A/N: Inspiration! It hit me all of a sudden! Enjoy the fruits of my inspiration, my friends. I think you'll like it. I hope you will.
Disclaimer: Nope
SHOUT-OUTS:
Athena Diagon Cat: An ally of James? Hmmmm. Maybe. Maybe not. You'll see in this chapter.
Mercury Gray: Yes, I intend on using 'Jamesie' at some point. I'm just not sure when.
Animejacksparrowlover: When? When, indeed?
Book-addict: Well, I don't have writer's block on my LoTR fic, but I've LOST MY DISK!! Don't worry. I'm looking for it. And the twins are helping me so, with their keen elven sight, I should find it in no time.
MarieChristine81: Hello and welcome! Welcome to my world, where Norrington is most assuredly not the dull, insipid, unrelenting pig that almost everyone else in this section makes him out to be. Now don't get upset. I said almost everyone. The shadow lurker shall soon be revealed.
The Last Evenstar: Ah, quotes from 'The Mummy' movies in your review. I love it. And I'll update my LoTR fic as soon as I find the disk. 'Dan and 'Ro are working on it right now.
Eodoram: Bat guano? Blech. Well, Starling won't be put in his place for a while, yet. But someone else will be put in theirs. Read on for more!
Roisin Dubh: This chapter = mysterious stranger. And believe me, they don't get any stranger.
Julia: Yes, Brighton is a cad. You'll hear more about that later. And Starling is much worse than you think. Keep reading. All will be revealed soon enough.
A/N: If I missed anyone, I'm sorry! Thank you all for your reviews!
''''''''''''''''''''''''The Next Night: Commodore Norrington's House
"Edwina! Edwina, we'll be late if you don't hurry!"
James, who was already standing by the door, bit back a sigh of impatience. Cecily had called for Edwina several times in the past ten minutes, and each time they received the same response.
"Coming, Cecily," rang the voice from upstairs. Victoria slouched against the wall in a decidedly un-ladylike manner and James, despite his irritation with his older sister, couldn't help but smile at her childlike action.
The sound of a door closing upstairs brought Victoria up ramrod straight, however, and even Cecily straightened her posture a little. Edwina soon appeared, wearing a dress that made James feel somewhat uncomfortable. It was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but it was a bit formal for a dinner with the Turners. Will and Elizabeth lived in a lovely, modest home and, although Will had taken over the blacksmith business completely and was doing very well, the Turners were far from the type of wealth that Edwina always flaunted.
And her attire did flaunt it. She wore a burgundy-colored silk trimmed with black lace and a necklace of garnets at her throat. Her hair was done elaborately, the way Elizabeth had worn her hair before she became engaged to Will. In short, Edwina was somewhat overdressed for a small dinner party at the Turners. Her attire was more suited for an elaborate celebration in London.
She looked expectantly at the other three.
"Aren't we going to dinner? I came as quickly as I could."
James knew it wouldn't do any good to argue over the dress. Edwina was a grown woman, after all. He opened the door and stood aside to let his sisters and niece step out.
"Wait a minute," Edwina said suddenly. Victoria, already out the door, sighed heavily at the sound of her mother's voice and Cecily, who was poised on the threshold, closed her eyes briefly, trying to will away her irritation. James merely remained expressionless. It was something he had learned long ago when dealing with Edwina.
"What is it, Edwina?" he inquired.
"James, you cannot go to dinner like that."
Cecily peeked back around the door to look at her brother. She gave him an appraising glance, but could see nothing wrong with what he wore. She thought he looked very handsome, really, and much younger.
"Like what?" James asked, clearly just as perplexed as Cecily was.
"Well, I have no objection to your clothing, though it does seem somewhat informal. But I do object to you appearing in public without your wig." (A/N: Did they call them anything else in those days? If anyone knows, tell me.)
Cecily could not stifle the urge to roll her eyes and she was rewarded with a glare from Edwina, which had little to no effect on her.
"Edwina, this is not London. And we will hardly be 'in public'. This is merely a small dinner at the home of two of my closest friends. For this reason, I have chosen to leave my wig at home for the evening."
"I refuse to leave this house with a man who will not dress properly for a dinner party."
"Edwina, please," Cecily entreated. "Can we just go? Mr. Turner does not wear one of those horrid wigs and James shouldn't have to, either. I think he looks quite handsome without one."
"Handsome or no, he should wear it. It's his duty as a gentleman."
"I will not wear it, Edwina, and this whole conversation is utterly absurd. We're late as it is. Now come on. The coach is waiting."
"I'm not leaving until you are dressed properly."
"Edwina," James said in a low tone, his voice quivering from trying to hold his temper. How did she always know just how to push him? "I am dressed properly for this party. Will specifically asked me to come as a person, not a commodore. Besides," he continued, exchanging a brief, somewhat amused glance with Cecily, "I happen to know for a fact that Elizabeth thinks I look better without the wig, too."
Cecily smiled. She had become fast friends with young Mrs. Turner and when Elizabeth had expressed her opinion on James' wig, Cecily had passed it on. She agreed heartily with Elizabeth on the matter. But Edwina was not placated.
"Oh, Elizabeth again," she said in a bored manner. "James, you try to please her far too much. Really, dear brother, you have no reason to please her. It isn't as though you were married to her."
As she spoke, Edwina was fiddling with her gloves and so missed the stricken look that crossed her brother's face. But Cecily did not miss it. Nor did she miss the brief flicker of pain in James' eyes. The moment passed quickly, however, and James soon wore the expression he usually reserved for his men at the fort. Detached, emotionless, and distant. When he spoke, his voice matched the expression.
"Very well, Edwina. I'll only be a minute."
With that, he was gone, headed up the stairs. Cecily stared at her sister in shock while Edwina continued fiddling with her gloves and smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of her skirt.
"Edwina, how could you?"
The expression of innocence on Edwina's face when she raised her head up only served to infuriate Cecily more.
"What? Cecily, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You've hurt James terribly, Edwina. Don't you realize that?"
"Hurt him? My dear, don't be ridiculous. James is far too attached to that blacksmith's wife. Don't you see that? Perhaps if I can loosen that attachment a bit, he'll start to realize there are other women besides her."
"Edwina, you're a fool," Cecily hissed.
"I beg your pardon? How dare you speak to me in such a manner!"
"And how dare you speak to James in such a manner! He's done nothing wrong, Edwina. And if you weren't such a fool you'd realize that what James feels for Elizabeth is nothing more than the remnants of a lost first love. Those can be very painful at times, Edwina. Particularly when the loss is cast up in your face. But that's the problem, isn't it? You wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Because you've never been in love yourself. You wouldn't even allow yourself to love your own husband. Your heartlessness will be the ruin of you someday, Edwina. I suggest you ponder that over dinner tonight. At least then you won't be making sly little digs towards the Turners. Try enjoying yourself for once instead of being intent on making everyone else as miserable as you are."
Cecily was gone as soon as she finished, but she left Edwina behind with a raised hand, poised to slap the youngest Norrington sibling. When she heard James coming down the stairs again, she dropped her hand and composed her stunned features. Without a word, she stepped outside into the coach and the silent commodore, his wig firmly in place, was not far behind her.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''At the Turner's Home
"Well, there's the coach," Will announced. Elizabeth, placing the last of the dishes on the table, frowned at her husband.
"Really, Will. It's not very polite to spy through windows."
"I agree, my love," he replied without turning around. "Which is precisely why I want you to stop peering out at Mrs. Milford in the afternoons."
Elizabeth blushed. How did Will know about that? He was at the shop during those hours.
"She's a fascinating woman," Elizabeth explained, lamely. Will turned and smiled at his wife.
"So make friends with her, then. She's a very nice lady, Elizabeth."
"She doesn't like me. She thinks I'm too 'upper-class'."
"You've hardly ever spoken to her, Elizabeth. You don't know what she thinks. Honestly. You've braved undead pirates, survived a night on a deserted island with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, denied your station to marry me, and now you're afraid of what people think?"
Elizabeth smiled, seeing the absurdity of it all, and Will turned back to the window.
"Uh-oh," he said. Alarms went off in Elizabeth's head.
"What? What is it, Will?"
"It's James. He's wearing his 'officer of the fleet' expression."
"Oh, dear," Elizabeth muttered. "Something must have made him angry. I haven't seen that expression on his face in quite a while."
'But I have,' thought Will. 'And I don't think anger is the cause of it tonight.'
"Well," Mrs. Turner continued, unaware of her husband's concern, "we'll just have to see to it that he enjoys himself and we'll make him forget all about his troubles."
A knock sounded on the door and Elizabeth hurried to answer it, with Will not far behind.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Later
"Elizabeth, that was delicious. Did you cook it all yourself?" Cecily asked.
"All but this dessert," Elizabeth replied as she served the aforementioned dessert to her guests. "I had to get my father's cook to handle that. Dessert seems to be the one thing I can't get a proper handle on."
"I'm amazed that you were able to do all this," Victoria spoke up. "It was all so wonderful."
"However do you manage without servants, Mrs. Turner?" queried Edwina. "It must have been terribly hard to give up all the things you were accustomed to."
Every person in the room but Elizabeth knew what Edwina was really doing. Even Will knew. She was trying to point out to Victoria what the girl would lose if she married Lieutenant Harrison. Victoria squirmed a bit, Cecily cast a brief glare at her sister, and Will chose that moment to drink some more wine. But James remained expressionless, as he had throughout the entire meal.
"It's interesting you should say that, Mrs. Barclay. I had never imagined being without servants and the like. But when I realized that I loved Will, it didn't really matter anymore. What I gave up was far outweighed by what I gained when we married."
Victoria silently thanked Elizabeth, as did Cecily. Edwina merely set her jaw and said nothing. Will decided to remain silent as well.
As Elizabeth took her seat at the foot of the table, she gave a small gasp. Everyone, including James, looked at her in surprise, though Will's look was mixed with concern.
"Are you alright, Elizabeth?" he asked. Elizabeth had gone slightly pale.
"Yes, Will. Yes, I'm fine," she finally replied, forcing herself to talk in a normal tone. She nonchalantly took a bite of her dessert, which made Will suspicious. Had James been in a better mood, he would have noticed that something was off as well. Particularly when Elizabeth turned to Cecily and started a rather odd conversation.
"Cecily, your brother told me that you used to sketch birds," she remarked. Cecily looked up in surprise. She hadn't sketched anything in years, much less birds.
"Well, that was quite a long time ago. But, yes, I used to draw sketches. And birds were my favorite subject for a time."
"Did you have a particular type of bird that you favored? I mean, one that was the most fun to sketch?"
Cecily thought hard for a moment, at the same time thinking what a very strange discussion this was.
"Not really. Though I did enjoy drawing swallows, I suppose."
"Swallows? Yes, swallows are lovely. I myself have always been rather partial to sparrows, however."
Will froze momentarily, his fork paused between his plate and his mouth.
"Really?" Cecily asked, wondering why the sudden interest in birds. Victoria, too, wore a puzzled expression on her face. Neither Edwina nor James appeared to be listening to the conversation at all.
"I wasn't aware there were sparrows in the Caribbean," Cecily continued. Elizabeth nodded emphatically.
"Oh, yes. Yes, there are. In fact, I saw a particularly large one just yesterday afternoon. It was unusually large in fact. I was sitting here in the dining room, going over some books, and looked up just in time to see the sparrow. It was perched on the sill of that window right behind Will. And it stayed there for a solid hour, just looking in as if it wanted to gain entrance."
"How strange," Cecily remarked, wondering if Elizabeth had quite lost her mind. She wasn't acting at all like the Elizabeth that Cecily had come to know. Perhaps it was her condition. Cecily decided to humor her new friend.
"Did it come back today?"
"You know, it's strange that you should ask me that, Cecily. I just saw that sparrow only a moment ago, perched on the sill again. But he flew off so quickly, I didn't get the chance to tell you. Will? Will, are you alright?"
Will seemed to be choking on some wine that had gone down the wrong way. He coughed a little more before rasping out...
"I'm fine. I'm fine. Just need a little fresh air. If you'll excuse me, please."
He stood and left the dining room, coughing as he went. Victoria and Cecily followed him with their eyes, slightly concerned. James and Edwina kept eating placidly, James lost in his own thoughts while Edwina was ignoring everyone on purpose. Elizabeth suddenly returned to normal when she heard the front door close.
"Well, do you like the dessert?" she asked. Victoria and Cecily merely exchanged glances before responding, in unison, that the dessert was wonderful.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Meanwhile
David Harrison, being off-duty for twenty-four hours was returning from the pub after a night out with some of the other men from the fort. He knew the commodore actually frowned upon even entering such an establishment. In fact, David usually did as well. But he was worried about the previous day's conversation with Captain Starling and an evening of drinks with friends had seemed like the perfect way to forget all his troubles.
Of course, it hadn't worked. David had managed to consume one pint of ale. He was not a drinking man, really, and all he could think about was what Victoria would think if she knew he was in a pub. So he left early and headed back to the fort.
As he passed the Turner's home, though, he caught sight of a shadow at the side of the house. Curious, he moved closer to get a better look. But the shadow disappeared around the corner. Muttering a curse under his breath, a testament to his foul mood, David followed. But there was no sign of anyone. And nothing for anyone to hide behind. He was so intent on finding the figure again that he never heard the footsteps behind him.
A strong hand went around David's mouth and an equally strong arm went around his midsection. He tried to kick back, but it was useless to try and gain an advantage while standing on unfamiliar terrain.
"Hello there, Davey."
The struggling ceased abruptly at the sound of the voice. David craned his neck back until he was looking into a pair of deep brown eyes. The owner of the eyes, satisfied that David wouldn't say anything, or try to hit him, released the young man. David stared at his 'attacker' in shock.
"What in the name of..."
"Now, Davey. Don't take the Lord's name in vain. Your mother raised you better than that. I'd hate to have to disappoint her on my next visit by telling her that her only child has fallen into the habit of committing blasphemy."
"It's David. David is my name. I wish you'd quit calling me Davey. I'm a lieutenant in the king's navy, after all."
"Yes, I know. And here I thought you'd join up with your dear uncle. Rather disappointing, Davey."
"Jack, you are not my uncle. You are my cousin. My older cousin to be sure, but my cousin nonetheless. Now would you mind telling me what you're doing here?"
"Oh, your mother asked me to look after you. Sent me word that you were coming to the Caribbean on the 'H.M.S. Horizon'. By the way, love that name. Much better than 'Dauntless' or 'Interceptor'. I followed you when you first entered the Caribbean."
David's eyes widened.
"That ship. That pirate ship! That was the Black Pearl we saw?"
"'Course it was. Isn't another ship in the whole of the Caribbean as beautiful as the Pearl."
David started to ask another question, but they were interrupted.
"Jack!"
The name was uttered in a loud whisper and when David turned around, he was shocked to see Will Turner striding towards them.
"Greetings, Will!"
"Jack, what in the name of..."
"Easy there. Have you law-abiding citizens no respect for our Lord?"
David stared at Jack, still stunned by Will's sudden appearance and the fact that they seemed to know each other. Will, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.
"Would you mind tell me what you're doing here? You scared Elizabeth and she had to come up with the most ridiculous story to let me know you were out here."
"Yes, I heard that story. Terribly unimaginative for a girl who's had adventures involving undead pirates. Not to mention adventures with me."
"Jack, you're evading the question. Why are you here? Don't you know that James is inside? If he catches you..."
"James? James? Oh, I see how it is. Now you're friends with old Norrington himself, eh? Well, then I'll be on my way."
"Jack, don't be ridiculous," Will said, reaching out and grabbing the pirate's arm as he turned to go. "If we weren't still your friends, I would've told James you were here already. Now, tell me why you're here."
"The real reason?"
"Yes, of course. Why would I want a false reason?"
"Never can tell with you, Will. Alright, then. I've come to warn you about Captain Starling."
"Captain Starling?" echoed David, speaking for the first time since Will's appearance. Jack turned to look at his younger cousin.
"Navy's done things to you, Davey. Is that all you can do? Echo what other people say?"
"That's not important now, Jack. What about Captain Starling?"
Jack's normally playful expression turned serious and Will started to pay closer attention to his friend. Obviously, this was very important.
"Captain Starling's as bad as they come, Will. He hates pirates."
"So does Commodore Norrington," David pointed out. Jack shook his head.
"No. No, it's not the same. Norrington does his job and he dislikes pirates. But I don't think he really hates them. Starling's different. Will, he's killed every pirate he's ever come across. And I don't mean by bringing 'em to justice, either. They're killed on the high seas. Five years ago, he slaughtered whole crews in the Spanish Main. But, somehow, word never got out. He returned to England as a hero for 'capturing' so many pirates. Now he's in Port Royal. And I don't think he's changed his opinion much."
"All the more reason you shouldn't be here," Will said, genuinely worried for his friend's safety. But Jack shook his head. He wasn't finished.
"Will, you've got to keep your father a secret. If Starling finds out you're the son of Bootstrap, he'll have you hanged."
"But I'm not a pirate," protested Will. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes. We've gone through all that before, remember? But you have the blood of a pirate and that's the same thing to Starling."
"I have a home and a wife, Jack! I'm a well-respected blacksmith. Why should any of that matter?"
"Besides, he's good friends with Commodore Norrington," David put in, his faith in the commodore unquestioning. "The commodore wouldn't allow him to be hanged."
"Then Starling will kill you himself, Will. He'll find a way, savvy?"
Will's blood ran cold. Was Starling really that bad?
"Oh, and one more thing. Try to keep Starling away from Norrington's family. He's got designs on that little sister of the commodore's."
David's mouth fell open.
"How did you know about that?" he asked.
"You'd be surprised what you can learn when you sneak around in the fort," Jack said, unable to stop the grin that spread across his face. He was remarkably proud of what he had accomplished yesterday. It was no small feat to sneak past hundreds of men in the service of the King's Navy. But Captain Jack Sparrow had done just that.
"You were in the fort yesterday? You heard the conversation between me and Starling?" David inquired, stunned. Will, too, was in shock. He knew Jack possessed quite a bit of cunning and, it seemed to him at times, no small amount of stupidity. But sneaking around in the fort was the most insane thing he had ever heard of Jack doing.
"Jack, have you gone daft?" he blurted out.
"Why? What have you heard?" Jack inquired, his eyes shifting about suspiciously. David sighed at his cousin's antics and Will merely shook his head in disbelief.
"Well, aren't you going to ask me why you should keep him away from the girl?"
"Alright. Why?"
"Since I learned he was coming back to the Caribbean, I've made it my business to know all about the dear captain," Jack began. "What I learned was quite interesting. Nothing too exciting professionally, beyond the slaughter of my fellow pirates of course, but his personal life is far from being suited to an officer in the navy."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'll put it this way. Captain Starling is not exactly the marrying type, if you get my drift."
"What? Wait, you mean he's..."
Jack made a face.
"Will! That just proves you're a eunuch, because only a eunuch would think of that. No, I mean he's a charmer. But he never marries them, savvy?"
Will, who had chosen to ignore the 'eunuch' comment, realized what Jack was saying. Starling was a rake, a besmircher of lady's reputations. And he was after Cecily Norrington.
"I see what you mean, Jack."
David was a bit slower on the uptake, but he soon realized the implications behind Jack's words. The revelation only served to make him hate his captain even more.
"I came to warn you and I've done that. I've got to get back to the Pearl, but I won't be too far off, Will. If you need anything, send for me. I'll be in Tortuga."
"Now why doesn't that surprise me?"
"Or you could come get me yourself," Jack continued, ignoring Will's sarcastic tone. "Be just like old times."
Turning to David, Jack got a little bit more serious again.
"You remember what I've said, Davey. You're in as much danger as young Will here. If Starling finds out we're related, he'll be out for you, too. Savvy?"
David nodded, not even bothering to mention that his name was David.
"Well, I'll be off then. Remember, Will. I'll be in Tortuga."
And then he was gone. Where Captain Jack Sparrow had stood only moments before, there was nothing but empty space. Will and David remained silent for a moment, trying to process what Jack had just told them. Finally, David turned to Will.
"How do you know Jack?"
Will shook his head.
"It's not important. What is important is what to do about all this. Are you off-duty?"
"Yes. I go back on-duty tomorrow night."
"Perfect. Meet me at my shop tomorrow morning, ten am. We'll discuss it then."
"Yes, sir," David replied. Will smiled.
"Call me Will, Lieutenant. I'm not in the military."
David was about to agree when both men heard the front door open. Elizabeth's voice floated out on the night air.
"Will? Will, are you coming back in?"
"Coming, Elizabeth! Don't forget. Tomorrow morning at ten."
Will left and went back around to the front of the house, where he greeted Elizabeth with a small kiss and a hug.
"Is he gone?" Elizabeth whispered as they embraced.
"Yes, he's gone."
"What did he want? Is something wrong?"
"Shhh. I'll tell you later. But we have guests right now. Let's see to them."
Elizabeth, somewhat satisfied with her husband's response, closed the front door and accompanied Will back to the dining room to finish their small, slightly failed dinner party.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
A/N: Oh, I know it's a rotten place to cut it off, but I couldn't think of an ending. I'm cursed! And the figure in the shadows was originally going to be Gillette, but Jack was getting irritated that I wasn't giving him enough attention, so I decided to make him David's cousin! Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Please read and review!