Chapter Four: Beginnings of Trials and Arrival of old acquaintances
She looked into his dark eyes pleadingly. "Take the Pearl and get as far away from the Pratts as you can."
Jack stared at her for a moment. "No."
"Jack, please!"
"I don' know why ye've lost all yer faith in me ye keep claimin' t' 'ave, but I'll not be leavin' ye to these people."
"She'll kill you," Ana said just above a whisper.
Jack reached through and pulled her chin up so their eyes met again. "Luv, I'd die for you any day, and I'd die a happy man tha' way."
She watched as he stood slowly from his place at the cell door and walk up the steps. She looked up at Norrington who shook his head slowly. "I'll do what I can for you, Miss," he said quietly.
"That's all I might ask."
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It was the next day before word reached Captain Jack Sparrow's ears that a judge had been brought in by the Pratts for the so-called trial. He doubted seriously that it would be a fair trial at all, not with Douglass Pratt involved.
"Judge Thatch is close by," Douglass Pratt explained. "He'll be here within the day now." He gave shot Governor Swann a dark look. "I'm sure he will be most disappointed that you and your commodore have been making deals with pirates, of all people, Governor."
Governor Swann looked indignant for a moment. "How dare you? Commodore Norrington knows exactly what he is doing with the truces he makes. He does it for Port Royal's benefit!"
"Mr. Pratt," Norrington said, finally raising his voice up a notch. "I would be much obliged if you would stay out of the political dealings of this colony. You are not a military man nor a political man, therefore have no right to say what you have. You are not even a citizen of this colony."
"But I am a citizen of the Crown."
"An' tha' makes all the difference," Jack said from off to the side. All eyes turned to the newcomer and he flashed them all a grin. "'allo, mates."
Douglass Pratt made a face. "What is he doing here?"
Jack shrugged. "I've got freedom to go most anywhere in Port Royal, mate. I've got a safe harbor here, something you 'ave paid no heed to, obviously."
"Listen, you..."
"Yer ship's 'ere," Jack said with a shrug. "Thought tha' might interest ye." The pirate captain watched as everyone scrambled toward the docks and he sauntered at a more leisurely pace after them.
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Jack had expected a "higher class" to be stepping off of the fine ship, but certainly not Richard Bruckworth. The pirate made a face as his stepfather stepped off of the boat.
"Jack?" Richard asked with a cocked eyebrow. "I should have known you'd be involved in all of this."
"I tend to be involved in most everythin' tha's got trouble in it, eh?" the younger man mumbled. "An' yer on their jury, hmm?"
"Marie and I were with Judge Thatch when he was called here. I haven't heard much of what's going on...."
Jack held his head high. "They've taken Ana Maria, claimin' some nonsense."
"Nonsense?" Douglass Pratt growled. "That's foolishness, pirate. We own her. She was given to us years ago before YOU stole her."
"Ye can't steal a person," Jack growled. "She's a livin', breathin' human being. Ye can't OWN a person, Pratt. Ye better learn tha' quick enough."
"And a pirate is trying to tell me right from wrong and what I can and can't do, hmm?"
"I seem to see it clearer than you do."
Pratt glared indignantly at Jack, then turned back to Richard. "Can you believe this? This pirate here thinks he's higher up than a law abiding gentleman."
"Law abiding gentleman tha' thinks 'e can sell a lady like she was a ship ain't no gentleman, mate."
Richard placed a hand on Pratt's shoulder before he lost his temper. "I'll meet you in the courthouse later and we shall decide all of this. Until then I should get my wife settled."
Jack watched as Douglass Pratt walked away, joined soon by his younger sister. "'e doesn't know tha' ye married me mum, does 'e?"
"Not a clue in the world and it should stay that way if I am to be of any use to you on this trial."
Jack stared at his stepfather in disbelief. "Yer 'elping us?"
Richard squared his shoulders. "Perhaps. Marie has taken a liking to that girl of yours. I won't see her upset."
"Jack!" Marie's voice reached the two men's ears. "Now what is this about Ana Maria? We'll do anything we can, wont' we, Richard?"
"I was just saying as much."
Jack shifted, not sure quite what to make of Richard's behavior. "Thanks very much, then."
Marie allowed a sly smile to cross her pretty lips. "Let's hurry along to the Turners' house and hatch a plan up right quick, shall we?"
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A/N: Ugh... I really didn't expect to finish this today, and if it sucks it's b/c I was writing with a head ache. Those little voices that have been whispering up until now have gotten louder. The scary thing is that my boyfriend has been calling around to a local nut house to see if they sold strait jackets in my size..... Is that strange or is it just me? Maybe I really AM crazy.... ::goes off to discuss the matter with voices::
Jackfan2: To be overly honest (which I have a really bad habit of doing) I'm not sure why Norrington said that. Things tend to pop in my mind and I write them. I never really claim credit for any good writing I do, b/c I say that the characters wrote it themselves if it's any good. Lol. So hopefully Norrington knows what he's talking about or maybe he was just rambling... I'll have something for it to tie into later, but for now I couldn't find anything on English law of that time. Oh well.... Oh, that Jack gets hurt chappy'll be coming up shortly, b/c I'm getting antsy to write it. My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy for enjoying hurting characters.... Maybe that's the reason for the strait jacket (see above note) :)
Kungfuchick: isn't Bill adorable? This is what happens when I babysit enough in the summer. I get a good feel for what kids like him would be like. He's all the little ones I adore mixed together in one. ::grins:: ::huggles Bill and takes him home::
She looked into his dark eyes pleadingly. "Take the Pearl and get as far away from the Pratts as you can."
Jack stared at her for a moment. "No."
"Jack, please!"
"I don' know why ye've lost all yer faith in me ye keep claimin' t' 'ave, but I'll not be leavin' ye to these people."
"She'll kill you," Ana said just above a whisper.
Jack reached through and pulled her chin up so their eyes met again. "Luv, I'd die for you any day, and I'd die a happy man tha' way."
She watched as he stood slowly from his place at the cell door and walk up the steps. She looked up at Norrington who shook his head slowly. "I'll do what I can for you, Miss," he said quietly.
"That's all I might ask."
-------------------------------
It was the next day before word reached Captain Jack Sparrow's ears that a judge had been brought in by the Pratts for the so-called trial. He doubted seriously that it would be a fair trial at all, not with Douglass Pratt involved.
"Judge Thatch is close by," Douglass Pratt explained. "He'll be here within the day now." He gave shot Governor Swann a dark look. "I'm sure he will be most disappointed that you and your commodore have been making deals with pirates, of all people, Governor."
Governor Swann looked indignant for a moment. "How dare you? Commodore Norrington knows exactly what he is doing with the truces he makes. He does it for Port Royal's benefit!"
"Mr. Pratt," Norrington said, finally raising his voice up a notch. "I would be much obliged if you would stay out of the political dealings of this colony. You are not a military man nor a political man, therefore have no right to say what you have. You are not even a citizen of this colony."
"But I am a citizen of the Crown."
"An' tha' makes all the difference," Jack said from off to the side. All eyes turned to the newcomer and he flashed them all a grin. "'allo, mates."
Douglass Pratt made a face. "What is he doing here?"
Jack shrugged. "I've got freedom to go most anywhere in Port Royal, mate. I've got a safe harbor here, something you 'ave paid no heed to, obviously."
"Listen, you..."
"Yer ship's 'ere," Jack said with a shrug. "Thought tha' might interest ye." The pirate captain watched as everyone scrambled toward the docks and he sauntered at a more leisurely pace after them.
------------------
Jack had expected a "higher class" to be stepping off of the fine ship, but certainly not Richard Bruckworth. The pirate made a face as his stepfather stepped off of the boat.
"Jack?" Richard asked with a cocked eyebrow. "I should have known you'd be involved in all of this."
"I tend to be involved in most everythin' tha's got trouble in it, eh?" the younger man mumbled. "An' yer on their jury, hmm?"
"Marie and I were with Judge Thatch when he was called here. I haven't heard much of what's going on...."
Jack held his head high. "They've taken Ana Maria, claimin' some nonsense."
"Nonsense?" Douglass Pratt growled. "That's foolishness, pirate. We own her. She was given to us years ago before YOU stole her."
"Ye can't steal a person," Jack growled. "She's a livin', breathin' human being. Ye can't OWN a person, Pratt. Ye better learn tha' quick enough."
"And a pirate is trying to tell me right from wrong and what I can and can't do, hmm?"
"I seem to see it clearer than you do."
Pratt glared indignantly at Jack, then turned back to Richard. "Can you believe this? This pirate here thinks he's higher up than a law abiding gentleman."
"Law abiding gentleman tha' thinks 'e can sell a lady like she was a ship ain't no gentleman, mate."
Richard placed a hand on Pratt's shoulder before he lost his temper. "I'll meet you in the courthouse later and we shall decide all of this. Until then I should get my wife settled."
Jack watched as Douglass Pratt walked away, joined soon by his younger sister. "'e doesn't know tha' ye married me mum, does 'e?"
"Not a clue in the world and it should stay that way if I am to be of any use to you on this trial."
Jack stared at his stepfather in disbelief. "Yer 'elping us?"
Richard squared his shoulders. "Perhaps. Marie has taken a liking to that girl of yours. I won't see her upset."
"Jack!" Marie's voice reached the two men's ears. "Now what is this about Ana Maria? We'll do anything we can, wont' we, Richard?"
"I was just saying as much."
Jack shifted, not sure quite what to make of Richard's behavior. "Thanks very much, then."
Marie allowed a sly smile to cross her pretty lips. "Let's hurry along to the Turners' house and hatch a plan up right quick, shall we?"
-------------------
A/N: Ugh... I really didn't expect to finish this today, and if it sucks it's b/c I was writing with a head ache. Those little voices that have been whispering up until now have gotten louder. The scary thing is that my boyfriend has been calling around to a local nut house to see if they sold strait jackets in my size..... Is that strange or is it just me? Maybe I really AM crazy.... ::goes off to discuss the matter with voices::
Jackfan2: To be overly honest (which I have a really bad habit of doing) I'm not sure why Norrington said that. Things tend to pop in my mind and I write them. I never really claim credit for any good writing I do, b/c I say that the characters wrote it themselves if it's any good. Lol. So hopefully Norrington knows what he's talking about or maybe he was just rambling... I'll have something for it to tie into later, but for now I couldn't find anything on English law of that time. Oh well.... Oh, that Jack gets hurt chappy'll be coming up shortly, b/c I'm getting antsy to write it. My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy for enjoying hurting characters.... Maybe that's the reason for the strait jacket (see above note) :)
Kungfuchick: isn't Bill adorable? This is what happens when I babysit enough in the summer. I get a good feel for what kids like him would be like. He's all the little ones I adore mixed together in one. ::grins:: ::huggles Bill and takes him home::