Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They're probably property of Disney. I'm not quite sure.
Summary: AU! What would have happened if the crew of the Black Pearl was never cursed? And Jack Sparrow remained Captain? And how would this effect young Will Turner, whose father Bootstrap Bill had gone on to become the captain of his own ship?
The Pirate Prince
The clear blue waters of the Carribean twinkled in the afternoon sunlight. A gentle breeze flew across the ocean, pulling a single ship along. The ship looked like a common British military vessel, for it had once been one. Now, however, it was The Talon, a pirate ship.
Commanded by the honorable Bootstrap Bill, The Talon was a formidable opponent for the British Navy. Currently, Bootstrap was at the wheel, examining his compass when a loud splash caused him to look up sharply. A dark haired boy was leaning over the edge of the ship.
" Will!" Bootstrap snapped. Upon hearing his name, the boy looked up and turned around, meeting his father's annoyed gaze.
" What have I told you about leaning over the ship's edge?" Bootstrap continued. Will, who still had his left arm hanging over the edge of the ship, pulled it back onboard to reveal a rope. With further pulling, a bucket was revealed.
" Sorry, Father," Will replied, guilt reflecting his brown eyes. " I just was trying to catch some fish. Nibs said if I helped him catch fish for dinner, he'd give me his dagger." Charles Nibs was the ship's cook and one of Will's best friends. Despite their age difference, the pair got along splendidly. Probably because even though Nibs was at the ripe age of 40, he acted like a 13 year old.
" Oh, did he now?" Bootstrap asked, one dark eyebrow raised. Will nodded his head fervently.
" Yes. The one with the silver handle." Will always had a fascination with knives and swords.
" Will, you know I don't like you handling weapons," Bootstrap stated. Will was about to protest when one of the crew shouted,
" We're commin' up on Tortuga, Cap'n!" Bootstrap turned around, to look at the island they were advancing upon. After a moment, he turned back to his son, who was looking quite unhappy.
" We'll discuss this later," The elder man said. Will muttered something under his breath and marched away, letting the bucket clatter to the floor behind him.
" 'e certainly is a pirate's son, eh cap'n?" Remarked one of the crew. Bootstrap ran a hand over the bottom portion of his face.
" Yes," He said, distantly. " A pirate's son indeed..."
@ @ @
Will sat on his bed, grumbling to himself. The sun had gone down a few hours ago. While the entire crew except for two went onto Tortuga, Will was left onboard, in his room. The two crew members who remained behind were given strict instructions not to let Will leave his bedroom. They were currently stationed just outside the door, drinking rum and playing cards.
' This is so unfair!' Will thought miserably. ' I'm thirteen! Father always thinks I'm too young to do anything. Mother never treated me like that.' At the thought of his mother, Will's breath hitched slightly. When Will was five, Margaret Turner, had died rather suddenly. She had been out on an errand. She had been shot and her body looted. Bootstrap Bill had heard the fate of his wife, and come to England to retrieve his son and avenge his wife. He accomplished both.
' Father is just afraid of losing me like Mother!' Will thought as he kicked at the wooden chair for his desk. Will paced the small room like a caged animal. Outside the door, Will could hear the drunken laughter of the two men guarding his door.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He grinned slyly and moved over towards the door. He stood in front of the door and stared at it. And waited.
He didn't have to wait long. Not ten minutes later, there were two thuds and then loud snores followed.
Will cracked the door open, brushing his long hair out of his face so he could get a better look. The guards were sleeping like logs just outside the door. Will grinned again and pushed the door open further. He crept past the guards quietly. Once he reached the stairs, Will picked up his pace and moved to the top deck. He gazed around for a moment. The air smelled like liquor and the laughter of obviously drunk men could be heard. Will was ecstatic. After months of being on a ship at sea, he could finally set foot on land. No matter how foul it was. Will boldly walked off the ship and onto land. He noticed that like all the other ships at dock, none of them had guards. No doubt there was some sort of 'safety law' on Tortuga, stating that no man could steal another's ship.
Laughing at his sudden freedom, Will ran around on the dock for a bit, getting his 'land legs' back. After the action was achieved, Will decided to explore Tortuga a bit. He followed the sounds of voices and laughter. It led him to a village style area. Many men lay around drinking rum, some straight from the barrel. A group of woman with much too make-up on and skimpy dresses were standing around. There was a loud crash and Will jumped aside just in time to avoid being crushed by two men who came flying out of a window. They seemed to be a fight. Nobody moved to stop them.
Will watched the fight, his nose wrinkled with disgust. That sort of behavior would never be tolerated on his father's ship. Will was about to move on when something flashed and caught his eye. Something silver was reflecting the moonlight in a nearby alley. Will walked over to it and crouched down. It appeared to be chain. After some clawing at the soft dirt, Will pulled his prize from the ground. It turned out the chain was attached to a locket. Will spit on it, and rubbed it with his shirt sleeve. Words etched in the silver became visible. After some more polishing, Will was finally able to make out the words,
" FOR MY ANGEL." Was carved into the locket. Will pried open the locket, which revealed an old, very small intricate painting of a woman with golden hair. Will wondered how such a beautiful thing would end up on a place such as Tortuga. No doubt, a pirate stole it. Will was about search the ground for anything else when the door of a nearby building opened and out walked his father, followed by another man with graying hair.
" So, we have an accord?" His father said. The man nodded and spoke in a raspy voice,
" Yes. I will see you tomorrow morning at the docks." Normally, Will would have wondered what his father was doing, but at the moment, Will was too panicked to be curious. If his father caught him, he was dead. Shoving the locket in his pants pocket, Will waited pelted down the street when the group of woman said something, causing his father to turn.
Out of breath and sweaty, Will made it to The Talon. Sprinting on the deck and down the stairs, Will almost forgot about the two men guarding his room, but they were still asleep. Will entered his room, closed the door and used his shirt sleeves to wipe the sweat off his face. He walked over to the door and pounded on it to wake the guards up,
" Hey! This isn't fair! I want to go on shore!" He shouted. His father would be coming back any moment and Will wanted the guards awake and able to honestly say they had never seen Will leave the ship.
" Sorry, whelp, but it's the cap'n's orders." One of the men said, laughing. Good, they believed him. Sighing, Will walked over to his bed and lay down. He took the locket out of his pocket and examined it closely, his thumb rubbing over the engraved letters. A few moments later, Will heard the voice of his father. He shoved the locket under his pillow just as the man entered.
" Still here?" Bootstrap said casually. " I'm surprised you didn't try to sneak off the ship." Will let out a slightly nervous laugh.
" Oh come on, Father. Don't tell me you don't trust me?" His father grinned, walking over to Will and ruffled the boy's hair.
" He-ey!" Will exclaimed, attempting to get his hair back in order. He hated when his father did that. His father took the chair that Will had kicked earlier and sat down in it. He sighed heavily. Will had a feeling of dread. The last time his father had acted like this, was when he had come to England and had to explain what had happened to his mother. Will sat upright, and watched his father intently, but said nothing.
" Will, I've come to a decision. A pirate ship is no place for a son of mine. It's not fair to you, pulling you into a life like this." Will began to protest, but his father held up a hand to silence him.
" And that is why I've arranged with a friend of mine to take you to a nearby military fort, Port Royal. There is a boys' home there..." This time, Will successfully interrupted his father.
" An orphanage you mean! Don't send me away, Father! Please!" Will felt tears welling up in his eyes against his will. Bootstrap reached out and caught his son's face with his hand. The tears finally spilled from Will's eyes. Bootstrap ran a thumb across one of the tears and sighed again.
" This is why I'm sending you away, Will. Not because I don't love you. I do. It's just, this is no life for a boy. Not for my son. I want you to grow up and get a respectable job. I want you to be happy." Will said nothing, but the tears continued to fall. For he knew, the only place he would ever be happy, was at his father's side.
TBC.....
Summary: AU! What would have happened if the crew of the Black Pearl was never cursed? And Jack Sparrow remained Captain? And how would this effect young Will Turner, whose father Bootstrap Bill had gone on to become the captain of his own ship?
The Pirate Prince
The clear blue waters of the Carribean twinkled in the afternoon sunlight. A gentle breeze flew across the ocean, pulling a single ship along. The ship looked like a common British military vessel, for it had once been one. Now, however, it was The Talon, a pirate ship.
Commanded by the honorable Bootstrap Bill, The Talon was a formidable opponent for the British Navy. Currently, Bootstrap was at the wheel, examining his compass when a loud splash caused him to look up sharply. A dark haired boy was leaning over the edge of the ship.
" Will!" Bootstrap snapped. Upon hearing his name, the boy looked up and turned around, meeting his father's annoyed gaze.
" What have I told you about leaning over the ship's edge?" Bootstrap continued. Will, who still had his left arm hanging over the edge of the ship, pulled it back onboard to reveal a rope. With further pulling, a bucket was revealed.
" Sorry, Father," Will replied, guilt reflecting his brown eyes. " I just was trying to catch some fish. Nibs said if I helped him catch fish for dinner, he'd give me his dagger." Charles Nibs was the ship's cook and one of Will's best friends. Despite their age difference, the pair got along splendidly. Probably because even though Nibs was at the ripe age of 40, he acted like a 13 year old.
" Oh, did he now?" Bootstrap asked, one dark eyebrow raised. Will nodded his head fervently.
" Yes. The one with the silver handle." Will always had a fascination with knives and swords.
" Will, you know I don't like you handling weapons," Bootstrap stated. Will was about to protest when one of the crew shouted,
" We're commin' up on Tortuga, Cap'n!" Bootstrap turned around, to look at the island they were advancing upon. After a moment, he turned back to his son, who was looking quite unhappy.
" We'll discuss this later," The elder man said. Will muttered something under his breath and marched away, letting the bucket clatter to the floor behind him.
" 'e certainly is a pirate's son, eh cap'n?" Remarked one of the crew. Bootstrap ran a hand over the bottom portion of his face.
" Yes," He said, distantly. " A pirate's son indeed..."
@ @ @
Will sat on his bed, grumbling to himself. The sun had gone down a few hours ago. While the entire crew except for two went onto Tortuga, Will was left onboard, in his room. The two crew members who remained behind were given strict instructions not to let Will leave his bedroom. They were currently stationed just outside the door, drinking rum and playing cards.
' This is so unfair!' Will thought miserably. ' I'm thirteen! Father always thinks I'm too young to do anything. Mother never treated me like that.' At the thought of his mother, Will's breath hitched slightly. When Will was five, Margaret Turner, had died rather suddenly. She had been out on an errand. She had been shot and her body looted. Bootstrap Bill had heard the fate of his wife, and come to England to retrieve his son and avenge his wife. He accomplished both.
' Father is just afraid of losing me like Mother!' Will thought as he kicked at the wooden chair for his desk. Will paced the small room like a caged animal. Outside the door, Will could hear the drunken laughter of the two men guarding his door.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He grinned slyly and moved over towards the door. He stood in front of the door and stared at it. And waited.
He didn't have to wait long. Not ten minutes later, there were two thuds and then loud snores followed.
Will cracked the door open, brushing his long hair out of his face so he could get a better look. The guards were sleeping like logs just outside the door. Will grinned again and pushed the door open further. He crept past the guards quietly. Once he reached the stairs, Will picked up his pace and moved to the top deck. He gazed around for a moment. The air smelled like liquor and the laughter of obviously drunk men could be heard. Will was ecstatic. After months of being on a ship at sea, he could finally set foot on land. No matter how foul it was. Will boldly walked off the ship and onto land. He noticed that like all the other ships at dock, none of them had guards. No doubt there was some sort of 'safety law' on Tortuga, stating that no man could steal another's ship.
Laughing at his sudden freedom, Will ran around on the dock for a bit, getting his 'land legs' back. After the action was achieved, Will decided to explore Tortuga a bit. He followed the sounds of voices and laughter. It led him to a village style area. Many men lay around drinking rum, some straight from the barrel. A group of woman with much too make-up on and skimpy dresses were standing around. There was a loud crash and Will jumped aside just in time to avoid being crushed by two men who came flying out of a window. They seemed to be a fight. Nobody moved to stop them.
Will watched the fight, his nose wrinkled with disgust. That sort of behavior would never be tolerated on his father's ship. Will was about to move on when something flashed and caught his eye. Something silver was reflecting the moonlight in a nearby alley. Will walked over to it and crouched down. It appeared to be chain. After some clawing at the soft dirt, Will pulled his prize from the ground. It turned out the chain was attached to a locket. Will spit on it, and rubbed it with his shirt sleeve. Words etched in the silver became visible. After some more polishing, Will was finally able to make out the words,
" FOR MY ANGEL." Was carved into the locket. Will pried open the locket, which revealed an old, very small intricate painting of a woman with golden hair. Will wondered how such a beautiful thing would end up on a place such as Tortuga. No doubt, a pirate stole it. Will was about search the ground for anything else when the door of a nearby building opened and out walked his father, followed by another man with graying hair.
" So, we have an accord?" His father said. The man nodded and spoke in a raspy voice,
" Yes. I will see you tomorrow morning at the docks." Normally, Will would have wondered what his father was doing, but at the moment, Will was too panicked to be curious. If his father caught him, he was dead. Shoving the locket in his pants pocket, Will waited pelted down the street when the group of woman said something, causing his father to turn.
Out of breath and sweaty, Will made it to The Talon. Sprinting on the deck and down the stairs, Will almost forgot about the two men guarding his room, but they were still asleep. Will entered his room, closed the door and used his shirt sleeves to wipe the sweat off his face. He walked over to the door and pounded on it to wake the guards up,
" Hey! This isn't fair! I want to go on shore!" He shouted. His father would be coming back any moment and Will wanted the guards awake and able to honestly say they had never seen Will leave the ship.
" Sorry, whelp, but it's the cap'n's orders." One of the men said, laughing. Good, they believed him. Sighing, Will walked over to his bed and lay down. He took the locket out of his pocket and examined it closely, his thumb rubbing over the engraved letters. A few moments later, Will heard the voice of his father. He shoved the locket under his pillow just as the man entered.
" Still here?" Bootstrap said casually. " I'm surprised you didn't try to sneak off the ship." Will let out a slightly nervous laugh.
" Oh come on, Father. Don't tell me you don't trust me?" His father grinned, walking over to Will and ruffled the boy's hair.
" He-ey!" Will exclaimed, attempting to get his hair back in order. He hated when his father did that. His father took the chair that Will had kicked earlier and sat down in it. He sighed heavily. Will had a feeling of dread. The last time his father had acted like this, was when he had come to England and had to explain what had happened to his mother. Will sat upright, and watched his father intently, but said nothing.
" Will, I've come to a decision. A pirate ship is no place for a son of mine. It's not fair to you, pulling you into a life like this." Will began to protest, but his father held up a hand to silence him.
" And that is why I've arranged with a friend of mine to take you to a nearby military fort, Port Royal. There is a boys' home there..." This time, Will successfully interrupted his father.
" An orphanage you mean! Don't send me away, Father! Please!" Will felt tears welling up in his eyes against his will. Bootstrap reached out and caught his son's face with his hand. The tears finally spilled from Will's eyes. Bootstrap ran a thumb across one of the tears and sighed again.
" This is why I'm sending you away, Will. Not because I don't love you. I do. It's just, this is no life for a boy. Not for my son. I want you to grow up and get a respectable job. I want you to be happy." Will said nothing, but the tears continued to fall. For he knew, the only place he would ever be happy, was at his father's side.
TBC.....