Shadows Over the Sea
By Illoria
A/N: You may want to backtrack a bit, because there have been changes made to the last chapter with the battle aboard the Odyssey. It just didn't... sit right, I guess, with me, so I changed a bit so that Jack's actions were in defense of the Odyssey's captain. 'K?
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Chapter Nine
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When Jack was twenty-one, he was a part of the crew of the Endeavor during their raid on the town of Port St. Lucie; the Antoine during their raid on three consecutive pirate ships on the open sea; and the Azura during a voyage to Trinidad that involved Jack disguising as a member of the royal navy to get the other pirates out of a compromising situation that involved a stowaway and lots of rum.
Yes, it was a very busy year for him.
By the time Jack was twenty-two he had an undeniable reputation among pirates for his swordfighting skills and his daft but crazy ideas. Sometimes his reputation was a favorable one; sometimes it wasn't. It all depended on whether things had gone well or not on particular voyages. For instance, the crew of the Endeavor liked Jack very much because the raid on Port St. Lucie had earned them a small fortune. The Antoine's crew favored Jack because they now had the treasure of all three of those ships. The Azura's crew, however, were out to get Jack because of the whole incident in Trinidad, during which they were almost all hung. They didn't acknowledge that Jack was the one who got them out of the situation… just the one that got them into it.
His reputation was pretty much split down the middle… pirates mostly either owed him their lives, or wanted him dead. Nonetheless, he received many offers for permanent positions on many ships… all of which he declined. He was waiting for something else.
By the time Jack was twenty-four, he was still actively searching for that something.
He woke up sprawled out on the shore, the tide lapping at him. He must've fallen asleep there after consuming a particularly large amount of rum the night before. So when he awoke with a splitting headache, he was sandy and partially wet on one side from the tide coming in. He opened his eyes quickly, which was a mistake, seeing as he was lying on his back facing upwards and the first thing he saw was the blinding sun directly above him. He groaned and closed his eyes again.
Flashes of the night before came back to him as he lay on the shore. He'd been in the Faithful Bride, of course.
**
"So Jack, got yerself a ship yet?"
"I'm in the market."
"I know of a ship. Real beauty. Casey Avoy's lookin' to sell her, I hear."
Jack had been leaning back precariously in his chair, and upon hearing this he let himself fall forward. He leaned in closer to the man.
"Is she here?"
The man shook his head. "No, no, not yet. Casey's just bringin' 'er back from a voyage to Singapore. 'Er last voyage, he was sayin'."
"When are they getting back?" Jack asked, his interest growing by the second.
The man took a moment to think. "Should be gettin' back this week, actually," he replied eventually.
"How old is she?"
"Only a year. In prime condition, she is," the man answered.
**
Jack decided eventually to give the whole opening his eyes bit a second try. Slowly, he opened them, being sure to bring up a hand to shield them from the sun. After this task was completed, he sat up (slowly) in the sand and (slowly) brought down his hand. He got up and started walking toward the docks, paying no mind to the various stares directed toward him, seeing as he hadn't even bothered to dust the sand off of himself, and also one of his sleeves was dripping wet. He got to the docks quickly, and sure enough he saw a new ship docked there.
He literally stopped in his tracks at the sight of her. The ship was a wreck.
Her hull was splintered in a few places, and the mainmast had suffered considerable damage. It was a small marvel that the ship had even managed to sail into port with the gaping hole on her starboard side.
Jack scanned the ship over for a long time. The strange thing was, he saw how beautiful she was. In his mind she wasn't the wreck that she was, but she was without a doubt the best ship he had ever seen.
He asked around the docks for Casey Avoy, the ship's owner. Eventually someone pointed Casey out to him, and he rushed over to the man.
Casey was talking to someone else, but Jack paid no heed. "'Ello, mate!" he called out. Casey turned around.
Jack stepped closer. "Jack Sparrow," he said, extending a hand. Casey looked at him skeptically, but shook the hand.
"I heard that you're currently looking to sell your ship," Jack pushed forward.
Casey was still looking at Jack skeptically. "You… seen my ship?" he asked eventually, his voice sounding wary.
Jack folded his hands together and looked at Casey over them. "Of course I've seen your ship," he said, throwing his arms out. "She's a beauty."
Now Casey was looking at him like he was insane. "You seen my ship… today?"
Jack dropped his hands. "Of course I have!" he said, as if Casey's question was absurd.
"Then you know of the damage?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Nothing that couldn't be fixed, mate. Now do you want to sell your ship or not?"
Casey raised his eyebrows. "How about we… get a drink and talk?" he ventured.
Jack smiled coyly. "Knew you'd see it my way."
**
Casey and Jack went to the Faithful Bride upon Jack's suggestion… all right, upon Jack's insistence. Casey ordered a mug of ale, and Jack had – what else? – rum.
Casey was talking over a barmaid who was currently sitting on his lap. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I…" The barmaid was playing with a strand of his hair. "…am still lookin' to sell my…" Her hands strayed down to the buttons on his shirt. "Listen, I'll catch up with ye later, Stacey," he said sharply to the woman. She huffed and got up from her place on his lap, walking away. Casey looked after her for a brief moment, mumbled something under his breath, and went on.
"Anyway Jack," Casey continued, "I don't think she's still for sale. Right rotten luck last voyage. Got raided by the Azura… we won, but only after they'd blasted those holes in 'er hull. Then we hit a storm, and that's the reason fer the damage to the mainmast. Those repairs would cost too much of my money."
Jack leaned his head back and studied Casey down the bridge of his nose, a mischievous sort of glint in his eyes. His lips curved upward in a smile eventually, as he leaned back in his chair.
He raised his hand. "Ah, but what if the man interested in buying your ship were to pay for said repairs?"
Casey's eyes widened interestedly. "It's a lot of money," he said eventually.
Jack leaned forward, unfastening a large pouch from his belt. He turned the black velvet pouch over, and a wealth of gold coins spilled onto the table.
Casey picked up one of the coins, examining it in awe.
"I think there will be enough to pay for the repairs," Jack said after a little while, "and the ship. Savvy?"
Casey replaced the coin, and Jack scooped the lot of them back into his pouch.
Jack grinned as he realized that he'd taken Casey completely by surprise. Casey was still staring at the place on the table where the gold coins had been. Eventually he looked back up at Jack, cracking a smile.
"You pay for the repairs, and we'll take it from there," Casey said. "Savvy?" he added mockingly.
Jack scowled. "I'm not about to fall for that, mate," he said. "You're going to make me pay for your ship's repairs… and then keep her for yourself." He was securing the pouch back onto his belt.
Casey's expression remained unchanged. "It depends… on how much gold you'll have left…"
Jack studied the man sitting across from him, staring right into his eyes. He saw Casey flinch eventually under his gaze.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Jack outstretched his hand to Casey, who shook it. Then in a flash, Jack had the other man pinned to the table, sword at his neck.
"And if you go back on your deal…" was all Jack said before releasing the man.
Casey straightened and nodded, visibly trying not to look flustered. "It's a deal."
**
Over the next month, a crew of architects was paid by Jack to perform the necessary repairs on Casey's ship. The hole on the starboard side was fixed, as were the splintered parts of the hull. The repairs to the mainmast took a long time, but eventually they were finished. On the last day of the repairs, Jack handed over a large sum of gold coins to the chief architect. Casey stood by his side on the dock, and both of them looked over the ship. She was beautiful, even more beautiful than Jack's image of her had been upon their first meeting.
Casey and Jack boarded the ship and walked around. Jack immediately strayed to the helm, where he started running his hands affectionately over the wheel.
Jack wheeled around as he heard Casey's footsteps behind him.
"So?" was all Jack said.
Casey looked around his ship again, as if he couldn't believe it. He looked back at Jack and let out his breath, beginning to chuckle softly. Jack looked him over suspiciously, one hand still lying protectively on the wheel.
"Now Jack," Casey said somewhat cautiously. "I 'ave another man wantin' to buy her."
Jack stepped closer to Casey, his hand reluctantly leaving the wheel. "How much is he offering?"
"Same as your offer," Casey responded.
He couldn't go any higher than he'd already agreed to pay for the ship… "Well, I suppose there's only one solution then!" Jack said finally, throwing his arms up.
"What's that?" Casey asked.
"Introduce us, and…," Jack explained," …we'll come to an accord."
Casey nodded. "Alright then," he said. "He should be around 'ere somewhere. Name's Barbossa."
**
Casey and Jack disembarked and walked through the streets of Tortuga until they found the man they were looking for in a tavern called the Blue Dolphin. The two walked over to the man, who was sitting alone in a corner with a mug of ale. Jack didn't hesitate to pull up a chair across from him, and the man looked up at him. Casey explained.
"This is Jack Sparrow," Casey said. "He's interested in buying my ship. Suggested you two 'ave a talk about it."
"How much is your offer?" the man named Barbossa asked Jack immediately. Jack told him, leaving them both without many options for negotiation, seeing as neither was willing to raise the already high price.
Jack noticed Barbossa's hand was resting on the hilt of a sword whose sheath was strapped to his belt.
"Are you any good with that?" Jack asked, nodding toward Barbossa's sword.
"I like to think so," Barbossa answered.
"We duel then," Jack said finally. "Winner has the ship." He stood. "Savvy?"
Barbossa stood too. "You're a bold one, 'Jack Sparrow'," he said. "Fine then," he conceded. "We duel."
**
Jack and Barbossa found a spot on the shore where they would be uninterrupted, and where neither of them would have any sort of advantage. In the background was the faint figure of the ship they were dueling for. They wasted no time getting started, and it soon became apparent that Jack and Barbossa were both very skilled with a sword, and were equally matched.
It was a challenge for Jack to block Barbossa's clever attacks, but Barbossa was having a hard time deflecting Jack's. The two were still fighting viciously when the sun was beginning to set. Jack would've normally been tired after a whole day of dueling, but in this case he wasn't tired in the least bit. He fought with an intense fervor, the silhouette of the ship seeming to call out to him to win the duel, to win her. Jack needed that ship, it was a want deep inside of him, it was how he could already envision what it would be like sailing toward the horizon with her, how he could already hear the distinct way the waves would lap against her sides, how he could already feel the spray of the sea as he set off as her captain.
Blade against blade. Neither man would ever back down, even after the sun set and the only light was from the full moon. They circled and lunged and blocked and deflected with skill and fervor, the sounds of their duel clanging through the air, contrasting with the lapping of the tide onto the shore. Jack had a cut on his face that was luckily not deep and had stopped bleeding by now. Barbossa's shirtsleeve was torn, revealing a gash running across his arm.
Circle, lunge block and counter. Sidestep and attack. It went on for a long time still, until Jack found an opportunity.
Barbossa swung his sword at Jack, and Jack slammed his own blade against Barbossa's, deflecting it downward. As Barbossa started to bring the sword up again, Jack quickly lunged to Barbossa's side and as Barbossa was turning, Jack slammed his blade against Barbossa's again, the force sending the sword off to the left and causing Barbossa's grip to loosen slightly.
Jack seized the opportunity and soon had the other man disarmed, Jack's sword at Barbossa's neck.
Barbossa looked down the blade and at Jack holding it steady, not even inches from causing a fatal wound. Barbossa, however, did not flinch. He just stared at Jack, almost threatening him to make a move. Jack didn't move, though. He kept the sword steady at Barbossa's neck. The tide lapped on the shore.
"So this is it then?" Barbossa asked finally.
"I could kill you now," Jack said, the sword coming even closer to making contact, "… or… I could let you live and make you my first-mate."
Barbossa was taken off-guard, Jack saw as the man's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly. He quickly regained his composure, however, regarding Jack skeptically across the blade being held dangerously to his neck.
"So what'll it be?" Jack asked eventually.
"Why are ye givin' me a choice?!" Barbossa asked.
Jack shrugged one shoulder, causing the blade to move up to rest right beneath Barbossa's chin.
"What's your decision?" Jack asked again without giving an explanation.
"I'll take your offer, Jack Sparrow."
Jack lowered the blade slowly and eventually sheathed it. He still had Barbossa's sword in his other hand.
"That'll be Captain Jack Sparrow."
**
Jack bought the ship on what he thought to surely be the best day of his life. The ship still docked, he stood at the helm alone that day. He ran his hands over the wheel, a smile playing on his lips.
She was beautiful. And unique – with the new repairs and touch-ups, the chief architect had told him she'd be one of the fastest ships around.
Rare and beautiful.
He named her the Black Pearl.
**
Jack and Barbossa wasted no time rounding up a crew in Tortuga. In just one week, the entire crew was assembled on deck.
"Captain, we're still one crew member short."
He told the sailmaster not to worry, he had someone in mind.
**
That night, Jack and the whole crew went out for drinks at the Faithful Bride. Jack got involved in a gambling game over a hat, and won it by rolling double sixes. After weaving one of the winning dice into his hair that was now held back by a red bandana, he put his hat on, left the tavern and boarded the Pearl.
The next day, they set out with Jack at the helm. The Pearl's speed was discovered, as they arrived in Port Royal very quickly. The Black Pearl was stashed away in a cove as Jack and a few of his men rowed into shore. The crew members went around town while Jack sought out William's house. After a bit of asking around and dodging anyone who looked to be wealthy, Jack found out the address. However, the man who told him said that the house had been empty for almost four years now. Jack, disbelieving, made his way to the house anyway. After knocking on the door and getting no response, he cautiously crept inside. The front room was completely bare, and after a bit of inspection he discovered that the same was true about the rest of the house.
"That's interesting," he mumbled to himself as he left the house, closing the door lightly behind him.
Jack hadn't seen William in seven years… he hadn't even realized it'd been that long. He'd gotten a note from him now and then, and from these he knew that William had joined the crew of a pirate ship called the Renegade, like he'd said he was going to. His letters always mentioned Caroline and Will, and how much he missed them.
So why were Caroline and Will gone? William must've known…
Jack was thinking about this when he ran into someone. The 'someone' mumbled his apologies and started to walk away, but then stopped as he noticed Jack.
"Jack Sparrow?"
Jack's eyes widened. It was Charlie, the Odyssey's quartermaster.
"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked.
"Looking for a certain William Turner," Jack responded.
"Bootstrap Bill?" Charlie said. Jack nodded. "I've heard o' him… sailmaster on the Renegade, right? They're supposed to be docking 'ere by next week."
Jack folded his hands in his traditional gesture of thanks. "Many thanks," he said as he started walking away.
**
Jack gave the orders to remain anchored in the cove until the Renegade arrived. The crew wasn't happy about this.
"Don't you think we should be setting off?" Barbossa asked.
Jack glared at his first-mate. "No," he said simply. "We're a crew member short, and we're waiting here for someone I know will be wanting to fill the position, savvy?"
Barbossa nodded, looking reluctant. "Just dangerous, stayin' in Port Royal for that long," he said. "Just warnin' ye, Captain."
"I'm sure I don't need your warnings."
**
Sure enough, the Renegade docked in Port Royal at the beginning of the next week. Jack was already at the docks, waiting for William to disembark.
Jack saw William walking down the gangplank, and broke into a grin as he walked right up to the end of the plank. William's eyes widened in shock as he saw Jack.
"What…" William stumbled. "What are you doing here?"
Jack really wasn't sure where to start, and he was waving his arms about as if trying to snatch an explanation from the air. Finally he just pointed at the figure of the Black Pearl sitting in the distant cove.
"Mate… see that ship there?"
William nodded.
"She's mine."
William turned back to Jack, eyes getting even wider. "You've got yourself a ship now?"
"Aye. The Black Pearl," Jack said reverently.
"She's…" William shook his head, looking back at the Pearl. "…beautiful."
Jack grinned even wider. "That she is," he said.
"Captain… Jack Sparrow?" William said eventually.
"Aye," Jack said proudly. "And I, 'Captain' Jack Sparrow, am a crew member short. … I'm here to extend an invitation."
**
William agreed without a second thought to join Jack's crew… making himself a few enemies on the Renegade in the process. But William had little time to worry about this, Jack inferred, as he was focused on visiting his family.
As soon as William said this Jack did a double take. So William didn't know that his house was empty, that Caroline and William had gone? That the house, from what he'd heard, had been empty for four years now?
Jack jumped in front of William as he was making his way off the docks.
"Now do ye really want to be doin' that, mate?" Jack asked. "I mean-" William sidestepped Jack, who had to dive in front of him again. "-I'm sure they're out right now, right?"
William sidestepped Jack again, who only resumed his stance blocking William's route.
"What's going on, Jack?" William said as he had to circle around Jack to get ahead of him. William started walking into town, Jack at his heel.
"It's just… We have to get going!" Jack pushed forward. "The Pearl's waiting! We need to get going…" He jumped in front of William again.
"Would you stop that?!" William said, having to sidestep Jack again.
"I just don't think you want to be… going… home…"
Jack trailed off as he realized they had arrived at William's house. William was smiling as he opened the door, but the smile abruptly dropped off of his face as he realized the house's state. He backed out of the doorframe, his face etched with pain.
"Ye knew about this?"
Jack nodded, walking over and placing a hand on William's shoulder.
"Where are they?"
"Haven't a clue, mate," Jack said. "Last week I figured Caroline could tell me when you'd be coming back and… well, she… wasn't here to tell me so…" Jack racked his brain for things to say. He really wasn't good at this 'consoling' business.
William looked down, shaking his head. "I shoulda known…" he mumbled more to himself than to Jack. "I was always gone. Shoulda known Caro wouldn't be puttin' up with that…"
"Well if she just up and left like this, she's not worth your trouble!" Jack proclaimed, kicking himself mentally after he'd said it. No, he REALLY wasn't good at consoling.
William' eyes were closed as he turned away from the house. "How long?" he asked finally.
Jack winced a bit before he responded, "Four years." He rushed forward: "But mate, she'll be coming back, savvy?, and you'll see 'em again, or if she doesn't come back, the bloody…" -he mumbled something under his breath here- "…you, William, are going to find her."
William took a moment before he said anything. He looked strained, standing there with his back to the empty place, as if he was waiting for something to happen that he knew he wouldn't like. But finally, he turned back around, eyes open with the usual glint in them, and he said, "Best be goin', eh?"
"Aye." Jack grinned and turned, leading William to the Black Pearl.
**
Review, review, review! :D I will appreciate it a WHOLE LOT if you do.
By Illoria
A/N: You may want to backtrack a bit, because there have been changes made to the last chapter with the battle aboard the Odyssey. It just didn't... sit right, I guess, with me, so I changed a bit so that Jack's actions were in defense of the Odyssey's captain. 'K?
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Chapter Nine
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When Jack was twenty-one, he was a part of the crew of the Endeavor during their raid on the town of Port St. Lucie; the Antoine during their raid on three consecutive pirate ships on the open sea; and the Azura during a voyage to Trinidad that involved Jack disguising as a member of the royal navy to get the other pirates out of a compromising situation that involved a stowaway and lots of rum.
Yes, it was a very busy year for him.
By the time Jack was twenty-two he had an undeniable reputation among pirates for his swordfighting skills and his daft but crazy ideas. Sometimes his reputation was a favorable one; sometimes it wasn't. It all depended on whether things had gone well or not on particular voyages. For instance, the crew of the Endeavor liked Jack very much because the raid on Port St. Lucie had earned them a small fortune. The Antoine's crew favored Jack because they now had the treasure of all three of those ships. The Azura's crew, however, were out to get Jack because of the whole incident in Trinidad, during which they were almost all hung. They didn't acknowledge that Jack was the one who got them out of the situation… just the one that got them into it.
His reputation was pretty much split down the middle… pirates mostly either owed him their lives, or wanted him dead. Nonetheless, he received many offers for permanent positions on many ships… all of which he declined. He was waiting for something else.
By the time Jack was twenty-four, he was still actively searching for that something.
He woke up sprawled out on the shore, the tide lapping at him. He must've fallen asleep there after consuming a particularly large amount of rum the night before. So when he awoke with a splitting headache, he was sandy and partially wet on one side from the tide coming in. He opened his eyes quickly, which was a mistake, seeing as he was lying on his back facing upwards and the first thing he saw was the blinding sun directly above him. He groaned and closed his eyes again.
Flashes of the night before came back to him as he lay on the shore. He'd been in the Faithful Bride, of course.
**
"So Jack, got yerself a ship yet?"
"I'm in the market."
"I know of a ship. Real beauty. Casey Avoy's lookin' to sell her, I hear."
Jack had been leaning back precariously in his chair, and upon hearing this he let himself fall forward. He leaned in closer to the man.
"Is she here?"
The man shook his head. "No, no, not yet. Casey's just bringin' 'er back from a voyage to Singapore. 'Er last voyage, he was sayin'."
"When are they getting back?" Jack asked, his interest growing by the second.
The man took a moment to think. "Should be gettin' back this week, actually," he replied eventually.
"How old is she?"
"Only a year. In prime condition, she is," the man answered.
**
Jack decided eventually to give the whole opening his eyes bit a second try. Slowly, he opened them, being sure to bring up a hand to shield them from the sun. After this task was completed, he sat up (slowly) in the sand and (slowly) brought down his hand. He got up and started walking toward the docks, paying no mind to the various stares directed toward him, seeing as he hadn't even bothered to dust the sand off of himself, and also one of his sleeves was dripping wet. He got to the docks quickly, and sure enough he saw a new ship docked there.
He literally stopped in his tracks at the sight of her. The ship was a wreck.
Her hull was splintered in a few places, and the mainmast had suffered considerable damage. It was a small marvel that the ship had even managed to sail into port with the gaping hole on her starboard side.
Jack scanned the ship over for a long time. The strange thing was, he saw how beautiful she was. In his mind she wasn't the wreck that she was, but she was without a doubt the best ship he had ever seen.
He asked around the docks for Casey Avoy, the ship's owner. Eventually someone pointed Casey out to him, and he rushed over to the man.
Casey was talking to someone else, but Jack paid no heed. "'Ello, mate!" he called out. Casey turned around.
Jack stepped closer. "Jack Sparrow," he said, extending a hand. Casey looked at him skeptically, but shook the hand.
"I heard that you're currently looking to sell your ship," Jack pushed forward.
Casey was still looking at Jack skeptically. "You… seen my ship?" he asked eventually, his voice sounding wary.
Jack folded his hands together and looked at Casey over them. "Of course I've seen your ship," he said, throwing his arms out. "She's a beauty."
Now Casey was looking at him like he was insane. "You seen my ship… today?"
Jack dropped his hands. "Of course I have!" he said, as if Casey's question was absurd.
"Then you know of the damage?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Nothing that couldn't be fixed, mate. Now do you want to sell your ship or not?"
Casey raised his eyebrows. "How about we… get a drink and talk?" he ventured.
Jack smiled coyly. "Knew you'd see it my way."
**
Casey and Jack went to the Faithful Bride upon Jack's suggestion… all right, upon Jack's insistence. Casey ordered a mug of ale, and Jack had – what else? – rum.
Casey was talking over a barmaid who was currently sitting on his lap. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I…" The barmaid was playing with a strand of his hair. "…am still lookin' to sell my…" Her hands strayed down to the buttons on his shirt. "Listen, I'll catch up with ye later, Stacey," he said sharply to the woman. She huffed and got up from her place on his lap, walking away. Casey looked after her for a brief moment, mumbled something under his breath, and went on.
"Anyway Jack," Casey continued, "I don't think she's still for sale. Right rotten luck last voyage. Got raided by the Azura… we won, but only after they'd blasted those holes in 'er hull. Then we hit a storm, and that's the reason fer the damage to the mainmast. Those repairs would cost too much of my money."
Jack leaned his head back and studied Casey down the bridge of his nose, a mischievous sort of glint in his eyes. His lips curved upward in a smile eventually, as he leaned back in his chair.
He raised his hand. "Ah, but what if the man interested in buying your ship were to pay for said repairs?"
Casey's eyes widened interestedly. "It's a lot of money," he said eventually.
Jack leaned forward, unfastening a large pouch from his belt. He turned the black velvet pouch over, and a wealth of gold coins spilled onto the table.
Casey picked up one of the coins, examining it in awe.
"I think there will be enough to pay for the repairs," Jack said after a little while, "and the ship. Savvy?"
Casey replaced the coin, and Jack scooped the lot of them back into his pouch.
Jack grinned as he realized that he'd taken Casey completely by surprise. Casey was still staring at the place on the table where the gold coins had been. Eventually he looked back up at Jack, cracking a smile.
"You pay for the repairs, and we'll take it from there," Casey said. "Savvy?" he added mockingly.
Jack scowled. "I'm not about to fall for that, mate," he said. "You're going to make me pay for your ship's repairs… and then keep her for yourself." He was securing the pouch back onto his belt.
Casey's expression remained unchanged. "It depends… on how much gold you'll have left…"
Jack studied the man sitting across from him, staring right into his eyes. He saw Casey flinch eventually under his gaze.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Jack outstretched his hand to Casey, who shook it. Then in a flash, Jack had the other man pinned to the table, sword at his neck.
"And if you go back on your deal…" was all Jack said before releasing the man.
Casey straightened and nodded, visibly trying not to look flustered. "It's a deal."
**
Over the next month, a crew of architects was paid by Jack to perform the necessary repairs on Casey's ship. The hole on the starboard side was fixed, as were the splintered parts of the hull. The repairs to the mainmast took a long time, but eventually they were finished. On the last day of the repairs, Jack handed over a large sum of gold coins to the chief architect. Casey stood by his side on the dock, and both of them looked over the ship. She was beautiful, even more beautiful than Jack's image of her had been upon their first meeting.
Casey and Jack boarded the ship and walked around. Jack immediately strayed to the helm, where he started running his hands affectionately over the wheel.
Jack wheeled around as he heard Casey's footsteps behind him.
"So?" was all Jack said.
Casey looked around his ship again, as if he couldn't believe it. He looked back at Jack and let out his breath, beginning to chuckle softly. Jack looked him over suspiciously, one hand still lying protectively on the wheel.
"Now Jack," Casey said somewhat cautiously. "I 'ave another man wantin' to buy her."
Jack stepped closer to Casey, his hand reluctantly leaving the wheel. "How much is he offering?"
"Same as your offer," Casey responded.
He couldn't go any higher than he'd already agreed to pay for the ship… "Well, I suppose there's only one solution then!" Jack said finally, throwing his arms up.
"What's that?" Casey asked.
"Introduce us, and…," Jack explained," …we'll come to an accord."
Casey nodded. "Alright then," he said. "He should be around 'ere somewhere. Name's Barbossa."
**
Casey and Jack disembarked and walked through the streets of Tortuga until they found the man they were looking for in a tavern called the Blue Dolphin. The two walked over to the man, who was sitting alone in a corner with a mug of ale. Jack didn't hesitate to pull up a chair across from him, and the man looked up at him. Casey explained.
"This is Jack Sparrow," Casey said. "He's interested in buying my ship. Suggested you two 'ave a talk about it."
"How much is your offer?" the man named Barbossa asked Jack immediately. Jack told him, leaving them both without many options for negotiation, seeing as neither was willing to raise the already high price.
Jack noticed Barbossa's hand was resting on the hilt of a sword whose sheath was strapped to his belt.
"Are you any good with that?" Jack asked, nodding toward Barbossa's sword.
"I like to think so," Barbossa answered.
"We duel then," Jack said finally. "Winner has the ship." He stood. "Savvy?"
Barbossa stood too. "You're a bold one, 'Jack Sparrow'," he said. "Fine then," he conceded. "We duel."
**
Jack and Barbossa found a spot on the shore where they would be uninterrupted, and where neither of them would have any sort of advantage. In the background was the faint figure of the ship they were dueling for. They wasted no time getting started, and it soon became apparent that Jack and Barbossa were both very skilled with a sword, and were equally matched.
It was a challenge for Jack to block Barbossa's clever attacks, but Barbossa was having a hard time deflecting Jack's. The two were still fighting viciously when the sun was beginning to set. Jack would've normally been tired after a whole day of dueling, but in this case he wasn't tired in the least bit. He fought with an intense fervor, the silhouette of the ship seeming to call out to him to win the duel, to win her. Jack needed that ship, it was a want deep inside of him, it was how he could already envision what it would be like sailing toward the horizon with her, how he could already hear the distinct way the waves would lap against her sides, how he could already feel the spray of the sea as he set off as her captain.
Blade against blade. Neither man would ever back down, even after the sun set and the only light was from the full moon. They circled and lunged and blocked and deflected with skill and fervor, the sounds of their duel clanging through the air, contrasting with the lapping of the tide onto the shore. Jack had a cut on his face that was luckily not deep and had stopped bleeding by now. Barbossa's shirtsleeve was torn, revealing a gash running across his arm.
Circle, lunge block and counter. Sidestep and attack. It went on for a long time still, until Jack found an opportunity.
Barbossa swung his sword at Jack, and Jack slammed his own blade against Barbossa's, deflecting it downward. As Barbossa started to bring the sword up again, Jack quickly lunged to Barbossa's side and as Barbossa was turning, Jack slammed his blade against Barbossa's again, the force sending the sword off to the left and causing Barbossa's grip to loosen slightly.
Jack seized the opportunity and soon had the other man disarmed, Jack's sword at Barbossa's neck.
Barbossa looked down the blade and at Jack holding it steady, not even inches from causing a fatal wound. Barbossa, however, did not flinch. He just stared at Jack, almost threatening him to make a move. Jack didn't move, though. He kept the sword steady at Barbossa's neck. The tide lapped on the shore.
"So this is it then?" Barbossa asked finally.
"I could kill you now," Jack said, the sword coming even closer to making contact, "… or… I could let you live and make you my first-mate."
Barbossa was taken off-guard, Jack saw as the man's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly. He quickly regained his composure, however, regarding Jack skeptically across the blade being held dangerously to his neck.
"So what'll it be?" Jack asked eventually.
"Why are ye givin' me a choice?!" Barbossa asked.
Jack shrugged one shoulder, causing the blade to move up to rest right beneath Barbossa's chin.
"What's your decision?" Jack asked again without giving an explanation.
"I'll take your offer, Jack Sparrow."
Jack lowered the blade slowly and eventually sheathed it. He still had Barbossa's sword in his other hand.
"That'll be Captain Jack Sparrow."
**
Jack bought the ship on what he thought to surely be the best day of his life. The ship still docked, he stood at the helm alone that day. He ran his hands over the wheel, a smile playing on his lips.
She was beautiful. And unique – with the new repairs and touch-ups, the chief architect had told him she'd be one of the fastest ships around.
Rare and beautiful.
He named her the Black Pearl.
**
Jack and Barbossa wasted no time rounding up a crew in Tortuga. In just one week, the entire crew was assembled on deck.
"Captain, we're still one crew member short."
He told the sailmaster not to worry, he had someone in mind.
**
That night, Jack and the whole crew went out for drinks at the Faithful Bride. Jack got involved in a gambling game over a hat, and won it by rolling double sixes. After weaving one of the winning dice into his hair that was now held back by a red bandana, he put his hat on, left the tavern and boarded the Pearl.
The next day, they set out with Jack at the helm. The Pearl's speed was discovered, as they arrived in Port Royal very quickly. The Black Pearl was stashed away in a cove as Jack and a few of his men rowed into shore. The crew members went around town while Jack sought out William's house. After a bit of asking around and dodging anyone who looked to be wealthy, Jack found out the address. However, the man who told him said that the house had been empty for almost four years now. Jack, disbelieving, made his way to the house anyway. After knocking on the door and getting no response, he cautiously crept inside. The front room was completely bare, and after a bit of inspection he discovered that the same was true about the rest of the house.
"That's interesting," he mumbled to himself as he left the house, closing the door lightly behind him.
Jack hadn't seen William in seven years… he hadn't even realized it'd been that long. He'd gotten a note from him now and then, and from these he knew that William had joined the crew of a pirate ship called the Renegade, like he'd said he was going to. His letters always mentioned Caroline and Will, and how much he missed them.
So why were Caroline and Will gone? William must've known…
Jack was thinking about this when he ran into someone. The 'someone' mumbled his apologies and started to walk away, but then stopped as he noticed Jack.
"Jack Sparrow?"
Jack's eyes widened. It was Charlie, the Odyssey's quartermaster.
"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked.
"Looking for a certain William Turner," Jack responded.
"Bootstrap Bill?" Charlie said. Jack nodded. "I've heard o' him… sailmaster on the Renegade, right? They're supposed to be docking 'ere by next week."
Jack folded his hands in his traditional gesture of thanks. "Many thanks," he said as he started walking away.
**
Jack gave the orders to remain anchored in the cove until the Renegade arrived. The crew wasn't happy about this.
"Don't you think we should be setting off?" Barbossa asked.
Jack glared at his first-mate. "No," he said simply. "We're a crew member short, and we're waiting here for someone I know will be wanting to fill the position, savvy?"
Barbossa nodded, looking reluctant. "Just dangerous, stayin' in Port Royal for that long," he said. "Just warnin' ye, Captain."
"I'm sure I don't need your warnings."
**
Sure enough, the Renegade docked in Port Royal at the beginning of the next week. Jack was already at the docks, waiting for William to disembark.
Jack saw William walking down the gangplank, and broke into a grin as he walked right up to the end of the plank. William's eyes widened in shock as he saw Jack.
"What…" William stumbled. "What are you doing here?"
Jack really wasn't sure where to start, and he was waving his arms about as if trying to snatch an explanation from the air. Finally he just pointed at the figure of the Black Pearl sitting in the distant cove.
"Mate… see that ship there?"
William nodded.
"She's mine."
William turned back to Jack, eyes getting even wider. "You've got yourself a ship now?"
"Aye. The Black Pearl," Jack said reverently.
"She's…" William shook his head, looking back at the Pearl. "…beautiful."
Jack grinned even wider. "That she is," he said.
"Captain… Jack Sparrow?" William said eventually.
"Aye," Jack said proudly. "And I, 'Captain' Jack Sparrow, am a crew member short. … I'm here to extend an invitation."
**
William agreed without a second thought to join Jack's crew… making himself a few enemies on the Renegade in the process. But William had little time to worry about this, Jack inferred, as he was focused on visiting his family.
As soon as William said this Jack did a double take. So William didn't know that his house was empty, that Caroline and William had gone? That the house, from what he'd heard, had been empty for four years now?
Jack jumped in front of William as he was making his way off the docks.
"Now do ye really want to be doin' that, mate?" Jack asked. "I mean-" William sidestepped Jack, who had to dive in front of him again. "-I'm sure they're out right now, right?"
William sidestepped Jack again, who only resumed his stance blocking William's route.
"What's going on, Jack?" William said as he had to circle around Jack to get ahead of him. William started walking into town, Jack at his heel.
"It's just… We have to get going!" Jack pushed forward. "The Pearl's waiting! We need to get going…" He jumped in front of William again.
"Would you stop that?!" William said, having to sidestep Jack again.
"I just don't think you want to be… going… home…"
Jack trailed off as he realized they had arrived at William's house. William was smiling as he opened the door, but the smile abruptly dropped off of his face as he realized the house's state. He backed out of the doorframe, his face etched with pain.
"Ye knew about this?"
Jack nodded, walking over and placing a hand on William's shoulder.
"Where are they?"
"Haven't a clue, mate," Jack said. "Last week I figured Caroline could tell me when you'd be coming back and… well, she… wasn't here to tell me so…" Jack racked his brain for things to say. He really wasn't good at this 'consoling' business.
William looked down, shaking his head. "I shoulda known…" he mumbled more to himself than to Jack. "I was always gone. Shoulda known Caro wouldn't be puttin' up with that…"
"Well if she just up and left like this, she's not worth your trouble!" Jack proclaimed, kicking himself mentally after he'd said it. No, he REALLY wasn't good at consoling.
William' eyes were closed as he turned away from the house. "How long?" he asked finally.
Jack winced a bit before he responded, "Four years." He rushed forward: "But mate, she'll be coming back, savvy?, and you'll see 'em again, or if she doesn't come back, the bloody…" -he mumbled something under his breath here- "…you, William, are going to find her."
William took a moment before he said anything. He looked strained, standing there with his back to the empty place, as if he was waiting for something to happen that he knew he wouldn't like. But finally, he turned back around, eyes open with the usual glint in them, and he said, "Best be goin', eh?"
"Aye." Jack grinned and turned, leading William to the Black Pearl.
**
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