Title: The Past Never Lets Go.
Summary: The past never truly dies, it's always there. The sequel to "The Rewrite" but if you haven't read it you don't really need too.
Chapter 8/?
Writer: Azure K Mello
Distribution: ask.
Rating: R for now.
Warning: unbeta-ed
Will rarely dreamed. He was usually exhausted when he fell into bed. And if he wasn't spent from the day's work Jack always managed to tire out the boy before he fell asleep. But now he was dreaming.
He was a child no older than twelve. He was playing chess with a man who looked like himself only older and with broader shoulders. The man was winning easily. And William was crying though he didn't understand why. And as the finally finished the game he tried to comfort Will.
"It's not your fault, boy. You played well. But I'm older, been playing longer. I was here first and had already staked a claim. You can't beat me. I'll always win. Now stop crying like a child."
Will was a child and couldn't stop the flow of his tears. He watched mournfully as the man put the game away. The man hit him across the face for his insolence and Will just stared at him without flinching. "It's not fair," he said softly.
The man studied his face and said, "No it's not. But things aren't fair. And no pirate plays fair. We cheat. You should know that."
And suddenly Will was a full grown man sitting across from his father. Silently he sat weeping as he drank in the sight of the man. "He would never betray me."
"Not while you're still useful," agreed Bootstrap Bill.
Will sat bolt upright in bed and looked directly into wide eyes as Jack was already sitting up, watching him, "I've not made you scream that loudly." Will almost laughed but choked on the lump in his throat. His face was sticky with tears and shame welled up in him for behaving so weakly. "What were you dreaming about?"
"I lost a game of chess." Jack gave him a look that told Will that the older pirate didn't believe him. "No, it was very upsetting," he justified.
Studying him for a long moment Jack nodded to the corner where a chess board was set up. "Do you want to play?"
Shaking his head the boy said, "No. It disturbs me that you win without cheating.
Jack laughed in a way that was clearly meant to be soothing. "I've just been playing longer."
"There are better ways to distract me," whispered Will as he pulled his lover to him. And he worried that tonight would be their last night together. Tomorrow they would arrive in Tortuga, would find the sender of the letter, and Will would lose Jack forever.
Will felt ill as they docked and after securing a line he walked over the Jack. "Perhaps you had better go alone," he said softly, "I was not addressed in the letter. It would be rude for me to come."
Studying Will in the same way that he had the night before he said, "When have we ever been called polite? You must be curious."
He was continually baffled by his lover's curiosity. The note could have been a trap and yet Jack was running head long into it to solve a mystery. "No, I'm not. I'd rather we set out back to sea right now."
"C'mon, Will, I need you. What if it's not a friend? You know I can't win in a fair fight." Jack laughed his eyes full with mirth.
"You've never had a fair fight."
"Exactly why I need you there." He smiled crookedly, "This might be a good time you're throwing away."
And Will nodded, feeling slightly ill, "I suppose you're right." They walked onto the dock waving to acquaintances. Will told himself that he was being a fool. That the note couldn't have possibly been from his father. But as they walked through the streets of the busy port he could feel something in his mind assuring him that he was right. When they walked into the inn he couldn't even pretend to be shocked at the sight that met them.
The man sitting at the back table looked so much like himself. Because of the curse the man had not aged for a long time and looked to be only a few years older than Will himself. But the man had the appearance of someone much older. His skin was wrinkled from too much sun, his completion was red from too much drink, his eyes were hard from seeing too much. "John!" exclaimed the man as he stood and gave Jack a hug. But Jack never took his hand off of Will's arm.
"Hello, William," said Jack with a slight shake in his voice that Will had never heard before.
The man looked past Jack then and saw Will for the first time, "William?"
"Hello, Father."