Summary: "Elizabeth hasn't heard of him, but the immediate, worried frown that comes to Jack's face at the name tells her that she should have heard of the Keeper by now." Elizabeth isn't oblivious enough to miss obvious familiar ties, nor is she blind enough to see the tense relationship between a son and his father. One-shot. Set during AWE.

Alone In His Father's Wake

"I call on Cap'n Teague, Keeper of the Code."

Elizabeth hasn't heard of him, but the immediate, worried frown that comes to Jack's face at the name tells her that she should have heard of the Keeper by now.

A man speaks up at the urge of his Pirate Lord, spitting out words of contempt of the Code.

Bang!

The man's body falls to the floor with a thud.

No one dares do more than breathe.

When they turn in the direction of the gunshot, Elizabeth can make out the form of what appears to be Jack- What? But Jack's right here- sitting on a balcony just behind the meeting hall, blowing smoke from his pistol.

"Code is the law." The man says, his deep authoritative voice edged with the softness of age.

The Lords standing slowly sit down in their chairs- well, those who have chairs. They know who the man is, they fear him.

Elizabeth stays silent, understanding that she shouldn't yet speak until the man- the Keeper- steps in to seek out the truth of Barbossa's words.

As the man enters the meeting hall, Jack doesn't move. He's uncharacteristically still, staring straight ahead, refusing to turn around and look at the Keeper as the man comes to take his beside him at the foot of the table.

The black dreadlocks, the dark eyes, the long nose and fingers.

"Ye're in my way, boy."

Jack shuffles aside as his father stops at the end of the table.

No one else appears to know- oblivious pirates. And if they do, they don't seem to care.

They're too focused on the giant book being hauled in behind the Keeper.

The Code.

As soon as it's been set on the table, Teague glances over his shoulder and whistles. There's the jingling of keys, and the guard dog from the cells of Fort Charles trotts in.

The Keeper offers a small shrug at Pintel and Ragetti's confusion.

"Sea turtles, mate."

When Gibbs smirks beside her, she knows that he is more than aware of the man's connection to Jack. He must have known them for a long time, she realizes.

Jack hovers at his father's shoulder as the man scans a page in the book, declares Barbossa to be correct about a Pirate King having to be elected by a popular vote.

And then Jack's Jack again, stepping in the way and taking it into his own hands in the way Elizabeth has so horribly missed since her betrayal.

"Hang on a minute…" His finger trails beneath a line as he quietly reads it aloud. "It shall be the duties, as the King, to declare war, parley with shared adversaries-" He taps the page and looks up, despite his father's thoughtful scrutiny. "Fancy that."

"There has not been a King since the First Court." The French Lord points out. "And that's not likely to change."

"Not likely." The Keeper growls in agreement, turning away from them all.

Jack's eyes barely flicker in his direction as he goes. As if he's used to it, being left to face his problems on his own. What hurts Elizabeth the most is that he doesn't even seem disappointed.

And everything's back to business again.