AN// I'm sorry that the last chapter was a bit confusing... What I can say
to make it easier is that the end result of what happened in Chapter 23 is
really just a worst-case scenario that Patricia had dreamt up. I mean that
Chapter 23 DID happen but before Will could get his throat slit and, God
forbid, he actually DIED, AnaMaria and Gibbs stepped in to the rescue.
And I wanted to even have a FRACTION of sympathy for the islanders... The whole slavery bit around the 1600s, by our standards and beliefs now, was just wrong and the natives were just a bit vengeful. One of the things that kept me from writing a win on their side was that they held on to the grudge and was punishing those who were innocent of the crime. (That reason and I ALSO did not want to keep Will dead. *grin*)
On with the chapter and don't forget to READ AND REVIEW!!!!
Chapter 24:
Will took Elizabeth and Patricia back to the boats. He watched as Elizabeth boarded a gig and he hesitated separating himself from Patricia. He almost lost her and everything else in his life, just minutes ago and he REALLY did not want to let her go now. Elizabeth saw the hesitation and offered to row the boat herself.
"No," Will declined. "I'll do it... Just hold on to her..." He waded through the ankle deep water and placed Patricia gently into the boat, her head resting on Elizabeth's lap. Her hands refused to unclasp behind her neck and he had to use his own hands to untangle them and get her to let him go. "It's all right, love... Let go..." Patricia frowned in her sleep but finally relaxed her arms to her sides. Hurriedly, Will pushed the boat off the sand and jumped into it as it began to float away. They were halfway towards the ship already when Jack and his crew began to emerge from the forest, carrying heavy trunks and decorated with gold and silver necklaces.
"Hey!!" Jack yelled from the shore. Will just grinned and waved back. Jack fumed for a second, knowing that their loot would have needed even that one boat Will stole to carry it all back to the Rouge. "You bring that boat back, Turner!"
"I'll get someone else to do it!" Will yelled back over the crashing waves. He turned away and resumed rowing until they finally reached the Rouge and boarded the main ship.
AnaMaria snickered behind Jack as he sulked, wanting to already be on his merry way.
"You know, others who almost die are usually less materialistic," AnaMaria grinned, pulling her own weight in gold behind her.
"Others who almost die don't usually find so much treasure, Ana," Jack replied. AnaMaria just laughed and began to pull her load to the remaining gigs, making sure that it wasn't too heavy to sink them. One of the crew who remained on the Rouge was rowing the boat Will had used back to shore and she groaned as she realized the amount they would be adding onto the ship. The trip back to wherever their next destination would be might actually double with all this new weight. She just sighed, knowing that at least, she would still have her freedom on water than be stuck on land. They would most definitely be stuck on land for as long as this new gold could afford the men rum and pleasure. AnaMaria might as well have enjoyed her last few moments on the blue ocean.
"Where are we off to next, Jack?" AnaMaria asked as she sat on her boat, ready to go.
"Prolly... Port Royal?" Jack grunted, loading his booty (*snicker*) into gig. AnaMaria sat silent for a moment, surprised.
"Port Royal? Why not Tortuga?" AnaMaria questioned further.
"Would you rather we go TO Tortuga instead Ana?" Jack smirked.
"Of course not, but I'm wondering why YOU don't want to go there instead."
"I do... I just think I'd rather have the comfort that the whole British Royal Navy isn't possibly storming into the tavern halls looking for their commodore's poppet," Jack shrugged. "And then to actually have her with you... Nah thanks, love. I'd rather enjoy me rum properly."
"So we're dropping Elizabeth off?"
"That's what I said, innit?"
"How 'bout Patricia and Will..." To that question, Jack had to take a moment.
"I guess it be up to them but I don't think they'll be staying in Port Royal..."
"Then they stay with us?"
Jack looked out over to the ship, looking at the windows knowing inside one was Patricia sleeping in bed, Will, predictably, sitting at her side. "For the moment, they stay..."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
It took a near two hours and three trips back and forth to load everything onto the Rouge. Jack was grinning as if Christmas had come early for him and the rest of the crew had their own giddiness portrayed in their faces. Will was waiting for Jack on deck, much to Jack's surprise.
"Why aren't you with you with your little poppet?" Jack smirked.
"She's asleep," Will replied, making a soft smile of his own.
"Ho ho ho, what does THAT smile mean, lad?" Jack grinned.
"Nothing," Will denied. "But I do want to ask you a favor..."
"What do you want?"
"It's pretty big...."
"For god's sake man, just spit it out!!" Will hesitated biting his lip.
"I want... I ASKING you to... I want me and Tricia to go back to England..." Jack's eyes burst from his head and he just stood, staring at Will for a second. Then, he threw his head back to laugh at him.
"You are one extremely stupid man. Patricia will NEVER go with you," Jack laughed, mirthfully.
"Why not? We can't exactly go back to Port Royal. We'll be hanged, if you'll kindly remember the reasons why," Will snapped.
"I didn't ask either of you to help me out of that little tiff!" Jack shrugged.
"You ungrateful little twit, so you're saying that we should have left you then?" Will challenged. Jack turned away, knowing he was being completely off base. "Don't turn around like a coward!"
"I'm quite thankful that you saved my hide, but it was done out of the goodness of your heart. And either way, she saved my life, I saved hers. We're square."
"I hardly call being knocked out half the night, while I sacrifice myself for her, saving Patricia's life."
"How the hell did we even get to my under appreciation anyways? What was this about England?" Jack rolled his eyes.
"We're not welcome in Port Royal any longer. I want to start a life with Patricia in England... In Southampton," Will groaned, knowing he'd get nowhere arguing with the captain.
"Home of your dad, then?" Jack prodded. He shook his head. "She won't go with you..."
"Where else are we to go?!"
"You can stay at Port Royal," Elizabeth suggested. "I talk James to letting you stay... One of the few plusses of being married to the James, I'd have to say."
"No offense, Elizabeth, but you couldn't get Jack one just for the night..." Will replied.
"That was for only two seconds did I try to ask for his clemency. I can try all my life to let you and Patricia to stay. Not to mention, my passion would be more sincerely motivated..." Elizabeth smirked. "So what do you say?" Will hesitated for the moment.
"I... I don't want to stay at Port Royal," Will confessed.
"Why not?" Elizabeth murmured. She didn't want him to leave. He was one of her few close friends and she didn't want to lose him.
"Port Royal is too... It's too familiar."
"Isn't that a good thing, lad?" Jack asked.
"Not anymore. I want something more than that and, after that night, my reputation will precede me! We can't stay any longer there. Patricia and I need to start over," Will explained. "Come on, Jack. Just to Southampton..."
"What do you mean 'just'?! That's a trans-Atlantic trip!" Jack cried out.
"Jack... please..." Will murmured. Jack groaned.
"Fine.. But I'm only doing this for Patricia... and we're stopping at Port Royal first... We're letting Elizabeth return to her husband," Jack muttered. Will looked at Elizabeth in surprise.
"You're returning to the Commodore?" he asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes almost accusing.
"I just thought that... Maybe, after all this... you wouldn't be able to," Will shrugged.
"Well, I am," Elizabeth answered. Elizabeth stared into Will's eyes, daring him to rub salt on the wounds she had due to her position in the social hierarchy and the obligations that came with it. Will could see the reluctance in her eyes and sighed.
"I'm sorry," Will murmured. Elizabeth turned away, defeated as well.
"Neither of us can change anything... I'd do with you and Patricia to Southampton... I'd love to start all over again but my position just doesn't give me that luxury..." Will would have like to comfort Elizabeth at that moment but a voice behind him made him forget about everything around him.
"Will?" a small voice called. He turned and saw Patricia looking up at him, wrapped in blanket, awake but still as frail as petals. Elizabeth and Jack shared an exasperated look as Will turned to her and held her by the shoulders completely ignoring the inquiring looks around him.
"Patricia... you should be in bed, love," Will murmured, smoothing down her hair away from her face.
"I had a nightmare," she replied, leaning into Will's chest. Only then did Will recognize the old trail of tears running from her eyes.
"Come on... I'll stay with you..." He put an arm around her waist and gently led her back down.
Elizabeth just grinned as she looked at Jack, holding a fist in the air. She gave him a confused look and, once Will and Patricia were out of earshot, Jack let out a "Wa poosh" and flicked his wrist as if holding a whip. Elizabeth just rolled her eyes.
"You're so childish!" she cried out, though a hint of a smile was still traceable. Just then, AnaMaria called from the upper deck at the bow.
"Jack! Get over here and steer!" AnaMaria ordered.
"Yes, love," Jack shouted back. He spared a glance at Elizabeth and caught her mimicking the exact gestures with the effect of sound that he had used mockingly at Will and now Elizabeth used it against him. "I am not..." he started but he was cut off by AnaMaria's incessant calls.
"Go now. Your mistress awaits," Elizabeth laughed as Jack just glared at her whilst he stomped away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AN// Guys! It's almost done... Pure sadness here. I'm really reluctant to finish this story but the climax has already been spent and now I'm just tying up a few strings... Not to mention leaving a few for a sequel. *laughs* Yup! A sequel! That is if you want one... Cuz if you don't.... then..
And I wanted to even have a FRACTION of sympathy for the islanders... The whole slavery bit around the 1600s, by our standards and beliefs now, was just wrong and the natives were just a bit vengeful. One of the things that kept me from writing a win on their side was that they held on to the grudge and was punishing those who were innocent of the crime. (That reason and I ALSO did not want to keep Will dead. *grin*)
On with the chapter and don't forget to READ AND REVIEW!!!!
Chapter 24:
Will took Elizabeth and Patricia back to the boats. He watched as Elizabeth boarded a gig and he hesitated separating himself from Patricia. He almost lost her and everything else in his life, just minutes ago and he REALLY did not want to let her go now. Elizabeth saw the hesitation and offered to row the boat herself.
"No," Will declined. "I'll do it... Just hold on to her..." He waded through the ankle deep water and placed Patricia gently into the boat, her head resting on Elizabeth's lap. Her hands refused to unclasp behind her neck and he had to use his own hands to untangle them and get her to let him go. "It's all right, love... Let go..." Patricia frowned in her sleep but finally relaxed her arms to her sides. Hurriedly, Will pushed the boat off the sand and jumped into it as it began to float away. They were halfway towards the ship already when Jack and his crew began to emerge from the forest, carrying heavy trunks and decorated with gold and silver necklaces.
"Hey!!" Jack yelled from the shore. Will just grinned and waved back. Jack fumed for a second, knowing that their loot would have needed even that one boat Will stole to carry it all back to the Rouge. "You bring that boat back, Turner!"
"I'll get someone else to do it!" Will yelled back over the crashing waves. He turned away and resumed rowing until they finally reached the Rouge and boarded the main ship.
AnaMaria snickered behind Jack as he sulked, wanting to already be on his merry way.
"You know, others who almost die are usually less materialistic," AnaMaria grinned, pulling her own weight in gold behind her.
"Others who almost die don't usually find so much treasure, Ana," Jack replied. AnaMaria just laughed and began to pull her load to the remaining gigs, making sure that it wasn't too heavy to sink them. One of the crew who remained on the Rouge was rowing the boat Will had used back to shore and she groaned as she realized the amount they would be adding onto the ship. The trip back to wherever their next destination would be might actually double with all this new weight. She just sighed, knowing that at least, she would still have her freedom on water than be stuck on land. They would most definitely be stuck on land for as long as this new gold could afford the men rum and pleasure. AnaMaria might as well have enjoyed her last few moments on the blue ocean.
"Where are we off to next, Jack?" AnaMaria asked as she sat on her boat, ready to go.
"Prolly... Port Royal?" Jack grunted, loading his booty (*snicker*) into gig. AnaMaria sat silent for a moment, surprised.
"Port Royal? Why not Tortuga?" AnaMaria questioned further.
"Would you rather we go TO Tortuga instead Ana?" Jack smirked.
"Of course not, but I'm wondering why YOU don't want to go there instead."
"I do... I just think I'd rather have the comfort that the whole British Royal Navy isn't possibly storming into the tavern halls looking for their commodore's poppet," Jack shrugged. "And then to actually have her with you... Nah thanks, love. I'd rather enjoy me rum properly."
"So we're dropping Elizabeth off?"
"That's what I said, innit?"
"How 'bout Patricia and Will..." To that question, Jack had to take a moment.
"I guess it be up to them but I don't think they'll be staying in Port Royal..."
"Then they stay with us?"
Jack looked out over to the ship, looking at the windows knowing inside one was Patricia sleeping in bed, Will, predictably, sitting at her side. "For the moment, they stay..."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
It took a near two hours and three trips back and forth to load everything onto the Rouge. Jack was grinning as if Christmas had come early for him and the rest of the crew had their own giddiness portrayed in their faces. Will was waiting for Jack on deck, much to Jack's surprise.
"Why aren't you with you with your little poppet?" Jack smirked.
"She's asleep," Will replied, making a soft smile of his own.
"Ho ho ho, what does THAT smile mean, lad?" Jack grinned.
"Nothing," Will denied. "But I do want to ask you a favor..."
"What do you want?"
"It's pretty big...."
"For god's sake man, just spit it out!!" Will hesitated biting his lip.
"I want... I ASKING you to... I want me and Tricia to go back to England..." Jack's eyes burst from his head and he just stood, staring at Will for a second. Then, he threw his head back to laugh at him.
"You are one extremely stupid man. Patricia will NEVER go with you," Jack laughed, mirthfully.
"Why not? We can't exactly go back to Port Royal. We'll be hanged, if you'll kindly remember the reasons why," Will snapped.
"I didn't ask either of you to help me out of that little tiff!" Jack shrugged.
"You ungrateful little twit, so you're saying that we should have left you then?" Will challenged. Jack turned away, knowing he was being completely off base. "Don't turn around like a coward!"
"I'm quite thankful that you saved my hide, but it was done out of the goodness of your heart. And either way, she saved my life, I saved hers. We're square."
"I hardly call being knocked out half the night, while I sacrifice myself for her, saving Patricia's life."
"How the hell did we even get to my under appreciation anyways? What was this about England?" Jack rolled his eyes.
"We're not welcome in Port Royal any longer. I want to start a life with Patricia in England... In Southampton," Will groaned, knowing he'd get nowhere arguing with the captain.
"Home of your dad, then?" Jack prodded. He shook his head. "She won't go with you..."
"Where else are we to go?!"
"You can stay at Port Royal," Elizabeth suggested. "I talk James to letting you stay... One of the few plusses of being married to the James, I'd have to say."
"No offense, Elizabeth, but you couldn't get Jack one just for the night..." Will replied.
"That was for only two seconds did I try to ask for his clemency. I can try all my life to let you and Patricia to stay. Not to mention, my passion would be more sincerely motivated..." Elizabeth smirked. "So what do you say?" Will hesitated for the moment.
"I... I don't want to stay at Port Royal," Will confessed.
"Why not?" Elizabeth murmured. She didn't want him to leave. He was one of her few close friends and she didn't want to lose him.
"Port Royal is too... It's too familiar."
"Isn't that a good thing, lad?" Jack asked.
"Not anymore. I want something more than that and, after that night, my reputation will precede me! We can't stay any longer there. Patricia and I need to start over," Will explained. "Come on, Jack. Just to Southampton..."
"What do you mean 'just'?! That's a trans-Atlantic trip!" Jack cried out.
"Jack... please..." Will murmured. Jack groaned.
"Fine.. But I'm only doing this for Patricia... and we're stopping at Port Royal first... We're letting Elizabeth return to her husband," Jack muttered. Will looked at Elizabeth in surprise.
"You're returning to the Commodore?" he asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes almost accusing.
"I just thought that... Maybe, after all this... you wouldn't be able to," Will shrugged.
"Well, I am," Elizabeth answered. Elizabeth stared into Will's eyes, daring him to rub salt on the wounds she had due to her position in the social hierarchy and the obligations that came with it. Will could see the reluctance in her eyes and sighed.
"I'm sorry," Will murmured. Elizabeth turned away, defeated as well.
"Neither of us can change anything... I'd do with you and Patricia to Southampton... I'd love to start all over again but my position just doesn't give me that luxury..." Will would have like to comfort Elizabeth at that moment but a voice behind him made him forget about everything around him.
"Will?" a small voice called. He turned and saw Patricia looking up at him, wrapped in blanket, awake but still as frail as petals. Elizabeth and Jack shared an exasperated look as Will turned to her and held her by the shoulders completely ignoring the inquiring looks around him.
"Patricia... you should be in bed, love," Will murmured, smoothing down her hair away from her face.
"I had a nightmare," she replied, leaning into Will's chest. Only then did Will recognize the old trail of tears running from her eyes.
"Come on... I'll stay with you..." He put an arm around her waist and gently led her back down.
Elizabeth just grinned as she looked at Jack, holding a fist in the air. She gave him a confused look and, once Will and Patricia were out of earshot, Jack let out a "Wa poosh" and flicked his wrist as if holding a whip. Elizabeth just rolled her eyes.
"You're so childish!" she cried out, though a hint of a smile was still traceable. Just then, AnaMaria called from the upper deck at the bow.
"Jack! Get over here and steer!" AnaMaria ordered.
"Yes, love," Jack shouted back. He spared a glance at Elizabeth and caught her mimicking the exact gestures with the effect of sound that he had used mockingly at Will and now Elizabeth used it against him. "I am not..." he started but he was cut off by AnaMaria's incessant calls.
"Go now. Your mistress awaits," Elizabeth laughed as Jack just glared at her whilst he stomped away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AN// Guys! It's almost done... Pure sadness here. I'm really reluctant to finish this story but the climax has already been spent and now I'm just tying up a few strings... Not to mention leaving a few for a sequel. *laughs* Yup! A sequel! That is if you want one... Cuz if you don't.... then..