A/N: Yes, the rating was raised, because Jack gets really really angry in this chappie and says a couple nasty words…but nothing major, only semi-bad. By the way…I know peeps are seein' this thing, I've got over 2000 hits, so how come I've only got 19 bloody reviews? Many thanks to those who actually DID review, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Anyway, I'm rambling. On with the show!

DISCLAIMER: Still own nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Goose eggs. Anything else round you can think of at the moment.

Jack Finally Fires Up

Jack watched the Flying Dutchman sink down into the waves with a bitter hate lodged in his heart. His friend. His very best friend…was trapped there in limbo forever. The ship couldn't pull him in, but it couldn't spit him out either. Jack spat at the water where the Dutchman had disappeared. He then turned to the crew. "Weigh anchor," he said heavily. "Full canvas. Run out the sweeps. On Gibbs's beat." He watched the Mermaid follow suit and sail after them.

He gazed out at the darkening waters for many hours until the moon poked its head over the horizon.

"Sir, we should rack the oars an' moor here for th' night. The rowers are exhausted," Gibbs said, bringing Jack back to the present with a bump.

"Aye," Jack said absently. "Rack the oars and drop anchors. Signal to the Mermaid. We're here for the night."

"Jack, what did Jones show you that's put you in this mood?" Gibbs asked.

"Bootstrap. He's fading," Jack sighed.

"Ah, poor bugger. God rest 'is soul."

"Aye."

Gibbs crossed himself and went below deck to halt the rowers. They were all on deck within moments, taking in the sails, dropping the anchors, signaling to the Mermaid.

A plank was dropped between the rails of the two ships for easy travel. Jack made his way down to the deck for a bottle of rum. He stopped in his tracks when he spotted Will coming. "'Ow're you doing?" Jack asked gently.

"I killed him," Will said listlessly.

"Nah. He'll still be alive for a while yet," jack said, leaving out the part about Bootstrap suffering horrible.

"No. I killed him. He asked me to."

"He did." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. He tore himself away from the wall and…I slit his throat. I killed my father."

Jack blinked slowly. "You did the right thing, son, putting 'im out of 'is misery. Better to die quick than all…drawn-out-like…."

"I know….But Jack…my own father…" The words hung in the air so heavily that they were nearly palpable.

"I know," Jack said bleakly, at a loss for words. "Come on." He led the younger man below deck and pulled out a ring of keys. He shuffled through them and stuck one in its rightful lock. He turned the handle up and walked into the room beyond.

"Er…I don't drink," Will said awkwardly when Jack tossed him a bottle of rum.

"Makes things a whole lot easier. Trust me, I know," Jack said. Will watched the pirate's back suspiciously as he followed him out of the hold.

"What's the meaning behind that?" he asked when Jack's cabin door shut behind him.

Jack invited him to sit at the small table. "Would you like both meanings?"

"Something tells me I do." Will took an experimental sip of rum and found he liked it quite a lot. Jack put his boots up on the table and took a far more generous swallow of his drink before he spoke.

"Firstly, I find that rum clears away everything except maybe being at a total loss. And at a total loss, I find, is quite a fun place to be. Secondly…" he paused and took another swig. "I killed my father as well."

Will nearly choked on his rum. "Really?"

"Aye. But I get the feeling mine suffered a bit more. And it was accidental." Jack thumped his fist on his gut to emphasize his point.

"What happened?" Will said.

"To make a long story short, I was admiring his ship. He got angry, I tripped, he tripped and fell on my sword, and I ran." Jack reached up and touched the bone in his hair. "I didn't find out it was my father until a while afterward. Somebody told me that some teenager 'ad stabbed 'im and that I 'ad inherited 'is ship. I found meself a crew and sailed to Tortuga soon after. That was when I found rum."

"And what did you do with the ship?"

"Turned it into a pirate ship. Named 'er the Black Pearl. Got into this bloody mess."

"Ah," Will said. He and jack sat silently for a while, drinking the rum. Will could tell that this was the closest Jack could get to comforting him without getting sentimental or actually talking. "I'm sorry, Jack," he said. Jack jerked out of his daze.

"For what?"

"For killing him. He was your best friend."

"Aye, and a good man, too. But he didn't deserve to suffer like he did. You did the right thing, Will. Wasn't anything better you could've done for 'im."

"I could've found the heart and killed Jones to really free him. I didn't have to do it…"

Jack let his feet swing down. "Will, would you rather him suffer?"

"But Jack…"

Jack slammed the bottle of rum down so hard that it broke. Will jumped. "BUT NOTHING!" Jack roared. "I'M TIRED OF YOUR BLOODY SELF PITY! THINK OF YOUR FATHER! WOULD YOU HAVE HIM SUFFER JUST SO HE WAS THERE FOR YOU? WOULD YOU?"

"No…but…"

"GOD DAMN IT, WILL! SOMETIMES I WISH THAT DAMN HONORABLE STREAK WOULD COME OUT! THINK ABOUT IT! JUST BLOODY CLIMB OUT OF THAT BLOODY PUDDLE AND PUT THAT GOD DAMN HEAD TO USE!" Jack threw the remains of the bottle against the wall and stalked out into the cool night. "Bloody eunuch," he grumbled. "All he thinks of is himself." He walked over and gripped the railing with his shaking hands.

Despite his sentiments to Will, Jack was having a hard time coming to terms with Bootstrap's death himself. It had been a long time since he had been so utterly livid with anyone to yell like that, even with Elizabeth. A very long time.

"I thought if there was any chance of an escape, I would take it," Bootstrap said in Jack's mind.

"But why? Why Jones?" Jack asked the air.

"Cap'n? Anything you need?"

Jack didn't even bother to look around. He couldn't bring himself to tell Gibbs to bugger off. "Rum," he managed in a choked voice. "Lots…and lots…of rum." Gibbs immediately produced a bottle as though he had known Jack would need it. Jack took it and had a grateful swig. "Bootstrap's dead," he said flatly.

"How?"

"Asked the whelp to put 'im out of 'is misery. Bootstrap, that is. Didn't want to, but 'e did it. 'E'd rather Bootstrap suffer until he could stab the heart," Jack said gruffly. He took a long pull on the rum.

"Jack, ye haven't been that angry since…ye know…"

"Aye. 'E bloody deserved it though. Stupid whelp. Doesn't know what it's like to suffer for that bloody long."

"Aye."

Long silence.

"I'm on watch tonight, Gibbs. Leave me alone."

"Aye, Cap'n."

Jack stayed on watch for a long time, though it could hardly be called 'on watch'. He merely paced on the deck until the entire bottle of rum was gone, and then tossed it into the ocean. "Mmph," he groaned, leaning on the mast. "I need that bloody monkey to shoot."

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Jack slammed the door shut behind him. Will sat in stunned silence at the table. He had never seen Jack in such a blind fury before. But he was right. Now that Will thought about it, it had been selfish to hesitate. But it still hurt. God, how it hurt…it felt like his heart and lungs were attempting to collapse on one another. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. A single tear found its way down his cheek.

"God, Jack. Why'd you do that?" he murmured.

Because you know I was right, Jack would have said.

"Felt like crap about this as it was…"

Will listened to the soft voices of the captain and the first mate, not quite able to discern what they were saying. He heard one of them move off; from the rhythm of the gait he guessed it was Gibbs. The door to the crew's cabin opened and closed.

Will barely heard Jack pacing on the deck for hours afterward. All he was aware of was the press of the chair on his back and the cool glass of the bottle on his lips and the rum soothing his throat. Will finally rose and left the cabin after what felt like years.

He walked quietly to the rail and dropped the empty bottle into the ocean. Looking over at Jack, he sighed and then stepped over to the mast that the pirate was leaning on and watching the stars. "Jack," he said softly. Jack didn't so much as give an acknowledging twitch. Will took this as a good sign that he wasn't exploding. "You were right. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly." Jack was still completely ignoring him (or supposedly). "I'm sorry. I just felt bad about killing my own father, that's all," he pressed.

"Why're you telling me you're sorry?" Jack said, still not turning around. "Should be apologizing to yourself."

"I don't really know. I suppose because he was your best friend."

Jack grunted. It was as close as he would get to an apology for exploding, although he didn't feel bad about it in the least. "Tomorrow."

"'Night." Will went back to his own cabin feeling strangely comforted.

Jack remained outside. He stared at the hypnotizing rhythm of the waves over the side of the Pearl.

One solitary drop fell and mingled with the waves; a lament for a lost man.

A/N: Well, there ya have it! I'll leave you to decide whether it was Will, Jack, or rain. I realize I'm kinda beating up on the characters, but I think the chapters will be kinder to them from now on. I feel it too…Jack and Bootstrap are my favorite characters! Anyhoo…leave me some love!