Thank you for all your reviews, and special thanks to Linnie, for all her help over these next few chapters - XX
Chapter 55Maddy smiled as she watched Bill and Jack chatting away while Jack steered the ship, feeling immensely relieved that they had made up. She went over to the men just as Jack looked up and beckoned to her.
'I was just fillin' Bill in on what's happened since I killed Barbossa.' Jack moved so Maddy could take her customary position between him and the wheel.
'That's going to take a while then,' Maddy laughed, looking at Bill, not quite believing how different he looked now, younger and more carefree and a lot more like Will. 'Did Jack manage to pack as much into his life when he was younger?'
Bill and Jack exchanged sly glances then both burst out laughing. 'Oh God yes, Madalene, tearaway doesn't even begin to describe Jack when we first met. Do you remember that time in Singapore Jack…?'
'Ah yes, I don't think we'll be telling that particular tale thank you William.' Jack gave Maddy a nervous smile and shrugged his shoulders, looking artlessly beneath his lashes at her.
'Hmmm, I'm not entirely sure I want to know Jack Sparrow.' Maddy gave Jack her best stern mistress look, then laughed, kissing the tip of his nose and settled back in his arms, listening to the two men reminiscing about old times for a while, before heading down to the galley to help Tom and Bob.
'You're a very lucky man, Jack, Madalene's a wonderful woman.' Bill smiled at the departing figure of Maddy, then looked at his old friend.
'Aye mate, that I am. I been thinking 'bout makin' her first mate. At least I know she won't be leavin' any time soon,' Jack smiled wryly.
'Would the crew accept that? Some are funny about women and ships, look at Gibbs.'
'If they have a problem, they can find 'emselves another berth. Nah, this lot don't have a problem wi'her, not even those we picked up in Havana.'
'That might be more to do with your success as a pirate. They're willin' ter put up with summat they don't like, so long as they get a load of dosh.' Bill didn't doubt Maddy's abilities, but doubted the crew's reaction.
'Mebbe Bill, but I need someone I can rely on, an' someone I know is goin' ter be around fer a while. Eb was a good first mate, but I really miss Gibbs, pain in the arse though he was at times.' Jack tugged on his beard braids absently, leaning against the wheel, then looked in puzzlement at Bill who was chuckling quietly. 'What?'
'We haven't seen each other for years and years, but it hasn't taken us long to get back to the way we were, has it?' Bill grinned at Jack, glad they had made their peace.
'Nah, that it hasn't mate, many a time we've been stood here talking things through, more often than not wi'a bottle or two t'help us.'
'That a hint, Captain Sparrow?'
It was Jack's turn to grin, as he nodded eagerly, 'Y'know me Bill, never turned down a bottle o'rum.' Jack watched as Bill disappeared below, pondering on how things connect with each other. If Maddy hadn't remembered about the earthquake in Port Royal, Will and Elizabeth wouldn't have moved to Freetown and they wouldn't have gone to Nassau for a ship and come across the map and rescued Rebecca Bowne and met up with Bill Turner. 'Funny ol' world,' Jack muttered aloud, then yielded the wheel to his new helmsman, Tim Moyles, as Bill returned with his hands full of bottles.
'This should keep us going a while Jack,' Bill laughed, holding up his hands.
'Aye, that it should, let's go below, an' talk properly, savvy?' Jack offloaded some of the bottles from Bill and led the way to his cabin.
'Aye Cap'n, savvy.'
**********
Maddy frowned at the sound of voices coming from her and Jack's cabin and opened the door, gasping as the smell of rum hit her nose. She looked sternly at the sight of Jack and Bill, roaring drunk and falling about laughing at some joke.
'Madal-l-lene, darlin,' Jack stood and swayed unsteadily on his feet, glowering at Bill's steadying hand on his arm. Jack staggered towards Maddy, his hands flailing wildly as he struggled to stay upright. 'Come an' join us, there's plenty left,' he slurred, a manic grin on his face.
'I'm amazed there's any left on board with the state you two are in!' Maddy shook her head and exited the cabin before Jack could reach her, smiling thinly to herself as she heard his plaintive cry of disappointment from behind the door, then chided herself for being petty, but she couldn't help it. Jack had spent almost every waking hour in Bill's company, and Maddy was starting to feel a little left out and, she admitted to herself, rather jealous. Maddy sighed and looked towards the cabin door, then with a deeper sigh, walked back towards it, forced a smile on her face and opened the door.
'All right, you've twisted my arm.' Maddy walked across the cabin and kissed Jack on the head, then grabbed a bottle from the table and opened it, taking a small sip from it, but making it look as if she was swigging it.
'That's me girl, come an' sit on ol' Jack's lap.' Jack uncrossed his legs and wound his arm around Maddy's waist, pulling her to him.
Maddy snuggled up to Jack, a sly smile playing on her lips. 'So, what did happen in Singapore?'
'Oh luv, it were a riot.' Jack and Bill laughed loudly at the shared memory. 'It was t'first time we'd been out that way, so didn't know what ter expect, 'cept what we'd been told by other sailors. It was a young man's dream town, whores throwing themselves at ya left and right, we almost couldn't keep up.'
'I could,' Bill chipped in, sticking his tongue out to Jack, who pulled a face across the table.
'Where was I? Ah yes. We'd got a hold so full o'booty, t'sea was almost up to t'decks, so me an' Bill go t'the classiest whorehouse in town, where ya paid by t'hour an' had as many girls as ya wanted. Well, me an' Bill wanted as many as we could have, so ter strip 'em quicker, I started ter slit the laces of their corsets, only trouble was, t'laces were made of real silk an' were very expensive. At the end of t'hour, the brothel keeper comes in an' sees all these slit corsets strewn about t'floor. Well, he wasn't too happy, an' starts yelling an' screamin' at us, then pulls this bloody sabre out an' waves it around.'
'Aye, almost made a eunuch of him an' all,' chipped in Bill, winking broadly at Maddy, who held her sides laughing.
'Will ya stop interrupting?' Jack scowled at his friend, 'Yer puttin' me off me flow. Right, well me an' William decide it might be a good idea ter make a hasty exit, so we leg it fer t'door, only ter find some henchmen o'the brothel keeper are waitin' fer us, so we dive fer t'window, kissing a coupla girls on t'way out and jump through t'window into the alley. So there we were hotfooting it down t'street, pulling our breeches up as we go, wi'about half a dozen very irate men waving these bleedin' sabres around over their heads an' givin' the most bloodcurlin' screams ya ever heard in ya life, running hell fer leather after us.'
'I swear I had nightmares about those screams,' Bill shuddered.
'Aye, enough ter wake t'dead they were,' Jack agreed. 'We somehow managed ter reach t'docks and starts ter swim for t'Pearl, but they'd got these little junks ya see, an' they can really move in t'water. So me an' Bill are swimming as if all t'hounds of hell are after us, reaching t'ship just in time as the anchor is raised and we sailed away.'
'Aye, sailed into even more fun,' Bill grinned, wickedly.
Jack snorted, promptly choking on his rum and spraying it over Maddy. 'Sorry luv,' Jack winced at his wife's admonishing look. 'Then we reach a headland and Bill spots summat on t'beach. It were only t'tarts wavin' us off!'
'So being who we are an' all…' It was Maddy's turn to snort while Bill and Jack just grinned at one another, 'we decides to make the most of an opportune moment and send boats out to pick them up,' Bill laughed, then polished off another bottle of rum.
'Aye, three days they were on board for. We'd no rum left by t'time they left and t'crew were almost too knackered to sail t'Pearl.'
'I'm so very glad I didn't know you back then, Jack Sparrow.' Maddy shook her head incredulously, kissing Jack on the head, then she stood. 'I'll leave you two to it. There are probably worse tales than that, and I don't really want to hear them.'
'Don't be too long Madalene, I'll need yer t'warm me bunk up.' Jack laughed as Maddy bobbed her tongue out to him before disappearing out of the cabin.
**********
Bill stepped gingerly onto the deck, squinting in the strong sunlight. He spied Maddy swabbing the deck and walked over to her, smiling ruefully as she grinned at his discomfort. 'No Madalene, I don't expect any sympathy, just as Jack didn't get any, I imagine.'
Maddy laughed, shaking her head. 'No, you'll both get the same amount of sympathy off me, none!' She finished swabbing the deck, then joined Bill leaning over the rail, watching the waves crashing against the hull.
'What's Will like, Madalene? Is he like me?' Bill half smiled, brushing back a tendril of dark hair, flecked with grey.
'He looks like you Bill, very much so. As for personality, Jack's the best person to answer that, being as he knows you better than I do.'
'I hope that will change dear, any woman that stole Jack Sparrow's heart has to be someone special.'
'That she is mate,' Jack stood behind Bill and Maddy and put an arm around them both, smiling from one to the other. 'So, what were ya talkin' about?'
'Will.' Maddy kissed Jack on the cheek and snuggled into his arm. 'Bill was wondering if Will is like him, apart from looks, that is.'
'He's not that much like ya, but he has his moments. That boy's got the same sense of responsibility and justice though. Saved me from being hanged at Port Royal he did.'
'He did?' Bill looked at Jack in astonishment, 'When? How?'
'After I killed Barbossa, I was sent t'gallows and even had t'noose around me neck. But William, he's got this trick ya see. He can throw a sword into things, an' they don't budge. So as the hangman pulls t'lever and I start t'fall, Will throws this sword so I can balance me feet on it, fights t'hangman, I drops to the ground an' escapes.'
'Erm, aren't you forgetting your little tumble?' Maddy looked at Jack mockingly, raising her eyebrows.
'That was planned, I always meant ter do that luv,' Jack pulled a face, then caught Bill's sly glance and laughed. 'All right, mebbe I didn't. I fell off t'battlements into t'sea, but The Pearl was there waitin' fer me.'
'And what happened with Will?'
'He married t'Governor's daughter. A right high toned and fancy ter do it was as well.'
'The Governor's daughter? How on earth….?'
'Why don't you wait for Will to tell you, Bill? We'll be there in a couple of days, maybe less.' Maddy smiled gently at Bill, knowing he was half dreading meeting his son.
'Aye, I will, if he wants to tell me, that is.' Bill looked pensively at the waves once more, lost in thought.
'C'mon Jack,' Maddy moved away from the rail taking Jack with her, to give Bill some time to his thoughts. 'Do you think William will be all right about it?' She asked when they were far enough away from Bill for him not to hear.
'Aye, I do luv. I reckon that's partly why he's so restless, he don't feel he like belongs anywhere. Now that he was a blood relative, apart from t'children, I reckon he'll be happier wit' himself. What d'ya think about Bill stayin' on, if things don't work out?'
'Here on The Pearl? I think that's a wonderful idea Jack, will you make him your first mate?' Maddy queried as she leaned against the mast, blushing as Jack pressed against her, a wicked gleam in his eyes. 'Jack!' She hissed, looking around to see if anyone was watching.
'Nah, got someone else in mind fer first mate luv.' Jack nibbled Maddy's ear, then nipped it, making her yelp.
'Will you stop that Jack Sparrow, why do you always get amorous when you've been drinking?'
'Dunno luv, but why d'ya think I drink so much, eh?' Jack winked salaciously, his crooked grin showing gold. 'How d'ya fancy being me first mate, in more way than one?'
'Me? I don't know enough about running a ship to be first mate. The men wouldn't accept it.'
'Ya know plenty Madalene, an' what ya don't know, ya can learn. As fer t'men, if they don't like it, they can sling their hook, can't they?'
'I don't know Jack….' Maddy looked at her husband uncertainly.
'Look luv, if I didn't think yer were upto t'job, I wouldn't ask, ya know that. Only t'best fer me ship, an' that includes crew, savvy?'
Maddy blinked back the tears and threw her arms around Jack's neck, kissing him. 'Thank you, thank you so much,' she whispered, looking lovingly into his eyes.
'D'ya want ter go below, and thank me properly?' Jack waggled his eyebrows up and down, making Maddy giggle.
'Who will be in charge of the ship, if both the captain and the first mate are…. otherwise occupied?'
'Ah Bill can keep an eye on things,' Jack waved a hand loftily, then grabbed Maddy's hand and pulled her towards the stairs eagerly.
**********
'Land ho!'
Bill watched as the island of Grand Bahama loomed on the horizon, his stomach lurching with trepidation, dreading the reconciliation between himself and Will. He turned and looked at Jack, who'd clapped him on the back, and smiled ruefully.
'It'll be fine mate, I promise ya.' Jack flashed a wide grin, then strode over to Tim Moyles at the helm.
'He's right Bill,' Maddy came up behind him and slipped an arm through his. 'Everything will be fine, I'm sure of it.'
'And if it isn't?' Bill frowned, running his hand through his hair, a gesture Maddy had seen his son do countless times.
'Then you have a place on this ship, that is, if you want it.' Maddy smiled at Bill's widening eyes.
'What? What about Jack, does he know this?' Bill glanced over at his old friend, still talking to Moyles.
'It was Jack's idea, Bill.' Maddy smiled gently, reaching out and kissing him on the cheek.
'Bloody hell, I don't know what to say.'
'Then say nothing.' Maddy left Bill to his thoughts and went to change into a dress, something Jack insisted on whenever they went ashore, as he didn't often get to see her dressed up and looking feminine. She was just struggling with the corset when Jack walked into the cabin and grinned at the sight of his wife in a state of undress.
'Need a hand luv?' He grabbed the laces and pulled hard, making Maddy wince and gasp, hating the fashions of the 17th century. 'I hope Will's at home. Don't think Bill could handle waitin' round fer him very long.'
'I know. He is nervous isn't he? Do you think it'll be all right?' Maddy turned and put her arms around Jack's neck, pulling him closer.
'Yes, fine luv. It's somethin' Will's always wanted, it'll be fine.' Privately, Jack wasn't so sure, which was why he wanted the meeting to take place on board The Pearl, there he could control things a little.
'Come on then Jack, let's get going.' Maddy took Jack's hand and pulled him towards the door.
'If Will's there, I won't be comin' ashore just yet luv. You carry on, go check on Esme, make sure she's all right, savvy?'
Maddy looked thoughtfully at Jack, before nodding slowly. 'Aye savvy, oh wise husband of mine.' Maddy smiled at Jack's hand on her bottom as they climbed the stairs, then removed it as they reached the deck, holding it once more in her hand and led the way over to Bill standing at the port bow, taking in the harbour of Freetown.
'Those ships, are they Will's?' Bill nodded to the two Dutch Fleuts, anchored side by side in the bay.
'Aye mate, that they are.' Jack looked across at Bill, smiling and shaking his head at the worried frown on the older man's face. 'Don't worry mate, everything'll turn out just fine an' dandy, savvy?'
'We'll see Jack, we'll see…'
**********
'Why does Jack want to see me so urgently? Why couldn't he have come ashore with Maddy?' Will looked at Freddie Snow in exasperation as the young man rowed him towards The Black Pearl.
'Dunno Cap'n Turner, wait til ya get there.' Freddie avoided Will's eyes, not liking having to deceive him, but Jack had threatened a fate worse than death if Freddie let slip about Bill.
Will frowned crossly as he watched the shape of the black ship loom above him and grabbed a rope as soon as they were close enough, muttering under his breath about being at Jack's beck and call. He spied Jack waiting for him as he hauled himself over the rail, and marched across, his face like thunder.
'Not a good sign,' Jack thought to himself.
'Well? What is so urgent that I have to leave my daughter's birthday party to come running over here to you?' Will stood before Jack, hands on hips and feet apart.
'Oh, sorry mate, I never realised it were t'lasses birthday. There's someone I want ya ter meet.' Jack winced, mentally kicking himself.
'Couldn't it have waited? Why do you always expect me to come running all the time?' Will glowered, leaning towards Jack.
'Cos ya do mate, ya always come runnin.' Jack shrugged, nonchalantly. 'C'mon, he's in me cabin.' Jack took Will by the arm and led him down to the cabin, his heart in his mouth. He hadn't expected Will to be in a mood about this, but it wouldn't bode well if his friend was already this riled. Jack opened the door to his cabin slowly, eyes searching out Bill and finding him by the port windows, looking out. He led Will in and stopped by the table, waiting for Bill to turn around.
Bill thought his heart would stop beating when he heard the door open and footsteps cross the cabin. He tried to command his legs to move, and while they were reluctant, he eventually managed to get enough control over them to turn around slowly.
'William Turner, meet William Turner.' Jack flicked his gaze from one man to the other, willing one of them to speak, letting out a huge breath when the elder Turner made to open his mouth, but had to swallow a few times before the words came out.
'Hello.... Son.'