Author's Notes: I really have nothing to say. Emotional chapter for me, almost started crying while I was writing it at one point. Next chapter is emotional, the one after that as well. Things are pretty much downhill from here on out though. *shrugs* I'm tired, but I hope you enjoy this.
^_^
Author's thanks at end.
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Why hadn't the Pearl been nearby to whisk its captain to safety? How many coincidences could be safely dismissed before one became a fool? Where was this mentioned husband? Why was Winifred Smith so elusive when it came to giving up his whereabouts? Why did no one remember the name of the man who poisoned a woman who was obviously with child? Why did a pirate risk his freedom and his life for a woman? And why did that woman weep for him? These were the questions that plagued Norrington as he went back to the garrison.
But even without the answers to these questions, Norrington was . . . uncomfortable with hanging the pirate. Sparrow had been too protective. There had simply been too much of a sense of loss in Winifred Smith's eyes. Something else was going on here, and he was going to find out what it was. And then he'd decide whether to help, hinder, or turn a blind eye.
When the Commodore arrived back at his office, he found Tyndale waiting for him. The Chancellor did not look happy. It was a small wonder – in one day he'd been shown a great amount of disrespect and insolence by a pirate (who ought to fear the power that the man had over his future), and then shortly after that he'd been lectured by a woman who should have had been awed that such a powerful man deigned to talk to her. The poor man undoubtedly felt as if his office along with his person had been irreparably affronted. Well, that was life in the Caribbean.
"I've arranged for the magistrate to have Sparrow charged tomorrow morning. I want the vermin there, in ankle shackles as well as wrist restraints. The authority and dignity of this court will be upheld." Norrington neglected to comment that Tyndale's orders were not only spiteful and petty, but self-indulgent as well. No matter how much iron weighed Sparrow down, he wasn't going to do anything but point out the arrogance and pompousness of the court and its officials. "Sparrow will learn to respect his betters before this is over." Tyndale paused, and then nodded to himself. "I want Mrs. Smith to give testimony –"
"I beg your pardon, sir, but I doubt that Mrs. Morgan will permit that. You saw how enervated our presence made Mrs. Smith. I fear that having her give testimony would be too much of an ordeal for her."
"Both Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Smith are citizens of the British empire – they shall do as they are asked."
"Be that as it may, Chancellor, I would not wish to find myself on Mrs. Morgan's bad side. Not to mention that it is hardly the act of a nobleman or a gentleman to request a woman recovering from a trying ordeal to go through another one before she has regained her full strength." Tyndale harrumphed, but Norrington saw that he was considering his words, so he continued. "What good will it do to have the woman there? She has denied that Sparrow had anything to do with her poisoning. There is no evidence to accuse her of misleading us. The magistrate will sentence Sparrow as he sees fit without her assistance. Why drag the woman out of her sickbed? Are you hoping that Sparrow will be so guilt-ridden that he'll confess?"
"I'd like that, but I doubt that it will happen. The man would first need to have a conscience." Tyndale looked outside at the parade grounds. "Very well. I will not make the woman give testimony, but I wish that she attend. Justice shall be served in one way or another, and I want her to see that. See that it's done, Commodore." Norrington saluted as Hallington left the office.
Once the door was safely shut, he slumped into his chair. Perhaps it would have been better to have let Sparrow go after taking the woman aboard after all.
Winn looked up from the slip of paper. "Grace. I can't. Don't ask me to do this. It was bad enough hearing Norrington confirm the . . . the probable verdict. I won't be able to sit in a courtroom and listen to Jack be condemned to death." A sob accompanied the last word, although Winn clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle it. She'd just managed to collect herself from the men's visit. Her eyes were red, her skin blotchy, and her voice rough. It had been a battle to stem her tears and conserve her energy, but she'd managed. And now this news had her teetering on the edge again.
"What are you talking about, Freddy?" Winn held out the note for Grace to take. The woman quickly read it, her face flushing with anger. It wasn't often that Grace got upset, but when it came to her family, she'd willingly do battle with any number of Hallingtons and Norringtons. Not only will it be too painful emotionally, but she's not nearly well enough. "Don't worry, Freddy. Stay here and rest. I'll take care of this."
"Wait. If you're going to go to the fort . . . I . . . want to send Jack a message."
A half an hour later, Grace was in Norrington's office, ranting and demanding to see Hallington. Norrington let her pace and call on deities until she'd worn her anger down to a steady, throbbing glow. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Morgan, but there is nothing I can do to help you." He held up a hand when Grace showed a tendency to start talking again, "I agree with you wholeheartedly on every point you've raised. However, Lord Hallington has made up his mind. I've already attempted to change it, without success, and he respects me. I'm afraid that anything he said to you would be pure patronization, and I have no desire to have to lock you in the jail overnight to cool your heels from attacking the Chancellor, because we both know that is what things would likely come to." Grace glowered but didn't protest. "Please give Mrs. Smith my regrets, and my assurances that the sentencing will be short and that I will do all I can to assist her."
Grace would have protested further, but she noticed that the Commodore's face was lined in weariness. It was clear that he was not patronizing her as he said Hallington would do – he had his own concerns for the situation. "I know that James can be overly formal at times, but he has a good heart. Just remember that he let Jack go once. And I still don't think that he's eager to hang him." Elizabeth was a smart woman. "I'm afraid that Winifred won't find that very comforting."
"Yes . . . I'd assumed that. But it's the best I can do." Norrington showed Grace to the door. Before he opened it for her, he said quietly, "I know there's some bit of information that is carefully not being mentioned in my presence, Mrs. Morgan – something involving Sparrow – just as I know it isn't your place to tell me what that is. If you could convince your patient to confide in me, it would take a great deal off my mind."
Grace didn't look at Norrington. "I'm afraid that I have no information to share with you, Commodore, and I can't promise that any of words of mine will cause any changes in the prevailing thinking patterns. Winifred is acting under the counsel of her husband, and that she unlikely to do anything without his permission. I'm afraid that your reputation is unlikely to inspire open confidences from either of them."
"My reputation as a pirate chaser."
"If that's the one you feel would keep people from sharing information with you." Grace looked up from her study of the floor and met Norrington's eyes. She'd never heard anything bad about the Commodore; her husband, Elizabeth, and Will all spoke highly of him. She'd had the opportunity to witness his behavior during the trip that had had brought this mess to Port Royal. Everything she'd observed – from his sense of duty to his refusal to allow Jack to be mistreated – spoke of a man who understood far more of people than he wanted the common populace to know. She didn't think he'd detain or jail Winn for being the wife of a pirate any more than she believed that he would go down to the cells and beat Jack himself. "Perhaps Sparrow should be informed of his sentencing so he will have time to accustom himself to the news. I believe Marcus has nothing to do at the moment." Norrington searched her face and nodded, apparently satisfied by her words and whatever meaning he could make of their veiled depth.
"You're right, madam. I'll have him go down and inform Mr. Sparrow as soon as he has the time."
"I'm glad you think it was a good idea. If you would give this to him for me?" Grace held out a slender letter. When Norrington turned it over, he found an oval stamped into the sealing wax. This was not a letter from Grace, Norrington knew that much – Marcus had talked for days last Christmas about the seal he was having made for his wife who spent so much time writing to her family. He looked back at Grace to find a perfectly blank look on her face.
"My pleasure, Mrs. Morgan. Please give Winifred my regards." Grace nodded and left the office. Norrington looked after her, then went to see his youngest captain.
Jack had finally heard back from Old Tom. The retired longshoreman had sent his grandson to the jail to visit a drunk uncle/father/brother/unidentified male relative, and while he was there, the boy had slipped a note to Jack. The note hadn't said anything, but there was a knot drawn on it, and Jack had known that the man would have his noose waiting. Now it's just a question of how to . . . execute . . . the plan. Jack's lips twitched, at the thought. There was something to be said for humor when one was sitting alone in a jail cell for what he thought was the fifth day, but he wasn't certain.
It's been three days since I've had news of Winn, he thought to himself. Surely this has to be a case of no news being good news. Surely the poison has worked its way out of her system.
I thought you were supposed to be thinking up a way to make sure the right noose gets around your neck.
"You'd better not do anything to keep this knot from doing its job, lad."
Will rolled his eyes. "You'd better not let Winn hear you talking like that – she's rather sensitive when it comes to such statements. Something tells me that she would find it unappealing to be compared to a knot in a noose."
Wrong noose.
Yes, but ever so much more appealing. Jack sighed, redirecting his thoughts. There really wasn't any room for mistakes at this point. After that performance today with 'Lord Chancellor Hallington' and Norrington, he had to keep on his toes. He had the distinct impression that he might have given away too much while he'd been brooding over his lack of information concerning Winn. If only I could talk with Marcus –
"Well, I'm surprised that there isn't a hole worn in the floor from your pacing, Jack." The pirate turned around to find his brother-in-law regarding him with a raised eyebrow. "That must have taken considerable restraint on your part. I know you're used to being outside most of the time."
Jack shook his head and continued pacing the cell. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it can be unhealthy to sneak up on a pirate?"
"Nah. Us half-bloods can get away with almost anything." Marcus had dismissed the guards so he could speak freely with Jack. "I'm sure the waiting has been dragging on you more than anything else."
"That and being trapped like a parrot in a cage. Oh, yes, and then there's the small fact that the last time I saw my wife she was looking like death warmed over."
"I see the opportunity to cool your heels hasn't sweetened your temper any."
"Funny, Marcus. Did you have a point and purpose in coming down here, or did you just decide that it'd been too long since you've had the opportunity for friendly conversation?"
"Actually, Norrington asked me to come down here and see you."
Jack stopped his pacing. "Why's that?"
"It seems that you ruffled a few feathers earlier this morning. Hallington is calling for your head, so to speak."
A quiet jangling accompanied Jack as he shook his head and resumed his path back and forth across the small cell. To his chagrin he'd discovered that pacing was quite addictive. "If that's all you had to tell me, lad, you could have saved yourself the trip. That was clear as he stormed out of here with a face the color of a radish."
"Jack." The pirate looked at him but didn't stop moving. "I do have some news you might be interested in.
"Then spit it out."
"Your sentencing is tomorrow."
"Your point? You forget that this isn't new to me. I've been 'sentenced' before, and it didn't seem to inconvenience me at all. Norrington doesn't bother with herding his criminals down to the magistrate as some do."
"Some like Hallington." Jack did stop at this. "He's ordered that you not only be present to hear the charges against you, but that you be there in ankle and wrist irons. He's out to humiliate you. And that's not even the worst part yet."
Oh. Jack didn't like the direction this was heading in. "What's the worst part then?"
"Winn's been ordered to attend as well."
Jack felt his heart go cold. "They're not going to charge her with anything, are they?"
"No." Marcus replied quickly when he saw the apprehension in Jack's eyes. "No. They have nothing against her, and while she managed to . . . ruffle Hallington's feathers as well, she did come out unscathed."
"Unscathed except that she's bein' forced to leave her bed when she's still too weak to even contemplate the idea." Jack growled softly. "When will that woman learn to control her tongue?"
"She's always been one to speak her mind. And you're not the best influence for instilling a sense of restraint and discipline in someone, Jack." Marcus got a glare for his comment. "Don't look at me like that. Besides, if she hadn't said something to deny Hallington's accusations, then I might have been forced to duel the man for her honor."
"What'd he say?" Marcus was almost comforted that the worry in Jack's eyes had been wiped out by veiled anger.
"He accused her of being pregnant by a man not her husband, and that she was ill because she was too eager when it came to taking a bit of castor bean to conceal her indiscretion. Then Winn pointed out that what he meant was she was trying to abort a child she had by you, and she gave a rather stirring performance of a wronged wife and mother-to-be without ever once telling a lie. Or so Grace tells me."
Jack had to fight to contain his anger. That anyone would believe Winn capable of adultery and murder was ludicrous. The woman didn't even like to kill spiders. She'd actually asked him to stun one once instead of squishing it. "I don't suppose you know what Hallington's schedule is? Like, when he's leaving, for example. Or what route he's taking back to England."
Marcus watched as Jack slowly and purposely relaxed his shoulders, his stance becoming that of a captain at the wheel of a ship rather than a man about to engage in swordplay. "No, I'm afraid not. I might be able to find out from the Commodore, however."
Jack nodded in either appreciation or acknowledgement. "Other than that little . . . misunderstanding, how did the questioning go?"
"Grace said that things only lasted another for another fifteen minutes after that. She also said that Norrington stayed for a bit after the Chancellor left."
"Doing what?"
"He had some additional questions to ask Winn. He also apologized for Hallington's behavior."
Jack was surprised by that, but it was the 'additional questions' that concerned him. "What else did he ask?"
"Just a few of the questions that Hallington had already asked – why had she been on a ship without her husband, where was her husband, was she sure you had nothing to do with her poisoning, and who was the man who did it." Marcus exhaled slowly. "I'm not even sure she had to hide the truth on some of those. There are times when I'm not sure how much of her captivity she actually remembers. And speaking of remembering," Marcus searched through various pockets in his uniform until he found the one he was looking for, "I remembered that I have something to give you." He pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it through the bars. "I need to be going. Something tells me that Winn is going to need one of her brothers around tonight, and for right now, that's me. Besides, I get the feeling you'd rather read that in a bit of privacy."
Jack studied the letter; there was no heading on the front and when he flipped it over the seal was a plain oval. He smiled at the sight – Winn had never been one for pointless adornment. "Aye, you're right about that," he replied quietly. "Thanks for playing message boy, Marcus."
"All in a day's work." Marcus held his hand through the bars. Jack looked at it for a moment, then held out his own hand. They clasped forearms and then Marcus left Jack to the correspondence of his wife.
The first paper that he found was smaller than the rest and it was folded in half. He opened it to find a sketch. It was of a child of indeterminate age and sex, although he could tell that it was supposed to be their child. It had dark eyes and dark hair, Winnie's mouth, his nose. Jack rubbed at his chest, trying to dislodge the burning sensation there. If all turned out well, their child couldn't be any more beautiful than the picture his wife had drawn. He turned his attention to the letter.
Hi ~
Jack could almost hear the uncertainty in his wife's thoughts. As he read the letter, he hear each and ever pause and inflection of her voice, so strongly did she come across on the paper.
I have dreams, Jack. No, I had dreams. Lots and lots of dreams. And in them, I was faced with a choice of some sort. I don't remember what it was though. All I know was that it was the knowledge that you were waiting for me somewhere that made me want to wake up. So I did. And then things got confusing, and I don't really remember what happened after that morning that Gandolfi discovered I was pregnant.
I do remember another thing about the dreams, though. The picture, the child . . . that child was in them too. And it talked to me. And even then I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, but I knew it was mine. I knew it was my child, and I loved it because it was mine, and because I could see you in it too. So I wanted you to be able to see it. Umm . . I was thinking that if the babe is a boy, we could name it Crispin. I really like that name. Do you?
I just read what I've written so far. I'm sorry if this letter is somewhat disjointed – my thoughts are still jumbled in my head, like seaweed on a beach after a storm. I don't think it's because of the poison . . . I think it's because Hallington upset me so much. I can't talk about that yet.
Remember our first night together as man and wife? I was so certain that my scars would make you turn away from me. Yet you didn't. You took each one in stride, even the ones that I still have a hard time looking at. But I've been thinking – how many scars can a body suffer before it can no longer heal? I've had to heal from a lot in life, Jack. The deaths of my parents, the deaths of people who took me in, circumstances that seemed like betrayals, doubt, confusion, fear. I healed, you helped me heal, but not without cost. There's a scar on my heart for each of those. Don't let me down, Jack. I'm not sure that wound would ever form a scar. Bleeding to death never struck my fancy. They say that he who is born to hang, will never drown. I've never seen either of those as your death (although I don't doubt that there was a time where you'd gladly go down with your ship). I'm not sure I would be able to accept your death any better if you died in my arms, but I know that's what I would prefer. Such cheery conversation, isn't it?
Anyway . . . .
The letter went on, talking about random things. A funny thing that Meg had said; Deborah, Will and Liz's youngest, was teething; Pige had scared the daughter of the man who looked after Marcus and Grace's garden but Kiwi – the children's cat – was fine with having the hound around because Pige was scared of the cat; she'd had a bath that day and broken the rules when she'd gotten out of bed – but she was fine. Jack read each disjointed bit wondering when Winn would get to what was really bothering her. It came at the very end of the letter.
Jack, are you sure that my staying silent is helping you? Some . . . oh, I can't remember the word, but some important man came and talked to me with Norrington today. Did I ever tell you that I knew him when he was a lieutenant? He was on the Dauntless when the ship and the governor and Elizabeth and Will and I all came over together. We'd found Will somewhere west of the Azores. But Hallington . . . he upset me, and I won't tell you what he did because I don't want to make you mad, but he left, and then Norrington asked me some questions that I didn't really know the answers to, and then I asked him what was going to happen to you, and he said that . . . there were blotches on the paper, presumably tears stains, he said that even though the only reason you had be caught at all was because of me, that Hallington and the magistrate weren't going to let you go. That they were going to . . . to sentence you based on everything else you'd done, and that Hallington would see that the sentence was carried out quickly.
This wasn't a surprise, because . . . because I knew what the British would . . . I knew how they would see you. But, you can't let that happen, Jack. You can't. Now more than ever, perhaps, I know what mother felt when that crewman came with the news of father's death. I didn't understand how someone's soul could simply be snuffed out like a candle . . . but I don't think I can say that the same wouldn't happen to me if I ever got that news. I don't know if I would die, not with a child, not with your child inside me, but I don't think I would ever recover.
You asked me to trust you, Jack, and you said that you'd be back to get your trinket. You'd better. I'm just glad that you didn't send one of the ones that I gave you, otherwise I might give up hope altogether. Jack, you'd better come back to me.
I'm being forced to go to the sentencing tomorrow, Jack. I don't know if I'll be able to look at you, though, not without losing it, without challenging every official there to a fight to the death. But I'll be listening for you, if that makes any sense. I'm sorry. I have to go because Grace is waiting to go to the fort now.
I love you.
There was no signature.
Jack sat against the rough stone wall and started thinking about how he was going to slip a fixed rope past the hangman and the Commodore. If all he'd been missing before was motivation, then he had it now. His wife trusted him and she needed him. What else could he do but succeed?
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Author's Thanks:
Dawnie-7
TaraRose – Tyndale was fun to write. I'll let you in on a little secret – anytime there's a new POV, it's because I've got writer's block and I new something new to inspire me. But Tyndale is a good guy to move the plot along.
VagrantCandy
KawaiiRyu – yes, I decided it was time to let Jack have some fun and mess with someone's head. It's got to get rather boring in that cell. ; )
lilitaliandragon – ok, point taken. Just needed to have something a little over the top to get Norrington to sit up and take notice. And I've been dying to use that line for weeks now. I promise not to do things like that more than once though. ^_^
SuzzieQue – you've got my condolences if that makes you feel any better. Sometimes New Year's just isn't very good. I have a friend whose mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor on New Years. You've got my prayers.
BlueTrinity – hey, I am always up for a bit of useless information. It does a body good. ^_^ Anyway, you're right about Norrington, but that's all part of my master plan. *evil grin*
pirate-miss – very good questions. Captain Ken will return chapter after next if all goes according to plan, and the sketchbook next chapter although I did make use of the skills this one. Thanks for the reminder that it was time to get my butt in gear about that. ; )
Ashley -
Leandra52 – good question. I've probably got at least another 50 pages on Word, which would be another 6-8 chapters. I think. Not sure about that. I'm usually wrong about those things. My goal is to be done with this fic sometime around the middle of Feb., then take a break from long stuff for a bit, then resume sometime between March and April. Renew the mind. ; ) Oh! And new reviewer alert. You can rock my palm tree candle.
bobo3 – you already know everything I have to say to you. : ) So, I'll catch you later.
LilaElensar – unscathed. It's a good work. Yay for pirate talk. ^_^
CrazyCanoeingGIT – Jack's a big boy, and I most likely won't kill him because I'm scared of my reviewers. ; ) But you'll just have to keep reading, won't you. New reviewer alert for you as well. Since you had a cold the last time you reviewed, you can rock my humidifier.
Golden Rose3 – I'm glad you found Hallington to be a good character. I really did simply introduce him to move the plot along. : P But he's a good guy to do that.
BeBe – that was all unintentional on Jack's part and intentional on mine. My devious little mind came up with a new twist to throw in. My plot wasn't really inspiring me, but things are going to get good. ; )
