Author's Note: I know I told you all Sunday Night…but you all have to admit that writing about POTC is ever so much more fun than doing a speech…well in my case a speech. Oh! Thanks to *PED-Sarah*- I got the idea for the title of this chapter…and the idea that links to the title- so of course I named it after her. Thanks mate!
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Last Time:
***"But why should it unsettle you? Shouldn't you be happy that even though he doesn't seem like the kind of person to risk his life for a friend…he did?"
*** She eyed him and then looked away, "I talked to Will about something that happened on the island. What you did was very…noble."
He beamed, "Noble?"
*** Doesn't he realize how hurt I was when I realized that he wasn't coming back? Surely a pirate has more morals than leaving their wives! There must be something somewhere that says they need to be with their wives…
***"No…No. We are married. We're married. I'm her husband and she's my wench…well wife." Jack sighed. But how was he going to convince Julie about that?
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Jack strolled out of his cabin in the late morning. His father wasn't in bed when Jack woke up, and he figured he must be down stairs getting something to eat. Dad always did rise with the sun. And usually I do- unless I get drunk the night before.
He sighed and looked out onto his ship, there were a few people up and about, but since there was no hurry of getting to St. Thomas or any danger- Jack had expected his crew to take it easy. As long as we get there. He thought to himself. And as long as I keep my promise to Lizzie… He sighed and about the other woman who he needed to keep his promises to.
Jules. He remembered what he thought about last night, and still had the same goal in mind. He was going to get her back. Why he was thinking of this now, and not ten years ago- he wasn't sure, but he needed her. He needed to know that he loved someone and someone loved him.
Tell him I'll be here.
I need someone waiting for my arrival. Someone who is glad when I come to town. Someone I can't wait to see. Someone like Jules.
He turned and walked to her cabin and just when he was about to knock, the door opened. "Captain!" Ana said, a bit surprised.
"Is Jules in there?"
Ana grimaced, "Aye, but the lass must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed- she's in a foul mood captain."
He nodded, "I can handle it."
She laughed, "Sure you can." And then left to get some breakfast.
He dismissed her doubt and walked into the cabin, "Jules?" She had her back to him and was rummaging through her trunk.
"Leave me alone- I have to wash my hair,"
Jack paused, "Wash yer hair?"
She turned, "Yes! Wash my hair. It's been ages since I've done so and while I usually go two days without washing it- it's been about a week in a half…or longer. I feel…dirty."
"You look nice though."
She rolled her eyes and turned back around.
"Well what are you going to wash it with?"
"Roberts said I could use some water of his."
Jack smiled, "You're not using that."
"Why not?" she asked, turning around again.
"Because that water is for the crew- I'm not gunna allow you to use a gallon just to make yerself feel pretty, lass."
She paused, "Fine, then I'll take a swim."
"You can swim?"
"Yes."
"No you can't."
"Yes I can!"
Jack paused, knowing how this would go on- "Jules, look just wait and I'll go with you."
"HA! You're not coming with me."
"Then you're not goin' swimmin'."
She frowned for a minute and then said, "Was there a reason you came in here?"
Jack paused and looked at her, "I uh…wanted to talk to you."
"About?"
"Last night."
She rolled her eyes, "I don't want to Jack- please." He watched her walk to her cot and sit down. He paused and went and sat down next to her. "You have more important people to talk to Jack."
"Dad?"
She nodded.
"We have nothing to talk about."
"Then neither do we."
****
When Jack left the cabin, Julie felt herself heave a sigh. That was hard. She had a good idea about what he wanted to talk about. About having her here, about her going home…about a future. She didn't want to talk about that, and she would stall anyway she could.
He needs to talk to his father anyhow. I did good to make him do it. She got up from her cot and paced her cabin, now all I need to do is sneak down there when he's on deck and wash my hair.
****
"Junior!" his father said.
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, "Jack, dad. My name's Jack."
"Nonsense! The only person who called you Jack was your mother and Julie."
"And me!"
Peter shook his head. Jack sighed again and tried to remember why he was down here. Oh yea, Jules. It's funny how I have to go through my father to get to her. She's probably just trying to keep me away, but I'm going to do this- I will.
"Why are you down here, son?"
He shrugged, "Just wanted to talk."
Peter looked up from his plate, "Talk?"
He nodded.
"About what?"
Jack paused, "Why did you tell me that about Jules? Do you know something?"
Peter kept eating, "Son, maybe you should talk to her."
Jack sighed, "That's the thing dad- she…doesn't want to talk to me."
"Can't blame her."
"Excuse me?"
"I mean you did leave her…"
"Yes but I came back!"
"Only to drop off your friend…Will. You know- he's a pleasant young man, we had a nice talk."
Jack stared at his father. Great. First Jules and now Will. Who next? Gibbs? "What'd you two talk about?"
"Oh, nothing, just how you two met and the usual."
Jack rolled his eyes. "I suppose he told you why I went to St. Thomas?"
Peter nodded, "That was very nice of you son."
"Thanks dad."
Peter paused, put down his fork and looked at Jack, "Why are you down here?"
"What'd you mean?"
"It's obvious you don't want to be down here."
Jack paused, "Yes I do…"
Peter sighed, "Don't lie to me son." Jack didn't respond. "Believe it or not, I do know you."
Jack's head sunk and he quietly said, "No you don't."
Peter paused, "Why say that! I do know you! You're my son."
Jack looked at him, "I may be your son but you don't know me. I left when I was seventeen. You haven't seen me in over fifteen years dad."
"And whose fault is it that you left?"
Jack stared at him, deciding if he was truly serious or not, "You have no idea why I left, do you?"
"No. But I knew you would be okay- I taught you well."
"All you taught me is that I can say anything I wanted as long as I put a 'sir' on the end of it."
Peter paused, looking at him, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means- that you were more of a Commodore to me than a father! And when mom died it got worse!"
"That's because you got worse. Imagine how it looked for me- my own son, stealing."
"It was only to get yer attention!" Jack said in an 'obvious' tone, "Then when I left you never came after me. The biggest thing to get you to notice and you didn't."
"I noticed! I sent my men out looking for you for months! But you never came home!"
"That's the point! You sent yer men, but did you send yerself?"
"I thought you were coming home."
"Why would I? There was no reason I should."
"There was me!"
"You never acted like you cared dad- You cared about your job. You loved your job, liked mom and hated me."
"I didn't hate you."
"Well you never paid any attention to me dad, unless I was in trouble."
"I paid a lot of attention to you Junior- you just didn't understand."
"I understood fine! I understood that yer work was more important than me."
Peter paused, He sure is whining a lot. "Nothing was more important to me than you and your mother."
Jack sighed and noticed the English accent. He closed his eyes and remembered when they moved from England to the Caribbean. He thought he was going to hate it. But the damp weather to sunny weather must've changed his mind.
"Dad, if I thought that then I wouldn't have left."
Peter sighed, "What do you want me to say?"
Jack shrugged and looked at him, "Just realize that I'm not the only person in the wrong."
****
When jack knocked timidly on Julie's door he heard a lot of rummaging around before the door finally opened. He looked strangely at Julie as she stood in front of him with Ana's hat on.
"Does she know you have that on?"
"What do you want?"
He eyed her and took a step further, forcing the door open for himself. He closed it behind him and Julie stood there, in the cabin, trying to avoid eye contact. "I talked to my dad…" he said still eyeing her.
"It took you this long?"
"I noticed you went down to the galley earlier today…"
"Do I have my own personal stalker now?"
Jack smirked and made a quick move to her head, removing the hat. Out tumbled her hair. It was wet. He stared at her blond hair for a minute and then looked at her. "You didn't…"
"I only used a quart!"
"That doesn't matter!" he yelled, "I specifically told you not to!"
"No you didn't. You said you didn't want me wasting a gallon of water just to make myself look pretty."
He paused, she was right- he didn't exactly say no. He calmed down and took a breath, "You already looked pretty, Jules."
She eyed him, "Y-you talked to your father?"
He nodded, "Aye. Nice long talk- now can we talk?"
"Why? Why can't we just leave things be? You've said enough, don't you think?"
He smiled, knowing her tactic. "Yer not guilt-tripping me out of this…I want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"My leaving…"
She snorted, "I was hoping to get some sleep tonight- so can we make it quick?"
"Why don't you want to talk about it?"
"When did you become mister talkative?"
"Jules, answer my question."
She paused and then said boldly, "Do you know what your leaving did to me? To wake up on my birthday and find you gone after three years of being married? You know how hard it was to face all the questions from our neighbors? To pack up the house, sell it and then move back to St. Thomas? To then face all the questions about piracy and why I came back and why I had a silver band on my ring finger? And then the finale- to find out I was pregnant?"
He paused, did I hear her right? Pregnant? "P-pregnant?" he got out.
She nodded as tears filled her eyes and her hands went to her stomach. "Yes, pregnant. But you were gone. It had been about six months since you had left and I was six months pregnant. Sarah June Sparrow, I decided for a girl, hoping with all my might it would be one. I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you were still going to come home. That somehow you would figure out that I left our house and moved back to St. Thomas.
My seven month- the baby died. I dunno what happened but my mid-wife said something about a miscarriage. I though that the baby had to be very young to be a miscarriage- but something went wrong. Sarah died."
Jack looked at Julie, silent tears going down her cheeks, wanting so much to reach out and hug her, but he had a feeling that she didn't want to be touched by him. "Jules…I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"But how could you? You were gone."
Realization finally hit him and he now understood how much this affected her. And as he watched her wipe the tears from her face and go over to her window and look out of it, he knew that this was only half of the hurt. He sighed and decided he would give her some time and talk to her about the marriage thing tomorrow.
****
"Jules, I know I hurt you when I left but I've made a decision- you can't tell me we're not married." Jack said the next day. It was mid-afternoon when he had finally gotten up enough courage to talk to her again. He had told Will everything and Will gave him advice about handling this part of Jack's wanting- but to be careful.
Julie turned her head towards Jack and shut her book quietly, "Excuse me?"
"You can't just say that we're not married. It has to be decided on by both…sides."
"Are you saying that you still want to be married to me?"
Jack paused. "Aye. That's exactly what I'm saying,"
"Well too bad. I don't want to be married to you and I know you don't want to be married to me."
"I just said I did!"
"Well then you're pulling a sick joke! And frankly, I don't give a care what you say anymore,"
"Now yer lying,"
"What?"
"You want me here and you want me to talk to you."
She rolled her eyes, "Please, explain."
He leaned in, "You haven't kicked me out."
"That could happen if you get me ticked off."
"Oh really."
"Really."
"Do it."
"Excuse me?"
"Kick me out. I know you won't." Before he knew it, Jack was facing the outside. He pursed his lips and cursed. She did it. That little… "Woman!" he yelled, walking into her cabin.
She whipped around, "You told me to kick you out yet you're still here!"
"I know what you want."
"No you don't."
"I have known you longer than any other woman in this world and I was married to you for three years."
"Well…you lived with me for three years…technically you were married to me for about…thirteen."
"I STILL AM!"
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" she yelled back. "You made it perfectly clear that you didn't want me when you left, and you made it perfectly clear that you didn't want to remember your past. If you haven't noticed, I'm part of your past!"
"Yer part of my present!"
"You stumbled upon me on accident in Singapore and in St. Thomas. You left our house without and word and you never came back. Jack, you never had intended on seeing me again."
"Yes! Yes I did. I went back to our house in St. Lucia and you weren't there! The house was sold and all your things were gone."
Julie paused, he went back? Tears stung her eyes as she kept talking- or she'd break down, "Then why didn't you go to the obvious place? Back home. To both our homes."
"Julie…I couldn't."
"Exactly. You were willing to do things at the "most opportune moment" for you but not for the person you say you…"
"Julie, you must know how I feel about you."
"Jack! If I based your feelings on your actions then I would have to say that you care NOTHING for me."
Jack sighed, "Okay I know what I did was wrong but Jules, if you just wait for me-"
"No. I'm not going to wait for you anymore. I have waited all my life for my father to come home and he never did. Then I waited the rest of my life for you to walk through my store door, but you never did. I have gotten so sick of men leaving me! First it was my father and then my brother, then suitors who found out I was without parents who could give them an adequate dowry for marrying me and then finally the one person who I thought I knew well enough…the person who I thought that would never leave me. You."
Jack's head bent down in defeat, "I'm sorry. I thought…"
"And you even knew my life story. You knew that men were never very dependable for me and that I was wary of that! Did you just forget or did you take advantage of that?"
He looked up, "Jules, you know I could never take advantage of you."
"Well from where I'm standing it looks like that."
Jack suddenly got irritated, "Why do I have to explain myself over and over again to you? Why can't you just accept that my feelings for you haven't changed?!"
"Because if they hadn't, then why didn't you tell me you left? I would've kept your secret, and if you promised me you were coming back then I would've given you a hug and kiss and sent you on your way but you had to be sneaky! You didn't feel as if you could trust me and you didn't think I would understand! But I was your wife. I would've waited all my life if you had just told me and promised me." Julie searched his eyes, "Jack look you need to honestly tell me what you…still feel."
"Why are so many women so caught up with feelings? It doesn't matter!"
"Yes it does! If you're trying to be with me then I'm going to have to trust you! I need the truth from you!"
Jack sighed and reached out and touched her arm as he took a step foreword, "Jules…you know that I married you because I…" he paused. Say it you fool!
I can't!
Yes you can! SAY IT! Don't loose her!
He made a little sound underneath his breath as Julie stubbornly waited. "Because I loved you…"
She drew away.
"I mean, I still do. I mean…"
She looked at him strangely, "Don't you dare lie to me Jack Sparrow!"
"I'm not."
"But that's the problem! I want to believe you so badly but I can't. You hurt me Jack and until you realize that then-"
"I do understand that! Why do you think I keep talking to you? Seeking you out even after you told me our marriage was off? I do understand that I hurt you and I'm sorry but there's nothing else to say except that! My life is an open book for you luv."
She sighed and watched him carefully. "Why didn't you come home?"
Jack knew that question would work its way into her mind sooner or later, although knowing Julie she probably had been thinking about it for a long time. "My first mate had taken the Pearl. When I had arrived in Singapore it was maybe a month afterwards. Some sailors dropped me off there. When I left I went to get the Pearl back." He said, almost in a tone that implied that he was actually ashamed for what had happened. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I couldn't put you at risk. I experienced a lot of things in the seven years between the time I left and when I got the Pearl back. I'm sorry I didn't look for you hard enough."
She sighed and looked him over, trying to evaluate everything he had just said. She finally gave in and went into his arms slowly. Her tears making their way down the familiar place on her face. He sighed and thought to himself, Congrats- to the new Mr. and Mrs. Jack Sparrow.
****
That night had been filled with unsure feelings about what Julie still felt for Jack. Does she still love me? That question must've made its way around his head a million times before the first light came through his window.
He looked up at his bed, where his father was still sleeping. They hadn't really had a good talk since that day in the galley. But Jack thought that going down there and talking to him was starting to patch up the huge space between them.
After talking with Jules yesterday Jack went and talked to his dad about the map- something that had been plaguing him since this whole thing arose. Where did he get the location to Black Beards' treasure? His father explained that while visiting St. Vincent to check up on the Naval fort there- he just stumbled upon the skeleton. But he being a Commodore, covered it up with more dirt and left, coming home to make a map.
Jack cursed his father's dumb luck and wished that he had inherited it. He sighed and got up. He went out and lifted the anchor with a few of the early risers of the crew and then steered the ship. Somehow steering always calmed him down and let him rethink everything that had been happening in his life.
He was closer than he thought to St. Thomas. By mid-afternoon they were getting ready to dock. Will had come out his cabin and told Julie about being so close and then came up to Jack, who was still steering. He had seen a spot to dock with a platform. He figured it was for naval ships- but they had a million of them- they wouldn't miss one.
"Is that Jonathan?" Will asked Jack. He spotted a man with two kids by his side, all three looking quite sour.
Jack squinted his eyes, "I dunno Will, and I've only met the man once."
"Yes, but why would he be waiting at the harbor for me? Do you think something's wrong with Elizabeth?"
Jack sighed, "I don't know lad."
He sighed too and patiently waited until they docked. As soon as they did, Will ran from deck, down the platform and right to Jonathan.
"Will, I'm glad you're here. Did everything go alright?"
Will ignored the question, "What's wrong? Ella? Elizabeth?"
Jonathan's face grew dark, "It's Elizabeth."
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Author Thanks:
Alayna The Tallest Hobbit: YAY! New reviewer! *author hands her a stuffed Jack Sparrow doll and says, 'give one to your sister too…who is your sister?* Thanks so much for the long review- I loved hearing your 'babbling' as you called it. But hearing your thoughts was great. Thanks for the compliment and everything. Oh! My favorite part was Jack taking Will's place too. I hope you liked this chapter…and I'm sure Elizabeth is in your head- but you'll have to keep reading to find out about her. Other stories? Try: 'Again', 'There's Your Trouble' and then I have a ton of one shots so… yea.
Nhorse: YAY! Another new reviewer! * hands them a stuffed Jack Sparrow doll* Yes- some of the dialogue was a modernized a bit and I slapped myself for doing such a thing- I'm glad you kept reading though. I'm glad you think I captured Jack and everyone well. Oh- and thanks for reading my one shots! I enjoy getting a new reviewer and hearing their thoughts on the story.
Charis-1974: New reviewer again! *hands you a stuffed Jack Sparrow doll* thanks for the review and reading my story…I'm glad you like it!
Piper8188: It's funny that you thought it was long…because it wasn't my longest one- but this one is. It's the longest one yet! *smiles* I hope you like long…(?) Jack's fun to write when drunk.
Emma436: You said Huzzah…wow. I've never gotten that kind of reaction- but you never cease to amaze me when you review…oh btw- I LOVE LONG REVIEWS! I think I got you confused because you apologize- but I love them! No 'I' in the whole thing…again- you never cease to amaze me.
