Chapter Six

Warnings: Violence, language

Lyrics: Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me) by Xavier Atencio and George Burns

Author's Note: Another new chapter 'cause I had it written AND it's about an hour until 2014 for me, so I figured I'd do something to make other people smile while I'm in a foul mood. Anywho, enjoy!

{Dreamer}

The Pearl glided up alongside the merchant vessel, which was much smaller than the black ship. Will spied gold painting on the hull, but couldn't make out the name as they passed. As soon as they were alongside her, Jack's crew threw ropes across and then swung over themselves, quickly securing the two ships together. A wide plank was laid over both bulwarks and Jack walked over first, followed closely by Will, a cleaned-up Gabe, Anamaria, and three other pirates Will didn't yet know the name of.

Will's right hand immediately went to the hilt of his cutlass, but he didn't draw it per Jack's instructions. Most of the merchant sailors were gathered by the main mast, all wearing trousers and blue jackets.

'What's with the uniform?' was Jack's first question, and a tall, fat man waddled forward.

'Greetings,' he said in a thick voice, 'I'm the captain of this fine vessel. What business do you have?'

Jack's eyebrows climbed and he spun to look at his gathered crew. 'What business do we have, lads and lass?'

The crew snickered, and Will cracked a smile as Jack spun back around.

'What business do I have?' he echoed and put both hands on his hip. 'Well, I reckon I'll just sway in here and take all yer merchandise, and maybe yer ship, too.'

The captain scowled but he didn't move, nor did his sailors. Jack waved a hand at Anamaria without turning.

'Just stay there, lads, while the lady checks things out.'

Anamaria immediately darted off, running her hands along the railings and masts she could reach before drifting up to the helm.

'Please,' the captain suddenly spoke. 'We have passengers aboard.'

'Any women or children?' Jack asked.

The captain frowned. 'No.'

'Then I don't care, mate,' Jack shrugged. 'Got a bit of a soft spot for the little lads and lasses, and the fairer sex when they ain't slapping me, but other than that, well...' he tisked and cocked his head. 'Yer shit outta luck, savvy?'

The captain's frown darkened.

'What are yeh hauling?' was Jack's next question.

'Food, clothing, nothing of terrible importance,' the captain told him. 'Really, we're not worth your trouble.'

'I'll be the judge of that,' Jack said.

Will kept scanning the sailors and crew- there were about six sailors that he could see, and nobody that appeared to be a passenger; all the gathered men were wearing the same uniform. Will didn't know a lot about ships, true, but even he could tell that this one appeared to be in terrible shape; it was small, the deck beneath their feet was chipped and split in numerous places, the masts creaked ominously, and the sails were torn and fraying. He didn't think Anamaria would want the ship; it'd be a mercy to burn it down, truth be told.

'So yeh want the ship, Ana?' Jack asked when he spotted Anamaria heading back towards them.

The female pirate scowled and stomped over to the two captains. 'Too small,' she announced. 'This thing wouldn't last against even the smallest of Navy vessels. And she's called the St Sebastian.' Anamaria threw her hands up. 'What the hell kinda name is that? I don' wanna sail a fuckin' saint! I'm a pirate, not a nun!'

There was a flicker of movement to Will's right and he turned towards it. Most of the gathered crew had remained completely still while Jack and his pirates boarded, so it caught Will's attention. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the man, dressed in the same uniform the crew of the ship wore, levelling a pistol at Jack. He had it cocked, the weapon resting on his left arm, and Will moved before he could think.

His right hand snaked into his waistcoat and he drew his dagger. In the blink of an eye he threw it across the deck. The blade embedded itself in the man's throat and a spurt of blood as well as a gurgled scream were all Jack's crew needed.

They broke into action as more sailors appeared from behind masts and heaps of equipment, all with swords or pistols. All of their shots went wide; they were sailors, not soldiers, and Jack's crew were seasoned fighters.

Jack and Will both threw themselves into the fray, Will slicing at two, three, four men; he aimed for their chests and arms, looking to incapacitate, not kill, if he could help it. The fourth one he felled tried to get up, and stabbed his sword at Will's leg, but Will was quicker. He jumped over the weapon and stabbed the man in the arm, drawing a howl of pain. He dropped his sword and Will picked it up, now using two blades to cut down the enemy.

The fight was over before it could really begin and the pirates herded the crew still alive into the middle of the deck between the captains. The St Sebastian's captain was pale and sweating now, and Jack tisked as he swayed before the fat man.

'Ana?' Jack suddenly shouted, and Anamaria swaggered forward. 'Still think it's too small?' Jack asked her.

'Aye,' Anamaria nodded. 'I need a good, strong ship, Captain. And this ain't a good, strong ship. Too small, and needs too many repairs.'

'You were just gonna stand there and let yeh crew do all the work, weren't yeh?' Jack shook his head as he turned his attention back to the captain. 'Yeh put yer crew in danger, but not yerself?' He levelled his bloody sword at the man's throat. 'Yer a poor excuse for a captain, but I ain't gonna kill yeh.'

'Y-You're not?' the man stuttered.

Jack shook his head again. 'I'm gonna dump yeh overboard with the rest of 'em,' he explained. 'But I reckon yeh crew and passengers have a lot to the think about. They're gonna remember yer cowardice as they slowly starve to death. See, when the lovely Anamaria here told me that she didn't want the ship, I was gonna let yeh go 'cause I'm a kind soul like that. But now...' he trailed off and looked around.

His eyes found Will's before skimming over the younger man, as though checking for injuries. When he was satisfied that Will was okay, he turned back to the captain.

'Now I'm gonna burn yer ship down,' Jack announced. 'Gabe, Nutter, Chuckie, Moon; find the gun powder!'

Gabe and three other pirates all shouted, 'Aye,' and hurried below deck.

'Anamaria,' Jack said, glancing at the woman, 'get a few more hands and grab whatever looks good; food, clothing, everything. Take it back to Pearl.'

'Aye, aye, Captain,' Anamaria said and she and the others hurried to do as ordered.

Will closed the distance between him and Jack and looked at the captain as he said, 'What will I do?'

'Help me heard this lot onto the lifeboats,' Jack said.

'Aye, aye,' Will nodded.

They were moving all the crew towards the lifeboats lashed to the portside of the St Sebastian when Will, once again, had to draw a blade. The sailors had all been forced into three lifeboats- there were six, and the others would be needed for the passengers, no doubt- and the captain was the last to go. He panicked as he was forced against the railing by Jack and spun faster than his weight would suggest, a pistol in his hand. But before he could press it to Jack's temple or chest, Will had the blade of his cutlass pressed against the man's throat.

'Raise that pistol any further and I shall slit your throat,' Will growled in the fat man's ear. 'And it shan't be a painless death.'

The captain's eyes bulged and darted from Will to Jack and back again. Jack had his back to the man, eyes on Will, and he and the blacksmith stared at each other until the captain finally dropped his weapon. Jack stooped to pick it up and Will kept his cutlass to the captain's throat.

'Get on the lifeboat,' Will ordered.

The sailor hastily did as asked, stumbling and huffing as he sloppily thumped onto the small boat. As soon as he was in Will waved cheerily and slashed at the ropes keeping the boat attached to the St Sebastian and hovering over the water.

It fell quickly, the screams of the sailors following its path down. It hit the water with a mighty splash, and Will and Jack peered over the bulwark to see the boat bobbing roughly from side to side as it slowly drifted away.

'Oh,' Will suddenly hummed, drawing Jack's attention, 'I forgot to throw some food in.' He continued to stare at the life-raft before shrugging. 'Oh, well.' And with that he re-sheathed his cutlass, saluted Jack, and wandered off to continue working.

Jack watched him go, his eyebrows up, his dark eyes wide.

'Lower the sails!' a high-pitched voice suddenly chirped in Jack's ear, and the captain scowled as he turned to find Mr Cotton and his ruddy bird standing beside him.

'I'm getting a cat!' Jack announced, arms splayed wide. 'And it's gonna eat you, Mr Cotton's parrot!'

'Argh, don't eat me!' the parrot squawked and hid its head beneath its wing.

'First thing on the menu!' Jack warned. 'Parrot wings!'

'Leave the bird alone, Captain!' Will shouted across the deck. Jack looked up to see the lad with a barrel of rum over one shoulder. 'You'll want this in your quarters, I presume?' Will asked with an amused tilt to his lips.

Jack grinned and did his usual drunken-stagger as he bounded over to Will's side. 'Aw, lad, yeh take good care o' me, yeh do,' Jack cooed. He patted the barrel, then Will's arse, grinning widely when Will yelped and scowled at him. 'On with yeh, Mr Turner!' Jack ordered.

Will grumbled and swore under his breath, but muttered, 'Aye, Captain,' and went on his way.

'So what are yeh gonna do about that one, eh, Captain?'

Jack turned to look at Anamaria, who had trousers and jackets over her shoulders, boots tied around her arms. 'What's that?' he demanded.

'What's what?' Anamaria replied. She hefted one of her arms. 'These? These here are Naval uniforms, Captain,' she grinned along with Jack, the captain then laughing.

'Oh, aye, those'll come in handy,' Jack mused, already thinking about the loot he could get if he had a few of the crew dressed up as Royal Navy sailors. William in particular would look dashing in one of the tight-red jackets and white breeches.

'And what of young Mr Turner?' Anamaria broke into his musing.

'What of him?' Jack replied.

'Yeh gonna just tease him forever, Captain?' Anamaria asked. 'Or yeh gonna do somethin'?'

Jack flapped a dismissive hand at her. 'We've been at sea a day, Ana. I'll get him, you mark my words.'

'Oh, I don't think that yeh won't,' Anamaria nodded.

'So why are yeh wondering'?' Jack demanded.

Anamaria's dark eyes light up, and she leaned closer. 'Got some bets with the boys, yeh see,' she whispered conspiratorially. 'Mr Gosh, Misty, Nutter and Moon reckon the boy's a eunuch. Mr Jellicoe, Mr Forsyth and Tiny reckon he only fancies the fairer sex.'

'And the rest of the crew?' Jack asked.

Ana's grin widened. 'Well, the rest o' the crew are bettin' on how long it'll be before the boy's in yer bed screamin' yer name.'

Jack puffed out his chest, a grin on his lips, clearly pleased that most of the crew knew that Will would be his. The lad already was, he just didn't know it.

'If yeh get him before the week's out,' Anamaria continued, 'I win everythin'. The week af'er that, it's Mr Gibbs. Another week and it's Gabe, and so on and so forth.'

'Well,' Jack smirked, 'I'll be sure to inform you lovely scallywags when I finally bed Mr William Turner.'

'Oh, haven't yeh heard what they're callin' him yet?' Anamaria asked as Jack examined one of the jackets wrapped around her neck.

'What?' Jack prompted.

'William O' Bucket Turner,' Anamaria guffawed. 'Some fancy work with a bucket, that was. He'll never live it down.'

Jack just laughed and stood back. 'Back on the Pearl with yeh, Lady Ana.'

'Oi!' Anamaria huffed but started walking. 'I ain't no lady, Jack Sparrow. Call me that again and I'll fuck young William meself!'

'What?!' came Will's confused and highly embarrassed voice from the Pearl. Jack laughed harder than he had in weeks.

{oOo}

Will heard the song before he saw the pirates. He was walking with Mr Gibbs, who'd finally showed him the crew's quarters. The First Mate had his own room, as did the cook, and Anamaria took the final one (the room Will was going to be using as a smithy was actually private quarters, but Jack had given it to him anyway).

Gibbs got his own quarters because of his position, as did Mr Gosh, but Anamaria hadn't gotten her own room because she was a woman, like Will had assumed. She'd been happy in the crew's quarters until she'd moved to her own; apparently one of the crew had tried to climb into her bunk and she'd stabbed him. Jack had thought it safer- for the crew- if Anamaria bunked alone.

'Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!' the crew were singing loudly and off-key. Will smiled as he and Mr Gibbs entered the mess room, which was just off of the galley. 'We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot! Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!'

Jack was sitting at the head of the longest table, which was in the middle of the room. There were smaller ones, enough for maybe two to eat if they squished together, crammed into the corners, but most of the crew were crowded around the main table.

'We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot!' Jack shouted and downed a large swill of his rum.

'Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!' Mr Gibbs joined in. He clapped Will on the back, and Will was drawn into the song.

'Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me,' Will sang with the rest of them, 'we extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack! Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!'

Anamaria and Gabe suddenly jumped onto the table along with a red-haired, pale man whom Will didn't know the name of. They started singing at the top of their lungs, rum slushing from their mugs, arms wrapped around each other.

'Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack! Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!'

'Aye!' half of the crew shouted, and Will was tossed into Jack's side, the captain beaming brightly at him.

'Join in, Mr Turner!' Jack ordered, and the crew all turned to grin at him, making Will blush. But he knew an order when he heard one, so cleared his throat.

'Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me,' Will sang, 'we, uh...'

'We kindle and char, inflame and ignite!' Gabe took up the song.

'Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!' Will knew that part.

'We burn up the city, we're really a fright! Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!'

'We're rascals!' Jack shouted and shot to his feet, swaying back and forth- either on his own or because of the Pearl, Will couldn't tell. 'Scoundrels, villans, and knaves!'

'Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!' the crew chorused.

'We're devils and black sheep, and really bad eggs,' Jack led the song.

'Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!'

Jack wrapped an arm around Will's shoulders and pulled him tight, and suddenly a mug of rum was thrust into Will's hands. He took a healthy swig without blinking, and Jack was smiling at him as they sang.

'Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me! We're beggars and blighters, ne'er-do-well cads! Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!'

'Aye!' Mr Gosh shouted as he suddenly appeared, a very large, very heavy-looking steel pot in his hands. 'But we're loved by our mummies and dads!'

And then, the crew finished the song together, all screaming and swaying and sloshing rum about, 'DRINK UP, ME 'EARTIES, YO HO!'

There were cheers and swears and bangs as pirates bashed the tables, the walls, the floor or each other. Will would have been tossed around in the unfamiliar merriment if it wasn't for Jack's firm grasp around him. And, if Will happened to snuggle closer while he had the chance, well... nobody had to know.

Mr Gosh dropped the pot into the middle of the table and called, 'Sit down, yeh cads, grubs up!' There were more cheers- most drunk, pirates really didn't mess about with their liquor- and Mr Cotton, Misty, and another pirate appeared from the doorway Mr Gosh had come through with bowls and spoons. 'Got some nice ol' beef and potato stew fer yeh bastards,' Mr Gosh said. 'Tomorrow it's pork and bacon and whatever else I can cut off o' the swine Mr Cotton brought aboard from the ship we burned.'

'Argh, don't eat the parrot!' Mr Cotton's parrot screeched.

'The parrot's next week!' Anamaria called from where she was still standing on the table.

'Get yer arse off of the table!' Jack shouted. 'Didn't yer mumma teach yeh any manners?'

'Pardon me, Captain Sparrow, sir,' Anamaria said in a sickly-sweet voice. She bowed from the waist-down and hopped off of the table with Gabe's help, Jack chuckling as she went. 'If me mumma taught me anythin' it was to grab life by the bollocks!' she added.

'Yeh can grab me by the bollocks,' one of the crew jeered.

'Oh, yeah?' Anamaria asked, looking him over. 'Sorry, mate, but I prefer a good handful, not a tea-spoon.'

The crew roared with laughter and slapped the embarrassed pirate over the head, and he was pushed down towards the end of the table to sit opposite Anamaria, who grinned darkly at him.

Mr Gosh and some others dished out the stew, and as Will had come to expect, the pirates spoke with their mouths full., laughing and drinking as they did. He sat back beside Jack, quiet as he watched the dinner unfold. He'd had many dinners in Tortuga, and in pubs in Port Royal, too, that were similar to this.

Will had loved it far more than the stuffy, near-silent dinners at Governor Swann's house. Despite Elizabeth's constant complaints about how her father wanted her to act like a "proper lady" ('A post twat, Will!' she'd grumbled to him time and time again), Elizabeth had known what to do, how to act, how to eat and sit and just what to say.

Will had never been more lost in his life. Stick him in a blacksmith and he was at home; toss him into a pub full of smoke and raucous laughter, and Will could adapt; sit him at a table with Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington and a bunch of other important, self-important men? Will wanted to escape before he'd even entered the room.

'Yeh alright, Willie?' Jack broke into his thoughts.

Will nodded, a smile on his lips, before he registered what Jack had called him. He turned to scowl at the captain and hissed, 'Jack I asked you not to call me that!'

Jack just grinned, like the bastard he was. 'I'm the Captain, Willie,' the older man teased. 'I'll call me crew what I want, savvy?'

Will's scowl darkened but he grumbled and stuck a spoonful of stew into his mouth. It was pretty good; the meat wasn't all-fat like in Tortuga, and it was actually filling, unlike the starter soups he'd eaten at Elizabeth's house. He licked the spoon and his lips before going for another mouthful, completely ignorant of the way Jack was staring at him.

'Food's gettin' cold, Captain,' Mr Gosh suddenly nudged him, drawing both Jack and Will's attention. 'Or did you fancy eatin' in your quarters from now on?' Mr Gosh grinned.

'Shut up, yeh bastard, or I'll go back to callin' yeh Alexander Fitzpatrick every goddamn day!'

The pirates closest to Jack and Will laughed, while Gosh scowled at the captain, but didn't say a word.

'Er... Alexander Fitzpatrick?' Will questioned after he'd swallowed, confused.

'His real name, lad,' the pale, red-haired pirate to Will's left spoke up. 'Hates it somethin' fierce, he does.'

'Oh, like you go around introducing yourself as Henry Savock?' Gosh demanded.

The red-haired pirate huffed and went back to his food.

'Nah, he prefers Moon, don't yah, Moons?' the pirate to Moon's left piped in, jabbing the pale man in the side with an elbow.

'Get off!' Moon snapped.

'Do you all have nicknames?' Will asked, curious.

'Most of us do, lad,' the pirate who'd teased Moon nodded. 'Me name's Julian, and that's all yeh'll get from me. Blokes 'round here call me Dol.'

''Cause he swims like a dolphin!' someone else shouted before Will could ask.

'And we call this one 'ere Moon 'cause he likes takin' his pants off,' Dol let out a breathy laugh. 'Are is paler than the fuckin' moon, it is!'

Moon was blushing, his pale complexion hiding nothing, and Will chuckled along with the rest.

'Gosh is the best bloody nickname, though,' Anamaria spoke up from the other end of the table.

'How'd you get that nickname?' Will asked.

The cook, who had sat himself at one of the single-tables, just scowled.

''E swears like a fuckin' sailor!' Anamaria shouted, voice somewhat drowned out by the pint of rum she was apparently trying to swim in. When she resurfaced, she scrubbed at her mouth and continued. 'Should hear him, Mr Turner!'

'Fucking fuck this fucking shit, bloody fucking damn it!' Dol rattled off, doing a good impression of Gosh.

'Who the fuck put their bloody fucking shit in my galley, those little fucking nosy twats!' Moon took over.

'Mother fucking bloody cocks, bloody shit gosh!'

The entire crew had yelled the last word, and Will looked around in confusion as they all slammed their cups or bowls against the table and howled with laughter.

'He can't say god, lad,' Jack finally explained. 'He'll say every bloody swear under the sun- words that'd make any sailor blush- and all with gosh instead of god. Couldn't pillage for a good month after the first time I heard him.'

'Shut up, you wankers!' Mr Gosh snarled. 'Or I'll put toenails into your food!'

The crew had a hard time reining themselves in- even Will, who was know imagining the man swearing this way and that- but eventually they did. Mr Gosh's threats weren't idle, after all.

'Hey, mate, do you ever swear?' one of the pirates near Anamaria suddenly asked.

The room went silent until Will looked up and realised that they were talking to him. 'What?'

That got a few snickers, before the crew-mate repeated his question.

'Uh... yes?' Will ventured. 'I just don't see the need to curse at every available opportunity.'

'Oh, that's me William,' Jack chuckled. 'Mouth's too pretty for such foul words.'

'My mouth isn't pretty!' Will snapped.

''Course it is,' Jack replied. 'And so's the rest of yeh.'

'I'm not pretty!' Will growled. 'Nor am I adorable, or... or...'

'Or...?' Jack hummed.

'Or anything else you might be thinking!' Will retorted.

Jack just stared at him, blinked, stared some more, then took a swig of rum and turned to the crew. 'My bonny, beautiful, pillaging crew. Is Mr Turner a pretty young thing?'

There was no hesitation; a very, very loud chorus of, 'AYE!' went up, and Will slid lower in his seat, fuming and blushing in equal parts.

'See?' Jack grinned, turning to the blacksmith. 'What the captain says goes, lad. And yer pretty; get used to it.'

'Shut up,' Will grumbled.

'Don' be like that, O' Bucket,' Moon said. 'Yeh can defend yerself; ain't nothin' to be ashamed of, bein' pretty.'

Will frowned. 'What did you call me?'

'O' Bucket,' Moon repeated.

Will's frown deepened, and he was almost afraid to ask... 'O' Bucket?'

'S'ya name, lad,' Moon explained. 'Like, "O', there's a bucket, might use that as a bloody shield!"'

The inebriated crew roared with laughter and more than one hand was slapped against Will's back.

'William O' Bucket Turner!' one shouted, and Will turned wide doe-eyes on Jack.

'Sorry, mate,' the captain laughed. 'Nicknames are like that. Take Misty; we call 'im that 'cause he can see through mist and fog like nobody else.'

'And I'm Nutter 'cause I give yeh a swift kick in the manhood when yer down!' Nutter shouted.

'What about you?' Will asked Jack.

'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, love,' Jack said, toasting Will with his mug of rum. 'I flutter about, in and out of trouble, like a little sparrow.'

'I don't think his real first name is Jack,' Gibbs piped in. 'When I met him everyone called him Little Jack. Never knew him by any other name 'til he suddenly introduced himself teh me as Jack Sparrow years later.'

'Captain Jack Sparrow!' Jack corrected with a pointed finger.

'Aye, Captain!' Gibbs responded and saluted him.

'Aye, Captain!' the rest of the crew joined in, and Will smiled as he said, 'Aye.'

{oOo}

'I'll sleep well tonight,' Will yawned as he and Jack walked through the Pearl. Jack was heading topside, while Will was going to crawl into his bunk and pass out, hopefully until morning.

'You'll definitely sleep well on Pearl, love,' Jack said, bumping the younger man's shoulder with his own. 'Yeh were made for the sea, remember?'

'Mm,' Will nodded. He was thoroughly exhausted after the day's events; first hunting through Tortuga for the crew, then for tools; and then the fight with Gabe and the fight on the St Sebastian. Had it really only been a day? Will felt like it'd been longer.

Suddenly Jack stopped and Will bumped into him. Jack's warm, calloused hands grabbed at Will's arms, and Will smiled at him. 'Thank you, Jack.

'S'alright, lad,' Jack said, but didn't let him go.

'No, thank you for letting me aboard,' Will explained. 'I had nowhere to go and you took me in.'

'I couldn't leave yeh behind, William,' Jack said honestly. 'Not a second time.'

Will smiled brightly and suddenly leaned forward, wrapping his arms around the captain and pulling him in for a hug. Jack didn't hesitate to hug back, or press his entire body against Will's. He felt Will shiver slightly against him and grinned; the boy definitely wanted him. All he had to do was work at it a bit more, make Will comfortable, and the lad would be his.

Forever, Jack promised himself silently. Unfortunately, Will soon let him go and clapped Jack on the shoulder.

'Thanks again,' he said and turned to walk the rest of the way to the crew's quarters. He should be with Jack, but... not yet. Let the lad get comfortable, first.

'Night, William,' Jack called and turned before he could chase after the younger man and haul him to the captain's cabin. The Pearl creaked around him as Jack made his way topside, and he chuckled as he ran his fingers along the staircase railing. 'Easy, love,' he patted the ship. 'He'll be up here soon enough. We won't let him go this time, will we?'

The Pearl rolled gently through the waves, and her sails fluttered in the cool sea breeze; she definitely wanted Will to stay.

'Atta girl,' Jack patted the wheel fondly when he reached it. 'Now, let's get to Port Twelves.' He gripped the stokes with both hands and felt the wheel move beneath his hands, turning the Pearl more north-east. 'Atta girl,' Jack repeated with a smile.