Usual disclaimers... humbug!
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Will looked up at the storm-damaged Black Pearl, wondering if there would be anything needing his attention before they were able to set sail. He wanted to talk to Jack, to find out what had happened, but Jean Claude blocked his path.
"I need to see Jack," he explained, moving to walk around the Frenchman only to find his way blocked again.
"Captain's drunk," Jean Claude explained. "He's seeing no-one..."
"I've seen Jack drunk before," Will smiled, pushing open the cabin door only to stand rooted to the deck in shock. "Guess there is drunk and there is drunk," he gulped, staring at the empty, half-empty bottles of rum, a number of which had been smashed against the bulkhead. From the snoring coming from the bunk, Jack was clearly unconscious. "I see what you mean," he sighed.
"If you have come with questions about Kitty, perhaps I can help you?" Jean Claude offered, nodding towards his own cabin.
"Thank you," Will agreed, glancing back at Jack. He left the door ajar, reasoning that the place needed air – he was surprised that Jack could even breathe in there for the atmosphere was stifling. He followed the Frenchman down to the gun deck, nodding to those that he knew by name as he walked towards the stern of the ship.
Jean Claude led the way to the senior crew cabins, a small parlour area shared between them. "Sit," he gestured to the nearest seat.
"What happened?" Will asked immediately. "Elizabeth said that Jack came back and tore into Rose..."
"How much do you know?" Jean Claude ventured, cautious of revealing what he knew of Jack.
Will smiled. "If you are referring to Jack's true name," he guessed, "I know who Rose is and who George is not... and I know the reason that they went to London - the letter."
"Well the Captain and Kitty arrived in London and booked into a quiet inn. He went to investigate about the letter and sneaked into the family house, but George was waiting for him with soldiers. It appears that he knew all the time that the Captain was not his true son and he killed George, but barely escaped. He was shot and the wound had nearly killed him by the time he got back to the Pearl..." Jean Claude explained.
"And Kitty?" Will worried.
"The Captain does not know," he sighed. "All he said is that George knew they were there and taunted him about her. He ran back to the inn but she had already been taken... there was nothing he could have done."
"So Stephen has her... somewhere?" Will frowned.
"Oui," Jean Claude confirmed. "And we all know how much of a gentleman he was the last time Kitty was in his grasp. How he will react knowing the Captain killed his father..." Jean Claude spread his hands wide, shrugging.
"So that is why Jack wanted Rose to help?" Will asked.
"If we know the names of the ships to attack and their routes, it would make life easier," Jean Claude admitted. "Do you think she will?"
"Elizabeth has told her to leave the bay if she doesn't," Will said. "But what of Theodore? Surely he must be told..."
"How?" Jean Claude wondered. "We cannot risk seeing him for he will likely be watched by the Governor's men... unless..."
"Unless what?" Will pressed.
"Unless young James was to escape and return to his uncle..." He looked closely at Will. "How has he been here? Would we be able to trust him?"
Will considered carefully. "I think he would be safe to let go," he said. "He would tell his Uncle and Theodore but not reveal us to the Governor..."
"That is the best we can hope for," Jean Claude agreed. "I will mention it to the Captain when he sobers up... the journey from England was too rough for him to get properly drunk and it will likely take him some time to sleep it off..."
Will smiled ruefully. He did not think he could remember ever seeing Jack so drunk as to be unconscious before. "I will see what can be done ashore and speak with Elizabeth..."
"Merci Will," Jean Claude smiled. "Perhaps we can sort it for the Captain before he wakes..." Both men looked at each other in silent understanding of what Catherine meant to Jack.
"Perhaps we can," Will agreed. "But I'd best head back before Elizabeth starts to worry." He rose, turning for the door. "I'll come back if I have any news," he smiled.
Jean Claude nodded, reaching for a bottle of brandy and taking a heavy swig. For a moment he wished he could join Jack in the oblivion that it offered but he knew that it was not possible. When they rescued Catherine, then he would drink, but not before.
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When Will returned to the house he found Elizabeth busy baking. "I don't think Jack will be coming tonight," he warned.
"Why ever not?" she puzzled.
"Well the last I saw of Jack he was flat out unconscious in his cabin..." Will explained. He turned as Rose walked into the kitchen.
"Unconscious! Is he alright?" Elizabeth asked.
"As well as can be," Will retorted, "considering he is blind drunk!"
"But why?" Rose asked.
"Because Jack cannot cope without Kitty! Hell, he would die for her! How do you think he feels when he cannot even be certain she is alive?" Will shouted. He rarely lost his temper, but Jack's mother made him want to throttle her. "What do you expect him to do? Walk up to Stephen and ask him nicely?" He took a step towards Rose, smiling as she stepped backwards. "Will you help or are you leaving?" he demanded.
Rose knew what Stephen had done was wrong, but her love for both her sons could not be judged. "I will help," she offered, "as long as Jack vows to me he will not kill his brother..." She looked at Elizabeth, eyes pleading for her understanding. "I know Stephen is wrong, but he is still my son..."
Will sighed. "Well, if that is the best you can do," he said, his voice softer. "And if that is sorted, I must see James."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked.
"He will be returning home," Will said, "if he agrees to carry a secret message to Theo. We must tell him that Kitty is missing..."
"Heavens, yes!" Elizabeth realised she had completely forgotten about Theodore in her concern over Jack. "I think he went fishing with Claire and the children..."
Will looked around, realising that apart from Charlotte and the babies, the house was silent. The wet-nurse had fitted in well at the bay and, having discovered the fishing dory that Catherine had stolen from New Orleans had started to teach the children how to sail and fish from it. Billy was turning into quite a fisherman, when he could tear himself away from playing pirates with Eilis. "I'd best go and find them," he said for he knew where they would be.
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Will looked up at the storm-damaged Black Pearl, wondering if there would be anything needing his attention before they were able to set sail. He wanted to talk to Jack, to find out what had happened, but Jean Claude blocked his path.
"I need to see Jack," he explained, moving to walk around the Frenchman only to find his way blocked again.
"Captain's drunk," Jean Claude explained. "He's seeing no-one..."
"I've seen Jack drunk before," Will smiled, pushing open the cabin door only to stand rooted to the deck in shock. "Guess there is drunk and there is drunk," he gulped, staring at the empty, half-empty bottles of rum, a number of which had been smashed against the bulkhead. From the snoring coming from the bunk, Jack was clearly unconscious. "I see what you mean," he sighed.
"If you have come with questions about Kitty, perhaps I can help you?" Jean Claude offered, nodding towards his own cabin.
"Thank you," Will agreed, glancing back at Jack. He left the door ajar, reasoning that the place needed air – he was surprised that Jack could even breathe in there for the atmosphere was stifling. He followed the Frenchman down to the gun deck, nodding to those that he knew by name as he walked towards the stern of the ship.
Jean Claude led the way to the senior crew cabins, a small parlour area shared between them. "Sit," he gestured to the nearest seat.
"What happened?" Will asked immediately. "Elizabeth said that Jack came back and tore into Rose..."
"How much do you know?" Jean Claude ventured, cautious of revealing what he knew of Jack.
Will smiled. "If you are referring to Jack's true name," he guessed, "I know who Rose is and who George is not... and I know the reason that they went to London - the letter."
"Well the Captain and Kitty arrived in London and booked into a quiet inn. He went to investigate about the letter and sneaked into the family house, but George was waiting for him with soldiers. It appears that he knew all the time that the Captain was not his true son and he killed George, but barely escaped. He was shot and the wound had nearly killed him by the time he got back to the Pearl..." Jean Claude explained.
"And Kitty?" Will worried.
"The Captain does not know," he sighed. "All he said is that George knew they were there and taunted him about her. He ran back to the inn but she had already been taken... there was nothing he could have done."
"So Stephen has her... somewhere?" Will frowned.
"Oui," Jean Claude confirmed. "And we all know how much of a gentleman he was the last time Kitty was in his grasp. How he will react knowing the Captain killed his father..." Jean Claude spread his hands wide, shrugging.
"So that is why Jack wanted Rose to help?" Will asked.
"If we know the names of the ships to attack and their routes, it would make life easier," Jean Claude admitted. "Do you think she will?"
"Elizabeth has told her to leave the bay if she doesn't," Will said. "But what of Theodore? Surely he must be told..."
"How?" Jean Claude wondered. "We cannot risk seeing him for he will likely be watched by the Governor's men... unless..."
"Unless what?" Will pressed.
"Unless young James was to escape and return to his uncle..." He looked closely at Will. "How has he been here? Would we be able to trust him?"
Will considered carefully. "I think he would be safe to let go," he said. "He would tell his Uncle and Theodore but not reveal us to the Governor..."
"That is the best we can hope for," Jean Claude agreed. "I will mention it to the Captain when he sobers up... the journey from England was too rough for him to get properly drunk and it will likely take him some time to sleep it off..."
Will smiled ruefully. He did not think he could remember ever seeing Jack so drunk as to be unconscious before. "I will see what can be done ashore and speak with Elizabeth..."
"Merci Will," Jean Claude smiled. "Perhaps we can sort it for the Captain before he wakes..." Both men looked at each other in silent understanding of what Catherine meant to Jack.
"Perhaps we can," Will agreed. "But I'd best head back before Elizabeth starts to worry." He rose, turning for the door. "I'll come back if I have any news," he smiled.
Jean Claude nodded, reaching for a bottle of brandy and taking a heavy swig. For a moment he wished he could join Jack in the oblivion that it offered but he knew that it was not possible. When they rescued Catherine, then he would drink, but not before.
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When Will returned to the house he found Elizabeth busy baking. "I don't think Jack will be coming tonight," he warned.
"Why ever not?" she puzzled.
"Well the last I saw of Jack he was flat out unconscious in his cabin..." Will explained. He turned as Rose walked into the kitchen.
"Unconscious! Is he alright?" Elizabeth asked.
"As well as can be," Will retorted, "considering he is blind drunk!"
"But why?" Rose asked.
"Because Jack cannot cope without Kitty! Hell, he would die for her! How do you think he feels when he cannot even be certain she is alive?" Will shouted. He rarely lost his temper, but Jack's mother made him want to throttle her. "What do you expect him to do? Walk up to Stephen and ask him nicely?" He took a step towards Rose, smiling as she stepped backwards. "Will you help or are you leaving?" he demanded.
Rose knew what Stephen had done was wrong, but her love for both her sons could not be judged. "I will help," she offered, "as long as Jack vows to me he will not kill his brother..." She looked at Elizabeth, eyes pleading for her understanding. "I know Stephen is wrong, but he is still my son..."
Will sighed. "Well, if that is the best you can do," he said, his voice softer. "And if that is sorted, I must see James."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked.
"He will be returning home," Will said, "if he agrees to carry a secret message to Theo. We must tell him that Kitty is missing..."
"Heavens, yes!" Elizabeth realised she had completely forgotten about Theodore in her concern over Jack. "I think he went fishing with Claire and the children..."
Will looked around, realising that apart from Charlotte and the babies, the house was silent. The wet-nurse had fitted in well at the bay and, having discovered the fishing dory that Catherine had stolen from New Orleans had started to teach the children how to sail and fish from it. Billy was turning into quite a fisherman, when he could tear himself away from playing pirates with Eilis. "I'd best go and find them," he said for he knew where they would be.
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