Chapter Three: Do it by the book
A/N: Yay! I got a Loreena McKinnett CD!!! I'm so happy! Spent too much money on it, but oh well. If you haven't heard her, you should try to find her on launchcast.com. It's a yahoo radio station. That's where I found her. Beautiful music! Hehe... sorry... I'll write now.. :)
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"You can't go in there," Gillette said with his head held high. "He's quite busy, you know."
Jack glared at the redcoat lieutenant as he brushed past him, not heeding a word he'd said. He slammed the door open into James Norrington's office. "You said we had safe harbor here," he growled, startling the commodore.
"You do."
"Then why did one of yer bloody redcoats come and take Ana Maria away this mornin'?" the pirate captain growled. His voice was low and he was resisting the urge to scream at the man before him. He assumed all that would do was bring people in to haul him away.
Norrington sighed. He'd just laid eyes on the report of what had happened when Jack had flung open the door. "Apparently," he said as he examined the report, "Douglass Pratt has made an accusation against her."
"Somethin' outside of Port Royal, in which case 'e 'as to wait until she LEAVES Port Royal to try to get 'er. Tha' was our agreement, Commodore. Will ye stick with it?"
Norrington pinched the bridge of his nose, as if warding off an unwelcome headache. "Gillette?"
"Sir?"
"Will you please get me the details of the young lady's arrest. I want them here as soon as you might be able to get them."
"Sir?"
Norrington locked eyes with the young man and there were no more questions asked. He turned back to the angry pirate captain. "I'm sorry, Captain Sparrow," he said slowly. "I'll do what I might be able to."
"So you'll get her out?"
James Norrington stood slowly, moving to the window of his office. "It might not be that simple, Jack. You know I am bound by the law."
"Hang the law," Jack growled. "Tha's Ana Maria they've taken."
"I know your attachment to your first mate, Captain, but I am a man of the law." He stopped, gathering his thoughts and moving to close the door to his office. "Jack, I respect you, as much as I despise to admit that I hold any regards for a scallywag. I will do what I can, but Douglass Pratt is a citizen of the Crown. Ana Maria is not."
"So they can just take her away an' tha's tha', eh?"
"I never said it was right, Jack, I said it was the law. I've overstepped my boundaries too much for you as it is. I don't regret it, Captain. I meant to come after you that time because I am not a fan of the East India Company. Anderson was a criminal, but if he had not been you would have hung and died that day because I had no other reason to be able to come after you."
"But we're in Port Royal!" Jack argued. "My crew and me 'ave done more for you than-"
"That's very true, but the Crown won't see it that way."
"Yer scared for yer job, s'tha' it?"
"Captain...."
Jack shook his head, too angry for words. Some part of his mind reminded him to burn no bridges here, not yet. Commodore James Norrington could still be of use to him, but there was something overriding his craftiness that he relied heavily on. "I 'eld more respect for ye than I should 'ave." Jack turned to the door, opening it. "If they leave with 'er, Commodore, then our deal's off, ye 'ear? I never claimed to be an honest man, but I keep a bargain. It'll be you tha' broke this alliance, not me."
James Norrington watched the pirate captain leave with much regret. "I'm sorry," he whispered into the empty room. "There's just so very little I can do."
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"Uncle Jack?"
Jack opened one eye to see the toddler that was climbing up onto the bed he slept on when he and Ana Maria came to visit. It felt so vacant. "Hmm?"
"Are you takin' a nap?"
Jack started to sit up but decided against it as the lad climbed onto his stomach and sat there. "Are you tired?"
"I am."
"Did you yell at Uncle James?"
"He's talkin' to Momma and Papa now."
"Did yer Papa send ya in fer me?" the pirate asked as the boy on his stomach reached forward for a bead in his hair.
The lad ran a small finger over the beads. "Yeah."
Jack nodded slowly and sat up, picking the small Turner up as he did so and walked into the sitting room. "You've lost somethin'," he said as he entered the room and handed Bill to Will.
The younger man took his son with a tight smile. "James has found something interesting, Jack. I thought maybe you'd like to hear."
Jack met the commodore's eyes with distrust. Norrington sighed. "I understand where you're coming from, Captain. I doubt many people are far too trustworthy in your business, but I shall do my best to show you that these matters can be handled legally and still get what we want out of it." He handed Jack a sheet of paper in which the captain took. After giving him a moment to read it, James Norrington continued. "Apparently Miss Emily Pratt believes Ana Maria to be a run away slave of hers from fifteen years ago. She was allegedly sold to Miss Pratt by her mother and was in her custody for a year before she escaped, as taken back again, and then escaped once more with the help of a certain pirate captain." He eyed Jack carefully to see his reaction.
Jack shrugged. "She was a young girl in Tortuga running away from somethin'. Tha's not irregular. I simply got mixed up in the 'ole affair an' she came out of the ship with me when I did."
Norrington nodded slowly. "How old were the two of you?"
"I was nineteen. Tha' would 'ave made 'er.... Seventeen. Why?"
"One would think that she might have changed a bit in fifteen years," Norrington said slowly. "We might have a case there."
"This is going to court?"
"If I get my way," the commodore answered. "Governor Swann must say it needs to, and I believe he will." He glanced at Elizabeth. "His daughter does have quite a bit of influence on him."
Elizabeth smiled sweetly. "But of course," she answered. "All little girls have their fathers wrapped around their small fingers from the moment their born." Katherine giggled in her arms and all eyes went from the baby girl to the grinning father sitting a couple feet away. Elizabeth's smile turned to a grin as well. "I'll see to it, James. And thank you for your work."
Bill pulled on Jack's sleeve from his seat in his father's lap. Jack turned to the boy. "Are you still mad at Uncle James?"
Jack's shoulders dropped and his friend laughed by his side. The pirate glared at Will and ruffled the young man's son's hair. "Don' worry about tha', lad. 'M jus' tryin' to get done wha' needs to get done."
Bill nodded in all seriousness his little three-year-old face could muster.
"Can I see 'er?" Jack directed the question at Norrington.
The commodore smiled tightly. "That I can do for you, Captain."
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"I've heard you speak often of an 'opportune moment' to act on," Norrington said as they descended the stairs. "I do hope you shall keep that philosophy in mind for this time."
Jack gave him a quick, tight smile that held no sincerity in it at all. "I tend to reserve the opportune moments to when it does not have to do with Ana Maria's life."
"You love her."
The pirate was slightly taken back by the forwardness in Norrington's voice. "Aye," he said at length.
"You two should get married after this is all over."
Jack had to chuckle. "Why do ye care, Norry?"
Norrington shrugged, a very rare movement from him. "Just a suggestion, Captain. Nothing more."
They made their way to the bottom of the stairs where Ana was being kept in a cell. She turned her eyes up at their entrance. "Jack!"
"'allo, luv," he greeted as he knelt down next to the bars. "Miss me?"
"Don't do anything stupid, you 'ear me, Jack Sparrow? These two are dangerous an' ye know it. Ye 'ave a scar to prove it." She reached forward through the bars to his left shoulder, fingertips brushing his the cloth of his jacket over the place where his scar still was from the dagger Emily Pratt had managed to get into him.
"I leave stupid movements to Will, luv, ye know tha'. He's 'is father's son on tha'."
"Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," she told Norrington, who only nodded. "These two.."
"Are no different than the others we've dealt with, luv. Don' worry so much. Wha's got ye in this mood, eh? Ye've never feared somethin' like this."
She avoided his eyes and pulled her hand back before he could stop her. "Do me a favor?"
"Tell me what it is first."
She looked into his dark eyes pleadingly. "Take the Pearl and get as far away from the Pratts as you can."
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A/N: Hmm.... What are the Pratts up to that Ana knows but won't tell Jack? I wonder... ::grins:: Hope you wonder enough to keep reading! :)
Kungfuchick: You missed me? Really? ::sniffs:: Wow! I feel loved now! I was still writing, just not this movie. Yes! I hate Emily Pratt too! She's an obnoxious brat! Since she popped into my head as a villain (it's partially JackFan2's fault b/c she said a female villain would be good) I've seen her as one of those little kids that throw a tantrum when they don't get even the smallest thing they want... but in a woman's body. She's beautiful, wealthy, and can wine her way into ANYTHING. ::shudders:: Poor Jack and Ana!
LaVieSansAmour: I'm glad you hate my villains! That's what makes a good villain in my book: to be hateable by the reader. Don't worry, my friend, Emily Pratt will get what's coming to her in the end. ::evil grin:: Until then, poor Jack! He's not quite in a position that he's used to... He's held down by the law! But at least Norrington's helping, ne? I may write that SW fic today, but I'm not sure. I've got to babysit, but if not today, then probably tomorrow.
JackFan2: I don't know if you read what I write to other reviewers, but I'm partially putting the blame of Emily Pratt on you b/c you told me that a female villain would make a good villain since the rest had been guys. :) That's actually a good thing though! I'm having a bit of fun with her character. Haha! Don' worry, Jack'll probably get hurt trying... It's me writing, after all. I'll tell Brad you said that about feeding the addiction, though he probably won't agree. ::grins:: Oh well, he finally admitted that he doesn't really HATE Johnny Depp the other day, so that's the first step, eh? And he even watched Sleepy Hollow and a bit of Secret Window with me too. : p
A/N: Yay! I got a Loreena McKinnett CD!!! I'm so happy! Spent too much money on it, but oh well. If you haven't heard her, you should try to find her on launchcast.com. It's a yahoo radio station. That's where I found her. Beautiful music! Hehe... sorry... I'll write now.. :)
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"You can't go in there," Gillette said with his head held high. "He's quite busy, you know."
Jack glared at the redcoat lieutenant as he brushed past him, not heeding a word he'd said. He slammed the door open into James Norrington's office. "You said we had safe harbor here," he growled, startling the commodore.
"You do."
"Then why did one of yer bloody redcoats come and take Ana Maria away this mornin'?" the pirate captain growled. His voice was low and he was resisting the urge to scream at the man before him. He assumed all that would do was bring people in to haul him away.
Norrington sighed. He'd just laid eyes on the report of what had happened when Jack had flung open the door. "Apparently," he said as he examined the report, "Douglass Pratt has made an accusation against her."
"Somethin' outside of Port Royal, in which case 'e 'as to wait until she LEAVES Port Royal to try to get 'er. Tha' was our agreement, Commodore. Will ye stick with it?"
Norrington pinched the bridge of his nose, as if warding off an unwelcome headache. "Gillette?"
"Sir?"
"Will you please get me the details of the young lady's arrest. I want them here as soon as you might be able to get them."
"Sir?"
Norrington locked eyes with the young man and there were no more questions asked. He turned back to the angry pirate captain. "I'm sorry, Captain Sparrow," he said slowly. "I'll do what I might be able to."
"So you'll get her out?"
James Norrington stood slowly, moving to the window of his office. "It might not be that simple, Jack. You know I am bound by the law."
"Hang the law," Jack growled. "Tha's Ana Maria they've taken."
"I know your attachment to your first mate, Captain, but I am a man of the law." He stopped, gathering his thoughts and moving to close the door to his office. "Jack, I respect you, as much as I despise to admit that I hold any regards for a scallywag. I will do what I can, but Douglass Pratt is a citizen of the Crown. Ana Maria is not."
"So they can just take her away an' tha's tha', eh?"
"I never said it was right, Jack, I said it was the law. I've overstepped my boundaries too much for you as it is. I don't regret it, Captain. I meant to come after you that time because I am not a fan of the East India Company. Anderson was a criminal, but if he had not been you would have hung and died that day because I had no other reason to be able to come after you."
"But we're in Port Royal!" Jack argued. "My crew and me 'ave done more for you than-"
"That's very true, but the Crown won't see it that way."
"Yer scared for yer job, s'tha' it?"
"Captain...."
Jack shook his head, too angry for words. Some part of his mind reminded him to burn no bridges here, not yet. Commodore James Norrington could still be of use to him, but there was something overriding his craftiness that he relied heavily on. "I 'eld more respect for ye than I should 'ave." Jack turned to the door, opening it. "If they leave with 'er, Commodore, then our deal's off, ye 'ear? I never claimed to be an honest man, but I keep a bargain. It'll be you tha' broke this alliance, not me."
James Norrington watched the pirate captain leave with much regret. "I'm sorry," he whispered into the empty room. "There's just so very little I can do."
----------------
"Uncle Jack?"
Jack opened one eye to see the toddler that was climbing up onto the bed he slept on when he and Ana Maria came to visit. It felt so vacant. "Hmm?"
"Are you takin' a nap?"
Jack started to sit up but decided against it as the lad climbed onto his stomach and sat there. "Are you tired?"
"I am."
"Did you yell at Uncle James?"
"He's talkin' to Momma and Papa now."
"Did yer Papa send ya in fer me?" the pirate asked as the boy on his stomach reached forward for a bead in his hair.
The lad ran a small finger over the beads. "Yeah."
Jack nodded slowly and sat up, picking the small Turner up as he did so and walked into the sitting room. "You've lost somethin'," he said as he entered the room and handed Bill to Will.
The younger man took his son with a tight smile. "James has found something interesting, Jack. I thought maybe you'd like to hear."
Jack met the commodore's eyes with distrust. Norrington sighed. "I understand where you're coming from, Captain. I doubt many people are far too trustworthy in your business, but I shall do my best to show you that these matters can be handled legally and still get what we want out of it." He handed Jack a sheet of paper in which the captain took. After giving him a moment to read it, James Norrington continued. "Apparently Miss Emily Pratt believes Ana Maria to be a run away slave of hers from fifteen years ago. She was allegedly sold to Miss Pratt by her mother and was in her custody for a year before she escaped, as taken back again, and then escaped once more with the help of a certain pirate captain." He eyed Jack carefully to see his reaction.
Jack shrugged. "She was a young girl in Tortuga running away from somethin'. Tha's not irregular. I simply got mixed up in the 'ole affair an' she came out of the ship with me when I did."
Norrington nodded slowly. "How old were the two of you?"
"I was nineteen. Tha' would 'ave made 'er.... Seventeen. Why?"
"One would think that she might have changed a bit in fifteen years," Norrington said slowly. "We might have a case there."
"This is going to court?"
"If I get my way," the commodore answered. "Governor Swann must say it needs to, and I believe he will." He glanced at Elizabeth. "His daughter does have quite a bit of influence on him."
Elizabeth smiled sweetly. "But of course," she answered. "All little girls have their fathers wrapped around their small fingers from the moment their born." Katherine giggled in her arms and all eyes went from the baby girl to the grinning father sitting a couple feet away. Elizabeth's smile turned to a grin as well. "I'll see to it, James. And thank you for your work."
Bill pulled on Jack's sleeve from his seat in his father's lap. Jack turned to the boy. "Are you still mad at Uncle James?"
Jack's shoulders dropped and his friend laughed by his side. The pirate glared at Will and ruffled the young man's son's hair. "Don' worry about tha', lad. 'M jus' tryin' to get done wha' needs to get done."
Bill nodded in all seriousness his little three-year-old face could muster.
"Can I see 'er?" Jack directed the question at Norrington.
The commodore smiled tightly. "That I can do for you, Captain."
----------------------
"I've heard you speak often of an 'opportune moment' to act on," Norrington said as they descended the stairs. "I do hope you shall keep that philosophy in mind for this time."
Jack gave him a quick, tight smile that held no sincerity in it at all. "I tend to reserve the opportune moments to when it does not have to do with Ana Maria's life."
"You love her."
The pirate was slightly taken back by the forwardness in Norrington's voice. "Aye," he said at length.
"You two should get married after this is all over."
Jack had to chuckle. "Why do ye care, Norry?"
Norrington shrugged, a very rare movement from him. "Just a suggestion, Captain. Nothing more."
They made their way to the bottom of the stairs where Ana was being kept in a cell. She turned her eyes up at their entrance. "Jack!"
"'allo, luv," he greeted as he knelt down next to the bars. "Miss me?"
"Don't do anything stupid, you 'ear me, Jack Sparrow? These two are dangerous an' ye know it. Ye 'ave a scar to prove it." She reached forward through the bars to his left shoulder, fingertips brushing his the cloth of his jacket over the place where his scar still was from the dagger Emily Pratt had managed to get into him.
"I leave stupid movements to Will, luv, ye know tha'. He's 'is father's son on tha'."
"Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," she told Norrington, who only nodded. "These two.."
"Are no different than the others we've dealt with, luv. Don' worry so much. Wha's got ye in this mood, eh? Ye've never feared somethin' like this."
She avoided his eyes and pulled her hand back before he could stop her. "Do me a favor?"
"Tell me what it is first."
She looked into his dark eyes pleadingly. "Take the Pearl and get as far away from the Pratts as you can."
------------------
A/N: Hmm.... What are the Pratts up to that Ana knows but won't tell Jack? I wonder... ::grins:: Hope you wonder enough to keep reading! :)
Kungfuchick: You missed me? Really? ::sniffs:: Wow! I feel loved now! I was still writing, just not this movie. Yes! I hate Emily Pratt too! She's an obnoxious brat! Since she popped into my head as a villain (it's partially JackFan2's fault b/c she said a female villain would be good) I've seen her as one of those little kids that throw a tantrum when they don't get even the smallest thing they want... but in a woman's body. She's beautiful, wealthy, and can wine her way into ANYTHING. ::shudders:: Poor Jack and Ana!
LaVieSansAmour: I'm glad you hate my villains! That's what makes a good villain in my book: to be hateable by the reader. Don't worry, my friend, Emily Pratt will get what's coming to her in the end. ::evil grin:: Until then, poor Jack! He's not quite in a position that he's used to... He's held down by the law! But at least Norrington's helping, ne? I may write that SW fic today, but I'm not sure. I've got to babysit, but if not today, then probably tomorrow.
JackFan2: I don't know if you read what I write to other reviewers, but I'm partially putting the blame of Emily Pratt on you b/c you told me that a female villain would make a good villain since the rest had been guys. :) That's actually a good thing though! I'm having a bit of fun with her character. Haha! Don' worry, Jack'll probably get hurt trying... It's me writing, after all. I'll tell Brad you said that about feeding the addiction, though he probably won't agree. ::grins:: Oh well, he finally admitted that he doesn't really HATE Johnny Depp the other day, so that's the first step, eh? And he even watched Sleepy Hollow and a bit of Secret Window with me too. : p