The Oldest Story in the Book
Chapter 30 (do you believe that)
Author's note: Once again, sorry it took so long. Graduation looms on the horizon and I've no idea what comes after that. As always, I promise I'll finish this. I just can't promise more frequent updates. Wish I could. Thank you to the three people still hanging in there.
Speaking of which:
lady scribe of avandell: I appreciate your suggesting I write the script. I'd be happier if they suggested it. The bad news is that they're filming film three at the same time as two, so I assume they have a script already. The good news is we get the third movie a year after the second.
PirateWench5309: definitely not the end. I'm still a ways off, but getting ever closer
Ethan chuckled. "It's odd. All these years, you've been calling me your brother, now I find that I am." He paused to look at her suspiciously. "When did you find out?"
"When I was ten," Emmie said. "When my 'Aunt' took me out to the sea. But I'm still me. I mean, it's improtant to me that you still see me. My name may not be Emily, and I may not be set up to marry some proper noble, but I am still the girl you grew up. And I am your sister."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Emmie sighed, worrying her lip with her teeth. "You were young. It was hard. I wasn't certain you'd understand. And then there's the fact that I was concieved so close to your parent's marriage."
Norrington fought the urge to gasp. This was exactly the subject he had wanted to avoid. Ethan was very level-headed, and enjoyed the benefit of his mother's good sence. But he was also very protective of her; her reputation as well as her memory. The fact that the acts that led to Emmie's conception were less then honorable worried him.
Ethan moved over to the rail of the ship, settling himself on a barrel. The crew were busy around them, setting the ship to sail. Jack was nowhere in sight. Elizabeth and Will had wandered off elsewhere. They still retained some privacy here.
"Ethan, I am sorry," Norrington finally said. "It is a lot to take in at any age."
Ethan nodded mutely, shifting a bit. Finally he said, "I'm not certain I should to speak to you right now, Father. I have a lot of things to...put to rights before I see it all before me."
"I don't blame you for that. You've been given a lot to take in."
Ethan snorted. "I should say. I've gotten a sister, been kidnapped by pirates, and I've been informed that my father's been having an afair with a pirate in the space of a few days."
"Ethan, it wasn't an afair. You're mother knew about her."
"You had a daughter with her."
"That was before I married Maggie."
"But you knew Mother then. You were engaged to her."
Norrington's head dropped. "Yes. That I am guilty of."
"You aren't guilty of anything," Emmie broke in.
"Emmie-" Norrington began only to be cut off.
"You aren't guilty of anything. You hadn't given her any oaths. You were still free. And considering you spent the next 16 years being loyal to Maggie, I don't think your being happy for a few months was too much to ask."
"It doesn't matter if he said the words. The oath was implied," Ethan argued. Norrington swallowed, seeing his temper begin to rise in his son.
"You're playing by the wrong rules. In the pirate world only an oath can hold you," Emmie returned.
"He's a Commodore, not a pirate."
"My mother's a pirate," Emmie pointed out.
"So are you," Ethan shot back.
"Yes, and I was concieved by these events. Would you wish me out of existance for some imagined slight that never troubled your mother?"
Ethan suddenly stiffened. "Of course not. I just-" He waved his hand helplessly.
Emmie took his head in her hands, forcing him to look up into her face. "You just want to believe your father was infalibaly loyal to your mother, as she was to him. That's perfectly understandable. What you must see is that he was. He was loyal to both of them. I know it's a contradition. I know it's nigh unto impossible. But he did it. Somehow. Maggie let him. She understood, she redefined what a wife expects from a husband. If it weren't for her he'd deserve every ounce of guilt you can muster, but Maggie released him from it." She brushed a hand through his hair. "And I know it's hard. I know you're seeing your mother replaced, and your world crumbling. And I know I'm not helping. But I also believe you aren't seeing, Ethan. You're seeing Emerald Sparrow. You're seeing a stranger in me you're being forced to accept as a sister. I'm still Emmie. I'm still the girl who used to help you steal fish from the dock, who used to whip you at soldiars and help you climb trees. I'm still the girl who visited you and teased all of your friends. I'm still ME, Ethan. You accepted me as a sister a long time ago, before you even knew you were doing it. And I accepted you as a brother. It doesn't matter who my mother is. It doesn't even matter that we have the same father. And the rest follows. Your mother and her forgiveness and permission. That, Ethan, is what helped me accept all this." She paused. "It didn't hurt that I got to go sailing, which was what I had always wanted to do." Ethan smiled.
"I just wish I'd known sooner," Ethan mumbled.
"Would you have taken the news any better?"
A smile tugged at the corner of Ethan's mouth. "No."
"See. You'll like my mother, Ethan, if you let yourself. And Jack. All of them."
A cough interupted them. They looked up to find Jack standing nearby, gazing serenly out at the aproaching ships. "Yes Jack?" Emmie asked, arms settling on her hips.
"Well, I just noticed that we were drawing up on the navy ships, and given that they don't trust me overly it seems it might be a good idea to have the good Commodore in sight. I wouldn't put it past that Gillette fellow to suggest I had him locked up tight."
"Don't be rediculous, Jack," Norrington said, following him over to the rail. "Why wouldn't they trust you?"
"Well, as matter of point, the ship as still has all its masts is listing a bit. Bet it wouldn't put up much of a fight. And with Marden to back us-"
"Emmie, keep an eye on your grandfather," Norrington ordered.
"Both eyes," she answered. "And any other sences I can spare. You may count on it."
"Traitor," Jack said, pointing a pinky at her.
"Pirate," she answered.
Jack murmered under his breath before calling orders to the crew that would stop the ship as they pulled up alongside the navy ship.
Gillette stood waiting for them beside, to everyone's surprise, Marden.
"Permission to board," Marden called over.
"Granted," Jack said. After a moment he added, "The both o' you."
They swung over. "It is good to see you well, Commodore," Gillette greeted. "And you, Mr. Norrington. Are you well?" he added to Ethan.
"Well as could be expected," the boy answered. Emmie snorted as he drew his back up straight and put in, "I bore it well as I could. I haven't been harmed."
"It is good to see you as well, Emily," Gillette told Emmie.
"My name is Emerald," the girl answered coldly. "How's your crew, Marden?"
"Fine. One fatality, but I didn't like him much. Ship's fine. Where's Pearl?" he said quickly.
"Sleeping below. She was injured," Jack said. "She's fine. What about Bootleg's men?"
"Most of them are dead," Gillette answered with a dark look at Marden.
"They killed one of my men," Marden said.
"Whom you didn't care for much," Norrington put in.
Marden shrugged indifferently. "The rest are in his brig," Marden said, throwing a look at Gillette. "Aparently mine isn't good enough."
"You're a pirate. I have no reason to believe you'd not assist them," Gillette said. Norrington gave an approving nod.
"Pirates regularly pilage, plunder, kill, and imprison one another. I own none of them a thing. I'd have no reason to assist them," Marden argued.
"How do they look?" Jack asked, his look suggesting the question was much more than it appeared.
Marden shrugged. "There are a few I'd as soon see dead, but I got the important ones. Most I'd welcome to the crew, or give a lift to Tortuga. Let them hang the rest."
"Thank you, Marden," Jack said. "Gillette, give him what men he asks for. You can keep the rest."
"That's utterly rediculous!" Norrington burst out at the same time Gillette cried, "Never!"
"Listen to me, Captain Sparrow," Norrington ordered, "you should be thankful I haven't arrested, you and your entire crew as well as him and his." He pointed emphaticaly at Marden, who looked completely uninterested.
"Emmie," Jack said.
"Right." Emmie turned on her heal, catching her father's arm and taking him across the deck as Jack smirked.
"Emmie, I can't-" Norrington began.
"You can, and you will when you understand. And please, while considering this remember that these men have risked their lives and their ships, which they value much more highly, for the sake of getting your son back. When Marden says he got the important ones he means the ones as helped torture my mother. He's done us all a favor, saving Jack the trouble of killing them and saving Mama from having to face them down."
Norrington paused. "Those he'd as soon see dead?"
"Dead men tell no tales," the raven croaked from Cotton's shoulder as he passed.
Norrington stared at it in surprise for a moment before returning his attention to his completely unconcerned daughter. "They joined after the insident with Mama, but they've picked up their captain's habits."
"And the rest?"
Emmie shrugged. "Just desperate men trying to get out of poverty who jumped on the wrong ship. Good men. "
Norrington sighed heavily. "Right. Gillette, give him the men he wants. We'll hang the rest in port."
"But sir," Gillette began, only to have Norrington cut him off with a shake of his head.
"Just do it. I assume you'll be on your way then?" he asked Marden.
"I'd like to see Pearl first."
"She'll sleep for at least ten hours, probably fifteen," Emmie answered sweetly. "If you would like me to pass on a message for you-"
"Just send her my usual reguards. I'll see her sooner or later," he said shortly. He turned to Jack. "The booty?"
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho," the raven croaked.
"Take it," Jack said. "You did the hard part. We came after the boy and we got him. Good enough for me."
Marden nodded and without another word he turned and swung back onto the navy ship, heading toward his own on the other side.
"Gillette," Norrington said to bring the man's attention back to him. "I'm going with Pearl to get her wound looked at. This is what I want you to tell people back home. Ethan was a little shaken up and I wanted him checked out so you dropped us off at the nearest inhabited island, which just happened to be the one Bethany and Emily live on."
Gillette's eyebrows rose. "That will start rumors, Sir."
"That's what I'm counting on," Norrington answered. "Tell them I was assured passage back whenever I got around to it. I left orders at the fort. I want you to find them and make sure they're being carried out. To the letter."
"What orders?" Gillette asked.
Norrington glanced at his children. "You'll see when you get there. I left you a letter explaining everything."
"Sir, are you certain?"
Norrington nodded. "I'll be home soon as I'm able."
Gillette's eyes narrowed. "Might we be expecting a new Mrs. Norrington on your return?"
"Time will tell." Norrington clapped Gillette on the shoulder. "Have a safe trip home."
Gillette nodded, the ghost of a smile crossing his lips, and returned to his ship.
As Norrington turned back to his family the looks on their faces were less than comforting. Ethan was biting his lip and refusing to meet his father's eyes. Jack was sending glances at Emmie, who was just shaking her head. "What?" he asked.
"She won't do it." With that Jack turned to shout orders to the crew and return to the wheel.
"Emmie?" Norrington said.
"He's right. She won't. She won't marry, she won't settle down, and she certainly won't take titles. She won't leave the sea. You know that."
"Then I'd say it's a good thing I'm not asking her to," Norrington answered with a smile. He kissed his daughter's forhead. "Don't worry yourself over it. Now, how long until we get to this island the gypsies are on?"
Emmie shrugged. "Half a day. We should get there around dusk. It'll give Pearl time to sleep."
He nodded. "Sounds good." He strode across the deck to the wheel and Jack. "Captain Sparrow?"
Jack gave him a suspious look. "Aye?"
"Would you have any objection to my helping your crew with the rigging?"
Jack looked from him out to the deck and back. "You want to pull rope with these scabberous dogs?" A call of objection came from said scabberous dogs but Jack ignored it.
Norrington shrugged. "I don't see why not. I may as well be of some use. I'd welcome the opertunity to start familiarizing Ethan with a ship."
Jack looked down at the anxious boy, who was attempting to appear completely uninterested in the conversation as he chatted with his sister.
"First time you try to touch my wheel I'll have you hefted into the ocean," Jack warned, pointing a pinky threateningly at the Commodore.
Norrington couldn't help the smile drifting onto his face. "First time you tell me to swab the deck I'll have Pearl put something squishy in your bed."
Jack nodded. "I need an oath from you."
"An oath?" Norrington repeated.
"Aye. Right hand up, left on the wheel."
Norrington blinked at him. "I thought you didn't want me to touch-"
"Just bloody do it, would you?"
"Nevermore!" the raven called. Jack glared up at it shortly before returning his attention to Norrington.
Norrington shrugged, stepping forward to place his left hand on the wheel and raise his right. Jack examined him for a moment, squinting at his face. Finally he nodded. With a flick of his wrist a dagger apeared in his hand. Stepping forward he leveled it at Norrington's throat.
Eyes wide the Commodore backpeddled. "What are you doing?"
"Look, mate, you want to take the oath you had best be ready to put up with the requirements," Jack sighed out.
"He does it to everyone he lets touch his ship," Emmie called, fingering a light scar on her neck. "Just be carefull he doesn't nick you."
"That wasn't my fault," Jack called back. "You moved."
"You had Cotton pour a bucket of water on me!" Emmie returned, hands fitting on her hips as she glared up at him.
"If you can't hold still with a knife to your throat how can I trust you to hold the line in a storm?"
"I haven't done so badly, have I?" she demanded.
Jack shrugged, earning a glare from his granddaughter.
Turning away Jack made a sweeping motion toward the wheel. "You ready now?"
"I suppose," he said, moving forward to resume his former pose.
Jack once again leveled the dagger at his thoat. The cold metal bruched his throat, sharp edge scraping his skin. Jack wasn't kidding around. "Do you swear to give your sweat and blood for this ship? To protect her with your very life if nessecary. To care for her as gentaly as if she were your daughter and respectfully as if she were your mistress?"
Norrington's eyes cut to Emmie, who smiled faintly and nodded. "I swear it."
Jack drew close, eyes narrowing. "To who do you swear? On what?"
"I swear to God above, on my life and my daughter's, on Maggie's grave."
The last made Jack's eyes widened. "That'll do it." The dagger disapeared again. "Off you go."
"What about me?" Ethan asked. "Do I need to do that?"
"No," Jack said. "Mayhaps when you're older. For now Emmie and your father will keep an eye on you." Jack's gaze returned to Norrington. "You sure you can handle this? It's not easy work."
Norrington shrugged. "It's been a few years since I've done this sort of thing, but I should be able to manage."
Jack smiled, meeting Emmie's eyes. "At least we're at sea. We'll not have to dig a grave."
Emmie giggled agreement as she turned to lead her victims onto the main deck.