*~ Disclaimer ~* I do not own any of the characters, language, plots, or locations from Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney holds all rights to Pirates of the Caribbean and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.
Author's Note: This has been edited as of April 20, 2011. I hope any previous readers will approve of the improvements and that you find it as enjoyable as before. Thanks for reading.
Carry You HomeWill Turner stood to the side, clapping politely as he watched Commodore Norrington and Mrs. Commodore Norrington kiss passionately and walk down the aisle. The golden-haired woman and her new husband nodded and beamed at the various guests that had come to the wedding, but when Elizabeth came up to Will, she stopped to throw her arms around him affectionately in a hug.
"Thank you for coming, Will," she whispered to him, voice catching with obvious emotion.
"I couldn't stay away," he whispered back, squeezing her gently. Will saw Commodore Norrington standing behind Elizabeth and caught his eye. The Commodore gave Will a formal nod and reached a hand to Elizabeth's shoulder. She beamed at both of the men and took the Commodore's arm once more. With a tearful wave, the couple walked away from the blacksmith and everyone else began to follow them out of the church. The crowd escorted the newlyweds out of the church with pomp and flair as Will quietly crept out the back.
It wasn't long after their adventure with the Black Pearl and the ghostly pirates that Elizabeth and Will began to understand that a relationship between the governor's daughter and the town blacksmith just wouldn't work. Although their time together was passionate, it was continually being cut short by Will's work in the forge, and Elizabeth was surprised to find herself missing society. After several weeks of struggling and fighting, they had come to the understanding that they would have to part. Soon after their situation had become public, Commodore Norrington repeated his offer for Elizabeth's hand and this time she accepted without hesitation. Their engagement lasted several months and in that time Elizabeth found herself truly falling for the gallant Commodore. This had delighted her father and Will forced himself to be glad for her happiness as well.
To be perfectly honest, Will could say that a part of him felt relieved at the turn of events. Though he had felt a deep love for Elizabeth, he could acknowledge that he wasn't really prepared to support a family, nor did he really want to. He was much too focused on his work, as well as fixated on a more current appeal. His adventures with the Black Pearl had stirred whatever pirate blood was in his veins and the craving to go on an adventure was growing stronger every day. Come sunset, Will would find himself down at the docks, staring into the distance, wondering where the Pearl was now… and what new excitements its captain was experiencing.
Having successfully escaped from the wedding celebration, Will turned towards the docks. He had already done enough work this week to supply his next couple of orders and the pull of the ocean was tugging his heartstrings. With a loping gait, he made his way down the street and didn't pause until he was over the water, leaning against a convenient pole and watching the horizon. Every now and then he would catch a hazy glimpse of something that could be black sails or hear a distant rumble of cannon fire, but as always it would turn out to be nothing more than pure fancy. There was no reason to believe that the Black Pearl would come around Port Royal, not with the price of the captain's head so high and it being the location of the captain's most enthusiastic hunter, the good Commodore himself. Though it might be a bit safer now that the Commodore was occupied with his new wife…
Will sighed to himself. These daydreams would never get him anywhere. He wasn't even sure anymore why he kept coming down to the docks other than to torture himself with something that just couldn't be. Certainly he had pirate blood in his veins, but his upbringing had instilled too much propriety into him, hadn't it…? He sighed again. The only time he truly felt his pirate blood rising was around Captain Jack Sparrow…
"Jack," he whispered to the rolling waves. Somehow, beyond the man's unsavory appearance, the drunken captain had caught Will's fascination, being smart enough to reclaim his ship and title and insane enough to have come up with the idea in the first place. Not to mention he was the only person that Will knew whom he could associate with his father. He had hoped to hear more about his lost parent from the rough man, but their adventure had ended much too soon to have an actual conversation together—most of the time they argued or misunderstood each other (though sometimes Will suspected that Jack was simply provoking him). Now that Will knew what the pirate had intended, or thought he knew what the pirate had intended from the start, Captain Jack Sparrow had earned his trust. True, Will had thought Jack was going to betray him, but after Jack had saved both his life and Elizabeth's, Will could not help but respond to that.
With trust, however, some other emotions began to emerge. Will became uncomfortable each time he thought about the times that Jack would grin in his eccentric way and the way Jack always swayed when he moved (whether that was all due to the rum he consumed or just natural, Will never figured out). All of the captain's movements were captivating, and Will wanted to know what the man would do next. But he couldn't know anything at all from Port Royal.
Will's gaze shifted down to the boards beneath his feet. Stuck here for now, he mused sadly. He recalled with pleasure the rolling motion of the ship and the spray of salt water on his face, both thrilling and refreshing. But there were more orders to fill at the smith's and he had his apprenticeship to finish (as a formality anyway, since he made all of the swords in the forge already). With Commodore Norrington's public admiration of his sword, customers had come from all over to request his services. With a deep breath, Will looked out at the sea once more. The sun was nearly down, beginning to dip below the ocean waves; another day gone, another opportunity lost. Will turned back towards town and made his way slowly to the forge.
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Will entered the shop, weariness creeping over his muscles, and he moved towards the back room which he had made into his bedroom. Since Mr. Brown had found that the public knew that Will made all the swords, he didn't stay in the smith anymore, preferring to drink and pass out at home. Making his way back, Will paused and looked around the room, overcome with a sudden sense of nostalgia. He recalled his first meeting with the pirate captain with a small grin, still impressed with Jack's dueling skills, even though the pirate cheated in the end.
"Shoulda known better," Will slurred to himself with a shake of his head. "He was a pirate."
"Actually, I still am a pirate," a rough, charming voice spoke out from the shadows.
A jolt ran through Will as he spun around towards a dark rack of swords. "Jack?" he exclaimed.
"The one and only," Jack declared, stepping around the rack into the light. His appearance hadn't changed much, still with that roguish grin and kohl-lined eyes that bore into Will. Jack moved like a prowling cat, swaying closer to the young blacksmith with each step, who backed away half-heartedly in his surprise. When he was just starting to invade Will's personal space, he stopped and took a glance over the blacksmith. "Whatever happened to that fine hat I last saw yeh with?" Jack asked.
A bit flustered and more than a little uncomfortable with Jack's proximity, Will brushed a hand through his hair. "After… err, I didn't think it really suited me," he replied. Actually, the hat had gone to Elizabeth, after a couple of days of her taking it off playfully each time he had worn it. He didn't think the hat was really worth a fight with her about it, and the feather was a bit much anyway.
Jack smirked, "Aye, it was a bit classy for yeh, wasn't it boy?"
Will's face turned indignant, "I'm not a…!"
"Although," Jack continued and turned away to look over some swords, "it did suit yer heroic flair very well." Will could only look at the captain, befuddled. This wasn't exactly what he thought it might be like to have Captain Jack Sparrow return to Port Royal, but he supposed that Jack was just that unpredictable.
Jack was looking through some of his most recent requests with interest, randomly picking them up and parrying with the air. Will watched him for a moment before he stepped forward. "Jack," he began cautiously, "what brings you to Port Royal?"
Jack finished a complicated move and placed the sword back in its sheath. He turned and seemed to consider Will's question seriously. "Well, this is where the Pearl brought me. Of course I didn't try to sail the other way, which brought me here otherwise how could I be here talking to you, when you are also here?"
"Umm, what…?"
"And, of course, the crew helped bring the Pearl here, which also brought me here as well. Then again, I had to walk here to the forge, so my feet brought me here. And I wouldn't have been here to talk with you if you were not also here, so you also brought me here."
"Jack!" Will interrupted, causing the captain to look around, amused. "Are you drunk?"
"Hardly!" Jack trilled. "Although some rum wouldn't go amiss. Have any, lad?"
Will sighed in exasperation and slouched against the wall, "No, I'm afraid not, Jack."
With quick movements, Jack was suddenly tugging on Will's arm towards the door, "Then it's off to the pub, then! Can't have a talk without a little rum!"
"But…"
"Quickly, lad! There's no time to lose."
And soon Will found himself sitting at a table with a mug of ale sitting between his hands. Jack had already downed half of his drink and was motioning to the waitress for the next round. Will stared at the drink, confused as to how he got in this situation, or even what sort of situation he was in.
"Just drink it up, it won't bite yeh," Jack rumbled, lounging comfortably in his seat.
Cautiously, he lifted the drink to his lips and took a sip. Will tried not to grimace at the alcohol, but Jack seemed to see it anyway and laughed heartily. "Can't hold your drink, whelp? We'll need to fix that. Keep up," Jack gestured for Will to go on with the brew and with a sharp glare at the irritating captain, he took a hard swig and nearly choked. Jack burst out into laughter as Will sulked.
It was actually amazing that they had made it to the pub. It seemed that Jack was just as good at throwing attention away from himself as drawing it to him. They managed to bypass two random patrols and move such as not to be noticed by anybody who happened to still be out late in the night. A couple dodgy streets later found them a pub where it wasn't likely that even Captain Jack Sparrow would be turned in.
However, there was something different about the captain, Will mused as he went back to small sips at his mug. The waitress had brought the next round over and Jack was shamelessly flirting with her, flustering her to the point where Will wondered whether she would ever leave. He watched as Jack brushed closely to the girl as he expounded her virtues. There was some light-heartedness to Jack's nature that he hadn't seen before. His actions were much the same, still confident and excessive in his movements, but there was a spark in his eye that hadn't been there during their adventure. Perhaps, Will thought, the change had come from being the captain once more of the Black Pearl. He remembered Elizabeth once telling him that Jack believed that the Pearl was freedom. Now that Jack had his "freedom" back, he seemed more—open—somehow. Free enough to talk with Will, and laugh…
Will suddenly realized that Jack was looking at him with an eyebrow quirked. Blushing, Will turned to his drink, embarrassed that he had been caught staring. Apparently the waitress had finally left and Will lifted a new mug to his lips, avoiding Jack's intense gaze.
"So where's yer bonny lass?" Jack suddenly started up; making Will jerk in surprise. A small smirk, "Finally tell her you're a eunuch?"
"No!" Will burst out. "And I'm not," he defended, to Jack's amusement. He tapped on the table, mildly annoyed. "She married Commodore Norrington today."
"Oh, so that's what all the fancy to-do was up at the church?" Jack asked mildly.
Will's eyes widened, "You were there?"
Jack waved a hand around absently, "I was around."
Will took a moment to smile, "You should have come in. Elizabeth wouldn't have let the Commodore arrest you on her wedding day." Not to mention it would have made the affair highly entertaining.
"My regrets," Jack said smoothly. "I would have taken the opportunity to see the Mrs. Commodore, but I was otherwise occupied."
Will hesitated a bit, "Busy doing whatever it is you came here to do?"
An enigmatic smile graced Jack's lips and Will could feel his breath catch in his throat. Toying with one of the empty mugs, Jack only replied, "Perhaps."
"Oh come on, Jack," Will finally spit out. "You wouldn't have come to talk to me if you weren't going to tell me why you were here. So, please, just tell me already!" Will's eyebrows furrowed as he watched Jack, annoyed that the pirate was being so uncooperative, although he didn't really expect Jack to be very compliant anyway.
Jack leaned in close and Will could smell the ale on his breath as well as the smell of spice that always seemed to linger around the captain. Jack was so focused on Will that the blacksmith began to feel awkward. His dark eyes flickered and Will licked his lips nervously. Jack leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I came back to claim what was stolen from me."
Will blinked owlishly, "But you have the Pearl. What else was stolen from you?"
Jack leaned back far enough to look into Will's face. His eyes roved over the blacksmith and Will felt self-conscious under the pirate's gaze, the strong stare that felt …well, he wasn't sure what this feeling was. Jack smiled slowly, not his usual carefree smile, but one that held a secret in it. "I'll tell you later," he promised.
"Well," Will began slowly, unsure as to what that look meant on Captain Jack Sparrow. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Jack's eyes gleamed, as though that was exactly the question he had been waiting for. He leaned back casually and seemed to relax. "Well, I'm sure I can find something for you to do," he slurred.
Will relaxed a bit. Jack was back to his old drunken self. Whatever it was that Jack had been doing to make him tense up like that, Will felt that he was now on more familiar ground. He could help the captain find whatever it is that he needed to find and then… and then he would leave again. Will's face faltered a bit, knowing that he would have to watch Jack sail away on the Pearl once more and this time there would be no Elizabeth to distract him.
"Everything alright, lad?"
"Yeah, everything's fine," Will took a final drink and looked at the pirate. "So what do you need to get your treasure back?"
Jack grinned, "Not yet. I've been terribly rude to Mrs. Commodore. I think we should drop in and apologize for missing out on her wedding."
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"I can't believe we are doing this," Will muttered, stalking down the elegant hall behind Jack.
"Believe it," Jack said. Will could almost hear the grin in his voice. They were sneaking through the hall of the governor's house, where Will knew that Elizabeth and the Commodore were staying before sailing out on their honeymoon. They would probably be in Elizabeth's room…
"Here we are," Jack murmured, creeping up next to the door.
"Wait a minute!" Will whispered hurriedly. "It's their wedding day...!"
"And you said Elizabeth wouldn't let Norrington arrest me, it's fine."
"But Jack, what if they're…?"
Jack gave him a wicked grin and threw the door wide open, "Good evening Mr. Commodore, Mrs. Commodore!"
"Jack Sparrow?" Elizabeth sat up in the bed and Will was relieved to see that she had on a nightgown. Commodore Norrington had been sleeping, but sat up quickly at Jack's abrupt entrance.
"Sparrow!" Norrington snarled and reached for his sword that was slung over a chair next to the bed.
"James," Elizabeth laid a hand on her husband's arm. "Please."
Norrington looked sternly at Elizabeth and slowly put his arm down. "Very well," he said and turned to Jack. "What business have you here, Sparrow?"
"Why, my business is with the lovely Mrs. Commodore!" Jack said with a charming sweep of his arms. He moved over to the side of the bed and took Elizabeth's hand. "Such a beautiful bride, congratulations Commodore."
"Sparrow," Norrington growled. "Kindly keep your distance."
"Of course, of course," Jack assured, stepping back a few inches. "You know, I was rooting for you." Norrington huffed and wrapped an arm around Elizabeth's. "Now Mrs. Commodore! I'm terribly sorry to hear that I missed out on the celebration."
Elizabeth smiled up at the eccentric captain, "Had I known you would be on the island, I would have sent you an invitation." Norrington scowled at this but refrained from commenting as Jack grinned at him.
"My arrival came as somewhat of a surprise to all," Jack told her and gave a significant glance back towards the door, where Will was still hovering sheepishly.
"Oh, Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Come over, we didn't see you at the reception."
He hesitantly stepped forward, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I had some work to do."
Elizabeth gave him a knowing look and Will moved to stand somewhat behind Jack, "That's alright. We know you've been busy lately."
"And it seems that you have been busy as well, my dear," Jack put in smoothly.
"Yes, I suppose so," Elizabeth replied and patted her husband's arm tenderly. Norrington didn't turn his suspicious gaze away from Jack, but they could see him gently squeeze her arm in acknowledgement.
"Well," Jack put on a regretful look, "It's a pity it didn't work out between us, darling. We could have done so well together."
At this, Norrington tightened his jaw and bit out, "Sparrow, state your business and be done with it."
"Well, I thought that I would let you know that I came to collect something of yours," Jack said, smiling innocently at the couple on the bed.
"Something of ours?" Elizabeth queried. "What could you possibly want to take from us?"
"You're not taking my ship again, Sparrow," Norrington threatened.
All of Jack's charm was coming out as he spoke with a flourish. "Of course not, Commodore. I have the fastest ship in the Caribbean, though the Interceptor was a fine prize. No, I came for something else," Jack threw an arm around a startled Will. "I came for your blacksmith."
"Will?" Elizabeth asked, surprised. Her eyes turned quickly to Will, who could only look at Jack with a confused expression.
"Me?" Will couldn't figure out where Jack was going with this. He had thought that Jack only wanted his help with getting something he wanted, but if he was taking Will… then…
"What do you want with Mr. Turner?" Norrington asked bluntly. This only served to make Jack's grin wider.
"Why, I require his services onboard the Pearl," Jack stated in a pleased voice, clearly enjoying the confusion he was causing with his audience.
"You want me to… sail with you?" Will asked, somewhat nervous as to what Jack would reply. Jack leveled Will with a look that seemed to speak volumes, but Will didn't know what it meant. He was off-balance, and he needed to know if Jack truly wanted Will to join the crew, to finally set Will where… where he hoped he belonged.
Elizabeth looked between them and broke the silence. "Well it's about time, Jack Sparrow." Jack raised an eyebrow at this and Will broke his gaze to stare at Elizabeth as she turned to him, "Will Turner, I've seen you looking out at the sea whenever you're not in your forge. It's time for you to get out of here and go where you want to be." She smiled tenderly at him, "Go be a pirate, Will."
Be a pirate? Could he really? Will looked at Jack to see those dark eyes and their intense stare. Well, his pirate blood always did come out around Jack Sparrow. Jack smiled that slow smile once more, as though he could read Will's mind. He held onto Will's elbow and began to tug him over to the door.
"Well, Mr. Commodore, Mrs. Commodore, it was lovely to see you, but I must take what I came here to claim. I suggest you enjoy the rest of your evening," this was said with a suggestive waggle of eyebrows, "and we'll come back sometime to check up on you."
"You'd better not," Norrington muttered darkly and Elizabeth waved at them with a bright smile.
"Be safe, Will! Bye Jack!"
Will didn't have time to say goodbye before Jack tugged him out the door.
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They returned to the forge and Will mechanically packed his things away. He also took with him a few of his best swords and left a note for Brown, saying that he had left and that he was very sorry not to finish his apprenticeship. Before he knew it, Will was in a rowboat with Jack, going around one of the cliffs towards a small inlet where the Black Pearl was hidden. Will was actually going to go be a pirate on the Pearl, a blacksmith under the command of Captain Jack Sparrow… It seemed incredible and Will couldn't believe that was all that Jack wanted. But what else could he have come for then…?
"Jack," Will began slowly, catching Jack's attention as he paddled quietly through the water. "What did you really want from Port Royal?"
Jack continued rowing at the same pace but the look on his face convinced Will that he was thinking about his answer. They turned the corner and Will saw the majestic Black Pearl glimmering above the water in the moonlight. The sides of the boat flickered like the water but its white sails shone in the light. Will had forgotten that they had changed the sails when they came to rescue Jack, but he wondered why they would leave the sails up and make the Pearl's presence so obvious.
His confusion must have showed on his face because Jack spoke then, "She's magnificent to look at. We may have to hide her from time to time, but I wanted you to see how beautiful she looks." Jack was looking at the boat with obvious admiration and devotion and Will had to wonder whether or not the women that had been with Jack were ever jealous of his attention. Will managed to keep the laughter in, but a humorous and happy smile made its way across his face.
"She certainly is beautiful," Will agreed, with delight in his voice. "It must be wonderful now that she's all yours again." He looked at the ship, watching the waves reflect the dark keel of its planks even as the hull reflected the motion of the water. It was rhythmic, enchanting even. Will turned back towards Jack with a smile and was surprised to see the pirate staring at him with the oddest expression on his face.
Jack seemed to pull himself back together and he put on a sly smile. "I seem to have an affinity for beautiful things, Will Turner," he said. "And woe to the man who tries to take them from me."
Will's smile turned uncertain. Was Jack trying to warn him to stay away? But then why would he take Will onboard the Pearl? And why didn't it sound like a threat, but more of a promise? Jack Sparrow was certainly a strange man... and still as captivating and mysterious as ever. Will shook off those thoughts as they reached the Pearl and helped Jack move the ropes to pull them aboard. He would have his questions answered later.
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