Title: Sense of Duty
Rated: M
Pairings: J/E, mention of W/E and a splash of B/E
Summary: The Code is being taught, enemies need a new level of trust, and someone's death starts looking mysterious . . .
Notes: I made a list of more than 30 codes, some made up and some stolen. You'll get a taste of it in this chapter (and more when more chapters come) and also a bit of Teague past.
This is the chapter when things start picking up, mystery starts, budding relations yadda yadda let's get to the story!
Beta: Howlongmustiwait

Chapter Eight: Basic Codes and Pirating

"Ye have the right to declare 'parlay' in which the person who be declarin' it be taken to the enemy captain for negotiations and is to remain unharmed by his crew until such times an accord has been made."

"I knew that." Jack said; leaning back in his chair, feet propped up on the circular table. "I thought these lessons were supposed to be about things we don't already know about the Code . . . "

"If ye shut it, Sparrow, and 'member tha' I told ye I have to tell ya the basic codes too! Part of the rules." No - Eyed Barty snapped back.
Jack rolled his eyes, and placed his feet on the floor. He wiped his face, sticking his tongue out at the sweat collecting. After three hours of being stuck in the room, all they had accomplished was what was already known.

He was suddenly wishing that he had not agreed to try being Keeper.

Barbossa twirled an apple core on the table, thoroughly bored with the lack of activity. The two bumbling fools were inspecting their gun butts, trying to figure out how to turn them into clubs.

Jack peered across the table at the golden haired king, and smirked to himself. Her small chin was propped up in her hand, her eyes closed. Her body was sighing with soft snores; her shirt opened just enough to show her small cleavage. And Jack just couldn't past up the opportunity.

Licking his lips, he looked around, and found some stray pebbles on the floor. He smiled.

Perfect. Just the thing to save me from dying of boredom.

"If forced to force people to walk the plank, ye force the person out on a plank and not allow them to return until they provided the information demanded of them. If they do not, force them overboard."

With astute concentration - and good aim - Jack picked a tiny white pebble and tossed it across the table, watching the small rock fall in Elizabeth 's shirt. Her eyes squeezed shut, in annoyance, but she kept on sleeping.

Jack grinned, and picked another pebble.

"Trust the dishonest ones; it's the honest ones you have to look out for, for you never know when one might be incredibly stupid."

Barbossa stopped twirling his apple core and stared at Jack. He watched as the younger pirate picked up a tiny pebble, aimed, and threw it into the cleavage of one snoring Pirate King. Then watched as Jack threw another one in.

Then busted a gut, laughing when Barty's cane came crashing down on Jack's head - causing Jack to curse loudly, and fall back with his chair. Elizabeth snorted, very un lady like, and stood up; her brows knit with confusion.

"What the -!" She bellowed, pulling the collar of the shirt out to look down. "Jack Sparrow!"
A hand popped up from the other side of the table. "Captain!!"

Shaking the pebbles out of her shirt, she looked at No - Eyed Barty. He gave her a nod, and pushed himself up on his cane.

"Dismissed!" Elizabeth , red faced, barked in high pitched voice. "Everybody out!"

Paen and Hecker, shaken by the sudden outbursts, gathered up their bits and pieces shuffling out of the meeting room. Barbossa nodded his head toward Barty, then walked around the table - Jack noticing how he slowed up behind Elizabeth , and Elizabeth shivering a bit -and walked out of the room.

Elizabeth stared at Jack, who was now standing and rubbing his head.

"Care to explain why you would do that?"

Jack smirked. "Pirate."

With an aggravated groan, Elizabeth rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room.

Leaving Jack alone with the no eyed, pot bellied balding old man.

"Well, Grandfather, it was fun while it lasted. Thank you for drilling Codes that even a simpleton knows into me head - these last three hours will be something I always treasure." Jack placed his hat carefully on top of his still sore head, and went to move.

No Eyed Bart stuck out his cane, stopping Jack mid-step. Jack looked down at the gnarled stick, attached to the gnarled hand, and looked into the gnarled face of his father's old friend and partner.

"Jackie - " Something inside Jack twinged at the name. It was what his father had always called him, despite many protests. And suddenly, he wished his father was here so he could complain to him. "- ye need to come up and look in yer father's quarters. Ye need ta takes what he wanted ye to have, before it's all gone. Caught some no good swine poking their nose in it."

"Pirates do that." Jack said, a little more subdued.

"No-good ingrates. They've no respect for the Keeper and no respect for the man."

Jack frowned, and shifted in his spot. This was the first time since entering the Cove that anyone had mentioned his father; the first time that he had even thought of him. And then set in his guilt; any normal son would be mourning his father's death. He had always thought that Teague would always be there to be a thorn in his side, to give him advice, even though he never asked for it, and usually scoffed at him or went to do the exact opposite.

"Aye." Jack said, and looked ahead into the hall. "Ingrates."

"Come on up, Jackie, I know ye remember where yer father lived." No-Eye waited for no response, and starting leading Jack up some stairs toward one of the towers.

Jack followed, his hands finding their way into his pockets. His once joyful mood was now sullied; his face was set in a frown. He moodily looked out the many open windows, watching the sun fall into the sea, the red and gold light dancing on the water top.

That was why his father had chosen this tower; he could look out one side, and watch the sunrise. Go to the other side, and he had the sunset.
Jack sighed, and hurried up to catch Barty.

"Ye know, Jackie . . . " Barty grunted as he took two steps at a time. "Yer father was one of the best people's I ever knew. Willing to help out anyone in trouble. Had a soft spot for children too. Ye know, he was the one who brought doctors and voodoo witches here so's the children had good health."

Jack nodded, knowing that Barty knew he did it. For a blind man, Barty saw an awful lot.

"And he told me, once, about how he met your mother."

"Told me too. Picked her out ta a bunch of cooks and told her to marry 'im cause it was the law. Then cast her aside." Jack bitterly said, and gritted his teeth. His mother was too beautiful, and too young, to be treated the way his father treated her. She had died too early.

"Is tha' wha' ye think?" Barty chuckled, and shook his head. "Nah, son. Yer father fought for yer mother; to the death he did."

Jack looked up at the old man, and stopped behind him. Barty lifted his head to Jack, his eyelids sunken in.

"Yer Momma, Jackie, loved another. And the other, who had happened to be your father's best friend, loved her back something fierce. And unfortunately, so did yer father." Jack cocked his head; interested in this story.

"And after years of adventures and arguments, yer Momma confessed that she had some feeling's fer Teague . . . And that was when it all went downhill." Barty shook his head, and switched his cane and his weight onto his other side. "Yer father clung onto that, choked the idea'r tha' yer Momma loved 'im with all her heart. Thought he was doing her a favor, when he went to kill his friend one night."

"Well, Teague never really thought with his head. And don't tell me, he didn't tell her that he was the one that killed his friend right?" Jack shook his head. "Yeah, my Father is a right Pearl , he is."

"Nevertheless, ye were his only son tha' he really called 'is own - and he left yo' all his belongings."

"He WHAT?!" Jack said, his eyes growing wide. "But that is -"

(J)(E)(J)(E)

Jack's jaw dropped. Upon entering the door, Jack looked around the front room and cursed. Piles of pillows, books, figurines and papers filled the small room; only leaving a small, clear path to get to the other room.

Jack followed Barty, who used his cane to poke around, into his father's old sitting room. A large helm stood in the middle, more books and pillows sitting around it.

Paintings and Indian relics hung on the walls, along with chairs of all shapes and sizes. A large couch sat on the back wall, and two paths cut to the other two rooms. Jack followed one, which was made by chests sitting across from each other. Jack dodged a bust coming out of a wall, and opened the bead-covered door to his father's bedroom.

This room was covered in paintings, wanted posters, and journals of stories. Jack walked across the Persian rug floor and opened one of the journals up. The first page was filled with a sketching of the pirate court -the last pirate court, where the Pirate King was elected. And there she was, in amazing detail, standing next to Barbossa . . .

Jack grimaced.

"What'll happen if I don't want it all?" Jack asked, picking up a figurine and noticed that it was of a man and woman together - he grinned.
No Eye answered. "Then the King will come in, and decide. She has made it abundantly clear to us tha' she didn' want the belongin's to go to waste."

"Ah." Jack pocketed the journal, and looked around.

The walls were covered with wanted posters, mostly of Jack, but one or two of others. Jack stared into his own face, bringing his hand up to smooth down his moustache. It really didn't look like him.

"'Er and Barbossa was tryin' ta figure this out, too, but they had no luck." Jack rolled his eyes at the mention of the two of them together - when were they ever apart, now? - and turned in his spot.

In his arthritic hand, No Eyed Barty held a key. Jack stared at it in amazement; he remembered seeing that key when he was young.

"The Key." Jack said, reaching out to take it, but weary of the cane.

"The Key." Barty repeated, and handed the key out. "To open the Chest O' Lore."

"Well, I guess . . . I have to take it." Jack said, and reached out again to grab it. Barty let him. "Where is the chest?"

"Locked away." Barty shrugged. "In the underbelly."

Jack nodded, and knew that Barty knew what he did.

"Ye got everythin' ye want, then, boy?" Barty asked.

"Aye."

"Then lets go. Yer father's spirit is giving me the shivers, here."