Summary: When Jack and his crew find a young princess's tomb, they do not realize the danger they are in until Jack suddenly begins to think he is a child again… As the crew panics and searches for a way to return the gold and break the curse, Will Turner becomes the official caretaker of "Child Jack". As Will keeps Jack out of harms way and teaches the "young" Jack about piracy, he learns new things about Jack... and about himself.
Takes place in between CoTBP and DMC.
Chapter Four: Those frightening nightmares…
It was nighttime… and not a single creature was stirring.
Will lay in bed, wide-awake and staring at the ceiling. He didn't know exactly why he wasn't tired… In fact, he felt like a child trying to sleep on the night before Christmas. He couldn't bring himself to even shut his eyes. He heard Jack snoring from the other room, and he sighed again…
Hours passed, and Will's eyes finally began to fall shut, but before he could actually begin to enjoy sleep, he heard a loud wailing coming from the other room.
"God damn it, Jack!" Will huffed and he nearly fell off the bed. He stood up and picked his robe from the chair next to him. Lighting a candle and slipping on his shoes, he continued to let out a long string of whispery curse words. His made his way to Jack's room, and the crying grew louder and louder…
"Jack…?" Will called as he opened the door slowly. Jack's sobs died down a little, until they were just soft, gentle sniffs and whines.
"Will Turn Er!" He cried again, and he took in a quick breath and sobs loudly once more. Will set down the light on the dresser and he approached Jack's bedside slowly.
"Why are you crying now, Jack…?" He tried to not sound annoyed… and he knew he was probably failing terribly at it.
"I-I… I h-had a nightmare, W-Will Tu-urn Er." Jack mumbled between sobs and after his sentence finished, he cried even harder and more tears spilled from his eyes like leaking faucets. It was too dark for Will to get a good glimpse of Jack's face.. However, from what he could see in the dim candlelight, he noticed Jack's face was flushed and tears were staining his cheeks.
"Ah…" Will sighed, "I see." Jack just continued to cry and he wiped at his eyes with his hands balled into fists. "Come on… You can sleep with me tonight, then." Jack's crying slowly died down and he nodded obediently. Will snaked his arms around Jack's waist and helped the pirate to his feet… from there he led Jack to his room and laid him across the bed.
Jack gave a small, shy smile as he snuggled into the sheets. After the pirate was comfortable, Will came into the bed next and he blew out the candle, leaving them to be in silence and darkness… The only light in the room was that from the moonlight that shone through the open window. Will closed his eyes and let out a long breath through his nostrils… he almost would have fallen asleep instantly, if it weren't for Jack, who had snuggled against Will's side and purred happily, like a cat finding a new owner.
Jack's beard tickled at Will's chest and it was then, that Will made the decision to shave it off… after all, Jack probably wouldn't notice if there wasn't a mirror present. Will's train of thought came to a crashing halt, when he could hear Jack snoring contently…
Will smiled and kissed the pirate's head in a fatherly gesture. He smirked, realizing that he could actually get used to this.
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"Wake up!" Jack yelled and he pushed Will's side. "Wake up!"
"Go away!" Will turned his back to Jack and he buried his head in his pillow in another failing attempt to drown out Jack's voice. Jack hit Will's back and he continued to call for him,
"Wake up!" Jack giggled. "Wake up!" Will slid from the bed, still tired having not gotten much sleep the last night.
"Fine…" He snorted, "I'm up."
"Hungry." Jack smiled. Will gestured for him to go downstairs and wait… exactly as he did the other day. Jack nodded and left to go downstairs. Will stood up and stretched as soon as Jack's footsteps were no longer heard. Will sighed but just as he was about to go downstairs, his eyes fell upon his shaving utensils on the dresser and he felt his lips curl into a devious smirk.
"Jack!" Will called downstairs.
"Will Turn Er?" Jack called back.
"Jack! Come up here for a minute, there's something I want to show you…"
Curious, Jack crawled up the steps slowly and came to stand in front of Will. Will sat him down in the chair next to the dresser and he coated Jack's mouth and chin with shaving cream. Not realizing Jack's curiosity… he didn't notice when Jack wiped off a little bit with his finger and tasted it.
Seeing Jack's grimace, however, he immediately knew what the pirate had done.
"Jack!" He yelled and smacked Jacks hand lightly. "Don't you taste that! It's bad for you…" Jack's eyebrows arched and his eyes widened. "And don't you give me those puppy dog eyes either!" He huffed, turned around, and continued on with shaving Jack's mustache and beard. Jack sat in the chair patiently, and from then on he didn't make anymore movements.
However, when he saw the sharp razors that Will was holding, he almost fell out of the chair in panic and he jumped up, wailing loudly and flailing his arms he jumped onto the bed and clung to the sheets.
"No!" Jack cried. "No! Don't cut me! I didn't mean to taste it!" Jack's eyes were getting pink and Will cursed.
"No, Jack… I'm not going to cut you, calm down."
"Ah'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
"Jack!" Will yelled. "I'm not going to cut you!" Will tried to approach Jack calmly. "Trust me, I won't cut you…"
It took a lot of coaxing… but Will finally convinced Jack to come back to the chair and get a shave. Funny, Jack hadn't even realized that the facial hair was even there until it was shaven off. Will was careful, and he went painfully slow, not wanting to scare Jack anymore than he already was.
Once Will had shaven every last hair off Jack's face, he ordered Jack to wash off his face, and Jack did.
"Good boy." Will smiled, "Now, let me look at you." Jack removed the towel from his face and gave a shy smile. He looked… clean. Much cleaner than he ever has, at least. Will was not sure if Jack would kill him after this curse breaks or if Jack would even care, but either way… he figured at least some of it would grow within the next two weeks. "You look great." Jack smiled and he looked at the ground bashfully. "Come on. Let's eat."
Will grabbed Jack's hand and together they raced down the steps to the kitchen table…
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"… and then a huge monster shot up from out of the water!"
"Oh really?" Will smiled and he watched Jack as Jack was retelling a story of how his father had sailed the seven seas and came across many good treasures and other things. Jack would just continue rambling, on and on. He'd pause to take a bite of food, then continue talking, even with his mouth stuffed full.
After their food had been long gone from their plates, and after their cups had been completely drained of its contents, Jack continued to tell his fantastic stories of his father.
"Captain Teague!" Jack exclaimed, proudly. He beamed in his own glory for a moment… but then it was suddenly replaced by a painful sorrow. Jack slumped over a little and gazed outside of the window. He was not looking at anything in particular…
"Jack?" Jack's attention snapped back to Will. "Are you alright?"
"…Yeah." He shrugged. "Play with me!" His mood changed so drastically it was almost light night and day for a second. Will nodded anyway…
Today they had an adventure three times better than their last one. Jack Sparrow was the bad person this time, and Will Turner played the role of the notorious pirate, who sailed the seven seas and rescued pretty damsels in distress. They went to Shanghai and Singapore to Britain and France. They then sailed together, across the world, meeting all kinds of strange, new civilizations… finding all types of interesting treasures.
All around the small house, they ran up and down the steps and through the different rooms. Then, they both came to a stop, where they weighed anchor and called it a break.
The door knocked, and Will's blood ran cold. He waited a moment, the door knocked again. Jack sat up and looked Will curiously, then back at the door.
"Jack… go to the bedroom. I'll meet you there." Will stood up and gestured for Jack to hurry. Jack was still a little confused, but he obeyed Will anyway and he ran up the stairs and into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Will opened the door cautiously, and was shocked to see that it was nothing but a complete stranger. However, the uniform that he wore gave Will the indication that this man was serving under the King. The man's powered white wig seemed to glisten in the sunlight and his red uniform made him appear even brighter. It was obvious this man was terribly uncomfortable in the heat, as beads of sweat were running down his face.
He was a fairly big fellow… not fat, just…Big. Big bones, tall in stature and he seemed very sturdy. He spoke…
"Are you William Turner, the blacksmith?" His voice was deep, yet entirely proper… as if he were raised in a glass house.
"I am." Will's voice, on the other hand, was breathy and now seemingly tinted with annoyance.
"I'm here to commission a sword from you…"
…
Jack sat next to his door with was cracked open ever so slightly… He was listening intensively to the conversation between Will and the stranger.
"Thank you." Was the last words that were mumbled before he heard the door slam shut and Will huffing frustrated…
"Will Turn Er?" Jack called from his room, "May I come out now?"
"Come on, Jack." Will called back. He didn't have to tell Jack twice, Jack had begun running down the steps in pure excitement and curiosity after the man had left. Jack stopped in front of Will and gazed into his eyes, expecting to see answers there. Will sighed. "Jack, I'm afraid that I can't play anymore today…"
"What?" Jack gasped and his eyes darted around the room nervously… "But… why?"
"I have work that I need to do." Will replied without facing the pirate… he wasn't exactly sure if he could handle that painful look of disappointment on Jack's face. Jack's bottom lip slid out and he began to sniff, as though he would cry again. Will sighed again, "Don't you dare start crying either. We'll just have to play tomorrow is all."
Jack nodded and left Will to do his work.
Jack didn't see where Will left off to, but Will left… and Jack panicked. He wasn't sure if Will when Will was coming back, or if Will was coming back.
That strange fearfulness engulfed him, and he could not handle the hurt that flamed inside of him like wildfire. He stormed into Will's room and sat on his bed. He felt… lost without Will and in his anger, he stood up and began throwing random objects around. He did not care what it was… he threw glass vases, threw brushes and combs; he even threw around Will's clothes.
Jack was so hell bent on destruction that he had not felt the warm tears that leaked from the corners of his eyes and slid down his face. After he felt that he had destroyed enough, he slumped to the floor and lay there, perfectly still.
He heard Will's footsteps after a few minutes, and he knew deep down, that he would be dead once Will saw the state of his room. As expected, William opened the door and when he saw the mess in his room, he almost exploded at Jack. He pulled Jack up from where he laid on the floor and dragged the limp pirate to the other bedroom.
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Jack wasn't given any supper that night, and he was sent to bed early.
The most he got was a couple pieces of toast with butter and a glass of milk. Will was still completely furious at Jack, and he hadn't spoken to the pirate at all except for words that needed to be spoken…
A few hours passed, however, and Jack had another nightmare. Only, this time he cried even harder and sobbed even louder because he knew that Will would not come into his room to check on him. But, Jack was proven wrong, and within minutes of his wailing, Will was standing in the doorframe, leaning against the wood with his robe covering him and a lit candle lamp in one hand.
"Why are you crying, Jack…?" Will's voice was still groggy from having just been woken up from sleep.
"I-I had a-another nightmare, Will Turn Er." Jack sniffed and he curled his hands into balls and brought them to cover his mouth He sniffed again. Will sighed and he gestured for Jack to stand up.
"Come on…" Jack stood up and followed Will to his bedroom. He crawled under the sheets and snuggled against Will once he had lain in the bed as well… Will sighed. Jack couldn't explain it… but he was beginning to truly feel safe with Will. He especially felt good because William had came back after he left…
Author's Notes:
Thank you so much to all of you who left Reviews!
I always love to see people's comments and remarks about my stories, and it always makes me feel really accomplished.
A few responses, please? :
Smithy: Yes! I actually did not think of that until I read your comment, to be honest, I was going for a more brotherly relationship versus Father & Son. But since you mentioned it, you've really helped me out with the plot. :B
Sue: Thank you so much. (: I usually tend to start a story, and then stop.. but this one I'm actually planning to finish.
Bellatrix's Homegurl: Oh! Another Helena Bonham Carter fan? Lol! Thank you so much. (:
And the everyone who's read the story up to here... Thank you so much for your support.
R & R
