Title: Rewrite
Writer: Azure K Mello
Rating: R
Fandom/ Pairing: PotC Will/Jack and implied Bootstrap/Jack
Summery: this is my rewrite with lost scenes and new hidden meanings and agendas.
Warning: How did I turn PotC angsty?
Thanks to Javier for reading this without making fun of me. . . too much.
Disclaimer: Yo ho, arrg me maties, I stole this herre premises from a bugger named Walt. Arrgggh! I does owns the plot tho. Lots o' the talk is plundered straight frum the film, scenes ins the movie wer'n't changed fer the mos' part sim'ply deepened.
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"You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?" Jack asked the whelp in front of him. The way he looked was so well-known, the way he held his sword, his head, that look in his eyes. He tried to place the boy but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates," he said with a self-righteous smirk. He damn well *knew* that smirk. But now he had to run, Jack had no time to reflect on where he'd seen it before. This boy could fight far too well, Jack had to actually concentrate, and after only moments he was knocked out by an unseen adversary.
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Norrington would not help him, that man would not help to save Elizabeth, the woman he supposedly loved. There was no one left to turn to. Though it sickened him to deal with a pirate there was no one left to aid him but Jack Sparrow. So he went through the jail as quietly as he could, trying to not attract that bloody dog. "You, Sparrow!" he called upon seeing the crouching man.
"Aye," said Jack, looking up at the familiar boy.
"You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?" he asked with a spark in his eyes that Jack wanted to remember.
"I've heard of it," said Jack hoping he sounded off hand.
"Where does it make berth?" asked the boy, oh the innocence in that voice.
"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories? Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sailed from the dreaded Isle de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."
"The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" he asked his eyes so filled with hope, it hurt Jack to look at the boy.
"Why ask me?" asked Jack studying his nails so as not to have to look at that face.
"Because. . . you're a pirate."
"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?" asked Jack with a smirk.
"Never! They took Miss Swann."
"Oh, so it is that you've found a girl. I see," said Jack hoping the boy *didn't* see the disappointment in his eyes. "Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."
"I can get you out of here," offered Will some what desperately.
"How's that? The key's run off," said Jack as though it were obvious and the boy was simple.
"I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel hinges." He picked up a bench and hooking one end underneath the door. "With the right leverage and a proper application of strength, the door will lift free."
"What's your name?" he asked trying yet again to place those mannerisms.
"Will Turner."
Jack looked down for a second to see if his heart had fallen out of his chest and down to the floor or if it only felt like that. "That will be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt, named for your father, aye?"
"Yes."
He studied the boy, one whom he once thought of as near family. "Aha. Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?"
"Agreed." They shook hands through the bars.
"Agreed, get me out," said Jack hungrily eyeing the boy, trying to memorize the contours of his face.
Will leaned on the bench and the door lifted up and fell away with a clang. "Hurry, someone will have heard that."
"Not without my effects." Jack grabbed his hat and sword from a chair. He hooked his pistol into his belt. He placed a light arm around Will's shoulder. The boy shirked away from the touch. Jack tried to keep the crazy façade up and not show how hurt he was by the action. "Come along, lad, let's make a fast retreat. To the harbor!" he said throwing an arm into the air. The action made his head hurt. "I am far too sober."
Will stared out dismally at the sea, until this morning he had never done anything illegal, now he had released a criminal and was consorting with said deviant. "We're going to steal a ship. That ship?" he said worriedly nodding to the new and beautiful Dauntless.
"Commandeer." Jack corrected impatiently. "We're going to commandeer *that* ship." He said pointing to the Interceptor, not as grand as the Dauntless but much faster. "Nautical term. One question about your business boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?" he asked not knowing what he truly wanted to hear.
"I'd die for her," Will said with conviction that turned Jack's stomach.
"Oh, good. No worries, then," said Jack sarcastically hoping he came off as crazy. Over the years of hardening himself to piracy he had managed to cover any real emotion he had by exaggerating it all and giving off the air of mental instability. Therefore if he slipped and succumbed to an expressive moment he could blame the demon drink or lunacy. His own mind was ripped in half. This was Bootstrap's son. He shouldn't want the boy. It was wrong, depraved, and sick. It was also the most comfortable thing he had felt in a long time. He wanted to take the boy in his arms and rock him, but also wanted to grab him and kiss him breathless. Neither of these were workable options and so he sat back and enjoyed watching the boy work as they commandeered their ship.
That night they slept in the single livable cabin on the not-quite- finished boat. Seeing as they were two adults they felt no qualms or embarrassment about bunking in and sharing a bed. Jack had to stop himself all night from reaching out to stroke the boy's hair. But he didn't do it, this was William's son for Christ's sakes. And the boy was after the wench, not an old weird pirate. He lay awake most of the night to watch Will breath. The morning dawned bright, as they knew damn well where they were going they didn't have to wake early, Jack had rigged the wheel to not move and stay on course.
The next morning they were sitting on the deck watching the horizon. Will sat sharpening his sword. "When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."
"Is that so?" asked Jack with mild interest.
"My father, Will Turner. And in jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack." Jack smirked at that statement. "You knew my father."
"I knew 'im," said Jack with a somewhat wistful smile. "Probably one the few who knew him as William Turner, everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."
"Bootstrap?" Will asked.
"Good man, good pirate. I swear you look just like him." A gentle smile played about his lips.
"It's not true, he was a merchant sailor; a good, respectable man who obeyed the law!"
"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag," said Jack slightly angrily. How dare this boy insult his father? How dare he judge his life style, especially when he was following in William's footsteps so nicely.
Will then became indignant. "My father was not a pirate," he said while drawing his sword.
Without a glancing look at the boy Jack said. "Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."
"You didn't beat me; you ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd killed you," said the boy sounding like a self-righteous, yapping, small dog.
"And that's no incentive for me to fight fair, is it?" he asked and turned the wheel sharply, the main yard of a sail caught Will and pulled him over the edge. He clung to the wooden bar. "Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance - you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. And me, for example, I can let you drown but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies, savvy? So," he said swinging the sail back over the edge of the deck. He picked up Will's sword and held it out to the boy, "Can you sail under the command of a pirate or can you not?"
"Yes, I can."
"Right answer, boy," he said going back to the controls. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a single tear fall from the boy's eye. Will made no move to keep it from falling, nor indeed did he seem to notice its presence in the first place. "What's wrong? Having moral qualms?" he asked sarcastically still angry at the boy for insulting his father.
"He wasn't a good man," said Will softly. Jack let out an exasperated, dramatic sigh. "No good man would have left his son and wife for piracy," added Will even more quietly.
"She wasn't 'is wife, she was 'is favorite whore."
"My mother was not a whore!"
"Not in your lifetime, no. Your father made damn sure to get her out of that life when she got in the family way. He made sure to keep you two in the manner to which he wished for you to become accustomed."
"My mother was never a whore!"
"Fine, she wasn't a lady of leisure and your father was not a pirate. Happy?" he asked with a smirk and a slight sway. He looked away from the boy and back to the horizon. "It didn't stop 'em from bein' good people," he said the statement softly with genuine truth in his voice.
"Then why did he leave?!?" shouted Will irritated and desperate all at once.
"He loved you dearly, William. But he was never meant to live on land. One night we got very drunk and had a fight, he found solace with your mother. It was the one time they laid together, they had just been good friends. That night was a mistake, you weren't, but the night was. He loved you."
"Just not as much as the sea."
"It wasn't that simple, boy. We were a family, me 'n the crew. He would 'ave been leavin' all he knew."
"How horrible for him," said Will dryly.
"He loved you. He came t' see you ev'ery chance he got. But your mum thought it would be best for him not to see you. Because ev'ery time he left you were miserable for weeks. You so badly wanted t' come with us. But a pirate ship is no place for an infant. If he were still here. . . How old are you now, boy? 16?"
"17."
"After this you should join me. You're old enough," said Jack hoping against hope that he could keep the boy safe and close.
"I have no interest in becoming a criminal," said Will curtly. "So what's in Tortuga?"
"A man who can help us."
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As they entered the loud dark tavern Jack told Will to, "Keep a sharp eye." With that warning he led Gibbs off to a table near by.
"Now, what's the nature of this venture your'n?" asked Gibbs taking a sip of his drink.
Jack cast a furtive look around, mainly to assure himself that Will was not listening. "I'm going after the Black Pearl." Gibbs choked on his drink but Jack ignored him. "I know where it's going to be and I'm going to take it." The conversation continued with Gibbs arguing that this was one of Jack's truly stupid ideas. Finally Jack pulled the card out of his sleeve, the one he had never wanted to use. "Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, aye?" he said nodding towards Will.
"The kid?" asked Gibbs incredulously.
"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?" asked Jack with an edge.
Gibbs *was* in fact savvy. He saw damn well from the look in Jack's eyes that the boy was not to be harmed in any case. Unfortunately, Will, who was standing around the corner was not half so tuned into the captain to realize the man's real intentions. He didn't know why it hurt so badly. Will Turner didn't care what a pirate thought of him. . . did he? And was he hurt that Jack was planning on selling him out? If not, then why did this burn so? Weren't they on a mission to save Elizabeth, and therefore shouldn't he *not* have been lusting after the pirate? Why did he want the man so badly when clearly Jack felt nothing but contempt for him? Why did he care at all, weren't pirates bad people, not the people one should want to lay with? Why did he feel like something broke inside of him when he heard Jack refer to him as "leverage"?
"Is he now? Leverage says you, I think I feels a change in the wind says I. I'll find us a crew, there's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you." Will stopped listening then and went to the bar for a drink. He was tired of caring and trying to think. The two men said a toast, it stuck in the back of Will's mind. He would have cried at the sound had he imbibed just a little more rum. *Take what you can, give nothing back.*
Later he and Jack returned to the boat. Gibbs had gone to find sailors. The pair explored the Interceptor, from deck to hull. Upon the third hour they came across a galley and a dormitory for the crew right off it. "So," said Jack trying to sound offhand, "I guess ye'll be sleeping in here then."
"Yeah," said Will.
There was an edge to his voice that made Jack wonder. . . "O' course. That bed upstairs is awful big. . . I don't *like* sleepin' alone. I always like to have someone in my bed that's closer to the door, 'cause the way I figure is, if marauders come through they're most likely to slash the neck closest to the door."
"And the way I see it," said Will with a shrug of agreement, "if there's two of us I have a 50/50 chance of survival."
"We have an accord, we're sharing a bed for safety reasons." They both nodded wondering if the other person had bought it. At about four AM Jack sidled across the bed and threw an arm around Will. The boy recoiled slightly and Jack whispered. "Easy now, son, its for safety reasons." Will's sleep addled mind accepted this excuse while the more alert part of his brain just concentrated on the feeling of being held by the man. Jack assumed the boy was completely asleep. And in drink slurred whispers he steeped the boy in terms of endearment, "Hush now, luv, sleep now. Tomorrow's another day, darling, so rest now. The light will be different in the morning, so rest now, beautiful child. For dawn is far too close and far too bright."
Will turned in his arms so that he was face to face with the man. "How am I to sleep if you don't stop whispering in my ear?" he asked with a smile playing on his face. A light was bright in his eyes. "So quiet, and sleep and tomorrow you can whispered new things." He laid his head down on Jack's chest. "Just hold me safe," he said with a yawn. Will so badly wanted to trust the man. He had been deeply hurt by what he had heard in the pub. What the boy wanted more than anything was to have someone to take care of and to take care of him. Shame was all he felt now, shame for helping a pirate, shame for not trusting Jack, and shame for trusting him as well. Right now he was waiting for a sign something to tell him it would be ok. Jack sounded so much more close to sane than he normally did.
"Always, Will, always. As long as you'll let me."
"Tell me a story before I go to sleep?"
"About?" said Jack with a smirk remembering a tale he had told the boy when he was three our four, he was only a few years older than Will, maybe 20 at the very most, at the time.
"I don't know. My father?"
"He was a good man, one of the boys. Never wanted to be a captain or a first mate: he would have had to order people about. That was his problem, he never wanted to rock the boat. You're so like him, Will, but so much better than him in others. He was a good man, aye, but he lacked the courage of conviction. My first mate, Barbossa, screwed me over and left me on an island to die while he and my mutinous crew sailed off in the Black Pearl, my boat. Your father went, grim faced with them, that was eight years ago. I think he worried about you, he didn't want to leave you fatherless, but I could never quite forgive him. I never saw him again, from what I heard Barbossa and his men killed him for being moralistic. I don't know, he might still be out there somewhere." He sighed and rubbed Will's shoulders. "I'm not telling this very well. I swear, Will. . ."
"He was a good man. I know, you said," said Will. Feeling slightly sick, he had to ask the next question, "You and he were together?" he hated his voice for shaking.
Jack looked into the boy's eyes. Somber, sober, sanity was all Will could see in those dark eyes. "He was my first love." He felt Will tense, "You're not him. I wouldn't want you to be, you're not a replacement, or a stand-in. You're like no one I've ever met. So go to sleep now, and stop worryin' about tomorrow and so on. We'll get your Elizabeth and then deal with everythin' else." Will nodded silently. Rolling his eyes Jack kissed the boy's forehead chastely. His mind was chanting something about being a dirty old man. He was what, 16 years older than the whelp? Hadn't he once renamed Will as his "best baby boy"? Didn't he want to be saying that now? Gods damn him. "Not a word about the Black Pearl business, most don't know that it's my boat. I'd like to keep it tha' way. Savvy?" Will nodded and kissed the man just left of his mouth before shutting his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Jack smiled into the boys hair before nodding off himself.
That night and every night after, Will had nightmares. And every morning he woke, afraid that Jack would be gone. Afraid he would still be there. The word leverage played over in his mind. He heard himself tell Jack that with the right amount of leverage he could get the door to the cell off. Then he would hear Jack's sibilant, whispering, aphrodisiac tones telling Gibbs that Will would be their leverage. When the morning dawned he would feel ill and would lay on his side and watch Jack sleep. And then the worry would eat him from the inside out. He didn't know what to believe or who to turn to. Jack hadn't made any move towards wooing him, just held him and talked to him. Didn't the man want him? Leverage, it was all about who had it. And Will was without any.
For his part, over the next few days Jack watched over the boy. He fell harder everyday. It took all his will not to throw the boy down on the deck and ravage him. But he didn't, he refrained. Fear kept him from making a move. Captain Jack Sparrow feared nothing: not death, not storms, and certainly not a good fight. He was after all, a formidable pirate. Until this point there had only been one thing that scared him: a honest days work. And now here he was frightened that he would scare away a 17 year old. If he came on to strong there was every possibility that the boy would run to hide behind that trollop's skirt. The boy seemed somewhat oblivious to Jack's subtle overtures. And as Jack watched the boy laugh and take command of the situation he felt like he was falling. A falling that would have caused his death had it not been for the fact that he had, by the grace of the gods, missed the ground. He ached to hold the boy safe within his arms.
And so they sat, silent, waiting for the other to make a move. And before they knew it the journey was over. There they were on the Isle de Muerta. Will and Jack set off in a row boat to find and rescue Elizabeth. Over the few days he had spent with Jack, Will realized that his infatuation with Elizabeth was naught more than that, an infatuation. He was so afraid to lose Jack and so hurt by what the man had said in Tortuga. The more he thought about the over heard statement the angrier and more wounded he became.
"What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" asked Will as he held a lantern up so Jack could see where to paddle.
"Pirate's code. Any man that falls behind is left behind," said Jack feeling like a teacher leading a pupil down the path of knowledge.
"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" said Will with soft anger. Would Jack tell the crew that he had, "fallen behind," when he bartered Will's life for the Pearl?
"You know for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one," replied Jack with a little of his own anger. Why did the boy have to throw dirt into his face at every turn? "Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga." He saw Will looking at the gold coins in the water ". . . and you're completely obsessed with treasure."
"That's not true. I'm not obsessed with treasure."
"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate," said Jack looking from the gathered pirates to Will. It wouldn't matter if they couldn't get the Black Pearl. The bastard could have his ship as long as Jack got the girl out to make Will happy. Gods damn him and his selflessness. Will was the only treasure that was more important than the Pearl and he was going to lose them both.
"Jack!" said When he saw Barbossa holding Elizabeth. Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
"Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment."
"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?"
"May I ask you something?" Jack asked trying to sound exasperated and not simply hurt. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor, I know it's difficult for you but please stay here. . . and try not to do anything. . . stupid." He walked off looking for a way to get Elizabeth out without being seen.
Will came up behind him and hit the man hard over the back of the head with an oar, "Sorry, Jack , I'm not going to be your leverage." He said near tears. Bitterly he wished that he could have trusted Jack. But he knew that Jack was going to give him up, so why not make the move first? As quietly as he could Will grabbed Elizabeth from where she was laying on the shore and brought her back to the Interceptor. As they climbed back on to the boat Will was asked where Jack was. "He fell behind."
Will sat below the deck with Elizabeth. She was bandaging her hand while he sat close by her.
"What sort of a man trades a man's life for a ship?" asked Elizabeth angrily when Will had told her what had happened with Jack.
"Pirate," he said simply, feeling ill with himself. He watched as she tried to tie a knot in the bandage. "Here, let me," said Will as he pulled her hand into his lap.
"Thank you."
"You said you gave Barbossa my name as yours. Why?"
"I don't know," she said with a slight blush and then pulled away as Will pulled firmly on the dressing.
"I'm sorry. Blacksmith's hands, I know they're rough."
"No. . . I mean yes, they are but. . . but don't stop." She leaned in as if to kiss him.
He knew that there needed to be some explanations made. That was the problem he had no idea where to start he pull back from her, "Elizabeth. . ."
"It's yours," she said, taking out the medallion and handing it to him.
"I thought I'd lost it the day they rescued me. It was a gift from my father, he sent it to me. Why did you take it?" He had been so upset at losing it as a small child and she had had it all along?
"Because I was afraid that you were a pirate. That would've been awful."
Swallowing harshly he said, "It wasn't your blood they needed. . . it was my father's blood. . . my blood. . . the blood of a pirate." Jack words suddenly filled his head. **But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday.** And then his own horrible words came back to him from that night in the jail Jack had asked him and he had simply said "Because. . . you're a pirate." He felt so ill suddenly. What had he done? Should he have trusted Jack? He saw the sudden change in her eyes. Elizabeth would no longer trust him. He had simply distrusted Jack because he was a pirate, but Will was one as well.
"I'm so sorry, please forgive me." Will slammed down the medallion on the table. Elizabeth stood and left. Time went by and Will sat below deck for a while and then went up to help. The black Pearl was fast approaching and in unison he and Elizabeth realized that the necklace was still below deck. Will ran to fetch it. At that very moment Jack swung onto the deck near Elizabeth.
"Wretch!" She went to slap him but instead he grabbed her wrist.
"Ah, where's dear William?" he said with a cold smile. The boy had *left* him and now this girl thought he was in the wrong?
She looked around and saw Will stuck beneath the grate. A broken sail had made the hatch sealed. "Will!" she shouted and went to help him.
Jack heard the boy call her name with urgency and desperation. Will didn't *want* Jack's help. Fine, Jack wouldn't help him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the monkey who was holding the blasted necklace. "Monkey!" he called and ran after the thing. The monkey ran to Barbossa and the battle was over. They were quickly captured and taken aboard the Pearl. Will was still below deck, but Jack said nothing for Will was safer under the deck than he would be here. And just as he thought this, the Interceptor blew up. He clutched the mast to stay upright. The boy was a Turner: he couldn't be dead. And just as he was about to go ballistic and kill the crew of the Pearl (no matter that they were immortal, he *would* kill them) Will jumped on board looking, for all the world, like a charming wet dog.
"Barbossa!" he shouted.
"Will." Jack whispered and Elizabeth, shouting the name, covered his words.
"She goes free," he said leveling a pistol at Barbossa.
"What's in your head, boy?"
"She goes free!"
"You've only got one shot and we can't die."
Jack caught Will's eye and begged earnestly. "Don't do anything stupid."
"You can't. . ." Will agreed with Barbossa and then placed the gun to his neck. "I can."
"Like that." Jack muttered.
"Who are you?"
Stepping in front of the boy Jack pronounced, "No one. He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though. Eunuch."
"My name is Will Turner . My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins." A pained expression flooded Jack's face.
"He's a spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us," said a pirate.
Climbing into the rigging Will stated calmly. "On my word do as I say or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker."
"Name your terms, Mr. Turner." Barbossa asked.
"Elizabeth goes free."
Rolling his eyes Barbossa said, "Yes, we know that one. Anything else?"
Jack pointed at himself to show that he wanted Will to tell them that Jack would be tagging along. Will misunderstood, or chose to. "And the crew, the crew are not to be harmed."
"Agreed," said Barbossa and then to his men said. "Untie them."
Elizabeth went to talk to Will but before she got there Jack had grabbed the boy and dragged him away from the group and behind the main sail where no one could see or hear them. "Will, you didn't tell then when or how you wished for the crew and Elizabeth were to be freed," he said trying to stay calm. "And you didn't secure your own safety!" he said getting steadily angrier. "And you didn't ask for me to come along."
"You'd want to watch me die?" asked Will sarcastically.
The question snapped the last of Jack's willpower into pieces and he grabbed the boys collar and spoke softly and coldly directly into the boys face. "I don't know what I did to make you trust me so little. Yes, I am a pirate but I would never let you get hurt. Fuck you. I can't believe that after everything you still put so little faith in me. I'm not the one who knocked you out and left you there to be found by Barbossa: that was you. You left me, they would have killed me had I not the wits to get out of it. I didn't fuck you over, Will. But I've been screwed over too many times by a Turner."
"I heard you and Gibbs. Leverage? I know you love the damn boat more than anything. So you were willing to kill me to get it back."
"I told Gibbs what he needed to hear to come. He needed some reassurance that there was a safety net. I wouldn't have let anything hurt you. I didn't come for the fucking Pearl. It was a plus. I came because of you. You told me your name and I just wanted to see you. I wanted to watch you fight, and save the damsel, I wanted to help you and stand by you. I wanted simply be here to protect you if you needed it. All you have to do is trust me. Just trust me and let me love you: I will protect you."
"Let you love me?" asked Will not understanding but now less angry.
"Just let me believe for a little while that I might actually have a chance to have you. I know I can't. But just indulge me for five minutes. Don't shy away at my every touch, don't throw everything I say back at my face." Will was smiling. "What?" asked Jack. Saying nothing Will stepped closer to the man and pulled Jack to him for a gentle slow kiss. Smiling, a somewhat manic smile, Jack ran his fingers though Will's hair. "It's all gonna be alright, luv. I promise: We'll get Elizabeth out alive and you too."
"And us?" asked Will timidly. Jack gave him a leer and Will smiled indulgently.
"We'll be just fine, baby boy. I'll keep you safe forever."
"Time to walk the plank," shouted Barbossa from somewhere on the other side of the deck.
"Remind me to teach you to negotiate," said Jack with a smirk. Will looked a little scared. "Don't worry, luv, remember I'm Jack Sparrow."
"*Captain* Jack Sparrow," corrected Will. And as he stood and watched Jack and Elizabeth plunge off the diving board he couldn't bring himself to be frightened.
However he could be frightened when standing behind that chest with all the pirates watching him. Barbossa stood holding him close at his side with a blade pressed to his neck. And then in the back of the cave he saw a somewhat bizarre smile that he knew. He nearly laughed. "Jack!"
"S'not possible." Barbossa hissed angrily.
"Not probable." Jack corrected with a little hand point gesture. Was the man ever still, wondered Will.
"Where's Elizabeth?" asked Will seeing the odd look in his Captain's eyes.
"She's safe, just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman." He said adding a Captain Jack Sparrow touch of madness. Will received the hidden message: the navy was there.
"Shut up! You're next," said Barbossa as he leaned in to cut Will's throat.
"You don't want to be doing that, mate."
"No, I really think I do."
"Your funeral," said Jack sounding bored.
Exasperatedly sighing Barbossa asked, "Why don't I want to be doing it?"
"Well, because the HMS Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore.waiting for you. Just hear me out, mate. You order your men to row out to the Dauntless; they do what they do best. Robert 's your Uncle Fannie 's your Aunt, there you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. 'Course you'll take the grandest as your flagship and who's to argue? But what of the Pearl ? Name me Captain, I'll sail under your colours, I'll give you ten percent of me plunder and you get to introduce yourself as.Commodore Barbossa. Savvy?"
"I s'pose in exchange you want me not to kill the whelp?" asked Barbossa with a sneer.
"No, no, not at all by all means, kill the whelp. Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse. . . until the opportune moment. For instance," he said picking a few cursed coins up." after you've killed Norrington's men," he started throwing the coins back in punctuating his words, "every. last. one." Will watched with a smile as the man surreptitiously placed one in his pocket.
"You've been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name," said Will trying to go along with Jack's words and trying to *not* laugh. Negotiations proceeded and when all but four men were gone Jack gave Will a warning look the two flew into action, attacking everyone. Elizabeth came in and joined the fray. They quickly broke the curse and all the men who had gone to kill the Navy were quickly slaughtered.
Jack held up one finger to Elizabeth, "Give us a moment, darling. Go find something pretty for yourself. You deserve a gift after all this traumatizing ordeal." She smiled cocking an eyebrow and walked off to some distant where she could neither hear nor see the pair. He slinked over to Will and grabbed him around the waist. He picked up the light boy easily and placed him on edge of the chest of gold. Will's legs fell apart to keep his balance on the precarious surface. Jack, being Jack, took advantage of the situation and stood between the boy's legs. "How do you feel about losing your virginity on a large pile of gold, baby boy?"
"Who says I'm a virgin?"
Jack just shook his head. "You're so cute." He pushed Will back gently and the boy slid in on top of the mountain of coins. Jack leaned in a claimed the boy's mouth as his own. Will moaned but pushed him back gently. "What?" asked Jack looking genuinely confused.
"Elizabeth is close by."
"So you want me to call her and she can watch?" asked Jack who apparently thought this was a good idea.
"No!"
"You're no fun," said Jack with a pout.
"None at all," agreed Will. "We should go back to the Pearl: it's yours now."
"The crew will have taken it, havin' kept to the code," said Jack with a shrug.
"We can't go to the Dauntless. They'll kill you."
"And quite possibly you." Jack shrugged tiredly. "I promised you'd be fine and I'm *Captain* Jack Sparrow. We'll be fine." He kissed Will's nose and the boy jumped off. "Talk to your girl. I'm gonna go a-looting." Will smiled indulgently at the man. Jack pretended to be crazy but he wasn't. He was drunk, flamboyant and rash, but he wasn't mad.
"We should return to the Dauntless," said Elizabeth who was wearing a nice non-cursed ring. She was inclined to acquiesce to Jack suggestion of rewarding herself for surviving.
"Your fiancé will be wanting to know you're safe." Said Will with a nod. Elizabeth looked hurt but it wasn't Will's place to comfort her.
Swaggering over Jack said, "If you were waiting for the opportune moment. . . that was it."
"She'll figure out he's an arse long before they wed, I don't need to tell her."
"Now if you'll be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me off my ship." Jack said to Elizabeth hoping against hope that the crew would have ignored the code. After all, they were more guidelines than rules.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Elizabeth said for what must have been the sixth time as Will rowed them back to the Dauntless.
"They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that," said Jack and then smiled. "I'll find them soon." He met Will's eye the boy was smiling and added, "I knew you could accept your blood." Will just continued smiling indulgently at Jack. There was no sense in trying to make the man be serious in front of anyone but himself.
When they got back to the ship he and Jack were locked below deck in a cell. "How many times has this happened to us this week?" Will asked. Jack looked around, saw no one was there and threw the boy up against the wall. He had plans of keeping the boy from thinking about what would happen when they got back to Port Royal by kissing him breathless. The shortage of oxygen to his brain should have kept higher functioning thought out of his boy's mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A week later Jack was to be executed in the square. Will stood at the back of the crowd, smirking. Slowly he walked through the masses to where the Governor, his daughter, and the Commodore were standing on the steps to watch the proceedings. "Governor Swann, Commodore, Elizabeth, I should have told you everyday from the moment I met you. . . I love you." The noose was placed around Jacks neck.
Elizabeth saw Mr. Cotton's parrot and knew that Will had somehow managed to call the Black Pearl back. "I can't breath," She said and fell as if in a faint. Will threw his sword which embedded itself just below Jack's feet so he did not fall prey to the gallows. After a swift fight with the executioner Will cut the rope holding Jack up. They fought hard and fast but by sheer numbers they were defeated and stood surrounded.
The Governor was seething. "On our return to Port Royal , I granted you clemency and this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"
"And a good man." Jack pointed to himself proudly, seeing the action out of the corner of his vision Will rolled his eyes. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."
"You forget your place, Turner," said Norrington.
Shaking his head Will said, "It's right here, between you and Jack."
"As is mine," announced Elizabeth stepping into the circle to stand next to Will.
Her father shouted, "Elizabeth! Lower your weapons. For goodness' sake put them down!"
Norrington looked disgustedly at his wife to be. "So this is where your heart truly lies, then?"
"It is."
"He is a blacksmith!" cried her father.
"No," corrected Jack, "he's a swordsmith. He isn't shoeing horses or making barrel hoops. The swords he makes are quite possibly the best I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot." Jack suddenly spied Cotton's parrot "Well! I'm actually feeling rather good about this." He turned to the Governor. "I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically?" He turned to Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that. Elizabeth. . . " he said smiling benevolently as one would at an misunderstanding child, "it would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry. Will. . . nice hat." He said and stepped back, "Men! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that you-" Will rolled his eyes as the man fell over the battlements. Landing in the water the he swam to the Pearl. As he clambered over the railings Jack smiled at Gibbs.
Anamaria stood back from the wheel. "Captain Sparrow. . ." She handed him his coat, "the Black Pearl is yours."
He smiled and then to cover his sentimentality shouted. "On deck you scabrous dogs! Man the braces! Now..." he quieted then, "bring me that horizon." Jack hummed softly as he pulled out his compass. And then sang, "And really bad eggs. Drink up, me 'arties yo ho."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will kissed Elizabeth and her father walked away bemusedly. Pulling gently away from him Elizabeth said, "Thank you, Will."
"I knew you had to get out of that loveless engagement."
"It would have been horrible."
"I do love you."
"And I love you," she said with a warm smile. "So when do you meet up with them?"
"In about five minutes. Will you be alright?"
"Yes, I'll make out that you are a ne're do well cad."
Smiling he said, "I shall write."
"You better." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack stood at the wheel. Listlessly he stared out at sea. "Cap'n, we must head t'wards the 'arbor." Said Gibbs.
"The harbor? Why?"
"Need t' pick sumpthin' up."
"Bloody hell." Muttered Jack bad temperedly, he wanted to leave the cursed place. He was tired and angry. All he want was Will, he thought as he pulled into the harbor. Examining his nails, he acted as though he wasn't being ripped apart inside by the fact that the boy had chosen to stay behind with the lass. Humming gently he repeated bitterly, "And really bad eggs. Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho."
Strong arms wrapped around his waist and a soft voice floated over his shoulder. "Yo ho, yo ho a pirates life for me. We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do well cads. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Aye but we're loved by our mommies and dads. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!"
"I was right you do have a lovely singing voice. Where did you learn that song?" he added with a smirk looking into the face that was perched on his shoulder.
"Well, you have to remember something of your early childhood." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: There's gonna have to be a sequel I just wanted to do a, "Hey look lost scenes!" thing first. Feedback? 'cause let's face it I'm a feedback whore.
Writer: Azure K Mello
Rating: R
Fandom/ Pairing: PotC Will/Jack and implied Bootstrap/Jack
Summery: this is my rewrite with lost scenes and new hidden meanings and agendas.
Warning: How did I turn PotC angsty?
Thanks to Javier for reading this without making fun of me. . . too much.
Disclaimer: Yo ho, arrg me maties, I stole this herre premises from a bugger named Walt. Arrgggh! I does owns the plot tho. Lots o' the talk is plundered straight frum the film, scenes ins the movie wer'n't changed fer the mos' part sim'ply deepened.
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"You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?" Jack asked the whelp in front of him. The way he looked was so well-known, the way he held his sword, his head, that look in his eyes. He tried to place the boy but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates," he said with a self-righteous smirk. He damn well *knew* that smirk. But now he had to run, Jack had no time to reflect on where he'd seen it before. This boy could fight far too well, Jack had to actually concentrate, and after only moments he was knocked out by an unseen adversary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Norrington would not help him, that man would not help to save Elizabeth, the woman he supposedly loved. There was no one left to turn to. Though it sickened him to deal with a pirate there was no one left to aid him but Jack Sparrow. So he went through the jail as quietly as he could, trying to not attract that bloody dog. "You, Sparrow!" he called upon seeing the crouching man.
"Aye," said Jack, looking up at the familiar boy.
"You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?" he asked with a spark in his eyes that Jack wanted to remember.
"I've heard of it," said Jack hoping he sounded off hand.
"Where does it make berth?" asked the boy, oh the innocence in that voice.
"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories? Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sailed from the dreaded Isle de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."
"The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" he asked his eyes so filled with hope, it hurt Jack to look at the boy.
"Why ask me?" asked Jack studying his nails so as not to have to look at that face.
"Because. . . you're a pirate."
"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?" asked Jack with a smirk.
"Never! They took Miss Swann."
"Oh, so it is that you've found a girl. I see," said Jack hoping the boy *didn't* see the disappointment in his eyes. "Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."
"I can get you out of here," offered Will some what desperately.
"How's that? The key's run off," said Jack as though it were obvious and the boy was simple.
"I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel hinges." He picked up a bench and hooking one end underneath the door. "With the right leverage and a proper application of strength, the door will lift free."
"What's your name?" he asked trying yet again to place those mannerisms.
"Will Turner."
Jack looked down for a second to see if his heart had fallen out of his chest and down to the floor or if it only felt like that. "That will be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt, named for your father, aye?"
"Yes."
He studied the boy, one whom he once thought of as near family. "Aha. Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?"
"Agreed." They shook hands through the bars.
"Agreed, get me out," said Jack hungrily eyeing the boy, trying to memorize the contours of his face.
Will leaned on the bench and the door lifted up and fell away with a clang. "Hurry, someone will have heard that."
"Not without my effects." Jack grabbed his hat and sword from a chair. He hooked his pistol into his belt. He placed a light arm around Will's shoulder. The boy shirked away from the touch. Jack tried to keep the crazy façade up and not show how hurt he was by the action. "Come along, lad, let's make a fast retreat. To the harbor!" he said throwing an arm into the air. The action made his head hurt. "I am far too sober."
Will stared out dismally at the sea, until this morning he had never done anything illegal, now he had released a criminal and was consorting with said deviant. "We're going to steal a ship. That ship?" he said worriedly nodding to the new and beautiful Dauntless.
"Commandeer." Jack corrected impatiently. "We're going to commandeer *that* ship." He said pointing to the Interceptor, not as grand as the Dauntless but much faster. "Nautical term. One question about your business boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?" he asked not knowing what he truly wanted to hear.
"I'd die for her," Will said with conviction that turned Jack's stomach.
"Oh, good. No worries, then," said Jack sarcastically hoping he came off as crazy. Over the years of hardening himself to piracy he had managed to cover any real emotion he had by exaggerating it all and giving off the air of mental instability. Therefore if he slipped and succumbed to an expressive moment he could blame the demon drink or lunacy. His own mind was ripped in half. This was Bootstrap's son. He shouldn't want the boy. It was wrong, depraved, and sick. It was also the most comfortable thing he had felt in a long time. He wanted to take the boy in his arms and rock him, but also wanted to grab him and kiss him breathless. Neither of these were workable options and so he sat back and enjoyed watching the boy work as they commandeered their ship.
That night they slept in the single livable cabin on the not-quite- finished boat. Seeing as they were two adults they felt no qualms or embarrassment about bunking in and sharing a bed. Jack had to stop himself all night from reaching out to stroke the boy's hair. But he didn't do it, this was William's son for Christ's sakes. And the boy was after the wench, not an old weird pirate. He lay awake most of the night to watch Will breath. The morning dawned bright, as they knew damn well where they were going they didn't have to wake early, Jack had rigged the wheel to not move and stay on course.
The next morning they were sitting on the deck watching the horizon. Will sat sharpening his sword. "When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."
"Is that so?" asked Jack with mild interest.
"My father, Will Turner. And in jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack." Jack smirked at that statement. "You knew my father."
"I knew 'im," said Jack with a somewhat wistful smile. "Probably one the few who knew him as William Turner, everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."
"Bootstrap?" Will asked.
"Good man, good pirate. I swear you look just like him." A gentle smile played about his lips.
"It's not true, he was a merchant sailor; a good, respectable man who obeyed the law!"
"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag," said Jack slightly angrily. How dare this boy insult his father? How dare he judge his life style, especially when he was following in William's footsteps so nicely.
Will then became indignant. "My father was not a pirate," he said while drawing his sword.
Without a glancing look at the boy Jack said. "Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."
"You didn't beat me; you ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd killed you," said the boy sounding like a self-righteous, yapping, small dog.
"And that's no incentive for me to fight fair, is it?" he asked and turned the wheel sharply, the main yard of a sail caught Will and pulled him over the edge. He clung to the wooden bar. "Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance - you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. And me, for example, I can let you drown but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies, savvy? So," he said swinging the sail back over the edge of the deck. He picked up Will's sword and held it out to the boy, "Can you sail under the command of a pirate or can you not?"
"Yes, I can."
"Right answer, boy," he said going back to the controls. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a single tear fall from the boy's eye. Will made no move to keep it from falling, nor indeed did he seem to notice its presence in the first place. "What's wrong? Having moral qualms?" he asked sarcastically still angry at the boy for insulting his father.
"He wasn't a good man," said Will softly. Jack let out an exasperated, dramatic sigh. "No good man would have left his son and wife for piracy," added Will even more quietly.
"She wasn't 'is wife, she was 'is favorite whore."
"My mother was not a whore!"
"Not in your lifetime, no. Your father made damn sure to get her out of that life when she got in the family way. He made sure to keep you two in the manner to which he wished for you to become accustomed."
"My mother was never a whore!"
"Fine, she wasn't a lady of leisure and your father was not a pirate. Happy?" he asked with a smirk and a slight sway. He looked away from the boy and back to the horizon. "It didn't stop 'em from bein' good people," he said the statement softly with genuine truth in his voice.
"Then why did he leave?!?" shouted Will irritated and desperate all at once.
"He loved you dearly, William. But he was never meant to live on land. One night we got very drunk and had a fight, he found solace with your mother. It was the one time they laid together, they had just been good friends. That night was a mistake, you weren't, but the night was. He loved you."
"Just not as much as the sea."
"It wasn't that simple, boy. We were a family, me 'n the crew. He would 'ave been leavin' all he knew."
"How horrible for him," said Will dryly.
"He loved you. He came t' see you ev'ery chance he got. But your mum thought it would be best for him not to see you. Because ev'ery time he left you were miserable for weeks. You so badly wanted t' come with us. But a pirate ship is no place for an infant. If he were still here. . . How old are you now, boy? 16?"
"17."
"After this you should join me. You're old enough," said Jack hoping against hope that he could keep the boy safe and close.
"I have no interest in becoming a criminal," said Will curtly. "So what's in Tortuga?"
"A man who can help us."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As they entered the loud dark tavern Jack told Will to, "Keep a sharp eye." With that warning he led Gibbs off to a table near by.
"Now, what's the nature of this venture your'n?" asked Gibbs taking a sip of his drink.
Jack cast a furtive look around, mainly to assure himself that Will was not listening. "I'm going after the Black Pearl." Gibbs choked on his drink but Jack ignored him. "I know where it's going to be and I'm going to take it." The conversation continued with Gibbs arguing that this was one of Jack's truly stupid ideas. Finally Jack pulled the card out of his sleeve, the one he had never wanted to use. "Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, aye?" he said nodding towards Will.
"The kid?" asked Gibbs incredulously.
"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?" asked Jack with an edge.
Gibbs *was* in fact savvy. He saw damn well from the look in Jack's eyes that the boy was not to be harmed in any case. Unfortunately, Will, who was standing around the corner was not half so tuned into the captain to realize the man's real intentions. He didn't know why it hurt so badly. Will Turner didn't care what a pirate thought of him. . . did he? And was he hurt that Jack was planning on selling him out? If not, then why did this burn so? Weren't they on a mission to save Elizabeth, and therefore shouldn't he *not* have been lusting after the pirate? Why did he want the man so badly when clearly Jack felt nothing but contempt for him? Why did he care at all, weren't pirates bad people, not the people one should want to lay with? Why did he feel like something broke inside of him when he heard Jack refer to him as "leverage"?
"Is he now? Leverage says you, I think I feels a change in the wind says I. I'll find us a crew, there's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you." Will stopped listening then and went to the bar for a drink. He was tired of caring and trying to think. The two men said a toast, it stuck in the back of Will's mind. He would have cried at the sound had he imbibed just a little more rum. *Take what you can, give nothing back.*
Later he and Jack returned to the boat. Gibbs had gone to find sailors. The pair explored the Interceptor, from deck to hull. Upon the third hour they came across a galley and a dormitory for the crew right off it. "So," said Jack trying to sound offhand, "I guess ye'll be sleeping in here then."
"Yeah," said Will.
There was an edge to his voice that made Jack wonder. . . "O' course. That bed upstairs is awful big. . . I don't *like* sleepin' alone. I always like to have someone in my bed that's closer to the door, 'cause the way I figure is, if marauders come through they're most likely to slash the neck closest to the door."
"And the way I see it," said Will with a shrug of agreement, "if there's two of us I have a 50/50 chance of survival."
"We have an accord, we're sharing a bed for safety reasons." They both nodded wondering if the other person had bought it. At about four AM Jack sidled across the bed and threw an arm around Will. The boy recoiled slightly and Jack whispered. "Easy now, son, its for safety reasons." Will's sleep addled mind accepted this excuse while the more alert part of his brain just concentrated on the feeling of being held by the man. Jack assumed the boy was completely asleep. And in drink slurred whispers he steeped the boy in terms of endearment, "Hush now, luv, sleep now. Tomorrow's another day, darling, so rest now. The light will be different in the morning, so rest now, beautiful child. For dawn is far too close and far too bright."
Will turned in his arms so that he was face to face with the man. "How am I to sleep if you don't stop whispering in my ear?" he asked with a smile playing on his face. A light was bright in his eyes. "So quiet, and sleep and tomorrow you can whispered new things." He laid his head down on Jack's chest. "Just hold me safe," he said with a yawn. Will so badly wanted to trust the man. He had been deeply hurt by what he had heard in the pub. What the boy wanted more than anything was to have someone to take care of and to take care of him. Shame was all he felt now, shame for helping a pirate, shame for not trusting Jack, and shame for trusting him as well. Right now he was waiting for a sign something to tell him it would be ok. Jack sounded so much more close to sane than he normally did.
"Always, Will, always. As long as you'll let me."
"Tell me a story before I go to sleep?"
"About?" said Jack with a smirk remembering a tale he had told the boy when he was three our four, he was only a few years older than Will, maybe 20 at the very most, at the time.
"I don't know. My father?"
"He was a good man, one of the boys. Never wanted to be a captain or a first mate: he would have had to order people about. That was his problem, he never wanted to rock the boat. You're so like him, Will, but so much better than him in others. He was a good man, aye, but he lacked the courage of conviction. My first mate, Barbossa, screwed me over and left me on an island to die while he and my mutinous crew sailed off in the Black Pearl, my boat. Your father went, grim faced with them, that was eight years ago. I think he worried about you, he didn't want to leave you fatherless, but I could never quite forgive him. I never saw him again, from what I heard Barbossa and his men killed him for being moralistic. I don't know, he might still be out there somewhere." He sighed and rubbed Will's shoulders. "I'm not telling this very well. I swear, Will. . ."
"He was a good man. I know, you said," said Will. Feeling slightly sick, he had to ask the next question, "You and he were together?" he hated his voice for shaking.
Jack looked into the boy's eyes. Somber, sober, sanity was all Will could see in those dark eyes. "He was my first love." He felt Will tense, "You're not him. I wouldn't want you to be, you're not a replacement, or a stand-in. You're like no one I've ever met. So go to sleep now, and stop worryin' about tomorrow and so on. We'll get your Elizabeth and then deal with everythin' else." Will nodded silently. Rolling his eyes Jack kissed the boy's forehead chastely. His mind was chanting something about being a dirty old man. He was what, 16 years older than the whelp? Hadn't he once renamed Will as his "best baby boy"? Didn't he want to be saying that now? Gods damn him. "Not a word about the Black Pearl business, most don't know that it's my boat. I'd like to keep it tha' way. Savvy?" Will nodded and kissed the man just left of his mouth before shutting his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Jack smiled into the boys hair before nodding off himself.
That night and every night after, Will had nightmares. And every morning he woke, afraid that Jack would be gone. Afraid he would still be there. The word leverage played over in his mind. He heard himself tell Jack that with the right amount of leverage he could get the door to the cell off. Then he would hear Jack's sibilant, whispering, aphrodisiac tones telling Gibbs that Will would be their leverage. When the morning dawned he would feel ill and would lay on his side and watch Jack sleep. And then the worry would eat him from the inside out. He didn't know what to believe or who to turn to. Jack hadn't made any move towards wooing him, just held him and talked to him. Didn't the man want him? Leverage, it was all about who had it. And Will was without any.
For his part, over the next few days Jack watched over the boy. He fell harder everyday. It took all his will not to throw the boy down on the deck and ravage him. But he didn't, he refrained. Fear kept him from making a move. Captain Jack Sparrow feared nothing: not death, not storms, and certainly not a good fight. He was after all, a formidable pirate. Until this point there had only been one thing that scared him: a honest days work. And now here he was frightened that he would scare away a 17 year old. If he came on to strong there was every possibility that the boy would run to hide behind that trollop's skirt. The boy seemed somewhat oblivious to Jack's subtle overtures. And as Jack watched the boy laugh and take command of the situation he felt like he was falling. A falling that would have caused his death had it not been for the fact that he had, by the grace of the gods, missed the ground. He ached to hold the boy safe within his arms.
And so they sat, silent, waiting for the other to make a move. And before they knew it the journey was over. There they were on the Isle de Muerta. Will and Jack set off in a row boat to find and rescue Elizabeth. Over the few days he had spent with Jack, Will realized that his infatuation with Elizabeth was naught more than that, an infatuation. He was so afraid to lose Jack and so hurt by what the man had said in Tortuga. The more he thought about the over heard statement the angrier and more wounded he became.
"What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" asked Will as he held a lantern up so Jack could see where to paddle.
"Pirate's code. Any man that falls behind is left behind," said Jack feeling like a teacher leading a pupil down the path of knowledge.
"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" said Will with soft anger. Would Jack tell the crew that he had, "fallen behind," when he bartered Will's life for the Pearl?
"You know for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one," replied Jack with a little of his own anger. Why did the boy have to throw dirt into his face at every turn? "Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga." He saw Will looking at the gold coins in the water ". . . and you're completely obsessed with treasure."
"That's not true. I'm not obsessed with treasure."
"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate," said Jack looking from the gathered pirates to Will. It wouldn't matter if they couldn't get the Black Pearl. The bastard could have his ship as long as Jack got the girl out to make Will happy. Gods damn him and his selflessness. Will was the only treasure that was more important than the Pearl and he was going to lose them both.
"Jack!" said When he saw Barbossa holding Elizabeth. Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
"Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment."
"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?"
"May I ask you something?" Jack asked trying to sound exasperated and not simply hurt. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor, I know it's difficult for you but please stay here. . . and try not to do anything. . . stupid." He walked off looking for a way to get Elizabeth out without being seen.
Will came up behind him and hit the man hard over the back of the head with an oar, "Sorry, Jack , I'm not going to be your leverage." He said near tears. Bitterly he wished that he could have trusted Jack. But he knew that Jack was going to give him up, so why not make the move first? As quietly as he could Will grabbed Elizabeth from where she was laying on the shore and brought her back to the Interceptor. As they climbed back on to the boat Will was asked where Jack was. "He fell behind."
Will sat below the deck with Elizabeth. She was bandaging her hand while he sat close by her.
"What sort of a man trades a man's life for a ship?" asked Elizabeth angrily when Will had told her what had happened with Jack.
"Pirate," he said simply, feeling ill with himself. He watched as she tried to tie a knot in the bandage. "Here, let me," said Will as he pulled her hand into his lap.
"Thank you."
"You said you gave Barbossa my name as yours. Why?"
"I don't know," she said with a slight blush and then pulled away as Will pulled firmly on the dressing.
"I'm sorry. Blacksmith's hands, I know they're rough."
"No. . . I mean yes, they are but. . . but don't stop." She leaned in as if to kiss him.
He knew that there needed to be some explanations made. That was the problem he had no idea where to start he pull back from her, "Elizabeth. . ."
"It's yours," she said, taking out the medallion and handing it to him.
"I thought I'd lost it the day they rescued me. It was a gift from my father, he sent it to me. Why did you take it?" He had been so upset at losing it as a small child and she had had it all along?
"Because I was afraid that you were a pirate. That would've been awful."
Swallowing harshly he said, "It wasn't your blood they needed. . . it was my father's blood. . . my blood. . . the blood of a pirate." Jack words suddenly filled his head. **But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday.** And then his own horrible words came back to him from that night in the jail Jack had asked him and he had simply said "Because. . . you're a pirate." He felt so ill suddenly. What had he done? Should he have trusted Jack? He saw the sudden change in her eyes. Elizabeth would no longer trust him. He had simply distrusted Jack because he was a pirate, but Will was one as well.
"I'm so sorry, please forgive me." Will slammed down the medallion on the table. Elizabeth stood and left. Time went by and Will sat below deck for a while and then went up to help. The black Pearl was fast approaching and in unison he and Elizabeth realized that the necklace was still below deck. Will ran to fetch it. At that very moment Jack swung onto the deck near Elizabeth.
"Wretch!" She went to slap him but instead he grabbed her wrist.
"Ah, where's dear William?" he said with a cold smile. The boy had *left* him and now this girl thought he was in the wrong?
She looked around and saw Will stuck beneath the grate. A broken sail had made the hatch sealed. "Will!" she shouted and went to help him.
Jack heard the boy call her name with urgency and desperation. Will didn't *want* Jack's help. Fine, Jack wouldn't help him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the monkey who was holding the blasted necklace. "Monkey!" he called and ran after the thing. The monkey ran to Barbossa and the battle was over. They were quickly captured and taken aboard the Pearl. Will was still below deck, but Jack said nothing for Will was safer under the deck than he would be here. And just as he thought this, the Interceptor blew up. He clutched the mast to stay upright. The boy was a Turner: he couldn't be dead. And just as he was about to go ballistic and kill the crew of the Pearl (no matter that they were immortal, he *would* kill them) Will jumped on board looking, for all the world, like a charming wet dog.
"Barbossa!" he shouted.
"Will." Jack whispered and Elizabeth, shouting the name, covered his words.
"She goes free," he said leveling a pistol at Barbossa.
"What's in your head, boy?"
"She goes free!"
"You've only got one shot and we can't die."
Jack caught Will's eye and begged earnestly. "Don't do anything stupid."
"You can't. . ." Will agreed with Barbossa and then placed the gun to his neck. "I can."
"Like that." Jack muttered.
"Who are you?"
Stepping in front of the boy Jack pronounced, "No one. He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though. Eunuch."
"My name is Will Turner . My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins." A pained expression flooded Jack's face.
"He's a spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us," said a pirate.
Climbing into the rigging Will stated calmly. "On my word do as I say or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker."
"Name your terms, Mr. Turner." Barbossa asked.
"Elizabeth goes free."
Rolling his eyes Barbossa said, "Yes, we know that one. Anything else?"
Jack pointed at himself to show that he wanted Will to tell them that Jack would be tagging along. Will misunderstood, or chose to. "And the crew, the crew are not to be harmed."
"Agreed," said Barbossa and then to his men said. "Untie them."
Elizabeth went to talk to Will but before she got there Jack had grabbed the boy and dragged him away from the group and behind the main sail where no one could see or hear them. "Will, you didn't tell then when or how you wished for the crew and Elizabeth were to be freed," he said trying to stay calm. "And you didn't secure your own safety!" he said getting steadily angrier. "And you didn't ask for me to come along."
"You'd want to watch me die?" asked Will sarcastically.
The question snapped the last of Jack's willpower into pieces and he grabbed the boys collar and spoke softly and coldly directly into the boys face. "I don't know what I did to make you trust me so little. Yes, I am a pirate but I would never let you get hurt. Fuck you. I can't believe that after everything you still put so little faith in me. I'm not the one who knocked you out and left you there to be found by Barbossa: that was you. You left me, they would have killed me had I not the wits to get out of it. I didn't fuck you over, Will. But I've been screwed over too many times by a Turner."
"I heard you and Gibbs. Leverage? I know you love the damn boat more than anything. So you were willing to kill me to get it back."
"I told Gibbs what he needed to hear to come. He needed some reassurance that there was a safety net. I wouldn't have let anything hurt you. I didn't come for the fucking Pearl. It was a plus. I came because of you. You told me your name and I just wanted to see you. I wanted to watch you fight, and save the damsel, I wanted to help you and stand by you. I wanted simply be here to protect you if you needed it. All you have to do is trust me. Just trust me and let me love you: I will protect you."
"Let you love me?" asked Will not understanding but now less angry.
"Just let me believe for a little while that I might actually have a chance to have you. I know I can't. But just indulge me for five minutes. Don't shy away at my every touch, don't throw everything I say back at my face." Will was smiling. "What?" asked Jack. Saying nothing Will stepped closer to the man and pulled Jack to him for a gentle slow kiss. Smiling, a somewhat manic smile, Jack ran his fingers though Will's hair. "It's all gonna be alright, luv. I promise: We'll get Elizabeth out alive and you too."
"And us?" asked Will timidly. Jack gave him a leer and Will smiled indulgently.
"We'll be just fine, baby boy. I'll keep you safe forever."
"Time to walk the plank," shouted Barbossa from somewhere on the other side of the deck.
"Remind me to teach you to negotiate," said Jack with a smirk. Will looked a little scared. "Don't worry, luv, remember I'm Jack Sparrow."
"*Captain* Jack Sparrow," corrected Will. And as he stood and watched Jack and Elizabeth plunge off the diving board he couldn't bring himself to be frightened.
However he could be frightened when standing behind that chest with all the pirates watching him. Barbossa stood holding him close at his side with a blade pressed to his neck. And then in the back of the cave he saw a somewhat bizarre smile that he knew. He nearly laughed. "Jack!"
"S'not possible." Barbossa hissed angrily.
"Not probable." Jack corrected with a little hand point gesture. Was the man ever still, wondered Will.
"Where's Elizabeth?" asked Will seeing the odd look in his Captain's eyes.
"She's safe, just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman." He said adding a Captain Jack Sparrow touch of madness. Will received the hidden message: the navy was there.
"Shut up! You're next," said Barbossa as he leaned in to cut Will's throat.
"You don't want to be doing that, mate."
"No, I really think I do."
"Your funeral," said Jack sounding bored.
Exasperatedly sighing Barbossa asked, "Why don't I want to be doing it?"
"Well, because the HMS Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore.waiting for you. Just hear me out, mate. You order your men to row out to the Dauntless; they do what they do best. Robert 's your Uncle Fannie 's your Aunt, there you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. 'Course you'll take the grandest as your flagship and who's to argue? But what of the Pearl ? Name me Captain, I'll sail under your colours, I'll give you ten percent of me plunder and you get to introduce yourself as.Commodore Barbossa. Savvy?"
"I s'pose in exchange you want me not to kill the whelp?" asked Barbossa with a sneer.
"No, no, not at all by all means, kill the whelp. Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse. . . until the opportune moment. For instance," he said picking a few cursed coins up." after you've killed Norrington's men," he started throwing the coins back in punctuating his words, "every. last. one." Will watched with a smile as the man surreptitiously placed one in his pocket.
"You've been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name," said Will trying to go along with Jack's words and trying to *not* laugh. Negotiations proceeded and when all but four men were gone Jack gave Will a warning look the two flew into action, attacking everyone. Elizabeth came in and joined the fray. They quickly broke the curse and all the men who had gone to kill the Navy were quickly slaughtered.
Jack held up one finger to Elizabeth, "Give us a moment, darling. Go find something pretty for yourself. You deserve a gift after all this traumatizing ordeal." She smiled cocking an eyebrow and walked off to some distant where she could neither hear nor see the pair. He slinked over to Will and grabbed him around the waist. He picked up the light boy easily and placed him on edge of the chest of gold. Will's legs fell apart to keep his balance on the precarious surface. Jack, being Jack, took advantage of the situation and stood between the boy's legs. "How do you feel about losing your virginity on a large pile of gold, baby boy?"
"Who says I'm a virgin?"
Jack just shook his head. "You're so cute." He pushed Will back gently and the boy slid in on top of the mountain of coins. Jack leaned in a claimed the boy's mouth as his own. Will moaned but pushed him back gently. "What?" asked Jack looking genuinely confused.
"Elizabeth is close by."
"So you want me to call her and she can watch?" asked Jack who apparently thought this was a good idea.
"No!"
"You're no fun," said Jack with a pout.
"None at all," agreed Will. "We should go back to the Pearl: it's yours now."
"The crew will have taken it, havin' kept to the code," said Jack with a shrug.
"We can't go to the Dauntless. They'll kill you."
"And quite possibly you." Jack shrugged tiredly. "I promised you'd be fine and I'm *Captain* Jack Sparrow. We'll be fine." He kissed Will's nose and the boy jumped off. "Talk to your girl. I'm gonna go a-looting." Will smiled indulgently at the man. Jack pretended to be crazy but he wasn't. He was drunk, flamboyant and rash, but he wasn't mad.
"We should return to the Dauntless," said Elizabeth who was wearing a nice non-cursed ring. She was inclined to acquiesce to Jack suggestion of rewarding herself for surviving.
"Your fiancé will be wanting to know you're safe." Said Will with a nod. Elizabeth looked hurt but it wasn't Will's place to comfort her.
Swaggering over Jack said, "If you were waiting for the opportune moment. . . that was it."
"She'll figure out he's an arse long before they wed, I don't need to tell her."
"Now if you'll be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me off my ship." Jack said to Elizabeth hoping against hope that the crew would have ignored the code. After all, they were more guidelines than rules.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Elizabeth said for what must have been the sixth time as Will rowed them back to the Dauntless.
"They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that," said Jack and then smiled. "I'll find them soon." He met Will's eye the boy was smiling and added, "I knew you could accept your blood." Will just continued smiling indulgently at Jack. There was no sense in trying to make the man be serious in front of anyone but himself.
When they got back to the ship he and Jack were locked below deck in a cell. "How many times has this happened to us this week?" Will asked. Jack looked around, saw no one was there and threw the boy up against the wall. He had plans of keeping the boy from thinking about what would happen when they got back to Port Royal by kissing him breathless. The shortage of oxygen to his brain should have kept higher functioning thought out of his boy's mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A week later Jack was to be executed in the square. Will stood at the back of the crowd, smirking. Slowly he walked through the masses to where the Governor, his daughter, and the Commodore were standing on the steps to watch the proceedings. "Governor Swann, Commodore, Elizabeth, I should have told you everyday from the moment I met you. . . I love you." The noose was placed around Jacks neck.
Elizabeth saw Mr. Cotton's parrot and knew that Will had somehow managed to call the Black Pearl back. "I can't breath," She said and fell as if in a faint. Will threw his sword which embedded itself just below Jack's feet so he did not fall prey to the gallows. After a swift fight with the executioner Will cut the rope holding Jack up. They fought hard and fast but by sheer numbers they were defeated and stood surrounded.
The Governor was seething. "On our return to Port Royal , I granted you clemency and this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"
"And a good man." Jack pointed to himself proudly, seeing the action out of the corner of his vision Will rolled his eyes. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."
"You forget your place, Turner," said Norrington.
Shaking his head Will said, "It's right here, between you and Jack."
"As is mine," announced Elizabeth stepping into the circle to stand next to Will.
Her father shouted, "Elizabeth! Lower your weapons. For goodness' sake put them down!"
Norrington looked disgustedly at his wife to be. "So this is where your heart truly lies, then?"
"It is."
"He is a blacksmith!" cried her father.
"No," corrected Jack, "he's a swordsmith. He isn't shoeing horses or making barrel hoops. The swords he makes are quite possibly the best I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot." Jack suddenly spied Cotton's parrot "Well! I'm actually feeling rather good about this." He turned to the Governor. "I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically?" He turned to Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that. Elizabeth. . . " he said smiling benevolently as one would at an misunderstanding child, "it would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry. Will. . . nice hat." He said and stepped back, "Men! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that you-" Will rolled his eyes as the man fell over the battlements. Landing in the water the he swam to the Pearl. As he clambered over the railings Jack smiled at Gibbs.
Anamaria stood back from the wheel. "Captain Sparrow. . ." She handed him his coat, "the Black Pearl is yours."
He smiled and then to cover his sentimentality shouted. "On deck you scabrous dogs! Man the braces! Now..." he quieted then, "bring me that horizon." Jack hummed softly as he pulled out his compass. And then sang, "And really bad eggs. Drink up, me 'arties yo ho."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will kissed Elizabeth and her father walked away bemusedly. Pulling gently away from him Elizabeth said, "Thank you, Will."
"I knew you had to get out of that loveless engagement."
"It would have been horrible."
"I do love you."
"And I love you," she said with a warm smile. "So when do you meet up with them?"
"In about five minutes. Will you be alright?"
"Yes, I'll make out that you are a ne're do well cad."
Smiling he said, "I shall write."
"You better." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack stood at the wheel. Listlessly he stared out at sea. "Cap'n, we must head t'wards the 'arbor." Said Gibbs.
"The harbor? Why?"
"Need t' pick sumpthin' up."
"Bloody hell." Muttered Jack bad temperedly, he wanted to leave the cursed place. He was tired and angry. All he want was Will, he thought as he pulled into the harbor. Examining his nails, he acted as though he wasn't being ripped apart inside by the fact that the boy had chosen to stay behind with the lass. Humming gently he repeated bitterly, "And really bad eggs. Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho."
Strong arms wrapped around his waist and a soft voice floated over his shoulder. "Yo ho, yo ho a pirates life for me. We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do well cads. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Aye but we're loved by our mommies and dads. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!"
"I was right you do have a lovely singing voice. Where did you learn that song?" he added with a smirk looking into the face that was perched on his shoulder.
"Well, you have to remember something of your early childhood." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: There's gonna have to be a sequel I just wanted to do a, "Hey look lost scenes!" thing first. Feedback? 'cause let's face it I'm a feedback whore.