MMM: Hey, been awhile since I've seen you around. Glad you're still interested. Yeah, Teague and Jack do have a close relationship, don't they? I've been enjoying writing them, especially their interactions with each other. And I'm afraid that after this there's only really Jack recovering and the Court meeting, not really anything else. No, he won't be doing any more of that with Elizabeth.
Chapter 11:
Several hours later, Jack woke up, his mind scarred from remembering old memories again. Pulling aside the curtains from his bed, he saw that the shadows were long in Shipwreck City. The day was nearly over, and the next he'd be in the Brethren Court meeting. He wasn't ready for it, not yet. Sighing deeply, he closed the curtains again. Maybe if he went back to sleep it'd pass right by.
Getting comfortable, he closed his eyes and let sleep overcome him once more.
"Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past." He stated, his gaze moving to Elizabeth, latching onto her spitefully."One of you succeeded."
Will looked back at his soon-to-be wife, clearly puzzled. She looked at the ground, obviously hoping no one would realize it'd been her.
"Oh, she's not told you." Jack found himself smirking in the midst of his enragement. "You'll have loads to talk about while you're here."
Then he'd gone on to select who'd go with him, though they'd all gone anyway.
His sleeping form shook with fear as he remembered those many days, possibly even months, inside the Locker.
Pain, teeth, blood…darkness.
Light. Lots of light. Endless land. No one, no thing in sight besides a single ship. The Black Pearl. And of it's crew? Many men who looked and sounded alike. All of multiple personalities too. The Jacks. The real Jack's worst nightmare.
"Ahoy, Captain Sparrow!" One called to him.
He just stood there, gaping in confusion and astonishment.
"Come aboard, Captain!" Another offered.
He began walking towards it, climbing up the rope they threw to him.
"Welcome, Captain Sparrow." A third greeted. "Orders?"
"Raise the anchor! Lower the sails!" Jack answered, confidently, smiling even.
"Aye, Capt'n!" The fake Jacks chorused, getting to work.
Gasping, Jack accidentally shot bolt upright and smacked a vase off of the small bed table next to him. He flinched as the sound of shattering glass rang through the house.
"Jackie!" Teague called, his voice half worry, half annoyance.
A miniature Jack was on his shoulder. "Now ye've done it."
He glared at it. "Shut up."
The young captain looked over the edge of the bed to see small shards and pieces of glass scattered across the wooden floor. He sighed, angry with himself. He heard fast paced, but not quite running, footsteps coming towards the bedroom. The door opened, the Keeper standing there. The other man looked up at him, giving him a small shrug.
"Sorry 'bout that." Jack sighed, looking back down at the glass. "Accidentally bumped it."
Teague still looked unimpressed. "I see that, Jackie."
"Ye want me to clean it up?" The younger pirate asked.
"I'll have someone do it later." The man responded. "I jus' got back from your ship, boy. First Mate's lookin' for ye."
"Can't Gibbs last a day without me aboard?" Jack complained, getting out of bed.
"Apparently not." Teague responded.
The Pearl's captain pulled on his boots, attached his sword to his belt, grabbed his flintlock, and then put on his hat. "I'll be seein' ye later then, I suppose?"
"Aye." The Keeper nodded. "Ye better get a move on, Jackie."
"Workin' on it." Jack slipped past him and out of the room.
He left the building, walking through the streets of Shipwreck City until he reached the Cove. The sun had begun to set and the sky was orange on the horizon. He made his way over to where the Pearl was docked up. Gibbs stood just off of the ship, arms crossed.
"Cap'n." He greeted him.
"What do ye need, Mr. Gibbs?" The captain asked, raising an eyebrow impatiently.
"The crew wishes to leave the ship, Jack." Gibbs answered. "They're gettin' restless."
"Teague's men are watching over the Pearl, so tell the crew they can if they want." Jack told him. "Also, find a place to get Will and Elizabeth settled in."
"Aye, Cap'n." The First Mate nodded in reply.
Not even a minute after he had gone back aboard the ship, a huge group of men raced down the plank, hurrying towards the city. Their captain watched from the shadows, the light of the setting sun missing him.
Gibbs walked down to the dock from aboard the ship, followed by Will and Elizabeth. He lead them over to Jack, who stood with his arms crossed far into the shadows. They stopped in front of him. The four stood in silence for a few moments.
The captain raised an eyebrow in the dim light of the shadows. "Well? What do ye need?"
"Jack…" The young woman spoke up, her voice quiet. "I can't tell you enough times how sorry I am for what I did."
He sighed in reply, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them and answering. "We've all made our own mistakes, savvy? Mine was not realizin' what was 'bout to happen 'fore it did. I may be angry with ye still, but I forgave ye long ago."
"Does he know? Captain Teague?" William asked, curiously.
"Aye, but he doesn't know who's done it." Jack told him. "Best keep it that way too. He doesn't take threats- especially ones to the family- very lightly." He glanced at Elizabeth, an uncharacteristic look of dead seriousness on his face. "And considerin' what happened was more than a threat, he'll be after ye if he ever knows who it was. Don't speak of it, even among yourselves. If ye think ye're alone, ye're not. My father has eyes and ears everywhere around the cove an' city. Best keep quiet 'bout it all."
Gibbs stood there, listening, not saying a word at all.
The woman decided to throw in her opinion, one none of the other three agreed to at all. "Why don't you kill me? It's only fair since I did it to-"
Her husband threw her an are-you-crazy look.
The captain gave her a sharp glare, shutting her up immediately. "What did I jus' say? Keep quiet, savvy? We may not be friends, Elizabeth, but ye and Will 'ere stood between me and a noose. I won't repay that with letting Teague avenge my death. Besides, ye're one of us. Ye're meant to be a pirate too, y'know. Selfishness, it's what describes us, savvy? Ye shouldn't be feelin' bad at all."
A single tear slid down her cheek as he said that. When she spoke, her voice trembled slightly. "A-and if he does find out?"
"Then I'll protect ye meself." Jack's eyes narrowed. "Ye can count on that."
Will, who'd been tense, relaxed at those words. He was glad that Jack still had some spirit and life in the shell of his former self.
"Are we done?" Gibbs asked, glancing between the other three. "We ought to be getting ye two settled in."
"Yes." Elizabeth whispered in reply.
Young Turner through an arm around her shoulders as the couple followed Gibbs into the city. Jack watched them go, eyeing the rising moon. He barely spotted a couple of Teague's men approaching from where the others had gone from.
He turned towards them. "Ye need somethin'?"
"Captain Teague is looking for you." One of them spoke up. "He wants you to return to his place for supper and prepare for the meeting tomorrow."
"Very well then." The captain sighed. "I'll be on my way back there then."
