A/N: Sorry for the slight delay, but here's the next chapter! I've had a pretty hectic weekend and it took a little longer than usual to prep this chapter for uploading (it was such a pain to write lol), but I'll make up for the delay by uploading chapter 8 on Thursday, which will signal the beginning of the end of Jack's past timeline and move the plot ever closer to Jack and Elizabeth's meeting!

Reminder that I do not own POTC :(

Spoiler: Jack gets to flex his nautical, captain-ly muscles and there's the fall out from Will's unexpected visit


Fourteen years ago

When Jack finally made it on deck he found members of the crew running frantically back and forth, some carrying weapons, others were panicking for their lives. He turned his attention to the horizon and looked out, the moonlight illuminating the landscape enough for Jack to spot a ship heading towards off the starboard bow. He tore his gaze from the ocean and noticed Teague stride past him, heading up to the helm. Jack followed.

"What colours is she flying?" Teague demanded of Edgardo as he ascended the stairs to join him at the helm.

"British Navy. Some of his friends, no doubt," the first mate lowered his spyglass, looking at Jack with disgust.

Refusing to be intimidated, Jack met him with an angry glare, "I was East India Trading Company, actually."

"Even less honourable then," Edgardo jeered, determined to elicit a violent response from Jack in front of his father.

Intent on keeping his dignity, Jack chose to ignore him, more concerned with the risk of the enemy ship opening fire. He snatched the spyglass from Edgardo's hand and looked out towards the vessel, its crew seemingly preparing for some kind of attack and sailing steadily towards them.

"What caused the ship to lurch? Was she hit?" said Teague impatiently, taking over the wheel from the crew member currently stationed there.

"I tried to steer the ship away but as I did she hit a reef," Edgardo explained, "It seems we have no choice but to face her."

"We're outgunned," Jack spoke up, still looking through the spyglass, "She has forty guns at least, an' there's no way we could broadside an English frigate without being completely destroyed in the process."

"Then what do ye suggest, boy?" Teague asked.

Jack lowered the spyglass and turned to face him, "Run out the long range cannons and attack her on the approach. Splinter the masts to slow her down before making our escape."

"If we can splinter her masts then we can take her," Edgardo challenged, before turning to the rest of the crew hurrying on deck, "Run out the guns you worthless cads!"

"An' what, get obliterated by Navy cannon the moment we get in range?" said Jack derisively.

Edgardo narrowed his eyes at Jack, clearly insulted by the disrespect being shown to him, "We weaken her on the approach until she can't fight back. Then we board and give no quarter, splitting the plunder."

Jack's expression became almost comical, looking at Edgardo as though he'd grown another head. He turned to Teague, "Please tell me ye're not taking this landlubber seriously."

"You're forgetting that I'm quartermaster of this ship, so my opinion is more valid than yours in this matter."

"Says the only person here what has never captained a ship before."

Teague pursed his lips in annoyance, "Edgardo, go below and oversee the loading of the chain cannons. Make sure the crew firstly know what the mast is and secondly ensure they aim the cannons properly. Sparrow, ye're to remain here."

Jack looked at Edgardo with a smug grin on his face at having Teague side with him on the matter. Edgardo merely glared at him before walking off.

"Why is he your first mate?" Jack inquired as he watched Edgardo descend the stairs that led below deck, "His attitude is incredibly rash."

"Edgardo's a fine sailor," Teague turned the wheel several degrees port, preparing to circle the enemy ship and get close enough to fire the long range cannons, "He's proved himself to be an expert navigator and has won us some fine loot over the last few years."

"Just what kind of loot is he expectin' to find on a Navy frigate?" Jack raised his spyglass again and put it to his eye, "Everyone knows they're war machines, liable to blow up at any given moment."

"He also has a notorious blood thirst and an innate hatred for those in His Majesty's service," Teague explained as the Troubadour's cannons began firing at the Navy ship.

Jack squinted through the spyglass as he saw the first cannonball make contact with the ship's bow, "That explains why he hates me, then. I'm an enemy and a threat." He lowered the spyglass, the enemy ship finally coming into range.

"It would help if ye weren't so prejudiced by yer first impressions," said Teague with a raised eyebrow.

Another cannonball struck the ship, this time hitting the deck. The crew's aim was steadily improving. "Are you saying I should let someone speak to me as though I were a small child?"

"Aye, seein' as though ye often act like one."

Before Jack could plaster an indignant look on his face or offer up a retort, a large cracking sound reverberated around them. Turning back to the enemy ship, a smile crept onto his face as he saw the mast splinter and cascade into the black ocean.

He spun back around to Teague, "Hard to port! We go with the wind."

Teague nodded and began spinning the wheel towards the port side of the ship whilst Jack hurried down the steps, shouting instructions to the crew on deck.

He then caught sight of Hector securing the ropes from the rigging on the main deck. Jack wandered over to him, still anxiously glancing over at the enemy ship, beginning to disappear into the darkness of the night.

Hector gave him a sly grin, "Teague seems to trust ye enough to let ye run his ship for him. How'd he react to yer revelation?"

"As expected," Jack scanned his eyes over the rigging of the sails before going to aid Hector with the tying of the ropes.

Hector waited for a more comprehensive response and was surprised when he received none. He leaned over to Jack, "Care to elaborate on that?"

"He already knew," Jack answered quietly, eyes still fixed on the rope, "And I knew that he already knew so his knowing was unequivocally and undoubtedly not new to me."

Teague's son spared a fleeting glance in Hector's direction before returning to the task in hand. Hector rested one hand on the railing, "An' what are ye plannin' now?"

Jack shrugged, "Would rather get off this ship as soon as I can, mate, then spend any longer in the company of certain pirates."

"The Spaniard still givin' ye trouble?"

"Somethin' like that," Jack raised his head and Hector was instantly drawn to the thin red line across his neck, presumably caused by a sharp blade pressed against his throat. Since Hector was pretty certain that Jack wouldn't have inflicted that upon himself (even though he had been displaying some mad characteristics as of late), it was safe to assume that Edgardo had threatened him in some way.

That wouldn't do. If Jack was to survive long enough for Teague to bestow his pirate title then this Edgardo would need to somehow be dispatched. There was no way they could escape: the nearest port was miles away as they had headed from Tortuga all the way out towards the Indian Ocean.

"We won't make port for weeks, lad. Ye're goin' to have to get used to havin' Edgardo around," said Hector resignedly.

Jack averted his eyes to the horizon once more, the enemy ship nearly unperceivable in the dead night as its faint outline merged into the dark ocean and sky, "The sooner we make port, the better. The man's a nightmare to be around."

"Have ye been to Teague with yer concerns?" Looking at the young pirate's eyes, Hector noticed the dark lines encircling them, the realities of the pirate lifestyle beginning to show. The constant need to be alert, to be prepared for attack did prove wearisome after a while, though Hector was certain the lad would grow used to it. After all, there was no chance he could return to the easygoing merchant life he had enjoyed before.

"Edgardo's his first mate," replied Jack in a low voice, "His word is worth ten of mine."

"In both a figurative and literal sense, aye," Hector smirked.

Jack narrowed his eyes at him, miffed, "Very funny."

"Now ye understand how I feel when ye decide to be disparagin' about me good self."

"I'm just being honest," Jack grinned, a roguish, lopsided smirk that succeeded in completely shielding his true thoughts and obvious unease that had been present a moment ago. If he was able to conceal murderous and violent thoughts behind such a cloud of self-control, then it was true that Jack had the makings of a dishonest, unpredictable, and most importantly, dangerous pirate.

"Maybe ye should try bein' dishonest a bit more often, 'specially if ye're intendin' to adopt a more appeasin' attitude towards our European acquaintance."

"You're overlooking one obvious fact, mate: I'm English, he's Spanish and, historically speaking, we generally don't get along."

Hector let his mouth curve upwards in a display of amiability towards the young man, secretly planning a way forward for his plan to obtain pirate lordship. He wasn't going to let a Spanish pirate get in the way, nor was he going to allow the illegitimate son of Captain Teague to squander his plans.

...

Present

Captain Turner and, by extension, the crew of the Dutchman had not stayed long, almost as soon as Will had left Jack's cabin he disappeared back onto his ship and sailed off into the distance, vanishing into the advancing sunrise.

He barely spared a word or even a glance in Gibbs' or Barbossa's direction as he emerged from the captain's quarters, a veil of guilt and pity marked on his features.

Barbossa was quick to stop him before he stepped foot onto the Dutchman, "Where be Jack?"

Gibbs was once again surprised at Barbossa's apparent concern for Jack's whereabouts, though he came to the conclusion that if he was going to mutiny against Jack then the eccentric captain would need to be on board for it to happen. No use him running off to the Dutchman, even though Gibbs could not see Jack abandoning the Pearl for anything.

The whole situation was rather confusing. Gibbs decided it would probably be best to try not to think about it. They were going to carry out their own mutiny soon, anyway, so none of it would even matter.

Will turned to the captain, a detached facade appearing on his face, "In his cabin, most likely victim to an unreasonable amount of rum by now."

Gibbs blinked at the Turner lad, puzzled as to why Jack would be excessively drinking at a time like this. They were about to stage a mutiny and the captain would need all his wits about him to succeed and not be outmanoeuvred by Barbossa.

"Shall we be seein' ye again then, Captain Turner?" Barbossa asked graciously, with one of those false smiles that sent shivers down Gibbs' spine.

"No, lest fate summons me here," said Will solemnly, "I have my duty to perform."

Will glanced at Gibbs, giving him a small smile and nod before he boarded the Dutchman and the ship sailed into the horizon, merging with the clear sun that began to rise in the distance.

Almost as soon as the ship had departed, Barbossa and Gibbs headed towards Jack's cabin. Opening the door, Gibbs was relieved to find him unharmed, leaning back in his chair against the desk, staring at his bottle of rum curiously.

"What did the whelp want?" Barbossa demanded as he walked up to the desk, anger evident in his voice.

Jack turned lazily to look at him, extending his hand towards him, "Rum?"

Barbossa hissed at the bottle and slammed his hands on the desk, causing Jack to nearly jump out of his chair, "If it is somethin' important, hear tell it needs to be shared wit' yer fellow captain and first mate, or else ye'll find there may be consequences."

"What if it's not important?" Jack slurred with a flippant flick of the wrist, and Gibbs could tell that the captain was more inebriated than usual, leading him to wonder what Will had told him.

"Of course, 'cos yerself and Mr Turner are known fer havin' a caring relationship," said Barbossa, removing his hands from the table and taking a few steps back.

Jack raised his hand to object, brow furrowed in deep concentration, "We did." He paused, narrowing his eyes in thought, "Till I forced him into servitude aboard the ghost ship, kissed his bonny lass, threw him in the brig, threw him overboard and forced him to stab the thump-thump," he refocused his eyes upon Barbossa, smile on his face, "Until that point we were golden."

Barbossa growled in annoyance, turning his attention to Gibbs, "Tell me ye can talk sense into him. Ye've known him longer."

Gibbs was about to answer when Jack interjected, "Actually, I've known you longer, Barbossa, even though after the mutiny it felt like I hadn't really known you at all."

"Call it dishonesty," Barbossa suggested modestly, a proud look on his face.

"I met Gibbs after the mutiny," Jack continued, before his trail of thought seemed to halt and change direction, "Mutiny. Interesting word. Derived from the French... detestable word, really," he pointed at Gibbs decidedly, "I want the person what invented it shot, as painfully as possible if ye please, Mr Gibbs." When he saw Gibbs hesitate for a moment, Jack frowned, "Quickly, Mr Gibbs. The man might be on me ship for all you know."

Gibbs was at a loss of what to say, concerned not only for the captain's state of mind but also fearful of him revealing their plot to mutiny against Barbossa. Meanwhile, the other captain was fixing him with a stern glare.

"For the love of mother and child, Jack..." he began, exasperated with the captain, "What did Will tell you?"

Jack's eyes widened, suddenly self-conscious, "Nothing." Gibbs knew that tone, the same he used when he'd sent the crew of the Black Pearl into a frenzy over what they later learned was the black spot.

"We're concerned about ye, Jack," Gibbs explained, to which Barbossa scoffed derisively, "I'm concerned about ye."

Jack stood up from his chair, swaying dangerously with the rocking of the ship, "I'm flattered, but yer concern is not necessary, Mr Gibbs."

The more Gibbs observed his captain's behaviour, the easier it was to see the changes in his demeanour since the Dutchman had visited. It was as though Will had let him in on some sobering fact which had forced Jack to get drunk in order to push it from his mind. For as long as he'd known the captain, it had been the way he dealt with difficult and often personal situations - to drink himself into a stupor for a few days before returning to normal (or what should be classed as Jack's 'normal' state). After instructing them to find land after receiving the black spot, Jack had proceeded to spent the following few days either locked in his cabin with only rum for company, or at the helm gazing anxiously out onto the ocean, looking for land.

What was clear was that he was not willing to divulge the specifics of what Will had told him, although it didn't take a genius to work out that it wasn't good news.

"Does what Will had to say have a bearing on our quest?" Gibbs asked, hoping that Jack understood the coded meaning behind those words.

Jack's eyes wandered distractedly around the room, "Let's reach Shipwreck Cove before making such decisions. They hurt me brain." He clasped at his head with a wince.

Barbossa seemed instantly satisfied by that answer, promptly spinning on his heel and striding out of the cabin, leaving Jack and Gibbs alone.

Gibbs turned his head from the door to find Jack staggering around his desk in search of something. "How long have ye been awake, captain?"

Jack stopped and looked at Gibbs, wrinkling his forehead as though trying to figure out a complicated mathematical equation. He finally spoke up, "Two hours longer than that which I would have slept had there not been that incident requiring me presence on deck and then that plan I made to steal me ship back..."

"Ye need to rest, captain," Gibbs interjected before Jack could go on any longer, his confusing explanation proof enough that he'd not had any sleep in the past day or so.

"And leave the fiend in charge of me ship?" Jack raised his eyebrow in bewilderment.

Gibbs sighed, "Jack, ye have nothin' to worry about. Most of the crew are on yer side an' wouldn't dare stage a mutiny against ye."

"Apart from the two fools," Jack tried to stand up straight in his position in front of his desk but the combination of the rum and the rolling motion of the ship nearly led him to topple over and forced him to grab the edge of the desk. "And the crewman what argues with Barbossa before disappearing from sight. Who is he, anyway?"

"Ye mean Stan? He barely talks to anyone, he much prefers to keep himself to himself as it were." Gibbs answered, this Stan fellow being quite mysterious to him as well. All Gibbs had learned from Marty was that Stan had been personally chosen by Barbossa to join the crew, which didn't bode well. However, he was reluctant to inform Jack of this, given his current intoxicated state, in case he decided to storm over to the crew's quarters and declare war on the crew lad, who could well be entirely innocent.

Jack nodded before shifting his gaze to the door to his bedchamber, "Sleep then, I suppose."

"Aye," said Gibbs, relieved that the captain was finally getting the right idea, "I'll keep watch on Barbossa to ensure he don't get any ideas."

Gibbs watched as Jack walked through the door and shut it behind him. He lingered in the cabin a few moments longer, to make sure that Jack wasn't trying to deceive him and not go to bed, but after a short while of waiting a loud thud caught his attention.

He went over to the door and gently knocked, "Jack?" When there was no answer, he carefully pushed the door open and, collapsed in a heap on the floor next to his bed was Jack, snoring softly, his tricorn hat, coat, boots and shirt strewn over the bed. Gibbs smiled at the sleeping captain, who must have been more exhausted than he was letting on, and quietly stepped around him, grabbing a pillow from the bed and settling it under Jack's head.


A/N: I hope you enjoyed it - though I don't think it's my best chapter, personally, but as I said things will start to pick up in the next few chapters and we'll see our two darlings finally meet up again! Just for the record, nautical terminology and ship battles are not my speciality so if any of it is inaccurate do not hesitate to let me know :)

Response to review: River - Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you liked the flashback, there's plenty more J/E interaction to come as the story progresses! Haha yeah it is very unlike Jack to leave his compass around, but hopefully the reason for that will eventually become clear and now that Will has it, well, things will start to get interesting hehe :D Thanks again!

Please don't forget to let me know what you think and leave a review! They're all greatly appreciated!