Chapter Four

Author's Note: I hope you all had a good Christmas, or at least an adequate one. For me it was just a usual day and I didn't have to see any of my cousins or aunt, which was awesome. So, I kind of actually have a plot in mind, now! I know what's gonna happen in the next few chapters, which is more than I had twenty minutes ago when I sat down to write this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for all the reviews and follows :)

{Dreamer}

Will was practically vibrating with energy as he re-boarded the Black Pearl. Jack was still standing at the helm, muttering under his breath, a compass in one hand, the other resting on Pearl. Will made his way over to the captain, but was stopped by an arm thrown over his shoulders.

'Willie, I finally get teh see ya!'

Will turned, and then smiled when he locked eyes with Anamaria.

'I didn't know you were still with Jack,' Will said when Anamaria had let him go.

'He still owes me a ship!' Anamaria half shouted, making Will wince. 'Now that he's got you back, we can start searchin' for one. Do yeh reckon a Navy ship would be better, or another pirate ship?'

'Uh...' Will hesitated before he realised that Anamaria really wanted his input. 'I don't know,' he admitted. 'I suppose a Navy ship would be better maintained, wouldn't it? The Navy has standards, after all.'

'And pirates don't?' Anamaria demanded, her dark eyes narrowed.

'No, I didn't mean that!' Will spluttered. 'I meant that, uh, it... just that p-pirates-'

Anamaria cracked up laughing and hugged Will tightly. 'By the gods you are adorable, love,' she winked at him and pinched his cheek.

'I'm not adorable,' Will grumbled.

'I beg to differ.'

Will and Anamaria looked up to see Jack standing before them. He was glaring at Anamaria, but his eyes softened when they met Will's.

Anamaria whistled and rocked back on her feet, hands going to the thick belt looped around her thin waist. 'Ar'right there, Captain?' she grinned.

'Fine,' Jack said. 'Don't you have some rigging to do, Ana?' he demanded.

'Sure do, Cap,' the woman smirked. 'Suppose I'd better let young William here get back to... whatever it is he's doin' on the ship.'

'Blacksmith,' Will said.

And Jack, of course, shouted, 'Cabin boy!'

Anamaria snickered and Will scowled at the captain, who just smiled widely.

'Right, right,' Anamaria laughed. 'I'll leave yeh to it, then.'

She wandered off towards Mr Gibbs and Mr Cotton, who were on the starboard side of the ship, working with something on the deck.

'Cheeky lass,' Jack muttered. 'Gotta get her her own ship so she leaves this one.'

'When are you doing that?' Will questioned.

'We, William,' Jack corrected, tugging on the leather bag Will had in his arms. 'We are gonna be doin' that real soon. There's a large merchant vessel heading outta the port a few days' sail from here, like I told yeh before. If the ship's to Ana's liking, she can keep it.'

Will nodded. 'And the crew?'

'Toss 'em overboard,' Jack shrugged. 'Ship's lugging rum, food, and Navy bastards. They can swim back to shore.'

Will chuckled at that and followed Jack back towards the helm. There had been a point in time when he'd respected Navy personnel, but that time was long gone. Commodore Norrington might have pardoned him, but that didn't mean he respected Will. If anything, he thought less of Will now then he had back before Will's first adventure with Jack.

That same line of thinking had fallen to every seaman in Port Royal. Word seemed to spread quickly in port, and the soldiers went elsewhere for their weapons, and when they did stumble across Will, it was with sneers and spat words about filthy pirates. Now that Will was a pirate, he had no problem in tossing some Navy men overboard.

'You alright with that, lad?' Jack asked as he leaned against Pearl's wheel.

'Yes, that's fine with me,' the younger man nodded.

Jack nodded, too. 'Good,' he said and then looked down at what Will was carrying. 'Did yeh get yer tools?'

'I got a lot of stuff,' Will immediately brightened. He dropped to crouch on the deck and unravelled the bag and various pieces of leather he'd acquired. Jack clearly had no idea what half the tools were, but he listened attentively as Will explained everything. 'I didn't think Tortuga would have this many good tools,' Will said as he re-wrapped everything. 'I still don't have anything I need- I couldn't find an anvil, for instance- but with this lot I can fix any weapons the crew has, as well as the cannons. I can even do some woodwork if the Pearl needs it.'

Jack nodded along, stroking his beard, and clapped Will on the shoulder when the blacksmith stood. 'That's good, Willie,' he grinned brightly. 'Yeh can get started tomorrow; we're shovin' off in a few minutes, so go put yer stuff in me cabin and get back out here.'

'Ah...' Will hesitated, glancing back at Jack's cabin door. 'Shouldn't I put my stuff in the crew's quarters?'

'Yeah, later,' the captain waved a dismissive hand. 'I'll have Mr Gibbs set yeh up below deck later. For now, just do what yer captain ordered.'

'Aye, aye,' Will saluted and scampered off. Jack's chuckle followed after him.

{oOo}

Being back at sea, with Jack, was the best feeling Will had had in months. It was even better than the first time he'd sailed with Jack. He didn't have to worry about rescuing Elizabeth, or Barbossa slitting his throat, or even Norrington coming after him. Well, there was always the chance that Norrington and his men would stumble across Will, but the Pearl could easily outrun any Navy ship, and Jack and his crew were excellent fighters; Will knew that he was the safest he could possibly be at sea while aboard the Pearl.

Will stood at the starboard bow, leaning against the railing, and closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply. The air out at sea was amazingly fresh, tinged with salt from the water, and the wind whipping through his hair made Will feel light and without a care in the world. The Black Pearl rocked gently beneath his feet as she ploughed through the waves, and the sounds of men- and one woman- working to keep the ship going filled Will's ears.

He'd tried to help, but Jack had been busy apologising to Pearl- apparently he'd pissed her off, which was why she wasn't going as fast as she usually did- and most of the crew had simply ignored Will when he asked if they needed help.

Will would have to go to Jack when he wasn't busy and get some lessons, or maybe Anamaria or Mr Gibbs would help him. Will chuckled as he imagined the look of delight Jack would no doubt sport when Will asked for help; if there was one thing Jack loved most in the world, it was the Black Pearl.

'Careful there,' a voice called, breaking Will from his thoughts. He turned to see a tall, well-built man coming towards him, a length of rope curled around one shoulder. 'Wouldn' wanna be around the captain if yeh went overboard,' the pirate stated.

'I've sailed before,' Will told him.

'I know,' the man nodded, 'heard about it from the Captain's old crew. Said yer pretty handy in a fight.' He eyed Will, then, and Will had to fight the urge to squirm. 'Reckon yeh could give us a demonstration?' the pirate asked.

'You want to fight me?' Will's eyebrows climbed as the man nodded. 'Why?'

'See what yer capable of,' the pirate shrugged. 'Plus it'd probably raise yer standin' with the crew. Been some rumours goin' around 'bout you and the Captain.'

Will sighed. 'I can guess what they're saying.' The pirate snickered, but Will smiled at him anyway. 'I don't mind having a practice fight with anyone.'

'Good,' the pirate nodded. 'Captain'll be slowing Pearl down in about an hour or two, I'd say. That's usually when he wants dinner. Wanna fight before or after?'

'Before,' Will said. 'I like nothing more than a nice dinner after I win a fight.'

'Cheeky bugger,' the pirate laughed. He held his free hand out and said, 'I'm Gabriel Doyle. Me mates call me Gabe.'

'Nice to meet you, Gabe,' Will said and shook the man's hand. 'I look forward to our fight.'

'Me too,' Gabe said. He winked at Will, shook his hand one last time, and wandered off to do whatever he'd been doing before.

'What was that?' Anamaria asked, suddenly appearing at Will's side.

Will blinked at her. 'Uh... he wants to fight me.'

'What?' Anamaria squawked. 'He'll be tossed overboard when the Captain hears!'

'No, a practice fight,' Will told her. 'He wants to see what I'm capable of.'

Anamaria frowned at him. 'Yeh know yeh don' need teh do that, right?'

'I have to prove myself,' Will said. 'I want to prove myself. I want to prove to the crew that I have a right to be here, that I'm not just... just...'

'Jack's cabin boy?' Anamaria supplied.

Will groaned. 'I wish people would stop saying that.'

'Get used to it, lad,' Anamaria chuckled, punching him in the shoulder. 'Pirates like teh gossip, and they like teh tease each other. S'all in good fun. Until it isn't,' she then added, staring at Will. 'If anyone gives yeh a real hard time, let me or Mr Gibbs know. We'll sort it out.'

'I can look after myself,' Will scowled.

''Course yeh can,' Anamaria nodded. 'But yer the Captain's favourite. Gotta look out for yeh.'

Will didn't know what to say to that, so kept his mouth shut. Anamaria just winked at him- seriously, why was everyone doing that?- and wandered off after Gabe, leaving Will alone with his thoughts.

{oOo}

'What's this I hear about a fight?'

Will jumped and almost dropped his sword. He turned to scowl at Jack, who was leaning against the mast. 'Why do people keep sneaking up on me?' he demanded.

Jack chuckled. 'Gotta learn to move with Pearl, William. Just listen to her and she'll make yeh as quiet as a mouse.'

Will rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, turning his back on Jack. He could feel the captain watching him, but ignored the older man in favour of warming up. He could fight well at a moment's notice, but if he had the choice he'd warm up his arms and legs, get his arm used to wielding a sword, before he entered a quarrel.

'Yeh gonna answer me?' Jack asked from behind him.

'One of the crew- Gabe- wants to see how well I can fight,' Will explained. He moved slowly and gracefully, stepping forward or back with each thrust of his blade, ducking and weaving around an invisible foe. He tossed the sword to his other hand and spun again, catching sight of Jack watching him. 'I need to prove myself to the crew,' Will continued as his movements slowed once more, his sword singing through the air. 'I have no problem proving that I can beat any man who dares cross me.'

'If you say so, lad,' Jack hummed. 'Just remember that we don't have a doctor on-board yet. So don't hurt me crew too bad.'

Will chuckled and slowed to a stop, brown eyes warm as they met Jack's. 'I'm glad to see that you have confidence in me.'

'I know yeh can fight, William,' Jack shrugged one shoulder. He wasn't wearing his captain's hat, and the red of his scarf was bright in the setting sun. 'I know yeh can fight real well,' Jack continued. 'I know what each man on this ship is capable of, so I know that yeh'll definitely beat Gabriel. Just remember that we're pirates, love.'

'And you don't fight fair,' Will nodded, easily understanding what Jack was saying. 'Believe me, Jack, I learned that a long time ago.'

'Yeh mean when I beat ya in the smithy?' Jack asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

The younger man scowled at him. 'You didn't beat me, Jack.'

'I sure did,' Jack said. 'I remember pointin' a pistol at you and all.'

'You cheated!' Will snapped.

'Pirate!' Jack shouted back.

'Yes, but I was fighting under rules, Jack,' Will argued. 'I'm not now. I'll use every dirty trick I can think of to beat Gabe.' He paused to grin, and Jack's eyebrows climbed. 'I'm a pirate, savvy?' Will grinned cheekily.

Jack barked out a laugh and shook his head, his dreadlocks bouncing, beads clinking together. 'Oh, William,' he sighed with a soft chuckle,'yeh gonna be the death of me, lad.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' the blacksmith asked.

'Never mind,' Jack waved a hand. 'Come up to the helm with me. I wanna get yeh a bit familiar with Pearl before yer fight. If yeh listen, she'll help.'

Will sighed, but decided to hear Jack's words as an order. He sheathed his sword and buckled it to his belt- he'd swapped the scarf that Jack had leant to him for one of his belts earlier- and followed Jack across the deck.

There weren't as many pirates on deck as there had been earlier. The cook- a man named Mosh or Dosh or Sosh, Will hadn't been able to hear properly over the roar of the wind- had disappeared below deck about twenty minutes earlier to get started on dinner, and half of the crew had followed.

Will had learned earlier that everything aboard was rationed by Jack and Mr Gibbs; every crew-mate got two meals a day and three mugs of rum. Everyone got a pillow each and one blanket unless they bought their own in port, and they were all responsible for their own belongings. Of course, thievery was frowned upon, and if someone ended up sick Jack would order a few crew-mates to look after whoever had taken ill until they could find a port with a doctor.

Food and rum were often swapped for chores. For example, Will had learned that if you scrubbed the entire deck you'd get an extra two rums. And if you did something for the cook- like cleaned out the pots and pans, or cut food for him- he'd slip you an extra helping of food.

Jack was aware of it all, of course, but he didn't much care. As long as the crew were happy, they'd follow his every order. And Will had never seen a happier crew of pirates. Jack was an excellent captain despite his insanity and drunken attitude. Norrington should have realised long ago that Jack would always worm his way out of trouble, and Will was kind of hoping that the three of them would cross paths soon. He couldn't wait to prove to the snooty older man that he and Jack had more heart.

Jack was standing by the wheel, eyes alight, his body swaying easily with the ship. Will stopped before him and held his hands out. 'Okay, so what am I doing?'

'Come 'ere,' Jack ordered, holding a hand out. Will stepped forward, and soon found one of Jack's arms wrapped around his waist, the older man's body guiding Will's own towards the wheel. Will was pressed against the wood tightly, Jack a long line of warmth against his back, and he shivered as one of Jack's calloused hands wrapped around his. 'Now,' Jack said right into Will's ear, 'yeh gotta go with Pearl, alright? Yeh gotta let her lead. Any idiot can steer a ship with enough practice, but to get her to really perform yeh gotta listen and feel her.'

Will just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Jack placed Will's hand on one of the spokes and wrapped his and Will's fingers around the wood tightly. His other arm was still around Will's waist, and he tugged Will gently from side to side.

'Can yeh feel her?' Jack asked, whispering the words into Will's ear.

Will gulped thickly but shook his head. All he could feel was Jack; Jack's fingers on his own, Jack's body pressed tightly against him, Jack's breath and words and... and just Jack.

'It'll take some time,' Jack murmured. 'But Pearl said yeh'll get there.'

He fell silent, then, and Will didn't want to break the atmosphere by admitting that he had no idea what the captain was saying. He just stood silently and enjoyed the closeness, the ship rocking beneath him, the smell of Jack and the wood beneath his fingers.

'Feel anythin'?' Jack asked softly after a few minutes- or hours, Will had lost track of time.

'No,' Will admitted.

'S'alright,' Jack shrugged. Will felt the gesture against his back. 'I'll just have to give yeh a lesson every day.'

Will nodded. Yes, that... that was fine. If it meant being pressed up against Jack for even a few minutes, Will would take all the lessons he could get.