Author's Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I'm so sorry this one took awhile to get out to you all! But, what with Christmas and birthdays and all those entail, I didn't actually have much time to write, and writer's block made things even harder. But, I have emerged triumphant, and hopefully the next chapter will make it out faster than this one.
As always, author's thanks at the end.
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The sound of footsteps on stone reached the man sitting in the last cell of Port Royal's prison. Jack raised his hat high enough to see who was coming down to visit him. These footsteps were lighter than those belonging to military types. He felt a moment of surprise when he saw who it was. Well, 'ole Norry must be getting desperate if he's calling on what he thinks is a five-year-old alliance to help him. Settling his hat back over his eyes, Jack waited for Will to address him before stirring.
"Jack . . ." Will felt a moment of fond exasperation. Jack had pretended to be asleep that day five years ago as well. "Jack, I know you're awake."
"You know, it really is a pity you made me put back that coin," Jack drawled. "Bein' immortal might not hurt right now. Although, it would surprise you how hard it is to get hung around here."
"Jack." The pirate looked up to see shock on his companion's face. It was good to shake the kid up once and awhile.
"What is it, whelp? If you're worrying about reporting back to Norrington, don't." Will watched as Jack's eyes became serious, as serious as they'd been when he'd first spoken of his intentions toward Winn. "Tell him anything you like. Just don't give away Winn's secret life. I'm here to prevent that – don't make this all in vain."
Will wasn't quite sure what he was hearing. This didn't sound like Jack at all. "So you're just going to give up? Go to the noose quietly?"
Jack drew his head back and widened his eyes, falling into his captain mannerisms out of long habit. "Who said anything about dying?"
"You did. You said you were trying to get yourself hung."
"There's a big difference between hanging and dying, lad. One I intend to keep as large as possible."
"You're not making sense, Jack."
"If I started making sense, you wouldn't know it was me. Besides, as long as I tell you nothing of use, you won't have to lie."
"Fine, then let's say that I've come to enjoy lying. What are you planning?" Will leaned back against the wall of the corridor, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you have up your sleeves?"
"Nothing, unless Marcus can work a miracle. Let's just say I haven't given up on the possibility of a plan B. However, backup plans seem to be rather scarce at the moment." Jack levered himself up and started pacing the small confines of his cell, willing to let some agitation show in front of a trusted friend, and family member through two marriages – Will's to Elizabeth, and Jack's to Winn. Although, technically, Winn isn't related to Elizabeth. Jack shoved these thoughts out of his head. "Tying a noose is something like science, Will my boy. There's a certain way to tie the knots that will practically guarantee a man a quick death. And then there's ways to see that your punished criminal will die of strangulation. And then there's another way to tie a noose, one that – while it's extremely uncomfortable – won't kill a man."
"And you know how to tie a rope like that?"
"No, but I know a man who does." Will just looked at Jack incredulously. "What? My wife comes here a lot. You think I don't know the local populace of riff-raff and ne'er-do-wells as well as I know my own ship? What kind of husband would I be if I didn't ensure some kind of watch over her?" Blasted woman slips her watchers more often than not, though. I'm going to have a good talking to with her about that.
"Does Marcus know that you're going to need his help, eventually? He's straining at the bit. I'm not sure he likes the idea of attending the hanging of a family member."
"I'm not too thrilled about it either, lad." The two men had a moment of shared silence. And while it was a comfortable one, it made Jack a tad uneasy. The more silence, the more time Will had to brood. That was the worse thing about the lad; he did have a tendency to brood. Best to distract him. "How's Lizzie?"
"Worried. Wondering how to explain things to Wyatt. He's just old enough to wonder what's wrong with this 'auntie.'"
Jack nodded absently, trying to keep his mind off his wife for the time being. He'd done all he could for her at the moment. Now he had to concentrate on getting free to go back to her. "What did Liz tell him?"
"She just said that Winn was sick, and that he needed to stay out of the room for the time being. Marcus and Grace banned their children from the room as well, but I think Meg has managed to sneak in once or twice." Will swallowed, wondering if he should say what he wanted to, then decided to go for it. At the moment Jack couldn't do much to hurt him. "The children all want to know where you are. Meg and Elsa are really the only ones old enough to be disturbed by your absence, but they all know that something is wrong. It'd be hard to miss."
"Will –" Jack got up again and started pacing his cell. What he wouldn't give to be on the deck of his ship, feet firmly planted as he steered for anywhere but here.
"She was up most of the night calling for you and cursing you for being an arrogant fool. And those are her words, not mine." Will could see how agitated his friend was. He looks like Wyatt right before he places his hands over his ears. It was odd to compare a pirate with two-score years of life behind him to a nearly three year old child, but the semblance was there.
"I don't want to hear this, Will." There was the same petulant tone even.
"You need to hear it, Jack! You love her, and you haven't asked after her yet. You're worried." Against his better judgment, the younger man approached the bars of Jack's cell. "Jack –"
Jack turned in the blink of an eye and twisted to grab Will through the bars of his cell. Hauling the younger man forward, he pulled him against the metal bars; the hilt of Will sword let out a conspicuous 'clang'. He was going to have to hurry because the guards would have heard that. "Listen closely, boy. Yes, I love Winn. But the only thing that's keeping me from falling apart at the moment is not thinking about her. Savvy? How did you feel when Barbossa took Elizabeth? Hmm?" He saw comprehension dawn on the boy's face. "Exactly. You kept busy. If you hadn't, you would have fallen apart. That wouldn't have helped your wench. And it won't help mine." Guards were appearing from the stairway. "But since you brought the topic up, look out for her. And don't tell her what I'm contemplating." Jack thrust Will away from him and retreated to the back of his cell where the guards couldn't lay a hand on him.
"Wot's goin' on in 'ere?" The two redcoats who'd come down were throwing suspicious glances between Jack and Will. They both knew who'd been responsible for breaking the pirate out of jail years before, and they hadn't been too happy when they'd been ordered to let the blacksmith go down by himself.
Jack, quickly picking up on their train of thought, pasted an innocent look on his face, and raised his arms, fingers dancing in the air as he tried to appear helpless. "Nothing, sirs. Nothing. The lad here just lost his balance for a moment. Lending a helping hand, that's all I was doing, although your vigilance is to be commended. I don't suppose I could tempt you to turn pirate? I could use two good men like you." The soldiers sneered, and Will tried to keep from smiling. Jack had truly missed his calling on the stage.
"The only good man you need is a priest, and I'm not sure even he can do anythin' for you," one of the soldiers drawled with disdain. "As much as I'd like to see you hang by the neck until your eyes pop, I think I'll steer clear. The devil is sure to be on hand to escort you to hell himself."
"What makes you think I haven't already escaped the devil?" Jack's eyes found Will, and he motioned with his head. It was time for the lad to go, and Will caught on to the message. The last thing he heard as he was leaving was Jack starting to spin another tale for a contemptuous yet spell-bound audience.
As he climbed up the stairs, shaking his head at Jack's audacity, he heard the crinkling of paper. Examining his pockets, Will found the culprit – a note folded many times and heavier than it should be. On the outside was a single word – Winn. Will smiled as he realized that Jack wasn't nearly as detached as he wanted people to believe. But he'd pretend he didn't know that. Jack would want it that way.
"What did you and the Commodore talk about?"
Elizabeth shrugged, moving with the motion of the carriage. "Winn. Her present condition, did I have any idea what she would be doing in the company of a pirate, what has she been up to in the years since we came out, how well did I know her. And then we talked about Jack; did I think he was capable of harming a woman and her unborn child, what did I think he could have been doing with Winn in the middle of nowhere, did I know where his ship was. That sort of thing. I pointed out that you had spent more time in the man's company and would probably be more likely to answer those questions than I. He still wanted my input though." Elizabeth opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "Did you get the feeling that there was something wrong with Norrington when you were talking to him?"
"What do you mean?" Will had thought that perhaps the commodore had been a bit preoccupied, but then again, Norrington was usually preoccupied whenever he ended up talking to Will. But there had been that moment where the older man had used his given name. "Wrong how?"
Elizabeth shook her head and stared out her window. "I don't know. Maybe I'm too concerned about Winn and Jack to think clearly. It just seemed like Norrington was more interested in all this than he should be, or normally would be. It's almost as if he's not willing to accept the conclusion that Jack wants him to come to. But I don't know why." She felt her husband's arms encircle her, and she relaxed against his chest. She closed her eyes – she was tired.
"Maybe Norrington is feeling responsible for this."
"Why?" Elizabeth turned to face her husband. "Why would he feel responsible for this more than he'd feel responsible for something that any pirate did?"
"He let Jack go, that's why. If he hadn't then Winn wouldn't be in the position she's in now."
"Will! This isn't Jack's fault!"
Her husband shrugged. "I know it's not his fault, but can you honestly say that you don't think that he's not blaming himself right now? You should have seen him, Elizabeth. He was trying so hard to be himself, but he wasn't pulling it off." Will paused, then continued, glad he had someone to talk to. "I think . . . I think that Jack wants to get free, but at this point, he's not considering it as his main priority. That was getting Winn to safety, and he's still concerned for her."
"Do you know what he's planning?"
Will shook his head. "All I know is he's considering taking more of a risk than any of us are comfortable with."
"Will, that's always the case with Jack."
"No, there's more too it than that."
"You think he's deliberately trying to get himself killed?"
"No. I don't think that. But I do think he's dancing close to the edge. I'm not sure he knows it though." Will sighed. "Anyway, Norrington. I think he feels just as responsible as Jack for Winn. If he hadn't let Jack go, then he couldn't have hurt anyone. Jack feels responsible for Winn because she probably wouldn't have resumed some of her old habits without his influence. And Winn feels responsible for not only Jack, but her child. If things don't turn out right, there's going to be a large mess to clean up, to put things mildly." The rest of the ride was completed in silence.
"Auntie Winn?" Meg was standing by her aunt's bed, keeping one eye on the doorway. She wasn't supposed to be in here, and she couldn't be sure of what kind of job her sisters were doing of watching for grown-ups. But one of them had had to come in and see how their aunt was. All the adults were worried, and they wanted to know why, but no one would tell them. That left going in and finding out for themselves. "Auntie Winn?" Meg hoped that her aunt would wake up soon, or she'd have to give up. Her youngest aunt was notorious for being a heavy sleeper. The girl reached out one hand and shook her aunt's shoulder, hoping she'd wake up.
"Jack?"
"No auntie. It's Meg."
Winn's eyes slowly opened. Meg? Her eyes focused on a dark mop of hair. Oh. Meggie. "What are you doing in here, Meggie?"
"I came to see if you were alright. Momma and Poppa won't tell us anything. And the kids want to know."
Winn smiled at the girl's description of her younger siblings. "Well, I suppose that's alright then." She watched as the girl looked over her shoulder again. "What's wrong?" Mercy, my voice is rough. Normally Winn would take a sip of water, but she didn't have the energy to do so at the moment, and she was afraid that Meg might spill something, so she didn't ask her to get some for her. "Why do you keep looking over your shoulder?" Meg blushed. "You're not supposed to be in here, are you?"
"No, auntie." Meg's voice was a whisper.
"Well, that's alright then. It's good to break a rule every now and then. Don't tell your parents I said that."
"I won't."
Winn patted her hand against the blankets. "Come sit by me." The girl obeyed. "Now, what do you want to know?"
"Are you alright? Momma said you were sick."
Winn didn't like the worried look on her niece's face. "I was sick, but I'm getting better."
"Was it because of the baby? I remember when Momma was pregnant with Henry and Matthew, she got sick."
"No, I wasn't sick because of the baby." Her child, how was her child? Winn tensed until she felt the gentle kicks inside her belly. "Do you want to feel your cousin?" Meg nodded. Winn took the girl's hand in hers and laid it over the place where her child was exercising. "Can you feel it?" Meg nodded. "What do you want your new cousin to be, Meggie?"
"Auntie! Stop calling me that. I'm a big girl now. And I want it to be a girl because there's too many boys."
There was only one more boy than girls amongst the cousins, but Winn let that slip. "But you'll always be a little girl to me, Meggie. The same with your cousins."
"So you'll always call Jamie, and Gary, and Phen, and Pip, and Suzie by their little names?"
Winn had to admire the way the kid listed off every single one of her cousins with a nickname. "Yes. I'll always call them by their 'little names'."
Meg nodded in comprehension then looked at Winn's stomach. "You're not fat yet. Are you going to get fat?"
"With luck, yes."
"Where's the Captain?" Unlike some of her cousins, Meg had agreed to call Jack that instead of 'Uncle Jack.' Her reasoning was that she already had a lot of uncles. It would be nice to have her own captain.
Winn froze. That was a good question. Why couldn't she remember where her husband was?
"Meg." Both females looked at the door. Winn couldn't be sure, but she thought it was Will at the door. "I thought you were supposed to be letting your aunt rest?" Yes, that was Will.
"Auntie Winn said I could come in."
"Of course she would." Will shook his head, amazed that Winn hadn't lost her understated rebellious streak through all this. "Why don't you leave so I can talk to her for a bit?"
"You won't tell Momma I was in here?" Will shook his head.
Meg glanced at her aunt, who nodded. The child slipped off the bed, hesitated, and then gave Winn a childish kiss on the cheek. "Tell your brother and sisters 'hello' for me, alright?" Meg nodded, then trotted out the room. Will closed the door after her.
"Sounds like you're feeling a bit better."
Winn nodded. "Will you pour me a drink?" She accepted the glass Will handed her with a quiet 'thank you', and tried to disregard the hand he lent to help her keep from dumping water down the front of her nightdress. "Again, thank you." She relaxed back against the mound of pillows at her back. "I don't suppose you'd like to tell me where my husband is?"
Will took a seat in a nearby chair. "I think you already know."
Winn nodded. "I think I do too. I remember . . . I remember seeing him surrounded by redcoats, and remember asking Marcus to look after him."
"Marcus is doing the best he can, but Jack isn't letting him do a lot. He's not letting any of us do a lot."
"Why not?"
Will shrugged. "I'm sure he has his reasons, although if he does, I don't think he fully explained them to me. But maybe you'll have better luck." Will pulled the note for Winn out of his pocket and handed it to her.
She took it, feeling hope and foreboding battling each other. It was from Jack – she'd recognize his handwriting anywhere. "You . . . you've been to see him." Will nodded. "How was he?"
"He wasn't injured, if that's what you're asking."
"It's not, although it's a comfort."
"I don't know what to tell you then. He's your husband, not mine."
This startled a laugh from Winn. "And a very good thing it is too. Just think how Elizabeth would feel." She kept turning the note over and over in her hands.
"Aren't you going to read that? Or would you like me to leave so you can read it in peace?"
Winn shook her head. "I doubt it matters. I'm not sure my eyes can focus on anything as small as words at the moment. You're still a bit fuzzy. And it's dark in here." Will got up and opened the curtains.
"Did that help?"
Winn squinted at the note. The lines did seem to be a bit cleaner . . . but she still wasn't sure she could read. But I need to know what he said. She could ask Will for help, but that didn't seem like the best idea. Whatever Jack had put on the paper must be private, otherwise he wouldn't have minded passing along a verbal message. "I'm . . . I'm going to try to read it. Will you stay?" She wasn't sure why he was here instead of Elizabeth, but she was grateful for his presence. Besides, Elizabeth might just make her cry at the moment – Will's presence had a steadier influence.
"Of course."
Winn nodded, then opened the letter, part of her mind absently noting that she'd been hearing from her husband more from correspondence than in person of late. But then something fell into her lap, and all extemporaneous thoughts were driven from her head. Reaching into her lap with trembling fingers, she picked up the piece of metal – it was one of the many baubles that Jack had braided into his hair. He'd sent it to her. Tears pricked her eyes, and she wiped them with her fingers. She needed her sight to be as clear as it would get before reading his message.
When she felt as if she were prepared, she looked down at the page and slowly started to read:
Winnie,
I'm sorry I can't be there with you, love, but other matters have my time and concern at the moment. I know that Grace and Marcus, not to mention Will and Elizabeth – and even the Commodore himself – are looking after you. I know that's small comfort, but it's all I have to offer at the moment.
I don't know how much you remember, or how much you've been told, but let me assure you that things are going according to plan. Not my plan perhaps . . . (Smile, love - that was a joke.) Winn merely shook her head. Let me assure you that I do have a plan though. Don't waste energy or lose sleep on my account. I have every intention of coming out of this without collecting more than a scrape or two. I don't want to tell you what I'm planning, because you'll get upset. Save that for later, when you can rage at me without needing a nap halfway through. Just trust me for a bit.
Oh . . . anytime Jack asked her to trust him meant that he was about to do something he thought she'd hate. But by this point, Winn couldn't even imagine what that would be. Pausing in her reading, she looked up at Will. "What's he planning?"
"He asked me not to tell you, or at least he asked me not to tell you what he told me, which wasn't much."
"Please, Will. I need to know."
"Why?"
"He's my husband, I worry. It's something wives do when their husbands say that they won't like what they're about to do, but trust them anyway. And Jack's worse than most. He'll dare anything. Please, Will. Tell me?"
Will weighed his options for a moment. He'd known Winn longer than he'd known Jack, but he was a husband and could understand where Jack was coming from. If Winn knew what her husband was planning, or trying to plan, she'd worry herself sick. That wouldn't be good for her or the child. "But since you brought the topic up, look out for her. And don't tell her what I'm contemplating." Will found that he agreed with Jack at the moment.
Winn's heart sunk as Will shook his head. He wasn't going to tell her what he knew. "Why not?"
"I trust Jack's judgment. And he's a friend – I won't betray his confidence, even to you, just as I wouldn't betray yours to him. Besides, there's more at stake here than your need for knowledge. There's also your need to trust your husband."
"He's a pirate."
"And you're not?"
"No. . . not entirely."
"Alright, then is Jack honest or dishonest?"
"He's usually honest with me. Instead of lying, he simply won't tell me what I want to know. But you know what he says – the honest ones are the one you have to watch."
"Only if you're used to dealing with dishonest men." Will paused. "Can you trust him?"
"Yes . . . but it hurts. It hurts that he won't trust me with the whole truth."
"Do you tell a child the whole truth when they ask where babies come from?"
"I'm not a child Will . . . but no, I suppose you just give them the information they can understand or accept." Winn glanced out the window. "I just wish he'd trust me."
"He knows you too well for that." When Winn glanced at him sourly, he chuckled and continued. "He knows how you act when you're worried, and he knows that your body can't take that right now. And he does trust you – he's trusting you to care for his child. That's why he's sheltering you a bit right now."
"I'm pregnant, not intellectually impaired."
Will shrugged. "I'm sure you can ask any of your sisters and find out that your brothers reacted the same way when they were pregnant with their first child. Jack may be a pirate, but there's a concerned gentleman hiding there inside somewhere. It may be buried under layers and layers of time, and travel, and larceny, but it's there. Let him worry about you."
Winn sighed, nodded, and accepted what Will had said. He'd come a long way from the half-drowned waif who appeared below decks on the Dauntless all those years ago . . . . The Dauntless. Norrington had been on the Dauntless. He was stationed in Port Royal. She was in Port Royal . . . . "Will! What about Norrington?"
Will reached out and took one of Winn's hands. "Shh . . . don't worry about him quite yet."
"But what if he recognizes me?"
"He already has, but he doesn't know of your connection to Marcus and the family or to Jack. You're safe for the moment. He does want to question you, but we'll handle that later. Grace bought you at least another four days before he'll appear on the doorstep. Just finish reading what Jack sent you. And then I'm sure that Grace will come out and shoo me out to let you sleep some more."
"Will? Why are you here instead of Elizabeth?"
"Elizabeth had to feed Deborah, and I was the one who talked to Jack." He squeezed her hand. "Besides, old friends should have the chance to talk to each other."
Winn nodded and looked at the papers in her hand. "You're right. We are old friends. I didn't mean to imply –"
"You're worrying. Stop."
Winn laughed dryly. "I remember taking care of you when you were half dead and caked in sea salt, young Mr. Turner. You should respect your elders."
"Nonsense. I'm simply returning the favor, and you aren't that old."
Winn went back to her letter.
I know that things are hard for you now, and that you're prefer some evidence that all will be well, but I have less to offer you than I have for Marcus. Your brother is nearly as stubborn as you are, although he seems to take direction better than you do. Must be because he's a man and more amenable to logic than females such as your lovely self. But to help put your mind at ease, let me tell you how I spend my days.
There's not much to tell, so maybe this wasn't the best idea I've ever had. The most exciting parts so far have been when the very conscientious Commodore Norrington has come down to inquiry into how I found myself in a boat in the middle of nowhere with a 'gentlewoman of respectable birth.' Goes to show just how much he knows about you, doesn't it? I amuse myself by spinning tales and watching polite frustration move over his face. Really, Norrington isn't all that bad – no one as eminently susceptible to torment as he is could ever be considered bad. But I'm afraid his patience may be wearing thin. When you know what the story you're going to tell him is, have Marcus slip me a copy so I can back up your story.
I have to go. I have other letters yet to write, and not much time to do so.
Here's a token of my regards – that sounded very proper, didn't it? It's not meant for you to keep – I'll be back to collect it from you as soon as I can.
I still have the knife you gave me.
Take care – of yourself and our child.
-J
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Some Additional thoughts: the pic I gave you all the link for, was stored by a friend of mine – Neon Daisies, aka Sara – who writes OUATIM fanfic on this site and who's computer will let her store things. Mine just eats it. The person who actually drew that picture is a wonderful reviewer from Italy – Stefina Crivello. Please, e-mail her and let hew know what you think: stefinacrivello@tin.it
Also, I've updated my 'One Shot' collection. There's a Jack POV in it for you if you wanna read it. ^_^ It's under that name.
Author's Thanks:
thursdaysgirl – first off, many, many thanks to you who took the time to talk to me on IM – it's great to hear from people who have read my stuff, and who go through the same struggles I do as an author. Any advice you've gotten from me . . . well, just surprised you could make sense of my rambles. ^_^ Hope to hear from you again.
Dawnie-7
Vagrant Candy
BeBe
bobo3
jackfan2 – good to hear from you again. ^_^ No worries, I understand the busy lives of mothers. But it's always good to hear from you. Glad you thought I wrote Norrington credibly well. Now, if only I could be as sure of my characterization of Will in this chapter . . . (P.S. – I know you like OUATIM fics, or you mentioned something like that at one time. I suggest you read 'More Than Eyes Alone Can See' by Neon Daisies. Yes, I know, blatant advertising for a friend, but her writing style is really similar to mine, so I think you might enjoy it. It starts the same as many other Sands fics, but she's managed to develop her OC well – better than I started out with Winn. I love that girl.)
lilitaliandragon
SuzzieQue – thanks to you as well for your assurance that my Norrington was behaving within his character boundaries. He just got so much of character growth cut out of the movie that it wasn't until I had seen the deleted scenes that I felt comfortable with adding him.
EricaDawn – again, thanks with the reassurance. Adding a new POV can be tricky, especially when you're unsure of what you're doing, but reviewer comments always help allay those fears.
TaraRose -
Golden Rose 3 – you also helped relieve my Norrington anxiety. And thank you – I had a very good Christmas. Hope your holidays went as well as mine.
Elhedwen – you're right that he's going to find out everything. I can't wait to get to that part. Winn's had a bit much down-time. Unfortunately for him, she's going to be well rested. *evil grin*
KawaiiRyu – oh, couldn't tie anything in without bobo3's help. She's a great author, and I'm tickled pink that she's willing to work with me and lend me Kendra for a bit. This unity amongst fanfic writers is a great thing to see.
Blue Trinity – and thanks for Norrington reassurance to you as well. Really, I think I have the best reviewers on this site.
pirate-miss
