Pearl
Chapter 1: Love
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"True beauty lies within oneself. True beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. True love, then, lies at that time and place where the beholder sees into the person, past the outer, and is able to see the beauty within."
-S.L.C.
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The wedding had taken place four days after. Four short days after he, Captain Jack Sparrow, had regained his precious Pearl- the Black Pearl. She had never looked so beautiful as she had that day. Her sails no longer torn, her hull polished so the gleam of the Caribbean water shone off of it like pure sunlight. It was her, it was his Pearl. And to be able to have her in his control again, to once again hold his Pearl... he had never loved something so much in his life.
Now, lounging beside her wheel, Jack got to thinking about love. Letting his gaze rove over the hull, he moved his hand in gentle, caressing circles over the dark wood. He gave a half-smile. His beautiful Pearl...
"Anamaria!" he called out. He would let her take the wheel for a bit. It kept her from complaining about "her ship" and, as a bonus, he got a bit of time to relax. She was decent enough at following directions, so long as she didn't get sassy.
"Aye, Captain?"
"Northwest." She took control.
"Where are we going?" she asked, slightly adjusting their direction.
"Port Royale."
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He had heard about the wedding by word of mouth. It had been huge. Just what Elizabeth had wanted, he was sure. Will... Will was probably happy just to be with her.
Jack leaned down on his elbows, braced against the side of the Pearl, and looked out over the sunset that lit the horizon. That horizon that he lived for, lived to chase, lived to follow, but never catch. And that was fine- he'd never tire of chasing. Not so long as he was with his Pearl.
Half a year before, all he had been able to do was dream and remember her. Freedom... the incredible freedom that she brought him. That was why he loved her.
Will was so deeply in love with Elizabeth, he thought. He had chased her halfway around the bloody world. For a fleeting moment Jack wondered what it would feel like to love someone like that.
"Wait-" he suddenly said aloud. Didn't he know? He had chased her- chased the Pearl. Didn't he know, then, what that kind of love felt like?
"Captain, we're nearing Port Royale."
No... it wasn't the same.
"Aye... thank you, Anamaria..." he said, taking the Pearl into his hands once more. Anamaria gave him a sidelong glance as she walked away to prepare the crew. They'd have to man the ship while Jack snuck into town. He was always so reckless... why would he want to come back here, anyway? But... she glanced at him again. He had a vacant look to him, so different from the usual, strong-set and determined Jack... Captain Sparrow had never thanked her before. She was worried. She'd tell Gibbs.
He had a stroke of inspiration. He could ask Will. Sometimes the lad could give good advice. Well, when he wasn't being stupid, that is...
And yet... he didn't think that anyone could know what to do about feeling like there was something more... that there was something missing.
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Night had just set in when the Black Pearl arrived. Gliding her silently to an alcove in the rocks, Jack slipped into one of the smaller boats and quickly paddled ashore.
He reached their new home in minutes. Well, they certainly were well to do, now weren't they? All the lights were out save two- one on the bottom floor and an upper one with a balcony. Taking an educated guess as to which might be a bedroom, Jack began to scale the ivy-laced lattice screen that led to the second floor.
Sometimes he surprised even himself with stealth... particularly with all the accessories that he carried around. He got onto the balcony soundlessly. The doors were slightly open, letting in the cool night air. He looked in.
Elizabeth sat at a beautiful ivory vanity. That must have cost the Governor a pretty lot. Elizabeth was attempting to remove the necklace she was wearing, but was having troubles with the clasp. Jack looked around for Will- he didn't have to look far. Will walked in the door to the room, saying something, presumably to a servant, with the typical smile that he wore when things were going his way. Walking over to his wife, he bent and kissed her shoulder.
"Let me, love," he said, deftly undoing the clasp and laying the necklace down on the vanity.
"Thank you," she said, looking up at her husband with a smile- and there was something in that smile, Jack thought. The couple stayed there for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. Will knelt on the ground beside the chair and gave Elizabeth one of the most genuine smiles Jack had ever seen.
"I love you," he said, taking one of her hands in his and kissing the top lightly. Elizabeth gave him that look again- full of love and care- and moved her hand to gently cradle his cheek.
"I love you too." That smile again, before she leaned down to kiss him. And oh, what a kiss that must have been! Jack had never seen a kiss like this- never experienced anything like what it must have been. Sweet, tender, possessing all the love between them. Nothing harsh or even passionate, not in that way, just a sweet, innocent kiss between two people who loved each other more than anything in the world. What it might feel like to kiss someone like that- to be kissed like that-
Now now, he scolded himself. Don't get all soft, mate. You've got your Pearl. But looking in on the couple again, his thoughts betrayed him. There was something missing... Do what you came here to do, blast it, he said to himself again, snapping himself back to the present. He had better make himself known, before something... er, more happened in the couple's room. They were back to staring into each other's eyes. He knocked lightly on the glass before sauntering into the room.
"I hate to interrupt such a lovely moment," he said aloud, swaggering a bit. They looked up immediately.
"Jack!" Will cried. "How on earth did you get here?" Elizabeth smiled.
"Hello, Jack!" she said with a broad smile. "What brings you here? And now?"
"Your terrace is awfully simple to climb, mate," Jack stated toward Will, raising an eyebrow and giving a smile. "And as for why, I do believe I missed your wedding. Which, by the way, I hear was beautiful." Will glanced at his wife and smiled- that private smile again.
"Incredibly beautiful," he said in a far-off voice. They were staring at each other again. Bloody newlyweds. Jack decided to steer the conversation back to target.
"Well, that's lovely, congratulations to you both. By the by, I realized I hadn't given you a- well, a wedding gift, so-"
"Why Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "You came all the way into Port Royale to give us a wedding gift?" Jack held up his hands.
"Now then, don't get me wrong loves, I just felt that no marriage is complete, you know, once having known Captain Jack Sparrow, without a gift from Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?" He grinned again. From one of his many pockets he drew a pendant, pure gold. It was a one-of-a-kind, or so he believed. He had never come across anything else like it, and he had seen a pretty lot of treasure. He handed it to Elizabeth.
"Oh Jack," she said, running her fingers over the gold. The picture, a boat with full sails, heading out toward the horizon, surely that must have reminded her of the Pearl and of the freedom Jack had told her about while they were stranded on that- Jack shuddered a bit- Godforsaken island. "It's beautiful," she stated.
"It is lovely," Will agreed. He hesitated for a moment. Perhaps he thought it meant more to Jack then he let on... "You're sure you won't miss it?" Jack caught the meaning behind the look in Will's eyes. He grinned.
"I, Captain Jack Sparrow, miss a single gold piece? Please mate, I'd get it lost in the rest." Will smiled, accepting.
"Thank you, Jack," he said, moving to stand behind his wife, glancing at the pendant and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Not at all, mate," Jack replied. "You'll be seeing more of me in the future I'm sure." He backed towards the glass where he had come in. "Oh, and Will, you had better keep time to practice your swordplay, or if it ever comes time to cross blades with a pirate again..." Jack gave a knowing smile, which Will returned with a small laugh.
"All right loves," Jack said, reaching the window. He gave a dashing smile and waved his hand dramatically. "Ta!" Swinging himself back over the edge, he caught hold of the lattice and climbed down. They had come out onto the balcony.
"Thank you, Jack!" Elizabeth called down in a whisper. Jack could see the protective arm around her waist, the embrace they shared as he stole away, back to the Pearl.
Again, he wondered what that would be like.
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They had set sail again, but he had no clear destination in mind. There wasn't really anything to do, now that he was the famous Captain Jack Sparrow. He had faced a crew of the damned, faced their evil Captain- though that could never have really been called a Captain, he thought- and come out alive. He had won back the Black Pearl, escaped the Royal Navy, and now he had treasure to boot. He sighed overdramatically and leaned on the wheel.
"Aye, Jack." It was Gibbs. "Where are we headed now?"
"Don't know," came the melancholy answer. Gibbs was worried. Anamaria had expressed her concern to him earlier, while Jack was in town.
"Er... well, then, why don't we have a little fun? You know, back to the good ol' places, just like in the beginning."
"Like what," came a stoic reply. It was barely a question.
"Tortuga," Anamaria stated, coming up the stairs from deck. "Let's go back to Tortuga!"
Tortuga... 'if everywhere was like Tortuga, no man would ever feel unwanted'. That's what he had said, and it was true. Sure, all right, maybe Tortuga would make him feel better.
"All right then," Jack said. "Here, Anamaria, set off for Tortuga."
"Aye Captain." She took the wheel.
Tortuga... He clambered down to deck and gazed out over the side again.
Sure, he was well known in Tortuga- especially in Tortuga. He was well loved. He grinned slightly at the double meaning of his own thought. There were plenty of whores in Tortuga who would do anything for a night with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. And he knew how to deliver. That was one area he'd never had any trouble with. Well, except when he made promises he didn't keep, or they found out about one another, but that was a whole different story. He had never had trouble with the physicality, holding a woman, kissing a woman-
But he had never kissed someone like Will and Elizabeth had kissed one another. He had never held someone and felt that he was protecting them. He retired to his quarters and, toeing off his boots, stretched out on his bed. He had never been in love with anyone, anything, except the Pearl... and there was something missing.
No one had ever loved him.
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A/N: More coming just as soon as I can write up the ideas in my head! ^_^ Review! Review!