I'm so sorry I haven't gotten around to writing all of these responses until now, pleas forgive me. I truly love you all and your reviews brightened some of my darkest days this past semester. Thank you.
LadyoftheEicari: Thank you for all your responses. I certainly hope you haven't died from lack of updates, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Gryvon: Thanks for taking the time to leave me responses. It's nice to know that people appreciate research and I'm glad to hear that everyone (perhaps with the exception of Norrington) is IC. And thanks for the format/gramer notes…I'll take that into consideration when I get around to editing this thing some time in the near future (I hope).
Ryoko: lovely review you left me, it never ceases to make me grin when I can make someone speechless. I hope you enjoy the rest of my fic as well, and I hope they slash didn't disappoint.
Kuja's Moon: As always, thank you for all of your encouragement and reviews! I hope the past, present and future pirate smut are to your liking!
QteCuttlfish: Thanks again for reviewing ^^ Regular reviewers rock my striped toe socks!
melia: I'm glad you are enjoying the aff.n version…and steamy contact lenses…that's a hard feet to accomplish, hehe, you definitely boosted my ego with that comment ^.~
DancingCheeto: (I love your pen name btw) Sorry for the wait in updating…life just got away from me…repeatedly. I hope this chapter, and the next make up for it however.
kcqal: Thanks for your review. I really hope you like this chapter and the rest of my fic, and of course the pirate smut. Thanks again!
DewTouchedRoses: I certainly hope you no longer pose any threat of spontaneous combustion since I have finally updated! Enjoy!
Honey Bunches of Death: Thanks for your reviews ^^ They were quite entertaining. Some of my ideas I actually get from my gay friends and snippets of their fantasies. I still find it amusing that most of them don't know I write slash, hehe. As for Elizabeth…well, I'm going to hold my tongue as far as she is concerned…
SariL2, Xellis Angelos, Luni Sedai, Kari-demon, Ormy, Kari-demon, Spirit-Fire, DeamonButtercup, lantisluver7, Honor, Hidden, Houou Kazoku-Kaga, Curious Dream Weaver, and Sweetslasher: Thanks for all of your little notes of praise and encouragement, I am much obliged and hope you continue to read and enjoy ACoC!
And if anyone noticed that their reviews didn't get posted for a week over the summer, ff.n screwed up and deleated 11 of them...which I preposted in the reviews section. I love you all!!!
::Comes out from behind a rock holding a BIG white flag:: Please forgive me! I am so sorry. This took too long to get out. No excuse will makeup for my tardiness, but I will just say that the real world got in the way of my writing. But I'm back. I hope to get a chapter out at least once a month. And I hope to get another one out this month. I hope you enjoy this! All the responses to reviews that my wonderful reviewers have left me will be at the end of this chapter ^^ And I thank Mel for not murdering me with her rusty spoon army as of yet…though she had every right to send them after me for making everyone wait so long.
Title: A Change of Course 8/?
Author: ElizabethGreenleaf
Rating: R (There is no difference between the AFF.N and FF.N versions this chapter)
Pairings: JS/WT, WT/ES (friendship, post-failed relationship)
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Summary: Post PotC, Jack/Will. Life for Will, and even Elizabeth will never be the same as for the first time they each take their lives into their own hands and Will comes to terms with who he is and who he loves.
Feedback: ::Holds up a sign that says "Feed the Starving Writer" and a big red arrow pointing to REVIEW:: R any feedback is greatly appreciated. I hope I have Jack IC, any suggestions welcome!
Archive: sure, just tell me where so I can come and visit! These mailing lists, ff.n, aff.n, Savvy? (http://evolutionsx.net/savvy/), Debauchery (http://debauchery.deep-ice.com/), And Cat's stick-figure fan-comic will be posted on her site, (http://home.graffiti.net/cocfansite/coc.htm) There's a little Paint picture of Stick figure Jack up there now ^^;;;
Genre: Drama/Romance/and a touch of Adventure
Disclaimer: Still not mine ::sigh::
Warnings: Spoilers, Lemony goodness, SLASH, if two pretty boys going at it in the bedroom isn't your cup o' tea, get out now me hearties, YE HAVE BEEN WARNED!! Oh, I should probably add an angst warning here too…
Author's notes: Thank you Cat for making me write this, oh, and of course, thank you for the challenge, which I'll mention in AN at the very end of the fic; after the last chapter that is ^^
"* *" – thoughts
"//iitalics/i//" - dreams
Chapter 8: Of Death and New Beginnings
Will paused before the heavy wooden door of Jack's cabin, uncertain of what to do and what to say to the man inside. The memory of the look on Jack's face as he left the deck— a look of a haunted man— forced his hand to rise and knock.
Will's only answer was the sound of muffled cursing from within. "Jack?" he called, with as much strength as he could muster. No discernable response came. His hand rested on the doorknob and he took a deep breath before opening it inward.
Jack stood with his back to the door and to Will. In his hand was an onion-shaped clay bottle that no doubt was filled with rum. By the way that Jack suckled at the bottle, he seemed determined to finish it off in record time.
"Jack?" Will called again as he closed the door and approached his lover. Cautiously, not wanting to disturb the pirate, he drew nearer, his heart becoming heavy with worry.
Jack brought his lips away from the bottle with an audible pop only when it was empty. He turned abruptly to Will, his eyes on fire and full of rage, grief and torment. Will's heart broke at the sight of unguarded emotions within those stormy depths, yet he stood his ground, determined to be strong when Jack obviously needed him.
"Will." Jack's voice was rough and even. "Why are you here? You should be on deck."
"AnaMaria…" he could not think of a reasonable excuse and instead just shrugged and offered a half-apologetic smile and a shy smirk as he closed the distance between them. "My place is here, with you." He kissed Jack deeply, tasting the overwhelming flavor of rum in his lover's mouth.
"Aye," Jack murmured between harsh and needy kisses. Will whispered soothing words against Jack's lips as he pried the empty bottle from Jack's hand and placed it on the table. Jack's now free hands tangled themselves in Will's hair as the former blacksmith maneuvered Jack against the nearest wall.
Will's hands busily worked at Jack's clothes, undoing buttons and lacings until he could feel Jack's pulsating length. Carefully and gently, Will pulled "little Jack" out of his confines. With the strong and firm grip he developed from years of hammering metal, Will teased his lover to a painfully rigid state.
Jack hissed as Will teased his flesh with his hands. "Handle what needs handling, luv," Jack growled into Will's ear before taking the lobe between his teeth and tugging gently. Will growled and felt himself becoming hard as well. But this was for Jack, not himself.
Ignoring the increasing rocking of the ship, Will sank to his knees before Jack and set all thoughts other than pleasuring the beautiful pirate out of his mind. It was not a time for teasing or playing with Jack, it was time for a fast, hard release of pain and pleasure.
With strong hands and an enthusiastic, hot mouth, he brought his lover over the edge. Jack muffled his cries with his arm as the man on his knees swallowed greedily.
Tucking Jack back in and wiping off his mouth, Will stood to look at his lover whose vertical stance was due only to the wall behind him.
Jack's eyes fluttered open and he grinned lazily as he brought his rough hand to stroke the other's face. "That was… superb." Will laughed and maneuvered his partner toward the bed.
"Aye," Will murmured as he settled onto the bed with Jack's weight supported on his chest. His hands were kept busy by playing with the pirate's hair.
Jack had procured another bottle of rum from somewhere and brought it to his lips, drinking slowly. "Jack?" Will asked quietly, still uncertain what to say or how to confront his lover. How was he supposed to ask one of the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Maine what it was that haunted him?
"Jack, how did my father become a pirate?"
"Oh well, you know, no one can resist the ol' Sparrow charm." Jack grinned up at Will. Will smiled in return, feeling a little more comfortable with Jack sounding a bit more like himself.
"But was he always a pirate? Was he never an honest merchant like my mother told me he was?"
"Will, my boy, I assure you he was no more born a pirate than he was born a Tortugan lass." He drank deeply before passing the bottle to Will, who in turn took a small swallow before passing it back into Jack's waiting hands.
"How did he end up part of your crew then?"
Jack smile rather wistfully. "Why do most men turn pirate?" Will looked at him quizzically. "For the money, luv; for the money." Jack attempted to use some superfluous hand motion but only resulted in pouring rum on poor Will, who was a bit surprised to find his shirt covered in rum and not a moment later to have Jack sucking at the shirt's fabric and lapping at Will's skin. "Would you like me to help you clean that up? You could use a rum bath. Good for your skin you know."
Will shook his head ruefully and disentangled himself from Jack, ignoring the grunt of displeasure from the bed. Will removed his shirt and draped it over the back of Jack's chair to dry. Jack was grinning on the bed and looking quite pleased with himself when Will turned back around.
Looking quickly from Jack to his shirt, he pointed an accusatory finger at Jack. "You meant to do that."
"Nay, 'twas an accident. Blame it on the rum." Jack's eyes danced wickedly and he smiled a devilish and sexy smile that sent shivers through Will's body.
"Aye, I'm sure of that," Will responded dryly, though he couldn't keep a straight face and soon broke into a grin and joined Jack in bed once again.
"You said he joined for the money?"
"Aye. You can make in one day's plunder as a pirate what an average sailor makes in a few month's time." Will knew, and the look he gave Jack said as much. "With a small son and a wife at home who needed what he earned, what do you think he would choose? Besides, there is naught different between a Pirate, a Privateer, a Buccaneer and a sailor in their Majesties' Navy than a little writ signed by them in power." Will worried his lip.
"Aye, and that difference could mean the Hang-man's noose." He said it quietly, perhaps more to himself than to Jack, because he seemed rather surprised when Jack responded, as though he hadn't known he had spoken the words aloud.
"True enough, but you court that same fair piece of rope as we all do now, whelp." Jack's Cheshire cat grin was back again. "And if the day comes when all manner of luck has run out for us both, we shall die together. Perhaps Norrington would be so kind as to…" Jack's grin faded when he noticed that Will had turned pale and was not laughing. He looked like a man who had seen a ghost. "Will?" The former blacksmith just looked at him, his eyes distant, which worried Jack to no end, though he did his best to hide it.
Memories of all too vivid nightmares played over in Will's mind. "'Tis nothing, Jack." Will's voice was thin and distant, but Jack knew this was neither the time nor the place to ask.
"If you say so." Jack handed the rum bottle to Will who took a good swallow and barely coughed when he was through. "William Turner was a good man, Will. He always did right by me. Almost landed himself on that God forsaken spit of land that Barbossa left me on after the mutiny. I think he only stayed because I threatened to kill him if he didn't. I suppose that didn't make much difference did it now? Cursed treasure and all of that." Jack was unusually quiet for a few moments. "Mutineers. Horrible, greedy lot they all are. They never change." Jack's thoughts were turning dark again.
Will kissed the top of his head softly before kissing his lips. "Not all men will betray you." Will paused for a moment. "I never will. I swear to you Jack, I never will. Threaten to kill me all you want, I would still follow you. Better to die by your hand than to live without you."
"So much passion, luv. We'll have to put that to good use." Jack plundered Will's mouth until neither could breathe.
"Mmm, Jack," Will gently pushed Jack away. "Service for Ladbroc?"
Jack swore and pulled away, muttering to himself before finishing off the bottle of rum.
Ten minutes and a few kisses latter, Will, clad in his jerkin and pants, and Jack found themselves on the main deck with the rest of the crew as they prepared to deliver Ladbroc to the sea.
The service was short, but heart felt. Ladbroc would be missed by those who knew him, and those who continuously beat him at cards. His body had been wrapped in his hammock and Cotton had sewn it shut, the last stitch going threw his nose, just to be certain that he was dead (1).
Jack toasted to the memory of his fallen crewman and the rest of the crew followed suite.
The day passed in a blur as Will put what Jack had taught him last time around about sailing into practice once more. Soon night was upon them and Jack gave them all leave to get drunk and reminisce about their fallen friend. "And," he whispered to Will, "for my men to see just who the new men are and where they stand."
Jack spent most of the night at the wheel of the Pearl, a good excuse to do no more than throw a handful of choice comments into the conversations going on nearby. Will smiled as he realized just what Jack was doing. He made his men (those who had been with him since his last adventure with Will) come to him with information. Jack took all that was said in stride and laughed when it would seem appropriate to someone watching, not listening, regardless of what men like Gibbs had to say. He was gaining a newfound respect for Jack's intelligence, and for his alcohol tolerance.
Will joined in with the men most of the time, but he kept an eye on Jack as often as he could, though he never actually went up to speak with him.
AnaMaria proved to be the most interesting of the company aboard the ship. An enigma to all. There were perhaps as many stories about her origins as there were about Jack's. She too had a quiet and commanding intelligence that easily explained why the men had learned to respect her in a few hours time. Well, that and the fact that she did not take shit form anyone.
"You're th' bes' thing that's happened to Jack in ten years," AnaMaria said from just behind Will's right shoulder. He had heard her approach, but was too enthralled by the inky sea and star studded heavens to turn, though he did smile.
"It's mutual, you know." Will was thankful for the dark, it hid his blush well.
"Aye, but it's still nice to see 'im happy." Her eyes were clouded over and he wondered again what ghosts haunted Jack. "Here." She placed a bottle of rum in Will's hand. "He said it was unnatural for a pirate not to get piss drunk the first night on board his new ship." Will looked at her quizzically and she just shrugged.
Will accepted the bottle with murmured thanks and let his gaze drift back to his lover, who raised a bottle up in toast.
*****
All Will knew the next morning when he awoke was that if he were dead he shouldn't hurt so much.
Will groaned as he turned his head to find Jack sleeping soundly as a babe. Will swore and his own voice was painful to his ears.
With much care, and after about twenty minutes, Will made it from the bed, to Jack's door. Stumbling painfully outside, he was greeted by a rather hard, yet soft and warm wall he didn't remember from the day before. The wall, it turned out, was Cable, one of the new men, and his companion Dog-ear, who after trying to explain that he had a hangover cure three times just handed it to Will and ordered him to drink.
Foul. He didn't want to know what was in it. What little there seemed to be left in his stomach threatened to come back up violently and it was by sheer force of will that it did not. When the nausea subsided, Will was amazed by how good he felt.
"Doc, I have no desire to know what that was, but by God that is a miracle." Will looked at Dog-ear who had a very satisfied smirk on his face.
"Some fer th' cap'in when 'e wakes up." He handed Will a clay jar and winked before turning to tend to the poor souls who were still passed out on deck.
Jack emerged from his cabin some time later and after a dose of the Doc's medicine, he was giving out orders.
"It's hunting season lads, and lass," Jack announced as he gave the wheel of the Pearl a turn. "We'll break you in, in no time."
Jack was true to his word, and in three weeks time the men had learned how to work as a crew and how to plunder a ship with minimal casualties. "I think they're ready." Will overheard Jack say to Gibbs.
"Are ye sure? They seem a bit green t' me still." Jack just grinned.
"We shall just have to wait and see."
Will supposed that conversation and something to do with the fact that when Will woke up one sunny morning, they were anchored in an unfamiliar port and he was alone in their bed. A note in Jack's scrawl lay on the pillow next to him.
iDearest Will,
If you would be so kind, dress in your finest (including the hat) and meet me at /i The Mermaid's Treasurei at 11 o'clock.
Jack /i
Will read the paper and memorized the location of the tavern Jack had
mentioned before doing as he was bid and dressing in his finest. The last
time he had worn this particular outfit was the day of Jack¹s execution in
Port Royal, a memory that brought both fear and pleasure to his mind ‹ not
to mention a little bit of worry for his somewhat daft lover¹s safety.
With the addition of his sword and dagger to his ensemble, Will strolled out
of Jack¹s cabin and put on a neutral mask. As he made his way toward his
destination, frivolous and irrational thoughts about protecting Jack from
all bodily harm until the end of time were never far from his mind.
*
*
*
*
*
TBC….
(1) I took this from "Master and Commander: Far Side of the Ocean" Go see the movie, its good. And there were some slashy undertones…or maybe I read too much into things now. But some fanfics from this would be nice...
AN: I hope to be getting another chapter out this month…in a week or two, but for now, I'm going to say goodbye…I need to go pack…I'm going to Disney World on Tuesday!!!!! Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirate's life for me… If anything is going to inspire me, I think this will be it! Not to mention the 6 and 7 hours travel and lay over time.
LadyoftheEicari: Thank you for all your responses. I certainly hope you haven't died from lack of updates, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Gryvon: Thanks for taking the time to leave me responses. It's nice to know that people appreciate research and I'm glad to hear that everyone (perhaps with the exception of Norrington) is IC. And thanks for the format/gramer notes…I'll take that into consideration when I get around to editing this thing some time in the near future (I hope).
Ryoko: lovely review you left me, it never ceases to make me grin when I can make someone speechless. I hope you enjoy the rest of my fic as well, and I hope they slash didn't disappoint.
Kuja's Moon: As always, thank you for all of your encouragement and reviews! I hope the past, present and future pirate smut are to your liking!
QteCuttlfish: Thanks again for reviewing ^^ Regular reviewers rock my striped toe socks!
melia: I'm glad you are enjoying the aff.n version…and steamy contact lenses…that's a hard feet to accomplish, hehe, you definitely boosted my ego with that comment ^.~
DancingCheeto: (I love your pen name btw) Sorry for the wait in updating…life just got away from me…repeatedly. I hope this chapter, and the next make up for it however.
kcqal: Thanks for your review. I really hope you like this chapter and the rest of my fic, and of course the pirate smut. Thanks again!
DewTouchedRoses: I certainly hope you no longer pose any threat of spontaneous combustion since I have finally updated! Enjoy!
Honey Bunches of Death: Thanks for your reviews ^^ They were quite entertaining. Some of my ideas I actually get from my gay friends and snippets of their fantasies. I still find it amusing that most of them don't know I write slash, hehe. As for Elizabeth…well, I'm going to hold my tongue as far as she is concerned…
SariL2, Xellis Angelos, Luni Sedai, Kari-demon, Ormy, Kari-demon, Spirit-Fire, DeamonButtercup, lantisluver7, Honor, Hidden, Houou Kazoku-Kaga, Curious Dream Weaver, and Sweetslasher: Thanks for all of your little notes of praise and encouragement, I am much obliged and hope you continue to read and enjoy ACoC!
And if anyone noticed that their reviews didn't get posted for a week over the summer, ff.n screwed up and deleated 11 of them...which I preposted in the reviews section. I love you all!!!
::Comes out from behind a rock holding a BIG white flag:: Please forgive me! I am so sorry. This took too long to get out. No excuse will makeup for my tardiness, but I will just say that the real world got in the way of my writing. But I'm back. I hope to get a chapter out at least once a month. And I hope to get another one out this month. I hope you enjoy this! All the responses to reviews that my wonderful reviewers have left me will be at the end of this chapter ^^ And I thank Mel for not murdering me with her rusty spoon army as of yet…though she had every right to send them after me for making everyone wait so long.
Title: A Change of Course 8/?
Author: ElizabethGreenleaf
Rating: R (There is no difference between the AFF.N and FF.N versions this chapter)
Pairings: JS/WT, WT/ES (friendship, post-failed relationship)
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Summary: Post PotC, Jack/Will. Life for Will, and even Elizabeth will never be the same as for the first time they each take their lives into their own hands and Will comes to terms with who he is and who he loves.
Feedback: ::Holds up a sign that says "Feed the Starving Writer" and a big red arrow pointing to REVIEW:: R any feedback is greatly appreciated. I hope I have Jack IC, any suggestions welcome!
Archive: sure, just tell me where so I can come and visit! These mailing lists, ff.n, aff.n, Savvy? (http://evolutionsx.net/savvy/), Debauchery (http://debauchery.deep-ice.com/), And Cat's stick-figure fan-comic will be posted on her site, (http://home.graffiti.net/cocfansite/coc.htm) There's a little Paint picture of Stick figure Jack up there now ^^;;;
Genre: Drama/Romance/and a touch of Adventure
Disclaimer: Still not mine ::sigh::
Warnings: Spoilers, Lemony goodness, SLASH, if two pretty boys going at it in the bedroom isn't your cup o' tea, get out now me hearties, YE HAVE BEEN WARNED!! Oh, I should probably add an angst warning here too…
Author's notes: Thank you Cat for making me write this, oh, and of course, thank you for the challenge, which I'll mention in AN at the very end of the fic; after the last chapter that is ^^
"* *" – thoughts
"//iitalics/i//" - dreams
Chapter 8: Of Death and New Beginnings
Will paused before the heavy wooden door of Jack's cabin, uncertain of what to do and what to say to the man inside. The memory of the look on Jack's face as he left the deck— a look of a haunted man— forced his hand to rise and knock.
Will's only answer was the sound of muffled cursing from within. "Jack?" he called, with as much strength as he could muster. No discernable response came. His hand rested on the doorknob and he took a deep breath before opening it inward.
Jack stood with his back to the door and to Will. In his hand was an onion-shaped clay bottle that no doubt was filled with rum. By the way that Jack suckled at the bottle, he seemed determined to finish it off in record time.
"Jack?" Will called again as he closed the door and approached his lover. Cautiously, not wanting to disturb the pirate, he drew nearer, his heart becoming heavy with worry.
Jack brought his lips away from the bottle with an audible pop only when it was empty. He turned abruptly to Will, his eyes on fire and full of rage, grief and torment. Will's heart broke at the sight of unguarded emotions within those stormy depths, yet he stood his ground, determined to be strong when Jack obviously needed him.
"Will." Jack's voice was rough and even. "Why are you here? You should be on deck."
"AnaMaria…" he could not think of a reasonable excuse and instead just shrugged and offered a half-apologetic smile and a shy smirk as he closed the distance between them. "My place is here, with you." He kissed Jack deeply, tasting the overwhelming flavor of rum in his lover's mouth.
"Aye," Jack murmured between harsh and needy kisses. Will whispered soothing words against Jack's lips as he pried the empty bottle from Jack's hand and placed it on the table. Jack's now free hands tangled themselves in Will's hair as the former blacksmith maneuvered Jack against the nearest wall.
Will's hands busily worked at Jack's clothes, undoing buttons and lacings until he could feel Jack's pulsating length. Carefully and gently, Will pulled "little Jack" out of his confines. With the strong and firm grip he developed from years of hammering metal, Will teased his lover to a painfully rigid state.
Jack hissed as Will teased his flesh with his hands. "Handle what needs handling, luv," Jack growled into Will's ear before taking the lobe between his teeth and tugging gently. Will growled and felt himself becoming hard as well. But this was for Jack, not himself.
Ignoring the increasing rocking of the ship, Will sank to his knees before Jack and set all thoughts other than pleasuring the beautiful pirate out of his mind. It was not a time for teasing or playing with Jack, it was time for a fast, hard release of pain and pleasure.
With strong hands and an enthusiastic, hot mouth, he brought his lover over the edge. Jack muffled his cries with his arm as the man on his knees swallowed greedily.
Tucking Jack back in and wiping off his mouth, Will stood to look at his lover whose vertical stance was due only to the wall behind him.
Jack's eyes fluttered open and he grinned lazily as he brought his rough hand to stroke the other's face. "That was… superb." Will laughed and maneuvered his partner toward the bed.
"Aye," Will murmured as he settled onto the bed with Jack's weight supported on his chest. His hands were kept busy by playing with the pirate's hair.
Jack had procured another bottle of rum from somewhere and brought it to his lips, drinking slowly. "Jack?" Will asked quietly, still uncertain what to say or how to confront his lover. How was he supposed to ask one of the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Maine what it was that haunted him?
"Jack, how did my father become a pirate?"
"Oh well, you know, no one can resist the ol' Sparrow charm." Jack grinned up at Will. Will smiled in return, feeling a little more comfortable with Jack sounding a bit more like himself.
"But was he always a pirate? Was he never an honest merchant like my mother told me he was?"
"Will, my boy, I assure you he was no more born a pirate than he was born a Tortugan lass." He drank deeply before passing the bottle to Will, who in turn took a small swallow before passing it back into Jack's waiting hands.
"How did he end up part of your crew then?"
Jack smile rather wistfully. "Why do most men turn pirate?" Will looked at him quizzically. "For the money, luv; for the money." Jack attempted to use some superfluous hand motion but only resulted in pouring rum on poor Will, who was a bit surprised to find his shirt covered in rum and not a moment later to have Jack sucking at the shirt's fabric and lapping at Will's skin. "Would you like me to help you clean that up? You could use a rum bath. Good for your skin you know."
Will shook his head ruefully and disentangled himself from Jack, ignoring the grunt of displeasure from the bed. Will removed his shirt and draped it over the back of Jack's chair to dry. Jack was grinning on the bed and looking quite pleased with himself when Will turned back around.
Looking quickly from Jack to his shirt, he pointed an accusatory finger at Jack. "You meant to do that."
"Nay, 'twas an accident. Blame it on the rum." Jack's eyes danced wickedly and he smiled a devilish and sexy smile that sent shivers through Will's body.
"Aye, I'm sure of that," Will responded dryly, though he couldn't keep a straight face and soon broke into a grin and joined Jack in bed once again.
"You said he joined for the money?"
"Aye. You can make in one day's plunder as a pirate what an average sailor makes in a few month's time." Will knew, and the look he gave Jack said as much. "With a small son and a wife at home who needed what he earned, what do you think he would choose? Besides, there is naught different between a Pirate, a Privateer, a Buccaneer and a sailor in their Majesties' Navy than a little writ signed by them in power." Will worried his lip.
"Aye, and that difference could mean the Hang-man's noose." He said it quietly, perhaps more to himself than to Jack, because he seemed rather surprised when Jack responded, as though he hadn't known he had spoken the words aloud.
"True enough, but you court that same fair piece of rope as we all do now, whelp." Jack's Cheshire cat grin was back again. "And if the day comes when all manner of luck has run out for us both, we shall die together. Perhaps Norrington would be so kind as to…" Jack's grin faded when he noticed that Will had turned pale and was not laughing. He looked like a man who had seen a ghost. "Will?" The former blacksmith just looked at him, his eyes distant, which worried Jack to no end, though he did his best to hide it.
Memories of all too vivid nightmares played over in Will's mind. "'Tis nothing, Jack." Will's voice was thin and distant, but Jack knew this was neither the time nor the place to ask.
"If you say so." Jack handed the rum bottle to Will who took a good swallow and barely coughed when he was through. "William Turner was a good man, Will. He always did right by me. Almost landed himself on that God forsaken spit of land that Barbossa left me on after the mutiny. I think he only stayed because I threatened to kill him if he didn't. I suppose that didn't make much difference did it now? Cursed treasure and all of that." Jack was unusually quiet for a few moments. "Mutineers. Horrible, greedy lot they all are. They never change." Jack's thoughts were turning dark again.
Will kissed the top of his head softly before kissing his lips. "Not all men will betray you." Will paused for a moment. "I never will. I swear to you Jack, I never will. Threaten to kill me all you want, I would still follow you. Better to die by your hand than to live without you."
"So much passion, luv. We'll have to put that to good use." Jack plundered Will's mouth until neither could breathe.
"Mmm, Jack," Will gently pushed Jack away. "Service for Ladbroc?"
Jack swore and pulled away, muttering to himself before finishing off the bottle of rum.
Ten minutes and a few kisses latter, Will, clad in his jerkin and pants, and Jack found themselves on the main deck with the rest of the crew as they prepared to deliver Ladbroc to the sea.
The service was short, but heart felt. Ladbroc would be missed by those who knew him, and those who continuously beat him at cards. His body had been wrapped in his hammock and Cotton had sewn it shut, the last stitch going threw his nose, just to be certain that he was dead (1).
Jack toasted to the memory of his fallen crewman and the rest of the crew followed suite.
The day passed in a blur as Will put what Jack had taught him last time around about sailing into practice once more. Soon night was upon them and Jack gave them all leave to get drunk and reminisce about their fallen friend. "And," he whispered to Will, "for my men to see just who the new men are and where they stand."
Jack spent most of the night at the wheel of the Pearl, a good excuse to do no more than throw a handful of choice comments into the conversations going on nearby. Will smiled as he realized just what Jack was doing. He made his men (those who had been with him since his last adventure with Will) come to him with information. Jack took all that was said in stride and laughed when it would seem appropriate to someone watching, not listening, regardless of what men like Gibbs had to say. He was gaining a newfound respect for Jack's intelligence, and for his alcohol tolerance.
Will joined in with the men most of the time, but he kept an eye on Jack as often as he could, though he never actually went up to speak with him.
AnaMaria proved to be the most interesting of the company aboard the ship. An enigma to all. There were perhaps as many stories about her origins as there were about Jack's. She too had a quiet and commanding intelligence that easily explained why the men had learned to respect her in a few hours time. Well, that and the fact that she did not take shit form anyone.
"You're th' bes' thing that's happened to Jack in ten years," AnaMaria said from just behind Will's right shoulder. He had heard her approach, but was too enthralled by the inky sea and star studded heavens to turn, though he did smile.
"It's mutual, you know." Will was thankful for the dark, it hid his blush well.
"Aye, but it's still nice to see 'im happy." Her eyes were clouded over and he wondered again what ghosts haunted Jack. "Here." She placed a bottle of rum in Will's hand. "He said it was unnatural for a pirate not to get piss drunk the first night on board his new ship." Will looked at her quizzically and she just shrugged.
Will accepted the bottle with murmured thanks and let his gaze drift back to his lover, who raised a bottle up in toast.
*****
All Will knew the next morning when he awoke was that if he were dead he shouldn't hurt so much.
Will groaned as he turned his head to find Jack sleeping soundly as a babe. Will swore and his own voice was painful to his ears.
With much care, and after about twenty minutes, Will made it from the bed, to Jack's door. Stumbling painfully outside, he was greeted by a rather hard, yet soft and warm wall he didn't remember from the day before. The wall, it turned out, was Cable, one of the new men, and his companion Dog-ear, who after trying to explain that he had a hangover cure three times just handed it to Will and ordered him to drink.
Foul. He didn't want to know what was in it. What little there seemed to be left in his stomach threatened to come back up violently and it was by sheer force of will that it did not. When the nausea subsided, Will was amazed by how good he felt.
"Doc, I have no desire to know what that was, but by God that is a miracle." Will looked at Dog-ear who had a very satisfied smirk on his face.
"Some fer th' cap'in when 'e wakes up." He handed Will a clay jar and winked before turning to tend to the poor souls who were still passed out on deck.
Jack emerged from his cabin some time later and after a dose of the Doc's medicine, he was giving out orders.
"It's hunting season lads, and lass," Jack announced as he gave the wheel of the Pearl a turn. "We'll break you in, in no time."
Jack was true to his word, and in three weeks time the men had learned how to work as a crew and how to plunder a ship with minimal casualties. "I think they're ready." Will overheard Jack say to Gibbs.
"Are ye sure? They seem a bit green t' me still." Jack just grinned.
"We shall just have to wait and see."
Will supposed that conversation and something to do with the fact that when Will woke up one sunny morning, they were anchored in an unfamiliar port and he was alone in their bed. A note in Jack's scrawl lay on the pillow next to him.
iDearest Will,
If you would be so kind, dress in your finest (including the hat) and meet me at /i The Mermaid's Treasurei at 11 o'clock.
Jack /i
Will read the paper and memorized the location of the tavern Jack had
mentioned before doing as he was bid and dressing in his finest. The last
time he had worn this particular outfit was the day of Jack¹s execution in
Port Royal, a memory that brought both fear and pleasure to his mind ‹ not
to mention a little bit of worry for his somewhat daft lover¹s safety.
With the addition of his sword and dagger to his ensemble, Will strolled out
of Jack¹s cabin and put on a neutral mask. As he made his way toward his
destination, frivolous and irrational thoughts about protecting Jack from
all bodily harm until the end of time were never far from his mind.
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TBC….
(1) I took this from "Master and Commander: Far Side of the Ocean" Go see the movie, its good. And there were some slashy undertones…or maybe I read too much into things now. But some fanfics from this would be nice...
AN: I hope to be getting another chapter out this month…in a week or two, but for now, I'm going to say goodbye…I need to go pack…I'm going to Disney World on Tuesday!!!!! Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirate's life for me… If anything is going to inspire me, I think this will be it! Not to mention the 6 and 7 hours travel and lay over time.