Chapter Two: Enter Mr. and Mrs. Bruckworth
Jack and Will had decided that they best find the rum at Will's small place instead of the local tavern. No need to attract unwanted attention quite yet. It would be attracted soon enough, as their luck had it. Will sighed as Jack poured more rum into his glass. Good thing they hadn't left.
"Ye 'adn't drunk much," Jack said as he leaned back in his chair.
"You tend to drink enough for the two of us," Will answered.
This brought a laugh from the pirate captain. "Aye, point taken," he responded. He let the legs of the chair hit the floor, watching Will's face as they scraped against the ground, making a horrible screeching sound. "You ready for this, boy?" he asked, his voice suddenly as clear as it was when he was sober.
"Ready?" Will questioned.
"To get married."
"Why shouldn't I be? I love Elizabeth."
"Aye, but are ye ready to settle down, lad?" He took another sip of rum. "I know ye're achin' for more adventure, boy, I can see it in yer eyes."
"You see nothing of the sort, Jack. That's simply the rum effecting your own mind."
"T'snot," Jack responded, taking a deep breath and leaning forward. He laced his fingers together, propping his chin on them and watched the young blacksmith carefully. "Will, if ye want, we'd always-"
"No, Jack. Thank you very much, but I'm happy here."
"S'long as your 'appy," the pirate responded.
Will shifted in his place. "Was my father happy?"
Jack sighed a bit, looking as if he would like to avoid that question but not wanting to find a way around it either. "Your father, lad, loved you and yer mum more than anythin'."
"Then why......." Will stopped, taking a shaky breath. It was now or never. He'd never seen the pirate open enough about this issue as he was now. "Why didn't he come home?"
"'e did a bit."
"A few times, but never to stay."
Jack nodded. "Lad, he our ears off 'bout you and your mum, did you know that. 'e was proud of you. I'm surprised 'e hadn't come back to haunt me the couple times I've nearly succeeded in turning you pirate."
Will laughed. "I'm in control of my own actions, Jack. He would know that."
"'at 'e would." Jack leaned forward, his wrist bent in a half point at the boy as his motions followed his speech. "Only thing 'at woulda made your father 'appier would 'ave been to see you more, but 'e couldn't do 'at if 'e wanted to send you both money to use. Your mum hated me, in a joking manner, I think." The pirate's eyes were distant in his memories. "She'd never let me passed the door when I'd come for your 'ol man." Jack grinned, imitating Will's mother. "'You stay outa my house, Jack Sparrow, until you come for a decent visit and not to steal my William away,' she'd say."
Will laughed at Jack's impression. "Sounds like something she would have said. I think I vaguely remember you coming to the door once. I didn't get a good look at your face, but I saw Mother waving her finger at you like she did me when she was angry."
Jack grinned. "'at was your mum for ya. Good lady, though. Loved your father. Loved you. Both yer parents did."
Will nodded, sighing. His head perked up. "Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you know your parents?"
The pirate captain looked at him with questioning eyes. "I did."
Will shifted. This was going to be the subjects where Jack didn't offer information on. Of course, Jack never offered information on himself, it seemed. Will had been through so much with him, and truly knew so little about his past. It couldn't be that bad. "What were they like? Where are they?"
"Me father died when I was a boy and me mother... I don't care to know 'ere she might be."
"Jack...."
"Blast!" Jack held his glass up and shook the rum bottle he'd been pouring into the glass over the past while of conversation. "Next bottle?"
"Only had two," Will grinned.
"Did your lovely fiancé burn the rest?"
"Something like that."
------------------------------------------
"So who are you meeting?" Ana Maria asked as she followed Elizabeth through the streets of Port Royal.
"Some old friends of Father's. London aristocrats."
"Wonderful."
"You don't have to come, Ana."
The dark skinned pirate raised an eyebrow. "Ah, not welcomed among the high classed?"
Elizabeth blushed. "That's not at all what I meant, Ana! You know that! I just didn't want to bore you with it all."
"I thought I might keep you from being bored, if only slightly."
Elizabeth smiled. "That would be wonder-"
"Elizabeth Swann, how you've grown!"
The future Mrs. Turner turned to see an aging woman in her late forties or early fifties standing next to a very tall, very intimidating man.
Elizabeth forced a smile. "Mrs. Bruckworth, it is a pleasure. Mr. Bruckworth."
The man turned to Ana Maria, eyes cold and cruel. "Is this your servant, child? Surely you could find a better one...."
Ana Maria fumed. "How dare you-"
"Ana Maria, Mr. Bruckworth, is a good friend of mine."
"Your taste in friends is much less apparently than even your taste in servants, child."
"In your eyes alone," Elizabeth countered.
Mrs. Bruckworth swatted at her husband's arm, a silent plea for him to stop while he was behind. "Elizabeth, be a dear, we really would like to meet this young man of yours. I've heard he's quite dashing. Saved you from pirates?"
Elizabeth blushed. "Yes.... Will's at his place, I believe. It's small, but we'll live there until Mr. Brown agrees to take him on as a partner in the blacksmith business. That shouldn't be too long."
"Blacksmith?" Mr. Bruckworth asked. "What a... common profession."
"Dear!" Mrs. Bruckworth hissed. "Please! Elizabeth, please, we would much like to meet this young man. Your father indicated our approval is a must, though I'm sure if you approve of him than so shall we."
Elizabeth smiled. "This way then."
-------------------------------------------
"Sounds like Elizabeth's here," Will mumbled as he stood.
"Ah. The rum burner," Jack said with a grin.
Will laughed. "Aye. Elizabeth?"
"Aye, Will. Would you mind it horribly if my father's friends meet you?"
"That's fine," he answered as he met her at the door. His eyes locked with the cold ones of Mr. Bruckworth. "Oh. I didn't realize they were here now. Please, come in. It's small, but..."
"Who'd ya bring with ya, luv?" Jack asked as he walked into the front room. He stopped dead in his tracks, paling considerably under his dark tan.
Mrs. Bruckworth brought a hand up to her mouth slowly, gasping. "Hello, Jack."
-----------------------------
A/N: Okay! Second chapter! Who are these people? How do they know Jack? Is this going to ruin the wedding? Why is Mr. Bruckworth so blasted mean? Answers coming in the next chappy!
Comments to Reviewers:
Yeah... the one review I have that isn't even showing up online, but hey, I did get an email about it......
Me: Thanks for that tip Dunno what I was thinking
Jack and Will had decided that they best find the rum at Will's small place instead of the local tavern. No need to attract unwanted attention quite yet. It would be attracted soon enough, as their luck had it. Will sighed as Jack poured more rum into his glass. Good thing they hadn't left.
"Ye 'adn't drunk much," Jack said as he leaned back in his chair.
"You tend to drink enough for the two of us," Will answered.
This brought a laugh from the pirate captain. "Aye, point taken," he responded. He let the legs of the chair hit the floor, watching Will's face as they scraped against the ground, making a horrible screeching sound. "You ready for this, boy?" he asked, his voice suddenly as clear as it was when he was sober.
"Ready?" Will questioned.
"To get married."
"Why shouldn't I be? I love Elizabeth."
"Aye, but are ye ready to settle down, lad?" He took another sip of rum. "I know ye're achin' for more adventure, boy, I can see it in yer eyes."
"You see nothing of the sort, Jack. That's simply the rum effecting your own mind."
"T'snot," Jack responded, taking a deep breath and leaning forward. He laced his fingers together, propping his chin on them and watched the young blacksmith carefully. "Will, if ye want, we'd always-"
"No, Jack. Thank you very much, but I'm happy here."
"S'long as your 'appy," the pirate responded.
Will shifted in his place. "Was my father happy?"
Jack sighed a bit, looking as if he would like to avoid that question but not wanting to find a way around it either. "Your father, lad, loved you and yer mum more than anythin'."
"Then why......." Will stopped, taking a shaky breath. It was now or never. He'd never seen the pirate open enough about this issue as he was now. "Why didn't he come home?"
"'e did a bit."
"A few times, but never to stay."
Jack nodded. "Lad, he our ears off 'bout you and your mum, did you know that. 'e was proud of you. I'm surprised 'e hadn't come back to haunt me the couple times I've nearly succeeded in turning you pirate."
Will laughed. "I'm in control of my own actions, Jack. He would know that."
"'at 'e would." Jack leaned forward, his wrist bent in a half point at the boy as his motions followed his speech. "Only thing 'at woulda made your father 'appier would 'ave been to see you more, but 'e couldn't do 'at if 'e wanted to send you both money to use. Your mum hated me, in a joking manner, I think." The pirate's eyes were distant in his memories. "She'd never let me passed the door when I'd come for your 'ol man." Jack grinned, imitating Will's mother. "'You stay outa my house, Jack Sparrow, until you come for a decent visit and not to steal my William away,' she'd say."
Will laughed at Jack's impression. "Sounds like something she would have said. I think I vaguely remember you coming to the door once. I didn't get a good look at your face, but I saw Mother waving her finger at you like she did me when she was angry."
Jack grinned. "'at was your mum for ya. Good lady, though. Loved your father. Loved you. Both yer parents did."
Will nodded, sighing. His head perked up. "Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you know your parents?"
The pirate captain looked at him with questioning eyes. "I did."
Will shifted. This was going to be the subjects where Jack didn't offer information on. Of course, Jack never offered information on himself, it seemed. Will had been through so much with him, and truly knew so little about his past. It couldn't be that bad. "What were they like? Where are they?"
"Me father died when I was a boy and me mother... I don't care to know 'ere she might be."
"Jack...."
"Blast!" Jack held his glass up and shook the rum bottle he'd been pouring into the glass over the past while of conversation. "Next bottle?"
"Only had two," Will grinned.
"Did your lovely fiancé burn the rest?"
"Something like that."
------------------------------------------
"So who are you meeting?" Ana Maria asked as she followed Elizabeth through the streets of Port Royal.
"Some old friends of Father's. London aristocrats."
"Wonderful."
"You don't have to come, Ana."
The dark skinned pirate raised an eyebrow. "Ah, not welcomed among the high classed?"
Elizabeth blushed. "That's not at all what I meant, Ana! You know that! I just didn't want to bore you with it all."
"I thought I might keep you from being bored, if only slightly."
Elizabeth smiled. "That would be wonder-"
"Elizabeth Swann, how you've grown!"
The future Mrs. Turner turned to see an aging woman in her late forties or early fifties standing next to a very tall, very intimidating man.
Elizabeth forced a smile. "Mrs. Bruckworth, it is a pleasure. Mr. Bruckworth."
The man turned to Ana Maria, eyes cold and cruel. "Is this your servant, child? Surely you could find a better one...."
Ana Maria fumed. "How dare you-"
"Ana Maria, Mr. Bruckworth, is a good friend of mine."
"Your taste in friends is much less apparently than even your taste in servants, child."
"In your eyes alone," Elizabeth countered.
Mrs. Bruckworth swatted at her husband's arm, a silent plea for him to stop while he was behind. "Elizabeth, be a dear, we really would like to meet this young man of yours. I've heard he's quite dashing. Saved you from pirates?"
Elizabeth blushed. "Yes.... Will's at his place, I believe. It's small, but we'll live there until Mr. Brown agrees to take him on as a partner in the blacksmith business. That shouldn't be too long."
"Blacksmith?" Mr. Bruckworth asked. "What a... common profession."
"Dear!" Mrs. Bruckworth hissed. "Please! Elizabeth, please, we would much like to meet this young man. Your father indicated our approval is a must, though I'm sure if you approve of him than so shall we."
Elizabeth smiled. "This way then."
-------------------------------------------
"Sounds like Elizabeth's here," Will mumbled as he stood.
"Ah. The rum burner," Jack said with a grin.
Will laughed. "Aye. Elizabeth?"
"Aye, Will. Would you mind it horribly if my father's friends meet you?"
"That's fine," he answered as he met her at the door. His eyes locked with the cold ones of Mr. Bruckworth. "Oh. I didn't realize they were here now. Please, come in. It's small, but..."
"Who'd ya bring with ya, luv?" Jack asked as he walked into the front room. He stopped dead in his tracks, paling considerably under his dark tan.
Mrs. Bruckworth brought a hand up to her mouth slowly, gasping. "Hello, Jack."
-----------------------------
A/N: Okay! Second chapter! Who are these people? How do they know Jack? Is this going to ruin the wedding? Why is Mr. Bruckworth so blasted mean? Answers coming in the next chappy!
Comments to Reviewers:
Yeah... the one review I have that isn't even showing up online, but hey, I did get an email about it......
Me: Thanks for that tip Dunno what I was thinking