"WHAT?" came a yell from below.
"COME 'ERE!"
A second later, Jack, who had apparently been in Juli's cabin, swaggered up onto the quarter deck.
"What were ye doin in there", she asked him knowing full well the answer.
"Nothin", he said innocently enough, but failed to hide the fresh bottle of rum he held in his hand.
"I bet", she snorted, grabbing the bottle and using it to pull him onto the railing next to her.
"What did ye want anyway luv?"
"Will and Elizabeth would like to hear 'ow ye came to be a pirate."
"Do they now", he asked perking up, making it very obvious that Jack's favorite topic of discussion was in fact, Jack.
"Juli has just told me her story. So what about yours?"
"Well, mine's much more exciting if I do say so meself", he answered with a grin, receiving a light punch from Julianne. "Well it is", he said defensively."
"Oh get on with it", she ordered him.
"Right then, let's see if I remember. Twas a long time ago ye know." A hazy look came over the captain, as he seemed to be recalling some memory from far away.
~~~
"JACKIE", a woman's voice yelled out into the dark backyard. It was night, and all of the servant children of the Governor's household were playing together outside. An odd little group of kids they were, all loyal to each other, and each bearing some rather striking similarities not only to each other, but to Governor Jackson himself as well.
"JACKIE", the voice called again.
"YEAH MUM?" a boy's voice answered back.
"Come on, it's time to come in."
"But muuuuuum", the boy whined walking towards the door.
"Now buts, now come on in. Ye've got a big day ahead of ye tomorrow. It's yer first day down at the docks."
"I know, I know", he agreed, still a little disappointed to have to leave the company of his friends.
"Now enough poutin", his mother continued as he followed her into the tiny kitchen, and threw himself into one of the chairs. "Ye ought to be grateful Governor Jackson got you such a good job, and one that you so much enjoy."
"GRATEFUL!" Jackie exclaimed outraged. "How can you even suggest such a thing mum? Grateful for what? For the knocking you up along with every other woman who works for him? Or for completely disowning all of us save giving us all the same damned first name out of his own arrogance? So what, he teaches me to sword fight and gets me a better than awful job and I'm supposed to be grateful?"
"JACKSON GORRION, I don't ever want to hear you say such things about your father" his mother scolded from the stove top where she was preparing him a cup of tea.
"He's no father to me", the boy spat back. "Murphy's been more a father to me than that bastard."
"Be that as it may, he is still the Governor of this town and deserves yer respect for that reason alone", she said firmly sitting down and placing a mug in front of him.
Jackie did not reply, but took the cup and downed its contents quickly. "Night mum", he said standing up and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Listen to me Jackie", she said taking him by the chin. "This is an opportunity for you my child, remember that. Someday, my little Sparrow, yer gonna fly away from this place and make yerself in this world. If workin down at the docks is how you 'ave to do it, then don't hold nothing back", she finished pulling him into a hug.
Jackie nodded, returned her hug and went to bed.
***
It was scorching hot outside, the sun beat down on Port Arbor parching everything in sight. Jackie wiped his forehead with his sleeve as he pulled a huge cart behind him, full of chests, towards a large, dark ship.
"Up 'ere boy", the captain of the ship called down to him from where he stood on the deck.
Jackie nodded up at him and dragged the cart up the plank with all his might. "Where d'ye want it Captain sir?"
"Just take it below and someone'll get it for you there."
"Aye, aye sir", Jackie answered and followed his order.
Coming back up a few minutes later pulling the now empty cart, Jackie made his way back to the dock. Walking as slowly as he could, he gazed around him taking in the sight of the beautiful ship.
"Pretty thing ain't she", a voice interrupted his sight seeing.
"Aye", he answered looking up to see Captain Kanter standing near him.
"I've seen you round 'ere quite a bit lately boy. What's yer name?"
"Jackson sir, Jackson Gorrion."
"Well Jackson Gorrion. From what I've seen yer quite a good worker, with a good 'ead on his shoulders to match. You ever decide ye want to take yer act on the go, you just give me a shout alright?"
"Yes sir, I will sir."
The captain nodded and sent the boy on his way. That night, Jackie sat in his room thinking about the day's events, and came to a conclusion on the matter. The next time the Black Pearl pulled into Port Arbor, he would take Captain Kanter up on his offer.
Much to his dismay, running off and becoming a pirate was not quite as glamorous or exciting as Jackie had imagined it would be. Pirate crews were notorious for hazing their newest members, especially the younger ones. Jackie's first few months on the Pearl could be described as nothing short of absolute hell. Though Captain Kanter always had a bit of a soft spot in his heart for the boy, that didn't stop him from allowing the crew to train him properly. Jackie was forced to do the lowliest of jobs on the ship, and found himself swabbing the deck hours upon endless hours. When it came time for him to receive his pirate brand and tattoo, the veterans on the ship arranged for him to have them both done on the save day. A cruel punishment for his right arm. To make matters worse, they didn't even let him get drunk for either of them, as was the general custom at least for getting branded. But Jackie took it, every second of it, and by the time his "initiation" was over with, he had won the respect and affection of every member of the Black Pearl's crew.
~~~
"Wait a minute", Elizabeth cut Jack off, "you're related to Governor Jackson?"
"Aye", Jack answered, "e's me half-brother. Got the position after his dad died."
"You mean your dad", Will put in.
"No, HIS dad", Jack replied firmly. "I never considered him any kind of father to me", he added harshly slamming his rum bottle on the railing. At this, Julianne looked at him softly and put her hand over his reassuringly.
"COME 'ERE!"
A second later, Jack, who had apparently been in Juli's cabin, swaggered up onto the quarter deck.
"What were ye doin in there", she asked him knowing full well the answer.
"Nothin", he said innocently enough, but failed to hide the fresh bottle of rum he held in his hand.
"I bet", she snorted, grabbing the bottle and using it to pull him onto the railing next to her.
"What did ye want anyway luv?"
"Will and Elizabeth would like to hear 'ow ye came to be a pirate."
"Do they now", he asked perking up, making it very obvious that Jack's favorite topic of discussion was in fact, Jack.
"Juli has just told me her story. So what about yours?"
"Well, mine's much more exciting if I do say so meself", he answered with a grin, receiving a light punch from Julianne. "Well it is", he said defensively."
"Oh get on with it", she ordered him.
"Right then, let's see if I remember. Twas a long time ago ye know." A hazy look came over the captain, as he seemed to be recalling some memory from far away.
~~~
"JACKIE", a woman's voice yelled out into the dark backyard. It was night, and all of the servant children of the Governor's household were playing together outside. An odd little group of kids they were, all loyal to each other, and each bearing some rather striking similarities not only to each other, but to Governor Jackson himself as well.
"JACKIE", the voice called again.
"YEAH MUM?" a boy's voice answered back.
"Come on, it's time to come in."
"But muuuuuum", the boy whined walking towards the door.
"Now buts, now come on in. Ye've got a big day ahead of ye tomorrow. It's yer first day down at the docks."
"I know, I know", he agreed, still a little disappointed to have to leave the company of his friends.
"Now enough poutin", his mother continued as he followed her into the tiny kitchen, and threw himself into one of the chairs. "Ye ought to be grateful Governor Jackson got you such a good job, and one that you so much enjoy."
"GRATEFUL!" Jackie exclaimed outraged. "How can you even suggest such a thing mum? Grateful for what? For the knocking you up along with every other woman who works for him? Or for completely disowning all of us save giving us all the same damned first name out of his own arrogance? So what, he teaches me to sword fight and gets me a better than awful job and I'm supposed to be grateful?"
"JACKSON GORRION, I don't ever want to hear you say such things about your father" his mother scolded from the stove top where she was preparing him a cup of tea.
"He's no father to me", the boy spat back. "Murphy's been more a father to me than that bastard."
"Be that as it may, he is still the Governor of this town and deserves yer respect for that reason alone", she said firmly sitting down and placing a mug in front of him.
Jackie did not reply, but took the cup and downed its contents quickly. "Night mum", he said standing up and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Listen to me Jackie", she said taking him by the chin. "This is an opportunity for you my child, remember that. Someday, my little Sparrow, yer gonna fly away from this place and make yerself in this world. If workin down at the docks is how you 'ave to do it, then don't hold nothing back", she finished pulling him into a hug.
Jackie nodded, returned her hug and went to bed.
***
It was scorching hot outside, the sun beat down on Port Arbor parching everything in sight. Jackie wiped his forehead with his sleeve as he pulled a huge cart behind him, full of chests, towards a large, dark ship.
"Up 'ere boy", the captain of the ship called down to him from where he stood on the deck.
Jackie nodded up at him and dragged the cart up the plank with all his might. "Where d'ye want it Captain sir?"
"Just take it below and someone'll get it for you there."
"Aye, aye sir", Jackie answered and followed his order.
Coming back up a few minutes later pulling the now empty cart, Jackie made his way back to the dock. Walking as slowly as he could, he gazed around him taking in the sight of the beautiful ship.
"Pretty thing ain't she", a voice interrupted his sight seeing.
"Aye", he answered looking up to see Captain Kanter standing near him.
"I've seen you round 'ere quite a bit lately boy. What's yer name?"
"Jackson sir, Jackson Gorrion."
"Well Jackson Gorrion. From what I've seen yer quite a good worker, with a good 'ead on his shoulders to match. You ever decide ye want to take yer act on the go, you just give me a shout alright?"
"Yes sir, I will sir."
The captain nodded and sent the boy on his way. That night, Jackie sat in his room thinking about the day's events, and came to a conclusion on the matter. The next time the Black Pearl pulled into Port Arbor, he would take Captain Kanter up on his offer.
Much to his dismay, running off and becoming a pirate was not quite as glamorous or exciting as Jackie had imagined it would be. Pirate crews were notorious for hazing their newest members, especially the younger ones. Jackie's first few months on the Pearl could be described as nothing short of absolute hell. Though Captain Kanter always had a bit of a soft spot in his heart for the boy, that didn't stop him from allowing the crew to train him properly. Jackie was forced to do the lowliest of jobs on the ship, and found himself swabbing the deck hours upon endless hours. When it came time for him to receive his pirate brand and tattoo, the veterans on the ship arranged for him to have them both done on the save day. A cruel punishment for his right arm. To make matters worse, they didn't even let him get drunk for either of them, as was the general custom at least for getting branded. But Jackie took it, every second of it, and by the time his "initiation" was over with, he had won the respect and affection of every member of the Black Pearl's crew.
~~~
"Wait a minute", Elizabeth cut Jack off, "you're related to Governor Jackson?"
"Aye", Jack answered, "e's me half-brother. Got the position after his dad died."
"You mean your dad", Will put in.
"No, HIS dad", Jack replied firmly. "I never considered him any kind of father to me", he added harshly slamming his rum bottle on the railing. At this, Julianne looked at him softly and put her hand over his reassuringly.