Disclaimer: I only own Jack through owning the Pirates DVD.
AN: Not much to say in this author's note except that I hope that you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 7: Plans and Distant Relations:
Two months later, the ship Julia and Kat were on finally docked in Port Stephens on the shores of England. The two months of travel had been the most boring span of sea travel the two had ever experienced, and both hoped to never repeat it. As they traveled closer to England, both girls had sincerely hoped that their parents would soon come and rescue them, but after a week of waiting, their hope had faded a bit. Kat thought that Jay hadn't survived long enough to tell about their kidnapping, but Julia had assured her that Jay still lived; after all, as his twin, Julia would know if Jay had died. Either way, both girls tried to hold onto the hope of their parents finding them.
"Well, ladies," Thomas Pierce said, suddenly appearing in the door of their cabin and offering his arm to Julia. "It's time to meet your grandfather." Both girls looked at each other and reluctantly stood. Thomas took Julia's hand and forcefully placed it on his arm, gripping it in place with his other hand. Two other sailors entered the room and grabbed Kat by her arms before escorting her out of the cabin.
The two girls were taken off the ship and pushed into a carriage, which was surrounded with guards. Thomas sat next to Julia, facing the front of the carriage while Kat sat across from them, facing the rear of the carriage. Both girls exchanged a terrified look when the door to the carriage was locked behind them.
"To assure that you do not escape," Thomas said, smiling at the two of them. He then turned and looked out the window, enjoying the view.
The two girls exchanged another glance, this one having a more conspiratorial look. What Thomas didn't know was that the girls could have a secret conversation without his knowing about it. Both girls winked at each other and began to subtly talk with their hands in the manner of the crew of the Black Pearl, both silently thanking their mother and father for teaching it to them.
'Jewels, what do we do?' Kat asked.
'I wish I knew, Kat,' Julia replied, glancing worriedly at Thomas, who was totally oblivious to their conversation. 'I wish there was a way we could get a message to Dad about where we are, but with those guards trailing us, I doubt we'll get the chance. I'd have thought that they would have found and rescued us by now.'
'Maybe something happened?' Kat signed, worry also crossing her features. 'Jay was hurt, after all. Maybe they had to wait for him to heal just enough to take him along?'
'No, Dad wouldn't risk Jay's life like that, he wouldn't risk Jay on a voyage so soon after getting hurt,' Julia replied, giving her head a small shake. 'Don't forget, Mum would have a huge fit if Dad tried to risk Jay so soon. No, I think that Mum probably asked for them to hold off until they're sure about Joy's health and to figure out where we are and where we are going.'
Both girls sighed simultaneously and Thomas turned to look at the two of them. Julia and Kat immediately looked out of the other window, ignoring Thomas's presence by staring at the countryside.
Meanwhile, Thomas focused on how to convince Lord Holloway to make the stunning creature by his side his wife. He would have to do it soon, before that pathetic pirate captain found out what had happened to his daughters and attempted a rescue.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In the Atlantic Ocean, Jack and Lara Sparrow, along with a fully healed Jay, Bill Turner, and the crew of the Black Pearl, were nearing England. As they drew closer to England, Bill was amazed that the Pearl could make up for the lost time, and took to pirate life amazingly well (Jack claimed that was due to Bootstrap's blood flowing through him). Now the Sparrows, Bill, Annamaria, and Mr. Gibbs were all crowded around the meeting table in the rooms connected to the Captain's quarters, discussing their next course of action. Bill, Annamaria, and Mr. Gibbs all wanted to rush in and take Julia and Kat by force, but Lara managed to talk them out of it; after all, if a fight broke out, innocent people would be hurt, and that would lead to everyone on the ship experiencing a short drop and a sudden stop.
"Well, what are we going to do then?" Annamaria asked impatiently.
"We'll have to wait and see what's happening before we can do anything," Lara said firmly. "I don't want innocent people hurt, and most importantly, I don't want the girls accidentally harmed because you want to go in fighting." Annamaria, Mr. Gibbs and Bill all reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"Well, we've still got three days or so before we actually arrive in Port Stephens," Jack said, leaning back in his chair, thinking. He frowned thoughtfully. "In fact, it might take longer, considering we've got to make the ship look a bit less like a pirate ship, and we've got to avoid the British Navy. We'll probably make it in a week or two." A grin suddenly settled on his face. "Either way, I've full faith that our girls will think of a way to be in Port Stephens so that we can find them. They've got to know that we're coming for them."
"But what if they don't think we're coming after them, and aren't there to meet us?" Bill asked, worry creeping into his voice.
Jack turned and glared at him. "Young man, don't think for one minute that my girls would doubt in the abilities of their mother and father," he said, his angry eyes making Bill shrink away in fear and embarrassment. "They know that we'll come after them and rescue them, or die trying. No one captures the wife or children of Captain Jack Sparrow and gets away with it. Savvy?" Bill nodded. "Good. Now we've got to make the ship look respectable in some way, or the Navy will send us to Davy Jones locker before we can blink." He waved his hands to keep his two crewmembers from arguing. "I'm willing to take on the Navy in the Caribbean, but on this side of the Atlantic, the Navy is more of a force to be reckoned with. So let's send up a merchant flag and have the crew dress accordingly and paint a new name on the ship, or else we'll find ourselves hanging from a noose, savvy?" Everyone nodded before heading above deck to make some changes to the ship, and to ready for the approaching battles with Thomas.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The two day journey to Lord Holloway's manor had been extremely silent. The carriage had only stopped in a few small towns to rest and feed both horses and humans alike, and to use the bathroom. On the morning of the second and final day of their journey, their guards had gone on ahead to inform the Lord of Keens about their arrival.
Meanwhile, the two Sparrow girls had refused to utter a word throughout the entire trip, despite how Thomas had tried to get Julia to speak with him. He truly wanted to know her likes and dislikes so that he would know how to woo her heart, but his attempts were always thwarted. Kat would constantly glare at him whenever he tried to speak to Julia, and Julia would just ignore him. Finally, Thomas decided that he would have to woo her after he convinced Lord Holloway to let him wed his granddaughter. Perhaps she would be more open after they had wed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After two days of sitting with Thomas Pierce in the same carriage, Julia thought she would go mad. The man was always trying to talk to her, even when it was clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. He would ask her all sorts of questions about her favorite flowers, perfume scents, and colors, and she would ignore all of them, talking silently with Kat about how big of an annoying idiot he was.
Finally, the carriage rolled over a small hill, and there stood the great Holloway manor, sprawling over a great distance and going up three levels. There were huge windows in the front of the manor, with slightly smaller windows spread throughout the outer walls. The entire structure was a lovely red-brick color, and black iron designs decorated the top of the building. Even the Governor's house in Port Royal wasn't this fine, and a dozen of Port Royal's finest homes could easily fit in this one manor! Because of the pirate blood floating in her veins, Julia instantly began thinking of how much this place must be worth and whether or not there would be something to steal for her mother and father. Most people would think her a monster for thinking those thoughts, but she couldn't help it. Her father had taken her on a dozen raiding parties and had shown her and her siblings how to evaluate stolen items and how much they could be sold for in other towns like Tortuga. Even her mother could tell what things were worth, and she wasn't even a born pirate! Julia continued to inspect the manor, ignoring the smirk that had appeared on Thomas's face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As the carriage drove under immense iron gates and the two girls stared at the grand manor, Thomas couldn't help but smirk. If he could convince Lord Holloway that Julia was his granddaughter, and there was no doubt she was, and convince the lord to give him her hand in marriage, Thomas would become the lord to an estate of his very own! Then he would be able to track Sparrow down, hang him, and take Lara to her father, possibly getting an even greater reward for returning the lord's daughter as well. That way, Lord Holloway would have his daughter, Thomas would have a beautiful wife and a grand estate, Sparrow would die, and the rest of the Sparrow children would be seen to by Lord Holloway himself. The plan was absolutely flawless!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Julia and Kat continued to stare at the house as the carriage finally pulled up to the front door of the manor, where their previous guards stood. As the carriage stopped, the guards raced forward to surround the carriage, ultimately preventing the girls from escaping once again. The girls felt their hearts sink even further at the sight of them. How were their parents and the crew going to rescue them if they were this heavily guarded? The door to the carriage was unlocked, and the two girls reluctantly left the carriage. Thomas appeared surprised at how resigned the girls were, but he didn't know that the two girls had discussed trying to get along with everyone and to try and find out what Thomas and Lord Holloway had in mind for them.
The three of them were escorted through the house by way of an overly opulent hallway. Portraits, vases, tables, chairs, and other manners of carefully placed furniture decorated the hallway, but what really caught the eyes of the two girls was the final painting on the wall, one that remarkably resembled their beloved mother at a much younger age.
The girls stopped and stared at the painting before being pushed forward by a few of the guards and escorted into a parlor that was, if possible, even more opulent than the hallway they had just walked through. Sitting in a chair by a fireplace was an elderly man with gray hair, rugged features, and gray eyes. He immediately leapt from his chair after spotting the two girls, and a brilliant smile graced his face. The man then raced over to Julia and embraced her in a tight hug.
"Oh, my darling Anne, I thought I'd never see you again!" he whispered into her ear.
Julia quickly pulled away from him. "I'm sorry, sir, but I am not the person you think I am," she said, reaching out and grabbing Kat by the hand.
The man looked surprised and hurt.
"Ah, my Lord Holloway," Thomas said, stepping forward. "I'm afraid this is not your daughter. There was a problem with obtaining your daughter, and I was only able to rescue your two grandchildren. This," he said, waving his hand, "is Julia, your granddaughter by birth. The blond-haired girl, Katherine, is an orphan adopted by your daughter long ago."
Lord Holloway looked over Kat for a brief moment before returning his gaze to Julia. "Your resemblance to you mother is uncanny," he said, staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "But I am rude for staring at you. I am your grandfather, Lord William Holloway. Your mother is my daughter, Anne."
"If I may be so bold, sir," Julia said, curtsying and using the manners her mother and Aunt Elizabeth had taught her. "But my mother's name is Lara, not Anne."
"Yes, Mr. Pierce has told me of your mother's loss of memory when she had appeared in Port Royal in the Caribbean," Lord Holloway replied, a smile on his face. "However, I can tell by looking at you that you are my daughter's daughter, and that you will be most welcome here in your rightful home. Now, the three of you must be exhausted." He waved his hand and a guard pulled a cord that dangled by the fireplace. "A servant will be here momentarily to escort you to your rooms. Dinner will be served to you there, and we will meet tomorrow to discuss everything that I have missed in your lives thus far." He leaned forward and kissed Julia and Kat on the forehead. "I will see you tomorrow, my darling granddaughters. Mr. Pierce, you and I will discuss your terms of payment in a few days, after I've gotten to know my granddaughters."
He then turned and exited the room, leaving two very disturbed girls and a very satisfied Mr. Pierce to await the arrival of the servants to escort them to their rooms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Yes, Thomas is still set on marrying Julia instead of Lara. After all, Lara is quite a bit older now, and having a forty year old man marry a young eighteen year old woman wasn't that uncommon. I mean, look at Norrington wanting to marry Elizabeth! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story, and please leave a review! Thanks!
AN: Not much to say in this author's note except that I hope that you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 7: Plans and Distant Relations:
Two months later, the ship Julia and Kat were on finally docked in Port Stephens on the shores of England. The two months of travel had been the most boring span of sea travel the two had ever experienced, and both hoped to never repeat it. As they traveled closer to England, both girls had sincerely hoped that their parents would soon come and rescue them, but after a week of waiting, their hope had faded a bit. Kat thought that Jay hadn't survived long enough to tell about their kidnapping, but Julia had assured her that Jay still lived; after all, as his twin, Julia would know if Jay had died. Either way, both girls tried to hold onto the hope of their parents finding them.
"Well, ladies," Thomas Pierce said, suddenly appearing in the door of their cabin and offering his arm to Julia. "It's time to meet your grandfather." Both girls looked at each other and reluctantly stood. Thomas took Julia's hand and forcefully placed it on his arm, gripping it in place with his other hand. Two other sailors entered the room and grabbed Kat by her arms before escorting her out of the cabin.
The two girls were taken off the ship and pushed into a carriage, which was surrounded with guards. Thomas sat next to Julia, facing the front of the carriage while Kat sat across from them, facing the rear of the carriage. Both girls exchanged a terrified look when the door to the carriage was locked behind them.
"To assure that you do not escape," Thomas said, smiling at the two of them. He then turned and looked out the window, enjoying the view.
The two girls exchanged another glance, this one having a more conspiratorial look. What Thomas didn't know was that the girls could have a secret conversation without his knowing about it. Both girls winked at each other and began to subtly talk with their hands in the manner of the crew of the Black Pearl, both silently thanking their mother and father for teaching it to them.
'Jewels, what do we do?' Kat asked.
'I wish I knew, Kat,' Julia replied, glancing worriedly at Thomas, who was totally oblivious to their conversation. 'I wish there was a way we could get a message to Dad about where we are, but with those guards trailing us, I doubt we'll get the chance. I'd have thought that they would have found and rescued us by now.'
'Maybe something happened?' Kat signed, worry also crossing her features. 'Jay was hurt, after all. Maybe they had to wait for him to heal just enough to take him along?'
'No, Dad wouldn't risk Jay's life like that, he wouldn't risk Jay on a voyage so soon after getting hurt,' Julia replied, giving her head a small shake. 'Don't forget, Mum would have a huge fit if Dad tried to risk Jay so soon. No, I think that Mum probably asked for them to hold off until they're sure about Joy's health and to figure out where we are and where we are going.'
Both girls sighed simultaneously and Thomas turned to look at the two of them. Julia and Kat immediately looked out of the other window, ignoring Thomas's presence by staring at the countryside.
Meanwhile, Thomas focused on how to convince Lord Holloway to make the stunning creature by his side his wife. He would have to do it soon, before that pathetic pirate captain found out what had happened to his daughters and attempted a rescue.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In the Atlantic Ocean, Jack and Lara Sparrow, along with a fully healed Jay, Bill Turner, and the crew of the Black Pearl, were nearing England. As they drew closer to England, Bill was amazed that the Pearl could make up for the lost time, and took to pirate life amazingly well (Jack claimed that was due to Bootstrap's blood flowing through him). Now the Sparrows, Bill, Annamaria, and Mr. Gibbs were all crowded around the meeting table in the rooms connected to the Captain's quarters, discussing their next course of action. Bill, Annamaria, and Mr. Gibbs all wanted to rush in and take Julia and Kat by force, but Lara managed to talk them out of it; after all, if a fight broke out, innocent people would be hurt, and that would lead to everyone on the ship experiencing a short drop and a sudden stop.
"Well, what are we going to do then?" Annamaria asked impatiently.
"We'll have to wait and see what's happening before we can do anything," Lara said firmly. "I don't want innocent people hurt, and most importantly, I don't want the girls accidentally harmed because you want to go in fighting." Annamaria, Mr. Gibbs and Bill all reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"Well, we've still got three days or so before we actually arrive in Port Stephens," Jack said, leaning back in his chair, thinking. He frowned thoughtfully. "In fact, it might take longer, considering we've got to make the ship look a bit less like a pirate ship, and we've got to avoid the British Navy. We'll probably make it in a week or two." A grin suddenly settled on his face. "Either way, I've full faith that our girls will think of a way to be in Port Stephens so that we can find them. They've got to know that we're coming for them."
"But what if they don't think we're coming after them, and aren't there to meet us?" Bill asked, worry creeping into his voice.
Jack turned and glared at him. "Young man, don't think for one minute that my girls would doubt in the abilities of their mother and father," he said, his angry eyes making Bill shrink away in fear and embarrassment. "They know that we'll come after them and rescue them, or die trying. No one captures the wife or children of Captain Jack Sparrow and gets away with it. Savvy?" Bill nodded. "Good. Now we've got to make the ship look respectable in some way, or the Navy will send us to Davy Jones locker before we can blink." He waved his hands to keep his two crewmembers from arguing. "I'm willing to take on the Navy in the Caribbean, but on this side of the Atlantic, the Navy is more of a force to be reckoned with. So let's send up a merchant flag and have the crew dress accordingly and paint a new name on the ship, or else we'll find ourselves hanging from a noose, savvy?" Everyone nodded before heading above deck to make some changes to the ship, and to ready for the approaching battles with Thomas.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The two day journey to Lord Holloway's manor had been extremely silent. The carriage had only stopped in a few small towns to rest and feed both horses and humans alike, and to use the bathroom. On the morning of the second and final day of their journey, their guards had gone on ahead to inform the Lord of Keens about their arrival.
Meanwhile, the two Sparrow girls had refused to utter a word throughout the entire trip, despite how Thomas had tried to get Julia to speak with him. He truly wanted to know her likes and dislikes so that he would know how to woo her heart, but his attempts were always thwarted. Kat would constantly glare at him whenever he tried to speak to Julia, and Julia would just ignore him. Finally, Thomas decided that he would have to woo her after he convinced Lord Holloway to let him wed his granddaughter. Perhaps she would be more open after they had wed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After two days of sitting with Thomas Pierce in the same carriage, Julia thought she would go mad. The man was always trying to talk to her, even when it was clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. He would ask her all sorts of questions about her favorite flowers, perfume scents, and colors, and she would ignore all of them, talking silently with Kat about how big of an annoying idiot he was.
Finally, the carriage rolled over a small hill, and there stood the great Holloway manor, sprawling over a great distance and going up three levels. There were huge windows in the front of the manor, with slightly smaller windows spread throughout the outer walls. The entire structure was a lovely red-brick color, and black iron designs decorated the top of the building. Even the Governor's house in Port Royal wasn't this fine, and a dozen of Port Royal's finest homes could easily fit in this one manor! Because of the pirate blood floating in her veins, Julia instantly began thinking of how much this place must be worth and whether or not there would be something to steal for her mother and father. Most people would think her a monster for thinking those thoughts, but she couldn't help it. Her father had taken her on a dozen raiding parties and had shown her and her siblings how to evaluate stolen items and how much they could be sold for in other towns like Tortuga. Even her mother could tell what things were worth, and she wasn't even a born pirate! Julia continued to inspect the manor, ignoring the smirk that had appeared on Thomas's face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As the carriage drove under immense iron gates and the two girls stared at the grand manor, Thomas couldn't help but smirk. If he could convince Lord Holloway that Julia was his granddaughter, and there was no doubt she was, and convince the lord to give him her hand in marriage, Thomas would become the lord to an estate of his very own! Then he would be able to track Sparrow down, hang him, and take Lara to her father, possibly getting an even greater reward for returning the lord's daughter as well. That way, Lord Holloway would have his daughter, Thomas would have a beautiful wife and a grand estate, Sparrow would die, and the rest of the Sparrow children would be seen to by Lord Holloway himself. The plan was absolutely flawless!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Julia and Kat continued to stare at the house as the carriage finally pulled up to the front door of the manor, where their previous guards stood. As the carriage stopped, the guards raced forward to surround the carriage, ultimately preventing the girls from escaping once again. The girls felt their hearts sink even further at the sight of them. How were their parents and the crew going to rescue them if they were this heavily guarded? The door to the carriage was unlocked, and the two girls reluctantly left the carriage. Thomas appeared surprised at how resigned the girls were, but he didn't know that the two girls had discussed trying to get along with everyone and to try and find out what Thomas and Lord Holloway had in mind for them.
The three of them were escorted through the house by way of an overly opulent hallway. Portraits, vases, tables, chairs, and other manners of carefully placed furniture decorated the hallway, but what really caught the eyes of the two girls was the final painting on the wall, one that remarkably resembled their beloved mother at a much younger age.
The girls stopped and stared at the painting before being pushed forward by a few of the guards and escorted into a parlor that was, if possible, even more opulent than the hallway they had just walked through. Sitting in a chair by a fireplace was an elderly man with gray hair, rugged features, and gray eyes. He immediately leapt from his chair after spotting the two girls, and a brilliant smile graced his face. The man then raced over to Julia and embraced her in a tight hug.
"Oh, my darling Anne, I thought I'd never see you again!" he whispered into her ear.
Julia quickly pulled away from him. "I'm sorry, sir, but I am not the person you think I am," she said, reaching out and grabbing Kat by the hand.
The man looked surprised and hurt.
"Ah, my Lord Holloway," Thomas said, stepping forward. "I'm afraid this is not your daughter. There was a problem with obtaining your daughter, and I was only able to rescue your two grandchildren. This," he said, waving his hand, "is Julia, your granddaughter by birth. The blond-haired girl, Katherine, is an orphan adopted by your daughter long ago."
Lord Holloway looked over Kat for a brief moment before returning his gaze to Julia. "Your resemblance to you mother is uncanny," he said, staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "But I am rude for staring at you. I am your grandfather, Lord William Holloway. Your mother is my daughter, Anne."
"If I may be so bold, sir," Julia said, curtsying and using the manners her mother and Aunt Elizabeth had taught her. "But my mother's name is Lara, not Anne."
"Yes, Mr. Pierce has told me of your mother's loss of memory when she had appeared in Port Royal in the Caribbean," Lord Holloway replied, a smile on his face. "However, I can tell by looking at you that you are my daughter's daughter, and that you will be most welcome here in your rightful home. Now, the three of you must be exhausted." He waved his hand and a guard pulled a cord that dangled by the fireplace. "A servant will be here momentarily to escort you to your rooms. Dinner will be served to you there, and we will meet tomorrow to discuss everything that I have missed in your lives thus far." He leaned forward and kissed Julia and Kat on the forehead. "I will see you tomorrow, my darling granddaughters. Mr. Pierce, you and I will discuss your terms of payment in a few days, after I've gotten to know my granddaughters."
He then turned and exited the room, leaving two very disturbed girls and a very satisfied Mr. Pierce to await the arrival of the servants to escort them to their rooms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Yes, Thomas is still set on marrying Julia instead of Lara. After all, Lara is quite a bit older now, and having a forty year old man marry a young eighteen year old woman wasn't that uncommon. I mean, look at Norrington wanting to marry Elizabeth! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story, and please leave a review! Thanks!