Disclaimer: My precious Jack was stolen from me and is now owned by
Disney.
AN: Sorry for not updating sooner, but moving back to the college campus and doing all of the homework was a bitch. Not to mention that the weather has turned very cold and icy, and that makes me not want to leave my warm, comfy bed. But enough excuses: on with the chapter!
Chapter 13: Wedding, Interruptions, and Confrontations:
The day of Bill and Julia's wedding dawned bright and clear, much like every other day in the Caribbean. Jack and Governor Swann had spared no expense when paying for the wedding, and both bride and groom were dressed like royalty. Julia had a beautiful white gown of the finest silk, and Bill had a silk shirt, stockings, and gloves, all complimented with a brown velvet vest, coat, and pants. The two were quite elegant on their own, and their families couldn't wait to see the two of them together at the altar. Flowers decorated the garland of the altar, which had been placed on the beach by the Governor's home, and there was an area for the crew of the Pearl to stand and watch the wedding. Governor Swann, Will, Elizabeth, and (most surprisingly of all) Commodore Norrington, were the only people from the higher classes invited to the wedding, considering that most people wouldn't be caught dead at a pirate wedding.
Finally, after eight days of waiting, the two lovebirds were ready. As Bill stood at the altar with his father and grandfather beside him (and with Commodore Norrington to perform the ceremony, as he had years before), the most exquisite sight appeared from the crowd. Julia had arrived on the arm of her father, her dark hair falling in waves down her back, accented by the white silk of her gown and the white roses in her hair and bouquet. She practically floated down the aisle to the altar, where Jack kissed her on the cheek before going to his wife's side, releasing Julia into Bill's hands. The wedding began the same way it always had, with the questioning of the bride and groom being together through all of life's hardships, and loving one another for eternity. Now Commodore Norrington had come to one of the most critical lines of the ceremony.
"If there is anyone here who believes that these two people should not be wed in holy matrimony, let them speak now of forever hold their peace," the Commodore declared.
"I protest against this outrage!" yelled a voice at the back of the procession.
The crew of the Pearl turned to see who had dared to interrupt the most important day of their captain's daughter's life, and Will and Elizabeth groaned at the sight of Thomas Pierce standing at the end of the aisle with a pistol and sword at his hip, and Lord William Holloway at his side.
"I don't believe this," Jack grumbled. He headed for the maniac who had caused so many traumas to his family, Lara walking along by his side. As the elder Sparrows approached the two men, both Thomas and Lord Holloway froze, surprised to see the woman who was the embodiment of their heart's desire approach and speak to them.
"Thomas, what do you think you're doing?!" Lara Sparrow exclaimed, glaring at the man who had kidnapped her daughters and nearly killed her son.
"Lara," Thomas said, smiling at her. He reached for her hand, but Jack knocked it aside.
"I don't think you'll want to be doing that, mate," Jack threatened, hate and anger in his voice. Thomas's eyes narrowed in response, but withdrew his hand and remained quiet.
"Anne?" whispered Lord Holloway, still staring in shock.
Lara turned and looked at him. "I'm sorry?" she said in confusion.
Lord Holloway stepped forward and reached out to touch Lara's face. "My darling little girl," he whispered. Suddenly, he enveloped her in a huge hug. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
Lara managed to wiggle out of his grasp, a disturbed look on her face. "I'm sorry, sir, but you must have me confused with someone else," she said, retreating to Jack's arms.
Lord Holloway looked hurt. "Anne, don't you recognize your own father?" he asked, reaching for her. Lara further retreated into the safety of Jack's arms, which angered the lord. "Anne, step away from that pirate this instant!" he exclaimed, reaching for her and trying to pry her out of Jack's arms.
"Let me go!" Lara cried, slapping him in the face. "Who do you think you are, ordering me around like a child? I am a fully matured and married woman, with three children grown. You have no right to treat me like this!" Meanwhile, Jack's expression had turned hostile the moment Lord Holloway had reached for his wife. Lara noticed this and grabbed Jack's arm to prevent him from hurting someone.
Lord Holloway stepped back in shock, touching his face to check for injuries. He looked into her face and saw her glaring at him as she kept Jack from attacking. "So you really did marry a pirate?" he asked, scanning Jack up and down. "A filthy, stinking dog of a pirate is your husband. I never thought that you would do something so defiant."
Lara frowned at him. "You have no right to presume to know me!" she said, while she and Jack still held on to one another.
"I have every right!" Lord Holloway declared, narrowing his eyes at her. "I am your father! I raised you to be a proper, obedient woman after your mother died, and I know you better than you know yourself!"
"You know nothing!" Lara growled. "I am an independent woman. I can fight, sail, and do things like a true pirate. I am also the wife of Captain Jack Sparrow!"
"I will not accept this pirate as the husband of my daughter!" Lord Holloway yelled, pointing at Jack. "This is a false marriage; no priest would join a woman to a pirate!"
"That would be correct," Commodore Norrington said, stepping forward, his blue and gold-braided uniform capturing Lord Holloway's attention. "No priest married the two of them. It was I who performed the ceremony and Governor Swann who approved and signed the certificate. Therefore, their marriage is perfectly valid."
Throughout the entire argument, Thomas Pierce had been staring at Lara as she stood wrapped in Jack's arms. His eyes now drifted to Julia, who stood at the altar with Bill, their hands still clasped lovingly in preparation for the final part of their wedding ceremony. His eyes narrowed, and he grasped Lord Holloway's arm.
"Perhaps you were unable to prevent your daughter's marriage to a pirate, but you can prevent your granddaughter from marrying the grandson of a pirate!" Thomas said, pointing towards the bride and groom.
Lord Holloway's eyes narrowed as he charged up the aisle and grabbed Julia's hands out of Bill's. "I may have lost my daughter to a pirate, but I will not lose my granddaughter the same way," he growled as he began to pull Julia down the aisle.
"Let me go!" Julia cried, struggling in the lord's grasp.
Bill made to go after her, but was stopped when Lord Holloway pulled a pistol out of his coat and pointed it at him. "I wouldn't try anything, young man," he threatened. The crowd of wedding guests and the Sparrow family backed away slowly, just in case the lord decided to do something drastic to Julia.
As the lord dragged his captive down the aisle towards Thomas, Julia decided that she'd had enough of being dragged to places she didn't want to go. As she passed by Mr. Gibbs, she subtly waved her hand at his waist. Mr. Gibbs barely nodded his head before his unsheathed the dagger and passed it to her. She took the weapon in her hand and hid it in the folds of her gown. As she was dragged closer to the end of the aisle, where her parents stood next to Thomas, she slammed her foot down onto Lord Holloway's foot, causing him to let go, clutching his foot in pain. Julia then took the dagger and clubbed him in the back of the head with the hilt, knocking him unconscious. For a moment, everything was silent before a huge cheer went up. Several pirates leapt on Thomas and the unconscious Lord Holloway, preventing any chance of escape. Since the wedding was somewhat ruined, everyone decided to proceed with the ceremony after the fates of the captured men were decided.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two days later, Lord Holloway was fully recovered from his blow, and both he and Thomas Pierce agreed to speak to Jack, Lara and Julia without causing a scene. Since Lord Holloway was too high in society to be placed in the common jail, he and Thomas had been placed in the home that once held Thomas over fifteen years before. Ever since Thomas had left Port Royal fifteen years beforehand, the home had often served as a residence for those with mental difficulties. Presently, it was empty of occupants, yet was still quite clean, pleasant, and homelike (once you ignored the bars on the doors and windows). It was believed that the prisoners would be comfortable there.
After making sure that Jack wouldn't try and kill Thomas the instant he saw him, the three Sparrows walked to the residence and knocked on the door, which was well guarded. The guards nodded at the three Sparrows and allowed them inside, where they were then escorted to where Thomas and Lord Holloway awaited them in the living room. The three Sparrows sat on a couch across from the two men. For a moment, things were eerily silent, until Jack decided to speak up.
"Well, this is all nice and quiet, but let's get down to business," he said, waving his hands around theatrically. "Milord, ye seem to think that my wife is your daughter. Why?"
Lord Holloway glared at him. "Because she is," he declared. "My daughter was on a ship bound for England from the Caribbean, but was washed overboard during a storm and never seen again. Mr. Pierce told me of a young woman that perfectly matched her description had washed up in Port Royal a day or two after that storm, only that girl had lost her memory and was renamed and adopted by the Governor. Lara looks exactly the way my Anne would look today."
Lara shook her head. "My Lord, even if I were your daughter, I am no longer the person I once was," she said, looking him in the eye. "I have been the handmaiden to a Governor's daughter and saved her from certain death. Not only that, I fell in love with and married a pirate and bore his children. I am most certainly the opposite of the daughter you once raised. The girl you once knew is gone." She turned angry eyes towards Thomas. "As for you, Mr. Pierce, I was once willing to forgive and forget the wrongs you have done to me, such as my nearly forced marriage to you and my kidnapping, but I cannot forget that you attacked and kidnapped my children. I hope that God will forgive you for that, for I never will."
Thomas gaped. "It was for their own good," he protested. "They deserve a life of luxury in England, where they could be properly raised and married to decent men of honor."
"You mean men like you, Mr. Pierce?" Julia snapped. "Like when you tried to woo me on the voyage to England?" Lord Holloway gaped in surprise, but Julia ignored him. "Oh, yes, I knew what you were doing, and it never would have worked. Even we pirates have rules against marrying insane, slimy, arrogant pigs like you."
Thomas growled as he leapt out of his chair, straight at Julia, who backed away in surprise; she had not expected to be attacked by the madman. Before the others could react, a shot filled the room and Thomas fell face down into the carpet, blood flowing from his back; a soldier stood behind him, lowering a smoking rifle.
"Forgive me," he said, his face filling with panic. "I thought he meant to harm the lady, I didn't mean to kill him."
Jack was kneeling beside Thomas's unconscious form, checking to see if he was alive. "I don't think ye killed him, lad, but if I know rifle injuries, the man will be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life." Jack then stood and went to sit next to his wife. "I hope that ye can live with that, lad." The soldier nodded as other soldiers raced in.
"What happened?" asked an elderly man in uniform. "We heard a shot."
"Mr. Pierce was going to attack my daughter, and this soldier saved her," Lara said, pointing to the soldier. "I hope that you can reward him for his noble deed." The elderly soldier nodded as the other soldiers picked Thomas up and out the door towards a room upstairs.
Later that day, a doctor at the facility announced that Thomas would indeed be paralyzed for life and would never walk again. As the doctor inspected Thomas's wounds, the Sparrows told Lord Holloway of their adventures and of the wrongs Thomas had done over the years; their tales left Lord Holloway in a state of shock. After the doctor's announcement, he turned to speak to the Sparrows.
"I never knew of his past doings," he said to them. "I was wrong in encouraging his pursuit in your family. I will take Thomas back to England with me and keep him in my home with servants and well-trained guards. You will never have to worry about him again." Jack, Lara and Julia all exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. The lord took a deep breath before continuing. "I also now see that the past is gone, as is my daughter. I only hope that I can renew my relationship with you in another way." He looked up at the three Sparrows, his eyes filled with hope. Again the three Sparrows exchanged a look before Julia stepped forward and took his hand.
"Grandfather, I know that you did what you did because you loved your family and still want what's best for them. So, as a part of your family, I'm inviting you to my wedding." She smiled at him. "I can only hope that I have your approval so that the crew of the Black Pearl doesn't hang you for interrupting again."
Lord Holloway smiled. "My dear, you have my word that there will be no interruptions on my part." He then stood up and embraced his granddaughter for the very first time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Only an epilogue left and then there may be a large gap between stories, primarily because Winter Break is over and college homework sucks, so that's the way it will be. Anyway, please review!
AN: Sorry for not updating sooner, but moving back to the college campus and doing all of the homework was a bitch. Not to mention that the weather has turned very cold and icy, and that makes me not want to leave my warm, comfy bed. But enough excuses: on with the chapter!
Chapter 13: Wedding, Interruptions, and Confrontations:
The day of Bill and Julia's wedding dawned bright and clear, much like every other day in the Caribbean. Jack and Governor Swann had spared no expense when paying for the wedding, and both bride and groom were dressed like royalty. Julia had a beautiful white gown of the finest silk, and Bill had a silk shirt, stockings, and gloves, all complimented with a brown velvet vest, coat, and pants. The two were quite elegant on their own, and their families couldn't wait to see the two of them together at the altar. Flowers decorated the garland of the altar, which had been placed on the beach by the Governor's home, and there was an area for the crew of the Pearl to stand and watch the wedding. Governor Swann, Will, Elizabeth, and (most surprisingly of all) Commodore Norrington, were the only people from the higher classes invited to the wedding, considering that most people wouldn't be caught dead at a pirate wedding.
Finally, after eight days of waiting, the two lovebirds were ready. As Bill stood at the altar with his father and grandfather beside him (and with Commodore Norrington to perform the ceremony, as he had years before), the most exquisite sight appeared from the crowd. Julia had arrived on the arm of her father, her dark hair falling in waves down her back, accented by the white silk of her gown and the white roses in her hair and bouquet. She practically floated down the aisle to the altar, where Jack kissed her on the cheek before going to his wife's side, releasing Julia into Bill's hands. The wedding began the same way it always had, with the questioning of the bride and groom being together through all of life's hardships, and loving one another for eternity. Now Commodore Norrington had come to one of the most critical lines of the ceremony.
"If there is anyone here who believes that these two people should not be wed in holy matrimony, let them speak now of forever hold their peace," the Commodore declared.
"I protest against this outrage!" yelled a voice at the back of the procession.
The crew of the Pearl turned to see who had dared to interrupt the most important day of their captain's daughter's life, and Will and Elizabeth groaned at the sight of Thomas Pierce standing at the end of the aisle with a pistol and sword at his hip, and Lord William Holloway at his side.
"I don't believe this," Jack grumbled. He headed for the maniac who had caused so many traumas to his family, Lara walking along by his side. As the elder Sparrows approached the two men, both Thomas and Lord Holloway froze, surprised to see the woman who was the embodiment of their heart's desire approach and speak to them.
"Thomas, what do you think you're doing?!" Lara Sparrow exclaimed, glaring at the man who had kidnapped her daughters and nearly killed her son.
"Lara," Thomas said, smiling at her. He reached for her hand, but Jack knocked it aside.
"I don't think you'll want to be doing that, mate," Jack threatened, hate and anger in his voice. Thomas's eyes narrowed in response, but withdrew his hand and remained quiet.
"Anne?" whispered Lord Holloway, still staring in shock.
Lara turned and looked at him. "I'm sorry?" she said in confusion.
Lord Holloway stepped forward and reached out to touch Lara's face. "My darling little girl," he whispered. Suddenly, he enveloped her in a huge hug. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
Lara managed to wiggle out of his grasp, a disturbed look on her face. "I'm sorry, sir, but you must have me confused with someone else," she said, retreating to Jack's arms.
Lord Holloway looked hurt. "Anne, don't you recognize your own father?" he asked, reaching for her. Lara further retreated into the safety of Jack's arms, which angered the lord. "Anne, step away from that pirate this instant!" he exclaimed, reaching for her and trying to pry her out of Jack's arms.
"Let me go!" Lara cried, slapping him in the face. "Who do you think you are, ordering me around like a child? I am a fully matured and married woman, with three children grown. You have no right to treat me like this!" Meanwhile, Jack's expression had turned hostile the moment Lord Holloway had reached for his wife. Lara noticed this and grabbed Jack's arm to prevent him from hurting someone.
Lord Holloway stepped back in shock, touching his face to check for injuries. He looked into her face and saw her glaring at him as she kept Jack from attacking. "So you really did marry a pirate?" he asked, scanning Jack up and down. "A filthy, stinking dog of a pirate is your husband. I never thought that you would do something so defiant."
Lara frowned at him. "You have no right to presume to know me!" she said, while she and Jack still held on to one another.
"I have every right!" Lord Holloway declared, narrowing his eyes at her. "I am your father! I raised you to be a proper, obedient woman after your mother died, and I know you better than you know yourself!"
"You know nothing!" Lara growled. "I am an independent woman. I can fight, sail, and do things like a true pirate. I am also the wife of Captain Jack Sparrow!"
"I will not accept this pirate as the husband of my daughter!" Lord Holloway yelled, pointing at Jack. "This is a false marriage; no priest would join a woman to a pirate!"
"That would be correct," Commodore Norrington said, stepping forward, his blue and gold-braided uniform capturing Lord Holloway's attention. "No priest married the two of them. It was I who performed the ceremony and Governor Swann who approved and signed the certificate. Therefore, their marriage is perfectly valid."
Throughout the entire argument, Thomas Pierce had been staring at Lara as she stood wrapped in Jack's arms. His eyes now drifted to Julia, who stood at the altar with Bill, their hands still clasped lovingly in preparation for the final part of their wedding ceremony. His eyes narrowed, and he grasped Lord Holloway's arm.
"Perhaps you were unable to prevent your daughter's marriage to a pirate, but you can prevent your granddaughter from marrying the grandson of a pirate!" Thomas said, pointing towards the bride and groom.
Lord Holloway's eyes narrowed as he charged up the aisle and grabbed Julia's hands out of Bill's. "I may have lost my daughter to a pirate, but I will not lose my granddaughter the same way," he growled as he began to pull Julia down the aisle.
"Let me go!" Julia cried, struggling in the lord's grasp.
Bill made to go after her, but was stopped when Lord Holloway pulled a pistol out of his coat and pointed it at him. "I wouldn't try anything, young man," he threatened. The crowd of wedding guests and the Sparrow family backed away slowly, just in case the lord decided to do something drastic to Julia.
As the lord dragged his captive down the aisle towards Thomas, Julia decided that she'd had enough of being dragged to places she didn't want to go. As she passed by Mr. Gibbs, she subtly waved her hand at his waist. Mr. Gibbs barely nodded his head before his unsheathed the dagger and passed it to her. She took the weapon in her hand and hid it in the folds of her gown. As she was dragged closer to the end of the aisle, where her parents stood next to Thomas, she slammed her foot down onto Lord Holloway's foot, causing him to let go, clutching his foot in pain. Julia then took the dagger and clubbed him in the back of the head with the hilt, knocking him unconscious. For a moment, everything was silent before a huge cheer went up. Several pirates leapt on Thomas and the unconscious Lord Holloway, preventing any chance of escape. Since the wedding was somewhat ruined, everyone decided to proceed with the ceremony after the fates of the captured men were decided.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two days later, Lord Holloway was fully recovered from his blow, and both he and Thomas Pierce agreed to speak to Jack, Lara and Julia without causing a scene. Since Lord Holloway was too high in society to be placed in the common jail, he and Thomas had been placed in the home that once held Thomas over fifteen years before. Ever since Thomas had left Port Royal fifteen years beforehand, the home had often served as a residence for those with mental difficulties. Presently, it was empty of occupants, yet was still quite clean, pleasant, and homelike (once you ignored the bars on the doors and windows). It was believed that the prisoners would be comfortable there.
After making sure that Jack wouldn't try and kill Thomas the instant he saw him, the three Sparrows walked to the residence and knocked on the door, which was well guarded. The guards nodded at the three Sparrows and allowed them inside, where they were then escorted to where Thomas and Lord Holloway awaited them in the living room. The three Sparrows sat on a couch across from the two men. For a moment, things were eerily silent, until Jack decided to speak up.
"Well, this is all nice and quiet, but let's get down to business," he said, waving his hands around theatrically. "Milord, ye seem to think that my wife is your daughter. Why?"
Lord Holloway glared at him. "Because she is," he declared. "My daughter was on a ship bound for England from the Caribbean, but was washed overboard during a storm and never seen again. Mr. Pierce told me of a young woman that perfectly matched her description had washed up in Port Royal a day or two after that storm, only that girl had lost her memory and was renamed and adopted by the Governor. Lara looks exactly the way my Anne would look today."
Lara shook her head. "My Lord, even if I were your daughter, I am no longer the person I once was," she said, looking him in the eye. "I have been the handmaiden to a Governor's daughter and saved her from certain death. Not only that, I fell in love with and married a pirate and bore his children. I am most certainly the opposite of the daughter you once raised. The girl you once knew is gone." She turned angry eyes towards Thomas. "As for you, Mr. Pierce, I was once willing to forgive and forget the wrongs you have done to me, such as my nearly forced marriage to you and my kidnapping, but I cannot forget that you attacked and kidnapped my children. I hope that God will forgive you for that, for I never will."
Thomas gaped. "It was for their own good," he protested. "They deserve a life of luxury in England, where they could be properly raised and married to decent men of honor."
"You mean men like you, Mr. Pierce?" Julia snapped. "Like when you tried to woo me on the voyage to England?" Lord Holloway gaped in surprise, but Julia ignored him. "Oh, yes, I knew what you were doing, and it never would have worked. Even we pirates have rules against marrying insane, slimy, arrogant pigs like you."
Thomas growled as he leapt out of his chair, straight at Julia, who backed away in surprise; she had not expected to be attacked by the madman. Before the others could react, a shot filled the room and Thomas fell face down into the carpet, blood flowing from his back; a soldier stood behind him, lowering a smoking rifle.
"Forgive me," he said, his face filling with panic. "I thought he meant to harm the lady, I didn't mean to kill him."
Jack was kneeling beside Thomas's unconscious form, checking to see if he was alive. "I don't think ye killed him, lad, but if I know rifle injuries, the man will be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life." Jack then stood and went to sit next to his wife. "I hope that ye can live with that, lad." The soldier nodded as other soldiers raced in.
"What happened?" asked an elderly man in uniform. "We heard a shot."
"Mr. Pierce was going to attack my daughter, and this soldier saved her," Lara said, pointing to the soldier. "I hope that you can reward him for his noble deed." The elderly soldier nodded as the other soldiers picked Thomas up and out the door towards a room upstairs.
Later that day, a doctor at the facility announced that Thomas would indeed be paralyzed for life and would never walk again. As the doctor inspected Thomas's wounds, the Sparrows told Lord Holloway of their adventures and of the wrongs Thomas had done over the years; their tales left Lord Holloway in a state of shock. After the doctor's announcement, he turned to speak to the Sparrows.
"I never knew of his past doings," he said to them. "I was wrong in encouraging his pursuit in your family. I will take Thomas back to England with me and keep him in my home with servants and well-trained guards. You will never have to worry about him again." Jack, Lara and Julia all exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. The lord took a deep breath before continuing. "I also now see that the past is gone, as is my daughter. I only hope that I can renew my relationship with you in another way." He looked up at the three Sparrows, his eyes filled with hope. Again the three Sparrows exchanged a look before Julia stepped forward and took his hand.
"Grandfather, I know that you did what you did because you loved your family and still want what's best for them. So, as a part of your family, I'm inviting you to my wedding." She smiled at him. "I can only hope that I have your approval so that the crew of the Black Pearl doesn't hang you for interrupting again."
Lord Holloway smiled. "My dear, you have my word that there will be no interruptions on my part." He then stood up and embraced his granddaughter for the very first time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Only an epilogue left and then there may be a large gap between stories, primarily because Winter Break is over and college homework sucks, so that's the way it will be. Anyway, please review!