Author's Notes: Oh yeah, it's another Flashback chapter.
Jack: Now there's a surprise!
Norrington: Mr Sparrow, stop being sarcastic. You got your girl, didn't you?
Jack: Aye, I got me girl, and ye didn't!
Me: Don't gloat Jack. Ye remember what happens next, don't ye?
Jack: Aye, I do at that. Still, ye haven't explained how I got the Pearl yet, nor how I gets off the Island.
Norrington: And you still have to write the sequel
Me: Not sure about that mate...
Norrington: You promised!
Me: OK, OK, let me finish this one first, will ye?
Damn, I'm sounding more like Jack every day! LOL Seriously have to get this finished, so I can get back to a normal life LOL
Jack: A normal life? Ye don't have a life, normal or otherwise
Norrington: Indeed. She wouldn't be writing this if she did!
Me: sigh Stop complaining or I won't finish it at all!
Jack & Norrington: Just write the chapter already!
Me: Alright!
Sorry for the long time it took to post this chapter, my studies kept getting in the way LOL But as I have finished my course for this year, I have some time to spend on writing again :) Apologies for the "getting close" bit here at the beginning, just thought the "marriage" needed a bit of clarification ;-) There is an NC-17 version of this chapter, which will be posted at my fanfic archive shortly (URL is in my profile) Oh yeah, 34 reviews! Woo-hoo!
Note 2: because of the stupid edit function that has introduced, which seems to be stripping all the coding from my story, including the tags it's supposed to allow, i have had to mae the first word of each new paragraph bold so readers know where the paragraphs breaks are supposed to be! Sorry about the messy way it displays, feel free to complain to about it.
#11 – Will Justice Be Done?
Dark storm clouds stretched as far as the eye could see, brooding and full of menace. Occasional flashes of lightning arced across the sky, followed by muted rumbles of thunder. Jack Sparrow and his new wife stood at the stern of their ship, watching the storm raging around them. Captain Wolf stood a few feet away at the helm, years of experience telling him they were in no real danger. Yet. He was more wary than normal this time; after the strike last time they were anchored in this bay, he didn't want to take any chances. Jack glanced over at his captain, worried by the dry, hacking cough the older man had developed. The Explorer's First Mate didn't like the thought that his captain, who always seemed to be invulnerable, was just as susceptible to illness as anyone else. It brought home the fact that Wolf wouldn't be around forever; one day he would die like any other person.
"Will history remember him?" Jack murmured to himself.
"Remember who?" Ash asked softly.
"What?" Jack hadn't realised he had spoken aloud.
"You mean James?" His wife looked at him, her expression understanding. "Yes, I think they will remember him."
"I hope so." The couple watched James move away, heading towards his cabin. After a few moments, they were alone on deck.
"Jack..." she began, stopping as he turned towards her. Hands shaking, she slowly began to undo the buttons on her shirt. Without breaking eye contact, Jack placed his hands on hers, his fingers brushing the soft skin of her collarbone.
"You don't have to do this. I knew when I agreed to this that it was a marriage in name only, to save you from having to marry Norrington..." he told her. His heart raced in his chest as she moved closer to him, moving his hand a little lower.
"I know. Thing is, I didn't marry you just to escape my prior engagement, Jack. If that was all I wanted, I would have accepted Wolf's offer to do the same. I..." she stopped, unable to put into words what she wanted to say. She moved his hand lower, brushing her own fingers lightly down his cheek as she moved towards him.
"Don't," he whispered, pulling away slightly.
"You think I'm doing this because I have to? Because a wife is expected to service the needs of her husband?" she snarled, angry at his rejection. Fighting back tears, she went to turn away from him; ashamed by her actions, and having misread his, she had to be anywhere but there. Her breath caught in her throat as his hands wrapped around her arms, and he pushed her back against the aft mast roughly. His lips claimed hers in a passionate, bruising kiss; she could feel him trembling as he pulled her against him, and the floodgates of her pent up passion were opened.
The storm continued to rage throughout the area, but the awesome display of nature went unnoticed as the couple finally consummated their marriage.
The following morning, the storm had passed and the air smelled pure and sweet. Laying in his cabin, Jack looked down at the woman sleeping beside him and smiled. She looked so innocent and peaceful when she slept, the stress of her previous life wiped away. He still worried that she would eventually have to face the demons she had run away from, but he knew he would be at her side when she did. A single curly lock of hair had fallen across her face and he gently brushed it away, feeling her stir slightly beneath his touch. His smile grew as she opened her eyes and looked up at him, the passion in her eyes mirroring his own. Bending his head, his lips claimed hers in a kiss full of remembered passion; her response full of the promise of a repeat performance as intense and loving as the previous night. His hands began a gentle caress, moving down slowly. The young couple jumped when a loud knock sounded at the cabin door, hastily covering up as James Wolf strode into the room.
"While I'm sure I'm not the only one happy that the two of ye have finally sorted yerselves out, we have company," the older man told them. While his face remained blank, his eyes twinkled with the same mischief they usually held when an attack was imminent.
"Let me guess... one of the British naval ships has finally caught up with us?" The determined look in Ash's eyes, and the set of her jaw, told both men this was a day she had been expecting for a while.
"How'd ye guess missy?"
"Well lemme think..." The sarcasm was not lost on the two pirates but both men wisely remained silent.
"Get dressed. We might be able to outrun them, but if we don't..."
"I'll die before I go back!"
"It may yet come to that..." The hard look Wolf shot at Jack quelled the denial on the First Mate's lips. "Get dressed and get up on deck... both of ye!" Without another word, the Captain spun on his heel and left the cabin, leaving the young couple staring after him in surprise.
The sun lay low on the horizon as Jack and Ash emerged from below decks. The sky above was clear and cloudless, the colour of the darkest sapphire. It looked like it was going to be another beautiful day in the Caribbean, but the promise of the day ahead was soured by the smudge on the horizon. Taking the telescope from Wolf, Jack sighted the sails, counting four ships on their trail. The British pennant flying at the stern of each ship told him all he needed to know... they were looking for Ashanae and would not stop until they had recovered her.
"So we got four heavily armed naval ships, all lookin for us?" Jack's tone carried a certain amount of irony at the situation.
"That's about the sum of it, yeah." Wolf's stance seemed at ease, but Jack knew him well enough to know he was ready for a fight.
"Don't run." The words were softly spoken, and both men turned to look at Ash in surprise.
"What do ye mean, don't run? If they catch us and find ye, they'll take ye back. Is that what ye want?" The First mate could not believe what he was hearing.
"No! But if I'm right, they won't force me to go back when they find out I'm already married."
"Are ye sure bout that?"
"As sure as I can be. Once we married, my uncle lost all power over me. By law, all my possessions and wealth, formally held in trust by my Uncle, are now mine. It was a stipulation in my father's will that I would inherit everything once I turned Twenty-One..." The satisfied tone of her voice, combined with the smug smirk which pulled at her lips, reassured both pirates that she may indeed be telling the truth.
"So, we didn't really have to..." Jack began, unable, or unwilling, to finish the sentence.
"If I had know our dear Captain would keep me safely hidden until after my birthday, there would have been no need to marry, but I didn't know that. Do you regret that we did though?" she asked in a quite voice. The look of uncertainty in her eyes made her look suddenly fragile, and Jack slipped his arms protectively around her waist, pulling her against him slowly.
"I don't regret a thing darlin'. Ye can be sure of that," he drawled quietly in her ear.
"Good," she murmured quietly, before raising her voice and continuing. "So, we wait and let them catch up with us. Once Norrington comes aboard, I'll explain the situation. If he likes, he can take me back to Port William..."
"What?!?" Wolf interrupted, stunned by her words.
"So I can tell my Uncle to go to Hell," she finished, her eyes holding a deadly glint.
"Aye, I can see why ye'd wanna do that, lass," Wolf agreed. "Jack, tell the crew what we're about and tell em they're not to fire unless one of us tells em to."
"Aye Captain."
"I hope ye know what yer doin lass," the older man murmured.
"So do I, Captain, so do I," Ash thought, a feeling of unease growing in her stomach as she turned to look once more at the darkening smudge on the horizon; her past was finally catching her up.
Three hours later, the Royal Navy's flagship in the Caribbean, HMS Voyager, came clearly into view to the east. Ranged out behind her were HMS Valiant, HMS Elizabeth and HMS Jupiter, making a small fleet which vastly outnumbered and outgunned the smaller ship they were seeking. While they made no attempt to try and escape the confrontation, the crew of the Intrepid Explorer were nonetheless very edgy as the galleon neared their position. Each man on board appeared relaxed and at ease as the ship drew alongside them, but every one of them was ready to fight to the death if the situation became unpleasant. Soldiers stood along the railings of the Voyager, each holding a rifle which was trained on a member of the Explorer's crew. Ashanae stayed between Jack and Captain Wolf, as the three of them made their way down onto the main deck and waited for Norrington to appear. It didn't take long for the young Lieutenant to appear at the railing, his expression unreadable, though his eyes widened slightly as he saw that Ash was holding Jack's hand. The HMS Voyager dropped anchor and slowly stopped beside the Explorer, as James Norrington removed the thick entry port rope and positioned himself slide a plank across to assist with boarding.
"Permission to come aboard?" Norrington shouted, ready to push over the plank to the pirate ship.
"Aye Lieutenant, ye may come aboard. But only yerself, no other may board my ship today," Wolf agreed.
"Very well, I shall come alone," the young man acquiesced. Knowing that having a boarding plank in place might prove too much of a temptation for the less experienced members of the Voyager's crew, the young Lieutenant climbed onto the bulwark rail and jumped. With the agility and precision of an acrobat, Norrington landed on the edge of the entry port of the Explorer, his hand grabbing hold of the bulwark rail to stop himself falling backwards into the sea. Ash took a step forward and extended her hand, a slight smile on her face as Norrington hesitated for a moment before accepting her aid. Wrapping her hand around his forearm, she pulled him forward onto the safety of the deck and grinned impishly.
"Hello James. That was a bold move," she greeted her former fiancé, her voice filled with laughter, and a touch of admiration.
"A boarding plank would have been too much temptation for some of my comrades," he admitted, smiling in spite of himself. "You are looking well, Lady Ashanae. The sea air seems to agree with you..."
"Thank you Lieutenant. So, how are things back in Port William? I imagine my Uncle was probably howling with rage when he discovered my unexpected departure."
"He was indeed, my Lady. He ordered us to depart as soon as your absence was noticed. We were under orders to return you to Port William immediately, and use any means necessary to ensure your safe return."
"One wonders then Lieutenant, why it has taken you so long to find us? A simple trip to Tortuga would have given you all the information you required to find us..."
"It did indeed. Unfortunately the information we were supplied turned out to be completely inaccurate."
"Oh? How so?" Wolf wanted to know. While his expression was neutral, his voice carried a hint of amusement which told James Norrington that he was aware of the Lieutenant's subterfuge.
"The information we were given led us in completely the wrong direction... totally the opposite to yours, as it turns out."
"Ah, I see. It's so hard to find trustworthy pirates these days, isn't it James?" Ash agreed, her eyes sparkling with glee.
"Indeed. I believe congratulations are in order, my Lady..." James looked pointedly at her left hand as he spoke.
The silence was deafening as the four stood on the main deck, no-one wanting to speak in answer to the unspoken question in James' voice. The seconds ticked by as each considered how to answer; how much did they reveal to a man they didn't know if they could trust?
"Thank you Lieutenant," Ash said, finally breaking the uneasy silence. "And now that you've found us, I suppose you intend returning me to Port William?"
"My Lady, you are legally an adult now. I may no more force you to return to Port William, than I can force the weather to remain favourable. I believe however, that it may be wise to return to Port William…"
"And why is that?" Her voice held a dangerous note as she faced down the man she had almost been forced to marry.
"Because the trip may finally bring some answers regarding any questions there might have been surrounding the death of your parents, my Lady."
"What?? How is it that you know about that event James?"
"Your uncle mentioned it shortly before we departed. It appears that their deaths may not have been an accident, as was commonly believed."
"Ha!" she spat in disgust. "So, the scheming bastard finally got clumsy and let that information slip did he?"
"Ye knew?" Jack asked her, his expression shocked. "Ye knew their deaths weren't an accident?"
"I've known it since the day my uncle told me of their passing. I couldn't prove it though, and I still can't. Just because my uncle made the mistake of admitting being involved in murder, doesn't mean I could prove it to a formal court."
"There may be a way to do that, my Lady. Do you know of Commodore Anderson?" James asked her, his voice excited.
"Sean? I mean, Lord Sean Anderson, retired Commodore of the British Navy, currently residing in Plymouth with his wife and children?"
"Yes, that's him."
"I know him, he was my father's closest friend. Why?"
"Send word to him at once. While serving in the Navy, he had the power of magistrate. That power remains, even though he is retired. He has the power to seize and search anything your uncle left behind in England, including any papers which may be held by a bank or other such secure establishment." The young Lieutenant's excitement was obvious to all now, including those on the other ships. Not being able to hear what was being said, the soldiers onboard the Voyager subtly readied their weapons, making ready to fire if their comrade appeared to be in danger.
"We'll return to Tortuga. Ye'll be able to find a ship there that'll take word back to England for ye," Wolf told her. "Lieutenant Norrington, would you care to remain on board until we reach Toruga? To keep an eye on your charge, and make sure no harm comes to her, of course."
"I think that would be an excellent idea Captain," James agreed.
Wolf turned to look at Jack and continued. "Tell the crew to make ready to sail, Jack. We're bound for Tortuga."
"Aye Captain, right away."
Jack turned away and started walking towards the stairs which led below deck, wanting to be as far away from the British sailors, and Norrington, as possible. He had taken no more than five steps when a shot rang out, and he knew it was aimed at him. He stopped dead in his tracks, confused as to why he had felt no pain from the bullet.
"Guess ye missed mate?" he shouted over his shoulder, his tone jeering. Turning slowly, he threw a disgusted look at the men on the other ship, especially the one whose rifle was held higher than the rest. The look of horror on young Norrington's face alerted him that something was very wrong. A shiver ran down his spine as his wife turned around, her face so pale it was almost translucent. A sudden wave of fear swept over him as she extended her hand towards him, the other pressed to her chest. The white of her shirt was a stark contrast to the red that stained it, as blood seeped from the wound beneath her hand.
"Ash!" Time seemed to slow down as Jack stood, frozen to the spot, and watched his wife gracefully collapse onto the deck a few feet away from him. He rushed to her side and gathered her into his arms, pressing his hand over the wound in an attempt to stem the blood which flowed freely from her body, carrying with it her life...
Ok, I admit it, that was a cliff hanger...
Jack: If yer not careful luv, ye'll be the cliff hanger...
Me: OK, that's it! Your rum privileges are cancelled!
Norrington: laughing She means it, Mr Sparrow. You better be nice to her, like I am
Me: Norrington, stop gloating! You're no nicer to me than he is!
Jack: Ye can't mean that darlin! Ye can't take away me rum!
Me: Watch me!