He was beyond redemption. James acknowledged it when he looked up at his father, for it must have been his fate ever to be admiring a figure set far above him. The Admiral was up on the steps above the crowd with a perfect view of the hanging platform in the company of the Governor and William with Elizabeth at his shoulder.

James had known that Lawrence was bound by law. In all of their conversations neither of them had mentioned it, but the matter stood between them like an unsurpassable reef barrier, hidden beneath the clam surface of the water. They wedged a private war against each other while trying to conceal their efforts - James not saying that he was trying to free Jack, Lawrence keeping silent about his efforts to prevent it. The guards outside the jail have been strictly warned to never let James anywhere near the cell where the famous pirate was held. Thus, all his attempts to reach Jack have failed.

The argument broke out prior to the morning of the execution regardless of their effort to keep peace between them. As a result, James left. He had not spoken to Lawrence since. James remembered the bitter words they've exchanged. He didn't want them to be the last ones Lawrence would hear from him.

"I am just as much pirate as Jack is. If he is getting hung, why are we not together?"

"James, be reasonable! Have you any idea the effort it had taken me to obtain a pardon for you alone? You are not even branded, which allowed me to argue a case on behalf of a missing family member, whom I will be responsible for. However, it's impossible to fashion an excuse for one of the most famous pirates. Brag as he may, it is best to be unknown for the foul deeds than to be famous for them as there is less chance to be forgiven."

James understood. It pained him, more so because in two weeks that have taken his wound to heal, he established a heedful relationship with his father. He learned a lot about Lawrence. Their connection was greater than similar voices because they had the same strictness, biting sarcasm, and the same intuition when it came to right and wrong. Yet, he had to walk away from it. The Governor was right, it was impossible to rehabilitate him. If refusing to watch like a coward as his brother was hung put him beyond redemption, then so be it.

"Father, I love you." James put all his feelings and regret into few simple words before turning away and disappearing into the crowd. He pushed through the locked rows of shoulders and elbows towards the platform where the list of crimes was announced. It was long, yet getting shorter, and the executioner prepared to make the final call. Not caring who got in his way James got through aggressively, afraid that he wouldn't make it before the lever was pulled. The town clerk mercilessly concluded.

"…hung by the neck until dead."

Jack's lips moved to say something that suspiciously looked like 'bugger' when a sword wheezed past James' ear and sunk deep into the wood right under Jack's feet, providing him with a flimsy foothold as the trapdoor fell open. William charged past James up onto the platform to stop the executioner from completing his task.

"I didn't ask for your help! Especially, if you're out to cut my ears off!" James snapped at the unexpected saviour half teasingly and half annoyed that he wasn't the one who reached the platform first. It was between him and Jack, no one else, but somewhere in his gut he felt that perhaps the kid wasn't that bad even if undeniably annoying. He slashed in half the rope that still connected Jack's neck to the gallows.

Jack fell down like a sack of potatoes, but with the usual liveliness, especially when it came to saving his skin, he instantly recovered and cut his arms free with an approving nod of the whelp's retort, pleased to be remembered.

"It's a good thing I am not helping YOU then," William shot back.

"Cocky whelp," James grinned. "No wonder that woman likes you."

The executioner made a big swing with an axe that was nearly enough to have sent William flying all the way to the docks. James got behind him and bonked the huge bear of a man over the head with the hilt of his sword. William caught the executioner who almost collapsed on top of him and pushed the unconscious man off the platform into the crowd right on top of the Admiral.

The act gained an outmost approval from Jack who saluted the pile up with a graceful sway of his arm and shouted, "Let this be known as the day you've almost huuuung." He tripped and fell off the platform face first into an ample cleavage of a lavish woman. "Jack Sparrow," he concluded, pulling his nose out of the deep cavern between the two large globes.

The resounding slap even made the Admiral wince. James grinned, having never approved of Jack's habit of leaving his name frequently to those people who would have most unflattering memories about him, when a hearty push sent James into the same direction of a squishy mass encasing his face and an overwhelming scent of roses. Two arms wrapped around his neck. His face was raised, and devouring lips pressed against his. He was saved by a soldier who turned out to be a bit faster than his comrades and grabbed the pirate, peeling him away from the embrace. The woman shrieked in indignation and hit the soldier over the head with her umbrella.

Released, James ran from them both. He slipped through the crowd with the fluidity of an eel, and caught up to Jack and William on top of the stairs where the pair was tripping their pursuers with a rope. They charged through the remnants of the crowd to the battlements where they were cornered, and a row of bayonets blocked their path. The marines surrounded them with a final clang of William's sword against the numerous weapons.

"I've always liked you," said Jack trustingly to one of the marines, thus earning a poke in the ribs with a pointy side of the weapon.

"I think he really likes you," said another marine to the one who poked Jack with the bayonet.

"He does not."

"Yes, he does. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said so."

"Oh!" the first soldier exclaimed sarcastically. "Are you saying that an unethical scumbag who is attempting to escape from justice wouldn't possibly have any ulterior motive for confessing that he likes his jailer, although the above mentioned scumbag would want to fool the above mentioned jailer into letting him go?"

"No," said the second marine after a decisive nod. "However."

"However?" the first man said incredulously.

"However, the presence of the ulterior motif an unethical scumbag would have to trick the jailer into letting him go, does not exclude a possibility that he differentiates between different jailers, therefore there is a possibility that he likes some more than others, therefore he could possibly be telling the truth that likes you."

Jack stepped in between them to clasp the shoulders of the arguing pair in encouragement, and then took a stealthy step backwards, but Lawrence's sword pressed into his back.

"Enough," the Admiral cut down the argument, and once more blocked the prisoners, who had slipped out of the surrounding ring of weapons, from the stairs. "Don't you realise that freeing a sentenced man is an act punishable by law? Do you all want to be hung?"

"Perhaps, we should hang them all," the Governor suggested.

"No!" Elizabeth abandoned her father's side to stand between the two parties. She grabbed William's arm like her life was connected to his well being.

Both parents faced the mutiny of their offspring. The Governor was first to concede. At his request, Lawrence ordered the men to lower their weapons.

"So, this is the choice I get, either to lose my sons or to accept a pirate," Lawrence asked.

"It is," James answered. Just as hard as it was for him to choose between his family members, it was equally hard for Lawrence to choose between his child and the law that he dedicated his entire life to upholding.

The palpable tension was broken by a loud screech, "Bring in the sails!" A stream of poop landed on the marine's shoulder as a blue and yellow parrot settled on top of the pole. The marine glared at the bird.

Jack smiled widely like it was his birthday, perhaps for the first time glad for the fiendish creature's existence. "Well, then. I think we've all arrived at a very special place," he exclaimed, almost dancing away from the blade's shimmering tip, but when Lawrence shadowed all his moves, Jack placed his hands on top of the Admiral's shoulder and leaned on him. "Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically."

The Admiral fastidiously brushed off the offending hands. Jack took a couple of apologetic steps back, edging closer to the parapet that overlooked the sea, and pressed the palms of his hands together, taking a small bow.

"I shall leave you in this happy father and son reunion, with the exception of Elizabeth who is in fact a daughter," Jack announced. As Lawrence made another step towards the elusive pirate like a large predator, Jack made a wide jump, steadying an inch from toppling into the water. He took off his hat to bid a dramatic farewell, overbalanced, and fell backwards into the sea.

"The fool!" one of the men exclaimed after verifying that the pirate most inelegantly dropped into the water with a huge splash and came out gasping for air. "There is nothing but an open sea. He will have to return to the shore!"

"I think not!" William exclaimed, pointing to a ship that was sailing directly towards the fort, following with his finger the parrot when the bird took off in a bright flurry of feathers and flew towards the black ship.

"Is this what you wanted?" Lawrence asked James quietly.

"It is," James confessed.

"And do you have any inclination to follow?"

"It depends on what is waiting for me here should I stay."

"Not the gallows," the Admiral promised. "I will not see my family hung."

"Sir, what about the Black Pearl?" the lieutenant interrupted. "Should we prepare the Dauntless for the pursuit?"

The Admiral clasped his hands behind his back and regarded his subordinate not without a grain on irony. "Mr Gillette, and just how do you envision that we hop aboard our ship and chase after the Black Pearl, which just happens to be the fastest ship of the Caribbean, when she already has a head start on us? I have no intention of wasting my time on a short race that we will lose. Catching the Black Pearl requires carefully planned strategy and preferably more than one ship. If we were to go after her, we must have at least one full day of preparation, and we will have to be ready to spend a very long time out at sea hunting her down. Our duty is to guard Port Royal, not sail out gallivanting after some pirates. Since these pirates are not attacking Port Royal, but are running away from it, I have no intention of going after that ship, unless the Admiralty sends a direct order to pursue her."

"Understood, Sir."

"Good, you're dismissed then."

As there was no longer anyone to apprehend, the marines cleared the battlements to return to their posts, some of them passing only an inch away from William who looked more nervous with each passing moment under Swann's close scrutiny.

"I have a serious conversation with my future son in law," the Governor announced.

William gulped, allowing the Swanns to lead him away; his future with Elizabeth being at stake.

Before long, only James and Lawrence remained on the battlements alone. Neither of them was comfortable enough to speak, yet no words were necessary. There was nothing to be said between the two reserved men whose actions spoke louder than words. Both of them were watching the Black Pearl wistfully; one wishing to put an end to piracy and another knowing that he will miss Jack. Yet, James was confident that his brother was thinking the same as he was that they will meet again, and of course Jack was sure that his brother will choose to return to piracy. Of that, James wasn't convinced, but he was confident that he will never betray his brother. A smile tugged his lips when he glanced at his father inconspicuously, once more finding that little reflected on the Admiral's face of what was on his mind.

Lawrence didn't have a spyglass, but the Black Pearl was close enough for him to see the line thrown to help a man out of the water. James had shared the entire story, thus it was no longer a mystery to him that it was Teague's son commanding the legendary ship. Letting it go was easier than he thought. He was going to allow Sparrow an escape, just this once, to put en end to the vengeful circle, so nothing from the past would come back to settle the score again. A life for a life, that's all it took. It was a matter of paying the debt of honour.

Aaaaand, this fic is done! I've been debating whether or not to leave James with Lawrence, and decided that he needs to spend more time with his father before crusading off on any other adventure. =)

Thank you all for reading! And especially thank you for reviewing, I much appreciate your comments! It always brings me inspiration knowing that what I'm doing can make someone smile.

We currently have Holidays, and the time of the year where many wishes come true! So, close your eyes and make good ones! Happy New Year!