Usual disclaimers. come on, would I be writing this if I did own him?
***
After a brief visit to Port au Prince, the Black Pearl headed back to Tortuga. Jack new that Jeremiah Hallam would want a report on what had happened, and was unsurprised to find himself summoned up to the house as soon as they anchored in the harbour.
Jeremiah Hallam sighed in disappointment when Jack told him about the Catalyntie. "Do you hold any hope of them being alive?" he asked.
Jack shrugged. "I've survived, Jean Claude an' Ana survived... it's possible I suppose, but we searched every island in th' region an' there was no sign of them..." He took a gulp of the rum he had been given in a fine cut glass tumbler.
"No bodies either..." Jeremiah frowned.
"Aye, that's the bit I didn't like as well... I'll not fully believe it until I see th' bodies." Jack sighed, twirling the last few dregs of the rum around the bottom of the glass.
"It is usually safer that way," Jeremiah agreed. "And what of Isaac? I understand he wishes to stay with the Black Pearl..."
"He did broach th' matter with me," Jack admitted.
"And?" he prompted.
"I've no objections to him stayin'." Jack smiled. "At least now that he's learned t' take orders from Kitty he's fittin' in well." He looked at Jeremiah shrewdly. "An' if Louis does come sniffin' around then yer still might get yer witness..."
"There is that," Jeremiah agreed, glancing at Jack and realising that he was anxious to be elsewhere. "Your plans..."
"I need t' go back t' Port Royal..." Jack admitted.
"Is that wise?" Jeremiah frowned having heard of their earlier departure.
"Well we don't have much choice in it this time..." Jack smiled to himself, realising that the contents of the small letter within his jacket had not yet reached Jeremiah's ears. "Weatherby Swann has died an' we have t' pay our respects t' Elizabeth..."
"I had not heard," Jeremiah admitted.
"We visited Theo b'fore returning an' he had th' news from Will." Jack said quietly.
"When do you leave?" Jeremiah asked.
"Probably late tonight. I need t' try t' take on some more crew first t' replace th' men we lost. D' yer know if anyone ashore is askin' at th' moment that yer would recommend like?" Jack flattered.
Jeremiah shrugged. "Just the usual flotsam down at the docks, although there aren't many at the moment," he apologised.
"Nevermind... I'll take what I can find t'night. We can pick up th' supplies we need in Port Royal anyway so there's little point delaying. Th' crew can have time ashore when we return," he declared.
"And Isaac..." Jeremiah pressed.
"I'm sure he'll have time t' visit yer wife b'fore we sail," Jack smiled. "But he'd best be back b'fore dusk or we'll sail without him..."
***
Jack sighed as the fight broke out shortly after they had dropped anchor at Port Royal, ruining what had been a peaceful few days. He realised that he would not be joining Catherine ashore for a while. "Booth! Davies! Stop this now!" he shouted angrily watching as Oran ignored him and punched one of the new crew members in the face. Although he had ideally wanted at least seven new crew he had only been able to find three and even then he had been doubtful of them all.
"Booth!" he barked as a number of the crew jumped in to separate the combatants. Satisfied no further punches would be thrown he turned to Catherine. "I'll have t' sort this luv," he apologised. "Take Gibbs an' some of th' crew with yer an' I'll meet yer at Will's house as soon as I can..." He turned around, looking for his Quartermaster. "Gibbs! Escort Kitty fer me!" he ordered.
"Aye Captain." Gibbs smiled, knowing he would be able to slip off for an ale once Catherine was at the house. He climbed down eagerly into the boat, favouring his leg which was still healing. If there was one thing he liked more than Kitty's fish stew was a nice ale.
Catherine stood on tiptoe, kissing him. "Don't worry," she smiled as he helped her down into the waiting boat. "I'll be fine... just don't be too long!"
Jack stayed at the rail, watching the ship's boat until it reached the dock, only turning to Oran and Franklin when they had disappeared from sight up the hill towards Will's house. "Right!" he snarled. "What was all that about?" Neither man answered, but Franklin did not look so cocky anymore for Oran's final punch had connected well and his left eye was rapidly closing. "Booth?"
"I'd rather not say Captain..." Oran ventured cautiously.
"Booth!" Jack shouted angrily. "You will tell me now or you will be in th' brig on short rations fer a month!"
"Captain... I..." Oran floundered.
"Booth!" Jack barked.
Oran sighed heavily. "He insulted Kitty..."
Jack turned towards Franklin. "An' how exactly did yer insult m' wife?" His voice dropped to a whisper and he smiled as he saw the new man gulp and take a step back. "Well, I'm waiting..."
"I... I was merely admiring her beauty Captain..." he stuttered.
Jack raised one disbelieving eyebrow and glanced to Oran. "Booth? How exactly did he 'admire' my wife?"
Oran looked at his feet, uncomfortable and unable to meet Jack's eyes. "I won't repeat it Captain, not even to you," he apologised. "But it did involve a cannon, ropes and..."
Oran did not have to finish his explanation as Jack's head whipped round, closely followed by his fist. The sound of breaking bones confirmed its effectiveness. Franklin Davies fell back against the rail, clutching his face in pain. "Lock 'im in th' brig!" Jack snarled. "I'll decide what t' do..."
Jack stopped mid-sentence and turned suddenly, hearing gunfire on the dockside. A man was in the water, swimming towards them as the marines standing along the dock shot at him. "What?" he frowned, reaching for his spyglass in order to see better. "Bloody hell!" he swore, dropping his precious glass in shock as he recognised the man swimming for his life - it was Kree!
***
***
After a brief visit to Port au Prince, the Black Pearl headed back to Tortuga. Jack new that Jeremiah Hallam would want a report on what had happened, and was unsurprised to find himself summoned up to the house as soon as they anchored in the harbour.
Jeremiah Hallam sighed in disappointment when Jack told him about the Catalyntie. "Do you hold any hope of them being alive?" he asked.
Jack shrugged. "I've survived, Jean Claude an' Ana survived... it's possible I suppose, but we searched every island in th' region an' there was no sign of them..." He took a gulp of the rum he had been given in a fine cut glass tumbler.
"No bodies either..." Jeremiah frowned.
"Aye, that's the bit I didn't like as well... I'll not fully believe it until I see th' bodies." Jack sighed, twirling the last few dregs of the rum around the bottom of the glass.
"It is usually safer that way," Jeremiah agreed. "And what of Isaac? I understand he wishes to stay with the Black Pearl..."
"He did broach th' matter with me," Jack admitted.
"And?" he prompted.
"I've no objections to him stayin'." Jack smiled. "At least now that he's learned t' take orders from Kitty he's fittin' in well." He looked at Jeremiah shrewdly. "An' if Louis does come sniffin' around then yer still might get yer witness..."
"There is that," Jeremiah agreed, glancing at Jack and realising that he was anxious to be elsewhere. "Your plans..."
"I need t' go back t' Port Royal..." Jack admitted.
"Is that wise?" Jeremiah frowned having heard of their earlier departure.
"Well we don't have much choice in it this time..." Jack smiled to himself, realising that the contents of the small letter within his jacket had not yet reached Jeremiah's ears. "Weatherby Swann has died an' we have t' pay our respects t' Elizabeth..."
"I had not heard," Jeremiah admitted.
"We visited Theo b'fore returning an' he had th' news from Will." Jack said quietly.
"When do you leave?" Jeremiah asked.
"Probably late tonight. I need t' try t' take on some more crew first t' replace th' men we lost. D' yer know if anyone ashore is askin' at th' moment that yer would recommend like?" Jack flattered.
Jeremiah shrugged. "Just the usual flotsam down at the docks, although there aren't many at the moment," he apologised.
"Nevermind... I'll take what I can find t'night. We can pick up th' supplies we need in Port Royal anyway so there's little point delaying. Th' crew can have time ashore when we return," he declared.
"And Isaac..." Jeremiah pressed.
"I'm sure he'll have time t' visit yer wife b'fore we sail," Jack smiled. "But he'd best be back b'fore dusk or we'll sail without him..."
***
Jack sighed as the fight broke out shortly after they had dropped anchor at Port Royal, ruining what had been a peaceful few days. He realised that he would not be joining Catherine ashore for a while. "Booth! Davies! Stop this now!" he shouted angrily watching as Oran ignored him and punched one of the new crew members in the face. Although he had ideally wanted at least seven new crew he had only been able to find three and even then he had been doubtful of them all.
"Booth!" he barked as a number of the crew jumped in to separate the combatants. Satisfied no further punches would be thrown he turned to Catherine. "I'll have t' sort this luv," he apologised. "Take Gibbs an' some of th' crew with yer an' I'll meet yer at Will's house as soon as I can..." He turned around, looking for his Quartermaster. "Gibbs! Escort Kitty fer me!" he ordered.
"Aye Captain." Gibbs smiled, knowing he would be able to slip off for an ale once Catherine was at the house. He climbed down eagerly into the boat, favouring his leg which was still healing. If there was one thing he liked more than Kitty's fish stew was a nice ale.
Catherine stood on tiptoe, kissing him. "Don't worry," she smiled as he helped her down into the waiting boat. "I'll be fine... just don't be too long!"
Jack stayed at the rail, watching the ship's boat until it reached the dock, only turning to Oran and Franklin when they had disappeared from sight up the hill towards Will's house. "Right!" he snarled. "What was all that about?" Neither man answered, but Franklin did not look so cocky anymore for Oran's final punch had connected well and his left eye was rapidly closing. "Booth?"
"I'd rather not say Captain..." Oran ventured cautiously.
"Booth!" Jack shouted angrily. "You will tell me now or you will be in th' brig on short rations fer a month!"
"Captain... I..." Oran floundered.
"Booth!" Jack barked.
Oran sighed heavily. "He insulted Kitty..."
Jack turned towards Franklin. "An' how exactly did yer insult m' wife?" His voice dropped to a whisper and he smiled as he saw the new man gulp and take a step back. "Well, I'm waiting..."
"I... I was merely admiring her beauty Captain..." he stuttered.
Jack raised one disbelieving eyebrow and glanced to Oran. "Booth? How exactly did he 'admire' my wife?"
Oran looked at his feet, uncomfortable and unable to meet Jack's eyes. "I won't repeat it Captain, not even to you," he apologised. "But it did involve a cannon, ropes and..."
Oran did not have to finish his explanation as Jack's head whipped round, closely followed by his fist. The sound of breaking bones confirmed its effectiveness. Franklin Davies fell back against the rail, clutching his face in pain. "Lock 'im in th' brig!" Jack snarled. "I'll decide what t' do..."
Jack stopped mid-sentence and turned suddenly, hearing gunfire on the dockside. A man was in the water, swimming towards them as the marines standing along the dock shot at him. "What?" he frowned, reaching for his spyglass in order to see better. "Bloody hell!" he swore, dropping his precious glass in shock as he recognised the man swimming for his life - it was Kree!
***