Disclaimer: My precious Jack was stolen from me and is now owned by
Disney.
AN: Well, a whole year has come and gone. I hope that everyone has a great New Year's Eve and Day, drinks a whole lot of rum, and has dreams of Captain Jack Sparrow! Happy New Year, everyone!
Chapter 10: Arrival at Port Stephens:
Julia and Kat couldn't be happier as the carriage pulled up to a large house in the wealthy district of Port Stephens. After being cooped up in a carriage for two days, the girls practically leapt out the door to stretch their legs. A servant came out and escorted them inside the large home, which greatly resembled the Governor's mansion in Port Royal. There were only two levels, but the house appeared to have over twenty rooms, not including the ballroom at the rear end of the building. Both girls were given bedrooms next to each other, which included a connecting door, allowing them to easily visit each other. The best part of all was the view of the docks and the ocean from the balconies of their rooms. Their joy was shattered by a familiar voice speaking to them.
"Good afternoon, Miss Sparrow, Miss Katherine," came the voice that had tormented them on their trip to the Holloway manor. Both girls turned towards the voice. It was Thomas Pierce.
"Mr. Pierce," Julia said, coldly acknowledging him. "What brings you here?"
"I'm staying at the White Gull Inn here in town until your grandfather sends for me or arrives here himself," Thomas replied, smiling at her. He walked over, took her hand, and kissed it.
Julia inwardly winced before reclaiming her hand. "Well, then, may I ask why you are here in this house uninvited?" she asked, hoping to annoy him. Instead, he smiled at her.
"I heard you were here in town and simply wished to check on you and your sister," he replied. "The butler showed me upstairs."
"Well, my sister and I wish to recover from our long journey, and would appreciate it if you left us to ourselves for a while," Julia said coldly, but politely.
Thomas smiled even wider. "Of course, Miss Sparrow," he said, bowing. "I will call on you tomorrow, or the day after. I hope you have a good rest." He bowed again and left.
Both girls sighed in relief and began attempting to adjust to their new home/prison. That night, after they had eaten a good dinner and had taken a long walk in the private gardens to stretch their legs, the two Sparrow girls retreated to their joined bedrooms, changed into their nightgowns, then settled down on Julia's bed for a private signing conversation.
'Jewel, that Pierce person gives me the shivers,' Kat signed to her sister.
'I agree,' Julia replied, shivering in her chair. 'I do believe he fancies me. I think it's because I look just like Mum when she was being chased by Thomas years ago.'
'What?!' asked Kat, shocked at this new discovery. 'What do you mean?'
Julia looked at her in surprise. 'You mean you don't know?' she asked. Kat shook her head. 'Dad told me years ago that Thomas had tried courting Mum before Dad could take her away from Port Royal. Apparently Thomas had asked Mum to marry him, but Mum married Dad instead. Even after Mum and Dad had married, he had tried to get Mum to marry him, and I think he still has feelings for her.' Julia shook her head at the situation. 'I just wish that he wouldn't think of me as another way of possessing Mum.'
Kat simply blinked at her in surprise. The girls continued to sit in silence, digesting the idea of Thomas marrying Julia because he wanted their mother in one form or another. Finally, Julia broke the silence.
"I think it's time for bed," she said aloud. "Perhaps tomorrow morning we can go into town and explore it."
Kat smiled. "It sounds like fun," she replied, getting off of Julia's bed and heading towards her room. "Goodnight, Jewel."
"Goodnight, Kat," Julia called after her before curling up under the covers of her bed and falling asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, things were quiet on the Black Pearl as they sailed into Port Stephens. Some of the crew was below decks, finally catching some much needed sleep after days of trying to disguise the ship as a merchant vessel. Above deck, Jack and Lara were dressed to fit the part of a merchant family returning from a long voyage. Annamaria was dressed as their personal servant (and hating every minute of it), and the crew performing night chores were dressed as normal, law-abiding sailors. Jack had spent a good deal of money to do this, but it was worth every penny if they could rescue Julia and Kat from their jailers. Besides, it meant that the Pearl would have to do some serious raiding along the shores of the Caribbean after this adventure, and that would put everyone in a much better mood after all of this tension.
The Pearl pulled up to a fairly empty dock, where it was met by a dockmaster. The man took their names as a Mr. Smith, accompanied by his wife, son, and nephew, sailing on the White Raven to England from the Caribbean. Jack paid the man the fee to tie up their ship, and, after the man had left, several black-cloaked figures gathered on deck, where Jack reminded them of their orders.
"Remember to search everywhere," Jack whispered to them. "If ye find them, tell them we're here, but not where we are. I don't want to take any risks. Get any information that ye can from the girls, like where they're staying, but I don't want the girls showing up here with a bunch of guards chasing them. I don't want innocent people hurt!" The figures nodded and raced off into the night. Meanwhile, Jack held onto his wife's shoulders as they watched the figures vanish into the night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Julia and Kat quickly ate breakfast and prepared to leave for the local marketplace. However, they were forced to take along six guards to "keep them safe" as they traveled the marketplace; apparently their grandfather wasn't taking any chances of them escaping. Julia then ordered all the servants not to let Thomas into the house, or to tell him where the girls went. After she was convinced that the servants would obey her orders, she and Kat went out into the town.
Port Stephens was very different from Port Royal. Here, the weather was cooler and wetter. Port Royal had markets full of fresh fruits of different, exotic varieties, while Port Stephens was much more limited. The flowers seemed drab, and everything didn't seem as fresh as it was in Port Royal. Both girls sighed, missing the warmer weather and brighter atmosphere of the Caribbean. They spent several hours walking around the marketplace and glancing in shop windows. On their departure from Holloway manor, their grandfather had given each of them a generous purse of money to spend, and both girls bought books to keep themselves occupied while they were stuck inside the house. Kat had just purchased a small bag of apples when a young man bumped into them.
"Oh, excuse me, ladies," he said, bowing. When he straightened up, a familiar face looked back at them. It was Jay!
A smile graced his face and he winked at them. The guards surrounding the girls frowned, thinking the young man was a pickpocket or was flirting with their charges.
"That's enough out of you, lad," one said, nudging Jay with the butt of his rifle. "Off with you now, you're disturbing the ladies."
"Oh, I meant no harm, sir," Jay said, holding his hands up in surrender and putting on his most charming smile, making him look a great deal like his father. "I was wondering if the ladies would like some help carrying their purchases."
"Actually, we do," Julia said, smiling at her twin. "My sister could use some help with her fruit, good sir, and would greatly appreciate your help."
The guards relented, and Jay took up Kat's bag of fruit and followed them to the house in town. As they walked, the three Sparrows held a subtle conversation in the secret sign language of the Black Pearl.
'How have you been, Jewel?' Jay asked his twin sister while winking at her.
'I've been better,' Julia signed, rolling her eyes in response to his wink. 'Are Mum and Dad here?'
'No, they're in France!' Jay replied sarcastically, slightly rolling his eyes. 'Of course they're here! They wouldn't let me out of their sight after what happened in Port Royal.'
'Are you alright, Jay?' Kat asked. 'You were wounded, after all.'
'I'm fine,' Jay replied. 'It was just a flesh wound.'
At that point, they had reached Lord Holloway's house and began to climb the steps, where the soldiers prevented Jay from entering the house. Jay simply bowed to his sisters.
"Thank you for your help, good sir," Julia said, curtseying in response. "I'm sorry that we don't have any small coins to reward you with, but our friend, Mr. Thomas Pierce, who is staying at the White Gull Inn, will surely reward you for your aid." Julia hoped that Jay would pick up on the hint she had given him.
Jay nodded. "Thank you, my lady," he said, bowing again. "I'll be sure to go there. My parents could always use the money." Again he bowed before he walked down the steps and vanished into the crowd of the marketplace.
Julia and Kat went upstairs to their rooms, hoping that their parents would rescue them before they were forced to return to Holloway manor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Immediately after leaving his sisters, Jay Sparrow had raced back to the disguised Black Pearl and up the gangplank, heading for his parents' cabin. As he pushed the door open, he saw his mother sitting and staring out the window as his father sat across from her, looking like he was inspecting the floor.
"Mum, Dad, I've seen Kat and Julia!" Jay cried. His parents twisted to face him as they leapt to their feet.
"Jay, are you sure?" Lara asked, joy filling her heart for the first time in over two months.
Jay nodded. "I even know where they're staying!"
Jack immediately hugged his son. "Great job, lad," he said. "I'll get the crew together and we'll start setting up a rescue plan!" Jay grabbed his arm before he could leave.
"Dad, Thomas Pierce is in town," Jay said quietly. His parents stared at him in shock.
"You're sure?" Jack asked. Jay nodded, and Jack's fists clenched. "Of all the places in England and all the places in the world, he happens to be in just the place I want him." Jack turned and looked at his wife. "Luv, I know how ye feel about killing a sick person, and Thomas is as sick as they come, but ye can't deny that he deserves to have a sword in his gut or a bullet in his head."
The two elder Sparrows stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Lara looked away, nodding in agreement before returning her attention to the window. Jack turned back to his son.
"Alright, lad," he said to his son. "Let's get the crew together and see what everyone can come up with."
Jack and Jay both headed above deck to gather the crew for a meeting in the galley, leaving Lara alone in the captain's cabin. She stood at the window and stared out at the bay, which was beginning to darken in the fading light of the setting sun.
"Only a short while longer, little ones," she whispered to her daughters, wishing they could hear her. "I can't wait to hold my little girls in my arms again." The only reply was the lapping of the waves on the side of the ship.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: We're getting close to the end, people! Only a few more chapters and this story will be over. I hope that people will read the Will/OC romance that I hope to write in the near future. I have an idea about the storyline, and I hope that you'll all support me in that piece of work. Anyway, please leave a review, and have a Happy New Year!
AN: Well, a whole year has come and gone. I hope that everyone has a great New Year's Eve and Day, drinks a whole lot of rum, and has dreams of Captain Jack Sparrow! Happy New Year, everyone!
Chapter 10: Arrival at Port Stephens:
Julia and Kat couldn't be happier as the carriage pulled up to a large house in the wealthy district of Port Stephens. After being cooped up in a carriage for two days, the girls practically leapt out the door to stretch their legs. A servant came out and escorted them inside the large home, which greatly resembled the Governor's mansion in Port Royal. There were only two levels, but the house appeared to have over twenty rooms, not including the ballroom at the rear end of the building. Both girls were given bedrooms next to each other, which included a connecting door, allowing them to easily visit each other. The best part of all was the view of the docks and the ocean from the balconies of their rooms. Their joy was shattered by a familiar voice speaking to them.
"Good afternoon, Miss Sparrow, Miss Katherine," came the voice that had tormented them on their trip to the Holloway manor. Both girls turned towards the voice. It was Thomas Pierce.
"Mr. Pierce," Julia said, coldly acknowledging him. "What brings you here?"
"I'm staying at the White Gull Inn here in town until your grandfather sends for me or arrives here himself," Thomas replied, smiling at her. He walked over, took her hand, and kissed it.
Julia inwardly winced before reclaiming her hand. "Well, then, may I ask why you are here in this house uninvited?" she asked, hoping to annoy him. Instead, he smiled at her.
"I heard you were here in town and simply wished to check on you and your sister," he replied. "The butler showed me upstairs."
"Well, my sister and I wish to recover from our long journey, and would appreciate it if you left us to ourselves for a while," Julia said coldly, but politely.
Thomas smiled even wider. "Of course, Miss Sparrow," he said, bowing. "I will call on you tomorrow, or the day after. I hope you have a good rest." He bowed again and left.
Both girls sighed in relief and began attempting to adjust to their new home/prison. That night, after they had eaten a good dinner and had taken a long walk in the private gardens to stretch their legs, the two Sparrow girls retreated to their joined bedrooms, changed into their nightgowns, then settled down on Julia's bed for a private signing conversation.
'Jewel, that Pierce person gives me the shivers,' Kat signed to her sister.
'I agree,' Julia replied, shivering in her chair. 'I do believe he fancies me. I think it's because I look just like Mum when she was being chased by Thomas years ago.'
'What?!' asked Kat, shocked at this new discovery. 'What do you mean?'
Julia looked at her in surprise. 'You mean you don't know?' she asked. Kat shook her head. 'Dad told me years ago that Thomas had tried courting Mum before Dad could take her away from Port Royal. Apparently Thomas had asked Mum to marry him, but Mum married Dad instead. Even after Mum and Dad had married, he had tried to get Mum to marry him, and I think he still has feelings for her.' Julia shook her head at the situation. 'I just wish that he wouldn't think of me as another way of possessing Mum.'
Kat simply blinked at her in surprise. The girls continued to sit in silence, digesting the idea of Thomas marrying Julia because he wanted their mother in one form or another. Finally, Julia broke the silence.
"I think it's time for bed," she said aloud. "Perhaps tomorrow morning we can go into town and explore it."
Kat smiled. "It sounds like fun," she replied, getting off of Julia's bed and heading towards her room. "Goodnight, Jewel."
"Goodnight, Kat," Julia called after her before curling up under the covers of her bed and falling asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, things were quiet on the Black Pearl as they sailed into Port Stephens. Some of the crew was below decks, finally catching some much needed sleep after days of trying to disguise the ship as a merchant vessel. Above deck, Jack and Lara were dressed to fit the part of a merchant family returning from a long voyage. Annamaria was dressed as their personal servant (and hating every minute of it), and the crew performing night chores were dressed as normal, law-abiding sailors. Jack had spent a good deal of money to do this, but it was worth every penny if they could rescue Julia and Kat from their jailers. Besides, it meant that the Pearl would have to do some serious raiding along the shores of the Caribbean after this adventure, and that would put everyone in a much better mood after all of this tension.
The Pearl pulled up to a fairly empty dock, where it was met by a dockmaster. The man took their names as a Mr. Smith, accompanied by his wife, son, and nephew, sailing on the White Raven to England from the Caribbean. Jack paid the man the fee to tie up their ship, and, after the man had left, several black-cloaked figures gathered on deck, where Jack reminded them of their orders.
"Remember to search everywhere," Jack whispered to them. "If ye find them, tell them we're here, but not where we are. I don't want to take any risks. Get any information that ye can from the girls, like where they're staying, but I don't want the girls showing up here with a bunch of guards chasing them. I don't want innocent people hurt!" The figures nodded and raced off into the night. Meanwhile, Jack held onto his wife's shoulders as they watched the figures vanish into the night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Julia and Kat quickly ate breakfast and prepared to leave for the local marketplace. However, they were forced to take along six guards to "keep them safe" as they traveled the marketplace; apparently their grandfather wasn't taking any chances of them escaping. Julia then ordered all the servants not to let Thomas into the house, or to tell him where the girls went. After she was convinced that the servants would obey her orders, she and Kat went out into the town.
Port Stephens was very different from Port Royal. Here, the weather was cooler and wetter. Port Royal had markets full of fresh fruits of different, exotic varieties, while Port Stephens was much more limited. The flowers seemed drab, and everything didn't seem as fresh as it was in Port Royal. Both girls sighed, missing the warmer weather and brighter atmosphere of the Caribbean. They spent several hours walking around the marketplace and glancing in shop windows. On their departure from Holloway manor, their grandfather had given each of them a generous purse of money to spend, and both girls bought books to keep themselves occupied while they were stuck inside the house. Kat had just purchased a small bag of apples when a young man bumped into them.
"Oh, excuse me, ladies," he said, bowing. When he straightened up, a familiar face looked back at them. It was Jay!
A smile graced his face and he winked at them. The guards surrounding the girls frowned, thinking the young man was a pickpocket or was flirting with their charges.
"That's enough out of you, lad," one said, nudging Jay with the butt of his rifle. "Off with you now, you're disturbing the ladies."
"Oh, I meant no harm, sir," Jay said, holding his hands up in surrender and putting on his most charming smile, making him look a great deal like his father. "I was wondering if the ladies would like some help carrying their purchases."
"Actually, we do," Julia said, smiling at her twin. "My sister could use some help with her fruit, good sir, and would greatly appreciate your help."
The guards relented, and Jay took up Kat's bag of fruit and followed them to the house in town. As they walked, the three Sparrows held a subtle conversation in the secret sign language of the Black Pearl.
'How have you been, Jewel?' Jay asked his twin sister while winking at her.
'I've been better,' Julia signed, rolling her eyes in response to his wink. 'Are Mum and Dad here?'
'No, they're in France!' Jay replied sarcastically, slightly rolling his eyes. 'Of course they're here! They wouldn't let me out of their sight after what happened in Port Royal.'
'Are you alright, Jay?' Kat asked. 'You were wounded, after all.'
'I'm fine,' Jay replied. 'It was just a flesh wound.'
At that point, they had reached Lord Holloway's house and began to climb the steps, where the soldiers prevented Jay from entering the house. Jay simply bowed to his sisters.
"Thank you for your help, good sir," Julia said, curtseying in response. "I'm sorry that we don't have any small coins to reward you with, but our friend, Mr. Thomas Pierce, who is staying at the White Gull Inn, will surely reward you for your aid." Julia hoped that Jay would pick up on the hint she had given him.
Jay nodded. "Thank you, my lady," he said, bowing again. "I'll be sure to go there. My parents could always use the money." Again he bowed before he walked down the steps and vanished into the crowd of the marketplace.
Julia and Kat went upstairs to their rooms, hoping that their parents would rescue them before they were forced to return to Holloway manor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Immediately after leaving his sisters, Jay Sparrow had raced back to the disguised Black Pearl and up the gangplank, heading for his parents' cabin. As he pushed the door open, he saw his mother sitting and staring out the window as his father sat across from her, looking like he was inspecting the floor.
"Mum, Dad, I've seen Kat and Julia!" Jay cried. His parents twisted to face him as they leapt to their feet.
"Jay, are you sure?" Lara asked, joy filling her heart for the first time in over two months.
Jay nodded. "I even know where they're staying!"
Jack immediately hugged his son. "Great job, lad," he said. "I'll get the crew together and we'll start setting up a rescue plan!" Jay grabbed his arm before he could leave.
"Dad, Thomas Pierce is in town," Jay said quietly. His parents stared at him in shock.
"You're sure?" Jack asked. Jay nodded, and Jack's fists clenched. "Of all the places in England and all the places in the world, he happens to be in just the place I want him." Jack turned and looked at his wife. "Luv, I know how ye feel about killing a sick person, and Thomas is as sick as they come, but ye can't deny that he deserves to have a sword in his gut or a bullet in his head."
The two elder Sparrows stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Lara looked away, nodding in agreement before returning her attention to the window. Jack turned back to his son.
"Alright, lad," he said to his son. "Let's get the crew together and see what everyone can come up with."
Jack and Jay both headed above deck to gather the crew for a meeting in the galley, leaving Lara alone in the captain's cabin. She stood at the window and stared out at the bay, which was beginning to darken in the fading light of the setting sun.
"Only a short while longer, little ones," she whispered to her daughters, wishing they could hear her. "I can't wait to hold my little girls in my arms again." The only reply was the lapping of the waves on the side of the ship.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: We're getting close to the end, people! Only a few more chapters and this story will be over. I hope that people will read the Will/OC romance that I hope to write in the near future. I have an idea about the storyline, and I hope that you'll all support me in that piece of work. Anyway, please leave a review, and have a Happy New Year!