Chapter 2
Happy Thanksgiving! Here's a present. A nice long one.
It was mid-morning by the time Norrington could escape his work to go to the Turner's residence. He was greeted at the door by a harried-looking maid. Before he could ask to come in Elizabeth appeared behind her. Her appearance gave him pause.
She was wearing a worn work gown, an apron tied over it. Water was splashed down her front and hair escaped the cap on her head. Her face looked drawn and tired, her eyes holding just a note of panic.
"Elizabeth, what's the matter?" he demanded, pressing past the maid to better see the woman.
"Oh, Edward," she sighed, moving into his arms to hug him. He drew her close, patting her back. "The surgeon's been and gone. He says she's grown worse. We're trying to sweat it out."
Norrington felt his throat close. In his years on the ships nine men under his command had come down with fevers so bad they had to sweat it out. Six of these men had died. One had returned to work on the ship as if nothing had happened after a good rest. One had lost the use of his legs. That one, confined away from the sea he loved, had wasted away within the year. The final one had lost the use of his faculties, babbling nonsense near constantly. Norrington didn't care for the odds.
But none of them were Pearl Sparrow, he reminded himself. The most stubborn woman alive. Surely she would pull through this. "May I see her?" he asked.
Elizabeth nodded, leading him up the stairs. "You may wish to take off your coat. We have the fire fully stoked. 'Tis blisteringly hot."
He nodded, shrugging it off as they moved. "Wig as well, I imagine," he remarked. "Even unconscious that woman is managing to undress me."
"Edward, that is a frightfully inappropriate thought," Elizabeth said with mock disapproval.
"Yes, well, Pearl would be delighted," he told her with a smile he didn't feel as she opened the door and led him into the room.
The heat hit him as soon as he entered the room. William sat beside the bed with a basin of water and a rag. He was dressed very simply in brown trousers and a white shirt left open in the heat. There wasn't a speck of sweat on him--as a blacksmith working in the Caribbean he was accustomed to heat. "Edward," he greeted with a nod as the man approached to look at the girl over his shoulder.
She was still pale, sweat standing out on her face despite Will's constant attention. Her eyes remained shut, hair flopping limply around her head, luster lost in the greasiness of sick-sweat. Her beads and bobbles were gone. Her head moved a bit as if she longed to escape the many blankets that trapped in the heat.
"The surgeon says she may begin hallucinating," Will told him, watching her muted movements.
"Where's Jack?" Norrington asked.
"The Pearl," Elizabeth answered. "He said his daughter would skin him if he neglected his ship in favor of her. He's going to send them out to Tortuga for a while."
Edward nodded. "It's a good idea. Now if we could just get Jack cleaned up so no one knows him."
Will snorted. "Good luck with that."
As if the discussion had summoned him Jack appeared, muttering, "Bloody pirates," under his breath.
"Something the matter, Jack?" Elizabeth asked.
"They won't go," Jack announced settling onto the edge of the bed. "They say the Pearl won't sail without its captain. What's more, Gibbs and Annamaria are throwing a fit. They want to come visit."
"They can't," Elizabeth put in. "We have enough trouble keeping you under wraps."
"Which is what I told them," Jack answered with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry. They're staying put."
"Where are you anchored?" Norrington asked. Jack looked up as if noticing him for the first time, then narrowed his eyes. "I could pull the navy away from them. If I wanted you dead you'd be in the noose by now," he added.
Jack continued to consider him. "Pearl would tell you to trust him," Elizabeth put in.
"We would tell you trust him," Will added. Elizabeth nodded agreement as Norrington and Jack both stared at him in aparent astonishmen. Will shrugged. "He's never steared us wrong before."
"To the east, there's a little cove. Not too big, but the Pearl's easy enough to stear around. There's a reef around it, beside this rocky jutting."
Norrington's eyebrows rose. "I know what you're talking about. We've always left it alone because we assumed no ship big enough to cause trouble could get in there."
Jack grinned and shrugged. "She's a nimble little ship."
Norrington shook his head. "I don't care how nimble she is, that takes some serious work. I'm impressed."
Jack grinned for a moment, before his eyes fell back on his daughter. Just like that he seemed to deflate, sparkle and smile both fleeing from his face. "Oh, my Pearl," he sighed out.
"Would you like to get some sleep, Jack?" Elizabeth asked. "You must be exhasted, sitting up with her all night."
Jack shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Good. Because there's something else we want to discuss with you," Elizabeth said, stubborness creaping into her voice.
Jack eyed her suspiciously. "What's that, luv?"
"Jack!" Will cried out. "What did I tell you about calling my wife 'luv'?"
"I call my daughter luv, Will. It's a term of endearment, not an ovature. What're you after, Lizzie?"
"Don't call me Lizzie," Elizabeth ordered.
Jack threw his hands into the air. "All right. From now on I'll refer to you simply as 'hey you.' What're you aiming at getting at, hey you?"
"It would be much easier for you to come and go if you would let us clean you up," Elizabeth pointed out. "People come to visit as well, and they did try to hang you publicly."
"HE tried to hang me publicly," Jack corrected, mosioning toward Norrington, who was rolling his eyes.
"The point is, you could be recognized." When he looked less than convinced she added, "And if you're recognized people will start asking questions about Pearl."
He sighed heavily, then a grin suddenly split his face. "I suppose you're going to insist on standing over me and watchin' me scub every inch of myself, eh?"
"Jack!" Will cried.
"Sorry mate," Jack said quickly. "Maybe you could get one of your lovely maids to fill in?"
Norrington rolled his eyes again. "Why am I not surprised? Your daughter is sweating to death and you're chaising maids about."
Jack turned on him suddenly, eyes flashing. "Don't presume to know what my daughter's condition is doing to me. At least I have a reason for being here. What has she ever done but turn you away?"
"Jack!" Elizabeth interupted. "That was totaly uncalled for. I know you're hurting, but that's no reason to pick at Edward! He's only trying to help." Jack looked properly chastized although the coldness didn't leave his eyes as he regarded Norrington.
"As for you," Elizabeth continued, "you will bathe yourself, but that's the least of it. I need to cut your hair and get rid of those earings, and the rings, and get you a shave."
"Stop!" Jack cried. "Belay that!"
"Belay what?" Elizabeth asked.
"All of it! I'm no bloody nobleman! And I've spent years getting my goatee--"
"The idea," Elizabeth cut him off, "is to convince people that you're my uncle. Why else are they going to believe you're spending so much time around here, worried about Pearl?"
"Well, I'm just not doing it, luv. What do you say to that?"
"I'm sorry, Jack, and give my best to the crew on the Pearl. I can't let you remain here in that condition. For Pearl's good, if not yours." She ended the last part with a firm nod.
"By all the winds in the sea, luv, you wouldn't!" Jack cried.
"I'd have to. I have to do what's best for her."
After a few moment's consideration Jack stood. "You know how to push me, Lizzie, I'll give you that. Come now, quickly, before I change my mind."
With a satisfied grin Elizabeth led the captain out of the room. Norrington shared a look with Will and settled himself into a chair. "You have guts, marrying that woman. I'll give you that."
"She only uses her powers for good," Will told him with a smile.
"I'd still be worried if I were you," he returned.
Will shrugged. "That's what makes life interesting. Shhh, Pearl, it's all right," he whispered to the woman who had just made a little noise, dabbing at the sweat on her forehead.
Suddenly her eyes snapped to him, opening crystal clear. Will looked down at her in surprise. "Pearl?"
She coughed, eyes searching his face as a smile suddenly appeared. "Am I dead?"
"No, Pearl. You're not dying. You're going to be fine."
She laughed softly. "You were always a really bad lier, Bill. To me anyway." She coughed again as Will worked his mouth, trying to find the right thing to say to a delutional victim of a fever that could be her death who was convinced he was his deceased father. "Should have known you'd be the one to come and get me. Mind telling me if we're going up or down?"
"You're not going anywhere," Will managed. "You're not dying. It isn't your time yet." She shook her head, eyes closing as she lay back against the pillow. "Pearl?" he asked. "Pearl, can you hear me?"
She lay, still and unresponsive as before. Will looked up at Norrington, obviously shaken. "The surgion said the delutions would probably start soon. Maybe we shouldn't mention it to Jack."
Norrington nodded his agreement. "God send that she makes it," he whispered.
"Amen," Will finished.
After a few minutes Will asked, "Do you love her?"
Norrington startled a bit at the question, but found that he couldn't deny Will's eyes. They had always been so honest. The man couldn't hide his feelings for anything in the world. Now they showed concern mixed with curiosity.
Finally Norrington shrugged. "I did three months ago, for all the good it did me. Perhaps I still do. I care about her. I know that much."
"And Maggie?"
"Maggie is one of the sweetest, kindest girls I've ever met," he edged.
"But do you love her?"
Norrington blinked at him. "I care for-"
"Do you love her?" Will demanded gently.
"I will, in time, I believe," he answered with a wave of his hand. "Pearl's made her feelings perfectly clear on the subject."
Will nodded again. "She's a pirate. She won't let herself love."
"That's the rumor."
They lapsed into silence, watching Pearl battle for a while. Finally Will sighed, popping his back. "I should get us some lunch. Would you mind taking over for a little bit?"
"Not at all," he agreed, taking the rag and settling next to the girl. Will left with a final cryptic grin.
He indulged in staring at her for a while. Three months ago he had decided that she was only ever truly peaceful in her sleep. Even when she was laughing merrily, which was often enough as a child of Jack Sparrow's, there was a guarded aspect of her eyes. She had been through enough in her fairly short life to leave her jaded and somewhat tormented, he had decided, even if she would never admit it. Now it was as if her inner demons plagued her even through her sleep.
"You have to come through this, Pearl," he told her. "After everything you've been through, you have to come through this." He paused to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "It's one thing for you to deny me and run off to sail. Even as dangerous as that is, at least I know you're alive. But you can't die here. You just can't."
"Best not say that." Norrington turned to find Elizabeth standing behind him. "She'll die just to prove you wrong."
"I wouldn't put it past her," he sighed. "Mostly I was hoping she'd sit up and start yelling at me." He wiped droplets from his own forehead.
"Where has Will gone?"
"Down to get us some lunch. Why?"
Elizabeth sighed heavily. "Someone has to sit over that man and watch him in the bath or he'll never get clean. I could certainly do it without seeing anything untorred, but that man is so insufferable it's hardly worth it. Would you care to volunteer?"
Norrington laughed. "No, I think I'll pass. I believe the opertunity would be far too rich for Jack to pass up utterly and totaly humiliating me."
"Well said. All right, I'm off after Will. I'll send a maid up with some lunch. Can you stay for a while?"
He nodded. "I dare say Gillette can handle things."
"If you feel you need to go just get a maid to watch her," Elizabeth ordered. "I will admit, I dislike the idea of leaving her with someone she doesn't know."
"Don't worry yourself over it, Elizabeth," he ordered.
Elizabeth disappeared then. The maid came a short time later with a light lunch. He ate it quickly, anxious to return to his ministrations on Pearl. He was starting to feel thouroughly soaked with sweat when the door opened to admit Elizabeth, a soaking wet Will, and another man that it took Norrington several minutes of staring to recognize as Jack Sparrow.
By Norrington's standards he was still dressed rather shabily in a white open-collared shirt, simple breaches, and a plain black belt to which his sword was attached. The bandana was gone, as were the earings and bangles in his hair, although many of the rings on his hands remained. His hair had been shorn off, fully brushed, and pulled into a dark tail at the base of his neck. The dark eye makeup was gone, as was the goatee, leaving him looking very clean shaven and even presentable.
As Norrington stared open-mouthed Jack pointed a pinky at him. "Not a word. I still have my sword, savvy?"
Norrington shrugged. "I haven't a thing to say."
"I don't think I like your tone," Jack said, narrowing his eyes in a familiar way.
"Oh, leave it alone, Jack," Elizabeth ordered. "One more time."
Jack groaned. "Luv, I'm begging you, leave off pestering me."
"One more time," Elizabeth insisted. "What's your name?"
"Jack."
"Jack what?" Elizabeth asked.
With a deep sigh Jack replied, with a very proper English accent, "Jackson Montgumery of Queen's Cove Island. Came over from London some ten years ago. My darling little niece, Bethany you know, was visiting when she took sick. Well, I knew none could care for her as my other darling niece could. Bethany has grown so found of her cousin, you know-"
"That's enough," Elizabeth cut him off as he gave her a satisfied grin.
"It's a little over the top," Will remarked.
"What do you expect of a pirate?" Norrington asked, standing to stretch. "If someone would like to take over I believe I should be getting back."
"Of course. Thank you for staying so long," Elizabeth said. "Come, I'll walk you out."
"Hey, wait, someone promised me rum!" Jack cried.
Elizabeth sighed. "No, we promised you lunch."
"Rum is lunch."
"No, food is lunch. Come on, we can swing by the kitchen."
The three of them trouped down the stairs as Norrington carefully adjusted his wig and put his coat back on. "I'm going to stink," he remarked.
"It's the Caribbean. I doubt anyone will notice," Elizabeth said.
She led him to the door and opened it only to squeak in surprise. Margaret Neats stood there, hand raised to knock.
Author's Note: Uh-oh. This could get ugly. And look, you finally meet Miss Neats! Isn't that great? I should give you a fair warning: the next chapter will be fairly dark if it goes the way I think it's going. Not with the Norrington-Maggie thing. Pearl takes a turn for the worse. Much worse. So hold onto your seats, hold onto your hats, and hope I finish my final papers quickly so I can get to writing the story.
One other thing: Dodge gets the elf first for pointing out my giant mistake in the last chapter. I've fixed it now. I should tell you, Norrington's necklace is firmly around PEARL's neck. I think most of you knew what I meant.
To the rest of the reviewers: Thank you so much. I could say this chapter got up faster because I'm not in school at the moment, but the real reason I felt so motivated were all of the reviews. Thanks guys!
Oh, and last thing (I promise). The first person to tell me where I got the name Jackson Montgumery gets the elf next.