
Disclaimer: Any names dropped here and found in the movie aren't mine, and anyone who claims otherwise owes me a lot of money.
Notes:
This fic is currently being re-drafted, and
the new chapters cannot be posted here until I've revised all of
them. For the latest redone chapter, visit my profile, where you'll
find a link.
Also, please note that some author comments are embedded in the text since the brackets were taken out by TPB.
Forty-Six & 2, Chapter One - Impertinent Disapprobationimpudent condemnation or moral disapproval
'A house with twelve residents and six uninvited guests shouldn't be so quiet,' thought Elizabeth Swann as she stared out at the stagnant night that was visible through the open terrace doors. Outside, there was only darkness and that looming fog, which had once provided her with something similar to hope, while the view currently to her back had a warmer, more intimate effect, even when considering the circumstances. Still, she was sure that she preferred the infinite bleakness, which she currently gazed upon, to that of the Commodore, the two soldiers, and their prisonerâ€"a man who shouldn't have been there in the first place.
"Miss Swann?" the Commodore's voice cut off any more thoughts she might have had of said prisoner.
Norrington was one of those uninvited guests, though she had a feeling that it was his first time being deemed as such. After all, he was a good, caring man, and, above all, a proper gentleman. She turned, a reply on the edge of her tongue, but lost her words when she saw the pirate again.
There he was, the great Captain Jack Sparrow, kneeling on her favorite imported rug (she'd have to remember to burn it later) and looking quite exasperated and utterly pleased with himself at the same time. She couldn't help but notice the differences between him and Norrington; the Commodore was clean-shaven, with a pale face and tresses that were in perfect order (yes, order was the word), whereas Jack looked as though he had never even heard of a razor, with sun-kissed olive skin and disarrayed hairâ€"one might think him unkempt, were it not for the kohl that lined his eyes and the many beads and braids that had somehow found their way into his mop. They were like day and night, and right now, night held a much greater appeal, what with the fire lighting across the Captain's face and intensifying his gazeâ€"not that she found that alluring in the slightest. Pirates were a heartless, undesirable breed; she knew that now.
Commodore Norrington approached her slowly. "Miss Swann, what would you have me do with this…" he paused, opting to steer clear of any slight vulgarities that he may have used in reference to Sparrow, should the circumstances be different, "…man?" he finished, spitting the word out tightly.
She cleared her throat, eying the pirate on his knees, "He is an intruder in my home, Commodore Norrington. Punish him as you'd punish any other guilty of such crimes…to the full extent of the law."
His tension eased visibly. "Of course." He addressed the two soldiers, "Take him to his new quarters, gentlemen."
"Might I have a word with the lovely Miss Swann?" he requested, rising as the men hoisted him up.
"Yes, you may, though you might find your speech impeded by the noose around your neck."
"I see," he replied thoughtfully, "so you'll be acting as judge, and she as jury." He looked into Elizabeth's eyes. "Or is it the other way around?" he inquired softly.
"Let him have his word, Commodore Norrington, though it won't do him much good."
Norrington nodded hesitantly. "Be quick," he ordered Jack before nodding to the soldiers, who stepped away.
"If you'll excuse us."
The Commodore moved to protest, but Elizabeth cut him off with a motion of her hand. "It's alright. Mr. Sparrow will not harm me. After all, he is in bonds," she indicated his wrists, which had been bounded together with rope.
"As you wish, Elizabeth."
Her response was an affirming nod.
"Five minutes, then?"
"Yes, I suspect that will be abundantly sufficient for whatever Mr. Sparrow may have to say."
The three men exited quietly, sliding the double doors closed behind them.
"So, my name hasn't escaped that head of yours completely, after all."
Her only acknowledgement of his observation was a roll of her eyes, and she started when he suddenly stalked over to her and proceeded to circle about her in a scrutinizing manner.
"I must admit, I had expected you'd be using your lover's name by now."
She stiffened.
"Hmm, that's int'resting," he said silkily. "Let me have a go at it, Love. So enthralled were you with the prospect of seeing the dashing Captain Jack Sparrow again," here, he flashed her a wide grin, "that you abandoned all thoughts of a marriage to your rather prudent sweetheart in hopes that the aforementioned roguishly handsome Captain would come to rescue you from this vapid existence of which you seem to be so fond. Am I right?"
She remained silent as he finished, the ice now spread over her veins, preventing any coherent thought that might formulate some clever retort.
He came to a rest just slightly to the right of her when he saw the last bit of color drain from her face. He emitted a gruff grunt. "Very well, then, since you seem averse to provide an answer, where might I find the dear Mr. Turner?"
At that, she gave him a quick and fierce slap. "You most certainly deserved that, Jack Sparrow," she rushed, before he could recover the equilibrium necessary for one of his clever witticisms.
"Tell me then, Miss Swann," he countered, not bothering to inspect the reddening handprint that was spreading quickly over his cheek, "what is it I've done to put you in such a sour mood this eve?"
Deciding against a verbal reply, she reacted with another slapâ€"or, rather, she would have, had it not been for Jack's hands effectively thwarting her attack just before it met with his other cheek.
He held her limb in the air as he eyed her sternly, "Fool me once…" he taunted.
"You are a fool, Jack. You proved that today by returning to Port Royal."
"I was under the impression that I held a few friends here. My mistake, apparently."
She gave her arm a good yank and managed pull free from his grasp, but knocked herself off-balance in the process, and she lurched backwards. Jack reached out to steady her as best he could, considering his bonds weren't much help in the matter, and she leveled herself, shaking him off immediately, without bothering to utter a term of gratitude. "You must have finally fried that brain of yours if you thought you could just return here after what you did," she grated, her voice filled with vehemence.
He raised an eyebrow to that. "I've done many things, Miss Swann. I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific than that so that I might offer up proper…expiation."
"Will left me for you."
He blinked in confusion and flashed his teeth. "Come again?"
"Really, Jack, in all your brilliance, all you can manage to do is act daft? Alright then, allow me to clarify it for you." She moved closer so that her nose nearly touched his. "William Turner left Port Royal so that he could make his home on the sea. He's probably dead right now, and it is all your fault."
· § ·
Jack swallowed a growl as he was thrust against the far wall of his old cell. "All the comforts of home," he mused.
"I see you didn't bother to take my advice to heart," observed the Commodore. He had informed Jack on the way over that the best thing for him to do under such circumstances was keep quiet.
"Well from where I stand," Jack began, looking around, "it doesn't seem to matter much, Commodore, seeing as how I'll be the only occupant here at your inn tonight."
"Sparrowâ€""
"That's Captain Sparrow to you, Mate."
"I, Sparrow, am neither your mate, nor your ally; if it were up to me, you would already be enjoying permanent display on Gallows Point. The sooner that you're swinging from a noose, the better, so until such time, keep your mouth shut, and you might just make it to your execution in one piece."
"Careful there, Commodore, you would not want to denigrate yourself just yet. After all, the lovely Miss Swann is still available, and I should imagine that you've still a soft spot for her." His brows furrowed. "You will be inviting me to the wedding, won't you? If you'll remember, I was rooting for you those few years ago."
Commodore Norrington closed in on him rapidly. "You're going to rot in Hell, Sparrow," he bit out menacingly, "and you'll be sent there under my order. Tie up your loose ends; you haven't got much time." He turned swiftly and left the cell, giving hushed commands to the warden before taking his leave.
Jack looked on curiously as the two soldiers from earlier followed the Commodore, while a younger man, the one Commodore Norrington had given orders to, stayed behind.
'This is going to be easier than I had conjured,' he thought. He waited for a few hours, until just after nightfall, before beckoning to the warden. "Let's have a chat, you and I."
The young man's face creased in thought. "Me?" he asked, indicating himself.
"Aye," Jack replied, his eyes swerving to the side, "yes." He waved him overâ€"well actually, he cupped him over, considering his wrists were still bound together.
The other approached him slowly, and Jack realized just how young the boy actually was; he couldn't have been more than seventeen. They were making this far too easy for him. He momentarily considered the fact that it could all be a ployâ€"a way for Commodore Norrington to justify Jack's own very quick demise, seeing as how he was soon to be armed and free, but then he decided to leave it as an afterthought.
The warden stopped a few feet from his cell.
"Am I that intimidating?"
"I have instructions not to speak with you, so just keep quiet."
"Well, it's quite ostensible that you've already broken that particular rule, currently being an interlocutor and all; it's not a wonder that Commodore Norrington doesn't think you can handle me on your own. There's probably a myriad of troops waiting just outside the door incase something happens."
"No, the Fort's been under constant fire as of late. Likely, they're all manning the guns and patrolling the docks."
"Aye." Jack waited a bit. "Awfully lonely in here, though, it just being the two of us, and nary a bit of pleasurable company in sight."
"You're a prisoner."
"A bright one you are, and it's true, but should I be sent to have council with Hades without even a friendly chat?"
"I…imagine not."
"Good then. Now listen. It seems as though I've come to the end of my rope, as it were, and I'll be needing someone to lay claim to my booty."
"Booty?" he asked, drawing closer.
"Aye, me spoils, swag, loot, and all prizes otherwise referred to as treasure," he drew out this last word with emphasis.
"Treasure?" he was now directly in front of what served as Jack's cage.
"Treasure," he confirmed. "I must have someone young and capable of managing such glories, since I've not a single heir of me own upon whom to bestow them."
The lad's furrow of confusion deepened.
Jack cleared his throat in order to cover a light chuckle. "What's your name, then?"
"Sheeley. Henry Sheeley."
"Well then, Sheeley, old Jack's going to look out for you."
"How's that?"
"I like you, Sheeley, you're veracious, strapping, effusive, edified, and otherwise lacking peccadilloâ€"a good man," he blandished. "Should the others come down for a visit with us and catch you consorting with the likes of me, it could spell troubleâ€"trouble that would have you swinging alongside me, rather than retrieving your endowment. So, as a precaution, perhaps you might be putting your back to me in the case of such a thing happening, aye?"
Now, Henry Sheeley was not a stupid man; he was, however, a greedy man, and he had dreamed many times of a situation such as the one in which he was currently engaged. Therefore, he turned away from the prisoner without the slightest of protests.
"Clever too," Jack commented, grinning widely. "Now then, Henry, perhaps you could tell me a bit more about yourself."
"Oh? Why do you want to know about me, Mr. Sparrow?"
"First off, it's Captain Sparrow, and secondly, I think it only fitting that I know a few details about my…successor."
"Uh, oh. What is it that you'd like to know, Captain?"
Jack rolled his eyes again, his hands working busily with his restraints. He'd gotten out of practice again. "Where're you from?"
"England, of course."
"Right, then, and how long have you been here in Port Royal?"
"Nearly four years now. I came over as a cabin boy."
That meant that the boy had just missed Jack's first arrival in the port after his marooning, likely by a couple of months. "Do you know William Turner?"
"Yes, the blacksmith. I knew of him."
"'Knew,' eh? And what of him?"
"He left Port Royal some time ago and hasn't been heard from since, but word has it that he became an outlaw."
"Outlaw," Jack repeated.
"A-a pirate, Sir."
"Ah yes, a pirate," Jack wondered why he hadn't heard anything of Will's sudden leap into piracy. "Your hand, Son."
Sheeley jumped at the request and stammered, "My-my hand?"
"Aye," Jack said, the hearty tone now back in his voice, "it calls for a pair of great hands to take hold of such treasures."
Without a second thought, the warden put his rifle to the side and thrust both of his hands through the bars of Jack's cell.
"Now, exactly when was it that Turner turned pirate?" Jack questioned conversationally, as he "examined" the boy's hands.
"Just over two years ago, though I'm sure Miss Swann could give you a more precise timing, considering…" he let the sentence hang.
"Aye? What's that considering?"
"'Twas her wedding day when he went missing. She stood out there on the pier, waiting patiently in her bridal gown. Even when the storm came, she remained standing there like a statue, but only after the night had passed did word of his departure reach her." He paused. "Have you finished your inspection, Captain?"
Jack blinked and looked down, realizing that he had stopped his actions. "Not quite," he murmured, resuming the task.
"You knew the blacksmith?"
"I knew him. In fact, he's the reason I've found myself in this particular situation."
"Seeking revenge, are you?"
"Ah, revenge. Come close, Mate. I'll tell you a secret," he said, keeping hold of the boy's newly bound wrists.
The warden leaned backwards until he came into contact with the bars, awaiting directions to his treasure.
"You Navy men are so tense," he said, massaging Sheeley's neck with a hand. "You know, always wanting revenge on those who've wronged you." Something in his voice changed. "Revenge is dark. It calls out to you and drives you mad until you take care of matters. I imagine Commodore Norrington will want some sort of revenge once he finds that you've let me escape."
"W-what?" he asked, attempting to jump away, but Jack's grasp as well as the bonds held him in place.
"Aye, revenge. Although the Commodore, himself, is subject to my own prestidigitation, he is quite the martinet and won't take kindly to losing track of me once again. Good luck with him." He applied pressure to an area of the man's neck, and Sheeley dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, fainting.
"We'll attribute that to my many voyages to the Orient," Jack said as he released himself from the cell with the keys that he had taken from the warden. He stood back and admired his handiwork. "Not bad, Captain," he complimented himself before taking on a pondersome yeah, I like that stance. "Now, what to do with young Mr. Sheeley here?" He glanced between the soldier and his empty cell. "Old tricks are the best," he decided, before approaching the unconscious man.
· § ·
Elizabeth sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes. 'Another sleepless night,' she thought before getting up and opening her curtains. "The sun's not even up yet." She sighed, then got dressed and headed downstairs in search of food. She walked by the front door and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the blurry red behind the glass. Then, she remembered that the Commodore had stationed two redcoats outside, and she relaxed, going to the door and opening it.
The two men turned to face her, and she couldn't help but notice how closely they were standing together. "Gentlemen, I'm sure you've had a long night. Would you care to join me for an early breakfast?" she offered.
One cleared his throat, "Thanks, Miss, but under the circumstances, I think it best that we just wait here for the others to return."
"Others? Oh, I'm sure it'll be a while before they show up."
The man coughed. "But…there's the scoundrel…" his voice suddenly shot up a notch, "…to consider."
"Are you ill? Perhaps you should lie down. Bring him in," she ordered the other soldier, motioning for him to follow her into the house.
The two entered. "But I'm fine…I…" he passed out.
"Oh dear. Put him on that sofa," she said, indicating the piece of furniture while she went for a bag of medical supplies. "Was he wounded?" she questioned from another room, thinking that they might be hiding a failed intrusion from a certain pirate from her.
"I wouldn't say that," the muffled voice replied.
"Ill, then, nothing serious, I hope," she said as she returned to find Jack lounging back in one of the plush chairs.
"Lovely to see you again as well, Miss Swann," he greeted, when she failed to say anything. "And don't worry. It's nothing serious. I'm sure he'll awaken feeling much better in a few hours."
"What did you do to him?"
"What any other man in my situation would do, Love. I gave his brandy a bit of spice," meaning that he had poisoned him and the other soldier.
She narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath, opening her mouth in order to scream, thereby alerting the household, but Jack was up and in front of her with his cutlass at her throat before she had the chance.
"Now, now, we'll be having none of that, Missy. As one might imagine, I have had quite the trying day, what with your so very receptive welcome and all. Now, I'm not sure why it is that you blame me for the flight of your lover, but you do, so we're going to have to find a way to rectify the situation so that I might continue to pillage and plunder as I please."
"You're no better than Barbossa. It's not a wonder that Will turned out just like you, not caring about anyone else's feelings besides his own," she grated maliciously, hoping to push the right buttons.
"Careful, Darling, or you might find out just how much like our old friend I can be. As for William, it isn't very proper to speak so disdainfully about those who are indisposed and otherwise incapable of defending themselves."
"I don't need you correcting me." She backed away from his blade and turned from him.
"I expect you're right about that, and so I'll revoke my previous statement and threat and present you with a new one," he said, sheathing his sword.
She swung around to face him again. "Leave, Jack! Leave and never return to Port Royal."
"I'd like to do that, M'lady, but etiquette seems to be preventing such an escape, and so I'm inclined to offer you a proposal."
Elizabeth blinked, trying to make sense of his words but settled for tossing him a questioning glance.
"I've piqued your interest, I see. Very well, Miss Swann, I intend to go in search of and eventually find William Turner, and you're coming with me, so if you could just get past that impertinent disapprobation which you seem to have developed, we might actually reach Tortuga before nightfall."
Elizabeth's mouth had dropped open during his enlightenment and still remained that way as she watched him take her arm and pull her towards the stairs.
"I imagine you might prefer to take a few things, as you won't find any feminine necessities aboard the Black Pearl."
She shook him off and continued the trek to her bedroom, slamming the door in his face before he could enter. "Just how do you propose we get out to the Pearl without Commodore Norrington seeing us? They're patrolling the entire waterfront."
"Aye, so I've heard, but it's still dark out, Love, and they can't see everything at once."
She changed into a less ornate dress, and then she grabbed another simple dress and a few other necessities, dropping them into the medical bag that she was still holding. She also scrawled a quick note to her father, requesting that he try to quell the Commodore as much as possible so that she could have ample time in which to complete her search. She failed to mention that she would be conducting the search with Captain Sparrow.
When she opened her door, she was surprised to find a huge black curtain thrust at her. She eyed Jack warily before taking the cloth and descending the staircase, leaving him to follow. "Would you care to explain now what it is we're going to do?"
"First, you're going to put that on, then find yourself a lovely rosary as further confirmation of your spirituality."
"This is bloody ridiculous," she said, pulling on her guise.
· § ·
Mr. Murtogg leaned back against the railing of the dock and looked up at the sky wistfully. "Really, I can't believe that the Commodore still has us on dock patrolâ€"the civilian docks at that. You let one pirate get on a ship, and you're damned for life. Nothing ever happens here! All we have to do is make sure that the drunkards don't fall into the water and drown'd."
"Could be worse, friend. At least we don't have any run-ins with those bloody pirates," Mullroy reminded him.
"Still, you've got to admit that this job ain't fun."
Mullroy opted for a nod. He scanned the area and saw two figures heading towards them. "What've we got here?" He motioned to his comrade.
The two came closer.
"Looks like a couple of nuns from the mission."
"Good evening, Gents," one of the ladies greeted cheerfully. "Has our boat docked?"
Murtogg looked around. "Boat, Ma'am?" He couldn't see her face, but she sounded sort of old.
"Yes, we were waiting for an escort back to the Havana mission. Our boat should have been here by now to take us to the ship."
"Sorry, Ma'am. There won't be any boats coming into port until later this morning."
"Oh dear, the ship was set to sail at dawn. How on earth will we get there in time?"
"Is something wrong with your friend there, Ma'am?" Mullroy asked, noticing the quiet and very concealed woman.
"She's been so blessed by our Lord, Sir. She is a leper and has gone mute. Can't speak a word a'tall."
The hidden nun emitted what sounded like a gagging noise.
"What was that? Is she alright?"
"I'm afraid she's weeping. She had so looked forward to seeing the children of Havana before departing from this world."
"Sick too?"
"Yes, tuberculosis."
The mute nun gave a hacking cough and the two soldiers stepped away.
"Oh, if only there were possibly some kind gentlemen who might lend us a boat…"
"Well, I've a boat, Ma'am. You may take it to your ship."
"Oh, wonderful!"
"Wait a minute, they should use my boat; it's newer!" Murtogg spoke up.
"Now, now, Gentlemen, any boat will do."
"It's settled, then. They'll be taking my boat to sea, since I have higher rank and all."
Mullroy sighed, beaten.
The two men helped the nuns into a small dingy, and set them on their way.
"Too bad that older one was a nun, really; quite the looker, she was," Murtogg said as the nuns rowed away.
· § ·
"You think he meant it?" Jack asked Elizabeth, who was desperately trying to hold onto a giggle as she removed a veil from her face. He saw her distress and took some small delight in it. "Careful, Love, you'll give us away, and we need all the time we can get," he whispered.
She nodded, watching him as he rowed towards some tall rocks. He really wasn't so bad right now, deciding to go find Will, though she had thought he already knew where Will was. Maybe he was even on Jack's ship, but she supposed that was only wishful thinking. She had seen the surprise in Sparrow's generally indifferent expression. Now, she was even more worried that something bad had happened to Will during the past two years. If Jack truly didn't know where he was, could he even be alive? She shook her head to rid the thought and looked just behind Jack's shoulder to see a lantern. It wouldn't have been visible from the port and likely overlooked by a passing ship, due to it having been set upon the ground.
Jack directed the boat to the spot of land that held the lantern and lifted it off as they passed slowly, then continued back into the rocks. After a few minutes, he turned, raising the lantern in order for her to see the entrance to a cave. "Take this," he said, handing over the light so that he could better maneuver the tiny vessel.
As soon as they entered, she saw how shallow the water was growing and mentioned it. "Aye, useful for careening when in the neighborhood," he informed her. Suddenly, the darkness in front of her was gone, and the lantern illuminated the bow of the Black Pearl.
"This is our stop," Jack announced, dropping the oars into the boat and hopping out. He removed his nun garb, and then offered his hand, which she took. He led her to the ship and helped her aboard. "Gentlemen, your Captain has returned!"
"And who've ye brought alonâ€"no. Sir, I'm not seeing this. Not another woman," Gibbs cried, taking in the nun.
"Not a woman, Mate. It's only Elizabeth."
Elizabeth felt her face growing hot and glared brutally at Jack's unsuspecting back.
Gibbs sighed. "Aye, then. Weigh anchor, men! Won't be long a'fore the sun is up."
Original Content: 2003.08.07