Chapter Eleven

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Chapter Eleven

Will Turner woke up with a start. He looked around to gather his bearings and noticed that he was still sat in the uncomfortable hard backed chair in his friend's cabin, when he looked closely he noticed that aid friend was not tucked up in bed like he was supposed to me. Will uttered a curse before getting to is feet and heading off to find the errant Captain. He hadn't intended falling asleep in the first place, but he guessed that the worry and concern for his friend that had surrounded him for the last months had finally caught up with him and forced him into an exhausted slumber. He hastened his pace and headed out on deck where he didn't need to look very far to find his friend.

"Jack?" he questioned quietly.

"Morning whelp" Jack responded, his eyes never living the ocean in front of them.

"How are you feeling?" Will asked softly.

"Sick and tired of hearing people ask that bloody question" Jack responded, his gaze now locked onto the younger man, with a blaze of anger running through the brown orbs. Will stood to his full height, refusing to be intimidated by his friend.

"If people keep asking you that question, it is for the simple reason that they care about you Jack" he told his friend firmly.

"Why the hell would anyone care about the likes of Captain Jack?" the pirate asked softly, Will almost gasped in shock at the man's words, oh yes he definitely needed to have a chat with Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Jack, people do care about you. They care because you area good pirate and a good man. I care because you are my friend, and I always got told that when your friends were suffering you should help them in any way possible" Will reasoned, but Jack's anger flared further. He abruptly turned so he was fully facing the blacksmith.

"It's time you learnt that I ain't your friend. I'm a bloody pirate, I ain't no ones friend, and I ain't good for no one savvy?" he seethed coldly before turning on his heel and walking away much faster than a man in his condition should have been able. Will shook his head to himself shocked at the older man's words.

"Jack, what on earth is wrong with you?" he asked to himself under his breath, whatever had happened to his friend was obviously affecting him far more than any of them had realised before.

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Will allowed the older man most of the day to calm down, it seemed that other members of the crew had had similar run ins with their Captain, and most of them were simply trying to stay out of Jack's way for fear of facing their captain's wrath. Anamaria, however, held no such fear. She kept a careful eye on him for the entire day, Will had already told her about his earlier conversation and she was just as concerned as he was.

Anamaria took a deep breath before approaching her Captain, he stood once more at the helm of his treasured ship, yet it was not him that was at the wheel, he was merely starring out to sea as if lost in thought.

"Captain?" she prompted him, more to gain his attention, than for any expected response. Slowly he turned his face towards hers, as if struggling to take his attention away from the depths of the sea beneath. "Jack, are you okay?" she asked him, and she could see as well as hear his sigh in exasperation.

"As I told the whelp this morning, I'd be a lot better if people didn't keep asking me that stupid question" he responded, yet he did not raise his voice, in fact his voice was very calm and even and somehow seemed more dangerous than if he had shouted. Anamaria closed her eyes against the pain she saw radiating from her Captain, sure he hid it well, but Anamaria had known the man for a very long time and there was no fooling her. Slowly she stepped forward and gently placed her hand against her Captain's arm, and she clearly felt the heat radiating from his fevered body.

"Captain, what you said to Will earlier hurt the boy. He knows that you are hurting and that you probably didn't mean what you said, but he is worried about you. Like it or not Jack we are your friends and we care about you for that very good reason, and pushing us away isn't going to lessen your pain any, it will just intensify it as you try to handle this on your own" Anamaria told her friend very softly, he closed his eyes against her words.

"I can look after meself, I do just fine on my onesies" he responded, his tone weary as if he was exhausted, which Anamaria surmised he most probably was.

"Ok if you don't feel the need to share, if Captain Jack is just fine on his own, what about those that care for you huh? I mean why can't you be open for them?" she asked him, her tone slightly curious and slightly begging. He winced at her words.

"You should try not to care for me" he whispered almost imperceptibly. She stepped closer and held both of his hands in hers, trying to prevent his imminent escape.

"Why the hell shouldn't we care for you? Jack I will say this only once and then we both forget that these words were ever spoken. We care because you are smart, you are loyal and you are brave. You are more of a man than any other I have ever met, and we all love you for it" she told him her voice choking as she spoke. He looked up to her and his face was set in a passive mask, silently he ran his hand down her face in a gentle caress, then seemed to compose himself before he could respond.

"No love, I ain't none of those things. I'm a pirate quite simply just a pirate. The lot of you will do good to remember that. And whilst you're at it remember this, any notions of caring about said pirate Captain will only get you killed" he told her, before turning on his heels and walking away leaving a very shocked female pirate behind in his wake. His words felt as though she had been punched in the gut, she had never known her friend so low in all of the years that she had known him, but it wasn't even the words that left her feeling so afraid, it was the soul deep sorrow and burning pain that was evident in his eyes. But even more than that it was the tears streaming down his face, Captain Jack Sparrow was crying, whether it be because of what was done to him or what had happened she didn't know, but he was crying, and Captain Jack never cried. Her resolve now even more intensified she wiped the tears away from her own face and went off to find the young blacksmith and his fiancée, for they were going to attack en masse and finally get some answers from the stubborn mule of a pirate Captain.

End Chapter Eleven

Yes that's all for now! Although you may get Chapter Twelve earlier than expected, so make sure to check back soon1

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