Chapter 3
(JACK'S POV)
Most of the times Jack hated being right and this had been one.
Even before leaving Elizabeth on a beach of Shipwreck Island to meet her 'beloved', Jack had known that it was a matter of time before Hector would take the Pearl once again. So, when they had arrived at Tortuga for supplies and to rest for a day, he wasn't that surprised when he saw his ship disappearing at the distance. He had been, however, definitely upset and just a bit tired of Hector's game against him.
On the bright side, as he had known what would eventually happen, he had taken some measures for it and had stolen the important part of the map. After all, without it, Hector could barely do a thing and, with luck, he would be the first on reaching the Fountain of Youth. That was why, even if upset and mad at losing his ship once again, he wasn't really worried.
After leaving Tortuga on a small dinghy—with the map hidden, a bottle of rum and his effects, this time intact—, he had assessed his options before deciding to reach for Shipwreck Island to take some money he had saved years ago. He had to procure not only a ship but also a crew for it and these last ones had to be paid with something and if he couldn't find a treasure around…
"I hate using my money." He complained, even if there was no one around.
Even more, he hated going back to his former home, even if it was going to be a quick stop…
During his journey though, one day, he found that he wasn't alone in his dinghy and that there was a crab… A crab that got closer to him, even as Jack tried to shoo it away.
"Nah glad tuh si an hul fren, witty Jack?" the crab spoke.
Jack frowned and got just a little close to look at it "… Calypso?"
The crab seemed pleased, though it was difficult to tell "An dis a wah mek mi always liked yuh."
"What are you doing here?" he asked, grimacing a bit.
"Mi intend tuh keep di pramise mi mek miself an mek all di pirate lords pay" she stated and Jack formed a little 'oh', already trying to think how to get out of that situation "However, Tyche ar Fortuna, whichever yuh waan tuh call har, seems tuh bi very fond ah yuh an mi hab nuh desire tuh fight har."
"Uhm… Good?" he seemed to shrug, as he didn't know what to say.
"Shi hav allowed mi, doah, tuh mek yuh ah deal… Yuh a guh bi able tuh recover yuh beloved Pearl…" And Jack brightened immediately at that "Eff yuh gi up yuh freedom."
"Wait, what?" he asked, almost frowning.
"Deh will bi ah moment weh yuh will haffi choose ah side an ah destiny, Jack Sparrah. Yuh can akcep fi mi deal, by a gi up yuh freedom, ar yuh can gain fi mi wrath. Eh yuh choice." she explained "Gud luck, Jack Sparrah."
And like that, Calypso, in crab form, jumped into the water, disappearing before he could say a thing and Jack sighed, thinking on when he would have to choose a side.
'I hate the gods.'
Just when he finally was closed enough to the port, he was able to see that the Empress was still around and he frowned.
'What's Elizabeth still doing here?'
The moment he tied down his dinghy onto the port and turned, with his hands full, he found himself in front of Elizabeth.
"Lizzie!" He smiled tightly "It's good to see ye so great."
"Jack…" she smiled, but she looked a bit uncomfortable "What are you doing here? Where's the Pearl?"
Jack scoffed at that "I am here because of the Pearl, darlin'. Just need something from around here." He told her with a movement of his hands "I'll take it and leave this place before you even knew I was here."
Elizabeth shook her head "You lost your ship again." She just stated and Jack grunted, continuing to walk towards the city, followed by her "One would think you learnt your lesson…"
"I did not lose it." Jack turned to point at her, with a huff "I know how to find it. Besides, he has lost something else too." He patted his own coat to make his point.
Just as he did that, he turned towards the streets and started walking towards his home. He tended to avoid that building, but his saved money was there, so he didn't have a choice.
"Listen, Jack…" he heard her talk once again and he tried not to roll his eyes at that "There's something you should know… Do you remember James?"
Jack sighed inwardly but frowned, almost worrying "Are we talking about our dead and also former Commodore?"
"… Yes, Jack… And, he's alive." Jack stopped walking, in surprise at that "And in the renting house I am using."
"Is he?" Jack turned to her, with a knowing and almost predatory smile "Well, he can join the club of formerly dead." Elizabeth seemed to let a sigh of suffering at that "So, bloody former Commodore is still alive and breathing in an island full of pirates… I'm guessing that's yer doing? What did ye tell Captain Teague or the rest? That he's yer new possible husband?"
"Seriously, Jack?" she shook her head, in disbelief "Can't you be serious for a second?" Jack shrugged at that and continued walking, without paying attention to Elizabeth's outburst "Jack, wait… I told them that he was a member of your crew."
"Of course ye did!" Jack let out a dry laugh, not surprised that Elizabeth had used him as a possible excuse "And, if I remember correctly, it was for about… Less than a week, at most."
"Please, Jack… Just don't get him killed…" she asked.
"And why wouldn't I do that, eh?" he said, a bit annoyed "Last time, he sold me to Beckett."
"He's here to atone for his sins, Jack." She explained just as they reached the door to the house and when he made a point to open the door, Elizabeth held his arm for a second and looked at him. Jack wished that he was more evil and that a goddess hadn't visited him "Just, please… If your father mentions him, at least pretend a bit."
Jack rolled his eyes with a huff and raised his arms in surrender before entering.
• ──────────── ✾──────────── •
He let out a little sigh at seeing the hall that he knew would lead to a little room at the end that had been used during his young years as a living room when all his family had been around. The rest of the house, as Jack already knew, was upstairs on different sides. The right side was the renting place that Elizabeth was using. The other side was (or had been, in his case) where his father and he had lived.
For a moment, he directed his eyes towards the stairs at the right side, where Elizabeth was already directing herself but, before he could make a decision, his father appeared.
"Jackie." He nodded at him.
Jack let out a quiet sigh "Teague."
Usually, he didn't mind calling him 'dad' when no one was around, but Elizabeth had yet to close the door and Jack wasn't comfortable. Even if she knew, he had just told her so she wouldn't get killed or get in trouble with his dad for his murder… She would deserve it a bit, of course, but after William's fate, Jack hadn't had the heart to be cruel… And really, that wasn't something new.
"Let me guess… Ye lost yer ship again." His father commented once Elizabeth was out of sight.
"Losing is a very poor word." Jack pointed out "I just have misplaced it. Besides, I have what it's important, so there's no sense of this conversation."
His father just shook his head "And what is that ye need from here?"
"Some money from my room." He shrugged "I won't be staying long, don't worry."
"I ain't worried about nothin', boy." His father easily replied "Has the lass told ye about yer found crewmate?"
Jack doubted for a few seconds before answering "Aye. She told me. A very lucky sod, for sure."
His father smirked at that as he followed him to his room. Jack rummaged a bit inside the chest that was at the right corner of his old bed, and saved some coins that would help him to pay his future crew.
"Will ye take him with ye?" his father suddenly asked and Jack hit his head with the opened lid.
"What?" Jack was able to ask, putting his hand where he had hit himself.
"Whichever his name is." His father pointed out "Ye could use him for yer ship."
"Except I still don't have one right now and, in any case, I'm sure that he can live without me quite well." He almost spit, barely maintaining his anger and he closed the lid of his chest quickly.
His father noticed the change "Had a fight with him, eh? Well, ye should see him at least since ye've been his captain."
Jack let out a sigh, almost letting out a snarl, but managed to control his temper just in time.
'Lately, my patience has been running thin, apparently.' He thought to himself.
"Aye, I'll do tha'" he managed to smile at his father, leaving the room in a hurry, but he wasn't sure if he had convinced his father more than he had convinced himself.
'After all this, I think I'll need more than one bottle of rum.'
• ──────────── ✾──────────── •
Jack stood in front of the door that leaded to what in that moment seemed to be Elizabeth's place and, after thinking for minutes, he knocked. The door opened, Elizabeth in front of it. She looked definitely cleaner; she had obviously redone her braid once again and she had put a bit of make-up, which made her look more alive and dangerous in the Chinese clothes she was wearing.
"Elizabeth." Jack greeted "Can I come in, luv?"
This one, as an answer, moved from the door and let him walk in.
The room, Jack noticed, had been changed a little, but it wasn't entirely unrecognizable. Elizabeth made a movement with her head and she guided him towards what looked to be the living room.
As Jack observed what was in the room, he met a pair of green eyes in the sofa. Even without his wig and the uniform in tatters, it was obviously the former Commodore. The man, at recognizing him, almost let out a sigh of despair.
"Not happy t' see me, eh?" Jack snorted walking towards him, but maintaining his distance "At least, we'll agree on that, aye?"
The former commodore seemed about to retort something but stopped, catching his breath. He seemed to look to Elizabeth for a second before deciding to speak with a little nod.
"I see you're doing well… Captain."
If it hadn't been for his tone, Jack would have for sure raised his eyebrows… As it was the case, Jack knew that the former Commodore was trying to control himself from pronouncing his used surname—as he always had done—, which probably meant that Elizabeth had asked him to behave and to continue the charade just in case.
"As well as I can be." He smiled a bit, even if tight, and turned to Elizabeth in a second "Luv, would you do us a favor and keep ol' Teague some company?"
He sent her a playful smirk and winked. It worked because, even though she shook her head, she turned towards the door and went to leave.
"Don't kill each other." She warned them.
"I won't make any promises, luv." He replied cheekily.
She made a sound of disbelief and closed the door when she left.
"Right." Jack sat at a chair, moving it close enough so he could look at the former Commodore "Let's talk for real this time."
• ──────────── ✾──────────── •
Dictionary from Patois to English:
Nah glad tuh si an hul fren, witty Jack? → Not glad to see an old friend, witty Jack?
An dis a wah mek mi always liked yuh. → And this is why I always liked you.
Mi intend tuh keep di pramise mi mek miself an mek all di pirate lords pay [...] However, Tyche ar Fortuna, whichever yuh waan tuh call har, seems tuh bi very fond ah yuh an mi hab nuh desire tuh fight har. → I intend to keep the promise I made myself and make all the pirate lords pay [...] However, Tyche or Fortuna, whichever you want to call her, seems to be very fond of you and I have no desire to fight her.
Shi hav allowed mi, doah, tuh mek yuh ah deal… Yuh a guh bi able tuh recover yuh beloved Pearl… [...] Eff yuh gi up yuh freedom. → She has allowed me, though, to make you a deal... You are going to be able to recover your beloved Pearl... [...] If you give up your freedom.
Deh will bi ah moment weh yuh will haffi choose ah side an ah destiny, Jack Sparrah. Yuh can akcep fi mi deal, by a gi up yuh freedom, ar yuh can gain fi mi wrath. Eh yuh choice. [...] Gud luck, Jack Sparrah. → There will be a moment when you will have to choose a side and a destiny, Jack Sparrow. You can accept my deal, by giving up your freedom, or you can can gain my wrath. It´s your choice. [...] Good luck, Jack Sparrow.
• ──────────── ✾──────────── •
&&& N.A.: I'm so sorry for taking so long! I've been a bit busy and I totally forgot to publish ;-;
Again, translations from Patois to English that probably are not that well done...
Jack is always a contradiction and that is why he is perhaps one of the most difficult to capture. However, I remember that, on holidays, I was commenting with a friend, who has the patience of a saint, the third film and she did comment that, with so many things always going against him (especially by Barbossa), she was surprised that in the fourth he was in such a good mood, declaring that a person with such patience would have a moment where they would explode... So it seemed like a good idea to explore that and that is a bit what I will try to set here, along with the personality of Jack fresh out of Jones' territory. (If he is very OOC, you tell me, I will really try to do my best ^^ ")
Also, for those who are going to complain about Calypso meddling around, I remind you that she is a goddess who is certainly capricious XD (And those of you who know of Greco-Roman mythology, you will know what I talk about with gods of that type hahaha) And... I also have my reasons ha ha ha
Anyway, thank you so much for reading! To Ares26, thanks a lot for the follow and fav :)
To jaeden1112: Aww, I'm glad it helped you to relax! As for the app, I'm a disaster with mobile apps and it would be hard to actually publish something from my phone when I write in my laptop, so... I don't think I would be able ^^" If it manages to have a webpage someday I might think about it tho! Thanks for the recomendation :)
And that's it! Thanks you so much for supporting my story and giving favs, kudos, stars, follows and etc. Kind regards and until next time! &&&