Knock. Knock. Knock.
Hercules sat at his new desk in his new office at his Uncle Po's travel agency in the Waterhole Shops setting up his new email when he heard the knock at the door. He was expecting his uncle or his uncle's assistant Sebastien. He hadn't even unpacked all of his boxes yet.
"Come in," he answered.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Olympus."
The gruff sounding voice was an unpleasant surprise to Hercules' ears. His eyes darted away from his computer screen to come face to face with Bill Sykes. He fought the protective urge to put his fist to this man's face at the sight of him.
"Mr. Sykes. What are you doing here?"
Nervously, Sykes took that as an invitation and closed the office door.
"I was hoping the two of us could have a little chat," Sykes responded taking a seat across from Hercules at his desk.
Hercules found it quite annoying that Sykes felt so comfortable as to take a seat without an invitation.
"About what? Didn't my dad explain everything to you?"
Sykes nodded, all the while staring straight at Hercules as is to assess him.
"Yes, Zeus mentioned how you have fallen out of love with the game and wanted to transition into something else before it was too late."
Hercules had discussed with his father that he didn't want Sykes to know the real reason. He didn't want to betray Meg's trust that way.
"So then, what's there to discuss. Unless you are planning a trip, I don't think we have anything left to talk about."
Sykes narrowed his gaze.
"Do I sense some hostility toward me, Mr. Olympus?"
Hercules mentally bit his tongue as to not go into a tirade. He shook his head.
"Not at all, Mr. Sykes. Not at all."
Sykes grunted.
"What about your teammates? What about this season? What made you decide to give up what is going to be a championship year?"
Hercules took a deep breath holding his deep hatred for this man all inside.
"My father explained position, Mr. Sykes. There's no further discussion. Gaston was a little ticked off but he'll get over it. As for the others, they're all talented enough without me. I'm not worried."
Sykes sighed.
"There's absolutely nothing I can do to convince you to come back?"
Hercules looked him dead in the eye. While he wanted to shout and scream at this man for all that he put Meg through, he knew it wasn't the right time and he wasn't the right person. Meg had shared so much of herself and her past with him recently and he wasn't about to mess it up again by revealing to Sykes the real reason he left Fantasia's Fighting Mice. He had promised her.
"No amount of money would make me return to playing for the Mice. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have some training modules to finish before the end of the day."
Hercules stood up and motioned toward his office door.
Begrudgingly, Sykes stood up and shuffled out of the office. Hercules slammed his hands on his desk in anger. His cousin Aquata came running down the hall with fear in her eyes.
"Hercules, what's wrong?"
Hercules shook his head.
"It's nothing. Just make sure we tell the front desk that unless Bill Sykes wants help planning a trip, he's not welcome in this office," Hercules responded, sitting back down in his chair.
Aquata nodded, curiously and returned to her office hoping that her cousin was alright.
A few doors down at the Waterhole Shops, Meg and Angelica were showcasing the photos of Anya for Jasmine's boutique with Jasmine.
"These photos are great, Ang. You really lucked out with the lighting," Meg commented. "What do you think, Jas? Think these will work in your store?"
Jasmine's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Absolutely. I'm so in love with these photos. I've already posted some on the shop's Instagram and it's gaining so much traction already!"
Angelica smiled.
"I'm glad you like them! Anya was really a dream to work with," Angelica said, scrolling through the photos.
Jasmine nodded and shrugged her shoulders a bit.
Angelica rolled her eyes knowing why Jasmine was a bit salty.
"Oh come on, Jasmine. Lighten up."
"What?" Jasmine responded, surprised at Angelica's comment.
Meg raised a brow.
"What did I miss?"
Angelica laughed.
"Oh when Jasmine got a little too personal with Anya about Will Anya fired right back at her asking about Flynn."
"Ooohh. See I knew I liked this girl the moment I met her," Meg responded.
Jasmine rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please. Esmeralda told me you didn't trust her intentions when you first met her."
"Hey. I can like someone without trusting them."
Jasmine rolled her eyes again.
"Whatever."
"So, Ang. What did Jasmine have to say about Anya's inquiry?" Meg asked, a touch of laughter in her voice.
Jasmine's mouth was agape in response to her two friends teasing her relentlessly.
"That they're 'just friends and nothing more,'" Angelica answered, mocking Jasmine's response from the day before.
"Gee, you'd think she'd come up with a better answer than that by now," Meg responded, laughing.
Noticing Jasmine's annoyance, Angelica eased her mind.
"Relax, Jasmine. We're your friends. We're only teasing you. We're curious. But Meg and I both know, you'll tell us when we need to know."
"Thank you. It took a lot for Flynn and I to get this far and I just want to keep things the way they are right now."
"Understood," Meg said. "Changing the subject. Ang, has Esmeralda killed your boyfriend yet?"
Angelica laughed.
"No, but I have been hearing from both of them that the other is a monster."
"Esmeralda isn't taking too kindly to having Flynn and Aladdin be her shadow huh?" Jasmine asked.
Angelica shook her head.
"Not at all. Two others brought her home last night and it was all she could do not to start throwing plates again."
Jasmine furrowed her brow.
"Throwing plates? Esmeralda was throwing plates? Why is this the first I'm hearing of this?" Jasmine asked in awe.
Meg laughed.
"Because Flynn has been keeping you pretty occupied."
Jasmine rolled her eyes yet again, ignoring Meg's tease.
"Yeah, a couple of weeks ago when all of this started and Jack wanted her to be careful she thought he was trying to control her so she lashed out a bit," Angelica responded.
"So it seems Esmeralda and Jack are more than meets the eye. How much longer are these bodyguards supposed to last?"
Angelica shrugged.
"For as long as Frollo plans on using my sister to catch Jack in some sort of nefarious plan."
"Man. Flynn says that guy is out for Esmeralda and he is creepy as fuck," Jasmine said.
Both Meg and Angelica turned to look at her with blank stares.
"What?"
Meg looked at Angelica knowingly.
"What else does Flynn tell you and where?"
Meg and Angelica laughed while Jasmine shook her head at her friends.
Across town in one of Eric Shipman's warehouses, Phoebus was updating the Sparrow and the rest of the crew on his conversation with Norrington the night before with Smith.
"It took some convincing, but Smith and I finally got James to stop this ridiculous notion to manufacture evidence against Esmeralda Teach."
"Just what was he expecting to manufacture?" Eric asked out of curiosity.
Phoebus was nervous to respond, knowing Jack's attitude regarding Esmeralda.
"Frollo implied that not all of her suitors were upstanding gentlemen if you know what I mean," Phoebus stumbled out.
"What? That's absolutely absurd. Esmeralda is not that kind of a woman. She's..." Jack responded before realizing that he was in front of a group of men and he had not yet deciphered his feelings about Esmeralda. "She in no way embodies that implication whatsoever," Jack finished, saving himself.
The other men seemed to accept his answer. But Will was not buying it. He knew Jack better than that. He could tell by Jack's fidgeting fingers that he was not only appalled by the suggestion that Esmeralda was some sort of sex worker on that side, but he was more than excited, perhaps even elated to see her again after being forced to be apart.
"James is meeting with Frollo this afternoon to tell him in person," Phoebus said.
"So I guess that means it would be a good idea for us all to lay low tonight, including Esmeralda," Eric responded.
Will nodded, seeing Jack's puzzled expression.
"Aye. Sounds like a plan," Jack uttered, halfheartedly.
Will knew it was all he could do not to run to Esmeralda right now.
But he wouldn't tell Jack he knew that.
At City Hall, James Norrington nervously sat at his desk going through night watch reports when the buzzer on his desk phone sounded. His stomach dropped. He knew what was about to happen.
"Yes?" he asked, pressing the button to reply to his receptionist Alice.
"Judge Claude Frollo is here to see you," Alice's sweet voice responded.
"Send him in."
James took his hand off the button and stood up awaiting the inevitably uncomfortable conversation that was about to take place.
The door to his office opened and Alice sweetly ushered in the dauntingly stiff Frollo. Alice shut the door in a hurry, almost as if she knew something was about to take place.
"Good afternoon, Commodore Norrington. And how are things at the Coast Guard?" Frollo asked, nonchalantly.
"Good afternoon, sir. I'm just going over some night watch reports actually. Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice," James responded, coming out from behind his desk.
Showing no emotion, Frollo nodded.
"I assume this visit pertains to a recent request I asked of you and your Captains of the Guard?"
James nodded, suddenly wishing he were somewhere else.
Standing in front of Frollo now, he could see what Smith and Phoebus had been referring to. The man gave of an eerie aura that sent the coldest chills up your spine.
"Yes it does."
"And I assume you have good news."
James looked down at his feet for some last minute courage. He stood up straight and lifted his head up.
"I'm afraid not, sir."
With an indignant shock on his face, Frollo's mouth dropped open.
"What do you mean?"
Without flinching, James stood his ground.
"As a man of honor and a man of the law, I took an oath to upload that law. I cannot in good conscience devise a plan or a story to incriminate an innocent woman."
Silence.
"I'm sorry, sir. I know that this means we are no where near closer to capturing Jack Sparrow, but I just cannot do what you are asking of me. And neither will John Smith or Phoebus Swann. They actually threatened to resign if I took action on your request."
James could have sworn he saw the devil himself appear in Frollo's eyes just then.
"How dare you defy a direct order!" Frollo growled.
"With all due respect, sir. My orders come from Mayor Hubert Prince's office currently. While you are indeed an important figure within this city, you have no authority over me or the Coast Guard as of yet. The election is still weeks away."
With an evil maniacal chuckle, Frollo narrowed his cold gray eyes.
"Make no mistake, Commodore Norrington, that when Charles Charming is elected, it will be my greatest pleasure in seeing you out of a job immediately."
James nodded, fearfully.
"If that is your wish, sir. Until then. This is where I and my men stand."
"You, Commodore, have made a very grave mistake," Frollo uttered as he furiously flew out of James' office.
James suddenly felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. But still a pit in the very depths of his stomach told him that Judge Claude Frollo was not done on his disturbing vendetta against Esmeralda Teach and Jack Sparrow.