AN: If you've found and read this before about April 15, then the previous chapter has been expanded and contains an extra scene. You may also wish to go back and reread or skim through everything since it's gone through a bit of an overhaul, and some scenes have been completely rewritten.
ooo
Jack's dreamscape…
Jack found his wrist being held tightly by Barbossa. He grinned up at the man. "Somethin' wrong, mate?"
"Give it here, y' little urchin."
"Oi, I'm not little! I'm thirteen, I am!" Jack shouted, pushing forward an indignant air.
"Are ya' now?" Barbossa replied in amusement. "Funny how just last night you were seventeen. Now give it here."
Jack studied the man that held him more closely. He could vaguely recall seeing him in the pub when he made his rounds. "I heard they give out extra drinks for birthdays."
"Especially when they know you by name, Jack."
"I heard the birthday drinks are only given to regulars. Been a regular all week."
"All that money spent for one free drink?" Barbossa asked with a raised brow.
"Never said I was smart," Jack said with a cocky grin. Playing young wasn't going to work, so he went with his backup.
"No… But you are a clever and crafty little urchin, aren'tcha? Give it here. And the rest."
Worry crept up Jack's spine. Barbossa kept his grip tight and even, and Jack glanced around, hoping for something or someone he could use to his advantage. He caught sight of a naval officer nearby and ducked his head. It would seem his good fortune had turned. "The...rest of what?"
Barbossa raised Jack up by his wrist, and Jack gulped as he was brought to his toes.
"H-here!" Jack handed over the coin purse he had lifted moments earlier. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the coins he had taken the previous night. He pulled on his wrist when Barbossa made no move to let him go. "I gave it all back. Lemme go!" he whispered harshly, his eyes darting to the officer.
"Y' ever been sailin', boy?" Barbossa asked as he shifted his grip and ran his thumb over Jack's palm.
Jack paused in his struggles and blushed. "Not lookin' to be a cabin boy, sir."
"You might be a pretty urchin, but yer hands have seen more than pickpocketin' 'n' whorin'."
"I know my way around a ship," Jack reluctantly admitted, "but I don't take orders, sir. So I wouldn't be much good at whorin', neither."
Barbossa laughed as he tugged on Jack's wrist, forcing the young man to follow him. "Fancy yerself a captain, do ya'?"
"Imagine I do. Just need me a ship is all. Already have my eye on one. Couple years from now, she'll be mine."
"Indeed? Savin' up with trinkets and stolen coin?" Barbossa said teasingly.
Jack looked away and kept his mouth shut. He just had to wait for the work on the ship his father had designed to be completed. Then he'd take what was rightfully his and be done with this town. That bastard would get what he deserved.
"Suppose I could always pressgang y' meself," Barbossa said, pulling Jack from his thoughts.
Jack pulled harder on his wrist. He couldn't afford to be gone for years. He'd miss his opportunity. "W-what? I'd be no good t' ya'! You'll throw me overboard in a week! That'd be a waste of good food and water for that week."
"Aye, but it'd be entertainin'. Tell y' what. You come work for me for a year, and we'll see if you still want that ship of yours."
"You could offer me a ship's weight in gold, and I wouldn't trade it for what's mine."
"Well, now I'm only more intrigued, Jack."
Jack bit back a curse. He really needed to work on saying too much.
In the present...
Jack awoke to the soft murmur of voices in the other room. He sat up and frowned at his sheets. He could remember going with Barbossa and joining his crew for that year. And getting branded when they'd been caught. No, when he was left behind to be caught as a distraction.
He clenched his hands in the sheets, anger coursing through his veins. Do I have some sign that says "leave me behind, I'll be bait"?! He huffed and sat back, glaring at his wall as he went over the memories. His eyes narrowed as he remembered why the Black Pearl was so special to him. What it represented.
He desperately needed a cigarette. He bit his lip and looked over his shoulder to his bedroom door. He could just make out the sound of a movie playing.
Quietly, he got off his bed and lifted the corner of his mattress. Beneath it was an unopened pack of cigarettes. A little flat, but still serviceable. He peeled off the plastic and popped a cigarette between his teeth. He fished out a lighter from his dresser, already relaxing at the taste of the filter against his tongue. He lit it and stared at the flame for a while before sighing in frustration and trudging out to the living room.
He stood at the entrance to the hallway and glared at Will and Ashley, sitting happily on opposite ends of the couch, completely engrossed with Congo. He pulled his cigarette from his mouth and cleared his throat. "Will."
Will looked up with a surprised smile. "Good dre— Not good dreams," he said, his smile quickly slipping as he caught sight of the unlit cigarette. "Jack…"
"Just...one. 'Cuz if my dad from this life was anything like my dad from the last one, then I fucking need this," he said, his voice wavering.
Ashley lightly poked Will in the side and nodded his head to Jack. "I'd let him have it," he said quietly. "Even I thought that man was scum. He is one hell of a dodged bullet."
Will sighed and ran his eyes over Jack's dejected posture. "Alright."
"I'll be on my dresser," Jack said as he shuffled back to his room, lighting up halfway.
Will stiffened as Ashley's hand touched his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Ashley said when Will looked at him in confusion. "Maybe you guys were better off with me not knowing."
"And Jack would keep passing out when something reminded him of the past," Will replied.
"Considering it just happened? Don't think your quick fix worked."
Will shrugged helplessly. "It made sense. Maybe once it's all sorted out, he'll be fine." I hope.
"Doubtful. I can ask my—"
The door to the apartment unlocked, and they looked up. Ashley slouched further into the couch as Daisy's voice drifted in.
"Yes, you can come in! The more, the merrier," Daisy said, laughing. She came into the living room and her smile froze when her eyes landed on Ashley. "Hector."
"Morning, Miss Sparrow," Ashley said sulkily. He looked over the man and teen girl who came up behind Daisy and grimaced as Elizabeth stared at him in confusion.
Daisy narrowed her eyes at Ashley then cut her gaze over to Will in suspicion. "I hope you two aren't...alone."
"It's fine. I'm here," Jack said, as he came into the living room. "It's not a problem. Ashley's behaving."
"That's Ashley?!" Elizabeth cried out in disbelief. She slapped her hand over her mouth and ducked her head. "Sorry."
Daisy sniffed, throwing another glare Ashely's way. "I hear you're dating Samantha. To some extent."
"We're...living together," Ashley said in a careful tone.
"They're fu-bed-buddies?" Jack said with a frown. He ran over the words again and nodded. "Yeah. Close bed-buddies. Sammy's explained in excruciating detail." He looked to Ashley and smirked. "Something about how the technique's still the same."
Ashley thinned his lips and rolled his eyes. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," he managed to grind out.
"How long are you here, Hector?" Daisy asked.
Ashley winced as his name. "I fly out tomorrow night. Woulda stayed 'til Monday, but Grandma said take the cheapest flights I could get. So… Yeah."
Daisy gave a real smile. "How is your grandmother doing?"
Ashley shrugged. "Her shop's doing well, and she hasn't yelled at me for making her pull a Tower card for almost a year, so she's doing great."
"Tell her she was right about moving back home."
"Yes, ma'am."
Jack turned his gaze to Elizabeth and smiled. "Lizzie, darling! You wanna hang out?"
"Don't you have a guest to entertain?" she asked pointedly.
"Can't think of anything more entertaining than you punching him," Jack replied with a shrug and lopsided grin. "I think you two would get on like a house on fire."
Her father patted her shoulder. "You can hang out with your friends," he said.
Elizabeth faked her smile. "Thanks, Dad!" She dropped it when he turned from her and shot Jack a confused frown.
ooo
The group of four stood in front of Will's car, looking between each other.
Jack sighed and gestured to the backseat. "Okay, so I didn't really think this through. Me 'n' Ash in the back?"
Ashley leaned against the car and gave Will a lecherous grin. "Don't worry. We'll keep our hands to ourselves," he said. He laughed at the disgusted grunt that came from Elizabeth.
Will unlocked the car and popped his seat forward for the other two boys to get in. "C'mon, you guys can fight it out inside."
It was an awkwardly silent ride for a good fifteen minutes before Will reached another stop light with no indication of what anyone wanted to do. He slowed the car then slammed on the brakes.
"Crash victim!" Jack shouted, punching at the back of Will's seat.
Lizzie smacked Will's arm a few times. "Seriously! What the hell?!"
"Jack told him. He knows. He remembers," Will snapped back.
She breathed in sharply and unbuckled her seatbelt. She turned in her seat and got up on her knees to confront Ashley. "You kidnapped me! And cut me!"
"Maybe you shouldn't take things that don't belong to you," Ashley replied as he readjusted his seatbelt. He stiffened as the car moved forward and warily eyed Will. "At least I fed you."
"You were weird about it!" Lizzie said with a huff as she turned back in her seat.
"Pretty girl enjoying food? Gotta get my jollies somewhere."
"You have a food fetish now?" Jack asked. He gripped his seatbelt tightly as they came up to another light and didn't relax until they were past it. "Let's go to the beach."
"Do you really wanna get me arrested for murder?" Lizzie asked.
Jack waved his hand dismissively. "I'm sure Daddy will get you out of jail." He frowned as he recalled just who "Daddy" was. "How close have they gotten? Your dad and my mom."
Lizzie blushed and ducked her head. "Pretty close. Dad really likes her, and she's nice. It's a good thing she just works in the office next door and not under my dad."
"What? Not up for a scandal?"
"There's already whispers about him being a cradle robber," she muttered sulkily.
Ashley snorted and elbowed Jack. "We should start a club."
Will groaned and made a sharp turn.
"Learn to drive!" Jack growled.
"Don't need to learn if I'm gonna just drive us all into the ocean. Third time's a charm, right?"
Jack froze and caught Will's eye in the rear view mirror. He could still recall the frozen wasteland of bloody corpses. "Please don't joke about that."
Will's brows furrowed in confusion. "Sorry." He pulled into a small parking lot and cut the engine.
"Right," Jack said as he unbuckled and poked the back of Will's seat. "No drowning people. Even if they mighta deserved it in a previous life."
ooo
Will and Lizzie had managed to wander farther down the beach than Jack and Ashley, going from one tide pool to the next. Jack scratched at his jaw as he watched Will poke at something. He made a face as Will pulled up a clump of soggy kelp.
"I didn't wear the necklace because it woulda been seen as a weakness," Ashley said, startling Jack. "By the time I was a fucking zombie, I didn't care. I just wanted any reminder of what it was like to feel."
Jack looked over and back to the ground, toeing a broken shell. "Oh. So I guess you woulda been happier not remembering?"
"I dunno, man." Ashley shook his head and looked out to sea, watching the waves. "Magic's real. That's pretty cool. I was a pirate. It was a fucked up life, but it was pretty awesome compared to this one." He had a small smile when he faced Jack again. "Maybe next time I'll be a space pirate."
"Yeah. I guess this life seems like a vacation," Jack agreed.
"You still owe me two hundred bucks."
Jack groaned and kicked the shell away.
"Plus another hundred."
"For what?!"
"For me bribing the guard and getting your scrawny urchin ass outta jail," Ashley replied with a grin.
"Considering you're the one that left me to be caught?"
"What can I say? You were pretty, and I wanted you indebted to me. Worked out okay enough."
Jack shrugged and went back to watching Will and Lizzie. Will was holding up a struggling crab as Lizzie tried to give it a shell to hold. "Oh, to be young again," he said wistfully.
Ashley raised a brow and bumped his shoulder against Jack's. "You are young again, dumbass."
"Yeah, but now I feel old again," Jack replied, letting his shoulders slump. He pulled his coat tighter as a gust of wind hit. "Old and cold."
Ashley laughed and looked at Jack's threadbare shirt. There were a few holes forming around the bottom near the belt buckle. "You and Sam. Fashion over substance."
They caught up to the others, and Will proudly held up his crab.
"I made a friend," he said with a wide grin.
"Doesn't look too happy about being your friend," said Jack. He reached out to poke a leg and quickly drew his hand back as a claw swiped at him. "How's about you ditch that friend, and we go work on our own friendship behind that rock."
Will set the crab back on the ground, and it scurried away. He looked between Jack and Ashley. "Better talk than this morning, I take it?"
Jack shrugged and looked up at Ashley. "I guess. Things are getting clearer, so that's good."
"He's feeling his years," Ashley added.
Lizzie nodded in agreement. "I know how that feels. It's so weird remembering being an adult, but being a teenager." She looked at her collection of shells and frowned. "James gets weirded out when I act more mature. He says it's worse when he catches himself slipping into his past self."
"That's not his default?" Jack asked.
"He can kick my ass at those arcade games. You thought I was good? He'll one shot you," Will said.
A grin slowly crept across Jack's lips.
"Don't."
"We should hang out again," Jack said.
"Not if you're just gonna torment him."
"It'll raise my spirits."
Will shared a look with Lizzie. "He'll get over it?" he said with a shrug.
Lizzie raised a brow and held her shell stash out to Will. "Can't be any worse than your gay panic."
Will took the shells and sighed. "I didn't have a gay panic."
"He panicked so hard, he left me passed out in my apartment," Jack said to Ashley. "Just left a note on my chest."
"Harsh," said Ashley.
"I moved you to the couch!" Will groaned as the others laughed. "Okay, I panicked. But you passing out didn't help."
Jack laughed and slapped Will on the back. "I guess it's progress from just knocking me out and leaving me for dead."
"So I deal with gay panic in a bad way," Will said, defensively crossing his arms.
Jack stared at Will curiously. "Wait. That's the real reason you whacked me?"
Will shrugged, dropping a couple of Lizzie's shells. "You were growing on me, and I needed to get away. Plus, you wouldn't tell me your plan. What was I supposed to think? For all I knew, you were doing it on purpose."
"You thought I tricked you into being attracted to me?"
"It made sense at the time! You're charming when you want something."
Lizzie placed a few more shells in Will's hands. "So you're always gonna panic about being attracted to Jack. Maybe you should preemptively apologize for the next life?"
Ashley nodded along. "I preemptively apologize for ditching you and stealing your spaceship," he said to Jack.
"Optimistic about that space pirate thing, huh?" said Jack.
"I am so gonna be a fucking space pirate," Ashley insisted. "Or maybe a bounty hunter. Then I'll just keep half the treasure and lie about it." He closed his eyes and muttered to himself. "Remember the plan. Bounty hunter. Boba Fett. Keep the goods."
Will rolled his eyes and added "Get eaten by a pit of teeth."
"Stay away from sand planets," Ashley said without skipping a beat.