Chapter 13: A Long Drop
It was the dead of night. The moon had risen into the sky in a slim silver crescent. All was quiet outside, the streets silent and peaceful, except for a stray cat's occasional meow.
Peggy groaned as she flumped back onto her bed in her clean white shift.
Two weeks.
Two whole long weeks she had been away and she and Will had finally made it back home to Port Royal safe and sound…and with their heads still attached to their bodies.
Peggy ran a hand over her face to cover up her cough as dust entered her nose. Of course, Mister Brown would never lift his hand to clean anything, even himself, when they were gone, so the small dwelling, while clear of clutter, was not quite the usual standard of cleanliness she prided herself in. To her surprise, the man was not lounging around with a bottle in his hand.
He must be at the pub. She thought glumly, though it flew from her mind as it raced back to the events of the last few days.
To her and Will's great surprise and relief, the Governor of Port Royal had offered them a pardon for the crimes they had committed against the Navy as well as a monetary reward for rescuing his daughter. Peggy had no doubt that Elizabeth had vouched on their behalf, but still, it came as a surprise to Peggy that she had been let off the hook. Will, she could understand being let off since he was a first-time offender, but she was sure that with her record and close association with Jack Sparrow, she would either face jail time or the noose.
But no. For some reason, she had been spared. Not only had she been spared, but she had been let off the hook, surprisingly Scott-free.
Will had been tasked to scrub the ship like a cabin boy throughout the voyage home, but Peggy had found herself stuck at Elizabeth's side taking care of her like a replacement ladies' maid. Peggy did not know why she was assigned to such a position. Maybe Norrington thought her gender made her less of a threat? Or had Elizabeth put in a word for her? Either way, Peggy was confused but was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth when the alternative was a long drop and a short stop.
Jack, on the other hand…
Despite the pirate's reputation, Governor and Commodore Norrington seemed regretful that they had to put the man in handcuffs once more.
Jack, while a scallywag, had assisted the Navy and helped save his daughter like he said he would. Perhaps he did so non-conventionally, but he had kept his word, which had to count for something.
Unfortunately, the law was the law, and Jack's crimes against the Crown were too numerous. He had no remorse for any of them, even though Peggy thought some of them were more than justified.
Maybe it was the pirate in her, but she always felt the British Navy and the other military branches of the British Crown were their class of scum. She had nothing against the individual officers. Most were blindly faithful sheep who were probably men you could happily share a pint and swap stories at a pub. But the higher-ups, the elite? Those men were another kettle of fish, and the institutions they belonged to…well, you could smell the corruption from a mile off like a Tortugan pigsty.
She could not blame Jack for not wanting a bar of an honest society when an honest society thought matters like the enslavement and degradation of other humans were acceptable business practices.
Still, such was the way of the society in charge, and now they would hang Jack.
She had not seen him since the night they had defeated Barbossa and broken the curse of Cortez. Norrington had been very swift in clapping Jack in irons and putting him in the brig with the rest of the pirates they had managed to capture from Barbossa's old crew.
To Peggy's surprise, most of Barbossa's men had been surprisingly subdued after their Captain's death and their freedom from dark magic. Losing their invulnerability from the curse had made many men cautious about tempting fate again or stirring up trouble.
However, this did not stop many of them from jumping ship during a massive storm that hit the Dauntless three days into the voyage home. Despite their new lease on life, the pirates had left Jack behind alone in his cell in the brig, their anger at his part in their incarceration all too palpable in the faces of those they had left behind.
To her surprise, they had left Peggy well enough alone during the escape. They had attacked a few Navy Officers who dared apprehend them, but they backed away from Peggy if they crossed her path, most of them only sparing her looks of fear and disgust as they muttered, "Selkie witch."
Rat-tat-tat!
"Peg?"
Peggy looked up.
Will was standing in the doorway of her bedroom, looking apprehensive. He was dressed only in a fresh white shirt and trousers, his dark hair still slightly damp from his bath.
"You still had the candle lit." He muttered, nodding at the said candle on her bedside.
"You can't sleep either, huh?" Peggy mumbled as she sat up to lean against her pillow, patting the small space beside her.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't. I mean, I'm glad we're home, but…"
"But it still doesn't feel quite right." Peggy finished softly.
"No…it doesn't." Will shook his head as he sat beside her, lifting his legs and wrapping an arm around her shoulder so they reclined side by side on the bed, her head resting against his chest.
Peggy shut her eyes as she felt the familiar thudding of his heart against her ear like the soothing beat of a drum, as his fingers began stroking through her curls.
"Everything's so different now." He said after a long pause. "We've sailed with pirates, fought against curses, and nearly died several times. Yet we come back, and everything looks the same, and everyone expects us to go on like we did before."
"It's eerie, huh?" Peggy mumbled into his shirt, enjoying how his body vibrated against her cheek as he chuckled.
"Downright bizarre, and-"
"Wrong." Peggy finished, her eyes burning with that familiar sting of unshed tears. "Jack shouldn't hang."
"I know," Will muttered softly as he rolled onto his side and brought his other arm around her. "He's a good man. A selfish, strange and insane one perhaps, but not a bad one."
Peggy let out a watery chuckle, cursing softly as a tear escaped her.
"Damn, you'd think I'd toughen up by now." She mumbled as Will reached up and gently wiped her cheek with his thumb. "Gods, why am I such a blub these days?"
"Maybe because you've been holding it in for too long," Will murmured into her hairline. "Maybe you just need to let it out?"
"Maybe." She agreed glumly. "Still annoying, though."
"I don't mind." Will nuzzled his nose into her hair. "We'll figure something out."
"He hangs tomorrow." Peggy groaned, but Will shook his head.
"But he's not hung yet. It isn't over."
"And once he's freed, then what?" Peggy mumbled. "Where do we go? What do we do?"
"I…I don't know." Will admitted, grip tightening around her as he pressed a soft kiss atop her head. "But it will work out. There's still time."
No, there isn't.
Peggy sighed, her eyes drifting to where the cuff of her shift had slipped from her right wrist. There, stark against her skin, she could see the edge of the black ring and the blackened veins creeping out like theroots of a poisoned tree.
There's hardly any time at all.
"The prisoner is secure, sir."
"Good. This way, Miss Blake."
Jack watched as Commodore Norrington escorted the young red-haired woman into the small, stark room. To the man's credit, he still acted like a proper gentleman towards the young selkie woman despite her pirate status, though his eyes were suspicious of them both.
He would be a fool not to be. Jack thought as his eyes turned to Peggy.
She was wearing the cornflower blue dress Barbossa had given her once more, and he had to admit his late adversary had good taste. The colour suited her copper-red curls braided over one shoulder and her grey-blue eyes far better than that dowdy brown ensemble he had first seen her in.
Who'd have thought his feisty and tomboyish little cabin girl could look like such a lovely, demure lady?
He barely heard Commodore Norrington's warnings from his spot at the door not to cause any trouble before they were locked away for twenty minutes.
Jack was not sure how he could cause trouble. His hands were bound with rope in tight knots even he could not undo without a helping hand, and he did not have a sword or a knife to cut his bonds. He had left his coat back on the Pearl a while ago, and from what he could tell, Peggy's hairstyle did not require her to wear any sharp hairpins.
The room around them was stark and made of stone. It was a small cell kept just off the courtyard of Fort Charles. It was the place men came to wait for their hanging and the final visit from a priest so he may save his soul or from any family that may wish for final words.
Jack, however, had refused the holy man's visit. He had never been devout or holy, though he respected other people's beliefs and creeds. Besides, he knew his soul was beyond saving and had long ago made peace with it. However, he was surprised that his last request to see Peggy one last time had been allowed. With his track record and past connection with the young woman, he would have thought that the Commodore would have refused.
But no. Here she was.
And she was looking tired.
It was not a tiredness of the body but a weariness of the soul. Jack felt the unpleasant stirrings of guilt in his gut.
He knew that Barbossa's death had weighed heavily on her, and now she would bear the burden of his death, too.
"The Commodore said you wanted to see me." She mumbled, hands twisting in her skirts as she cautiously approached him.
"Aye love. I did." Jack gulped, feeling the two gunshot wounds on his chest tingle a little as he caught sight of the way her eyes watered ever so slightly. To her credit, she held her composure, though he could see it was only by the thinnest of threads. "Thought it only right, one last goodbye before the end. And I gotta say it was well worth it. "
"Just so we're clear, this isn't a conjugal visit." She managed to snort cheekily, and Jack rolled his eyes oh-so-disappointedly.
"Ahh, shame. Your loss, love."
They both chuckled, Jack stumbling a little as Peggy crossed the room swiftly and flung her arms around his neck.
He shut his eyes as she hugged him tight, unable to return the embrace with anything except his head, which he leaned against her shoulder.
It had been long since he'd received such warm and innocent affection from anyone. None of the wenches he slept with had ever done anything more than what he paid them for, and he barely had much in the way of close mates since the mutiny all those years ago. Gibbs was perhaps the closest to a friend he had made during that time, and as for family…well…affection had never been their way.
Peggy was one of the few who would ever hug him like this without some ulterior motive to knife him in the guts or trick him.
To think he had thrown this away for ten years.
He was almost as much a fool as that selfish, rotten Turner whelp.
Silly girl. She's still too soft for her own good sometimes. He shut his eyes and sighed.
"I'm sorry, love." He murmured into her hair, "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, and I'm sorry I left you behind."
"I forgive you," Peggy mumbled hoarsely, and he knew that she had started crying. "I forgave you a long time ago. I just was mad. I'm…I'm sorry I can't do much to help you now-"
"You're helping more than you know, love," Jack grunted. He hated it when women cried; it was worse to hear Peggy cry. It was almost like kicking a sickly kitten and it did awful things to his gut that not even a bottle of rum could dull. "Not many men get to have a beautiful woman say goodbye to them before they dangle from the noose."
And she was beautiful, in that fierce and wild, untameable way.
Like the ocean, he mused as he pulled away from her and reached into his pockets.
"I got somethin' for ya."
"Jack-"
"Oh shush Pegsy, don't want that bloody Commodore bustin' our hides." He muttered as he jiggled his bound wrists, and something clattered into his hands.
Peggy sucked in a shuddering breath at the sight of a thin silver chain adorned with a circular abalone shell locket.
"Nicked it from Barbossa's horde before the battle." Jack grinned impishly as he shut the silver clam to hide the small jewel. "Yer always did like these shells, didn't ya?"
"Jack, you shouldn't have-"
"Why not? The way I see it, I won't have much use for it in a bit." Jack shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, I had to give you somethin' to remember me by."
"I don't think I could forget you even if I tried." Peggy sniffed. "You're too bloody crazy."
"I believe the word you're looking for is extraordinary, love." Jack's smirk softened as he deposited the necklace into her hands, the silvery surface of the pendant shimmering in the light streaming through a barred window high above. "Just promise me one thing."
"What, Jack?"
"Whatever comes next, live life for yourself for once, will ya?"
"Jack-"
"Ey-ey! I'm not finished!" Jack tutted, and she quickly shut her mouth, though tears streamed freely over her freckled cheeks. "That tall eunuch might have ya thinkin' that the entire world revolves around his pasty backside, but never forget you had a life of your own before you met him. A life where you were happy and unafraid to call the shots and march to the beat of your drum. It's all good that you're good at lookin' after me and others like that whelp, but it ain't no sin to spare some of that kindness for yourself. Don't set yourself on fire to keep others warm."
"That's easy for you to say," Peggy mumbled."You're one of the most selfish people in the world."
"Exactly!" Jack did not deny the statement, for he could tell her words were not said out of unkindness: "I am a selfish son of a sea-biscuit. Which, I think you can agree, makes me an authority on the topic, ey? But in all seriousness, Pegsy, if there's one thing you learn from me and Barbossa kickin' the bucket, let it be this: You only get one shot at living. One good shot to make it count. What good is that one life if you spend most of it bein' miserable for others? If you're gonna be sad or happy, at least do it for yourself and not for someone undeservin'"
"Sometimes you have no choice," Peggy muttered bitterly, clutching at her right wrist only for it to be grabbed by one of his roped hands.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong Pegs." He shook his head. "You always have the choice to be happy. Anyone who tells you otherwise is an arse that deserves to be shot. Besides, if anyone deserves to be selfish and choose happiness, it's you, love, if only because everyone else forgets to pay that big bleedin' heart of yours in kind." He raised his bound hands to gently tuck a stray copper curl behind her ear. "And as a selfish person, that is something I don't say lightly -oof!" he winced as he felt her arms wrap tight around him again.
This hug was much tighter than the last and involved much more crying. Jack, of course, did not shed any tears, though he did feel frustrated by not being able to reach around and comfort the crying selkie with his hands so tightly bound.
Over the years, he had often made many women cry because he broke their hearts after some meaningless fling, stole from them, or betrayed them in one of his schemes. He was sure he'd leave a lot of women who'd wail for his death because of his charm and prowess, and so many women would ultimately be pleased with his passing.
And yet, here he was in the arms of one who would genuinely mourn him. Not because he had pleased or seduced her into falling head over heels for him. Not because he had made her false promises he would never keep even if he was alive. Not because he was THE infamous (or famous) Captain Jack Sparrow.
To Peggy, he was just Jack.
She knew him. She was perhaps one of the few who knew him just as well as the stragglers that remained of his blood-related family. Even ten years apart had not been enough to wipe that bond away.
The notion that he had someone out there to grieve him when he hung was… was strangely…nice.
Jack had not had nice for a very long time.
It almost made being hung at the gallows worth it.
He just wished he was not leaving her heart to the mercy of that damned selfish whelp.
"Miss Blake."
Peggy blinked, cursing herself as she felt something hot and wet slide down her cheek. She was out in the courtyard of Fort Charles. It had been half an hour since her visit with Jack ended, and the tears had not stopped.
Gods, what was wrong with her? Why couldn't she keep herself together? She quickly tried wiping at them only to find a handkerchief held out to her in a man's clean hand.
"Thank you, Commodore." She mumbled, taking the cloth and dabbing at her eyes as Commodore James Norrington stood to attention beside her.
"You're welcome, Miss Blake." He clipped as he turned back to look at the courtyard. Even though the prisoner had not been brought out yet, many people were already gathered. Even in his death, Jack's notoriety preceded him.
The thought almost brought a fond smirk to Peggy's face.
"Are you sure you wish to remain for the hanging," Norrington suddenly piped up, and Peggy blinked at the officer. He wore his finest dress uniform, clean and polished as a whistle. Yet his eyes betrayed his discomfort even as he ventured further. "I am sure I could spare one of my men to escort you safely home for the day. No one would judge you for not wanting to witness your frie-Sparrow's death. It will not be pleasant."
"Oh dear Commodore, that is exactly why I must remain." Peggy folded her arms mulishly. "Everyone here will be cheering for his death. He deserves at least one person to mourn for him."
"You truly would spend your kindness and loyalty on a knave like him?" Norrington wondered aloud,
"Why not? It is my kindness and loyalty to spend how I please." Peggy snorted, the embers of her grief fanning themselves into burning frustration within her gut. "I am surprised, Commodore; I did think the welfare of a pirate would be of such concern to a gentleman such as yourself. Unless it is all for the sake of winning the approval of your fiancé." She added with a quirked brow and was not disappointed to see the slight colouring of the man's cheeks despite his attempts to stay stoic.
"I will not deny that Miss Swann's friendship with you has been a major factor in my change of mind towards you, Miss Blake. In my experience, her approval and friendship are not easily won prizes." Norrington admitted softly, "Though that does not mean my sentiment towards you right now is not genuine. In the course of my duties, I have had the unfortunate task of watching many men hang and witness their families grieve for them. Whatever those criminals did in life, the fact they even have one person to mourn their passing is a sign from God that there is some good within them that is worth bereavement. While I struggle to comprehend what you see in a man like Jack Sparrow, you do not strike me as the kind of woman who sheds tears for anyone. He must have had a remarkable impact on your life to bring forth such a strong reaction from you."
"More than you could ever know, Commodore." Peggy sighed as she watched the executioner, a beefy man in brown clothes and a dark hood, test the trapdoor mechanism to the gallows.
"You can bestow a crown and as many royal privileges as you wish upon a donkey, but beneath it all, it will always be just an ass." She spat almost bitterly, ignoring the confused look Norrington shot at her. "It was something Jack once said when I became his Cabin Girl. I never used to understand his resentment of civilised society…till now. We keep telling ourselves that since we're civilised, it somehow gives us the right to be above everyone else. And yet…how many good people have died because the law favoured civilisation over what was right?"
"Miss Blake-" Norrington started to say, but she shook her head and rolled her eyes as she held his handkerchief back for him to take.
"Thank you for your consideration, Commodore. But I am not going anywhere."
To her great surprise, Norrington shook his head, his eyes wells of pity even as he gently pressed the handkerchief back into her hand and curled her fingers around it.
"…Then perhaps it is best to hold onto this Miss Blake. You will need it, more than I will." He was not condescending, nor was the pity grating. He was truly trying to be considerate.
Peggy might have hated him for it if the sight of Elizabeth and her father striding across the courtyard arm-in-arm had not distracted them both.
The poor man. He loves her so much…and she does not care.
She mused sympathetically as the Commodore strode to greet the nobleman and his daughter.
Elizabeth looked beautiful in a yellow day dress and hat, much fancier than any of Peggy's darker garments. Her blonde hair was curled and tied back elegantly behind her head, with a few immaculately defined curls dangling over her pale chest, giving her the look of pure angelic and pristine beauty.
She was the complete opposite of Peggy, with the plain blue linen of her dress and her unruly curls threatening to escape her clumsily tied fishtail braid that she had slung over one shoulder and tied with a black ribbon. She had not even worn a hat or head covering like any other woman in attendance, and around her right wrist, she had wrapped a white bandage to cover the Devil's mark, pretending to have sprained it so no one would badger her for answers. Then there were her shoes, ratty little things made of scuffed black leather with a tarnished buckle and no stockings, for she had outgrown hers and had not had time to buy a new pair.
But what was the point of trying anymore? Peggy sighed heavily as she quietly stepped back into the shadows of a pillar to escape the hot Caribbean sun. She would never be that perfect lady. She would never be the face that launched a thousand ships, what with her unbecoming freckles, tanned complexion and rough hands that had seen too much scrubbing and pulling of ropes.
No wonder decent men like Will and Norrington would never look her way twice. Why would they, when they had the perfect English Rose to dote upon?
As she tucked away the Commodore's handkerchief, she quickly looked down at her chest, where she had fastened the abalone shell locket. It was a beautiful, elegant piece that probably looked out of place on her breast. The iridescent shell cast small rainbow shimmers whenever the sunlight hit it at a certain angle.
"Peg?" a voice whispered, and Peggy looked up to see a familiar face peeking out from behind a pillar a few feet away.
"Will?" Peggy frowned as the familiar figure of her dearest friend stepped out of the shadows. He wore his best brown vest and trousers, and his white shirt was pressed and clean. Around his shoulders, he wore a new red cloak and an almost garish hat with a large white feather atop his head.
Peggy felt her heart clench painfully as she remembered Barbossa's oversized black hat that she had ruined during their duel. It was probably collecting mould atop his rotting corpse right now, and there wasno one there to bury him with it.
Something of her grief must have shown on her face, for the hug that Will bestowed her with was tighter than one he'd typically give her in public. Then again, he had been somewhat extra tender towards her since Barbossa's death. He was never improper in front of the officers, but he was far less guarded with his gentle touches and bestowing a hug in front of others, even Elizabeth. Even throughout the voyage home, he did his best to stick by her side whenever they had a break from their assigned tasks. Peggy suspected it was his way of staying close to his beloved Elizabeth now that she was engaged.
Now, however, he did not seem to care for any propriety. Indeed, he ignored the gossiping whispers of a couple of noblewomen who passed by with their husbands on their way to their spots, sparing the blacksmith and the washerwoman glances of intrigue and high-brow disdain as he cupped her cheek and wiped her tears with his thumb.
"Have you seen Jack already?" Will murmured as he leaned his forehead against hers.
"Yes…he's…well, he's Jack. What can I say?" Peggy shrugged, trying her best to stay calm and failing miserably.
"And you? How are you feeling?" Will probed gently.
"As well as I can be under the circumstances." Peggy gulped down the lump in her throat.
"You don't have to hide how you feel," Will muttered. "You know I would never judge you."
"I know you wouldn't," Peggy mumbled, smiling sadly as she heard the distant shouts of officers commanding 'the prisoner' to be brought out.
"It's time." She muttered and was about to pull away, but Will held her close, sucking in a deep breath as his nose grazed her hairline.
"I've got to do something quickly." He murmured, lips grazing her forehead featherlight with each word. "I'll be back soon, but just in case I'm not…" Peggy watched as his Adam's apple bobbed nervously. "Peg, whatever happens from now on, just know that you are very dear to me and one of the most precious people in my heart. You're more than just my friend, a selkie, or a pirate. You're family, and I will be forever grateful to whatever deity washed you up on that beach and brought you into my life."
"William." Peggy sighed, eyes shutting as he kissed her between the eyes.
His lips lingered over the spot they had touched for a second or two, as if he could not pry them from her skin. His warm and rough thumb ghosted across her lightly parted lips so gently that it almost felt like the softest gust of wind.
But then the moment was gone, and Peggy opened her streaming eyes to see the red of his cape billowing out of sight around a corner and the glimmer of metal as she caught sight of two swords holstered on the blacksmith's hip.
Wait, two swords?
"Oh no…" Peggy gulped as dread filled her.
Oh no, this was not good. Not good.
"Will you fool! What are you doing?" She breathed and was about to follow in his footsteps when she felt a hand reach out to take hers.
"Peggy! There you are! James said you were back here."
Peggy turned to see Elizabeth standing behind her, looking anxious and surprisingly sheepish.
"They've brought Jack up to the noose. They're reading his sentence." The noblewoman gulped, "But if you don't want to watch, we can stay here together until it's all over."
"N-no! I'll be there. I need…I…" she gulped down on her rising panic threatening to engulf her.
Just what was Will playing at? What did he hope to achieve with so many officers ready to arrest anyone who dared intervene? He was going to get himself killed!
Calm down, Peg, calm down. If Will's going to save Jack, he'll have to return to the courtyard. Elizabeth and her father will be there, so I can intervene from there if I have to.
"I'm sorry, Lizzy. I just needed a moment." She coughed as she straightened up, letting Elizabeth lead her back to the edge of the courtyard to stand with her, her father, and Norrington above the rest of the crowd, where they had a clear view of the gallows. Peggy bristled uncomfortably even as the Governor bobbed his head politely at her, his eyes welling with sympathy and compassion despite his attempt to stay stiff-upper-lipped.
Then, the drumroll began.
Peggy felt sick just listening to it, her gut broiling and twisting with nerves and terror. It was almost as bad as whenever she transformed into her seal form, except there was no familiar cracking of bones changing shape to distract her from the sensation.
She knew she must have looked ill because Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her shoulders and clasped her hand tightly as the government official readJack's sentence.
"Jack Sparrow! We have learned that you have-"
"Captain," Peggy muttered before she could stop herself. "Captain Jack Sparrow." She looked at said Captain on the gallows. To her great surprise, Jack was watching her closely, and his almost sad grin was on his face as he rolled his eyes at the portly and haughtily voiced government official.
Trust him to make a joke out of his own hanging. Despite herself, Peggy shook her head and rolled her eyes fondly at the pirate even as the official's voice rang out.
"-for your wilful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity."
"That's an understatement." Peggy found herself muttering again, eyes now scanning the crowd. The official's voice drowned out to her ears as she spotted Will's feathered hat. He had pulled the brim low over his eyes, but she could feel the keenness of his gaze as he looked around the courtyard, assessing each vantage point.
"This is wrong." Elizabeth's voice beside her sounded miles away as Peggy caught Will's eye, and it turned away from her quickly.
"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law, as are we all." Governor Swann said stiffly, but Peggy did not listen.
She had been distracted by a flash of blue and yellow high above.
Her eyes found a banner held up by the officers Murtog and Mullroy on the opposite side of the courtyard. On it, a parrot with bright blue and gold plumage perched and began squawking loudly, much to the annoyance of the bannermen and the people at the back who were trying to listen to the entirety of Jack's crimes.
It was an extensive list. Even Peggy could not believe half of it, and she had been involved in a couple of the hijinks.
But her head and heart were not focused on such trivialities, not when her heart soared in her chest.
She'd know that squawk anywhere, but…they wouldn't have. Not if they followed the code…
She met Will's gaze again and saw the same spark of joy reflected in his eye even as he wove through the crowd towards her and Elizabeth.
"Commodore, Governor, Peggy." He nodded at each of them in turn, though he spared Peggy a slightly warmer smile than the other two even as he turned his attention towards Elizabeth.
Peggy forced herself to look away, unable to bear witness to the tender longing in his eyes as he turned all his attention to his beloved Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you."
By all the sea gods, why did I have to be here to hear this?
It took all of Peggy's might to resist the urge to double over and sob as the final word of the romantic declaration left the blacksmith's mouth. It was as if a shard of burning ice had been stabbed into her chest and had been twisted for good measure.
She could hardly bear to look at Will as he turned his back to venture back into the crowd, fresh tears falling down her cheeks though their source now came from a very different kind of grief altogether.
So, in the end, it didn't mean anything, huh? All those fancy words calling me dear and precious… were just empty. Peggy thought bitterly about the warm affection she usually held towards the blacksmith, curdling and broiling into something ugly and tar-like in her heart.
She felt like such a fool. Even though she knew how he thought about Elizabeth, somewhere in her stupid, stupid heart, a small, tiny part of her had dared to hope…
You're such a fool, Peggy Blake. What did you expect? One whirlwind adventure across the high seas would magically change how he sees you. If anything, it's probably cemented what he thinks of you. After all, why would he want a wild and feral selkie pirate when he could have Little Miss Perfect beside you?
She knew it was childish. She had known his true feelings for a while and had decided long ago to respect them. As a pirate who valued freedom and choices, she was not going to try to force the people she cared about into choosing something they did not want.
But still…would it hurt to be someone's first choice for once?!
Just focus on Jack. That's what you came here for. For him. She gulped down hard as she stared at the Pirate, who even now was watching her from the gallows, his face unusually sombre as the noose was tied around his neck. The glare he spared for Will's hatted head was not lost on her though it was quick to turn to confusion as the blue and gold parrot flapped away noisily up into the air as the drumroll became faster and louder.
"Whatcha doin' mate?!"
"Oi watch yourself!"
Peggy found her eyes drawn to Will's hat as it began pushing through the crowd at a much faster pace. She could tell from here that his plan was in motion. There would be no stopping him now, not even if she tried.
Norrington also seemed to have picked up on the fact, his mouth opening to bark an order.
The things I do for you, Will Turner. Peggy shut her eyes, silently cursing the blacksmith in her head as she let her body go lax and let out a shuddering gasp.
"Peggy!" Elizabeth cried out as the young redhead almost fell on top of her. The two of them would have fallen in a heap onto the floor had Norrington and Governor Swann not balked forward to help them.
"Miss Blake! Oh dear!" Governor Swann tutted, and Peggy did all she could not to smirk as she was gently lowered to the floor.
"Peggy! Peggy, are you alright?! Can you hear me? Oh no, I knew this would be too much for her." Elizabeth fretted as she tried fanning Peggy's face with her lace fan.
So distracted by her collapse were they that they did not notice the commotion taking place behind them as the executioner reached for the lever.
As the man's large hand began to push at the wooden device, many men and women screamed in fright as Will brandished one of his swords and shouted at them to move aside.
There was a thud of metal hitting wood, the familiar sound of rope pulling taut and a loud, shocked gasp from the crowd.
Peggy shot up to a sitting position with a gasp, not caring for the act.
No, it couldn't be. Will could not have missed, could he?!
She could have almost wept with relief as she caught sight of Jack hanging by his neck, the lower half of his body below the trapdoor, while the top half struggled to stay balanced as Will leapt to the platform and began fighting the executioner.
"Peggy what? Oh my goodness!" Elizabeth stared at her in shock as the Governor pinched his nose in dismay.
"Miss Blake, how could you-"
"Quite easily, Gov," Peggy smirked as she leapt to her feet and dashed out of reach of Norrington, who had lurched to grab her and only fell flat on his face. "Commodore, always a pleasure."
She winked at the man on the ground, enjoying the way his nostrils flared with barely suppressed rage.
She supposed she should have felt bad for him, especially after he had tried his best to comfort her, but still, he was a Navy officer, and she was a pirate. What else did he expect from her? If he wanted a damsel to weep all over him, he had a fiancé ready to fill that role.
"Sorry, love, I need to borrow that for a moment! Thank you!" Peggy grunted as she took a stunned lieutenant's sword from his belt and tossed him into the path of Norrington and his officers, who ran after her in hot pursuit into the crowd of civilians.
All the commoners were so confused by the exciting events that they did not know whether to part for the officers or stop them in their tracks.
They certainly did not stop Peggy from reaching the executioner's block just in time to see Will be disarmed by the massive man with his axe.
Peggy gulped as she looked the hooded man up and down, feeling a little guilty as she met a pair of dark eyes beneath the leather hooded cap. His name was Basil Warren, and despite his morbid occupation and ferocious appearance, he was a pretty friendly and lovely man who enjoyed a hot cup of tea and a good story by the fire. He looked very shocked to see her standing before him with a sword drawn in his face.
"Oy, what are you doin' lass?!"
"Sorry, Basil. Nothing personal, but I can't let you do this. Not to him." she spared him one apologetic shrug as she lunged to slice the rope above Jack's head.
"Bas-gugh!" Jack's yelp turned into a gurgling half-choke as he fell entirely through the trapdoor, Peggy dropping herself quickly behind him as Will got to his feet again.
"I knew ye hadn't given up on me." Jack grinned as Peggy pulled him up to his feet and sliced his bonds apart.
"Pirate!" she shrugged, earning herself a grin and a fond hair ruffle cut short as something heavy fell above their heads and into the crowd before the gallows.
It was poor Basil. Will had tossed him down from the scaffolding and right on top of Norrington and his men.
"Poor Basil." Peggy shook her head as she and Jack ducked out from the back of the gallows, and Will leapt over the side to join them.
"Poor Basil? He kills people for a livin!" Jack rolled his eyes at her as he took the noose from around his neck and tossed the cut end towards Peggy, who ran with it to clothesline three officers charging towards them with muskets raised. Behind them, they could hear swords clanging as Will fought off officers daring to aim their swords at their backs.
"It's just his day job!" Peggy grunted the last word as she ducked to avoid someone lunging to grab her. They managed to snag her black ribbon, causing her braid to come loose into a flurry of copper curls, much to her annoyance. Why couldn't she ever have a neat head of hair for a day? Just once!
Upon seeing her hair flying in the wind, Will came to her aid and pushed the man away from her before he could grab at her hair harshly and hurt her.
"Quick to the edge!" Peggy felt her heart clench tight in her chest as she felt Will's firm hand against her back, urging her forward and out of the way of danger.
Gods, why couldn't he have been a callous, two-faced snake? Why did he have to care about her? It was like rubbing salt water into an already open wound.
There was a groan as Peggy, Will, and Jack used the rope to clothesline two officers against a pillar before they were forced to let go as attackers came in from all sides.
With surprising grace and coordination, the three of them leapt into a synchronised forward roll side by side, Peggy and Will drawing their swords smoothly from their belts even as they rolled up to stand and face the circle of red-coated officers pressing in on all sides.
"Behind me, lass!" Jack hissed, pushing Peggy behind him so she was sandwiched protectively between his and Will's backs as they all turned around, looking for an opening. But to Peggy's growing dismay, the circle of muskets and legs were too tight to escape or dive through even for her.
There was the jingle of metal against metal as she and Will's swords grazed the tips of the muskets one last time, only to stop as Will turned to find the tip of Commodore Norrington's blade pointing straight between Peggy's eyes.
With a snarl, Will stepped between the Commodore and Peggy, who sneezed as the feather in the blacksmith's hat tickled her nose.
To think the blade he had made would be pointed at one of the very people he had vowed it would protect. It almost made him sick just thinking about it.
"I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt. But not by the two of you." Norrington said coldly, glaring daggers at Peggy, who returned the expression with interest just as Governor Swann came panting up behind the Commodore, Elizabeth hot on his heels.
"On our return to Port Royal, I granted the two of you clemency. And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your luck with him? He's a pirate."
"And a good man!" Will cut across the Governor, firmly standing his ground as he dropped his sword. "If all I've achieved here is that the hangman will own two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."
"Make that three pairs of boots." Peggy stepped to Will's side, her head held high despite Will and Jack trying to push her back. "No, don't stop me. I'm not afraid to face the music."
"I should not be surprised, Miss Blake. I should have known better than to doubt your loyalty to Sparrow. I suppose pirates must stick together." Norrington shook his head with disappointment at her. "And to think I thought you a woman of quality like Miss Swann."
"Don't you dare speak to her like that!" Will spat, and though he had no sword, Jack could see the blacksmith's fists clenched tight, ready to punch as his brown eyes gleamed with cold fury. "Peggy has more quality in her little toe than you or any of your men put together!"
"You forget your place, Turner." Norrington's lip curled as he turned his ire again upon Will, who sneered quietly at him.
"It's right here, between you, Jack and Peggy."
"…as is mine."
Peggy gaped as Elizabeth quickly put herself between Will and Norrington in a rush of yellow and cream silk, much to the surprise of everyone present, even Jack.
"Elizabeth!" Governor Swann gasped, his eyes wide with worry for his daughter's position. "For goodness sake, men, put your weapons down!" he commanded with a shaking voice, and at once, the officers all lowered their guns.
But worst of all was Norrington's face.
For one shining moment, the mask of professional disdain had slipped. He looked crushed. It was as if he had been forced to watch the entire world he loved burn to ruin before his eyes, which were close to tearing up as his bottom lip quivered for just a moment.
Despite the rivalry expected between the pirate and the officer, Peggy did feel for the man. For she, too, shared in his pain and grief.
Ironically, the people responsible for their shared heartbreak stood right between them, united and infatuated with one another.
"S-So this is where your heart truly lies then?" Norrington's voice wavered ever so slightly, though he was able to keep his composure even as Elizabeth delivered the final blow with a slight nod of her head.
"It is."
Life is cruel.
Peggy met Norrington's eye, and his glower seemed to soften for a moment as he registered the grief in her gaze. However, his wounded pride would not let him look at her for too long.
"Well!" Jack's exclamation almost jolted Peggy out of her skin as he leapt out from behind her and towards the set of steps that led to the top of the wall of the Fort that overlooked the cliff and seas below. "I'm actually feelin' rather good about this. I think we've all arrived at a very special place, ey?" he added, pushing in close to breathe into the Governor's face so that his foul breath hit him squarely in the nose, making the man cringe.
"Spiritually. Ecumenically…Grammatically?"
"Grammatically?" Will turned to Peggy, who shrugged. Who knew what thought train Jack was on this time?
Peggy was confused when he got up close and personal with the Commodore and muttered, "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that, hmm?"
I see. He was just being his bewildering self as usual. Peggy felt herself smile despite her heavy heart as she spotted the blue and gold parrot flying overhead and a strange thought wafted across her brain even as Jack turned to address Elizabeth with an apologetic sigh.
"Elizabeth…it would never have worked out between us, love; I'm sorry. And Will…" Jack paused as he tried to think of something nice to say to the Blacksmith. However, Peggy could see the irritation brewing in his eyes even as he sarcastically quipped, "Nice hat."
There was a pause as everyone's eyes turned towards Peggy, whom Jack took by the hand with a gentility he had not even shown Elizabeth.
"Remember what I said, love."
"I will." Peggy smiled a real one that almost hurt her cheeks from how wide it was. "In fact, I'm going to start right now."
And with that, she bent down and removed her shoes from her feet, leaving them bare.
"Got room for one more?" She grinned at Jack, whose eyes widened in surprise as the biggest grin she had ever seen spread across his face.
"For you Pegsy, always." he winked at Peggy, derisively pleased when he saw the near-horrified look on Will's face.
"Peg? What are you-"
"What does it look like I'm doing Will?" Peggy smirked back at the blacksmith as she followed Jack up the steps to the edge of the fort, a sparkle in her eyes that he had not seen in days since before Elizabeth was kidnapped. "I'm going with Jack. I…As much as I love our home, I am a pirate…a child of the ocean. The sea is where I belong."
Will opened his mouth to speak but found his heart caught in his throat.
She was…leaving? After all they had been through together, was she leaving him behind?
"You really sure this is what you want?" he coughed, cursing himself as his voice came out strangely hoarse and croaked. "Is this what you truly want, Peg? It'll be dangerous out there-"
"It's always dangerous out there, Will. That's part of the fun." Peggy smirked, but he could see her heart was not in the jibe. In her eyes, he could see her share the pain of parting. "But yes…this is what I truly want."
"Truly?"
"Truly."
It took all Will had not to run up those stairs and drag her back down with him. But he knew it would be of no use. She had that stubborn glint in her eye. He'd never be able to stop her unless he knocked her out and dragged her back home. And honestly, he was so tempted.
He wished she didn't have to go.
The feeling was so powerful it almost took him by surprise.
He had a feeling she might leave him like this ever since that day he had freed Jack, but with how loyally she had stuck by his side, he had been able to shrug such thoughts off as pure fantasy. After all, they were Peggy and Will. They had been side by side for ten years. He had not been lying when he said she was one of the most precious people in his life. Apart from Elizabeth, Will had no one else but her.
He never dreamed she might leave him like this or so soon after returning home. Not when he had finally started breaking down those last few walls and seeing her for who she was. He could almost understand why men would want to steal a selkie's pelt.
But no, he could not think like that! If he did that, then he'd be no better than that awful father of hers.
He'd much rather suffer watching her leave him for good than be another source of pain for her. He'd never forgive himself if he hurt her like that.
"If this is what you want, Peg…then I won't stop you." He gulped down hard on the lump in his throat as he looked at Jack.
The pirate was sparing him a very odd expression, almost as if he were trying to stare straight through his soul.
"Look after her, Jack." Will nodded at the man. "Look after her or die trying." Or else. The last two words, while unspoken, hung heavy in the air, and Jack grinned.
Silly whelp, did he think he scared Jack?
"You have my word, mate." And I'll do it better than you, he added in his head, though Will could tell what he meant to say from the derisive twinkle in his eye as he mockingly bowed and gestured to Peggy. "Ladies, first love!"
For once, Will did not care about his rivalry with the pirate. His eyes were focused only on Peggy as she stood at the bluff's edge. With careful hands, she raised the skirt of her blue dress around her bare feet as she stepped to the edge, looking more like she would take a dip into a tidepool rather than jump off the edge of a cliff.
His breath caught in his chest as he watched the sun set behind her head of billowing copper curls, the light casting a golden halo around her head and making the fiery highlights shimmer like strands of gold as strong gusts swept over the ocean, carrying her familiar scent of soap and spice back to his nose. But what stumped him most was her smile.
He had never seen her look so free…so at peace, so…happy…not once in his ten years of knowing her had he ever seen such a smile grace her face or her eyes sparkle like stars in the twilight sky. It made her almost glow from within, even as the sad tune passed through her lips as she sang so softly it was nearly lost on the sea breeze:
"Ma sweet love, wi' eyes sae clear, I long tae haud ye near. But ye've gone back tae the sea, n' left me wae an' drear."
She raised a foot to step over the edge.
"Goodbye, William." She whispered.
"PEG!" Will called, his cry echoed by many men and officers around him, but it was already too late. In a flash of copper and blue, she vanished over the edge and out of sight.
The woman in the shack sighed as she scried the bowl of seawater, her fingers gripping a conch shell pendant around her neck from where the voice had issued.
The woman in the shack had not heard the owner of the voice in the shell pray this much since she was a child.
Something was wrong. The shell in the woman's hand had dimmed in its magical glow while her other hand dipped into the seawater in the bowl.
The woman in the shack gasped as an onslaught of emotions hit her so hard that she almost jolted back in her chair.
Such despair, such desperation, such guilt, such love.
The woman shook her head sadly, tears of pity welling in her dark eyes.
It was always sad to see a child of the ocean's heart break.
"Man overboard! MAKE THAT TWO!" Joshamee Gibbs bellowed as two figures swam towards the Black Pearl.
"Come on, Pegsy! Hurry up! I thought you selkies were strong swimmers!" Jack groaned as he grabbed a rope from his beloved ship.
"I'm trying." Peggy panted as she desperately scrambled and splashed towards the second rope that had landed a few feet away from her in the water with a heavy splat "My legs…they're fusing, the bones-"
"What you're transforming? Now? You've barely been takin' a dip for what? Five minutes?" Jack's eyebrows rose, and she nodded with a wince of pain.
"Less talk. Need ship!" she gasped as she desperately scrambled up the length of the rope, grateful when Jack shouted at the crew above who hauled her up on the deck with a loud shout to heave.
"Aghhh!" she winced as she was bodily hauled high into the air and landed with a thud onto the black wooden deck.
The sound of her landing on the poop deck was almost loud enough to mask the cracking of her legs as her seal tail split apart back into legs beneath her skirts which thankfully hid the horrible twisting and reformation of her limbs from view.
"Welcome back, Miss Blake!" Gibbs called as he and Cotton rushed towards her.
"Good to be back, Mister Gibbs. Thanks, Cotton." She sighed in gratitude as Cotton quickly wrapped a large blanket around her shoulders with a kindly smile.
"How them legs of yers feelin? Human enough to walk yet?" Gibbs quirked a brow down at her ankles even as the webbing between them slid away to reveal regular pale toes.
"In a second or two," Peggy nodded, feeling her patella snap into place. I just need my knees to remember which way to bend."
"Aye, I don't doubt it." Gibbs winced as Annamaria's voice gave the order to haul Jack aboard deck. "And what about that Turner Lad? Thought he'd be right behind ye?"
"William…" Peggy sucked in a deep shuddering breath to steel herself, thankful that her wet state hid most of her shivering. "He's not coming. He's chosen to stay behind." With her.
She looked away to the bluff in the distance, where she could see silhouetted against the sky, two figures entwined in a close embrace.
Gibbs followed her gaze, as did many others, his shoulders sagging sadly as he looked back and saw the sorrow in her grey-blue eyes.
"I'm so sorry, lass." He muttered, and to Peggy's surprise, many of the men spared her looks of sympathy, and Marty even gave her a conciliatory pat on the back.
"Sqwaaak! Son of a biscuit eater! Sqwaaak! Get 'er a clap o' thunder!" Paulie the parrot squawked from where he was perched on Cotton's shoulder.
"Y'know, a drink does not sound half bad." Peggy chuckled only to wince as Jack landed a few feet behind her with a loud thud. "By Poseidon!"
"Aghhh! That was not as smooth as I expected," Jack complained loudly as he sat up and nursed his smarting behind. "I thought you were supposed to keep to the code, ey?" he quirked an eyebrow at Gibbs, who grinned smugly as he held out a hand.
"We figured they were more actual guidelines." He jerked his head at Cotton, who quickly thrust something dark into Jack's hands.
It was his tricorn hat.
"Thank you." Jack smiled gratefully at the man as he put the hat atop his head.
Now that Jack thought about it, he had left it on the Pearl, hadn't he, along with his-
"Captain Sparrow," Annamaria's voice was surprisingly gentle as she left the helm wheel and approached her Captain, who flinched in readiness for a punch. Instead, his shoulders relaxed in surprise as his long dark coat was draped around his shoulders with tender care. "The Black Pearl is yours."
Peggy watched, her lips quirking into a fond smile as Jack cautiously stepped towards the wheel, caressing the carved wood lovingly as if touching a long-lost lover after years apart.
Then suddenly, he paused, eyes widening as he seemed to remember where he was and who was around him.
"On deck, you scabrous dogs!" he suddenly barked, and Peggy laughed as half the crew scarpered off back to their posts like spooked sheep. "Hands to braces! Let go and haul to run free! Oy, what are you laughing at, Pegs?"
"Nothing, Jack, I mean Captain." She corrected herself quickly, her smile softening as Jack's eyes widened in surprise.
"About time you started callin' me that." He muttered, though inwardly he winced at the redness in her eyes even as she made to stand beside him.
"You alright, love?" He muttered quietly so no one else could hear.
Peggy shook her head silently, folding her eyes and pursing her lips as she willed herself not to cry or turn her head back around to look up at the bluff.
Good Lord, how much had that stupid whelp made her cry? It almost tempted him to turn his sail back to land and give that lad the proper hiding he deserved.
Instead, he settled for stroking a ringed hand gently through her curls.
"No…I don't suppose you are." he patted the top of her head, remembering with almost bittersweet fondness that she used to be a lot shorter when he used to do that years ago. "But you will be. Just wait a few weeks at sea, and you'll be back to biting off my head in no time."
"I hope so," Peggy whispered.
"You will so. I know it." Jack patted her cheek and gave it a small but affectionate pinch even as he called out harshly to the deck. "Oy ANNA! Get this one some better clothes will ye! Can't have my Cabin Girl trippin' over her skirts. No matter how fetchin' her arse might be in them." he added and was pleased when Peggy swatted the back of his head as she left his side to join her fellow woman on the lower deck.
Good, at least Anna will keep her from getting too mopey in her head. Jack watched as the older smuggler wrapped a consoling and sisterly arm around Peggy's shoulders. She steered her below deck, turning her face away from the land she had left behind.
Jack felt his smile return as soon as they were safely out of sight.
As sad as some of today's events might have been, it had been most rewarding.
He had his ship, a faithful crew, and his loyal cabin girl back by his side. His galley was stocked full of rum, waiting to be cracked open tonight to celebrate his return. He was finally free to sail the open seas without Barbossa and cursed pirates chasing him down.
"Now…bring me that horizon. Da-da-da-dum da-da-da-duhh!" He hummed, his head swaying lightly as he remembered the tune escaping a pouty pair of lips. It was a shame their owner had to choose that feckless lout. But that was her loss.
"An' really bad eggs..."
Jack flicked out his compass from his sash and looked at the dial, his hands automatically steering the wheel without barely consulting his brain.
"Drink up, me hearties yo-ho!"
"Are you sure you do not want a ride, William? I am sure Father would not mind another guest at dinner."
"I'm sure Elizabeth. It is a kind offer, but I do not think pushing your father's kindness any more than I have today is wise. Besides, I…I have a lot to think about."
"Of course. It has been a very…hectic day. But please rest well, and I hope to see you tomorrow."
"I will. Thank you, Elizabeth."
William Turner sighed as he watched the expensive horse-drawn carriage disappear with many a rattle and a bumble down a corner in the village road.
The Pearl will be safely out of reach before the moon rises. Will noted almost bitterly as he turned the key to the lock and entered his home.
His home, singular. His to share with Mister Brown…that sour, profligate old drunkard he could hear snoring away loudly downstairs in the forge below.
Will's breath caught painfully in his chest as he ascended the steps into his dwelling's living space. It usually felt small and stifling, like an oven or the cosy inside of a forge.
But now…now it felt so cold…so lifeless…
So empty.
Which was strange because all of Peggy's stuff was still there. There was the brown-knitted woollen shawl she had left draped over her usual chair by the dining table. There were her cooking utensils hanging above the hearth. There was the open door to her room, revealing a cleanly made bed with a small stack of pilfered books on the small rickety bedside table that served as a desk sometimes and a laundry basket full and ready to be taken up to the fort to mix in with the officers washing.
Everything she owned, from trinkets to her clothes, even her keys for the lockbox… was all here waiting…waiting for her.
Will held the shawl on her chair close to him, savouring the smell of soap and spice that clung to it even as he sank into her usual spot. She always liked to sit here because it warmed her back against the fire and gave her a nice view of the window while she darned socks or did the accounts.
He could see out the window as the sun descended below the horizon. It was a deep, red sunset…almost the colour of blood.
"A sailor's delight," he muttered, shutting his eyes as he remembered her amused and smugly quirked brow.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Stop it, stop it!" He groaned, running a hand through his dark locks and cursing himself as he remembered when Peggy would drag him to the sink to wash his hair, or she'd ruffle his hair to tease him, or stroke her fingers through it when he was sick-
No! Don't think about that! This is a good day. You did good things! Everyone's happy! Everyone's where they should be.
Yes. Everything had gone right, hadn't it?
Elizabeth, the woman he loved, had returned his feelings at long last. He freed Jack from jail, giving him the Pearl he had so long struggled for. And Peggy…Peggy was out there on the ocean like a selkie should be, free and happy to live on her terms, unrestricted by civilised life.
By all means, this should have been the happiest day of his life.
And yet…
And yet…
Somehow, it also wasn't.
He buried his face into his hands as a soft song filled his head:
Ma sweet love, wi' eyes sae clear,
I long tae haud ye near,
But ye've gone back tae the sea,
An' left me wae an' drear.
"What did you just say?"
There was silence in the opulent but tastefully decorated office of the HMS Endeavour as the sinister-faced man in the dark blue-black long coat and scar over his left cheek looked up from the scroll in his hands. His feet shifted uncomfortably on the ornate Persian rug beneath his shiny, buckled shoes.
Before him, seated at an antique wooden desk of magnificent craftsmanship, a shorter man with a white powdered wig and a long dark brown coat sat with a cup of tea and a saucer in his hands. His grey-blue eyes were sharp like daggers as they stared at the scarred-faced man before him.
"I said…" The man with the scar repeated slowly as he consulted the scroll before him again. "That our associate in Tortuga has been made aware of some strange rumours regarding the appearance of a Selkie in the Caribbean once more. And not the travellers from Scotland, my Lord, but a real Caribbean Selkie with a brown pelt much like the others we recorded during the purge."
"That is impossible." The lord in the chair's voice was deathly quiet, but the edge in his voice was almost enough to unsettle the scarred-faced man himself. "The last selkie of the Caribbean died thirteen years ago. I saw her die myself." He added almost in a whisper, his eyes misting over for a split second as he looked down
"As did I, sir. I remember the day most sadly." The scarred-faced man answered carefully, wary of waking a tiger from its slumber. However, the selkie our associate heard about appears to be quite young—a couple of decades old, according to his source.
"And who is the source of such details? Do we have a name?"
"Yes sir, a mister Twigg, or so he calls himself. Our associate says he was once a member of the crew of the infamous Black Pearl."
"The Black Pearl?" the man in the seat asked, his eyebrows rising with intrigue. "I see. Now, there is a name I have not heard for a very long time. And did this, Mister Twigg, give any more details regarding this elusive selkie that has escaped our notice for so many years?"
"Oh, according to our lad, he sang like a canary to anyone who'd listen once he had a couple of pints in him." the scarred man smirked as he read further down the scroll. "According to the report, the 'selkie witch', as Mister Twigg put it, had the long red curls of the devil himself and cold grey eyes."
"Red curls…" The lord in the seat's eyes were almost as wide as the saucer in his hand as his teacup paused mid-air. "Copper-red curls?"
"I do not know, sir. Our Associate was not clear on that particular detail." The scarred man mused as he carefully scrolled down to the bottom of the paragraph. "But we do have a name for the lady it's…oh…"
Now it was the scarred man's turn for his eyes to widen in shock.
"Mister Mercer?" the man in the chair clipped sharply, and Mister Mercer gulped.
"I think you better see it for yourself, my lord." He held out the scroll for his lordship to take, hoping against hope that even he had not read the line correctly.
"No…no, it cannot be…" The lord looked up from the page, his already pale face blanching so that he looked almost sick in the dim light of the candles on the desk. When his eyes turned back on Mister Mercer, they were cold but alive with a nearly feverish light.
"What date did our associate send this report to us?"
"A week ago, my Lord. Mister Sloane has always been very prompt concerning important matters like these."
"Given his background, I am not surprised." The Lord smirked as he leaned back in his chair. "Send him new orders. Tell him to round up Mister Twigg and any other men from the Black Pearlwho have knowledge of this so-called selkie and have them shipped to our offices in Kingshead."
"You wish to interrogate them personally, sir?"
"Of course. Once our inspection of Oxbay is completed." The lord's grey eyes flickered like silver in the night as he waved his man off dismissively. "This so-called selkie has waited patiently for twenty years. I'm sure she can await our arrival a little longer."
"Right you are sir." Mister Mercer nodded briskly, clicking his heels together smartly as he promptly exited the room, barely hiding a shudder as he felt his boss's sharp gaze on his back.
As soon as the door was shut, the lord stood up from his chair, setting down the parchment scroll on his desk as he strode around it to a far-off wall of the ship's office.
There, mounted against a board within a massive decorative picture frame, was a seal pelt. Half the pelt, visible in the dim light, was brown with a cream-coloured underbelly, soft as the lord caressed his fingers almost lovingly through the fibres and hummed under his breath.
I stole yer skin, as men will dae,
Hid it far, tae mak' ye stay,
Wi'oot yer coat, ye were ma bride,
But yer heart aye sought the tide.
Ma sweet love, wi' eyes sae clear,
I long tae haud ye near,
But ye've gone back tae the sea,
An' left me wae an' drear.
It was an old ditty, and its common phrasing sounded strange in his posh voice. It was a song he barely sang anymore, if only because it brought back scars almost too deep for even his hardened heart to bear.
Yet now…now his heart stirred as he stared back at the scroll half furled on his desk.
If the contents were to be believed, then maybe, just maybe…there was some hope left…though even he dared not jump to conclusions yet. He had spent too many years chasing stories and fairytales to bring back what was once lost, and they had all let him down.
But maybe…just maybe…this might be what he was waiting for all along.
"Even after all these years, you still find ways to haunt me, my love."
Dun-dun-DUUUUN! And there we have it. The end of POTC 1 - Curse of the Black Pearl. Don't worry. I will be updating to THIS story, not making a separate one. I want to keep it all neat and together.
NOW, ONTO THE DEAD MAN'S CHEST! WOOO! Do you know what that means, folks? That right! Time to break out the dramatic over large sea organ and play sad sea shanties on an undead pirate ship!
Ahem! Sorry, I'm just excited. DMC is my favourite film of the trilogy, if only for the world-building and Davy Freaking Jones!
So yeah, apologies if there is a little OOC on some characters like Will and Jack, but given that affairs of the heart are involved, I think it can be forgiven.
Jack thought he was going to die and wanted to leave Peggy with something good to remember him by after all they had been through together, and Will...Well, he's just discovered that he can't have his cake and eat it too, so he's going to have to figure his crap out for himself. Also, I did not have the strength to write about poor Peggy, just sitting by and watching Will selfishly marry another woman while she wasted away in a corner and played housekeeper. I could not do that. I just couldn't.
Anyway, this was a loaded chapter of whump/hurt/comfort because many big decisions were made here that will play a big role moving forward.
If you'd like to keep reading to find out more, please fave, follow, review, and leave any constructive feedback for anything you'd like to see moving forward.
Thanks
FuzzyBeta