Chapter 7: Victory

Thanks all for reviewing! And thanks to all of you for staying with me through the course of the story… it means so much. Really. I'm sorry I haven't put this up sooner… writer's block struck, and I got lazy.

And now… I give you… drum roll the final chapter of The Curse of the Sparrows. Alas. Thank you, everyone who left a review. It means a lot.


As the Caribbean sun beat down upon the idyllic city of Port Royal, a hanging was under way at the fort. But as with nearly everything involving Jack Sparrow, it did not go according to plan.

It would be hard for someone to deny that Jack and Will were a great team, and that day they worked together like they never had before. But unfortunately for them, Norrington had expected something of the sort, and the guard on the fort's courtyard was tripled that day. So when Will carried out his desperate maneuver to free Jack, the Commodore was ready.

And so we rejoin our heroes, surrounded by marines with no escape- or so it appears…

They were quite clearly trapped. Jack felt the rush of excitement fade as he realized that, this time, there might not be a way out.

That stupid Commodore was looking rather pleased with himself. "I had thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt, but not from you." Norrington said to Will, pointing his sword at the two of them.

A horrible sinking feeling was taking place in Jack's stomach. He had set out to help out his best friend's son, and how had it turned out? Will could very well be hanged for helping him.

True, Barbossa was dead. This was good. No, this was more than good- it was phenomenal, because as Jack had pulled the trigger, he couldn't help but feel that he was avenging William.

But now… things hadn't turned out too well, had they? Although it wasn't over yet, Jack couldn't help but feel he'd failed somehow.

He realized that the governor was saying something. "On our return to Port Royal I granted you clemency. And this is how you repay me? By throwing in your lot with him?"

Elizabeth finally managed to get to the scene, and took in the scenario with wide eyes.

"He's a pirate!" Governor Swann finished.

"And a good man!" Will replied stubbornly, and Jack felt an unexpected surge of pride. William would be proud, he thought, and couldn't help but grin. "If all I've achieved is that the hangman will own two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

Will really meant this, Jack realized. He was really willing to die for the slightest chance that it might save Jack's life.

"You forget your place, Turner." Norrington said in the disgustingly sure way of authority. He raised his sword so it pressed against the side of Will's neck.

But he didn't falter. "It's right here. Between you and Jack."

Jack couldn't let this go on. He couldn't let Will be hanged for this.

But as he was about to speak up, Elizabeth strode forward to them with a determined look in her eyes. "As is mine," she said, taking Will's hand.

"Elizabeth!" Governor Swann was clearly stunned. Then he said to the marines, "Lower your weapons," the soldiers glanced at Norrington uncertainly. "For goodness' sake, put them down!" Swann implored.

They complied.

Norrington was still staring at Elizabeth, a pained look on his face. "So this is where your heart truly lies, then," he said slowly.

She nodded. "It is."

Motion caught Jack's eye. A bird- no, a parrot- had landed on one of the fort's canons. Jack stared at it. He knew that bird. It was time to act. Will- he'd be okay. Elizabeth would see to that.

"Well," he said, smiling broadly. "I'm actually feeling rather good about this," he walked forward slowly. "I think we've all arrived in a very special place, eh?" he asked Governor Swann, purposely getting too close for comfort. "Spiritually. Ecumenically. Grammatically."

He approached Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that," he walked away, stopping in front of Elizabeth and Will, who, he was not at all surprised to note, had not stopped holding hands.

"Elizabeth-" he pulled his best regretful face. "It would never have worked between us, darling." It was almost comical to see the look of outrage that slowly spread across her face. "I'm sorry," he climbed the first small flight of stairs leading to the outward wall of the fort.

"Will." Your father would be proud. It was on the tip of Jack's tongue but at the last moment he decided that it was too private a thing for this setting. So instead he said, "Nice hat," he climbed the rest of the stairs and backed up towards the wall.

"Mates!" they all rushed forward, perhaps only now realizing what he was about to do. "This is the day that you will always remember as the day that y-"

That was as far as Jack got before he backed up too far, tripped over the short wall at the edge, and fell into the sea below.

For a moment he was weightless, slowly sinking into the seductive water- then swam for the surface, took a deep breath- and grinned, feeling better than he had in years-

Because sailing into the harbor in all her splendor was the Pearl, his Pearl, come back for him.


Tortuga had changed little in the years of Jack's life. It was still the decrepit old town it had always been, but Jack no longer saw it as he once had.

When he was younger he had seen it as a dead thing, rotting away. Now he realized that it was very much alive.

And it was his home, despite all his wishes to the contrary. It always had been, and always would be. And Jack knew that that was the reason why he had always come back, and why he always would. It was his home- and no one can escape their home.

And now Jack was ready. All his life he had been determined to prove- what? Something- to his father, and now he thought he might be able to do it.

But for some reason his feet took him on a different path from the one that would lead him to the old lot where his father now lived. For some reason he felt himself heading along the familiar path that would lead him to the Brigand's Haven.

As he walked he had to suppress the habit to hurry. As a boy he would come down to the docks on the rare occasions that his father gave him an afternoon off and stay there for hours, watching the ships and their crews.

He invariably stayed out too late, and always ran home. Sometimes he got a beating, others his father just didn't care. But whatever came afterward, the docks never lost their appeal.

Jack stopped walking.

He had expected to see the burnt, broken remains of his father's old bar, but did not. Instead he saw a bare structure, the beginning of a new building. Workmen swarmed round it, hammering things and carrying boards and such.

Jack walked toward it, wondering who was interested in the place after all this time. It had been fifteen years, after all.

His question was answered for him as he heard a very familiar voice calling orders.

"No, no- put that down there- no, over there- that's it."

Jack followed the voice and stopped a few paces away. He cleared his throat.

The man turned. "Jack," his father said, smiling. Jack could never in his life remember a time when his father had been glad to see him.

"Rebuilding?" Jack asked in as casual a tone as he could muster.

His father nodded.

"Where'd you get the money?"

"Found it."

"Found it?"

Tom nodded. "Whole bag of it- gold."

Jack stared at him. "You found a whole bag of gold," he repeated.

"Good luck, I guess."

"This from the man who's convinced we're cursed?"

Tom paused. "I never said the curse couldn't be broke."

Jack raised his eyebrows.

"You did something." Tom continued. "You broke the curse."

"There was never a curse to begin with!" Jack protested.

"Don't you believe in curses?"

Jack opened his mouth to say no, of course not, but stopped. He had seen Barbossa and his crew, even experienced the gold's curse himself, albeit briefly. After that, he couldn't be too sure. "I- I'm not sure," he admitted.

"You got your ship back, didn't you?" Tom asked.

Jack couldn't help but grin. "Aye. That I did."

"I'm glad to hear it."

There was a pause as both men realized that they had nothing more to say to one another.

"Well- I should get goin'." Jack said. "Gotta do a few things."

"Alright." Tom replied, but as Jack walked away, he called him back. "Jack!"

He turned.

"I- I'm proud of you, I guess. And… I'm sorry. For everything I did wrong."

Jack nodded, tears welling unexpectedly in his eyes. "Thanks, dad."

The End.