Aftermath
By: L'Morgan
Disclaimer: I guess I really do need to remind you all that anything and everything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, their characters and settings are all the property of Disney - Disney - Disney - nobody - but - Disney ---- I-just-borrowing-to-play-with-and-giving-back. Only Disney can make money on anything to do with Pirates of the Caribbean. NOT ME!
************************* Summary: Port Royal lies in ruins, and the Black Pearl floats in the bay.. What is Jack Sparrow up to now?!!
Author's Notes: I really can't even begin to tell all of you who have left reviews, how entirely amazed and speechless your kind words have left me! Every one of you have given me encouragement, motivation, and most of all - a wonderful reason to see this finished - and that reason is YOU! EACH of you! (
Actually, this started out to be a fairly short, quick little story from an author really not so sure it should even be shared anyplace outside of my own little notebook! Now it has grown to where this, Chapter 9, is only the half way point! Thank you again so much! I must admit I am having a blast researching what I can of the historical era and other odds and ends for this! YOUR insights make it even more fun each and every chapter!
For those of you who notice patterns, I am pretty reliable about posting a new part every THIRD day.. And should be able to keep that up. tomorrow is day one, the next day is day two, and the one after that, look for the next part to come! Now - on with the story????
****** From Last Time / Chapter 8: What Once was Lost. ******
"This town has little to give you in return for the favor you've done. There isn't even much for you to take if you want to sack the place." Norrington said harshly up to him, practically insulting the man to his face.
But instead of being offended the pirate laughed as if amused, putting one finger from his good hand up to his lower lip and tapping it as if thinking. Then suddenly his features brightened and he perked up as if an idea had come to him and he swaggered over to stand at the top of the gangplank and considered them below.
Chapter 9: .. Now is Found
"I truly ~do~ hate to disappoint you Commodore. I know how much you look forward to the day when you can prove, beyond shadow of doubt, that myself and me crew are nothing but heartless predators. In fact, I would wager you take great delight at the very thought of hangin' the entire lot of us! Course right now, with your wonderful town a bit on the worse-for-wear side, I would hope you have different priorities at the moment? Can't you call it a truce for even a day? Decide to put something else ahead of your personal dislike for me and mine?" Jack suggested, with a leaning to the side and an open handed gesture with both palms, at the area where the town had once stood so proudly.
Those gathered could not help but turn their gaze for a brief moment, following his gesture. Then everyone seemed to look at Commodore Norrington, and then up at the pirate who was giving a hint of gold smile meant to be his most winning. Then they looked back at the military officer. They were waiting for him to actually answer the question!
The Commodore fumed inwardly. Not at the question itself, but at the way the pirate had so effortlessly played to the crowd of observers. Jack Sparrow had won - again. There was only one answer Norrington could give now, and both he and the pirate knew it. And Norrington could see the delight in the other's eyes at having bested him as Jack ventured a little further down the gangplank.
"What do you want from the town of Port Royal?" Norrington bit out, and the pirate seemed to sway mildly with one hand on the railing as the other flittered off to his side almost absently.
"Actually, we have a bit more supplies in our hold than we want. Superfluous items, extraneous materials that seem to have come into our humble possession, that sort of thing. Not everything you need, but I imagine you could use it, considering.." He said and left off to gesture subtly at the ruined town before them, then he slowly met Norrington's gaze, very directly.
He broke off suddenly and turned abruptly to the Governor. Then announced smoothly, "If you'd take them off our hands, Sir.. We'd be mighty pleased for the favor. It's takin' up more than just a bit of room in our hold, if you understand our problem?" he asked in earnest request.. and the Governor and the Commodore both blinked and looked surprised.
Of all the requests and demands the pirate could have uttered, those words were the absolute last Norrington expected of him. Commodore Norrington stared at the pirate captain, struck absolutely speechless for once in his life.
' Jack Sparrow - known pirate at large was suggesting that he - they - no, it just could not be.' the Commodore's mind stumbled with blindly for several long moments. No - this just had to be wrong - pirates don't DO things like this!
"By all means! Anything you don't need I am sure we could make use of!" the Governor replied happily, and Jack tilted his head at the Commodore, waiting for the man's answer with a rather mischievous smile.
"Do we have an accord Commodore?" he asked casually.
"All right Mr. Sparrow, we have an agreement." Norrington said in a strained tone as he came closer. This just could not be happening. Not from THIS man - no - it just couldn't be happening. The pirate had to be up to something. He just had to be.
Jack quickly raised a finger of each hand and took half a step back, shaking his head. Norrington stopped several yards away from him. Now the pirate seemed to give off an air of potential menace, just by the angle of his head and change in the balance of his stance and the look to his eye.
"Ah ah ah - right there is far enough Commodore," he growled lowly as he swayed mildly and ended with one hip against the railing. Norrington stopped as the Governor came up beside him, all smiles and eagerness. Commodore Norrington quickly put out a hand to stop him from going any further, while not breaking his solid stare at the pirate who seemed pleased with his stunned reaction.
"Aw mate! Now surely you don't think the likes of me would take such a fine man as the Governor hostage or somethin' and all, do ye? I can't extend my invitation for a personally escorted tour of the Black Pearl?" Jack asked in a mockingly injured tone, with a glitter to his eye, and Norrington frowned uneasily at him.
"Sparrow, I don't trust you any further than I could throw you." Norrington told him stiffly, and the man grinned widely and laughed as if well pleased.
"Ah good then - we're all on even ground here, savvy? I love it when we all start out even, don't you?" he asked of the Governor with a definite sway to his body, one hand helping explain his point. The Governor frowned mildly, sensing the tension between the two men despite the civility of the words.
"Ah yes - yes of course. Is there anything we can do to help in moving these supplies you have no need of?" he offered and Jack considered the crowd, the dock, and then Norrington especially.
"Well, its going t' take awhile. and I'd really rather not be worrying the entire time. if anyone is gonna get the sudden urge.. to try to kill a fellow just for trying to do something decent." he said to the Governor, pausing purposely for effect, and ended with a direct and dangerous glare at Norrington. The Commodore clenched his fists and jaw at the reference.
"No sir - you have my personal assurance - my personal word that nothing untoward will happen. I have granted you safe passage into Port Royal, and every living soul here is well aware of it, as you can see!" the Governor told him with a gesture back at the crowd and Jack nodded with a thoughtful look at the landscape before him, half leaning backwards in balance, with one hand to his chin, stroking the beads in his beard briefly.
He heard footsteps coming down behind him and glanced back just as Doctor Cook reached him and immediately grabbed him very firmly by the elbow. The pirate captain startled, taking a quick step backwards.
"Are you about done?" the doctor asked very pointedly as he steadied the man. Jack straightened, looked down at his elbow and then out towards the end of the dock and then back at the doctor, uncertainty suddenly registering plainly in his expression.
"I have a very funny feeling that I might be more done than I anticipated being at the moment?" he asked in a tone that suggested he had been caught in the act of something he shouldn't be, and the Doctor smiled benignly.
"How very perceptive of you dear Captain! Now - just tell us where you want those supplies unloaded, and it will be done. Then we can go back to your cabin while the crew carry out your orders, right?" he said in rather firm suggestion, and Jack gave him a rather pouting look.
"Do we really have to bother with all of that? I'm not doing much of anything right here, honestly." He said with a one offhand gesture at the gangplank he stood on, and gave a good attempt at looking boring and bored as well. The doctor seemed amused.
"I've been watching Jack." He said simply, and the pirate dropped his head back to look up at the skies as if in appeal. Then he straightened and regarded the physician, rolled his eyes and sighed heavily at him. The doctor smiled at the pirate's antics and shook his head.
"Won't do you any good to argue with me Jack." He said in a genuinely kind tone.
"You really need to find something better to do with yourself mate. Believe me, I'm not all that interesting." the pirate suggested with mild irritation and the doctor chuckled at the one's 'put-upon' look.
"Perhaps I will get to - when I don't have patients who still are suffering the aftereffects of blood loss and who have a stubborn fever, forgetting that they swore they would not leave the crate they were sitting on. Perhaps then I just might be able to entertain such ideas. But you see Captain, I seem to have developed this odd aversion to having people collapsing on the decks, as you might have noticed." He said very agreeably.
The pirate captain arched an eyebrow at him severely with an unconscious touch to his forehead. He winced mildly at the touch as he muttered to himself then sighed as if exasperated.
"Don't suppose you'd be interested in starting these proposed said other interests in the very near future? Say, in a few moments from now?" Jack asked in a suddenly sly tone with a sideways look and 2 fingered gesture, and now the other laughed outright.
"And let you get away with just anything you please?" he asked back and the pirate seemed to think for a moment, head tilted, then he brightened dramatically, smiled and nodded.
"Aye! Now there is an ~excellent~ idea, my good man!" he agreed heartily. Doctor Cook laughed fully as now he physically turned the pirate around, but careful not to do so by his left arm or shoulder at all.
"Get back up there where you belong you irascible pirate. You go straight back to that crate and this time you stay there. And keep one hand on the railing - please!" He said, as he gave the one a little push and Jack went, muttering under his breath to himself in imitation of the physician and echoing his words.
Now the doctor turned to Commodore Norrington.
"And you! What are you being so hostile about? I do not need to tell you that the man recently suffered a serious injury, now do I? Here he is, up since the crack of dawn, to supervise all of this, when quite frankly he has no business being up at all - for at least another day if not two. He's returning passengers and delivering much needed supplies and you just have to bait him? Yes I know, he can be very - very provocative at times. But at least I can imagine that it's either the fever or he's dizzily not quite thinking everything he says through at the moment.... More likely its' the combination of the two that's behind some of his behavior. Exactly what is your excuse for your behavior, sir?" he demanded sternly and the military man looked away somewhat. The doctor still scowled at him.
"What is the matter with you Commodore? The man asked you for a day's truce. Not your first-born child. You truly do have some sort of personal problem with admitting he could ever be doing something decent, don't you? I sincerely doubt he pulled you up when you were hanging off that cliff, thinking you were going to re- pay him in gold for the favor. or have you just conveniently forgotten that Jack Sparrow was the one that did that?" he asked and Norrington quickly gave him a guilt stricken look but said nothing as his cheeks reddened against his will. The Governor turned to him with a deep frown and puzzled look.
"Go, Commodore - I want you off this dock. These men have supplies to unload. If the two of you can't be trusted to not end up antagonizing each other, then let's just not have you near each other. He's staying up there, you can wait on shore with everyone else." He said rather hotly as he pointed.
"Mr. Gibbs!" they heard Jack call in a deeply commanding voice as he reached the top of the gangplank. The older man came and they spent a few moments in discussion - Jack pointing back at the landscape and the other nodding. The pirate came to the railing and the doctor looked up at him.
He looked down at the Commodore and Governor and doctor all still there.
"The crate, Captain - now please." the doctor reminded him and the one waved him off dismissingly.
"I have your word about the safety of my crew, Governor Swan?" the pirate asked in a suddenly weary tone, and the one nodded.
"Yes - my absolute word sir." He reassured, and Jack smiled mildly.
"Good 'nough for me." He said as if satisfied, then turned away and moved over to the crate and sat down heavily to rub at his eyes with one hand.
"Commodore Norrington? Your turn sir?" the doctor said, ushering him in the direction of the land, and the military man looked at the Governor in appeal. The Governor glanced up at the pirate and then sighed.
"I do think it would be best for all concerned if you did as the good doctor asked, Commodore." He agreed, and Norrington's cheeks flushed even more with embarrassment as he turned and marched stiffly down the docks - with the Governor right at his side, suddenly having a GREAT many questions to ask of the military officer...
TBC...
**************************
Disclaimer: I guess I really do need to remind you all that anything and everything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, their characters and settings are all the property of Disney - Disney - Disney - nobody - but - Disney ---- I-just-borrowing-to-play-with-and-giving-back. Only Disney can make money on anything to do with Pirates of the Caribbean. NOT ME!
************************* Summary: Port Royal lies in ruins, and the Black Pearl floats in the bay.. What is Jack Sparrow up to now?!!
Author's Notes: I really can't even begin to tell all of you who have left reviews, how entirely amazed and speechless your kind words have left me! Every one of you have given me encouragement, motivation, and most of all - a wonderful reason to see this finished - and that reason is YOU! EACH of you! (
Actually, this started out to be a fairly short, quick little story from an author really not so sure it should even be shared anyplace outside of my own little notebook! Now it has grown to where this, Chapter 9, is only the half way point! Thank you again so much! I must admit I am having a blast researching what I can of the historical era and other odds and ends for this! YOUR insights make it even more fun each and every chapter!
For those of you who notice patterns, I am pretty reliable about posting a new part every THIRD day.. And should be able to keep that up. tomorrow is day one, the next day is day two, and the one after that, look for the next part to come! Now - on with the story????
****** From Last Time / Chapter 8: What Once was Lost. ******
"This town has little to give you in return for the favor you've done. There isn't even much for you to take if you want to sack the place." Norrington said harshly up to him, practically insulting the man to his face.
But instead of being offended the pirate laughed as if amused, putting one finger from his good hand up to his lower lip and tapping it as if thinking. Then suddenly his features brightened and he perked up as if an idea had come to him and he swaggered over to stand at the top of the gangplank and considered them below.
Chapter 9: .. Now is Found
"I truly ~do~ hate to disappoint you Commodore. I know how much you look forward to the day when you can prove, beyond shadow of doubt, that myself and me crew are nothing but heartless predators. In fact, I would wager you take great delight at the very thought of hangin' the entire lot of us! Course right now, with your wonderful town a bit on the worse-for-wear side, I would hope you have different priorities at the moment? Can't you call it a truce for even a day? Decide to put something else ahead of your personal dislike for me and mine?" Jack suggested, with a leaning to the side and an open handed gesture with both palms, at the area where the town had once stood so proudly.
Those gathered could not help but turn their gaze for a brief moment, following his gesture. Then everyone seemed to look at Commodore Norrington, and then up at the pirate who was giving a hint of gold smile meant to be his most winning. Then they looked back at the military officer. They were waiting for him to actually answer the question!
The Commodore fumed inwardly. Not at the question itself, but at the way the pirate had so effortlessly played to the crowd of observers. Jack Sparrow had won - again. There was only one answer Norrington could give now, and both he and the pirate knew it. And Norrington could see the delight in the other's eyes at having bested him as Jack ventured a little further down the gangplank.
"What do you want from the town of Port Royal?" Norrington bit out, and the pirate seemed to sway mildly with one hand on the railing as the other flittered off to his side almost absently.
"Actually, we have a bit more supplies in our hold than we want. Superfluous items, extraneous materials that seem to have come into our humble possession, that sort of thing. Not everything you need, but I imagine you could use it, considering.." He said and left off to gesture subtly at the ruined town before them, then he slowly met Norrington's gaze, very directly.
He broke off suddenly and turned abruptly to the Governor. Then announced smoothly, "If you'd take them off our hands, Sir.. We'd be mighty pleased for the favor. It's takin' up more than just a bit of room in our hold, if you understand our problem?" he asked in earnest request.. and the Governor and the Commodore both blinked and looked surprised.
Of all the requests and demands the pirate could have uttered, those words were the absolute last Norrington expected of him. Commodore Norrington stared at the pirate captain, struck absolutely speechless for once in his life.
' Jack Sparrow - known pirate at large was suggesting that he - they - no, it just could not be.' the Commodore's mind stumbled with blindly for several long moments. No - this just had to be wrong - pirates don't DO things like this!
"By all means! Anything you don't need I am sure we could make use of!" the Governor replied happily, and Jack tilted his head at the Commodore, waiting for the man's answer with a rather mischievous smile.
"Do we have an accord Commodore?" he asked casually.
"All right Mr. Sparrow, we have an agreement." Norrington said in a strained tone as he came closer. This just could not be happening. Not from THIS man - no - it just couldn't be happening. The pirate had to be up to something. He just had to be.
Jack quickly raised a finger of each hand and took half a step back, shaking his head. Norrington stopped several yards away from him. Now the pirate seemed to give off an air of potential menace, just by the angle of his head and change in the balance of his stance and the look to his eye.
"Ah ah ah - right there is far enough Commodore," he growled lowly as he swayed mildly and ended with one hip against the railing. Norrington stopped as the Governor came up beside him, all smiles and eagerness. Commodore Norrington quickly put out a hand to stop him from going any further, while not breaking his solid stare at the pirate who seemed pleased with his stunned reaction.
"Aw mate! Now surely you don't think the likes of me would take such a fine man as the Governor hostage or somethin' and all, do ye? I can't extend my invitation for a personally escorted tour of the Black Pearl?" Jack asked in a mockingly injured tone, with a glitter to his eye, and Norrington frowned uneasily at him.
"Sparrow, I don't trust you any further than I could throw you." Norrington told him stiffly, and the man grinned widely and laughed as if well pleased.
"Ah good then - we're all on even ground here, savvy? I love it when we all start out even, don't you?" he asked of the Governor with a definite sway to his body, one hand helping explain his point. The Governor frowned mildly, sensing the tension between the two men despite the civility of the words.
"Ah yes - yes of course. Is there anything we can do to help in moving these supplies you have no need of?" he offered and Jack considered the crowd, the dock, and then Norrington especially.
"Well, its going t' take awhile. and I'd really rather not be worrying the entire time. if anyone is gonna get the sudden urge.. to try to kill a fellow just for trying to do something decent." he said to the Governor, pausing purposely for effect, and ended with a direct and dangerous glare at Norrington. The Commodore clenched his fists and jaw at the reference.
"No sir - you have my personal assurance - my personal word that nothing untoward will happen. I have granted you safe passage into Port Royal, and every living soul here is well aware of it, as you can see!" the Governor told him with a gesture back at the crowd and Jack nodded with a thoughtful look at the landscape before him, half leaning backwards in balance, with one hand to his chin, stroking the beads in his beard briefly.
He heard footsteps coming down behind him and glanced back just as Doctor Cook reached him and immediately grabbed him very firmly by the elbow. The pirate captain startled, taking a quick step backwards.
"Are you about done?" the doctor asked very pointedly as he steadied the man. Jack straightened, looked down at his elbow and then out towards the end of the dock and then back at the doctor, uncertainty suddenly registering plainly in his expression.
"I have a very funny feeling that I might be more done than I anticipated being at the moment?" he asked in a tone that suggested he had been caught in the act of something he shouldn't be, and the Doctor smiled benignly.
"How very perceptive of you dear Captain! Now - just tell us where you want those supplies unloaded, and it will be done. Then we can go back to your cabin while the crew carry out your orders, right?" he said in rather firm suggestion, and Jack gave him a rather pouting look.
"Do we really have to bother with all of that? I'm not doing much of anything right here, honestly." He said with a one offhand gesture at the gangplank he stood on, and gave a good attempt at looking boring and bored as well. The doctor seemed amused.
"I've been watching Jack." He said simply, and the pirate dropped his head back to look up at the skies as if in appeal. Then he straightened and regarded the physician, rolled his eyes and sighed heavily at him. The doctor smiled at the pirate's antics and shook his head.
"Won't do you any good to argue with me Jack." He said in a genuinely kind tone.
"You really need to find something better to do with yourself mate. Believe me, I'm not all that interesting." the pirate suggested with mild irritation and the doctor chuckled at the one's 'put-upon' look.
"Perhaps I will get to - when I don't have patients who still are suffering the aftereffects of blood loss and who have a stubborn fever, forgetting that they swore they would not leave the crate they were sitting on. Perhaps then I just might be able to entertain such ideas. But you see Captain, I seem to have developed this odd aversion to having people collapsing on the decks, as you might have noticed." He said very agreeably.
The pirate captain arched an eyebrow at him severely with an unconscious touch to his forehead. He winced mildly at the touch as he muttered to himself then sighed as if exasperated.
"Don't suppose you'd be interested in starting these proposed said other interests in the very near future? Say, in a few moments from now?" Jack asked in a suddenly sly tone with a sideways look and 2 fingered gesture, and now the other laughed outright.
"And let you get away with just anything you please?" he asked back and the pirate seemed to think for a moment, head tilted, then he brightened dramatically, smiled and nodded.
"Aye! Now there is an ~excellent~ idea, my good man!" he agreed heartily. Doctor Cook laughed fully as now he physically turned the pirate around, but careful not to do so by his left arm or shoulder at all.
"Get back up there where you belong you irascible pirate. You go straight back to that crate and this time you stay there. And keep one hand on the railing - please!" He said, as he gave the one a little push and Jack went, muttering under his breath to himself in imitation of the physician and echoing his words.
Now the doctor turned to Commodore Norrington.
"And you! What are you being so hostile about? I do not need to tell you that the man recently suffered a serious injury, now do I? Here he is, up since the crack of dawn, to supervise all of this, when quite frankly he has no business being up at all - for at least another day if not two. He's returning passengers and delivering much needed supplies and you just have to bait him? Yes I know, he can be very - very provocative at times. But at least I can imagine that it's either the fever or he's dizzily not quite thinking everything he says through at the moment.... More likely its' the combination of the two that's behind some of his behavior. Exactly what is your excuse for your behavior, sir?" he demanded sternly and the military man looked away somewhat. The doctor still scowled at him.
"What is the matter with you Commodore? The man asked you for a day's truce. Not your first-born child. You truly do have some sort of personal problem with admitting he could ever be doing something decent, don't you? I sincerely doubt he pulled you up when you were hanging off that cliff, thinking you were going to re- pay him in gold for the favor. or have you just conveniently forgotten that Jack Sparrow was the one that did that?" he asked and Norrington quickly gave him a guilt stricken look but said nothing as his cheeks reddened against his will. The Governor turned to him with a deep frown and puzzled look.
"Go, Commodore - I want you off this dock. These men have supplies to unload. If the two of you can't be trusted to not end up antagonizing each other, then let's just not have you near each other. He's staying up there, you can wait on shore with everyone else." He said rather hotly as he pointed.
"Mr. Gibbs!" they heard Jack call in a deeply commanding voice as he reached the top of the gangplank. The older man came and they spent a few moments in discussion - Jack pointing back at the landscape and the other nodding. The pirate came to the railing and the doctor looked up at him.
He looked down at the Commodore and Governor and doctor all still there.
"The crate, Captain - now please." the doctor reminded him and the one waved him off dismissingly.
"I have your word about the safety of my crew, Governor Swan?" the pirate asked in a suddenly weary tone, and the one nodded.
"Yes - my absolute word sir." He reassured, and Jack smiled mildly.
"Good 'nough for me." He said as if satisfied, then turned away and moved over to the crate and sat down heavily to rub at his eyes with one hand.
"Commodore Norrington? Your turn sir?" the doctor said, ushering him in the direction of the land, and the military man looked at the Governor in appeal. The Governor glanced up at the pirate and then sighed.
"I do think it would be best for all concerned if you did as the good doctor asked, Commodore." He agreed, and Norrington's cheeks flushed even more with embarrassment as he turned and marched stiffly down the docks - with the Governor right at his side, suddenly having a GREAT many questions to ask of the military officer...
TBC...
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