Usual disclaimers... surely you are used to that by now!
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July
Jack sighed despondently as he saw Will's bay appear before them, Oran skilfully guiding the Black Pearl into the safety it offered. It was hurricane season and they had been lucky on the crossing from England. They had sailed through a number of bad storms and the Black Pearl would need to be repaired before she could be considered fully seaworthy, but they had survived. And survival meant that he could take the fight to the Americas, then harass Stephen's ships until he was forced to return Catherine. He did not think that his half-brother would kill her for he knew that he would want to keep her as leverage against him. "Leverage," he snorted to himself, "cut m' bloody balls off more like!"
"I'll arrange a boat for you Captain," Jean Claude offered, knowing Jack's mind was elsewhere – like the majority of the crew onboard.
"Thank you," he sighed, reaching inside his jacket and ensuring the letter was still there. He had read it since it had already been opened by George, but he would not admit to having done so unless really pressed. A splash sounded as the anchors hit the water, closely followed by one of the ship's boats.
"Come," Jean Claude said, "I'll row you myself."
Jack nodded and followed his quartermaster from the quarterdeck. For a moment he nearly lost control of his expression, seeing Eilis and Billy excitedly waiting for them on the beach. There would be no celebrations this day.
"Let go if you need to Captain," Jean Claude said quietly as he rowed. "It is no disgrace to show your love for Kitty – we will get her back though, don't you worry!" He smiled encouragingly at him. "You once said you would walk to the gallows for her..."
"I told you that?" Jack gasped.
"Well, you were somewhat drunk at the time," Jean Claude admitted wryly. "But you need not feel that you have to hide your love for Kitty around me..."
Jack nodded, grunting his acceptance of Jean Claude's words as the boat beached. Jack jumped quickly out. "I'll be back soon," he slurred, his voice not fully under control as he strode towards the house.
"Jack!" Eilis cried in disappointment as he simply side-stepped her attack and continued walking.
"Not today little pirate," Jean Claude warned, placing a hand on her arm to stop her running after him. "Let the Captain be..."
Eilis looked up at him, puzzled momentarily by his attitude before turning her attention to Billy and attacking him instead. The two of them raced off along the beach in the opposite direction to that which Jack had taken.
###
"Jack!" Elizabeth looked up, smiling as he entered, but her face quickly dropped to a frown when she saw his expression. "Jack, what is wrong?"
"Where's m' mother?" he slurred.
"In her room... she isn't up yet," Elizabeth explained, stunned as he walked straight past her towards the room. "Jack!" Anxiously she followed him, only to see him barge through the door and slam it in her face. For a moment she stood there, speechless, then paled as she heard Jack shouting.
###
Rose looked up, smiling as she saw Jack but her eyes became worried when she saw his face. "Jack?"
"Your letter," he snarled, throwing it at her feet. "May yer precious honour rest in peace!"
"Pardon?" she blinked. This was not the courteous man she had become used to.
"He knew!" Jack shouted. "He bloody knew! All this time you've worried about it an' he has known since I was born!"
"I..." she flustered. "I had no idea!"
"An' no idea what yer've set in motion either!" Jack replied angrily. "Although yer don't need t' worry about George any more!"
"Why?" Rose asked quietly, suddenly frightened of what he would say.
"B'cause he is dead," Jack retorted. "George Waike is dead - dead by my hand! An' when I catch up with Stephen, he'll be dead too!"
"Jack, no!" Rose looked up at him in shock. George was dead and now brother was set against brother. "What happened?"
"George knew an' was waiting fer us!" he snarled. "Stephen has Kitty an' I don't know where!"
"Oh my God!" Rose cried, her hands flying to her face. "How?"
"I don't know," Jack shouted. "We hadn't even been there one bloody night!" His voice nearly broke and he shuddered, forcing himself back under control. "An' now mother yer will tell me every thing about Stephen – his friends, his ships, everything!"
"Jack, you cannot kill your own brother!" Rose protested.
"Try me!" he sneered. "Th' only thing I care about is t' regain m' wife – nothing an' nobody else matters, even you!" He glared at her angrily. "Write what yer know an' I'll send a man this evening..."
"Jack... I..." Rose reached to place a hand on his arm, tears welling in her eyes. She had known that he loved his wife dearly, and she was fond of Catherine too... but to kill George and to try to kill Stephen. She shook her head. "I cannot do that," she said quietly. "I will not help you kill my son..."
"If it wasn't for you an' that bloody letter then Kitty would be here... safe!" He took a step closer to his mother. "Write, damn you!"
Rose swallowed, suddenly realising how frightening her son could truly be. "No," she repeated. "I will not help you kill him."
"Then I'll see yer in Hell!" Jack exploded. "Fer if anything has happened t' Kitty..." He left his threat hanging, nearly wrenching the door from its hinges as he stormed from the room. He did not even see Elizabeth, so blinded was he by his rage. He strode down the beach, grateful to see that Jean Claude had already turned the boat around and was waiting for him. They pushed off together and it was not until they were nearly at the ship that Jack let go of the anger within him. "I think I need t' get drunk," he decided. "Very, very drunk!"
###
Elizabeth knocked on the open door. "Rose," she ventured softly, "are you alright?" She pushed the door open further, revealing Jack's mother sobbing on the bed. "Rose?"
"He killed him," she sniffed, looking up at Elizabeth. "George is dead!"
"I heard," Elizabeth apologised, for Jack's words had carried clearly to where she stood. "I take it from what Jack said that your true name is Waike... is that right?" Rose nodded slowly. "And Jack is a Waike?"
Rose shook her head. "He was raised a Waike," she said, "but George was not his father..."
"So you were unfaithful to George – and hence the letter? The one that Jack went to retrieve?" Elizabeth pressed, beginning to understand more of what was going on.
"Yes," Rose said softly. "But I did not think this would happen!"
"Will you help Jack?" Elizabeth asked cautiously.
"How can I?" Rose cried. "If I do he will kill Stephen..."
"And if Stephen hurts or kills Kitty?" Elizabeth frowned. "Kitty is Jack's life – you should know that by now..." She paused. "You should help Jack," she cautioned, "or make your way back to London for you will not be welcome here if you do not!"
Rose looked up in shock. "You are a mother!" she protested. "How can you ask me to choose between my sons?"
"Because I know what is right," Elizabeth sighed. "Do you honestly think Jack is wrong?" She smiled reassuringly at Rose as she looked up at her. "I will ask Will to go over to the Pearl later when things have calmed down," she offered. "Perhaps things will be clearer then?"
"Thank you Elizabeth," Rose sniffed.
"But in the meantime I strongly suggest you think on my words," Elizabeth warned. "This is not the place to be defending Stephen..." She turned, leaving her words hanging in the air. She needed to find out more what happened and she needed to speak with Will. Checking that the pie in the oven would not burn, she left the house and walked the short distance to the forge. Will would make everything alright – she knew he would.
###
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July
Jack sighed despondently as he saw Will's bay appear before them, Oran skilfully guiding the Black Pearl into the safety it offered. It was hurricane season and they had been lucky on the crossing from England. They had sailed through a number of bad storms and the Black Pearl would need to be repaired before she could be considered fully seaworthy, but they had survived. And survival meant that he could take the fight to the Americas, then harass Stephen's ships until he was forced to return Catherine. He did not think that his half-brother would kill her for he knew that he would want to keep her as leverage against him. "Leverage," he snorted to himself, "cut m' bloody balls off more like!"
"I'll arrange a boat for you Captain," Jean Claude offered, knowing Jack's mind was elsewhere – like the majority of the crew onboard.
"Thank you," he sighed, reaching inside his jacket and ensuring the letter was still there. He had read it since it had already been opened by George, but he would not admit to having done so unless really pressed. A splash sounded as the anchors hit the water, closely followed by one of the ship's boats.
"Come," Jean Claude said, "I'll row you myself."
Jack nodded and followed his quartermaster from the quarterdeck. For a moment he nearly lost control of his expression, seeing Eilis and Billy excitedly waiting for them on the beach. There would be no celebrations this day.
"Let go if you need to Captain," Jean Claude said quietly as he rowed. "It is no disgrace to show your love for Kitty – we will get her back though, don't you worry!" He smiled encouragingly at him. "You once said you would walk to the gallows for her..."
"I told you that?" Jack gasped.
"Well, you were somewhat drunk at the time," Jean Claude admitted wryly. "But you need not feel that you have to hide your love for Kitty around me..."
Jack nodded, grunting his acceptance of Jean Claude's words as the boat beached. Jack jumped quickly out. "I'll be back soon," he slurred, his voice not fully under control as he strode towards the house.
"Jack!" Eilis cried in disappointment as he simply side-stepped her attack and continued walking.
"Not today little pirate," Jean Claude warned, placing a hand on her arm to stop her running after him. "Let the Captain be..."
Eilis looked up at him, puzzled momentarily by his attitude before turning her attention to Billy and attacking him instead. The two of them raced off along the beach in the opposite direction to that which Jack had taken.
###
"Jack!" Elizabeth looked up, smiling as he entered, but her face quickly dropped to a frown when she saw his expression. "Jack, what is wrong?"
"Where's m' mother?" he slurred.
"In her room... she isn't up yet," Elizabeth explained, stunned as he walked straight past her towards the room. "Jack!" Anxiously she followed him, only to see him barge through the door and slam it in her face. For a moment she stood there, speechless, then paled as she heard Jack shouting.
###
Rose looked up, smiling as she saw Jack but her eyes became worried when she saw his face. "Jack?"
"Your letter," he snarled, throwing it at her feet. "May yer precious honour rest in peace!"
"Pardon?" she blinked. This was not the courteous man she had become used to.
"He knew!" Jack shouted. "He bloody knew! All this time you've worried about it an' he has known since I was born!"
"I..." she flustered. "I had no idea!"
"An' no idea what yer've set in motion either!" Jack replied angrily. "Although yer don't need t' worry about George any more!"
"Why?" Rose asked quietly, suddenly frightened of what he would say.
"B'cause he is dead," Jack retorted. "George Waike is dead - dead by my hand! An' when I catch up with Stephen, he'll be dead too!"
"Jack, no!" Rose looked up at him in shock. George was dead and now brother was set against brother. "What happened?"
"George knew an' was waiting fer us!" he snarled. "Stephen has Kitty an' I don't know where!"
"Oh my God!" Rose cried, her hands flying to her face. "How?"
"I don't know," Jack shouted. "We hadn't even been there one bloody night!" His voice nearly broke and he shuddered, forcing himself back under control. "An' now mother yer will tell me every thing about Stephen – his friends, his ships, everything!"
"Jack, you cannot kill your own brother!" Rose protested.
"Try me!" he sneered. "Th' only thing I care about is t' regain m' wife – nothing an' nobody else matters, even you!" He glared at her angrily. "Write what yer know an' I'll send a man this evening..."
"Jack... I..." Rose reached to place a hand on his arm, tears welling in her eyes. She had known that he loved his wife dearly, and she was fond of Catherine too... but to kill George and to try to kill Stephen. She shook her head. "I cannot do that," she said quietly. "I will not help you kill my son..."
"If it wasn't for you an' that bloody letter then Kitty would be here... safe!" He took a step closer to his mother. "Write, damn you!"
Rose swallowed, suddenly realising how frightening her son could truly be. "No," she repeated. "I will not help you kill him."
"Then I'll see yer in Hell!" Jack exploded. "Fer if anything has happened t' Kitty..." He left his threat hanging, nearly wrenching the door from its hinges as he stormed from the room. He did not even see Elizabeth, so blinded was he by his rage. He strode down the beach, grateful to see that Jean Claude had already turned the boat around and was waiting for him. They pushed off together and it was not until they were nearly at the ship that Jack let go of the anger within him. "I think I need t' get drunk," he decided. "Very, very drunk!"
###
Elizabeth knocked on the open door. "Rose," she ventured softly, "are you alright?" She pushed the door open further, revealing Jack's mother sobbing on the bed. "Rose?"
"He killed him," she sniffed, looking up at Elizabeth. "George is dead!"
"I heard," Elizabeth apologised, for Jack's words had carried clearly to where she stood. "I take it from what Jack said that your true name is Waike... is that right?" Rose nodded slowly. "And Jack is a Waike?"
Rose shook her head. "He was raised a Waike," she said, "but George was not his father..."
"So you were unfaithful to George – and hence the letter? The one that Jack went to retrieve?" Elizabeth pressed, beginning to understand more of what was going on.
"Yes," Rose said softly. "But I did not think this would happen!"
"Will you help Jack?" Elizabeth asked cautiously.
"How can I?" Rose cried. "If I do he will kill Stephen..."
"And if Stephen hurts or kills Kitty?" Elizabeth frowned. "Kitty is Jack's life – you should know that by now..." She paused. "You should help Jack," she cautioned, "or make your way back to London for you will not be welcome here if you do not!"
Rose looked up in shock. "You are a mother!" she protested. "How can you ask me to choose between my sons?"
"Because I know what is right," Elizabeth sighed. "Do you honestly think Jack is wrong?" She smiled reassuringly at Rose as she looked up at her. "I will ask Will to go over to the Pearl later when things have calmed down," she offered. "Perhaps things will be clearer then?"
"Thank you Elizabeth," Rose sniffed.
"But in the meantime I strongly suggest you think on my words," Elizabeth warned. "This is not the place to be defending Stephen..." She turned, leaving her words hanging in the air. She needed to find out more what happened and she needed to speak with Will. Checking that the pie in the oven would not burn, she left the house and walked the short distance to the forge. Will would make everything alright – she knew he would.
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