Summary: Jack's little known past catches up with him in the form of a brother. Ch. 5- In which Jack tells a little about his past, takes a bath, and loses something dear to him.
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.
Thank you so much for the reviews!
Ripley and Starlight 8- Yeah, the idea of Jack having a mother is amusing in itself. I'm glad you thought it was funny!
Tinania- Thanks! Jack's one of the harder characters to write and I'm happy you like him.
Jack floated lazily, warmly in the clouds, the passing of time no consequence in this ephemeral place. He could lay there forever in the peace and calm, but as he turned his head, something sharp stabbed him in the cheek, abruptly waking him from his stupor. He groggily raised his head from where it rested on the driftwood, rubbing his cheek where the splinter had jabbed him. Not realizing at first where he was, he looked stupidly around, confused by the blue and brown surrounding him. Oh wait, storm, falling overboard, almost drowning. The memories of his ordeal abruptly returned to him and he massaged his forehead with one hand, trying to relieve the dull ache in his head . . . and paused. Wait a second, ocean is blue not brown. Twisting his head around, he found the brown he had seen earlier and realized it was a ship bearing down upon him. He was saved! Waving an arm madly, he shouted hoarsely at the boat, hoping at least one person on deck would hear him. The ship passed so close to him that the ripples it caused in the water rocked him back and forth like a child in a cradle.
"Help! Help!" he called, his voice raw from salt and wind.
Just when he thought they were about to pass him by, heads suddenly appeared over the side and shouts could be heard on deck. They've seen me, he thought dizzily. I'm not going to die. A rope was thrown down to him and he grasped it with all his strength, struggling to hold on as they hoisted him on deck.
"Well look at tha'," a rough voice said. "It's justa wee lad. Wonder where 'e came from?"
Squinting up at the ring of faces above him, Jack saw a group of rough-looking men, many of them scarred and tattooed. Pirates. He bit his lip in fear, unconsciously, wrapping his arms around his knees in a protective position.
"Are . . . are you pirates?" he ventured, terrified that they were going to kill him and throw his corpse out to sea for the fish to nibble on.
"Aye, that we are," a square-faced curly haired man said, the one that had pulled him up, Jack realized vaguely. "And what's a lad like you doin' floatin' about on the sea?"
"There was a storm, I was washed overboard," Jack said, desperately trying to think of a way to escape.
The curly haired man opened his mouth to ask another question, but was interrupted by an irritated grumble from outside the circle.
"Now, laddies, what's goin' on? This ha' better be good for half of ye to leave yer posts."
"A castaway, Captain," one of the men said respectfully. "We just pulled him on board."
"Let me getta look at him, then," said the voice with the Irish lilt.
The circle parted and Jack saw a man of about medium height with dark red hair and eyes the color of the stormy sea regarding him carefully.
"Well the scrawny little thing's no use t' me," the captain said carelessly. "Toss him back in."
"Wait, Captain Killian," the curly haired man interjected. "We can keep 'im on as a cabin boy. I'll look after 'im and teach 'im."
The red-haired man looked hard at Jack's rescuer and then nodded once. "All right, Turner, you can keep the lad, but make sure he stays out of trouble, and teach him somethin' useful."
Once all the other pirates had drifted back to their posts, Turner took Jack to his cabin and got the boy some dry clothing and food.
"Am I to go back to my parents now?" Jack asked hopefully in between bites of bread.
"Where are your parents, lad?" Turner asked him, a cautious look in his eyes.
"They were on the same ship as me," Jack said.
Turner looked away, an unreadable look on his face. "That ship was wrecked. We came across it about an hour back. All the lifeboats were there still, so no one survived."
"What?" Jack stopped eating, his eyes open in shock. "No! You're lying! They can't be dead. Robin and Mother and Father. They'd survive."
But Turner was shaking his head. "I'm sorry, lad. They're gone."
Silent tears welled in Jack's eyes and spilled over onto his cheeks, but he wiped them away roughly, not wanting to show weakness in front of this pirate.
"There, there, lad," Turner said kindly, patting him on the back. "It'll be all right. I'll look after you from now on."
Jack hiccuped once and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "You will?"
"Aye." Turner looked suddenly sad. "Since I can't be there for my own son, I'll take care of you."
"How old is your son?" Jack asked, interested. He didn't know pirates could have families.
Turner's eyes softened. "He's just turned one."
"I'm twelve, or I'm going to be tomorrow," Jack said, trying to hold back the tears again. His family had planned on having a celebration for him when they got back to England.
The pirate smiled. "Well then we'll have to celebrate won't we? By the way, my name's William."
"Jack," the boy said, his smaller hand swallowed by the pirate's own as they shook hands.
"Don't worry, Jack," William said reassuringly. "Everythin' will turn out all right."
"And that's how I ended up becomin' a pirate," Jack concluded. "Ol' Bill took me in, taught me the ropes. Obviously he lied to me 'bout my family's deaths, but that was most likely to protect me. He probably thought I'd jump ship first chance I got to go look for my parents, and Captain Killian didn't take kindly to deserters. Killian was impressed at how quickly and well I learned, though, and by the time I was twenty I was first mate. A couple years after that I got me own ship and crew, started makin' a name for myself. Then the mutiny happened and I spent ten years jumpin' from ship t' ship, thinkin' up ways to get my Pearl back from that bloody bastard, Barbossa. 'Course none of them actually worked until I ran into dear William here, but I'm not gettin' into that right now."
"So that's how you became friends with my father," Will said, fascinated by this glimpse of Jack's little known past.
Jack nodded. "Aye. Bill stayed with me from that day on, followed me onto the Pearl. I was furious when they stranded me on that island. Thought Bill had helped them do it. Wasn't until later I found out he had no part in it and that Barbossa had him killed for his friendship with me."
"Oh you poor dear," Jack's mother said, sighing. "I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for you among all those evil pirates. I wish I could have spared you that."
Jack gave her a puzzled look. "I loved it. The best thing in the world is bein' on a ship with the wheel under your hand and endless horizons stretchin' before you."
"But you grew up among pirates, my poor Jack," his mother said, obviously not understanding what he was saying.
"Mum, I am a pirate," Jack said patiently.
"Yes, but you're here now and you don't have to do that anymore," his mother said tearfully. "Oh you don't know how happy this makes me, to see you again after thinking you dead all these years."
"It's good to see you, Jack," his father said gruffly, clasping his younger son's hand.
Will saw a look of genuine happiness come over Jack's face as he squeezed his father's hand. "I'm glad to see both of you too."
Will looked away for a minute, his throat tightening as he thought how he would never be able to see his father or mother again. He was glad Jack had gotten the chance to see his own parents.
Looking at the clock over the mantle, Jack's mother bustled towards the door, energetic despite her age. "I will tell the maids to prepare some rooms for you. You all must be exhausted, and Robert," she turned to her husband, "we must be getting back to the party. People will be wondering."
"Yes, of course," her husband said, "just one moment."
He looked at Will. "And how exactly do you fit into all of this young man? I noticed that you bear the same name as that of the pirate who rescued Jack."
"I am his son," Will admitted unashamedly.
Mr. Lancaster inclined his head. "We are indebted to your family for saving Jack."
Will colored and shook his head. "Jack has done many things for me as well. I am in his debt."
Jack, who had been listening to the conversation, broke in. "I saved your life, you saved mine. Let's just say we're square and leave it at that, aye?"
The creak of the door alerted them to the return of Mrs. Lancaster who had reappeared from her mission to have rooms readied.
"Come on, all of you, to bed," she said, shooing Jack and Will out of the study. "There has been enough discussion for now. Jack you take the room on the left, and Master Turner you take the one on the right."
"I think I'd forgotten how bossy she can be," Jack said in an undertone to Will as they climbed the stairs.
"Jack, that's not a very nice thing to say about your own mother," Will said reproachfully.
Jack gave him a withering look. "Well she's not your mother, is she? I'm startin' to remember all the things I didn't like about livin' here."
Will was completely unsympathetic. "Forgive me if I don't weep for you."
Jack grinned. "Now, now, no need to get sarcastic, I was jus' makin' an observation. Fortunately I'm not going to be here that long."
"That reminds me," Will said suddenly, remembering his reason for being in England. "I should leave for London the day after tomorrow. I'm expected there soon at the blacksmith guildhall."
"I'm comin' with you," Jack said immediately.
"Why?" Will asked, frowning. "Don't you want to spend time with your family?"
"Couple days should be enough," Jack said firmly. "You really think I would want to stay here for any length of time? I don't belong here."
Will had to agree that that was true enough, and he was secretly glad that Jack was accompanying him. The engaging pirate would make the trip to London go much faster.
" 'Sides," Jack added, "who else is goin' to keep you from doing anythin' stupid?"
He ducked a swipe from Will and bounded up the stairs, grinning madly. Will shook his head. Jack had to be the strangest, most outlandish, most aggravating person he'd ever met. But that was why he liked the man.
The next afternoon found Jack sliding furtively down the hallway, looking around quickly to make sure no one was about before swiftly slipping into the kitchen. Only two girls were present inside and the pirate mentally congratulated himself. This would be easy.
"Hello, luv," he purred, swaying over to the two girls who were rolling dough on a countertop.
The auburn-haired, blue-eyed girl looked up first and gave a gasp of startlement at seeing the pirate.
"Look Jean," she whispered, nudging the girl next to her. "It's the pirate the other servants were talking about!"
The two looked a little nervous, so Jack smiled disarmingly and kept his distance so as not to be threatening.
"Sorry to startle you like that, sweethearts," he said smoothly. "Didn't know this was the kitchen."
"Are you the Captain Jack Sparrow the papers 'ave been talkin' 'bout?" the one called Jean asked boldly.
"Aye, that's me," Jack said, pleased. "Didn't know I was gettin' to be so famous."
Jean moved a little closer in interest, while the auburn-haired girl hung back.
"Is that story true about how you escaped from seven East India agents?" she asked eagerly.
"Oh, aye, now there's a tale," Jack said, deciding to hook them with a story. "Well, it started with my plundering of the Tir na Nog, captain was an Irishman, and let me tell you, it's best not to mess with the Irish. When they get their dander up it's somethin' to see. Should've remembered that from me first captain. Anyway, I confiscated their cargo . . ."
A half hour later, Jack was still caught up in his story, relishing his avid audience. His hands moved extravagantly to illustrate his words, and he paced back in forth in front of the girls, acting out his various swordfights.
"And then . . ." he paused dramatically and the girls leaned forward breathlessly.
Cocking his head to the side, Jack regarded his audience of two. "Y'know, this tale's made me mighty thirsty. I don't suppose there's any rum around here?"
"No rum," Jean said, shaking her head. "But we've got some whiskey," she added hopefully.
Jack gave a sigh of long suffering. "I suppose that will do."
The girls scrambled to get it and handed it shyly to Jack. Taking a deep pull, Jack licked his lips consideringly. Definitely not as good as rum. But it would do.
"So now where was I? Oh yes, so then I used the pike to vault over the wall . . ."
Jack quickly finished up his story and then took leave of the two girls, despite their protests, carrying with him five bottles of whiskey. Humming the pirate tune Elizabeth had taught him under his breath, he climbed the stairs to his room, running into a maid on the way who informed him that Mrs. Lancaster wanted to see him. After stashing the whiskey safely in his room, Jack went searching for his mother and found her in her dayroom doing needlepoint or some other women's activity.
"Afternoon, mum," he said pleasantly. "You wanted to see me?"
Looking up, Mrs. Lancaster smiled at her youngest, still delighted at his return. At the same time though, her eyes ran critically up and down his figure, and Jack's fingers twitched nervously, knowing that something unpleasant was to come. He still remembered that look and it had never boded well.
"I hope you are settled in comfortably, dear?" she inquired, and the pirate wanted to tell her to just get on with it and skip the formalities.
Jack bobbed his head in acknowledgement but made no comment.
"Good, good," she said absently, her eyes lingering on his wild hair. "Jack, the maids are doing the washing today and perhaps you should give them your clothes to wash."
"Aye, I can do that," Jack said cautiously. It didn't sound too bad yet.
"I'll have one of the maids draw a bath for you as well," she said, smiling. "I'm sure you must be in need of one after your journey."
Jack snorted and said bluntly. "I usually only take two or three baths a year. I take enough dips in the ocean that I usually just smell like salt."
"And rum of course," he added as an afterthought.
His mother looked faintly appalled, but she gathered herself and said, "Yes, I'm sure it was difficult for you living among the pirates, but now that you're here you can have baths and dress in fine, clean clothes."
Jack sighed. His mother just didn't seem to get it. He liked being a pirate, he liked all the things that came with being a pirate, and he didn't want to change. He'd expected something like this from his parents, though. They still thought of him as a grown up version of the thirteen year old he had been, but he was nothing like that. He had changed so completely that they would never be able to understand him. Robin might understand, but his parents never would. He could already see the coming confrontations.
"All right, I'll take a bath," Jack agreed. After all, what could it hurt?
Sitting in the bath water which had long ago gone from hot to tepid, Jack lustily sang his favorite song, ignoring young William who had shouted at him several times to shut up.
" . . . Drink up me hearties, yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"
So saying, he toasted his absent Pearl and took a long swig of whiskey. Letting one arm hang over the tub, he trailed his fingers along the wet floorboards and wondered what the Pearl was doing right now.
"Probably pillagin' a nice fat merchant vessel," he muttered, his words slurred, "and without me too. 'S a bloody bad idea t' come 'ere. Should've stayed 'ome."
Lifting up his bottle he prepared to take another drink, then realized it was empty and dropped it to the left, reaching to the right to grab another bottle. Popping off the top, he bet himself that he could drink it without breathing and promptly set about proving it. About half way through, though, his vision started blackening around the edges and he promptly passed out, the bottle falling from his limp fingers.
Awakening who knew how many hours later, he opened his eyes slowly, wincing for a moment against the bright light coming through the window as the sun set in a blaze of orange and yellow. He sat up in the now cold water and abruptly realized something was wrong. Feeling his head with his hands, he realized his banadana had been taken off. Suspicious, he felt the rest of his head, realizing his hair was wet. Nothing wrong with that, but then he sniffed it doubtfully, felt it again, and his eyes widened. Feeling his goatee he relaxed a little when he realized it was still there, but then he felt his chin and . . . no! Jumping out of the bath, he ran to the full-length mirror in the room and let out a cry of horror. His hair! When he'd been passed out someone had come in, removed everything from it, washed it, and trimmed about two inches off it! And his goatee! Someone had snipped off his braids!
The door burst open suddenly as Will came running in and skidded to a halt when he saw Jack.
"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "I heard you shout."
"And so you came to rescue me, my knight in shining armor," Jack said, swooning dramatically.
Will scowled. "Are you trying to play some kind of trick on me?"
Jack sobered up. "No, but look what they did to my hair!"
Looking critically at his friend, Will began to smile as he saw what had happened.
"It's not funny!" Jack growled. "They took out everything from my hair! And washed it! It'll never be the same again. And my braids!"
"Actually I think it looks quite nice," Will said decisively. "Anyway, hair will always grow back, and you can re-bead your hair."
"But it's not the same," Jack said mournfully. "I knew my mother was planning something. I know that look."
His head jerked up suddenly, eyes bright. "Wait, my clothes! If she's done something to my clothes, I swear . . ."
He left the threat hanging and hurriedly wrapped a towel around himself, drying off quickly before bounding down the stairs and outside to where the maids had been doing the washing. A few of them were taking clothes down from the lines and they squealed and ran when they saw the half-naked man rushing towards them.
"Where are they, where are they?" Jack muttered, searching for his clothes.
"Ha!" he said triumphantly when he had found them, dragging them down and inspecting them for damage.
To Jack's relief they were untouched except for being cleaner, which he didn't mind. His bandana was there too and he grabbed that before going back inside. Once in his room, he dressed and began the process of re-beading his hair, mumbling dire threats against his mother all the while. After finishing he looked in the mirror and felt a little better. He did look different, but not too much, and the hair would grow back. He felt bereft without the braids on his chin though, especially when he sometimes moved to tug lightly on them in thought, only to realize they weren't there. He wondered if this is how people felt when they lost a limb, the phantom pains that made you feel as if you still had the appendage. He knew the comparison was a little exaggerated, but damn it! This was his hair! It was an integral part of his persona, and he liked it the way it had been.
Stalking downstairs, he found his brother and challenged him to a game of cards, which Robert accepted. Jack cheated of course and won most of the hands, which made him feel better. Will came down to join them, but after a few hands he caught onto Jack's tricks and the pirate had to come up with new ones, which was an interesting challenge. Will was more intelligent than he acted sometimes, and Jack was of the opinion that with time, the lad would make a suitable pirate. They continued playing until Robert had lost most of the money he had on him, and then the older man bowed out, leaving Jack and Will themselves.
"Want to keep playin', lad?" Jack asked, stretching luxuriously and slouching back in his chair in a self-satisfied way.
"You cheated," Will stated, glaring at Jack.
"Pirate," Jack reminded him. "Remember?"
"I still say I would have beaten you if you hadn't thrown that sand in my face," Will maintained, Jack's words bringing to mind their first meeting.
Jack grinned. "But I did, and so you didn't. I play by my own rules, whelp, and I win by them."
"That's only because you are an uncivilized, uncouth, dirty, rascally pirate," Will retorted.
Jack tilted his chair back onto two legs. "Ah, very true, but you forgot charming and handsome."
"And egotistical," Will muttered, watching Jack rock precariously back and forth on the chair legs It was so tempting, but no, that was something Jack would do and he would not give the pirate the satisfaction of acting like him.
"So how early are you plannin' on leavin' tomorrow," Jack asked casually, turning to a new subject.
Will was about to reply, but Jack's mother suddenly burst into the sitting room, looking highly disapproving.
"Jack, what is this I hear about you running half naked outside chasing after the maids?" she demanded without preamble
"I was just gettin' my clothes," Jack said carelessly.
His mother frowned. "I don't care what you were doing. That is highly improper behavior and I will not tolerate in my house. And put your chair back down."
Jack let the chair hit the ground with a thump and stood up. His mother only came up to his chin and he glowered down at her.
"Listen, woman, I'm a grown man. I don't take orders from you or anyone else."
His mother wasn't listening though and was instead staring at his hair. "The beads and braids are still in your hair. I thought I told that maid to take them out."
At the mention of his hair, Jack's scowl deepened. "She did. I put them back in."
His mother shook her head and reached for his hair. "Those are horrible. Unbefitting a gentleman. You should take them out and tie your hair back in a nice tail."
Exasperated, Jack spoke a little more harshly than he meant to. "I don't think you understand the situation. I am a pirate. I drink, I kill, I steal. I'm a scalawag and a rogue and could probably be hanged ten times over for all the crimes I've committed."
"Dear, don't speak of such things," his mother said nervously. "That's what you used to do. But now you're home and you can be a gentleman again."
Jack sighed, resigned. She was obviously never going to get it.
"Think what you like, mum," was all he said, deciding it best not to argue the point right now.
Ushering his mother out the door, Jack turned to Will who was still sitting the table, looking faintly embarrassed at having witnessed this brief family scuffle.
"Now," Jack said, "back to my earlier question. It had better be as soon as possible. I'm not stayin' another day in this madhouse. We leave early morning, savvy?"
Will shrugged. "That's fine."
"Good," Jack said and then fled up to his room to have some whiskey.