Summary: Jack's little known past catches up with him in the form of a brother. Ch. 3- Jack, Will, and Robert set out for England
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all the characters therein do not belong to me. Believe me, if I owned Johnny Depp in eyeliner . . . . Gah. That man is hot.
A/N: Feedback is to me what rum is to Jack.
Thanks to Orligurl and Starlight for reviewing again. I promise another update tomorrow afternoon PST since this chapter kind of left off right in the middle of the scene.
Also, I hope I've been managing to keep Jack in character. He's one of the more difficult characters to write.
Will paced impatiently up and down the quarterdeck, wondering what was taking Jack and Robert so long. They'd been in the cabin for twenty minutes and Will was starting to wonder what had happened to them. No loud sounds emanated from the cabin so Will was reasonably assured that neither of them had attacked the other. In fact it was relatively quiet all over the ship, the only sounds being the grunts of laboring men, the thump of barrels on deck, and the hushed whispers of the prisoners.
Finally, when Will was just about ready to barge into the cabin despite what Jack had said, the door opened and Jack and Robert emerged. Robert looked very pleased and smiled when Will looked questioningly at him. Jack looked thoughtful, another new look for him, but he grinned as well when Will caught his eye.
"So . . ." Will trailed off expectantly, looking at both men.
"Jack's agreed to come back to England with me to see our parents," Robert replied, beaming.
"But not permanently," Jack added quickly. "I'm just goin' to take a short trip to see me mum and da and then I'm comin' back."
"So you believe Robert's your brother?"
Jack nodded off-handedly. "I'm willin' to believe it."
Robert snorted. "He knows I am. He cross-examined me very thoroughly. I think we managed to get through most of his early childhood."
Jack solemnly shook his head. "I'm still not sure though, mate. You're too old and pompous to be my brother."
"Why you – Robert began indignantly, and then trailed off when he saw Jack grinning. "I take it back, you haven't changed that much. You're still an insufferable annoyance."
"Glad to hear it, mate. Wouldn't want to think I'm losin' my touch." Jack paused. "Though now I've become an annoyance to the entire Caribbean, not just you. Expanded my horizons, so to speak."
Will stifled a snort of amusement. "Only you would be proud of that."
Jack didn't respond to that, his attention having been diverted when one of the barrels being rolled accidentally fell off the side.
"Watch that rum, you swabbies!" he shouted. "Or it's double shifts for each of you!"
Turning to Will and Robert he said in a lower voice. "You two go on over to the Pearl and just sit tight for a bit, savvy? I've got to get all this cargo moved and then get rid of the ship."
Robert looked disapproving. "You are just going to take their whole cargo and then destroy their ship?"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, mate. Pirate, remember?"
"Well, can you not just leave it this time?" Robert asked reasonably.
"I've caught the ship and at least half the cargo's already been transferred," Jack explained patiently. "It'd be foolish not to finish the job."
Robert opened his mouth to protest some more, but Will seized him by the wrist and dragged him towards the Black Pearl.
The blacksmith glanced at him wryly. "Just sinking in that your brother is actually a pirate?"
"Yes, I suppose so," Robert said, sounding slightly shocked. "I mean I knew it, but seeing it on paper and seeing it in person are two completely different things. I could not actually picture Jack doing anything like this!"
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Will said over his shoulder as he grabbed onto a rope and prepared to swing across. "I did. Despite being a pirate, Jack's a good man."
Shaking himself out of his amazement, Robert chose to cross to Jack's ship using the plank that had been laid down to connect the two ships. Inching slowly over and trying not to look down, he finally made his way across and stepped onto the Pearl's deck. Looking around for William, he saw the lad up by the helm standing next to a dark-skinned woman. He noticed William point over to him and say something and the woman started grinning madly.
Feeling slightly nervous, Robert decided to wait where he was until William came back down to him.
"Who is that woman?" Robert asked in an undertone as Will returned.
"Annamaria," Will said, smirking. "I've just given her a whole year's worth of material to aggravate Jack with."
Jack was walking toward them, having just swung over to the Pearl, and he appeared to have caught the end of Will's comment.
"What did you tell that woman?!" he demanded, an aggrieved look on his face. "She's enough to handle without you givin' her ammunition."
"Oh don't worry, Jack," Will said unconcernedly. "I'm sure she won't tease you about it . . . much."
"Bloody whelp," Jack growled in exasperation.
"Someone has to keep you on your toes," Will shot back, grinning.
Jack threw up his hands in defeat. "And you wonder why I drink so much."
The pirate glanced over at the merchant ship. "Speakin' of, we've got a few more barrels of rum to load and then we're done."
"Why do a few barrels of rum matter?" Robert asked, puzzled. "Why not just leave them?"
Jack looked shocked. "Leave the rum? Are you mad?! That's the most important cargo."
"You and your rum," Will muttered in irritation. "I swear you live on the stuff."
Jack flashed a smile. "That's right, mate. Life's not worth livin' if you can't have a pint of good rum."
Robert shook his head. This new Jack was definitely going to take some getting used to.
Will watched the merchant ship sink in a fiery wreck and wondered why it didn't bother him more. See, mate, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Jack's said, I told you you're a pirate, can't runaway from your blood. Shut up, Will told the voice and gave it a mental kick for good measure. He was not a pirate. He did feel some pity for the merchant crew rowing madly away from the wreck in their tiny lifeboats, but most likely they would be picked up by another vessel very soon and tell the terrible tale of how they were beset by the Black Pearl. Jack would have another plundering to his name and the Pearl would continue to grow in reputation.
"So," Will said conversationally to the captain standing next to him, "now that you've effectively destroyed our transportation to England, how are you planning on getting us there? You can't just sail the Pearl on over there."
Jack airily waved off his concerns. "Simple, mate. We'll just catch ourselves a ship in BasseTerre. I trust Gibbs and Annamaria to take care of the Pearl while I'm gone. There won't be any mutiny on their watch. They're good men . . . err, good man and woman."
Will looked skeptical. "What makes you think any ship will take you on?"
Jack patted his shoulder condescendingly. "Will, my boy, ever hear of bribing? Enough money can get you almost anythin'."
Jack, it seemed, was correct. The captain they approached at first eyed Jack's appearance warily and told them firmly that he had no room on his ship for passengers. But after Jack waved a purse full of gold under the man's nose, the captain suddenly remembered that yes, they did have a few extra berths that Mr. Smith and his companions could use.
Jack smirked and gestured for his brother and Will to precede him onto the ship, swaggering on after them as if he owned the vessel. The first thing Jack did after getting on board was to inspect the ship from stem to stern, frowning in concentration as he examined everything. Finishing his exhaustive review, he announced that the ship would do, though he had seen better.
"I'm definitely raidin' this ship when I get back," Jack added to Will in an undertone. "I want my money back. The price I had to pay to get us on here was criminal."
*************
It had already been three weeks into their journey and Will still wasn't tired of the sea. He leaned against the mainmast, closing his eyes and breathing deeply of the crisp, salty air. He had missed this, the swaying of the deck under his feet, the spray of the waves, the wind whipping through his hair . . .
"Hey, you!"
Will's head jerked back in startlement, hitting the mast with a thud. Rubbing his tender skull, Will glared at the person who had shouted so close to his ear.
"Get down from there!"
Realizing the sailor was not addressing him, Will tilted his head to follow the man's gaze and saw Jack up in the rigging near the mainsail. The young blacksmith shook his head and tried not to laugh. This was the third time so far on their voyage that the sailors had ordered Jack away from various areas of the ship. The helm and the main boom were now off limits to the pirate and it seemed the rigging would now be added to that list. Snagging a loose rope, Jack slid down to the deck, landing on both feet with a solid thump.
"What seems to be the problem, mate?" he inquired pleasantly.
The sailor was slightly red in the face as he stabbed an emphatic finger at the rigging.
"You are not supposed t' be up there! Only members of the crew are allowed!"
Jack shrugged unconcernedly. "I was just fixin' your mainsail, mate. You weren't lettin' out enough canvas for this wind that's blowin'."
The sailor turned nearly apopleptic with rage. "What?!"
Will decided now would be a good time to get Jack off deck since the sailor looked like he was about to wring the pirate's neck with his bare hands. Sidling over next to Jack, Will pointedly cleared his throat.
"Jack? Why don't we go below deck and see what Robert's doing?"
Jack grinned. "Is that your way of tellin' me I should sod off and leave these fine gents to do their work?"
"Yes," Will said succinctly.
"Well far be it for me to disobey the wishes of the future Mr. Swann," Jack said, sweeping his hands outward in a gesture of acceptance.
Will sometimes wondered if Jack would be able to speak if someone tied his hands. The pirate seemed unable to communicate anything without using his entire body. It appeared to be a distracting tactic as well. People got so caught up in watching Jack's graceful motions that they didn't pay attention to what he was saying or only listened with half an ear. But Will refused to be drawn in by it.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked suspiciously.
"Oh, nothin', mate," Jack said innocently.
Jack? Innocent? Will snorted at the thought. Jack was about as innocent as a cat with a canary.
"It's just I was wonderin' who exactly is going to be the man in your relationship." Jack grinned wickedly. "Last time I saw you, the wench seemed to have you thoroughly cowed, runnin' matters like a right little tyrant she was. Might be more truthful to change your name to Mr. Swann."
"If by that you mean that I don't order Elizabeth around, than you are correct," Will said frostily. "She is intelligent and perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Our marriage is going to be an equal partnership."
Jack shook his head. "You're askin' for trouble, mate. Once women get a taste of control, they start tryin' to run your whole life."
Will raised an eyebrow. "And what would a pirate know such things? Have you ever been married? I highly doubt it, and judging from the number of women that have slapped you, I'd say you're not exactly an expert on how to handle a long term relationship."
Jack unconsciously rubbed his cheek as if he could still feel the sting. "Well I do admit I've had more women slap me than not, but believe it or not, whelp, I was married once."
Will gave him a look of patent disbelief. "Jack Sparrow you are a complete liar, not to mention a thief."
Jack looked pleased. "Why thank ye. I'm actually tellin' the truth about this, though. It was some merchant's daughter from one of the ports that I sailed into, and the only reason I married her was because she was beautiful and I was young and stupid. Didn't last very long. For some reason, her father took a dislike to me and tried to separate me from my head."
"I can't imagine why," Will said sarcastically.
Jack scratched his chin contemplatively then shrugged. "It's a mystery. Don't know what father wouldn't want to have a fine-lookin' chap like meself for his son-in-law."
"A sane one," Will replied, trying not to laugh.
Whenever he got mad at the pirate, Jack always managed to say something ridiculous, making it impossible for Will to stay angry at him.
"Let's go down to the hold and see what Robert's doing," Will said, lightly shoving Jack toward the stairs.
"Or Robin can come up here," Jack said resisting the forward momentum. "I'm stayin' on deck, lad. We'll be makin' port soon."
Narrowing his eyes, Will stared hard at the horizon, trying to catch a glimpse of land, but could see nothing. "How can you tell?"
"See that large, dark smudge on the horizon, looks like a cloud bank?" Jack pointed forward, the sunlight glinting off his silver ring. "That's actually England, shrouded in fog. It'll be gettin' cloudy within a few minutes when we get closer to land."
Jack's prediction was correct, and dark gray clouds soon hung sullenly in the sky, threatening rain. Soon after, the ship entered a bank of fog and a chill settled in the air.
"It's freezing," the young blacksmith said, shivering and rubbing his arms briskly.
"Aye, bit different from the Caribbean, eh?" Jack observed, seemingly unaffected by the cold, though he did put on his long coat. "I always liked it there better. Too wet and cold here."
Will agreed wholeheartedly, but Robert, who had just appeared on deck, seemed delighted with the weather.
"Ah, now this is the way it should be," he said, standing next to Will and Jack. "No more of that damned sweltering heat."
For his part, Will was already looking forward to leaving this cold and going back to the "damned sweltering heat". He'd lived most of his life in the Caribbean and this climate felt completely alien to him. The dank fog that swirled around the ship seemed to be a living thing. It wrapped around everything like a suffocating blanket, deadening light, sound, and motion and seemed to sink into Will's skin, chilling him to the bone.
"How can the sailors tell where they're going in this fog?" he asked Jack, trying to take his mind off the cold.
Jack was eyeing the rigging longingly and he turned reluctantly to answer Will's question.
"They've still got their compass, mate, and they probably have a set course they follow every time so they don't run into any unexpected obstacles. Y'know, shoals, sandbars . . ."
Jack's voice suddenly trailed off and his kohl-lined eyes widened as he stared at something over Will's shoulder. Before Will could turn to see what had caught the pirate's attention, Jack had whirled around and was bounding up the stairs toward the helm.
"Move it you bloody fool!" he shouted, shoving the sailor at the wheel out of the way.
The man had apparently been dozing because the pirate's shove caught him off guard and he stumbled and fell to the deck. Taking the fallen man's place at the helm, Jack spun the wheel hard to the right, his jaw clenched in a tense line.
"Get away from there!" one of the sailors shouted catching sight of Jack and moving toward him.
"There's a bloody big rock that we're about to run into, you idiot!" Jack snapped. "Unless you want your ship smashed into toothpicks I suggest you leave me alone!"
Will turned to see what Jack was talking about . . . and gaped as he saw the towering rock that seemed to have suddenly materialized out of the mist in front of them. The sailors appeared to have noticed it too and they began running around the deck like ants whose hill had just been disrupted, hoarsely shouting questions and orders. Will hurriedly made his way up to Jack and heard the pirate curse under his breath.
"Are we going to make it?" asked an anxious Robert who had followed Will up to the helm.
"Not likely," Jack said tersely, his hands tightly gripping the wheel. "I've turned her as far as she can go, but I don't think it's goin' to be enough. Too late to try an' drop the anchor as well."
The crew seemed to think so as well, and the cry of "All hands brace for impact!" sounded on deck. The ship was swinging sharply to the right, and at first Will thought they were going to make it, but then the crunch of splintering timbers rent the air and Jack flinched unhappily.
"Abandon ship!" one of the sailors bawled. "She's not goin' to stop!"
"What's he talking about?" Will asked, his body thrumming with tension and energy from the danger.
"The ship's forward momentum an' the waves are going to keep smashing us against that rock," Jack explained shortly. "Unless we want to get smashed too, we'd better get out."
"I cannot swim," Robert said, sounding slightly panicked.
"No worries, mate," Jack said, slapping his brother on the back. "You just get yourself to one of those lifeboats and you'll be fine. You too, Will."
"What about you, Jack?" Robert asked in concern. "You are coming with us, too."
Having accepted the situation, Jack's jaunty demeanor was back and he smiled cheerily.
"There's not enough lifeboats for everyone, so I'll just go for a little swim. It'll be refreshin'."
Taking off his hat, coat, and other effects, the pirate shoved them into Will's arms with instructions to keep them safe and not lose them. Then he leapt up onto the railing and balanced there a moment before doing a graceful swan dive into the dark, choppy ocean.