Disclaimer: This story is AU, since there is at least 100 years difference
between POTC and SH, so I played with the time line a bit.
*
"Finally," Jack said pleased, as the ship came nearer to the Island. All the eye could see were trees, trees and more trees, in several shapes and sizes. You couldn't even see the sand, or a location safe to dock the ship.
"IS there a place to dock the ship without ruining its outer haul?" Will asked worried, scanning the trees for an opening.
"Aye," Jack said patiently, as the ship sailed closer and closer to a cluster of bushes and trees.
"So we're NOT going to crash into those trees ahead of us?" Will continued, sharing a nervous glance with his wife. Jack made some minimal adjustments to the helm, sending them into a course straight into the greenery.
"Jack?" Will asked, his voice rising slightly in a panic.
"Hmm?" Jack asked. "Oh right- nothing to worry about."
"Who's worried?" Elizabeth muttered under her breath. She held on to Will's hand and braced herself, shutting her eyes closed. Will sent a silent prayer up to the sky before he too gritted his teeth and braced himself. Jack grinned at the two of them and shook his head. The Pearl went straight through the bushes and tree branches and sailed through the green dome. Both Turners looked around amazed. It was as if the trees and bushes created a path specifically designed for porting boats and ships, that only residents of the Island would know about. Jack dropped the anchor a bit before they reached the shore and jumped down into the shallow water.
"You two," He turned around and pointed at each in turn, "Stay where you are."
"Why can't we come with you?" Elizabeth asked indignantly. Jack cocked his head at her.
"I would not have to dock here and fill our supply of Rum, if SOMEONE, and we shan't name her- ELIZABETH- hadn't taken it upon herself to sacrilege my rum." He turned away and started towards the shore.
"Why can't I come?" Will asked, confused.
"Someone has to make sure she doesn't damage my ship." Jack smiled at him and jogged the rest of the way to the sand. He looked around, scrutinizing the area. To the untrained eye, all there was beyond the beach were more trees, enveloping the area in a huge embrace. Jack looked up at the sun, found the East and started pacing his steps into the thick forest. He was in the middle of a cluster of tall palm trees, trying to find a specific marking when a knife slashed through the air. It dug into a tree merely inches from his face. Jack ducked and turned around, drawing his sword to face his opponent.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," the old man said, a sword in one hand and a knife in the other. "Ye filthy Bilge Rat." He stepped menacingly closer to Jack, who kept his ground. "I thought I told you not to come to my Island-" He grabbed Jack in a crushing embrace. "-Without giving me time to throw you a proper welcome!" Jack grinned and shielded his sword, as his friend did the same.
"Captain Samuel Saunders- the same as ever."
"Only much much older," Saunders chuckled. "And no longer a Captain." He put his arm around Jack's shoulder and led him around the Island.
"You will always be a Captain," Jack said grinning. "Though you no longer have a ship."
"Speaking of which," Saunders paused for a moment and drew away from Jack to inspect him better. "Where is my cut of the treasure- you thought you could disappear for ten years without giving me my share of the Aztec gold? And what is it I've been hearing about the Pearl- that she has a different Captain, that she's looting and desecrating villages?"
"It is a long story," Jack sighed and rubbed his weary eyes. "One best told under the influence of Rum." Saunders gripped Jack's arm tightly, staring intently into his eyes.
"Do you have the Pearl now?"
"Yes," Jack nodded gravely. "I came here with her." Saunders sighed, relieved and slapped Jack on the back.
"It is not wise to startle an old man," he muttered smiling. "We'll go get the rum, and you can tell me what went wrong on board- I've missed her terribly."
"Do us a favor," Jack pleaded, as he followed Saunders to his cabin. "Bring a barrel at least."
*
"Tell me," Captain Saunders said with effort, grabbing his end of the barrel and better placing it on his shoulder. "Why exactly are we carrying this barrel to my- your ship?"
Behind him, Jack sighed and shook his head. When he raised it he saw on board the object of his anger. "HER!" He hissed, motioning with his head to the ship, even though Saunders couldn't see the movement. Saunders looked up and frowned.
"I thought I told you it was bad luck to have a woman on board," he smiled toothily at Elizabeth, who was looking at them curiously. "Pretty lass, though."
"Elizabeth!" Jack called at her, shouldering his end of the barrel. "Do us a favor, love, and bring the plank." Elizabeth huffed before stumping away. "PLEASE!" Jack added loudly. Saunders looked behind his shoulder at him amused.
"See what I have to deal with?" Jack hissed, as they waited for Elizabeth to get the plank. "And aside from that- she desecrated all my rum!" He moaned loudly.
"She's upper-class- a lady, no?" Saunders asked, wiping sweat off his brow. "You can tell by her stance, the way she moves- as though doing you- well, a favor." Saunders chuckled at his own joke, but Jack was not amused.
"I have been trying to break her in," Jack said quietly. "Trying to make a pirate out of her, to no avail." Saunders laughed a short bellowing laugh that startled Jack. "I seem to recall," Saunders said as soon as he finished laughing. "Another youth who utterly refused to be 'broken in' to Piracy."
"Yes," Jack had to agree. "Only difference being I didn't want to be a pirate in the first place."
"Are you sure she does?" Saunders asked seriously. Jack was about to reply, when Elizabeth returned and dropped one end of the plank onto the beach.
"Thank you kindly," Jack smiled at her, as he and Saunders began carrying the barrel up the plank. Elizabeth nodded and glanced curiously at Saunders, as if waiting for something.
"Jack, I believe the lady is waiting for an introduction," Saunders said, watching his step carefully on the narrow plank.
"Right," Jack replied, his shoulder aching. "Captain Samuel Saunders, I would like you to meet Mrs. Elizabeth Turner- OOOWWWWW!" Jack wailed as the barrel landed on his foot.
"Mrs. TURNER?" Saunders asked astounded, not noticing he dropped his end of the barrel. He turned to Jack, who was nursing his assailed foot, hopping in his place, before he lost his footing and fell off the plank.
"Jack!" Elizabeth rushed to the side of the ship. Jack Sparrow was sprawled in the shallow water on his back. "Are you alright?" She asked worried. She looked at Saunders, but he merely stared back at her, seemingly too stunned for words.
"Fine as a peach, love," Jack said through gritted teeth as he got to his feet. "A wet and squished peach, but a fine one just the same." He paused and then looked at Elizabeth horrified. "Is the rum alright?!"
"He's alright," Elizabeth smiled with relief to herself. "And WHAT pray tell are YOU staring at?" She asked Saunders aggravated.
"You're William Turner's wife?" Saunders asked still skeptic.
"I am." Elizabeth said indignantly. Jack looked around and found the barrel, several feet from the plank. He went over and began rolling it towards the ship.
"You seem far too young," Saunders reasoned, deep in thought. "And he was so in love with his wife- I should know, I performed their wedding ceremony, it was the only time I allowed a woman on board." He said proudly, gazing at Elizabeth intently. She simply stared back confused.
"You're talking about the wrong William Turner," Jack said, as he began to roll the barrel up the plank. "She's William Turner Jr. wife- Bootstrap Bill's son-" The barrel started to roll back on Jack. "A little help would be appreciated!"
"Bootstrap Bill's son?" Saunders asked confused.
"Aye," a new voice interrupted. All three turned around to the source of the voice. Unfortunately for Jack he was distracted long enough to let go of the barrel. "Scurvey dog!" He cursed the barrel as it rolled down the plank again. He turned angrily to Will. "I almost had it on board until you had to ruin it!"
"I'm sorry Jack," Will said, trying to keep a straight face. "Let me give you a hand with that." He walked passed Saunders and down the plank, helping Jack roll the barrel into the ship.
"Sink me!" Saunders said, shaking his head in amazement. "I remember a time when you was a wee little lad." He walked over to Will and poked him with his finger. Will raised a brow at Jack, who shrugged. "If he's not the mirror image of his old man, why you can black spot me."
"Aye, that he is," Jack said nodding, before grinning, "but he has his mum's temper."
"My mother was a saint!" Will protested, trying to keep his distance from the poking old pirate. "How did you know her?" He asked them confused. Elizabeth bit her tongue, wondering if she should tell what she just heard, when Saunders beat her to it.
"I married them, Lad," Saunders said, smiling fondly. "Aye, it was a beautiful wedding at sea." Will looked even more confused, before Jack explained.
"A captain of a ship can marry a couple just as well as a priest can."
"Oh," Will said slightly embarrassed. "I," he looked at Elizabeth. "-WE did not know that, otherwise we would have surely asked you to marry us."
Jack shrugged. "Never cry over spilt milk- only spilt rum," he said, smiling sadly. "Speaking f which..." He walked over to the rum barrel, lay underneath the knob and poured rum into his mouth. "AAAH!" He said, wiping his mouth onto his sleeve. "Much better." Elizabeth wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or reproach Jack, and at a glance at her husband she knew he was leaning towards the former.
Captain Saunders started to roam the ship, touching her hull every now and again, checking the changes and her feel again.
"Welcome home, Captain Saunders," Jack smiled at him. Saunders hesitated, his hand half way to the helm, before he drew it back with a renewed resolve.
"No, Jack me boy," Saunders said, as he walked back to Jack. "She is YOURS now, not mine."
"You mean to say the Pearl used to be yours, Captain Saunders?" Elizabeth asked politely.
"He did say that the CAPTAIN of a ship can marry a couple," Will said naturally. "It is implied."
"A Messdeck Lawyer," Saunders shook his head. "I am surrounded with Messdeck lawyers!" He looked up at the setting sun. "Come, you will spend the night on 'Sunny Sands', you can fill me in on what you did to the Pearl then," he glanced at Jack meaningfully, before heading for the ramp.
"'Sunny Sands'?" Will asked baffled.
"The name of his Island," Jack explained as the three followed Saunders towards his abode.
Will snorted distastefully. "Who names an Island 'Sunny Sands'?"
*
"Come again?" Captain Saunders asked in a mixture of shock and irritation. Jack played with his hands nervously, as though being scolded by his father or his teacher. He glanced around the fire- at the sleeping Elizabeth, the quiet Will, NOT at the enraged Saunders, before staring back at the fire. He took a deep breath and told the story. Again.
"Barbosa came to my cabin, saying that it be only fair, seeing as how he's me First mate and all, that he know the location of the Aztec gold as well. Ye know, in case anything were to happen to me."
"Like being marooned by your crew?" Saunders asked sarcastically.
"Well there's that-" Jack started.
"So you agreed to give the location of the Aztec gold, the location IIII gave you and INSTRUCTED you not to tell anyone, save for Bootstrap Bill, to BARBOSA of all people?" Saunders' voice was raised a notch.
"Yes, THAT location," Jack said wincing, he threw another stick into the fire. "Then I was marooned on an Island (which I of course escaped), Barbosa got the gold and the curse. Apparently after they started looting the gold back from where they used it, Bootstrap decided what they did was wrong and stole a piece of the gold and shipped it to Jr. here."
"Can I ask something?" Will said suddenly. The entire conversation he seemed reluctant to speak, deep in thought. "If you were very close to my father- I mean, you said you were there when he got the name 'Bootstrap' and you even knew my mother... What I'm trying to ask is- why wasn't my father first mate? Was Barbosa part of the ship longer, or closer to you? You said my father was the most decent man you've ever known and obviously Barbosa wasn't..." Will trailed off shrugging.
"It's not that I preferred Barbosa over your father," Jack said slowly, wondering how to phrase it. "It's that we had what you would call a 'fall out'. By the time Bootstrap agreed to run with my ship, I have already appointed Barbosa First mate, and could only offer him The First Lieutenant's position."
"What was the fall out about?" Will asked curiously.
"Love," Jack said, smiling sadly. "We were both in love with the same woman."
"My mother?" Will asked confused. Was there a competition between the two over his mother's heart?
"The Pearl," both Captains said at the same time, the same wistful quality to their voice.
"I don't understand." Will said frowning. "Couldn't you have both been on the Pearl?"
"Ah, but we both wanted to Captain her," Jack explained. "Like two suitors over the heart of a lass. I won the Pearl and Will would not agree to be anything other than her Captain." Jack lay back, resting on the ground and looked up at the sky. "At the time it was not a problem, seeing as how your mother was pregnant and he decided to be a decent husband and father, not a pirate."
"But he returned to Piracy?" Will asked.
"You can take the pirate out of the sea, but you can't take the sea out of the Pirate," Jack mused. " Suppose he missed it enough to want to return." Jack turned and smiled at Will. "And of course he missed the Pearl- how could you NOT miss that beauty?" Will nodded, though he did not share those sentiments regarding a ship he normally would save for a woman.
"Enough questions for one night," Saunders said, turning over. "You should get rested if you plan to- where ARE you going?" Saunders asked puzzled. He could have sworn he asked them, but could not remember the answer. Old age seemed to wear his memory down.
"Sleepy Hollow," Jack said evenly, his eyes still on the sky above. Will laid near his wife, his arm draped around her as he settled in.
"Well shiver me timbers!" Saunders said quietly. "Last time you were there you swore never to return." He glanced in Jack's direction, though with the deterioration of his eyesight and the fire it was hard to see him clearly. "I'm curious- what has changed?"
"There's a reward offered to he who solves the murders," Jack said simply.
"Murders?" Saunders said appreciatively. "That's interesting. Any one you know?"
"Katrina's husband, that's all I got, though I've been told there were others," Jack said quietly, after checking that Will's breathing had evened out and he was presumably asleep.
"Ah," Saunders said knowingly.
"She is not why I decided to go to Sleepy Hollow," Jack said defensively.
"I said no such thing," Saunders said easily. "But why ARE you going there?"
"To bury Ichabod Crane once and for all," Jack whispered, before turning over. A few moments passed before Saunders asked:
"Jack?"
"Hmmm?" Jack rolled over to look at Saunders.
"I don't believe that story. I've known you for a long time, hell I've helped you somewhat with your baby steps into Piracy," Saunders said, looking him straight into the eye. "You're not stupid enough to give Barbosa the location of the treasure."
Jack waited silently, dreading the question he knew was bound to follow.
"Barbosa isn't the one you gave the location of the gold to, is he?"
"No," Jack agreed, his voice filled with sadness and a sense of betrayal. "No, he isn't."
Saunders didn't have to ask to whom the location WAS provided. "He was still hurting, Jack," he tried to reason. "At least he tried to rectify things later on."
Jack didn't answer or even move, he simply closed his eyes and willed sleep to claim him with its ignorant bliss.
*
"Oh no!" Elizabeth cried as pots and pans came crashing down on her. She covered her head with her arms, trying in vain to protect herself from the avalanche of metal.
"What is all this racket?" Jack asked, as he walked inside the kitchen and saw Elizabeth, sitting in a pile of pots and pans. He quickly scanned her to see if she was injured, and seeing no cause for alarm and helped her to her feet.
"I was trying to get to that medium size pot in order to prepare dinner, when THIS happened!" She said, indicating the mess. Jack looked around and dug out a medium sized pot for her.
"Will this do?"
Elizabeth stared at the pot before crumbling in a heap on the floor, crying.
"No?" Jack asked frantically, "I'm sure we can find a suitable one, there's no need for crying!" He said brightly. When Elizabeth did not respond he grew nervous. "Please stop crying," he practically begged, glancing around, wishing Will were here. Seeing that there was no escape he sat down next to Elizabeth and grudgingly offered a shoulder to cry on.
"There, there," he said, patting her back. "No reason to get so upset." He sat there with her for several moments, before she stopped crying and started hiccupping slightly.
"I'm so sorry Jack," she said, drying her eyes on the back of her hand.
"That's a relief- I thought I did something wrong!" Jack said lightly, and was rewarded by a tiny smile.
"I'm a *hiccup* disgrace for a pirate," Elizabeth said with self reproach. Her eyes suddenly filled with fear. "Please- don't tell Will!"
"I won't, I promise," Jack agreed, as he helped her to her feet. "Would you care to tell me what has gotten you so upset?" He went and filled a mug of water for her to drink. She accepted t graciously and her hiccups slowly faded away.
"Everything," she answered darkly. "I know we are merely days away, but these past few weeks..." She shrugged and her shoulders sagged. "I don't think I have what it takes to be a pirate."
"I mean," Elizabeth continued, sipping more of her water. "What sort of a pirate cries? It is bad enough I am a woman Pirate... To be such a sap!" She sighed deeply. "After the way I convinced Will we should join you... To now seem so incompetent!"
"Incompetent?" Jack asked confused.
"The whole rum incident, my cooking- don't even try to deny it!" She warned when he was going to protest. "I miss Port Royal, I miss my father, I miss... I miss being ME," she looked in Jack's eyes imploringly. "I feel that I am pretending to be someone I am not. Will- he is a true Pirate, it's in his blood. As for myself? I am just playing make believe."
Jack was reminded of his conversation with Saunders yesterday regarding breaking Elizabeth into the world of Piracy and her desire to become a pirate.
"Do you want to be a Pirate?" He asked gently, playing with a bead in his beard.
"What difference does it make?" Elizabeth asked morosely.
"It makes all the difference," Jack argued. "Answer truthfully."
Elizabeth paused for a moment and weighed the question. "I think I do."
"Then you can be a Pirate," Jack said satisfied. "Most pirates aren't born ones, but if you want it bad enough, there's no stopping ye."
"But it's so different from what I know," Elizabeth answered, her eyes downcast and slightly red. "I'm not sure I can adjust."
"Who says YOU need to adjust?" Jack asked, smiling. "Adjust the rest of the world to YOU."
"I don't follow," Elizabeth said perplexed.
"Nobody says you have to be a certain type of Pirate," Jack explained, as he started to reorganize the pots and pans and put them away. Elizabeth moved to assist him, but he stopped her with a raised hand. "I'll fix dinner tonight. What I was saying was, being yourself and being a Pirate don't have to clash." He took the medium size pot and set in down. He glanced at Elizabeth and noticed that she was still skeptic.
"Let me tell you a story," Jack said, as he chopped up vegetables expertly. "About a young Lad, not too much older than ye self."
"Who was he?" Elizabeth asked intrigued.
"Jack- Jack....son." Jack stammered and reached out for the meat.
"Jack Jackson?" Elizabeth asked, amused at Jack's lack of creativity with names.
"Aye," Jack nodded, as he continued preparing the meat. "This Lad, he did not want to become a Pirate, he was forced to pretend to be one. He learned quickly..."
~
"Parry, Parry, Block- I said BLOCK!" Bootstrap Bill yelled as he again managed to hit Jack. "You are not concentrating."
"Perhaps it would be easier to concentrate if we were not doing this for hours!" Jack retaliated, wiping sweat off his brow, trying not to wince as he moved his assaulted arm.
"The Chicken and the Egg, Jack," Will responded. "Perhaps we would not be doing this for hours if you would simply concentrate harder."
"Children, children!" Captain Saunders said jovially. "Must I separate you two?"
"You seem in an awfully good mood, considering those blasted cannons caused substantial damage that needs repairs, and we are in the open sea!" Bootstrap said annoyed.
"Aye, but luckily for us my Island is less than an hour away." Saunders said and almost skipped away.
"Your ISLAND?" Bill asked shocked.
"Well not mine as of yet, but when I retire I intend to buy it from the locals," Saunders said casually. Bill glanced around, but could not see the Island in question. He reached for the scope, but to no avail.
"I don't see any Island," Bill said suspiciously.
"You will Will," Saunders said and laughed at his own pun. "You will."
*
"How long?" Bill asked, walking toward Saunders. He was still shaken by the fact that they managed to dock in one piece. Jack was being uncharacteristically quiet and so he was quite impatient. Saunders clasped the shoulder of the man he was conferring with and met Bill.
"Two weeks."
"Two weeks?" Bill asked appalled. "But we need to recruit! And the Spanish Navy won't just sit on those diamonds, waiting for us!"
"That's the best they can do," Saunders said sternly. "We need wood to repair the ship and several other items they can only get from America."
"Great," Bill said sarcastically, kicking at sand. "What exactly are we supposed to do in the meantime?"
Saunders glanced at where Jack sat on the ship. "Get him better prepared. Two weeks is enough time to make him a more decent pirate."
"He's hopeless," Bill dismissed, sighing heavily.
"I thought he was improving?" Saunders asked surprised.
"He WAS," Bill said emphatically. "That's precisely my point. Until now he's been doing great, far better than I could have expected. But now..." He shrugged and glanced at Jack. "I just don't know."
"Perhaps fencing is not his strong side," Saunders said thoughtfully.
"I've considered that, but it's... It's like he's not trying anymore." Bill added quietly. "I'm beginning to worry about him."
"I'll have a word with him," Saunders said, as he headed back to the Pearl. He was greeted by Jack with a nod of the head.
"Bill here seems to think something is the matter," Saunders went straight to the point. Jack did not answer and so Saunders took a seat next to him. "What is it Jack?"
"I was talking with Will earlier," Jack said quietly. "And he mentioned his many conquests, especially in a place called "Tortuga"." Saunders waited for him to go on.
"It reminded me of Katrina," Jack said sighing deeply. "Of our last parting. I know I could have won her back from Brom, that if I merely spoke with her..." He shrugged. "I guess I suddenly realized all that I left behind."
"You're feeling homesick, it's very natural," Saunders tried to console.
"It is more than that," Jack said annoyed. "I'm miserable. This... Life, it isn't for me. I can pretend to be a Pirate, and who knows, I might get away with it- but it's not who I am." He turned to Saunders. "I'm ICHABOD CRANE, not Jack Crane." His voice grew softer. "I wish I could go back." Saunders seemed shaken silent from this confession and was quiet for several minutes.
"Then go back."
"I beg your pardon?" Jack asked, surprised.
Saunders got to his feet hurriedly and turned his back on Jack. "There's a small boat here, you can have it. I will give you the coordinates for Sleepy Hollow, you should do just fine. We're only about five days by ship away." Saunders dug into his pocket. "Here," he threw behind his shoulder a bag of money and Jack caught it. "If anything should happen."
Jack looked down at the bag dumbfounded.
"I've been thinking," Bill said lightly, as he got on board. "When you DO buy this Island, you should name it 'Sunny Sands.'"
"What?" Saunders asked.
"Sunny Sands- you know, because your nickname is 'Sunny' and Saunders- Sands?" He noticed that none of them seemed amused. "Or you don't have to-"
"Ja- Ichabod is leaving," Saunders said briskly. Bill paused.
"What?"
"He's going back to Sleepy Hollow," Saunders replied, as he went to fetch the boat. Bill glanced at Jack confused, before heading after Saunders. Jack remained there feeling slightly guilty, but also relieved and overjoyed. He was going home! He followed the two to the boat and was instructed how to reach his destination.
"If you happen to change your mind," Saunders said gravely. "We leave here in two weeks exactly at daybreak. Here's how you get here- pay attention, you don't want to crash into the trees!" Jack nodded, but barely paid any heed- he was going home! He could not believe that Captain Saunders would let him go just like that.
"Here," Bill said as they parted. He handed him a handmade bootstrap. "For good luck."
"Thank you," Jack said sincerely, as he tied it to his boot.
"Good luck Ichabod," Saunders said, as they helped him push the boat into the water. "And goodbye!" They both stood there and watched as he became a distant speck.
"I don't understand," Bill said, shaking his head. "Why did you just let him go? After all the trouble we went though to make him a plausible pirate- why did we even bother?"
"I thought I saw something in him," Saunders said sadly, as he turned his back on the speck. "I guess I was wrong."
"Do you think he might come back?" Bill asked, surprised at the hopeful tone of his voice- since when did he care about Jac- Ichabod?
"I don't know," Saunders said sincerely, wrapping an arm around the lad's shoulder. "But I don't think we'll ever since him again."
~
"..The point of the story is, you can't force a man- or woman- to be a pirate. If they don't want to be one, then it's no use trying to break them in. But if they DO want it, with all their heart, they'll find a way to make their own unique stand and be a fine pirate, with a little work of course." Jack explained, as he tasted the stew. Prefect.
"What you need to ask yourself," he said, as he wiped his hands clean. "Is whether or not you really want this. All the rest is excuses." He turned to her finally. "At first you have to be careful to partially blend in, but once you have your own ship- or a marvelously crazy Captain who approves of eccentric pirates- it is easier to be yourself."
"What you're saying is I can be a 'Lady Pirate'?" Elizabeth asked with a sudden smirk. "And refuse to do any work that is beneath me?"
"No," Jack grinned back. "But you can keep complaining about it and if it gets too hard, you can always -in a very ladylike manner- force your husband to do your share of the work." Elizabeth giggled, a sound Jack was very pleased to hear. He went to the doorway to call Will when Elizabeth asked:
"What ever happened to Jack Jackson?"
Jack paused. "He had to decide what he really wanted."
"What did he really want?" Elizabeth asked, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and straightening a bit.
Jack smirked. "THAT is a story for another time."
*END PART 4*
Author's Note:
Sorry it took so long, I was on a 4 day trip with my class to Eilat's mountains! Not as fun as you might think- climbing mountains, sleeping in tents (especially when mine was getting all the wind at night, I'm surprised the tent didn't collapse!), and not showering for 3 days! (on Wed. I got to go by bus to some school in order to shower there- that was the highlight of the night for me!). But We got to do Snepling (climbing down a 130 meters high rock with ropes) which was so great and scary- and of course I managed to bump into every single rock back and forth! All and all it was pretty fun!
Oish, this was supposed to be a short transition chapter and look how long it got! As for the marriage thing- let's call it creative license for now. I know for a fact that a Captain of a vessel, normally a cruise vessel, can marry a couple off, but I'm not sure how long this has been permitted! At least 100 years, but I tried to find any information regarding when they started this and came up empty! So if it started way later, let's say I used my creative license a bit, savvy?
IST- thank you again for your ego boosting review- I swear I only have you hear to do that and keep me writing! LOL! I'm glad they put a smile on your face, they sure put one on mine!
Starlight8- Good luck with your moving! I'm touched you took time out of moving to check up on this humble story and you don't know what a relief it was that you thought the story behind Bootstrap's name seemed 'right'. I hope you keep liking where I'm taking this!
IloveSands- I kept writing, LOL. And yeah, enough people commented about the timeline for me to post the disclaimer.
Louis- You're reading it a second time? How can you? LOL. I have concentration problems, I can barely read something once, especially with chapters as long as mine! I'm glad you decided to let me know, I love feedback, I hope I didn't keep people waiting too long for more. Well as I'm not an American I didn't celebrate Halloween- but I hope it was a great one (and I heart Jack Sparrow costumes were very popular!)
kingleby- I tend to use a lot of flashbacks, it pleases me (I seem to say 'I'm glad' way too often) to see that they work and are not annoying! Don't worry- they get to Sleepy Hollow next chapter!
*
"Finally," Jack said pleased, as the ship came nearer to the Island. All the eye could see were trees, trees and more trees, in several shapes and sizes. You couldn't even see the sand, or a location safe to dock the ship.
"IS there a place to dock the ship without ruining its outer haul?" Will asked worried, scanning the trees for an opening.
"Aye," Jack said patiently, as the ship sailed closer and closer to a cluster of bushes and trees.
"So we're NOT going to crash into those trees ahead of us?" Will continued, sharing a nervous glance with his wife. Jack made some minimal adjustments to the helm, sending them into a course straight into the greenery.
"Jack?" Will asked, his voice rising slightly in a panic.
"Hmm?" Jack asked. "Oh right- nothing to worry about."
"Who's worried?" Elizabeth muttered under her breath. She held on to Will's hand and braced herself, shutting her eyes closed. Will sent a silent prayer up to the sky before he too gritted his teeth and braced himself. Jack grinned at the two of them and shook his head. The Pearl went straight through the bushes and tree branches and sailed through the green dome. Both Turners looked around amazed. It was as if the trees and bushes created a path specifically designed for porting boats and ships, that only residents of the Island would know about. Jack dropped the anchor a bit before they reached the shore and jumped down into the shallow water.
"You two," He turned around and pointed at each in turn, "Stay where you are."
"Why can't we come with you?" Elizabeth asked indignantly. Jack cocked his head at her.
"I would not have to dock here and fill our supply of Rum, if SOMEONE, and we shan't name her- ELIZABETH- hadn't taken it upon herself to sacrilege my rum." He turned away and started towards the shore.
"Why can't I come?" Will asked, confused.
"Someone has to make sure she doesn't damage my ship." Jack smiled at him and jogged the rest of the way to the sand. He looked around, scrutinizing the area. To the untrained eye, all there was beyond the beach were more trees, enveloping the area in a huge embrace. Jack looked up at the sun, found the East and started pacing his steps into the thick forest. He was in the middle of a cluster of tall palm trees, trying to find a specific marking when a knife slashed through the air. It dug into a tree merely inches from his face. Jack ducked and turned around, drawing his sword to face his opponent.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," the old man said, a sword in one hand and a knife in the other. "Ye filthy Bilge Rat." He stepped menacingly closer to Jack, who kept his ground. "I thought I told you not to come to my Island-" He grabbed Jack in a crushing embrace. "-Without giving me time to throw you a proper welcome!" Jack grinned and shielded his sword, as his friend did the same.
"Captain Samuel Saunders- the same as ever."
"Only much much older," Saunders chuckled. "And no longer a Captain." He put his arm around Jack's shoulder and led him around the Island.
"You will always be a Captain," Jack said grinning. "Though you no longer have a ship."
"Speaking of which," Saunders paused for a moment and drew away from Jack to inspect him better. "Where is my cut of the treasure- you thought you could disappear for ten years without giving me my share of the Aztec gold? And what is it I've been hearing about the Pearl- that she has a different Captain, that she's looting and desecrating villages?"
"It is a long story," Jack sighed and rubbed his weary eyes. "One best told under the influence of Rum." Saunders gripped Jack's arm tightly, staring intently into his eyes.
"Do you have the Pearl now?"
"Yes," Jack nodded gravely. "I came here with her." Saunders sighed, relieved and slapped Jack on the back.
"It is not wise to startle an old man," he muttered smiling. "We'll go get the rum, and you can tell me what went wrong on board- I've missed her terribly."
"Do us a favor," Jack pleaded, as he followed Saunders to his cabin. "Bring a barrel at least."
*
"Tell me," Captain Saunders said with effort, grabbing his end of the barrel and better placing it on his shoulder. "Why exactly are we carrying this barrel to my- your ship?"
Behind him, Jack sighed and shook his head. When he raised it he saw on board the object of his anger. "HER!" He hissed, motioning with his head to the ship, even though Saunders couldn't see the movement. Saunders looked up and frowned.
"I thought I told you it was bad luck to have a woman on board," he smiled toothily at Elizabeth, who was looking at them curiously. "Pretty lass, though."
"Elizabeth!" Jack called at her, shouldering his end of the barrel. "Do us a favor, love, and bring the plank." Elizabeth huffed before stumping away. "PLEASE!" Jack added loudly. Saunders looked behind his shoulder at him amused.
"See what I have to deal with?" Jack hissed, as they waited for Elizabeth to get the plank. "And aside from that- she desecrated all my rum!" He moaned loudly.
"She's upper-class- a lady, no?" Saunders asked, wiping sweat off his brow. "You can tell by her stance, the way she moves- as though doing you- well, a favor." Saunders chuckled at his own joke, but Jack was not amused.
"I have been trying to break her in," Jack said quietly. "Trying to make a pirate out of her, to no avail." Saunders laughed a short bellowing laugh that startled Jack. "I seem to recall," Saunders said as soon as he finished laughing. "Another youth who utterly refused to be 'broken in' to Piracy."
"Yes," Jack had to agree. "Only difference being I didn't want to be a pirate in the first place."
"Are you sure she does?" Saunders asked seriously. Jack was about to reply, when Elizabeth returned and dropped one end of the plank onto the beach.
"Thank you kindly," Jack smiled at her, as he and Saunders began carrying the barrel up the plank. Elizabeth nodded and glanced curiously at Saunders, as if waiting for something.
"Jack, I believe the lady is waiting for an introduction," Saunders said, watching his step carefully on the narrow plank.
"Right," Jack replied, his shoulder aching. "Captain Samuel Saunders, I would like you to meet Mrs. Elizabeth Turner- OOOWWWWW!" Jack wailed as the barrel landed on his foot.
"Mrs. TURNER?" Saunders asked astounded, not noticing he dropped his end of the barrel. He turned to Jack, who was nursing his assailed foot, hopping in his place, before he lost his footing and fell off the plank.
"Jack!" Elizabeth rushed to the side of the ship. Jack Sparrow was sprawled in the shallow water on his back. "Are you alright?" She asked worried. She looked at Saunders, but he merely stared back at her, seemingly too stunned for words.
"Fine as a peach, love," Jack said through gritted teeth as he got to his feet. "A wet and squished peach, but a fine one just the same." He paused and then looked at Elizabeth horrified. "Is the rum alright?!"
"He's alright," Elizabeth smiled with relief to herself. "And WHAT pray tell are YOU staring at?" She asked Saunders aggravated.
"You're William Turner's wife?" Saunders asked still skeptic.
"I am." Elizabeth said indignantly. Jack looked around and found the barrel, several feet from the plank. He went over and began rolling it towards the ship.
"You seem far too young," Saunders reasoned, deep in thought. "And he was so in love with his wife- I should know, I performed their wedding ceremony, it was the only time I allowed a woman on board." He said proudly, gazing at Elizabeth intently. She simply stared back confused.
"You're talking about the wrong William Turner," Jack said, as he began to roll the barrel up the plank. "She's William Turner Jr. wife- Bootstrap Bill's son-" The barrel started to roll back on Jack. "A little help would be appreciated!"
"Bootstrap Bill's son?" Saunders asked confused.
"Aye," a new voice interrupted. All three turned around to the source of the voice. Unfortunately for Jack he was distracted long enough to let go of the barrel. "Scurvey dog!" He cursed the barrel as it rolled down the plank again. He turned angrily to Will. "I almost had it on board until you had to ruin it!"
"I'm sorry Jack," Will said, trying to keep a straight face. "Let me give you a hand with that." He walked passed Saunders and down the plank, helping Jack roll the barrel into the ship.
"Sink me!" Saunders said, shaking his head in amazement. "I remember a time when you was a wee little lad." He walked over to Will and poked him with his finger. Will raised a brow at Jack, who shrugged. "If he's not the mirror image of his old man, why you can black spot me."
"Aye, that he is," Jack said nodding, before grinning, "but he has his mum's temper."
"My mother was a saint!" Will protested, trying to keep his distance from the poking old pirate. "How did you know her?" He asked them confused. Elizabeth bit her tongue, wondering if she should tell what she just heard, when Saunders beat her to it.
"I married them, Lad," Saunders said, smiling fondly. "Aye, it was a beautiful wedding at sea." Will looked even more confused, before Jack explained.
"A captain of a ship can marry a couple just as well as a priest can."
"Oh," Will said slightly embarrassed. "I," he looked at Elizabeth. "-WE did not know that, otherwise we would have surely asked you to marry us."
Jack shrugged. "Never cry over spilt milk- only spilt rum," he said, smiling sadly. "Speaking f which..." He walked over to the rum barrel, lay underneath the knob and poured rum into his mouth. "AAAH!" He said, wiping his mouth onto his sleeve. "Much better." Elizabeth wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or reproach Jack, and at a glance at her husband she knew he was leaning towards the former.
Captain Saunders started to roam the ship, touching her hull every now and again, checking the changes and her feel again.
"Welcome home, Captain Saunders," Jack smiled at him. Saunders hesitated, his hand half way to the helm, before he drew it back with a renewed resolve.
"No, Jack me boy," Saunders said, as he walked back to Jack. "She is YOURS now, not mine."
"You mean to say the Pearl used to be yours, Captain Saunders?" Elizabeth asked politely.
"He did say that the CAPTAIN of a ship can marry a couple," Will said naturally. "It is implied."
"A Messdeck Lawyer," Saunders shook his head. "I am surrounded with Messdeck lawyers!" He looked up at the setting sun. "Come, you will spend the night on 'Sunny Sands', you can fill me in on what you did to the Pearl then," he glanced at Jack meaningfully, before heading for the ramp.
"'Sunny Sands'?" Will asked baffled.
"The name of his Island," Jack explained as the three followed Saunders towards his abode.
Will snorted distastefully. "Who names an Island 'Sunny Sands'?"
*
"Come again?" Captain Saunders asked in a mixture of shock and irritation. Jack played with his hands nervously, as though being scolded by his father or his teacher. He glanced around the fire- at the sleeping Elizabeth, the quiet Will, NOT at the enraged Saunders, before staring back at the fire. He took a deep breath and told the story. Again.
"Barbosa came to my cabin, saying that it be only fair, seeing as how he's me First mate and all, that he know the location of the Aztec gold as well. Ye know, in case anything were to happen to me."
"Like being marooned by your crew?" Saunders asked sarcastically.
"Well there's that-" Jack started.
"So you agreed to give the location of the Aztec gold, the location IIII gave you and INSTRUCTED you not to tell anyone, save for Bootstrap Bill, to BARBOSA of all people?" Saunders' voice was raised a notch.
"Yes, THAT location," Jack said wincing, he threw another stick into the fire. "Then I was marooned on an Island (which I of course escaped), Barbosa got the gold and the curse. Apparently after they started looting the gold back from where they used it, Bootstrap decided what they did was wrong and stole a piece of the gold and shipped it to Jr. here."
"Can I ask something?" Will said suddenly. The entire conversation he seemed reluctant to speak, deep in thought. "If you were very close to my father- I mean, you said you were there when he got the name 'Bootstrap' and you even knew my mother... What I'm trying to ask is- why wasn't my father first mate? Was Barbosa part of the ship longer, or closer to you? You said my father was the most decent man you've ever known and obviously Barbosa wasn't..." Will trailed off shrugging.
"It's not that I preferred Barbosa over your father," Jack said slowly, wondering how to phrase it. "It's that we had what you would call a 'fall out'. By the time Bootstrap agreed to run with my ship, I have already appointed Barbosa First mate, and could only offer him The First Lieutenant's position."
"What was the fall out about?" Will asked curiously.
"Love," Jack said, smiling sadly. "We were both in love with the same woman."
"My mother?" Will asked confused. Was there a competition between the two over his mother's heart?
"The Pearl," both Captains said at the same time, the same wistful quality to their voice.
"I don't understand." Will said frowning. "Couldn't you have both been on the Pearl?"
"Ah, but we both wanted to Captain her," Jack explained. "Like two suitors over the heart of a lass. I won the Pearl and Will would not agree to be anything other than her Captain." Jack lay back, resting on the ground and looked up at the sky. "At the time it was not a problem, seeing as how your mother was pregnant and he decided to be a decent husband and father, not a pirate."
"But he returned to Piracy?" Will asked.
"You can take the pirate out of the sea, but you can't take the sea out of the Pirate," Jack mused. " Suppose he missed it enough to want to return." Jack turned and smiled at Will. "And of course he missed the Pearl- how could you NOT miss that beauty?" Will nodded, though he did not share those sentiments regarding a ship he normally would save for a woman.
"Enough questions for one night," Saunders said, turning over. "You should get rested if you plan to- where ARE you going?" Saunders asked puzzled. He could have sworn he asked them, but could not remember the answer. Old age seemed to wear his memory down.
"Sleepy Hollow," Jack said evenly, his eyes still on the sky above. Will laid near his wife, his arm draped around her as he settled in.
"Well shiver me timbers!" Saunders said quietly. "Last time you were there you swore never to return." He glanced in Jack's direction, though with the deterioration of his eyesight and the fire it was hard to see him clearly. "I'm curious- what has changed?"
"There's a reward offered to he who solves the murders," Jack said simply.
"Murders?" Saunders said appreciatively. "That's interesting. Any one you know?"
"Katrina's husband, that's all I got, though I've been told there were others," Jack said quietly, after checking that Will's breathing had evened out and he was presumably asleep.
"Ah," Saunders said knowingly.
"She is not why I decided to go to Sleepy Hollow," Jack said defensively.
"I said no such thing," Saunders said easily. "But why ARE you going there?"
"To bury Ichabod Crane once and for all," Jack whispered, before turning over. A few moments passed before Saunders asked:
"Jack?"
"Hmmm?" Jack rolled over to look at Saunders.
"I don't believe that story. I've known you for a long time, hell I've helped you somewhat with your baby steps into Piracy," Saunders said, looking him straight into the eye. "You're not stupid enough to give Barbosa the location of the treasure."
Jack waited silently, dreading the question he knew was bound to follow.
"Barbosa isn't the one you gave the location of the gold to, is he?"
"No," Jack agreed, his voice filled with sadness and a sense of betrayal. "No, he isn't."
Saunders didn't have to ask to whom the location WAS provided. "He was still hurting, Jack," he tried to reason. "At least he tried to rectify things later on."
Jack didn't answer or even move, he simply closed his eyes and willed sleep to claim him with its ignorant bliss.
*
"Oh no!" Elizabeth cried as pots and pans came crashing down on her. She covered her head with her arms, trying in vain to protect herself from the avalanche of metal.
"What is all this racket?" Jack asked, as he walked inside the kitchen and saw Elizabeth, sitting in a pile of pots and pans. He quickly scanned her to see if she was injured, and seeing no cause for alarm and helped her to her feet.
"I was trying to get to that medium size pot in order to prepare dinner, when THIS happened!" She said, indicating the mess. Jack looked around and dug out a medium sized pot for her.
"Will this do?"
Elizabeth stared at the pot before crumbling in a heap on the floor, crying.
"No?" Jack asked frantically, "I'm sure we can find a suitable one, there's no need for crying!" He said brightly. When Elizabeth did not respond he grew nervous. "Please stop crying," he practically begged, glancing around, wishing Will were here. Seeing that there was no escape he sat down next to Elizabeth and grudgingly offered a shoulder to cry on.
"There, there," he said, patting her back. "No reason to get so upset." He sat there with her for several moments, before she stopped crying and started hiccupping slightly.
"I'm so sorry Jack," she said, drying her eyes on the back of her hand.
"That's a relief- I thought I did something wrong!" Jack said lightly, and was rewarded by a tiny smile.
"I'm a *hiccup* disgrace for a pirate," Elizabeth said with self reproach. Her eyes suddenly filled with fear. "Please- don't tell Will!"
"I won't, I promise," Jack agreed, as he helped her to her feet. "Would you care to tell me what has gotten you so upset?" He went and filled a mug of water for her to drink. She accepted t graciously and her hiccups slowly faded away.
"Everything," she answered darkly. "I know we are merely days away, but these past few weeks..." She shrugged and her shoulders sagged. "I don't think I have what it takes to be a pirate."
"I mean," Elizabeth continued, sipping more of her water. "What sort of a pirate cries? It is bad enough I am a woman Pirate... To be such a sap!" She sighed deeply. "After the way I convinced Will we should join you... To now seem so incompetent!"
"Incompetent?" Jack asked confused.
"The whole rum incident, my cooking- don't even try to deny it!" She warned when he was going to protest. "I miss Port Royal, I miss my father, I miss... I miss being ME," she looked in Jack's eyes imploringly. "I feel that I am pretending to be someone I am not. Will- he is a true Pirate, it's in his blood. As for myself? I am just playing make believe."
Jack was reminded of his conversation with Saunders yesterday regarding breaking Elizabeth into the world of Piracy and her desire to become a pirate.
"Do you want to be a Pirate?" He asked gently, playing with a bead in his beard.
"What difference does it make?" Elizabeth asked morosely.
"It makes all the difference," Jack argued. "Answer truthfully."
Elizabeth paused for a moment and weighed the question. "I think I do."
"Then you can be a Pirate," Jack said satisfied. "Most pirates aren't born ones, but if you want it bad enough, there's no stopping ye."
"But it's so different from what I know," Elizabeth answered, her eyes downcast and slightly red. "I'm not sure I can adjust."
"Who says YOU need to adjust?" Jack asked, smiling. "Adjust the rest of the world to YOU."
"I don't follow," Elizabeth said perplexed.
"Nobody says you have to be a certain type of Pirate," Jack explained, as he started to reorganize the pots and pans and put them away. Elizabeth moved to assist him, but he stopped her with a raised hand. "I'll fix dinner tonight. What I was saying was, being yourself and being a Pirate don't have to clash." He took the medium size pot and set in down. He glanced at Elizabeth and noticed that she was still skeptic.
"Let me tell you a story," Jack said, as he chopped up vegetables expertly. "About a young Lad, not too much older than ye self."
"Who was he?" Elizabeth asked intrigued.
"Jack- Jack....son." Jack stammered and reached out for the meat.
"Jack Jackson?" Elizabeth asked, amused at Jack's lack of creativity with names.
"Aye," Jack nodded, as he continued preparing the meat. "This Lad, he did not want to become a Pirate, he was forced to pretend to be one. He learned quickly..."
~
"Parry, Parry, Block- I said BLOCK!" Bootstrap Bill yelled as he again managed to hit Jack. "You are not concentrating."
"Perhaps it would be easier to concentrate if we were not doing this for hours!" Jack retaliated, wiping sweat off his brow, trying not to wince as he moved his assaulted arm.
"The Chicken and the Egg, Jack," Will responded. "Perhaps we would not be doing this for hours if you would simply concentrate harder."
"Children, children!" Captain Saunders said jovially. "Must I separate you two?"
"You seem in an awfully good mood, considering those blasted cannons caused substantial damage that needs repairs, and we are in the open sea!" Bootstrap said annoyed.
"Aye, but luckily for us my Island is less than an hour away." Saunders said and almost skipped away.
"Your ISLAND?" Bill asked shocked.
"Well not mine as of yet, but when I retire I intend to buy it from the locals," Saunders said casually. Bill glanced around, but could not see the Island in question. He reached for the scope, but to no avail.
"I don't see any Island," Bill said suspiciously.
"You will Will," Saunders said and laughed at his own pun. "You will."
*
"How long?" Bill asked, walking toward Saunders. He was still shaken by the fact that they managed to dock in one piece. Jack was being uncharacteristically quiet and so he was quite impatient. Saunders clasped the shoulder of the man he was conferring with and met Bill.
"Two weeks."
"Two weeks?" Bill asked appalled. "But we need to recruit! And the Spanish Navy won't just sit on those diamonds, waiting for us!"
"That's the best they can do," Saunders said sternly. "We need wood to repair the ship and several other items they can only get from America."
"Great," Bill said sarcastically, kicking at sand. "What exactly are we supposed to do in the meantime?"
Saunders glanced at where Jack sat on the ship. "Get him better prepared. Two weeks is enough time to make him a more decent pirate."
"He's hopeless," Bill dismissed, sighing heavily.
"I thought he was improving?" Saunders asked surprised.
"He WAS," Bill said emphatically. "That's precisely my point. Until now he's been doing great, far better than I could have expected. But now..." He shrugged and glanced at Jack. "I just don't know."
"Perhaps fencing is not his strong side," Saunders said thoughtfully.
"I've considered that, but it's... It's like he's not trying anymore." Bill added quietly. "I'm beginning to worry about him."
"I'll have a word with him," Saunders said, as he headed back to the Pearl. He was greeted by Jack with a nod of the head.
"Bill here seems to think something is the matter," Saunders went straight to the point. Jack did not answer and so Saunders took a seat next to him. "What is it Jack?"
"I was talking with Will earlier," Jack said quietly. "And he mentioned his many conquests, especially in a place called "Tortuga"." Saunders waited for him to go on.
"It reminded me of Katrina," Jack said sighing deeply. "Of our last parting. I know I could have won her back from Brom, that if I merely spoke with her..." He shrugged. "I guess I suddenly realized all that I left behind."
"You're feeling homesick, it's very natural," Saunders tried to console.
"It is more than that," Jack said annoyed. "I'm miserable. This... Life, it isn't for me. I can pretend to be a Pirate, and who knows, I might get away with it- but it's not who I am." He turned to Saunders. "I'm ICHABOD CRANE, not Jack Crane." His voice grew softer. "I wish I could go back." Saunders seemed shaken silent from this confession and was quiet for several minutes.
"Then go back."
"I beg your pardon?" Jack asked, surprised.
Saunders got to his feet hurriedly and turned his back on Jack. "There's a small boat here, you can have it. I will give you the coordinates for Sleepy Hollow, you should do just fine. We're only about five days by ship away." Saunders dug into his pocket. "Here," he threw behind his shoulder a bag of money and Jack caught it. "If anything should happen."
Jack looked down at the bag dumbfounded.
"I've been thinking," Bill said lightly, as he got on board. "When you DO buy this Island, you should name it 'Sunny Sands.'"
"What?" Saunders asked.
"Sunny Sands- you know, because your nickname is 'Sunny' and Saunders- Sands?" He noticed that none of them seemed amused. "Or you don't have to-"
"Ja- Ichabod is leaving," Saunders said briskly. Bill paused.
"What?"
"He's going back to Sleepy Hollow," Saunders replied, as he went to fetch the boat. Bill glanced at Jack confused, before heading after Saunders. Jack remained there feeling slightly guilty, but also relieved and overjoyed. He was going home! He followed the two to the boat and was instructed how to reach his destination.
"If you happen to change your mind," Saunders said gravely. "We leave here in two weeks exactly at daybreak. Here's how you get here- pay attention, you don't want to crash into the trees!" Jack nodded, but barely paid any heed- he was going home! He could not believe that Captain Saunders would let him go just like that.
"Here," Bill said as they parted. He handed him a handmade bootstrap. "For good luck."
"Thank you," Jack said sincerely, as he tied it to his boot.
"Good luck Ichabod," Saunders said, as they helped him push the boat into the water. "And goodbye!" They both stood there and watched as he became a distant speck.
"I don't understand," Bill said, shaking his head. "Why did you just let him go? After all the trouble we went though to make him a plausible pirate- why did we even bother?"
"I thought I saw something in him," Saunders said sadly, as he turned his back on the speck. "I guess I was wrong."
"Do you think he might come back?" Bill asked, surprised at the hopeful tone of his voice- since when did he care about Jac- Ichabod?
"I don't know," Saunders said sincerely, wrapping an arm around the lad's shoulder. "But I don't think we'll ever since him again."
~
"..The point of the story is, you can't force a man- or woman- to be a pirate. If they don't want to be one, then it's no use trying to break them in. But if they DO want it, with all their heart, they'll find a way to make their own unique stand and be a fine pirate, with a little work of course." Jack explained, as he tasted the stew. Prefect.
"What you need to ask yourself," he said, as he wiped his hands clean. "Is whether or not you really want this. All the rest is excuses." He turned to her finally. "At first you have to be careful to partially blend in, but once you have your own ship- or a marvelously crazy Captain who approves of eccentric pirates- it is easier to be yourself."
"What you're saying is I can be a 'Lady Pirate'?" Elizabeth asked with a sudden smirk. "And refuse to do any work that is beneath me?"
"No," Jack grinned back. "But you can keep complaining about it and if it gets too hard, you can always -in a very ladylike manner- force your husband to do your share of the work." Elizabeth giggled, a sound Jack was very pleased to hear. He went to the doorway to call Will when Elizabeth asked:
"What ever happened to Jack Jackson?"
Jack paused. "He had to decide what he really wanted."
"What did he really want?" Elizabeth asked, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and straightening a bit.
Jack smirked. "THAT is a story for another time."
*END PART 4*
Author's Note:
Sorry it took so long, I was on a 4 day trip with my class to Eilat's mountains! Not as fun as you might think- climbing mountains, sleeping in tents (especially when mine was getting all the wind at night, I'm surprised the tent didn't collapse!), and not showering for 3 days! (on Wed. I got to go by bus to some school in order to shower there- that was the highlight of the night for me!). But We got to do Snepling (climbing down a 130 meters high rock with ropes) which was so great and scary- and of course I managed to bump into every single rock back and forth! All and all it was pretty fun!
Oish, this was supposed to be a short transition chapter and look how long it got! As for the marriage thing- let's call it creative license for now. I know for a fact that a Captain of a vessel, normally a cruise vessel, can marry a couple off, but I'm not sure how long this has been permitted! At least 100 years, but I tried to find any information regarding when they started this and came up empty! So if it started way later, let's say I used my creative license a bit, savvy?
IST- thank you again for your ego boosting review- I swear I only have you hear to do that and keep me writing! LOL! I'm glad they put a smile on your face, they sure put one on mine!
Starlight8- Good luck with your moving! I'm touched you took time out of moving to check up on this humble story and you don't know what a relief it was that you thought the story behind Bootstrap's name seemed 'right'. I hope you keep liking where I'm taking this!
IloveSands- I kept writing, LOL. And yeah, enough people commented about the timeline for me to post the disclaimer.
Louis- You're reading it a second time? How can you? LOL. I have concentration problems, I can barely read something once, especially with chapters as long as mine! I'm glad you decided to let me know, I love feedback, I hope I didn't keep people waiting too long for more. Well as I'm not an American I didn't celebrate Halloween- but I hope it was a great one (and I heart Jack Sparrow costumes were very popular!)
kingleby- I tend to use a lot of flashbacks, it pleases me (I seem to say 'I'm glad' way too often) to see that they work and are not annoying! Don't worry- they get to Sleepy Hollow next chapter!