A few nights later...
Elizabeth walked in, carrying a basket of baked goods from town, and found Jack and Teague in the Main Hall. Teague was playing his guitar, as usual. Jack was sitting at the table with his boots propped up on the edge of the table, reading a book and occasionally giving his father annoyed looks.
Setting the basket on the table, Elizabeth sat next to Jack. "What's wrong?"
"Da's decided that he doesn't trust me alone." Jack mumbled, shooting a glare at Teague.
Elizabeth noticed that Jack's hands were wrapped in bandages. "What happened to your hands?"
"Nothing."
Teague stopped playing his guitar. "Smart one over here busted a mirror."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked, staring at Jack.
That morning...
Jack stood in front of the mirror, smirking at his reflection. "Jackie, you are one good looking man."
"Jackie, it's what's inside that counts." A voice said.
Jack then saw the woman behind him in the mirror. She was a few inches shorter than Jack. She had pale skin, long wavy dark brown hair, and beautiful brown eyes. She was wearing a red gown with gold embroidery that matched Teague's jacket. "Mum?"
She smiled. "Jackie. Where were you on Christmas five years ago?"
"I was busy."
"Were they beautiful?"
"Who?"
"The women I'm sure you were sleeping with." Jack's mother said sadly.
"Mum, I'm sorry I wasn't here." Jack said, feeling guilty about not being there. His mother had been sick for all her life, and Jack knew that since he was very young. And yet, when he received a letter from Teague saying that she only had a few months left, Jack made no attempt to be by his mother's side. She died on Christmas day, with not even a letter from her only child.
"Jackie, I know you are." She said, with a sad smile on her face as she placed her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Don't worry anymore. I'm right here with you now."
Jack placed his hand on his shoulder, expecting to feel his mother's hand there. There was nothing. Jack turned around, and saw nobody. "You're lying."
"Jackie, I'll always be with-"
"Liar!" Jack shouted, slamming both of his fists against the mirror.
Hearing glass shattering, Teague ran over. He found Jack on his knees, crying with his forehead against the remains of the mirror. Both of his fists were bleeding. He was surrounded with shattered pieces of glass. "Jackie?"
"Liar." Jack mumbled, still slamming one of his fists against the back of the mirror. There was a red stain where his fist made contact with the wood. "Liar. Liar. Liar..."
"Nothing." Jack said, before reaching for a cinnamon bun in the basket. "Absolutely nothing important. I just tripped on something."
Elizabeth glanced over at Teague, and could tell by the worried look on his face that something had happened. "Captain Teague, I wanted to ask you about something."
"What about?" Teague asked.
"Well, I wanted to ask you something as a doctor."
"Ah." Teague said, putting the guitar aside and standing up. "Jackie, you stay right here."
In the Study...
"So that is what happened." Elizabeth said after Teague told her what happened.
"Actually, I wanted to tell you something." Teague said, looking out the window at the starry sky. "Jackie's not doing so well. As your doctor, I'd suggest that you don't come here for a while. As a friend, I'd actually suggest the same thing. Jackie's becoming unstable, and with you being in your condition-"
"I'm sure Jack wouldn't harm me."
"Just as I was sure he wouldn't call his poor mother a liar." Teague pointed out. "Elizabeth, please do this for your family."
"But what if Jack hurts you?"
Teague laughed. "That boy harm me? I taught him everything he knows. There's no way he could cause serious damage."
"Still, I want to be here. Jack needs to have at least one friend around."
"You're a very good woman, willing to risk everything to by a friend's side." Teague mumbled, before something caught is eye outside. "There's food in the kitchen. You and Jackie go ahead and start without me. Make sure Jackie doesn't follow me." He then ran out.
Jack saw Teague run past, then turned to Elizabeth. "What was that about?"
"I don't know." Elizabeth said. "Teague told me that we can start on dinner without him." She saw Jack's almost empty bottle of rum and sighed. "You get yourself a plate. I'll get you another-"
"No Lizzie." Jack said, standing up. "Go ahead. I can get my own rum."
"But Jack, I-"
"You are in a delicate state, Mrs. Turner, and I'd not be able to call myself a man if I made a woman in your current condition get me my rum. It's bad enough that I'm living in my Da's home." Jack said, pushing Elizabeth into the kitchen. "I already have my Da watching my every move. I need space. Savvy?"
Elizabeth smiled at the pleading look on Jack's face. He reminded her of the kids shopping in town with their parents, asking for some toy or a snack. "Now that I think of it, I don't know where the rum is..."
Jack smirked, patting Elizabeth's head. "It's best that we leave it that way." He said, walking away. Instead of walking to the Rum Locker, he went to the front door.
"...worried about his sanity." Jack heard Teague say as he kneeled next to the door with his ear against the surface.
"What sanity?" A woman asked flatly. "Last I checked, he did anger Davy Jones. Twice."
"Well, what do you think?" Teague asked.
"What do I think? I think he's a lost cause. You're better off just putting him out of his misery." The woman said. "I heard poison is a gentle way to go, if you get..."
'Da's gonna kill me?' Jack thought, shocked. He stood up and walked toward the Rum Locker, deep in thought.
Meanwhile...
"Roxxi, Jackie's my son, not a dying animal." Teague said flatly, glaring at the woman who was sitting on a barrel. "And it's been over ten years. I know he left you to die, but right now I don't care."
Roxxi shrugged. "Just an idea."
"It might help if you came over for dinner." Teague suggested, smirking. "There's enough for all of us."
"Teague, you know I can't tonight. Sometime next week maybe, but not right now." Roxxi said, before slipping off the barrel. "I'd better get going."
"You'd better tell me when you can come." Teague said, hugging Roxxi.
Roxxi nodded, pulling away after a moment. "I will." She said, before running off.
Teague smirked, before looking up at the stars. 'Jackie's losing his mind. Roxxi is back from the dead. Hector has the Pearl. This has to be building up to something. But what?'
So...I have a problem with this story: I actually have three different endings that I can't pick from. So, I'm gonna ask you all how this should end. Should there be a good ending, tragic ending, or a weird ending?
Or, in the spirit of the anime this story is based on, should I continue this story with as many alternate universes as possible?
