Chapter 2- Reflecting on the Past and Dispute
And then she froze in her tracks as she realized whose shoulders her son was tightly gripping.
Her eyes wide, she asked in disbelief, "Jack?"
"It's CAPTAIN Jack te you, love."
The woman's children were surprised as to their mother's next actions for they expected her to do something the total opposite. Instead of being angry or something of the sort, she ran and hugged the man who called himself Captain Jack as if there were no tomorrow.
"I've missed ye, too, love," he said as he patted his old friend on her back.
"Oh, Jack," said the woman. "It's been such a long time!"
"Aye, love, it has been," Jack said as he winked at her.
"Jack, I know you call every woman 'love'," she said, "but I'm no ordinary woman. So, please call me by my name."
"Sorry, Lizzie," Jack said as he gave her an expression of hurt, trying to give her the puppy-eyed look.
"It's not Lizzie, Jack, and you know that," she angrily replied.
"Fine, Elizabeth."
As the one called Elizabeth nodded in satisfaction, she looked behind her dear friend and noticed her children's facial expressions, which were that of shock, confusion, and any synonym imaginable to those words, if not more.
"Liam, this is my dear old friend, Jack-"
"Captain, love," interrupted the now drinking guest.
"Right. Captain Jack Sparrow," concluded Elizabeth, clasping her hands together as if to add emphasis that she had finished the introduction.
"I think we've met before…" said Liam as he reached his arm out to greet the man, unsure if he really has met the pirate before.
"Aye, perhaps we have," Captain Sparrow responded as he smiled and took out his hand and shook Liam's.
"But I don't think you've met Andrea," stated Elizabeth, who was moving closer to the door where her daughter was standing.
"Oh, he has," Andie stated a bit too quickly for her liking for her mother had raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Oh?" Elizabeth asked, her arms now folded across her chest.
Nice going, Andie, thought the brunette girl. She nervously laughed, but stopped when she realized her mother was not going to let this go anywhere. She rubbed her upper right arm in hopes of easing her nervousness and winced at the daggers her mother was glaring in her direction. Andie continued to nervously smile as she stated, "Umm…..Mother, remember a few years ago when you were really ill and you sent me to go get Liam so he could come back home to help take care of you?"
"Yes, I do," Elizabeth answered.
"Well…." Andie grimaced at the thought of her mother's reaction when she told her what happened next, "I was looking for him when I bumped into him." Andie nodded her head towards Jack in reference to the latter "him".
"Oh really?" Elizabeth asked, arms still across her chest as she shifted her weight to her left leg while standing.
"Yes-"
"I remember it being more than a mere bump, love," interrupted Jack as he turned around and faced Andie, who had now stopped nervously rubbing her arm. "In fact, I remember ye stayed on me ship fer awhile while searching for yer dear ol' brother."
Oh, Jack, thought Andie, you did not just-
"Andrea Elizabeth Sophia Turner!" exclaimed her mother.
It's not every day you get your full name yelled at you twice in less than an hour, Andie reflected to herself, hoping to make herself a bit more cheerful.
But Elizabeth continued, "Is this true? What Jack said?"
Andie nervously grimaced, then looked towards the ground and reluctantly sighed, "Yes."
Elizabeth sighed and told Jack to come sit down. Liam went to his room while Andie just stood there by the door, deep in her thoughts.
Why did Mum just let me off the hook that easily? thought the tall brunette female. She usually gets onto my arse even if I get outside on the porch without her knowing!
Andie walked outside and leaned against the rail of the porch with the ladder to her left as she continued to think, Maybe she's saving the discussion and punishment for later, when Jack leaves…
She sighed and began to think back to that little adventure she had four, almost five years ago. Actually, "little" was a BIG underestimate of the voyage. She remembered it like yesterday when she had learned the truth of her family's history, or most of it, and was able to meet her father for the first time. Actually, she got the chance to know he was her father, and not just some random sea captain that was in her dreams. At least she was able to be comforted in knowing she would never truly be alone while at sea. But, as much as she enjoyed those dreams after discovering the then-secret, she sort of dreaded them as well, for she never knew if she was to stay there forever or would be able to get back to the living world again.
Then he flooded her mind; her father, Captain William Turner II of the once-cursed ship the Flying Dutchman. He was supposed to be relieved from his duties a long time ago, before Andie was even born, but because of some "problem", he was ordered to go back to sea and continue being the captain of said ship.
Andrea missed her father terribly so. She felt a connection with him that she didn't quite have with her mother. Sure, he got onto her every now and then for doing something stupid, but he didn't yell at her nearly 24/7 like her mother did.
She hadn't seen her father in a long time. She remembered sometimes going out into a long boat when Liam and Elizabeth were asleep, take said boat barely underneath the house and tie the rope around a stilt, and then just sleep right there on the canoe.
Andie would do this almost every night, but one evening about a year ago, her mother caught her in the dinghy and ordered her into the house, only to lecture her on the dangers of sleeping out there in the open. Andrea understood where her mother was coming from, but her mother didn't quite understand why her daughter was doing that. When she even asked her why, Andie just lied and told her the rocking motion made it easier for her to sleep. Actually, it wasn't quite a lie, but it wasn't the main reason why she slept in a little boat at night. Elizabeth knew it wasn't the full truth or the only reason why her daughter did that, but didn't press the matter even more after questioning Andie's reasoning for the fifth time in a row, only to receive the same answer every time.
But Andie couldn't quite get herself to tell her mother the main reason why she did what she did. She didn't want to upset Elizabeth with the fact that whenever she sleeps on the seas or any body of water, she sees her father, Elizabeth's husband. But then again, she nee-
"Jack, you know I can't do that!"
Andie's ears perked up as she neared the window, trying to remain hidden from her mother and Jack.
"And tell me why not!" Jack was apparently upset with her and enraged.
"I'm not completely healed, Jack! I'm still ill, but just not as much as before-"
Jack flew up onto his feet and interrupted, "And yet when you were in the worst condition imaginable, the sickest little puppy I've ever seen, ye were able to travel half way across the world!"
"I had no choice, Jack! It was either I stay in Shipwreck Cove or move here to Singapore!"
"And why was it so important for you to leave Shipwreck Cove, the beloved pirate city?"
"Beckett had reformed the East India Trading Company then and had a price on not only my neck, Jack, but my children's as well! I can't let my children die, Jack! Not when they've still got a full, wonderful life ahead of them!"
Jack just stood there at a loss of words for once. He couldn't believe what he heard.
Beckett? he thought. Back?
"What do you mean Beckett? I thought we killed the little bugger."
"Just because our enemy's last name is 'Beckett' does not mean it is the late Lord Cutler Beckett," Elizabeth simply stated as she took a sip of tea.
"Then who does it mean?" asked a stupefied Jack.
Mrs. Turner calmly put her cup of tea on the table and answered, "Lord Nathaniel Beckett is beginning to have control over the British colonies and seas. His power is spreading, slowly but surely. As I said before, he does not only have a price over my head, but Liam's and Andie's as well. And I wouldn't be surprised if he had yours either." She stopped and took a sip of tea.
A price on my head? thought Andie. What the bloody hell did I ever do to get a price on my head?!
"So…we have another Beckett to deal with, then?" Jack gulped.
Elizabeth moved her tea away from her lips. "Apparently."
"So what do you propose I do, then, about the Fountain?" Jack asked, clearly unsure about his next action.
Wait a minute, Andie reflected to herself. Why is Jack still pursuing the Fountain of Youth? I thought he embarked on that journey a few years ago and would've had access to it and its waters, or at least found it!
Elizabeth sighed, "I suppose you can still go, but with more caution. I don't know what I'm going to do about Beckett, though…"
"You can't hide forever, love," Jack stated before taking another gulp of rum.
"You're right," replied the misses. "But I can't go with you, Jack. It'd be more dangerous for me. Not only for my health, considering the way it is, but the fact that I've got four thousand pounds on my head!"
"Even though it would've been nice, I didn't necessarily come here for you."
Mrs. Turner's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?"
Jack nervously smiled, "I came here fer yer permission."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as Jack continued, "In order te access the Fountain, I need a little something- or perhaps a someone- in order to access it. And…" Jack's voice faded away as he didn't quite know how to put what he wanted to say.
"And….?" asked Elizabeth.
Jack grimaced. "And…that something is blood, and that someone is the captain of the Flying Dutchman."
Elizabeth's chocolate-colored eyes glared daggers toward Jack. If looks could kill, this would've been a horrific bloody murder.
"You can't use Will's blood, Jack. Besides, he already used it before to lift the curse of Cortez and his gold, remember?"
"But who ever said you can restrict someone's blood to only one thing, or in this case, something that's supposedly mythical?"
"Jack," sighed an angered yet frustrated Elizabeth, "you're not getting my bloody point!"
"I am, too!" Jack retorted. "It's just that, I can't use dear William's blood since he is God knows where!"
Elizabeth was at a loss of words. However, she then asked, "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
Jack smiled his trademark toothy grin.
"Jack!" cried Mrs. Turner. "No! No, no, no, no, infinity times NO!"
"But-"
"No 'buts'! I am NOT risking the lives of my children any more than they are already, understood?!"
"But how-"
"Liam and Andrea are going nowhere, especially with the likes of you!"
"Love, you forget that they have already been-"
"Face it, Jack! No matter how many times you ask or try to make your way out with this one, they're not going!"
"Will you just bloody listen to me?!"
Jack's exclamation caused Elizabeth to stop her yelling and cower a bit in his presence. Even Andie, who was outside, peeking through the window at what was going on, cowered a bit, even though she was well hidden from Jack and her mother.
"If ye need one good reason to have yer kids come wit me on my ship and sail te the Fountain of Youth, here it is: as much as I'd love to be immortal and have access to the Fountain, I wouldn't do this if it weren't fer what's going on."
Elizabeth frightened a bit. What could possibly be going on…?
"Someone's after the Fountain. They're searching fer William, Jr. and dear Andrea fer the same reason as I. Also, I need the Fountain more than this ol' bloke. But back te the chase: yer children are in danger no matter where they go, Lizzie. It's a fact, especially considering that their father's the captain of a notorious ship and their mum's the Pirate King."
Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on! Andrea pondered, WHAT is my mother?! The Pirate KING?! Why hasn't she bloody told me?! I wonder if Liam knows about this….
Confused beyond the imaginable, Andie continued to eavesdrop on her mother's and Jack's conversation through the window.
"And face it, love: the sea is safer than here on land. I mean, you'd know that yer children are safe with me on me ship and know our destination, whereas if they stay here on land, they could be taken any minute by those goddamned soldiers and to who knows where? And who knows what's to bloody happen te them?"
Elizabeth nodded her head as she listened to her dear friend's words. "You're right."
Jack shook his head in disbelief, his eyes wide in shock. "What?" Apparently he wasn't the only one the same way, for dear Andie outside wondered the same thing.
"I said you're right, Jack," repeated Elizabeth. "I mean, shall my children stay, their lives are at a greater risk than if they're out on the seas. Besides, I've known you long enough to….I can't believe I'm saying this, but trust you, or at least more than those bloody soldiers that are controlled by the newest Beckett. And if there's any trouble, there's Will to look to. Even though he's busy, he can still be there to help you, and especially our children, knowing how he is…" Mrs. Turner's voice faded away as her thoughts turned from that of her children and this long voyage to that of her husband, out at sea, unable to step on land except for once every ten years.
"Well, in that case," said Jack, "go get yer children. The Pearl is docked but a little off from the major part of the port as to not cause any alarm."
Elizabeth jumped to her feet as the door opened, revealing Andie. The brunette received confused expressions from her mother and Jack both, only to use, "I was outside for some fresh air. You know how I am," as a cover-up for her eavesdropping. Besides, she wasn't completely lying, now was she?
"Perfect timing, lass," said Jack.
Andie pulled on a confused facial expression, acting as if she didn't know what was going on.
"Pack your belongings, sweetheart," said her mother. "And when you go to your room, tell your brother to do the same. Both of you will be going with Jack here on a much needed voyage."
Andie was thrilled to be going out on the seas again for multiple reasons. One reason was the fact she knew she'd be seeing her father again, but another reason was that she'd be able to see Alex Sparrow, son of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, again. She had a little something for dear Alex, but it had worn off a bit since the last time she saw him, which was approximately five years ago.
The excited teenage girl practically ran to her room while stopping only to tell her brother to pack his bags. She left him alone in his room, confused, before he could even ask her why. Throughout her time packing, Andrea kept on wondering about how much Alex has changed and- and Nikki! Is she still on the Pearl, or has she moved on and perhaps found a ship of her own? Or –oh, no- what if Alex has his own ship, now? Maybe a bit too young to be the captain of a ship, but wasn't his father fairly young when he started as well? And her father…oh, how she missed him so! And Grandfather Bootstrap! Oh! And Sammie! Her dear friend Samantha, who preferred to be called Sammie…
Andie continued to pack as she wondered about what lied in front of her, a whole new adventure just anxiously knocking on her door…
A/N Okay. I know, I know. I said I'd update once a week, but it's only been a few days. Also, it's only a few minutes until Sunday, which marks a new week. ;) But, honestly, I couldn't wait any longer! XD Your beautiful reviews persuaded me to update sooner! And speaking of which, THANK YOU to all who reviewed. I must be honest, though: I didn't know I'd have THAT many reviews for just the first chapter! It's not a lot, but it's more than enough for me. :D
That said, I hope you enjoyed this latest update! And please review! You don't know how much they mean to me!