Chapter 5
A most curious reunion
**Author's note: Hey! Sorry I've been lacking in updates lately. I'm gonna get a bunch of chapters done for tomorrow afternoon. Keep Reading! (and Reviewing, All the tips were very useful thanks!) **
The island was starting to lighten as a sliver of sun appeared far off the horizon. Down on the beach three figures stood silent.
One of them, Jack Sparrow. He tilted his head, as if it would ease his understanding of the current situation. He kept doing this repeatedly, making all the beads in his hair flop from side to side.
The stranger was now in front of Ana Maria and the confused Captain. He looked quite happy to see them. "Jack" He started heartily "You didn't think that bunch of scum could kill me did you?" The man pushed his hair out of his face.
Until this point Ana Maria had no idea who the bloke in front of her was. That is until she clearly seen his face. Maybe, she thought, he looked only a slight difference than someone else she knew. The only real change was his age and the dirt that lined his face.
Still quite perplexed himself, Jack scratched his chin. "At first I didn't think anyone could kill you. But after a while in the sun, you believe a lot of things." He wore a wide-eyed expression as he raised his eyebrows dramatically.
The man looked over to Ana Maria. "Your the lass Jack was always on about, aye? He grabbed both their shoulders, his hands still strong despite malnutrition. "You two tie the knot yet?"
Jack glanced at her a twinkle of hopefulness in his eyes.
She replied, rolling her eyes. "Not exactly."
Jack knew she was still going on about the whole, "You-stole-my-boat" thing.
"When are you going to get over that?" He growled, shaking free from the hand at his shoulder to look at her.
"Maybe around the time you give me a boat to return the one you stole." She glared at him, as though about to pounce.
"Borrowed, without permission, remember?" Jack offered.
The stranger chuckled. "Guess you haven't chance, righ' Jack?"
"What? I've always been an upstanding pirate if I do say so for myself."
Nobody said anything to uphold his statement.
At the same time, on the other side of the island, the other group made a very shocking discovery.
Will had just passed the Cannonball when he came across something written on a large stone sticking out of the ground. Roughly carved into the stone was a message that was rather upset Will and those in his company felt the same. The message read: "William "Bootstrap" Turner. Pirate of Davy Jones Locker and Blacksmith by trade. He leaves behind his beloved Wife, Ashleigh and the best treasure he ever got, his Son William Turner, JR.
Elizabeth hugged Will to her chest as he turned to look at her. He would not allow himself to cry, because his father wouldn't have wanted that. But his eyes welled up anyway. Gibbs removed his hat in salute.
"He was a good man, one of the few pirates to have a conscience. The only other one I ever knew was Jack." He looked at Will who had turned to listen. "That's why Bootstrap was throw off tha' ship all them years ago. He was standing up for Jack, felt bad they went mutinous on him."
Elizabeth tried to get Will to move, but he remained at the stone, staring at it. "Come on, we better go find Jack and Ana Maria. It's all right Will, he had a good life and he loved you very much."
"I didn't know he loved me. I barely remember him from when I was a child growing up in Canterbury, England. He was a blacksmith and he used to make me little play swords for presents. He would always disappear for month at a time. My Mother used to tell me he was a merchant sailor. But I wondered even then. Other boys I knew had father that were merchant sailors and they came home with goods. Father always returned with money. Then he went away for the last time, a month before I turned twelve. My Mother was growing very sick, she could barely move from her bedchamber at all. I worked at a mill, getting enough wages, for a physician to come check her. He told me it was consumption and that she was not going to be well for much longer. She died two months later." Will paused and looked up at Gibbs, he watched as Elizabeth wiped tears from her eyes. "My father had been gone for five months by this time. I was an orphan, with no place to go so I went to the docks and asked for passage on the first ship that would take me. It's Captain let me on, under the condition I fasten the rigging like one of his men. That's when the Pirate ship attacked us. One of the crew came and told me to get on a little boat. I did but it was hit, before it sank, I grabbed a piece of floating debris and that's when you found me." He looked up to Elizabeth. He eyes stinging from tears he wouldn't let come.
She wrapped her arms around him tight. "You had such a hard life at such an early age, I'm so sorry." She held him for a while, he shook in her grasp.
Gibbs stood watching them, a somber expression on his face. "Come on, we best starting headed towards Jack, or he'll starting cannon fire on this place."
They walked in silence, until they saw Jack sprinting towards them.
He stopped a yard in front of them. "Hello, been looking for you an hour now."
Will could sense something was wrong. "Why what's the matter?" He looked around.
"Nothing, there's just someone I'd like you ter meet." He gestured for them to follow him.
"Who?" Elizabeth said spotting no one. "There is not anyone here, is there?"
"You can bet your pretty dresses there is, and your going to be shocked." Jack as he sauntered down the beach.
They reached a clearing in the woods where Ana Maria sat on a fallen tree trunk facing them. Next to her the strange castaway sat with only his back visible to them
Ana Maria stood. She poked the man hard in the shoulder. "Their here, get up."
When he turned around, he revealed his face, Will felt like his heart had stopped. For it was like he was looking through a mirror, seeing himself, only older.
Gibbs spoke. "Bootstrap?"
But Bootstrap did not respond, for he was focused on one person, his namesake Will. "Son?"
Will stared at him, his heart still pounding irregular. "I can't believe, I don't understand." he sentences jumbled as he stuttered.
"What a fine young man you've grown up to be, boy." He smiled as though they were only apart for a couple of weeks, not a decade.
"How can you be alive?" Will finally managed to get out.
"Think about it" Jack answered. "Barbossa's crew left me to die right before they stole the cursed treasure."
Bootstrap picked up. "Then I got a conscience about what they did to Jack, sent you my coin and then threw me into the river with a cannon tied to my feet."
Will shook his head in disbelief.
Bootstrap continued. "I sank all the way to the bottom of Davy Jones Locker. But I didn't die, I thought it was a miracle. I sat there on the ocean floor and untied myself. Swan to this island, and here I've been for the last nine years. Didn't even starve, because of the curse. I hated the moonlight though, I was one ugly skeleton, that's for sure. Then about a year ago I got hungry, and the moonlight didn't show me as a skeleton. That's when I knew you had broken the curse. It was easy to stay here after that, I sit and think of how proud I was of you." He walked over to Will.
At first Will didn't know whether he wanted to slap him, or hug him. He chose the former and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.
Elizabeth was still puzzled. "Then what was that tombstone back there for?"
Bootstrap looked surprised for a lady to talk so outspoken to a man. His face softened when he saw how Elizabeth and Will looked at each other. "What's your name, love?"
"I'm sorry, It's Elizabeth Swann, I'm engaged to your son." She held out her hand politely.
Instead of taking it he hugged her as well. "So my boy, found yourself a girl aye?" Will nodded. "The tombstone was something to keep me busy, I guess. I also knew that they would need my blood to repay the curse, so it was to convince 'em I died."
The sun had now risen, showering them all in an orange glow. Jack opened his compass. "Well better get back to the pearl."
Bill looked shocked. "You got the Black Pearl back?"
Jack nodded. "That's a long story, maybe over a drink sometime?"
Bill looked wild. "I haven't had liquor for nine years. It can do a lot to a man."
"By all means" Jack handed him one of his unfinished bottles of rum. "Drink up me hearties! Yo ho!"
Gibbs had a furrowed brow. "If you sing one bit o' tha' blasted song I'll throw you into the sea and sail off."
Jack thought better of it and passes the bottle around. Everyone drank except for Elizabeth and Will who both thought it vile and disgusting.
Elizabeth walked over to Will and ran her hands through his hair. "Are you OK?" She whispered quietly.
"I don't know, I thought he was dead all these years and now it's like I've seen a ghost." He looked into her eyes she saw that he was almost frightened.
"It'll be all right, look on the bright side, now he can come to the wedding, and you can share the treasure with him." She said
Bill whirled around. "Treasure?"
Will sighed. "Treasure!"
To be Continued.......Next Chapter: Something Wicked on the High Seas....
A most curious reunion
**Author's note: Hey! Sorry I've been lacking in updates lately. I'm gonna get a bunch of chapters done for tomorrow afternoon. Keep Reading! (and Reviewing, All the tips were very useful thanks!) **
The island was starting to lighten as a sliver of sun appeared far off the horizon. Down on the beach three figures stood silent.
One of them, Jack Sparrow. He tilted his head, as if it would ease his understanding of the current situation. He kept doing this repeatedly, making all the beads in his hair flop from side to side.
The stranger was now in front of Ana Maria and the confused Captain. He looked quite happy to see them. "Jack" He started heartily "You didn't think that bunch of scum could kill me did you?" The man pushed his hair out of his face.
Until this point Ana Maria had no idea who the bloke in front of her was. That is until she clearly seen his face. Maybe, she thought, he looked only a slight difference than someone else she knew. The only real change was his age and the dirt that lined his face.
Still quite perplexed himself, Jack scratched his chin. "At first I didn't think anyone could kill you. But after a while in the sun, you believe a lot of things." He wore a wide-eyed expression as he raised his eyebrows dramatically.
The man looked over to Ana Maria. "Your the lass Jack was always on about, aye? He grabbed both their shoulders, his hands still strong despite malnutrition. "You two tie the knot yet?"
Jack glanced at her a twinkle of hopefulness in his eyes.
She replied, rolling her eyes. "Not exactly."
Jack knew she was still going on about the whole, "You-stole-my-boat" thing.
"When are you going to get over that?" He growled, shaking free from the hand at his shoulder to look at her.
"Maybe around the time you give me a boat to return the one you stole." She glared at him, as though about to pounce.
"Borrowed, without permission, remember?" Jack offered.
The stranger chuckled. "Guess you haven't chance, righ' Jack?"
"What? I've always been an upstanding pirate if I do say so for myself."
Nobody said anything to uphold his statement.
At the same time, on the other side of the island, the other group made a very shocking discovery.
Will had just passed the Cannonball when he came across something written on a large stone sticking out of the ground. Roughly carved into the stone was a message that was rather upset Will and those in his company felt the same. The message read: "William "Bootstrap" Turner. Pirate of Davy Jones Locker and Blacksmith by trade. He leaves behind his beloved Wife, Ashleigh and the best treasure he ever got, his Son William Turner, JR.
Elizabeth hugged Will to her chest as he turned to look at her. He would not allow himself to cry, because his father wouldn't have wanted that. But his eyes welled up anyway. Gibbs removed his hat in salute.
"He was a good man, one of the few pirates to have a conscience. The only other one I ever knew was Jack." He looked at Will who had turned to listen. "That's why Bootstrap was throw off tha' ship all them years ago. He was standing up for Jack, felt bad they went mutinous on him."
Elizabeth tried to get Will to move, but he remained at the stone, staring at it. "Come on, we better go find Jack and Ana Maria. It's all right Will, he had a good life and he loved you very much."
"I didn't know he loved me. I barely remember him from when I was a child growing up in Canterbury, England. He was a blacksmith and he used to make me little play swords for presents. He would always disappear for month at a time. My Mother used to tell me he was a merchant sailor. But I wondered even then. Other boys I knew had father that were merchant sailors and they came home with goods. Father always returned with money. Then he went away for the last time, a month before I turned twelve. My Mother was growing very sick, she could barely move from her bedchamber at all. I worked at a mill, getting enough wages, for a physician to come check her. He told me it was consumption and that she was not going to be well for much longer. She died two months later." Will paused and looked up at Gibbs, he watched as Elizabeth wiped tears from her eyes. "My father had been gone for five months by this time. I was an orphan, with no place to go so I went to the docks and asked for passage on the first ship that would take me. It's Captain let me on, under the condition I fasten the rigging like one of his men. That's when the Pirate ship attacked us. One of the crew came and told me to get on a little boat. I did but it was hit, before it sank, I grabbed a piece of floating debris and that's when you found me." He looked up to Elizabeth. He eyes stinging from tears he wouldn't let come.
She wrapped her arms around him tight. "You had such a hard life at such an early age, I'm so sorry." She held him for a while, he shook in her grasp.
Gibbs stood watching them, a somber expression on his face. "Come on, we best starting headed towards Jack, or he'll starting cannon fire on this place."
They walked in silence, until they saw Jack sprinting towards them.
He stopped a yard in front of them. "Hello, been looking for you an hour now."
Will could sense something was wrong. "Why what's the matter?" He looked around.
"Nothing, there's just someone I'd like you ter meet." He gestured for them to follow him.
"Who?" Elizabeth said spotting no one. "There is not anyone here, is there?"
"You can bet your pretty dresses there is, and your going to be shocked." Jack as he sauntered down the beach.
They reached a clearing in the woods where Ana Maria sat on a fallen tree trunk facing them. Next to her the strange castaway sat with only his back visible to them
Ana Maria stood. She poked the man hard in the shoulder. "Their here, get up."
When he turned around, he revealed his face, Will felt like his heart had stopped. For it was like he was looking through a mirror, seeing himself, only older.
Gibbs spoke. "Bootstrap?"
But Bootstrap did not respond, for he was focused on one person, his namesake Will. "Son?"
Will stared at him, his heart still pounding irregular. "I can't believe, I don't understand." he sentences jumbled as he stuttered.
"What a fine young man you've grown up to be, boy." He smiled as though they were only apart for a couple of weeks, not a decade.
"How can you be alive?" Will finally managed to get out.
"Think about it" Jack answered. "Barbossa's crew left me to die right before they stole the cursed treasure."
Bootstrap picked up. "Then I got a conscience about what they did to Jack, sent you my coin and then threw me into the river with a cannon tied to my feet."
Will shook his head in disbelief.
Bootstrap continued. "I sank all the way to the bottom of Davy Jones Locker. But I didn't die, I thought it was a miracle. I sat there on the ocean floor and untied myself. Swan to this island, and here I've been for the last nine years. Didn't even starve, because of the curse. I hated the moonlight though, I was one ugly skeleton, that's for sure. Then about a year ago I got hungry, and the moonlight didn't show me as a skeleton. That's when I knew you had broken the curse. It was easy to stay here after that, I sit and think of how proud I was of you." He walked over to Will.
At first Will didn't know whether he wanted to slap him, or hug him. He chose the former and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.
Elizabeth was still puzzled. "Then what was that tombstone back there for?"
Bootstrap looked surprised for a lady to talk so outspoken to a man. His face softened when he saw how Elizabeth and Will looked at each other. "What's your name, love?"
"I'm sorry, It's Elizabeth Swann, I'm engaged to your son." She held out her hand politely.
Instead of taking it he hugged her as well. "So my boy, found yourself a girl aye?" Will nodded. "The tombstone was something to keep me busy, I guess. I also knew that they would need my blood to repay the curse, so it was to convince 'em I died."
The sun had now risen, showering them all in an orange glow. Jack opened his compass. "Well better get back to the pearl."
Bill looked shocked. "You got the Black Pearl back?"
Jack nodded. "That's a long story, maybe over a drink sometime?"
Bill looked wild. "I haven't had liquor for nine years. It can do a lot to a man."
"By all means" Jack handed him one of his unfinished bottles of rum. "Drink up me hearties! Yo ho!"
Gibbs had a furrowed brow. "If you sing one bit o' tha' blasted song I'll throw you into the sea and sail off."
Jack thought better of it and passes the bottle around. Everyone drank except for Elizabeth and Will who both thought it vile and disgusting.
Elizabeth walked over to Will and ran her hands through his hair. "Are you OK?" She whispered quietly.
"I don't know, I thought he was dead all these years and now it's like I've seen a ghost." He looked into her eyes she saw that he was almost frightened.
"It'll be all right, look on the bright side, now he can come to the wedding, and you can share the treasure with him." She said
Bill whirled around. "Treasure?"
Will sighed. "Treasure!"
To be Continued.......Next Chapter: Something Wicked on the High Seas....
