A Gilded Cage: Sequel to Broken Wings, Part II of the Fallen Sparrows
Trilogy
A Pirates of the Caribbean story by Merrie
Disclaimer: They're still not mine. Although if they were...they'd probably all hate me for what I do to them, so I suppose it's just as well.
Summary: Captain Jack has been possessed by a demon god by the name of Lorelac who's used Jack to become the most infamous, hated, and wanted pirate in the ocean. Can Jack reclaim his life back? Will Elizabeth and Will be able to help while encountering problems of their own? And what about Chief Norrington? Sequel to Broken Wings.
Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow, Lorelac, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Chief Norrington, many other random extras.
Author's Note: Ok, I am SOOOO sorry for not getting this up sooner! I've been sick and trying to muddle my way through the last weeks of school and I'm sure you don't want to hear my excuses so I'll shut up and let you read the story now...
Oh! By the way, I turned 21! On the day Secret Window was released! :-D Happy B-Day to me!
Rating: PG-13 for now, but likely to rise in later chapters to be safe. Stupid ff.net *boo, hiss*
Chapter 1: New Discoveries, Numb Disbelief and Near Deaths
'If there was such a thing as hell on Earth, the last month since the day Captain Jack Sparrow had lost his life to a demon god by the name of Lorelac certainly fit the bill,' Elizabeth thought to herself with a weary frown walking slowly to Port Royal's only doctor. She could have taken her family carriage, but she didn't want to alarm anyone so she walked alone. The solitude as she walked gave her much time to think over the events of the last month. She, Will and Norrington had had no luck tracking down Jack. What little they had heard of him and the Black Pearl was too horrible to associate with their pirate friend so they knew Lorelac must still be in control of him. The thought of that demon using Jack to do some of the things she had heard rumors about; he was quickly making a name for himself as the most bloodthirsty and ruthless pirate in not only the Spanish Main, but the entire ocean turned her stomach. They, and seemingly the entire British Navy had been searching for Jack and the Pearl relentlessly for the last few weeks now with no luck. It was actually rather extraordinary how Lorelac had managed to make such a name for himself in such a short period of time if Elizabeth was being honest with herself.
Thoughts of the military immediately brought Norrington and his current troubles into mind. When Lorelac had abandoned them to his island that long month ago, they had been forced to make their way to one of the nearby inhabited islands where Elizabeth was stunned to learn that James had been made the chief of their people. James, being the honorable man that he was threw himself fully into his responsibilities regarding them, much to the displeasure of the British Royal Navy. They didn't approve of one of their highest ranking Commodore's gallivanting off at every opportunity to some little no-name island. Norrington hadn't shared his reasons for going, nor the island's location for fear it might be overrun by British soldiers, and that wasn't looked upon well either. In short, being a Chief had gotten him into more trouble than being a Commodore ever had. Not that he was likely to remain a commodore for very much longer at this rate. She had heard rumors that certain people in very high positions in the British military had suggested that he be forcefully discharged from service. Elizabeth prayed with every fibre of her being that that would not come to pass. Norrington had been in the military for as long as she had known him; quite a long a time, and she didn't know how such a change would affect him.
She slowed her pace a little; trying to seem as nonchalant as possible should she attract attention. She didn't want any of the rather...overprotective men in her life to find out where she was going. Especially Will. It had been almost three months since she and Will had gotten engaged, and yet the remained unwed. It hadn't seemed right somehow with all that was happening around them. They both were still very much in love and more than willing to spend their lives together no matter how long it took for their vows to be spoken, but yet they had waited. The decision had been mutual. Neither of them wanted to be married if Jack couldn't attend the wedding. So they had waited. While yes, they were both more than willing to wait, the...celibacy had been somewhat difficult in the last month. She had wanted to save herself until after she was an honest woman, and that hadn't changed. She tried to put the unbidden thought of the reason of her journey to the doctor's today; the she was no longer an honest woman, out of her mind. 'Dear God, don't let it be true,' she prayed fervently for what seemed like the hundredth time during her walk to Dr. Farthing's home and office.
"Ah, Miss Swann what a surprise. I do hope you are not unwell," Dr. Farthing's kind voice called from the front porch, startling Elizabeth out of her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed that she had come to her destination. Her feet had carried her there of their own will.
"I need to speak with you in private," Elizabeth said softly, looking at old doctor with a direct stare.
"Of course. Come inside please," the doctor said, his friendly tone of voice becoming all business. Elizabeth followed him into his house and office, casting a glance around the room for a nurse or perhaps a secretary that might see her here and wonder. It wouldn't do to go through all the trouble of being secretive to have your afternoon's activities gossiped around town.
Dr. Farthing noticed her glance and commented, "It's just the two of us for right now. Most of the women are out on lunch."
Elizabeth couldn't keep the relief from showing in her face. The doctor noticed, but didn't speak as he led her into his office and closed the door behind them. He then took a seat behind a large wooden desk, clasping his hands in front of him. "Now, how can I help you, Miss Swann?"
Elizabeth opened her mouth to explain her...situation, but she couldn't utter a word. It was as if someone had closed a fist around her throat.
"Miss Swann? Are you alright, my dear?" the doctor asked softly.
"No, I'm not. I think I'm...pregnant," Elizabeth whispered, her eyes going wide.
"I see. Does Mr. Turner know about this? I assume he does, correct?" the doctor asked kindly, thankfully not berating Elizabeth for her unwed status.
The tears Elizabeth had been vainly attempting to hold back now came forth without restraint. "I don't think... It's not Will's," she sobbed, placing her face into her cupped hands, unable to meet the doctor's eyes for one moment longer.
"Oh. Then I suppose Mr. Turner doesn't know, does he?" the doctor asked softly, lifting Elizabeth's head up in one hand. "Why have you come to me, Elizabeth? Do you intend to keep the baby?"
"I-I don't know. I wanted to be sure I really was pregnant. But don't think I cheated on my fiancé, Dr. Farthing. I didn't. I was...forced," she said quietly, looking away from his face again.
"Dear God. Have you told no one of this?" She shook her head. "Elizabeth, you must tell someone. Justice must be served. You cannot ask me to keep this to myself."
"You must! I cannot tell Will. It would crush him. And the man who did it..." she closed her eyes, thinking of Jack. "He's out of reach. But I don't blame him. It wasn't his fault."
"Listen to yourself! Of course it was his fault! Things like this don't just happen, Elizabeth. This man forced you, you said it yourself. He chose to...rape you. Will you tell me who he is?" he asked, not expecting her to.
"No. That's my secret to keep. And I will keep it. You must tell no one of this," she told him, meeting his eyes with a steely gaze.
"Elizabeth, if you decide to keep the baby, Will's going to find out sooner or later," the doctor said softly, looking down at her still flat stomach.
Elizabeth followed his eyes and placed a hand on her middle protectively. "I will deal with that when the time comes. Perhaps Will won't understand. Perhaps he'll leave me. But I won't give up my child, Dr. Farthing. No matter how it was created."
Dr. Farthing sighed. "That's your choice. Come here and let me take a look at you," he requested, gesturing for her to take a seat upon the large table that dominated the office.
Elizabeth nodded and did as he asked.
***
'This can't be happening,' Elizabeth thought to herself, walking away from Dr. Farthing's office. 'How could this have happened?' Dr. Farthing had confirmed her worst fears. She was pregnant. With Jack's child. "What am I going to do?" she asked herself softly, stopping in the middle of the street. She had meant it when she had said she wasn't going to give up the baby. 'Jack's baby, oh God.' She set off again, desperately trying to think of how she was ever going to face her fiancé again.
***
"He must be stopped, Will. He's killing people," Commodore and Chief James Norrington said quietly. "Sparrow's gone."
"I refuse to believe that," Will said quietly across the table where the two of them sat. "He can beat Lorelac, I know it," he stressed with conviction.
"How can you be so sure? It's been nearly a month, Will. Have you any idea the things he's done in that time?" Norrington asked with a frown. "The people he and his crew have killed?"
"Yes, I know, alright? I've heard the same stories you have. I know he's single-handedly made the Black Pearl and its crew into the most feared band of pirates in the Caribbean, alright?"
"Then you know that the entire Royal Navy has made it its goal to hunt them down and kill them all? Including Jack? They don't even want him hung necessarily anymore, Will. They just want him dead. Do you understand that?"
"Yes. I do. That's why we need to find him first. He needs our help. And yes, he has to be stopped. Or rather, Lorelac does."
Norrington sighed and shook his head. "How do you propose we find him, then? It's been a month, Will and no one's been able to find him. Not you, not the Royal Navy, no one. It's like he's a ghost."
It was Will's turn to sigh. "I know. I don't know where to begin looking for him. I've sent word to what few people I've met in Tortuga but I'm afraid they're not the reliable sort. I haven't heard anything from them yet."
"I haven't heard anything from the native scouts I sent out either," Norrington said with a sigh.
"How are you managing with that? Being chief and all?" Will asked curiously.
"It's harder than I thought it would be. I mean, I'm no fool, I knew it would be difficult to lead and rule and take care of an entire island of people, but I really had no idea. And I'm afraid its going to get me discharged," he said quietly, looking down at the table in front of him.
"What are you talking about? They can't do that!" Will stated with conviction.
"They can and it looks like they will," Norrington said with a sigh, taking a long swallow of the drink Will had given him that up until now had sat unattended.
"What will you do afterwards?" Will asked softly, not quite believing that Norrington could be anything other than a military man. He had been for as long as he had known him, and he would continue to be one even longer still. Wouldn't he?
Norrington took a long look at him then, the expression on his face becoming unreadable. "I don't know," he said quietly at long last. "The military is all I know. I can't imagine myself not on a ship surrounded by men under my command. I just can't."
"Well, you could always be a pirate," Will joked, trying to lighten the mood a little.
Norrington glared at him automatically before sighing and looking down at the tabletop. It was then that Will knew the situation was serious. He actually looked as if he might be considering it! "It was just a joke, James. I mean, come on. You, a pirate? No one would believe it!"
"I know, Will. But without the military, what is there? I don't know anything else. My life has been spent on the sea. It's what I know. I'm not saying I'm about to jump aboard a pirate ship this very second or anything, I'm not that far gone, thank you, but I know that if I do get discharged I will find my way aboard a ship again. No matter what it takes."
"You're really serious, aren't you? You would really become a pirate just for the chance to stay on the ocean? Does it really mean that much to you?" Will asked with a frown, clearly not understanding his feelings.
"You don't understand, Will. The sea...it's...it's my world," Norrington said, sounding a bit uncomfortable. "Nevermind, alright? Forget I said anything."
"You sound like Jack when you talk like that, do you realize that?" Will asked softly. "He's always tried to convince me that the sea was alive somehow. That it had a will of its own."
"It does. It always has. It's hard to explain to someone who obviously hasn't noticed it," Norrington said, not trying to sound arrogant, merely stating a fact. "You were never meant for life as a pirate, or even necessarily on the sea, were you?"
Will didn't take offense. "No, I don't think I ever was. I like it on land. I like what I do. I like the feel of creating something with my own to hands. I like seeing a sword take shape from almost nothingness and knowing that I made it that way."
Norrington nodded. It was all he could do. He didn't understand Will's love for crafting swords any more than Will understood his love for the sea. Some things simply could not be explained to people who didn't feel the same way.
Both men sat in silence for a long moment after that until their silence was interrupted by the creaking of the front door. Both men stood as Elizabeth stepped into the smithy, her eyes slightly widened to see them both there. "James, what are you doing here?" she asked, sounding a bit flustered.
"I though I'd join you and Will out to lunch but when I found that you weren't here Will and I just got to talking," he said with a smile. He then took a close look at her; taking in her slightly pallid coloring to the minute trembling of her hands at her sides. "Elizabeth? Are you alright?"
"I'm, yes I'm fine," Elizabeth said, shaking head slightly as if to clear her thoughts. "Don't worry about me. It's good to see you James. It's been nearly two weeks, hasn't it?" She asked, coming inside to take a seat at the table as well. When she had settled herself, the two men reclaimed their own seats as well.
"Yes it has, and I'll tell you all about it if you and Will will accompany me out to lunch. My treat. No offense to Mr. Turner here, but a smithy is hardly the place for a young woman such as yourself to be having lengthy conversations," he said with a smile in Will's direction to let him know that he didn't mean any offense by it.
"James is right. Let's go, Elizabeth. Unless you've already eaten, that is?" he asked. He didn't know where Elizabeth had gone, and he wouldn't if she didn't want him knowing. But it didn't stop him from wondering.
"No, no I haven't. Lunch right now sounds positively wonderful. I'm feeling a bit tired at the moment, but mostly I'm just starving."
"What's the matter, haven't you had anything to eat today? You should have told me. I could have fixed you something," Will said with a slight frown.
"No, I've already eaten. I'm just...hungry again. That's all," Elizabeth said with a small frown, not meeting her fiancé's eyes. When she looked up again, her frown was gone and a bright smile lit up her face, one that seemed a little forced if you were watching her closely, and said "Shall we go?"
The men nodded and together the three of them made their way out of the smithy, exchanging light conversation as they walked, each of them desperately trying to dwell on the fact that their friend Captain Jack Sparrow was still in desperate need of their help even more so than before. Besides, what could they do to stop a god?
***
Lorelac sat alone at a small table in the middle of a bustling pub in Tortuga. He had already been approached by a number of whores probably recognizing Sparrow and looking for an evening's entertainment, but after the first few threats they had learned to leave him well enough alone. In fact, most of the people he had encountered had left him alone, but he could hear their whispered comments as he passed. And he reveled in it. He had made the Black Pearl and its crew a thing to be feared. There was not a man on the entire island who had not heard of him and his exploits.
He felt eyes on him as he moved and couldn't hold back the smirk from crossing his lips as he took a long gulp of the rum in front of him. Upon the first taste he tried not to wince, he had never much cared for the drink, but mugs overflowing with the stuff were placed in front of him automatically in whatever pub he went to, and it would be hard to keep refusing them so he merely gave up and drank the foul stuff. He would have much preferred something like brandy, but such a drink was not to be found in seedy places like this. There were generally three choices of drink he had discovered; rum, grog, and ale. He didn't really care for any of them. So he merely sat there alone, drinking the wretched drink, and rubbing absently at his left temple in a gesture that he didn't seem to be entirely aware of.
The other thing he didn't seem to be aware of was the small group of his crewmembers gathered at a table close by, every one of them starting with hate-filled eyes upon his solitary form. "We can't bloody go on like this. That madman has made us all hunted men," a man by the name of Lewiston grumbled, his eyes on Lorelac's form.
There were assents from the other men. "He's going to get us all hung! Or worse!" another man muttered, his voice raised slightly. His crewmates immediately shushed him and cast wary glances toward their captain. Thankfully, Lorelac didn't seem to have heard.
"You bloody fool, Johnston, I think you're the one that's going to get us all killed. You know as well as I do what Sparrow'll do to us if he thinks we're plannin' on mutinying, now don't you?" Lewiston reminded him, thinking back on all the crewmembers they had lost to their captain's judgement.
Johnson's eyes widened and he grew a bit pale as he looked over to where Lorelac was sitting; grimacing into his mug of rum. "We-we are still plannin' on doing it though, aren't we?" he asked in a whisper. "Mutinying?"
"Of course we bloody well are!" Lewiston hissed. "How are we supposed to make a living under the kind of heat that madman brings us? Did you know that the entire Royal Navy had been instructed to shoot us on sight, no questions asked?" There were murmurs of shock and disbelief at that declaration, so Lewiston went on. "It's true. I've seen the wanted posters, and unlike you scabberous lot, I can actually read. If they can hang us, they will. But mostly they just want us all dead. Sparrow especially."
"Then I guess we'll be doing them a favor then, aye?" Johnston whispered darkly, running a hand on the hilt of his sword and favoring Lorelac's back with a wicked look
"O'Malley and most of the crew is already on our side and ready to go. Gentleman, we move tonight," Lewiston said slowly, his voice growing cold. "And it'll be the last night that bastard ever sees."
***
'How interesting,' Lorelac thought to himself with malicious intent. 'A merry gathering of my beloved crew. And yet they've neglected to include their captain, how rude. It looks like they're going to mutiny,' the word put a bad taste in the back of his mouth and odd flashes of images across his eyes; tropical beaches, rum, and...sea turtles? Lorelac shook his head to clear his (Jack's) thoughts and turned his attention back to his mutinous crew, being careful not to let them know that he was on to their plans. 'It sure took them bloody long enough. I thought for sure they'd have mutinied weeks ago from the way I've been treating them. Oh well. Better late than never, I suppose. Not that'll do them any good.'
He dropped a few gold coins on the table top and stood, exaggerating his movements to make it seem as if he were more drunk than in reality. It would cause his enemies to underestimate him, he knew. Sparrow oftentimes used the same tactic, and he had learned of it through the ex pirate captain's memories once he had taken possession of him. He stumbled his way to and out through the front door of the inn/pub, taking care to both assure that the members of his duplicitous crew would follow and that they wouldn't notice him noticing them.
To their credit, they were doing a passable job in following him through the streets of Tortuga in such a large group without being noticed. That earned them a slightly quicker death, if nothing else. He smirked when a rather drunken looking whore stumbled over to him and put an arm around his waist, whispering loudly in his ear about the fun that might be had throughout the night. Lorelac let her talk, not really interested as she was probably the single ugliest woman he had ever seen, but because it made him seem even more unaware of his crew's presence. He smirked to himself as their stalking became even more bold, and they made their presence known. "Sparrow!" the likely ringleader shouted, a man by the name of Lewiston if he remembered correctly. He had never liked the little weasel of a man, but his skills up in the rigging of a ship especially through a storm were unmatched.
"Go's away, ye'r interruptin' mates. Cantst ye see 'm busy here?" he drawled slowly, waving a hand as if to ward them off.
"We're not going anywhere, Sparrow," Lewiston spoke again, his voice cold. "And neither are you." He addressed the ugly whore at Lorelac's side, "Leave or we'll kill you too. I won't tell you again, ye ugly hag."
The whore looked at Lewiston with a perplexed look on her face, as if she wasn't quite aware of what was happening around her. Her eyes were then drawn to Lewiston's pistol pointed out in front of him aimed at Jack's chest and took off running without another word.
"Ye can never find good whores anymore. They always run off at the first sign of trouble. Isn't that right, mates?" he asked them loudly, spreading his hands wide in a flamboyant gesture fit for Captain Jack Sparrow himself, not just his body. "Well go ahead, lads. Are you going to shoot me or aren't you?" Lorelac asked with a sneer, all pretenses at being drunk gone. He pulled open his shirt and bared his chest to them. "Well, go on. You've got me in your sights. Do it."
"You're a madman, do you realize that? You're acting as if you really want us to kill you." One of the crewmembers said in a quiet voice.
"Well of course I'm bloody mad! I'm mad Captain Jack Sparrow, everyone knows that! But in fact I'll tell you a secret," he whispered loud enough for them all to hear. "I'm not really him at all. In fact, I've just taken possession of his body. My real name's Lorelac. And I'm a demonic god of mischief. Did you know that? I bet you didn't. Mortals today have forgotten so many of the old beliefs," he said with a mournful sigh. "But I intend to change all of that. I intend to make mortals fear me once more. Perhaps it's an unachievable goal, but I don't think so. And I've certainly got the bloody time to figure it out, now don't I? Well, I guess I don't from your point of view since you intend on killing me right now. But I guess that's your business, not mine."
"I should shoot you on principle right not just to get you to shut the bleedin' hell up!" Lewiston shouted at him, cocking the trigger on his pistol.
"And I should put myself out of my misery so I don't have to deal with your cowardice any longer. Are you going to bloody shoot me or aren't you? Get O'Malley, my ever-trusted first mate to do it. I see him skulking around behind you. Step out and show yourself, Rich." The man in question did take a step forward and Lorelac laughed. "Well isn't this a grand little gathering! Why you've almost the whole crew! Let me guess, you couldn't get the others to come because they were too bloody drunk to move. Am I right, lads?"
When the first shot came, Lorelac was actually surprised. He looked down to his chest where bright red blood was now saturating his white shirt. "Well it looks like one of you isn't a coward after all. How about that? Well whoever shot me first be good enough to step forward so I can congratulate you?"
No one stepped forward, but many of the group took a step back to see that he was still alive and talking with a gaping bullet wound in the middle of his chest. "You, you're supposed to be dead! I bloody shot you!" it was O'Malley, his former first mate who spoke.
"Did you now?" He looked down at his bloodied chest and smirked. "It seems you did. Nice shot, by the way. If I was mortal it would have killed me instantaneously."
"If you were mortal?" O'Malley repeated in a stunned voice.
"I take it you weren't paying attention to the part where I said I was a demonic god of mischief? Too bad. You might have saved yourself some trouble. And a bullet."
"What are you?" Lewiston asked, his voice not sounding half as confident any longer.
Lorelac rolled his eyes. "Because you didn't deem my words worthy enough to pay attention to, you get to die," he shot the man in the chest with Jack's pistol and watched impassively as he fell to the ground dead. "Now, who's next?"
***
Less than an hour later Lorelac was looking over the carnage he had wrought with a frown. "Bloody perfect. How am I supposed to get to Port Royal without a crew? I guess I'll just have to create another one," he muttered with a sigh, stepping over the body of one of his fallen crewmates and made his way to one of Tortuga's more seedy bars to recruit again, whistling softly under his breath. If anyone close enough to him was still alive to heard they might have been confused as to why anyone would want to sing about "really bad eggs," unless they were acquainted with either the song or the man himself. And acquaintances of Captain Jack Sparrow seemed to be fewer and fewer these days.
TBC
A/N: Ok again, I'm sorry this took so long to post. The next one will be much sooner in coming, I promise. I wouldn't leave my dear readers at a cliffhanger for that long.
The real reason I've waited so long to update this is because I've started a new OUATIM story with co-author Neon Daises on www. adultfanfiction.net entitled More Than Darkness, a cross over between our two stories Darkness Rising and More Than Eyes Alone Can See. It's almost 250 pages long and rated NC-17. It's been getting a lot of praise and if you're of age I invite you to come and check it out. It's in the OUATIM section under the penname S_and_M.
Reviewer's Thanks Section
Miss Becky: My lovely beta reader. Sorry you didn't get a chance to review this before posting it. It probably needed it, but I just wanted to get it posted and done before too much more time had passed. Thanks for the review, and I hope to see you for the next chapter soon!
Otherhawk: Writing Jack as a bookish geek is fun. Everyone should try it. Yes, Lorelac is a complete bastard. I don't disagree with you there. He needs to pay for what he's done. And he will. Sooner or later... I'm glad you like the allusion to the Code line. I can come up with stuff like that every once and awhile. ;-) Thanks for reviewing!!
Penddranginink: So many questions. I wish I had answers for you, but Lorelac is being rather closed-lipped about his intentions for the moment. I don't exactly know what he's up to, but I know it's nothing good. Thanks for the review!!
Neon D: I'm glad you liked it. And get the notion of dead Jack out of your head, my sadistic friend! Write your own story if you want that to happen! I'm not done torturing my Jack yet! Um, whoops...did I say that out loud??
Jackie Rose Sparrow: Yes a sequel. This one's going to be fun. To answer your question, nearly a month has passed between the two stories. Thanks for your continued reviews!
Miss Anya: Sorry this chapter couldn't come quicker for you! I promise the next one will! Thanks for reviewing!!
Jack_roks: I'm glad you like the alliterated chapters. They're fun to think up. It gives my internal thesaurus a workout. Thanks for reading!
Mara: Yes, at last. It's going to be a wild ride, I can tell you that. And of course there are many somethings I'm not telling you about Jack's past! That's what makes me an evil author! *cackles* I can't wait to see more of Edward either. He's refreshing to write so don't doubt that you'll see him again soon.
Savvy Renegade: Thanks for reviewing HF! It's always great to hear from you!
Ravenmuse: Yea! I've got someone hooked on my story! *does Snoopy dances* Er...thanks for reading. Don't worry. Lorelac will get a good squashing sooner or later.
Padme: It's ok. I understand being tired. The last chapter was mostly flashback into Jack's past when he was only in his early 20s. The rest of the story takes place in the present as far as the story line goes. This chapter took place entirely in the present. I hope this helps and thanks for reading!
Jackfan2: Jack's not beaten yet, have no fear. He's gathering his strength, I tell you. And when he's ready, Lorelac's going to pay. *evil grin* As for when that will be....you're guess is as good as mine at this point. Jack's not talking. Thanks for reading!!
BURN THE R.U.M.: Aww, don't worry, BTRUM, I love happy endings. Deep down I'm a big old softy romantic at heart who has inexplicably taken to writing unbelievably angsty stories lately for no reason at all. Anyway, thanks for the review!!
Mistress of Destruction: Lorelac's not stupid necessarily, he's arrogant. And you know what they say, "pride goeth before a fall." And yes, he will fall. Thanks for reviewing!!
Holliday1081: Thanks for reading!! I'm glad you're liking it! I'm also very interested in seeing how I turn a Sperling into a Sparrow as well. I guess we'll just have to find out together. ;-)
To any of my readers who didn't review or whom I might have missed, now's your chance! More reviews means more chapters quicker! That's a promise!! And don't forget to check out my OUATIM story if you're of age. Come see what's keeping me away from Jack for so long.
Ta mates,
-Merrie
A Pirates of the Caribbean story by Merrie
Disclaimer: They're still not mine. Although if they were...they'd probably all hate me for what I do to them, so I suppose it's just as well.
Summary: Captain Jack has been possessed by a demon god by the name of Lorelac who's used Jack to become the most infamous, hated, and wanted pirate in the ocean. Can Jack reclaim his life back? Will Elizabeth and Will be able to help while encountering problems of their own? And what about Chief Norrington? Sequel to Broken Wings.
Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow, Lorelac, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Chief Norrington, many other random extras.
Author's Note: Ok, I am SOOOO sorry for not getting this up sooner! I've been sick and trying to muddle my way through the last weeks of school and I'm sure you don't want to hear my excuses so I'll shut up and let you read the story now...
Oh! By the way, I turned 21! On the day Secret Window was released! :-D Happy B-Day to me!
Rating: PG-13 for now, but likely to rise in later chapters to be safe. Stupid ff.net *boo, hiss*
Chapter 1: New Discoveries, Numb Disbelief and Near Deaths
'If there was such a thing as hell on Earth, the last month since the day Captain Jack Sparrow had lost his life to a demon god by the name of Lorelac certainly fit the bill,' Elizabeth thought to herself with a weary frown walking slowly to Port Royal's only doctor. She could have taken her family carriage, but she didn't want to alarm anyone so she walked alone. The solitude as she walked gave her much time to think over the events of the last month. She, Will and Norrington had had no luck tracking down Jack. What little they had heard of him and the Black Pearl was too horrible to associate with their pirate friend so they knew Lorelac must still be in control of him. The thought of that demon using Jack to do some of the things she had heard rumors about; he was quickly making a name for himself as the most bloodthirsty and ruthless pirate in not only the Spanish Main, but the entire ocean turned her stomach. They, and seemingly the entire British Navy had been searching for Jack and the Pearl relentlessly for the last few weeks now with no luck. It was actually rather extraordinary how Lorelac had managed to make such a name for himself in such a short period of time if Elizabeth was being honest with herself.
Thoughts of the military immediately brought Norrington and his current troubles into mind. When Lorelac had abandoned them to his island that long month ago, they had been forced to make their way to one of the nearby inhabited islands where Elizabeth was stunned to learn that James had been made the chief of their people. James, being the honorable man that he was threw himself fully into his responsibilities regarding them, much to the displeasure of the British Royal Navy. They didn't approve of one of their highest ranking Commodore's gallivanting off at every opportunity to some little no-name island. Norrington hadn't shared his reasons for going, nor the island's location for fear it might be overrun by British soldiers, and that wasn't looked upon well either. In short, being a Chief had gotten him into more trouble than being a Commodore ever had. Not that he was likely to remain a commodore for very much longer at this rate. She had heard rumors that certain people in very high positions in the British military had suggested that he be forcefully discharged from service. Elizabeth prayed with every fibre of her being that that would not come to pass. Norrington had been in the military for as long as she had known him; quite a long a time, and she didn't know how such a change would affect him.
She slowed her pace a little; trying to seem as nonchalant as possible should she attract attention. She didn't want any of the rather...overprotective men in her life to find out where she was going. Especially Will. It had been almost three months since she and Will had gotten engaged, and yet the remained unwed. It hadn't seemed right somehow with all that was happening around them. They both were still very much in love and more than willing to spend their lives together no matter how long it took for their vows to be spoken, but yet they had waited. The decision had been mutual. Neither of them wanted to be married if Jack couldn't attend the wedding. So they had waited. While yes, they were both more than willing to wait, the...celibacy had been somewhat difficult in the last month. She had wanted to save herself until after she was an honest woman, and that hadn't changed. She tried to put the unbidden thought of the reason of her journey to the doctor's today; the she was no longer an honest woman, out of her mind. 'Dear God, don't let it be true,' she prayed fervently for what seemed like the hundredth time during her walk to Dr. Farthing's home and office.
"Ah, Miss Swann what a surprise. I do hope you are not unwell," Dr. Farthing's kind voice called from the front porch, startling Elizabeth out of her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed that she had come to her destination. Her feet had carried her there of their own will.
"I need to speak with you in private," Elizabeth said softly, looking at old doctor with a direct stare.
"Of course. Come inside please," the doctor said, his friendly tone of voice becoming all business. Elizabeth followed him into his house and office, casting a glance around the room for a nurse or perhaps a secretary that might see her here and wonder. It wouldn't do to go through all the trouble of being secretive to have your afternoon's activities gossiped around town.
Dr. Farthing noticed her glance and commented, "It's just the two of us for right now. Most of the women are out on lunch."
Elizabeth couldn't keep the relief from showing in her face. The doctor noticed, but didn't speak as he led her into his office and closed the door behind them. He then took a seat behind a large wooden desk, clasping his hands in front of him. "Now, how can I help you, Miss Swann?"
Elizabeth opened her mouth to explain her...situation, but she couldn't utter a word. It was as if someone had closed a fist around her throat.
"Miss Swann? Are you alright, my dear?" the doctor asked softly.
"No, I'm not. I think I'm...pregnant," Elizabeth whispered, her eyes going wide.
"I see. Does Mr. Turner know about this? I assume he does, correct?" the doctor asked kindly, thankfully not berating Elizabeth for her unwed status.
The tears Elizabeth had been vainly attempting to hold back now came forth without restraint. "I don't think... It's not Will's," she sobbed, placing her face into her cupped hands, unable to meet the doctor's eyes for one moment longer.
"Oh. Then I suppose Mr. Turner doesn't know, does he?" the doctor asked softly, lifting Elizabeth's head up in one hand. "Why have you come to me, Elizabeth? Do you intend to keep the baby?"
"I-I don't know. I wanted to be sure I really was pregnant. But don't think I cheated on my fiancé, Dr. Farthing. I didn't. I was...forced," she said quietly, looking away from his face again.
"Dear God. Have you told no one of this?" She shook her head. "Elizabeth, you must tell someone. Justice must be served. You cannot ask me to keep this to myself."
"You must! I cannot tell Will. It would crush him. And the man who did it..." she closed her eyes, thinking of Jack. "He's out of reach. But I don't blame him. It wasn't his fault."
"Listen to yourself! Of course it was his fault! Things like this don't just happen, Elizabeth. This man forced you, you said it yourself. He chose to...rape you. Will you tell me who he is?" he asked, not expecting her to.
"No. That's my secret to keep. And I will keep it. You must tell no one of this," she told him, meeting his eyes with a steely gaze.
"Elizabeth, if you decide to keep the baby, Will's going to find out sooner or later," the doctor said softly, looking down at her still flat stomach.
Elizabeth followed his eyes and placed a hand on her middle protectively. "I will deal with that when the time comes. Perhaps Will won't understand. Perhaps he'll leave me. But I won't give up my child, Dr. Farthing. No matter how it was created."
Dr. Farthing sighed. "That's your choice. Come here and let me take a look at you," he requested, gesturing for her to take a seat upon the large table that dominated the office.
Elizabeth nodded and did as he asked.
***
'This can't be happening,' Elizabeth thought to herself, walking away from Dr. Farthing's office. 'How could this have happened?' Dr. Farthing had confirmed her worst fears. She was pregnant. With Jack's child. "What am I going to do?" she asked herself softly, stopping in the middle of the street. She had meant it when she had said she wasn't going to give up the baby. 'Jack's baby, oh God.' She set off again, desperately trying to think of how she was ever going to face her fiancé again.
***
"He must be stopped, Will. He's killing people," Commodore and Chief James Norrington said quietly. "Sparrow's gone."
"I refuse to believe that," Will said quietly across the table where the two of them sat. "He can beat Lorelac, I know it," he stressed with conviction.
"How can you be so sure? It's been nearly a month, Will. Have you any idea the things he's done in that time?" Norrington asked with a frown. "The people he and his crew have killed?"
"Yes, I know, alright? I've heard the same stories you have. I know he's single-handedly made the Black Pearl and its crew into the most feared band of pirates in the Caribbean, alright?"
"Then you know that the entire Royal Navy has made it its goal to hunt them down and kill them all? Including Jack? They don't even want him hung necessarily anymore, Will. They just want him dead. Do you understand that?"
"Yes. I do. That's why we need to find him first. He needs our help. And yes, he has to be stopped. Or rather, Lorelac does."
Norrington sighed and shook his head. "How do you propose we find him, then? It's been a month, Will and no one's been able to find him. Not you, not the Royal Navy, no one. It's like he's a ghost."
It was Will's turn to sigh. "I know. I don't know where to begin looking for him. I've sent word to what few people I've met in Tortuga but I'm afraid they're not the reliable sort. I haven't heard anything from them yet."
"I haven't heard anything from the native scouts I sent out either," Norrington said with a sigh.
"How are you managing with that? Being chief and all?" Will asked curiously.
"It's harder than I thought it would be. I mean, I'm no fool, I knew it would be difficult to lead and rule and take care of an entire island of people, but I really had no idea. And I'm afraid its going to get me discharged," he said quietly, looking down at the table in front of him.
"What are you talking about? They can't do that!" Will stated with conviction.
"They can and it looks like they will," Norrington said with a sigh, taking a long swallow of the drink Will had given him that up until now had sat unattended.
"What will you do afterwards?" Will asked softly, not quite believing that Norrington could be anything other than a military man. He had been for as long as he had known him, and he would continue to be one even longer still. Wouldn't he?
Norrington took a long look at him then, the expression on his face becoming unreadable. "I don't know," he said quietly at long last. "The military is all I know. I can't imagine myself not on a ship surrounded by men under my command. I just can't."
"Well, you could always be a pirate," Will joked, trying to lighten the mood a little.
Norrington glared at him automatically before sighing and looking down at the tabletop. It was then that Will knew the situation was serious. He actually looked as if he might be considering it! "It was just a joke, James. I mean, come on. You, a pirate? No one would believe it!"
"I know, Will. But without the military, what is there? I don't know anything else. My life has been spent on the sea. It's what I know. I'm not saying I'm about to jump aboard a pirate ship this very second or anything, I'm not that far gone, thank you, but I know that if I do get discharged I will find my way aboard a ship again. No matter what it takes."
"You're really serious, aren't you? You would really become a pirate just for the chance to stay on the ocean? Does it really mean that much to you?" Will asked with a frown, clearly not understanding his feelings.
"You don't understand, Will. The sea...it's...it's my world," Norrington said, sounding a bit uncomfortable. "Nevermind, alright? Forget I said anything."
"You sound like Jack when you talk like that, do you realize that?" Will asked softly. "He's always tried to convince me that the sea was alive somehow. That it had a will of its own."
"It does. It always has. It's hard to explain to someone who obviously hasn't noticed it," Norrington said, not trying to sound arrogant, merely stating a fact. "You were never meant for life as a pirate, or even necessarily on the sea, were you?"
Will didn't take offense. "No, I don't think I ever was. I like it on land. I like what I do. I like the feel of creating something with my own to hands. I like seeing a sword take shape from almost nothingness and knowing that I made it that way."
Norrington nodded. It was all he could do. He didn't understand Will's love for crafting swords any more than Will understood his love for the sea. Some things simply could not be explained to people who didn't feel the same way.
Both men sat in silence for a long moment after that until their silence was interrupted by the creaking of the front door. Both men stood as Elizabeth stepped into the smithy, her eyes slightly widened to see them both there. "James, what are you doing here?" she asked, sounding a bit flustered.
"I though I'd join you and Will out to lunch but when I found that you weren't here Will and I just got to talking," he said with a smile. He then took a close look at her; taking in her slightly pallid coloring to the minute trembling of her hands at her sides. "Elizabeth? Are you alright?"
"I'm, yes I'm fine," Elizabeth said, shaking head slightly as if to clear her thoughts. "Don't worry about me. It's good to see you James. It's been nearly two weeks, hasn't it?" She asked, coming inside to take a seat at the table as well. When she had settled herself, the two men reclaimed their own seats as well.
"Yes it has, and I'll tell you all about it if you and Will will accompany me out to lunch. My treat. No offense to Mr. Turner here, but a smithy is hardly the place for a young woman such as yourself to be having lengthy conversations," he said with a smile in Will's direction to let him know that he didn't mean any offense by it.
"James is right. Let's go, Elizabeth. Unless you've already eaten, that is?" he asked. He didn't know where Elizabeth had gone, and he wouldn't if she didn't want him knowing. But it didn't stop him from wondering.
"No, no I haven't. Lunch right now sounds positively wonderful. I'm feeling a bit tired at the moment, but mostly I'm just starving."
"What's the matter, haven't you had anything to eat today? You should have told me. I could have fixed you something," Will said with a slight frown.
"No, I've already eaten. I'm just...hungry again. That's all," Elizabeth said with a small frown, not meeting her fiancé's eyes. When she looked up again, her frown was gone and a bright smile lit up her face, one that seemed a little forced if you were watching her closely, and said "Shall we go?"
The men nodded and together the three of them made their way out of the smithy, exchanging light conversation as they walked, each of them desperately trying to dwell on the fact that their friend Captain Jack Sparrow was still in desperate need of their help even more so than before. Besides, what could they do to stop a god?
***
Lorelac sat alone at a small table in the middle of a bustling pub in Tortuga. He had already been approached by a number of whores probably recognizing Sparrow and looking for an evening's entertainment, but after the first few threats they had learned to leave him well enough alone. In fact, most of the people he had encountered had left him alone, but he could hear their whispered comments as he passed. And he reveled in it. He had made the Black Pearl and its crew a thing to be feared. There was not a man on the entire island who had not heard of him and his exploits.
He felt eyes on him as he moved and couldn't hold back the smirk from crossing his lips as he took a long gulp of the rum in front of him. Upon the first taste he tried not to wince, he had never much cared for the drink, but mugs overflowing with the stuff were placed in front of him automatically in whatever pub he went to, and it would be hard to keep refusing them so he merely gave up and drank the foul stuff. He would have much preferred something like brandy, but such a drink was not to be found in seedy places like this. There were generally three choices of drink he had discovered; rum, grog, and ale. He didn't really care for any of them. So he merely sat there alone, drinking the wretched drink, and rubbing absently at his left temple in a gesture that he didn't seem to be entirely aware of.
The other thing he didn't seem to be aware of was the small group of his crewmembers gathered at a table close by, every one of them starting with hate-filled eyes upon his solitary form. "We can't bloody go on like this. That madman has made us all hunted men," a man by the name of Lewiston grumbled, his eyes on Lorelac's form.
There were assents from the other men. "He's going to get us all hung! Or worse!" another man muttered, his voice raised slightly. His crewmates immediately shushed him and cast wary glances toward their captain. Thankfully, Lorelac didn't seem to have heard.
"You bloody fool, Johnston, I think you're the one that's going to get us all killed. You know as well as I do what Sparrow'll do to us if he thinks we're plannin' on mutinying, now don't you?" Lewiston reminded him, thinking back on all the crewmembers they had lost to their captain's judgement.
Johnson's eyes widened and he grew a bit pale as he looked over to where Lorelac was sitting; grimacing into his mug of rum. "We-we are still plannin' on doing it though, aren't we?" he asked in a whisper. "Mutinying?"
"Of course we bloody well are!" Lewiston hissed. "How are we supposed to make a living under the kind of heat that madman brings us? Did you know that the entire Royal Navy had been instructed to shoot us on sight, no questions asked?" There were murmurs of shock and disbelief at that declaration, so Lewiston went on. "It's true. I've seen the wanted posters, and unlike you scabberous lot, I can actually read. If they can hang us, they will. But mostly they just want us all dead. Sparrow especially."
"Then I guess we'll be doing them a favor then, aye?" Johnston whispered darkly, running a hand on the hilt of his sword and favoring Lorelac's back with a wicked look
"O'Malley and most of the crew is already on our side and ready to go. Gentleman, we move tonight," Lewiston said slowly, his voice growing cold. "And it'll be the last night that bastard ever sees."
***
'How interesting,' Lorelac thought to himself with malicious intent. 'A merry gathering of my beloved crew. And yet they've neglected to include their captain, how rude. It looks like they're going to mutiny,' the word put a bad taste in the back of his mouth and odd flashes of images across his eyes; tropical beaches, rum, and...sea turtles? Lorelac shook his head to clear his (Jack's) thoughts and turned his attention back to his mutinous crew, being careful not to let them know that he was on to their plans. 'It sure took them bloody long enough. I thought for sure they'd have mutinied weeks ago from the way I've been treating them. Oh well. Better late than never, I suppose. Not that'll do them any good.'
He dropped a few gold coins on the table top and stood, exaggerating his movements to make it seem as if he were more drunk than in reality. It would cause his enemies to underestimate him, he knew. Sparrow oftentimes used the same tactic, and he had learned of it through the ex pirate captain's memories once he had taken possession of him. He stumbled his way to and out through the front door of the inn/pub, taking care to both assure that the members of his duplicitous crew would follow and that they wouldn't notice him noticing them.
To their credit, they were doing a passable job in following him through the streets of Tortuga in such a large group without being noticed. That earned them a slightly quicker death, if nothing else. He smirked when a rather drunken looking whore stumbled over to him and put an arm around his waist, whispering loudly in his ear about the fun that might be had throughout the night. Lorelac let her talk, not really interested as she was probably the single ugliest woman he had ever seen, but because it made him seem even more unaware of his crew's presence. He smirked to himself as their stalking became even more bold, and they made their presence known. "Sparrow!" the likely ringleader shouted, a man by the name of Lewiston if he remembered correctly. He had never liked the little weasel of a man, but his skills up in the rigging of a ship especially through a storm were unmatched.
"Go's away, ye'r interruptin' mates. Cantst ye see 'm busy here?" he drawled slowly, waving a hand as if to ward them off.
"We're not going anywhere, Sparrow," Lewiston spoke again, his voice cold. "And neither are you." He addressed the ugly whore at Lorelac's side, "Leave or we'll kill you too. I won't tell you again, ye ugly hag."
The whore looked at Lewiston with a perplexed look on her face, as if she wasn't quite aware of what was happening around her. Her eyes were then drawn to Lewiston's pistol pointed out in front of him aimed at Jack's chest and took off running without another word.
"Ye can never find good whores anymore. They always run off at the first sign of trouble. Isn't that right, mates?" he asked them loudly, spreading his hands wide in a flamboyant gesture fit for Captain Jack Sparrow himself, not just his body. "Well go ahead, lads. Are you going to shoot me or aren't you?" Lorelac asked with a sneer, all pretenses at being drunk gone. He pulled open his shirt and bared his chest to them. "Well, go on. You've got me in your sights. Do it."
"You're a madman, do you realize that? You're acting as if you really want us to kill you." One of the crewmembers said in a quiet voice.
"Well of course I'm bloody mad! I'm mad Captain Jack Sparrow, everyone knows that! But in fact I'll tell you a secret," he whispered loud enough for them all to hear. "I'm not really him at all. In fact, I've just taken possession of his body. My real name's Lorelac. And I'm a demonic god of mischief. Did you know that? I bet you didn't. Mortals today have forgotten so many of the old beliefs," he said with a mournful sigh. "But I intend to change all of that. I intend to make mortals fear me once more. Perhaps it's an unachievable goal, but I don't think so. And I've certainly got the bloody time to figure it out, now don't I? Well, I guess I don't from your point of view since you intend on killing me right now. But I guess that's your business, not mine."
"I should shoot you on principle right not just to get you to shut the bleedin' hell up!" Lewiston shouted at him, cocking the trigger on his pistol.
"And I should put myself out of my misery so I don't have to deal with your cowardice any longer. Are you going to bloody shoot me or aren't you? Get O'Malley, my ever-trusted first mate to do it. I see him skulking around behind you. Step out and show yourself, Rich." The man in question did take a step forward and Lorelac laughed. "Well isn't this a grand little gathering! Why you've almost the whole crew! Let me guess, you couldn't get the others to come because they were too bloody drunk to move. Am I right, lads?"
When the first shot came, Lorelac was actually surprised. He looked down to his chest where bright red blood was now saturating his white shirt. "Well it looks like one of you isn't a coward after all. How about that? Well whoever shot me first be good enough to step forward so I can congratulate you?"
No one stepped forward, but many of the group took a step back to see that he was still alive and talking with a gaping bullet wound in the middle of his chest. "You, you're supposed to be dead! I bloody shot you!" it was O'Malley, his former first mate who spoke.
"Did you now?" He looked down at his bloodied chest and smirked. "It seems you did. Nice shot, by the way. If I was mortal it would have killed me instantaneously."
"If you were mortal?" O'Malley repeated in a stunned voice.
"I take it you weren't paying attention to the part where I said I was a demonic god of mischief? Too bad. You might have saved yourself some trouble. And a bullet."
"What are you?" Lewiston asked, his voice not sounding half as confident any longer.
Lorelac rolled his eyes. "Because you didn't deem my words worthy enough to pay attention to, you get to die," he shot the man in the chest with Jack's pistol and watched impassively as he fell to the ground dead. "Now, who's next?"
***
Less than an hour later Lorelac was looking over the carnage he had wrought with a frown. "Bloody perfect. How am I supposed to get to Port Royal without a crew? I guess I'll just have to create another one," he muttered with a sigh, stepping over the body of one of his fallen crewmates and made his way to one of Tortuga's more seedy bars to recruit again, whistling softly under his breath. If anyone close enough to him was still alive to heard they might have been confused as to why anyone would want to sing about "really bad eggs," unless they were acquainted with either the song or the man himself. And acquaintances of Captain Jack Sparrow seemed to be fewer and fewer these days.
TBC
A/N: Ok again, I'm sorry this took so long to post. The next one will be much sooner in coming, I promise. I wouldn't leave my dear readers at a cliffhanger for that long.
The real reason I've waited so long to update this is because I've started a new OUATIM story with co-author Neon Daises on www. adultfanfiction.net entitled More Than Darkness, a cross over between our two stories Darkness Rising and More Than Eyes Alone Can See. It's almost 250 pages long and rated NC-17. It's been getting a lot of praise and if you're of age I invite you to come and check it out. It's in the OUATIM section under the penname S_and_M.
Reviewer's Thanks Section
Miss Becky: My lovely beta reader. Sorry you didn't get a chance to review this before posting it. It probably needed it, but I just wanted to get it posted and done before too much more time had passed. Thanks for the review, and I hope to see you for the next chapter soon!
Otherhawk: Writing Jack as a bookish geek is fun. Everyone should try it. Yes, Lorelac is a complete bastard. I don't disagree with you there. He needs to pay for what he's done. And he will. Sooner or later... I'm glad you like the allusion to the Code line. I can come up with stuff like that every once and awhile. ;-) Thanks for reviewing!!
Penddranginink: So many questions. I wish I had answers for you, but Lorelac is being rather closed-lipped about his intentions for the moment. I don't exactly know what he's up to, but I know it's nothing good. Thanks for the review!!
Neon D: I'm glad you liked it. And get the notion of dead Jack out of your head, my sadistic friend! Write your own story if you want that to happen! I'm not done torturing my Jack yet! Um, whoops...did I say that out loud??
Jackie Rose Sparrow: Yes a sequel. This one's going to be fun. To answer your question, nearly a month has passed between the two stories. Thanks for your continued reviews!
Miss Anya: Sorry this chapter couldn't come quicker for you! I promise the next one will! Thanks for reviewing!!
Jack_roks: I'm glad you like the alliterated chapters. They're fun to think up. It gives my internal thesaurus a workout. Thanks for reading!
Mara: Yes, at last. It's going to be a wild ride, I can tell you that. And of course there are many somethings I'm not telling you about Jack's past! That's what makes me an evil author! *cackles* I can't wait to see more of Edward either. He's refreshing to write so don't doubt that you'll see him again soon.
Savvy Renegade: Thanks for reviewing HF! It's always great to hear from you!
Ravenmuse: Yea! I've got someone hooked on my story! *does Snoopy dances* Er...thanks for reading. Don't worry. Lorelac will get a good squashing sooner or later.
Padme: It's ok. I understand being tired. The last chapter was mostly flashback into Jack's past when he was only in his early 20s. The rest of the story takes place in the present as far as the story line goes. This chapter took place entirely in the present. I hope this helps and thanks for reading!
Jackfan2: Jack's not beaten yet, have no fear. He's gathering his strength, I tell you. And when he's ready, Lorelac's going to pay. *evil grin* As for when that will be....you're guess is as good as mine at this point. Jack's not talking. Thanks for reading!!
BURN THE R.U.M.: Aww, don't worry, BTRUM, I love happy endings. Deep down I'm a big old softy romantic at heart who has inexplicably taken to writing unbelievably angsty stories lately for no reason at all. Anyway, thanks for the review!!
Mistress of Destruction: Lorelac's not stupid necessarily, he's arrogant. And you know what they say, "pride goeth before a fall." And yes, he will fall. Thanks for reviewing!!
Holliday1081: Thanks for reading!! I'm glad you're liking it! I'm also very interested in seeing how I turn a Sperling into a Sparrow as well. I guess we'll just have to find out together. ;-)
To any of my readers who didn't review or whom I might have missed, now's your chance! More reviews means more chapters quicker! That's a promise!! And don't forget to check out my OUATIM story if you're of age. Come see what's keeping me away from Jack for so long.
Ta mates,
-Merrie