Author's Note: Well, here it is: The final installment of "Wrong Man. The first half is Chapter 17 and the second half is the Epilogue. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this whole thing! My sincerest apologies for the ungodly delay. My only excuses are school and procrastination.
CHAPTER 17 – Home Again
Jack stared straight ahead toward Port Royal, never once looking back at the tiny island they had just left – at the tiny man who had betrayed him. It was over now. Everything was in its place.
'Well, everything but the whelp.'
Yes, Will had been more than happy to help Jack get his man, but that mission had been completed. Not it was time to go home.
It had better be time to go home!
Knowing the pirate wouldn't be in the best of moods having just left a mutinous crew member – and former friend – shrieking on rock in the middle of the Caribbean, Will approached him slowly from behind and cleared his throat.
Jack spun around and, in typical Jack-fashion, nearly smacked Will in the face. "Aye, William, we're going to Port Royal." Will opened his mouth only to be interrupted with the answer to his unasked question. "And yes, whelp, if your annoyingly caring woman demands it, I will see a doctor. Now please go pretend to do something useful."
Satisfied, Will left the captain alone, just like he wanted. When he was locked away in a rancid little cell, abused and terrified, all he could think of was making a daring escape, rescuing Jack, and getting back to his wife. But now that he was safe and sound and the first two goals had been successfully accomplished, the third was beginning to seem a bit daunting.
Elizabeth hadn't wanted him to go on this little 'trip'. Sure, she loved Jack and his adorably crazy antics as much as her husband did, but the thought of the two of them running loose together in Tortuga, completely unsupervised, was not a comforting thought.
Yet he had gone. Jack was right, he had been in desperate need of a vacation, so he left, despite Elizabeth's insistent protests. 'And look what that got you? Let this be a lesson to you, William Turner: ALWAYS listen to your wife.'
-------------------------------
The Black Pearl sailed into Port Royal mid-afternoon the next day. The crew dropped Jack and Will off in a small cove with orders to return for their captain in a week. Will predicted it would be at least that long before his wife would let their injured friend out of her sight.
The two made their way along the back roads to the governor's property, careful to avoid anyone in naval uniform. With any luck, they could get Jack through this visit Commodore-free.
It was normally no more than a ten minute stroll from the beach to the little cottage behind Governor Swann's house where Will and Elizabeth lived. But with Jack inching along with his broken rib, battered body, and bruised ego it took three times as long, Will practically dragging Jack along the road half the time.
When they finally made it to the Turner's back porch, they both collapsed, safe at last and more than ready to crawl into a warm bed. Not having the energy to get up and open his own door, Will stretched across the patio and tried to rap weakly on the wood, though it came out as more of a scratching.
Not thirty seconds later, the door flew open and smacked Jack, who had the sad misfortune to be lying behind it, square on the forehead.
"Bloody raccoons! I thought the groundskeeper said he'd--" Elizabeth gasped. She dropped the broom she had been holding - presumably to beat the raccoons away - and fell to her husband's side. She rolled him onto his back and set his head in her lap. "Will!! What in God's name happened to you?!"
Will opened his eyes and, finally seeing his beautiful wife again, smiled, truly smiled, for the first time since this whole nasty adventure had begun. "I'm not really sure anymore…Something about pirates…Ask Jack."
"Jack?" Will gestured to his right. "Jack!" Elizabeth had been so wrapped up in her husband who was, for all intensive purposes, just fine, that she hadn't even notice the now unconscious pirate lying just a few feet away. There was a loud thump as Will's head slammed into the porch when Elizabeth stood up without warning to tend to Jack. Will rubbed the back of his head gingerly and sat up, studying his wife and friend.
"Is he unconscious?"
"I think so. Did you carry him here?"
"He wasn't unconscious before."
Elizabeth ran her hand over the pirate's sharp features and stopped at his forehead. She glanced at the cottage's door, then back to the fresh trickle of bright red blood standing out against the pale skin. "That, uh…that might've been my fault…"
-------------------------------
Jack slowly opened his eyes, and then squeezed them shut again against the fierce light. Somehow he had gone from sprawled across the whelp's porch to lying in a nice, warm bed, the covers tucked tight around his waist.
But curiosity got the better of him so cautiously, and against his better judgment, he squinted one eye. He could make out four people standing in the corner, whispering. One was obviously a young woman; another tall and thin with long, dark, wavy hair. 'Whelp and Whelp-ette.' The third was a larger man with a poofy white wig. 'Uh-oh…not exactly my biggest fan…' The last was a mystery. He looked to be about middle age with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail.
Jack sighed and cleared his throat dramatically. All eyes turned to him. Will and Elizabeth were all grins, the mystery man smiled with pride, and Governor Swann grimaced slightly.
"You're awake!"
"Quite the observation, Ms. Turner." Jack eyed this new man warily. Elizabeth followed his gaze and chuckled.
"This is Dr. Sullivan, Jack. He's an old friend of the family."
The doctor, seeing that the pirate hadn't been swayed into trusting him, sighed with enough drama to rival his melodramatic patient. "My job is to save people, Captain Sparrow. Not hang them."
"Aye. That's his job," Jack nodded toward the governor.
"My father won't do anything of the sort." Elizabeth shot the man a fierce, warning glare. "He knows that hanging a friend of his daughter's is not in his best interest."
Governor Swann shifted from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Yes, Mr. Sparrow – Captain Sparrow – my daughter has asked for my assistance and I shall give it to her without hesitation. Even if it means protecting the likes of you."
"Well, you've certainly changed your tune, my dear Governor. Last we met, you were just jumpin' at the bit to see me swing…What'd she threaten ya with?"
Swann stiffened, but kept his composure. "I assure you, Sparrow, my daughter would never do such a thing. I simply wish to see her happy, and you have saved her life in the past."
"Ah. Right. If you say so, governor."
Swann turned to speak with Dr. Sullivan, and Will bent down to Jack's ear. "No grandchildren."
Jack frowned. "Don't see what's so bad about that. He'd save a bundle on Christmas presents."
"Gee, why don't you point that out to him, maybe he'll change his mind and--"
"No, no, that's quite alright, William."
Dr. Sullivan turned back to the bed. "I trust you're feeling better, Captain." Jack stared blankly at the man for a second. Was he feeling better? He hadn't even thought about it. The doctor laughed at the stunned pirate. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
Jack took a moment to examine himself. His right arm was in a sling, his chest had been cleaned and rewrapped, and his head was now bandaged as well. He understood the arm and the chest, but try as he might, he couldn't remember how he'd hurt his head, just as he couldn't remember how he came to be in this bed.
He ran a hand along the gauze and glanced up at the doctor in question. The man smiled mischievously. "I believe you have Miss Elizabeth to thank for that one."
Jack gave her the saddest, most pitiful, beaten-puppy look she'd ever seen. "You hit me on the head?"
"Well, I…I thought…"
"Why would you hit me on the head? What did I ever do to you? Besides rescue you from murderous, undead pirates, reunite you with your one true love, and save you from drowning…"
"I'm sorry, Jack! I thought you were a raccoon! I feel guilty enough already, I don't need you--"
"A raccoon?!"
Dr. Sullivan stepped between them. "I think that's just about enough excitement for one day. Captain Sparrow needs his rest."
"Aye, especially 'cause of this brutal head injury I've just received at the hand of the vigilant raccoon hunter."
Will pulled Elizabeth out of the room and slammed the door behind them before she could retaliate.
-------------------------------
EPILOGUE
It had been nearly three months since Captain Jack Sparrow had left Port Royal. Elizabeth and the good Dr. Sullivan had insisted he stay a week longer than planned, having the whelp send the Pearl away before Jack even had a chance to argue. He fought and complained to no end, but in all honesty, he was truly thankful. As long as he stayed with the Turners and did as he was told, they waited on him hand and foot, which was more than he could expect from even his loyal crew.
When the two weeks were up, he was feeling drastically better. Although he still wore the sling and bandages and would always carry the scars on his chest, most of the pain was gone. His head had healed completely, much to Jack's dismay. It had been very entertaining to hold his forehead and moan dramatically while Elizabeth, having a major guilt trip, scurried around trying to make him more comfortable. But when Dr. Sullivan took off the gauze and announced Jack's head would be fine, the jig was up.
But now he was back on his beloved Black Pearl, the traitor was gone, and Will was safely back in his smithy. Everything was right with the world.
-------------------------------
It was a very boring day. There wasn't much wind and not a ship in sight. All morning he had been ordering his crew around, taking the opportunity to tidy up his ship. In the year that he'd had it back from Barbossa he'd barely had time to get it clean. He'd immediately wanted to wipe away all trace of the mutineer, but there'd never been time to do a good overhaul, until now.
While the crew worked on the deck in the hot sun, Jack stayed in his cabin, scrubbing at the floorboards in a last-ditch attempt to work the nasty 'undead pirate' smell out of the wood. He had just moved his bed away from the wall and was cleaning behind it when something caught his eye. There seemed to be a larger gap between two floorboards than between the rest. It was barely even noticeable, but it was definitely there.
Jack brushed some of the dust away from the crack and tried to peer in, but all he saw was black. He sat back up and studied the gap. There was just enough room for his fingers…
He tugged gently on it and heard the wood creak. It had moved. He took a deep breath and yanked the board up, tumbling onto his back as it came loose. Jack crawled back to the hole and, in the dim light of his cabin, made out a little package about half a foot under his floor.
He climbed onto his bed and sat, studying the thing. It was wrapped in a filthy cloth and fit perfectly in his palm. And, my God, was it heavy! For such a little thing, it certainly weighed enough!
Suddenly, it struck him what this discovery could be – must be. What else would Barbossa hide not only in his own cabin, but under it?
Holding his breath, Jack slowly unwrapped the cloth. Underneath the filthy rag was the most brilliant diamond he'd ever laid eyes on. And the biggest.
"Ah…So this must be the infamous Crystallis. I've heard so much about you." Jack chuckled to himself. "Ya know, part of me feels like I should go find my old friend Captain Lange and give this to him. Then again, there's not much he could spend it on now, is there?" The chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh. "You and me are gonna have some fun, Crystallis. I think we've earned it. Can't forget the whelp, though. I think I'll by him a nice hat. A big one!"
El Fin
THANKS
ellamistAw, Kara, you're the best! I've always thought Gibbs was a little too stupid to mutiny. I would LOVE to go back to Mrs. C and be all "Eat this!!" But she always did like my writing. She'd just be surprised at WHAT I right. Forget this story, I should take her some of my porno pieces!! Better yet, SLASH!
wildthing370: Tim, have I told you lately you're a genius? Maybe not when it comes to el español, but you sure came through for me this time! Qué chico!
Paine-171229: 5'4 better not me a midget, 'cause I'm only 5'4! Let's all mock midgets to make ourselves feel taller!! Yeah, Jack and Will…drools. I am beyond honored to you liked my story that much! Thank you so very much!
OpraNoodlemantraI always liked Marty, too, but something about him just struck me as evil. Maybe that's why I liked him. I'm very happy to hear you liked the plan, but even happier to hear you liked that line! I loved that line! School is of the devil. Ya know what I hate most about it? Every one telling me we're getting 'paid' because it'll help us succeed in the future. Yeah, well, if you can tell me how Pre Calculus is gonna make me money one day, I'd sure like to hear it. But your mom is very, very right. A sequel…perhaps. Nothing's in the works yet, but I've been trying to think of one.
JackFan2: Always glad to hear you loved my story! I'm sad to say that my boring Bio class was last year and now I got nothing but horrible Honors classes, so all my writing is done after midnight. I've never had someone get a kick outta my "Author's Notes" before, and I gotta say, it feels pretty good! I was VERY worried that people would jump down my throat for the whole midget fiasco, but I wasn't about to let that stop me. I have been considering a sequel, but I haven't got anything yet. I don't want it to be like every other story out there, and it's getting difficult to come up with original ideas. My muses seem to be on vacation.
InsanePirate624: Oooh, Elvish! Very impressive! I'm sorry this took so long to post. And I still plan on reading your story (it's on my Favorites list), but I've been so busy with evil, evil school that I haven't had time to catch up on the stories I've already started or even write my own. Hopefully now that this one's finished, I'll have some more time.
ellennarSo glad you liked that line! Feel free to use it anytime. I can see that working very well in Blood of Avalon. Speaking of which…quit reading this and go write it! Oh and by the way, I love the picture in your profile.
Rose Noire le Mort: Always glad to see a new reader! Glad you found this funny. I tried to put in as much humor as I could to counteract all the angst. Sorry it's not a Jack/Ana shipper, but hopefully you still enjoyed it.
JessieRose: Glad you liked the plan! I'll be sure to tell my friend since he's actually the one who thought it up. I hoped Marty would take everyone by surprise, so that makes me happy! Thanks for being such a faithful reviewer.
Blue Autumn Sky: Your review cracked me up! Loved all the voices. As for Marty, I don't think anyone would've given him the opportunity to run for his life. He is surrounded by lots of big, loyal pirates. Thanks so much for the review!
Chem Thanks for the review! So glad you liked the twist and the political incorrectness.
nessi Another new reader! Yay for me! And I am VERY honored to be your first POTC fic! Hope you're liking the fandom.
Alori Kesi Aldercy: Woot Woot! Your review made me laugh! Glad you liked the little twist. Hope this was a satisfactory ending for you.
Carby luva 313: What an interesting screenname! Here's your epilogue. Hope you liked it!
CelebreanI don't think I've reviewed your story yet, but I have started reading one, Brotherhood, I think. Glad you liked the twist. I would never have made it Ana for the simple fact that that's too easy. Have fun with your homework! Sounds nearly as nasty as mine… stomps off complaining about functions and chemical properties and economic growth…
Red Stockings: Glad you found the humor in this little story of mine. Without it, it would've been FAR too depressing to even write, much less read! I hope this chapter answered your questions on the diamond.
Beanie2552: Sorry dude, but it's after midnight and I'm falling asleep. I'll answer your review in person. If you don't like it, blow me up in Chemistry.
IlaGlad you liked my "Captain Daft Bastard" line. It was one of my personal favorites. Thanks for reviewing!!
And thanks to anyone who I might've forgotten. I apologize, but it's after midnight and I can barely keep my eyes open. Hope you've all enjoyed my little story.
What do y'all think? Sequel or no sequel….? I think some stories are better left alone, but if enough people want it, I'll try to write a sequel. Let me know what you think.
And if you leave your email address, I'd be happy to respond to your review!