes hazily drifted over to the sickly figure that lay in the creaking bed in the corner. Jack approached his father slowly and hesitantly, as soon as his feet began moving, his head had dropped again and he suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
"Jackie…" Teague's voice whispered out again. Jack could smell the heavy alcohol on his father's breath and it just made him want to shrink back to where he was. "Jackie, m'boy…" Teague was cut off by a violent coughing fit and immediately Jack's eyes widened and looked at Teague with concern. He couldn't say anything still… he couldn't believe he was even there, in Shipwreck Cove, watching his father die in front of him. He felt choked up again but calmed down as soon as his father's coughing fit had calmed as well. "… Boy…" He paused and Jack turned his attention to Teague again. "Sit up. Le'mme get a good look a'ya." Jack couldn't resist the little smirk that snuck onto his face, and he straightened himself up and lifted his head, the shadows that covered his face and his eyes were now gone and revealed his swollen, bloodshot eyes and his wet face. Despite this, Teague's face wrinkled as he smiled at what he saw. "Ah'm proud of ye, son." He whispered, and his eyes slowly closed.
"Dad…?" Jack whispered back. Teague did not move but sighed in response. Jack did not make any sound either and instead he knelt beside the bed and laid his head on the mattress beside his pirate father. Teague's hand found its way to Jack's head and he gently ran his fingers through the thick locks of hair on his son's head. Jack laid there with his eyes open and kept an indifferent stare as his father continued to rub his head gently.
It felt like hours. Just him and his father… he didn't want it to end. He never wanted it to end! No, Jack Sparrow's father was the Keeper of the Code, the proud Pirate Captain. Death couldn't claim him… especially not like this… not Captain Teague, Jack's thoughts came to a sudden halt when Teague's hand stopped moving and the gentle sound of his breath had faded out. Jack laid still with Teague's hand on his head… he wasn't sure if he was too overwhelmed with disbelief or sorrow to move… that, or if he was just too emotionally exhausted. Either way, he stayed in place… feeling as though someone had just cut a hole in him. He caught himself sniffing, and then realized that his eyes were again swollen and hurting from the wetness that slid down his cheeks.
"Bugger."He mouthed, as he was too choked up to even whisper.
––––
The entire crew was on the edge… their moody captain couldn't tell what direction they were to sail anymore, and he couldn't even think straight since the death of his father. The ones who were most concerned was Anamaria and Gibbs.
"Captain…?" Anamaria's voice echoed through the door to Jack's cabin and was followed by a muffled response from Jack. She slowly turned the doorknob and creaked open the door. Her head slowly poked inside and she caught a little glimpse of multiple rum bottles lying on the floor. She swung open the cabin door violently and glared at Jack, who was laying on the floor with his hat over his face and another empty rum bottle starting to slip through his fingers. "Captain!" She yelled. This had startled Jack and he jolted up, his hat falling to the ground in front of him and the bottle slipping from his hand and rolling onto the floor only to hit a pile of other empty rum bottles.
"Wha…?" Jack looked at Anamaria with hazy eyes. He pushed himself off the wooden floor and swayed a little bit before he stood tall over Anamaria and looked down at her. "Wha' be the reason that you come knocking a' ma door at this hour?" As he stared at her, his eyes began to cross and his strong standing position had melted away as he began to sway, unsteadily again.
Anamaria continued to glare. "Captain…" She bit her bottom lip to restrain herself from shouting. "We've been sailing in circles…" She paused again, controlling herself. "… For four days." She put strong emphasis on the last two words and spoke them loudly enough for him to hear her and comprehend. "Where. Is. Our. Heading." This was no question. She demanded him to give them a heading, and it took all will power she had to keep herself from lashing out at her drunken captain.
Jack Sparrow leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples and breathing heavily. His mind seemed scattered, he couldn't think straight. A heading? What's a heading! Immediately, he just spoke out the only word he could think of off the top of his tongue.
"Tortuga." Anamaria's eyes widened and she looked at him as though he had lost his mind.
"Tortuga?" She repeated. Oh sure! Why not Hawaii?
Jack slumped down the wall and brought his legs to his chest. Again, his head was aching and he couldn't think straight. Anamaria took this as her queue to leave his quarters and she did… She gently closed the door behind her and ran off onto the deck to shout of orders to the crew, telling them the destination was Tortuga.
It was only a few hours later that Jack had been able to stand and he was able to think again.
He sauntered out onto the deck where the other crewmembers were letting down the sails and tying ropes, preparing for a trip to Tortuga.
"Ah! Mr. Gibbs!" Jack yelled, and sure enough, his first mate came up and nodded to him.
"Yeah, Captain?" Came Mr. Gibb's response. Jack smiled and looked at the crewmen working.
"Where are we headed…?"
"Why… we're headed to Tortuga, Sir." Mr. Gibbs had made a face at Jack, surprised that he had either forgotten the heading, or made last minute changes. He was hoping it was the latter.
"Mhm." Jack unhooked his trusty compass and swiftly opened it. He glanced at it blankly for a moment, then two, leaving Mr. Gibbs to stand beside him watching nervously. "No." Jack spoke.
"No, what, Sir…?"
"We're changing course." Jack voice slurred a little and again, the drunken swagger had returned and was visible in his walk as he moved closer to Mr. Gibbs. "We're headed to the Bayou." Mr. Gibbs eyes widened.
"To see… Her?"
Jack nodded. "Yep."
Mr. Gibbs turned to his side and he nodded slowly, thinking to himself about how strange it is of the Captain to want to visit… Her. But he knew it would be stranger still to question his captain and so he called out orders to the other crewmembers, changing course and headed towards the Bayou…
Headed for Tia Dalma.
Author's Notes:
This is my first submission in nearly five years. has changed seemingly a lot since then, and my writing style has definitely changed as well.
This is also my first PotC fanfiction. I'm usually a huge fan of Slash, so this is also my first Het story.
I'm not payed for this, you know...
It'd make my day to see some nice reviews. Oh, and if I had some spelling or grammar mistakes please let me know! I always go through and re-read my work, but there always seems to be at least one or two mistakes that go unseen.
Anyhow.
I'll be submitting chapters in bulk.
More than likely, I won't submit just one chapter at a ten, but maybe three or two at once.
Again, please R&R.
Thanks.
