What Is & What Will Never Be
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I do not & cannot obtain ownership of POTC 1, 2, or 3...It's so depressing that they had to postpone filming for over a month!
"Or...might I save this", he waved the letter. "As ammunition?"
"Oh, Jack, you wouldn't", Jade murmured as she stood back up.
Jack absently stroked his mustache and smiled. "I should show it to Miss Elizabeth...Ah, what a laugh that would be!"
"Jack!" Jade exclaimed. "It most certainly would not! After all the stress those two have been through lately..."
"An' ol Norrington to make it worse, eh?"
"Oh", Jade put her hand to her forehead, sighing. "I don't even want to think of that encore. I just keep thinking of poor Belle."
"Alright, would ye do the honors, love?" Jack proposed, holding out the letter to her.
Jade took it, but was hesitant. Jack rolled his eyes, and putting his hand to her back, pushed her forward.
"J—Jack! What are you doing?"
Having successfully pushed her to the fireplace, he stood back.
"There, ye see? Now jus' throw it in."
"Oui." Jade held the letter above the fire, when Jack abruptly caught her wrist.
"Que?"
Jack cocked his eyebrows, and said slyly, "Ye never know where that'll end up, so..."
He snatched the parchment back from her. "We might as well tear the blaster to pieces!"
"No!"
Jack and Jade spun around to face Commodore Norrington.
"Ah, well if it isn't the culprit 'imslef!" Jack addressed. "What are ye doin' here, ye bloody idiot? Did ye have second thoughts—no, third thoughts by now, and you are goin' to tell Mrs. Turner your disgusting and inappropriate feelings?"
Jack instantly came down on him, cutting into his every nerve.
Jade turned away from them both, staring at the fire, and just waiting for that gunshot.
"The letter", Norrington muttered tersely.
"What was that?"
"The letter, Sparrow", he repeated, more angrily.
"Oh, so now ye want to bloody voice yer feelings plus give her the bloody letter?" he accused, his voice raising.
"Sparrow!" Norrington barked.
"Ye want to ruin Elizabeth's life, and not to mention", he made a motion towards Jade with his hand. "Jade's life and yer wife's bloody life; some life she has!"
"Just give me the letter!"
"Ye touch it or go a step further an' I shoot!" Jack yelled, putting his hand to his pocket.
Jade turned around, putting her hand on his wrist to stop him, but he had already pulled the pistol out, and was pointing it, trigger ready, at Norrington.
"No—Jack, s'il vous plait!" Jade begged weakly.
James moved forward.
"You're dead!" Jack yelled, clicking the trigger.
"Just give me the goddamn letter!" Norrington ordered, as he ran forward, reaching for it.
"No!" Jade cried, giving one last attempt to stop Jack, but the gun shot resounded in the room.
Jade sunk to the floor, shaking. She closed her eyes, burying her head in her arms. She could hear someone cursing. Then there were ripping sounds. And footsteps as someone ran out of the room. A door slammed, causing Jade to shudder.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and gasped in shock.
"Jade..."
She looked up and saw Jack. The pistol was on the floor, and...
"Is he...?" she whispered
"No, he's not dead. I just shot him through the hand. He grabbed the letter, ripped it into pieces, threw it in the fire...an' left. Just like that", he said softly.
Jade didn't know what to say. Jack offered his hand to help her up, and she took it.
They both stood there for several seconds, in the middle of the room lit by the fire.
"Oh God, Jack", Jade whispered, and leaned into his open arms.
"Well, it's over now. It's all over...Eventful day, wasn't it?"
"Oh Jack...Elizabeth with her petite ange...I hope she and Will didn't hear that." Jack sighed, and brushed his hands through Jade's curls of hair. "No, I'm...supposing not."
He dropped his hands. "Damn. Care fer a drink or two?"
She faintly smiled. 'Have something strong?"
"Oh, do I, love!" Jack gave his signature grin, and taking Jade's arm, led her to the kitchen.
James breathed heavily, standing at the wheel of his ship. He covered his slightly bleeding hand with a handkerchief, wincing in pain.
"You alright, Commodore?" a lieutenant by the named of Giles asked.
"Yes. Are, um...Gillette, Judd, Marks...the whole order ready?"
"Yes, sir", Giles said, saluting him.
"Very well. We sail back to Port Royal. Now."
"But, tonight, Commodore? It's already late. Shall we not...?"
"No, lieutenant, we must depart now. It'll already take us a week or more to get back, and that's only if the winds decide to cooperate", he said sternly.
Giles again saluted, and reported to the rest of the troop, and within minutes, Giles and another lieutenant were at the wheel, steering for Jamaica.
James sighed, sitting down. He wrapped the kerchief round his hand more securely.
"I hate him...Hate him", James murmured to himself. "Ah, he should've killed me. I'm better off that way."
He thought of how stupid he had been, and thought of his poor wife alone at home, with
only a mad dog to keep her company.
'What kind of marriage is this!'
"She was right..." he sighed to himself sadly. "Oh, dear Miss Berneray...dear Belle, please forgive me", he whispered. "I'll make it up to you when I come home...for good. I'll never abandon you again. Especially not for a relationship that I truly know will never be. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are what is, and I now know that anything between Miss Swann and I will never be..."
"Oh, I'm so exhausted", Jade sighed as she fell in a heap in an arm chair.
"Oh, none of that, lass", Jack encouraged, lightening the mood as he poured rum into a fancy glass and handed it to Jade, then poured himself a glass.
Jack lifted up his glass, motioning for Jade to do the same.
"What are we proposing to?" she asked.
"To Norrington almost being shot death by the infamous...!"
"Jack!" she admonished.
"All right, then", Jack murmured, looking slightly hurt. "You're turn, if ye've got anything better."
"To the Turners and their new baby."
Jack clinked his glass against Jade's. "Alrigh', I'll go fer that."
"Votre tour, encore", Jade said as she took a sip.
Jack gave a long sigh, stroking his mustache. He sat quietly, staring into space.
"Well, Jack?" Jade prompted, after about 30 more seconds, impatiently.
"To pirates", he breathed finally. "To what a man can do and what a man can't do. To The Code; the guidelines, to sea turtles, to compasses, to the Black Pearl, to Tortuga..."
"Jack---"
"Would ye let me finish, lass?" he said eagerly. "To Will, to Elizabeth, to Norrington, yes, I must admit, to Swann, to Scarlet, to Giselle..."
"Jack, are you finished?" Jade asked, laughing slightly because of the rum and her exhaustion, and of Jack himself.
"I've got just one more, lass!"
"Jack, was that not enough?"
"Oh, then I suppose you don't want to hear it."
"Go on and say it."
He walked around the arm chair, so that he was facing her back, and whispered in her ear, "To you."
Before Jade could respond, he had placed his lips on hers in a passionate kiss.
"Miss Jade Rochet", he finished.
Jade was breathless for a moment, but then returned the kiss.
"Mmm...I must be quite the charmer, mustn't I, Miss Rochet?"
"Vraiment, monsieur. I truly can't bear it."
"Can't you?" he challenged, drinking the glass of rum, then sitting on the couch across from Jade.
Jade finished her glass, which was half-empty, or half-full.
"Are we fin with our toasts?" she inquired unfocusedly.
"Hmm, let's see...oh! Here's to..."
Jade laughed and walked over to him. "Ok, let's sleep."
"What? An' ruin all the fun?" Jack pleaded, and pulled her down on the couch next to him.
"Jack..."
He stopped her with a kiss.
"Jack, no..." she moaned, gently pushing him off her. "I'm so..." she yawned. "Tired."
Jack sat up a bit. "Are ye sure?"
She nodded.
"Positive? Absolute? Certain?"
"Jack..."
"More rum?"
She moaned, and lay down against him, closing her eyes.
Jack gazed at her for a moment, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face before he got into a comfortable position. And taking another sip of rum closed his kohl-rimmed eyes.
Encore: again
Votre tour, encore: Your turn, again
Vraiment: Indeed