"James," I gasped and ran towards him. He was holding a wicker moses basket, which I could only assume contained Rebecca, in his hands. His eyes widened in surprise as kept running at him, showing no signs of stopping. He set the moses basket down on the ground. I saw his face split in to a huge grin before I threw my arms around him and squeezed him to me as tightly as I could. I heard him laugh and felt it shake his body. He hugged me so fiercely that he actually lifted me off my feet. I felt like I was a tiny little girl again, running into the arms of my big brother. There was a brief moment when I don't think either of us would have been surprised if he'd swung me up to sit on his shoulders. I kissed him on the cheek and then continued to hug him with ridiculous strength.

"Hey," he said gently, still laughing at me. "Hey, what's this for?"

I pulled back slightly and grabbed his cheeks so roughly that he winced. "James…" I said again as we grinned at each other. "Just… you are… I mean… Just… thank you. I love you."

"I love you too," he was still laughing and bewildered, as I kissed him on the cheek again. I couldn't find the words I wanted to say, so I just looked at him. His smile told me that he understood. I stooped to pick up the moses basket, glancing down at my daughter. She was asleep and hardly even stirred. Her peaceful, happy face made my smile widen. For a moment I genuinely didn't care where I was or what was happening to me. I was just too happy and surrounded by love to worry about anything. But then I saw Rebecca's eyes- her father's eyes and I was jolted straight back down to earth again. I had to keep going. I couldn't lose my grip on what was real and where I was going.

I looked up at my brother and asked, "Where are we?"

"Father's ship," James said, looking around him. He didn't look particularly happy about us being here. The deck around us was bustling in the way that ships do, but it wasn't the same as being on the Pearl. On the Pearl, there was much more chatter amongst the crew and the atmosphere was far more relaxed. It was a happier place to be. Everything on my father's ship was far more regimented and structured. While this may have been more efficient, it didn't seem to be as fun as life on the Pearl. Things were being done because they'd been ordered to. Generally speaking, things on the Pearl were done because they needed to be. Jack rarely had to give specific orders or jobs to specific people. The crew could work out of an almost instinctual behaviour. They moved to run the ship as if they were a part of her, rather than my father and his men who did it out of a sense of duty. The Pearl's crew were there by choice and because they loved it, not because they had been told what ship to be on. I saw a young Joshamee Gibbs and I felt instantly more at home. Gibbs seemed to be a common link between my two worlds- pirate and otherwise. It was difficult at times to remember that Gibbs had served in the Navy alongside my father and brother, when I was so used to seeing him as my husband's First Mate. He walked past where James, Rebecca and I were standing. He didn't really look happy, but maybe that was just because he seemed so out of place to me.

James had started to walk to where his younger self was standing looking out to sea with our father. I followed him, carrying Rebecca. There was a silence as James looked at the scene in front of him, "Do you… do you know why we're here?" I asked tentatively. James nodded.

"Yes," he sighed. "This is the very first journey Father ever took me on. We were after a certain Captain Teague. Teague's actually, er…"

"Jack's dad," I finished for him. He looked surprised. "Yes, I know."

"That's right," he said quietly. "You've met him then?"

"Yes," I said, feeling instantly defensive of my father-in-law. "He's a good man."

"Yes. He is," to my surprise, James agreed. I looked at him and he smiled, but it was a sad kind of smile.

Young James looked up at his father, who wasn't paying him any attention. "I wish Izzy was here," he said. My eyes widened in surprise. I couldn't believe James Norrington would ever have said such a thing. He'd been so very against it all my life. "She'd like the sea." Our father looked sharply down at him.

"James!" he scolded. "Do you really think that a ship of the King's Navy, which is in the midst of hunting for a pirate, is a suitable environment for your little sister?"

James shook his head and looked down, "No, Father."

"Do you think she'd be safe here?"

James shook his head again, "No, Father."

"Do you see any other women aboard this ship?"

James didn't even look up from where he was staring at his feet. "No, Father."

"No," our father repeated. "That's right. Women should only be on ships if it is absolutely necessary and along a safe passage. I would never dream of letting your mother or your sister set foot on a ship unless it was because we were moving somewhere else. They would certainly not be accompanying us here. They would be far too frightened and weak to deal with this sort of thing. This is a man's place and they are who we are protecting. It is our women at home we must keep safe, by keeping the seas safe." He paused. "You do want your sister safe, don't you, James?"

James looked up then. "Yes!" he said. "Yes of course, Father!"

"Good," our father looked satisfied.

"I only meant," James continued. "That I miss her and I think Izzy would like the s-"

"Isabelle," our father snapped. "Her name is Isabelle, please say it properly, James."

James stopped talking and looked away again. I could see that his young face had crumpled into a frown. As our father walked away from him and towards the helm, I heard James mutter, "I like 'Izzy'."

Still looking sulky, he scurried off after our father. We followed them both. I glanced up at my brother's current form. "Wishing to see me on a ship, James? You changed your tune," I remarked. He grinned and I smiled back.

"I did," he admitted. "But I hope that this tale will help me explain myself… even if only a little."

He said nothing else. Intrigued, I looked back at what was happening at the helm. "Dad…" James said quietly. Our Father looked at him.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared," he admitted. "Of the pirates."

Or father stooped down and put a comforting hand on his son's shoulders. "Don't be scared," he said. "You need to be brave, son. There are men out there who are savages, and they want to destroy your entire way of life. They are uncivilized, heathen, thieving, filthy pirates, and when I have gone to a final rest, it is you who will carry on the banner of civility and order, and help the Crown and our allies in the East India Trading Company eradicate their slime from the Seven Seas."

Young James's eyes were wide; he didn't look like he felt any better about the situation. There was a mixture of fear and awe in his eyes that I recognised as a feeling that I had felt before myself. I had felt it when I was his age, possibly even younger, when James himself had told me tales of pirates- the demons of the sea. They were the embodiment of pure evil, determined to wipe everything that was good from the world. Inhuman, subhuman monsters that would destroy everything that was dear to us. Everything that was good. I remember fearing them because they acted without reason in such violent ways that they couldn't possibly be anything other than savage and barbaric. I was in awe of how our Navy could fight them and I was fearful that maybe pirates were too evil, had too many demonic powers for us to ever overthrow them. Stories of killing pirates and hangings were never shocking. It's much easier to be okay with treating something or someone in an inhumane way, if they have been characterised to be less than human. It somehow justifies what the Navy did to them… even makes it seem noble. With all the stories we are fed it is difficult to remember that pirates are human too. I think, deep down, it is a truth that most people knew. That's why hangings never quite sat right with me. I thought when I saw my first hanging that I would feel more of a sense of justice than I did. The hanging hadn't unfolded in the way I had imagined. I had expected that when they dragged him from his cell in chains he would be fighting and roaring and cursing like some kind of demonic bear. I thought his eyes might glow red with the fires of Hell. I thought that his evil soul would be etched permanently on to his features. None of those things were true. He was just a man. A living, breathing, human man. He hadn't roared or cursed or even spoken. He had walked to the gallows in a calm and collected manner. And when he had eventually looked up when the executioner put a noose around his neck, they had been the colour of the calmest seas. And so full of fear and sadness. His hands had shook. When the leaver was pulled I looked away, wondering how anyone could watch and being surprised by my own emotions at what I was seeing. I knew that he was supposed to be answering for his crimes, but it didn't feel like justice. The life at the end of that rope is still a human one and what right do we have to take it?

"Admiral!" Gibbs shouted to my father from the deck below. He looked worried and a little bit scared. "Starboard! We're here. It's the Misty Lady."

My father sprang in to action and his crew followed. I watched young James as he took in what was going on. For the first time that day I saw him start to enjoy himself. He was already getting a taste for military life. His eyes were shining. It was nice to see him looking moderately happy for a change. He took a great interest in what everyone was doing, often scampering away from my father to quiz people on the ship, their jobs and how everything worked. I watched him with a smile and then looked at adult James. He saw my smile. "What?" he frowned.

"Nothing..." I shrugged. "It's just nice to see you smile for a change."

He nodded as he watched his former self stalk Gibbs around the ship. He laughed. "I was an annoying little thing," he commented.

"Was?" I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think you've changed?"

He rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was amused. There was a pause. "I've missed you," he said quietly. "I'm sorry things were so bad towards the end." I linked my arm with his and smiled.

"I've missed you too, James," I said. "And you have nothing to be sorry for." He smiled and I let the silence settle for a moment, looking up to where the pirate ship was that this one was pursuing. "The Misty Lady, huh?" I said. "Is Teague on that ship?"

"Yes," James nodded.

I hesitated, "Is… Is Jack?"

He took a deep breath and I had my answer before he said it, "Yes. He is."

I stepped forwards then, right to the railing and watched the Misty Lady grow closer. It wasn't long until the canon fire from both ships started. There wasn't as much resistance from the pirate ship as I had thought there would be. Their canon fire seemed to stop short and I didn't know why. They crew around us however, seemed to expect it. They managed to pull up alongside the Misty Lady with no trouble at all. When I looked over the deck was empty, aside from the figure of a boy only a few years older than James. It was our cousin, Fitzwilliam, looking smug. What was he doing on a pirate ship? He crossed the gap between the two ships and came to stand beside my father as his crew lined up. "Good work, Fitz," my father sounded proud. I saw young James looking a little bit jealous. "You lead us here well. Where are they?"

"In the brig," he answered, his smug smile widening. My father nodded.

"Good," he turned to his men. "Go and get them."

A line of them marched over to the Misty Lady and we watched them disappear down into depths of the ship. A few minutes later they returned. I strained to see the figures they were leading forwards in chains- the figures of a boy and man. I recognised them both immediately. Teague was younger and therefore looked even more like Jack than he had when I had known him. Does now, I corrected myself on my use of past tense. I'm not dead yet. When I saw young Jack I smiled. I couldn't help it. His bandana was so familiar and recognisably his, but his hair was much shorter and scruffier, sticking out the sides of it. His shirt was overly big on him, hanging off his thin frame. He was a few years older than James, probably around thirteen and in that awkward stage in life where people often grow faster than their bodies can handle and they haven't quite filled out yet. It was ridiculously surreal to see him. It was even more surreal than it had been to see the younger versions of my parents and brother; at least I had seen family portraits to prepare me for that. Seeing Jack in such an early stage in his life was bizarre. Knowing everything I knew about him, all the hardships that he would face in the near future that would make him the man I loved, I wanted to step in and intervene. I wanted to take him somewhere safe and shield him from everything that was coming, warn him about losing the Pearl, but I couldn't. Obviously. And maybe that was for the best. These strange and random chain of events, as bizarre and surreal as it might be for me to witness them, were vital parts leading up to the moment we'd met and where we were now. And there was nothing I would change about that.

"Captain Edward Teague," my father said with great authority. The rest of Teague's crew were brought up to join their Captain. I saw my brother's eyes shining with admiration and respect for his father. He was proud of him for what he was doing. I had to remind myself that he didn't know any better. "You, your son and your crew are hereby under the jurisdiction of the King's Navy and will be brought to Port Royal to be hanged for the crimes you have been charged with and run away from." Neither Teague nor Jack said a word. Jack was looking at Fitz as if he would like nothing more than to rip his head clean off his shoulders. Fitz was smiling back at him. I could almost see Jack's blood bubbling and boiling in his veins as they were lead away. Teague looked far more calm and collected. I assumed that he had a plan of some kind. I couldn't really imagine Teague looking scared about anything. I was used to seeing him with an air of relaxed authority. He didn't have to raise his voice to demand respect. He was just one of those people that commanded it anyway. Despite him being in chains and on his way to the brig, I think many of my father's men were incredibly wary of him.

James watched them with a great deal of fear in his eyes, as I heard my father continuing to praise Fitz. Not hearing any of it, James tugged on his father's sleeve to get his attention. Slightly annoyed, my father looked down. "What is it, son?" he asked.

"One of them's a boy," he said.

My father nodded, looking back out to sea. "There's corruption in youth too," he said. "It's a good job we got him early before he could commit any serious atrocities. He won't be able to destroy anything from the end of the noose."

James looked afraid. "I'm a boy too," he said quietly.

"But you are not corrupt," he looked back down at his son. "Are you?" James shook his head furiously, fear still burning in his eyes. "Good," my father said before walking away.

Everything around us sped up and movements on the deck became blurs around us. The light began to fade rapidly from the sky. It stopped when it became dark and everything went back to normal. For a moment nothing happened. I looked at James, wondering if this jump in time had been a mistake. "What's going on?" I asked, quietly.

"Just wait," he whispered. "They'll be here any moment."

He squinted into the darkness and became aware of the quiet sound of hushed footsteps on their way up to where James and I stood. Gibbs was the first to emerge. I heard James's sharp intake of breath. "Of course," he muttered to himself.

I was completely confused for a moment until I saw Teague emerge just a few steps behind Gibbs. Jack followed shortly after and then came the rest of Teague's crew. Teague, Jack and Gibbs all stood to one side as Teague's crew made their way back to The Misty Lady, who was still moored alongside my father's ship. Teague laid a hand on Gibbs's shoulders. "I can't thank you enough, Gibbs," he said. "You're a good man."

Gibbs was looking uncomfortable. "Aye," he nodded. "You're a good friend to me, Teague. Now away with the lot o' you before somebody sees."

Teague smiled. "Sure I can't convince you to come with us? We have rum…" he offered.

"No," Gibbs shook his head. "The pirate's life isn't one for me."

He looked as if he knew it was wrong even as he said it, but Gibbs is a man driven by fear. Whether it is fear of folklore or fear of punishment, there's no decision he makes without it. This must have been a big thing for him to do. He left them as soon as he could, just in case anyone saw him. He had only been gone for a minute or two when I saw Jack's eyes flash and he pulled out his sword. I whipped around to see Fitzwilliam had arrived on deck. He saw that he'd been spotted. "Prisoner's escaping!" he shouted as loudly as he could. "Prisoner's escaping."

"Shut up!" Jack shouted as Fitz drew his own sword to defend himself. Before Teague could do anything to stop the fight that was starting, my father burst out of his Cabin, brandishing his sword. Some of Teague's crew hurried back to help their Captain, but then my father's Redcoats started to arrive on deck and the fight spread out over both ships. It happened so quickly that I hardly had any time to take any of it in. My eyes were suddenly drawn to the small figure of James, who had emerged on deck looking completely terrified.

"This was the first battle I ever saw," James told me, seeing what I was looking at. "It was nothing like I expected it to be. I had thought it would be much cleaner, much easier. But I was terrified."

I gulped as one of Teague's men was slaughtered right in front of my brother's younger self. "I'm not surprised," I said quietly. "You're so young."

James's wide and wild eyes were glancing desperately around for his father. He saw him fighting Teague and tried to run to his aid. I could see that all he wanted to do was to protect and help his father. Just as he reached them, Teague knocked our father to the ground. From my experience and knowledge, I could tell that this was something he could easily enough recover from, but to young James… it was terrifying. He backed away from Teague, not looking where he was going. I saw the gap in the railing behind him, one that had been blasted there during the fight with The Misty Lady that day. He didn't see it and his fear drove him backwards. Helpless, I watched him fall.

"Dad!" he screamed just before he hit the water. Our father was back on his feet. He heard his son scream, but did nothing.

Teague lowered his sword.

Thanks for reading, leave a review if you can :)

PirateNinjaCJS: YAAAY for them talking :) Good times :') Glad you're shipping for them is as strong as ever. Yeah, I got it. I'll reply soon :)

thEcrEAtOr23: Ok, good :) Hope you liked James's so far.

Eponine Sparrow: YES. GO AND HUG JAMES. HE NEEDS IT.

AdaYuki: Here you go :) sorry for the wait.

GoTeamSkipper: Thank you :) I love Jack and Baby James too. I always thought he'd be an unexpectedly good dad. Mmmhhhmm... George and Blackbeard will be causing some havoc, but you'll just have to wait for that. ;)

kedatz17: Thank you so much :) that means a lot

Sookdeo: Well... here's the first part of James's tale. I hope you did like it :)

LOVE YOU ALL.