Adult-FanFiction.org : Movies

Savarna	By : BrethlessM Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > Het - Male/Female > Jack/Elizabeth Views: 5383 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
A/N: Hi again! I've gotten into the habit (probably a bad one) of posting the chapters immediately after I finish writing them. That means that they're generally not proof-read, although I do try and catch any mistakes before posting. I always go back and correct the errors I find later, but feel free to e-mail me if you notice anything eggregious. I figure you'd like the update sooner rather than later, and I'm too excited to wait as well. Anyway, here's chapter two. I've gotten some great ideas for this fic, and I'm really excited about where it's going. Thanks for the amazing reviews - keep 'em coming! Every time I get one, I want to start writing immediately, so they really help me get out the next installment. I hope you enjoy chapter two - a lot of my ideas start coming into play here, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts. Finally, if you write a review and have a question for me, on this site specifically, please leave your e-mail address so I can respond! Or, you can e-mail me directly at BrethlessM@aol.com. Thanks! - Kimberlee
Chapter Two

Jack couldn�t sleep. Staring up at the ceiling of his cabin, he didn�t even bother trying to close his eyes, for he knew that all he would see if he did was Elizabeth, wearing an expression of sad longing - the last expression he had ever seen on her face. He turned to lie on his side, but the scenery didn�t change enough to alter the images in his head. There was only one thing for it.

With a sigh, Jack reached over the side of his bunk and felt for the neck of the rum bottle he�d left on the floor. He found two empty ones before locating a third that was three-quarter�s full � he had made sure there was always a vast quantity of the stuff in his quarters at all times, just for moment�s like this. The familiar warmth of the liquor burned his throat, but sleep did not venture any closer.

It was becoming a familiar pattern for Jack, the tossing, turning, and then, the drinking. Few would recognize him as such, but Jack was a smart man. He may have lacked in areas such as morality, honesty, and hygiene, but he was not as stupid as he allowed people to believe. Some of his greatest ideas had been born on impulse, and although he rarely planned things out far in advance, he had a talent for lining up situations like dominoes so that everything eventually fell neatly into place, just the way he wanted.

It was this that contributed to his sleeplessness, that the one time he needed a plan thought out in advance, he had been unable to think of anything beyond the basics. He needed a ship; that much was certain. He realized the wisdom in not using the Pearl for a journey to World�s End, but the delay was maddening. Still, there were only three things in the world Jack truly cared about, and it would be pointless to get where they going, only to lose one of those things while rescuing another.

And there was another conundrum. Once they got to World�s End and found Elizabeth, how were they to return without a ship? Jack still had the maps he�d stolen from Barbossa so many years ago, and he had no doubt that his compass would lead him to wherever she was, even without the map. But no matter how long he puzzled over it, he could think of no way to accomplish this part of the problem.
Once, many years ago, Jack had been to the Locker. How long he�d been in that hell, he still didn�t know, but he�d had one great advantage that had proved very important when those coming to his rescue had finally arrived. The Kraken, the great sea beastie who had been the means of his demise, had swallowed the Pearl along with him. His ship had survived the Locker, just as he had, and because of this, he and the crew had been able to return to the land of the living.

Elizabeth hadn�t gone down with a ship, hence, no easy return. It was all he could think about - how to get her back. He was so absorbed with the problem that it was making him an ineffective Captain, and there was no safety in that. He knew that the crew wanted Elizabeth returned safely too, if only for William�s sake. Thankfully, their surprising streak of caring had given Jack immunity � for a while. If he didn�t come up with something soon though, he was sure that the tide would turn against him.

Which was why, when Gibbs� questions the night before had given him a truly terrible idea, he had not immediately discarded it. In fact, he was considering it even now. As much as he hated the idea, Jack was becoming more and more convinced that it might be the only way.

He was not surprised when, shortly before dawn, the door to his cabin creaked open and a soft shuffle of footsteps crossed the room to his bunk. Without a word, Jack shifted to the far side of his bed so that William could climb in next to him. When the boy had settled, Jack said, �Still no sleep, eh, Mate?� It wasn�t really a question� neither of them had slept well in two weeks.

�I started falling asleep, but I keep seeing her,� William told him. �I don�t like seeing her like that, but I�m afraid��

��fraid of what?� Jack asked after a minute.

William shifted uncomfortably. �I�m afraid that if I stop seeing her in my dreams that I�ll forget about her.�

�You won�t forget, Mate,� Jack said with certainty. �How she looks, how she smells, how she�� he frowned in the darkness. �Anyway, you won�t have time to forget. We�ll get her back, William.�

Jack rarely called Elizabeth�s son by his given name, and doing so now had a powerful effect. William sat up on the bed and if it hadn�t been night, he might have been searching Jack�s face for something. Then he asked, �You never forgot, did you?

Jack rolled over, facing away from William before he answered. �I thought I had� but no, not at all.� William was silent for a moment before lying down again.

And as dawn�s rosy tongue began to lick the eastern horizon � as Jack finally began sliding into a dream-tormented sleep � he thought he heard William say, �I love you, Uncle Jack.�

Gibbs let Jack and William sleep, but he knew he�d have to wake them soon. The Black Pearl had no heading, and without a heading, they were no better than a bit of flotsam being carried by the tide. The men were getting restless, and something would have to be done about it.

The First mate was getting to be too old for such doings, but he�d be damned if he�d let it show. He stood firmly at the helm, not letting on that they were going nowhere. There was no hiding the fact that yesterday�s mission had failed, like the two before it, but as long as the men believed someone knew what they were doing, Jack was safe. There was only so much failure a pirate could stand without what little loyalty his crew had for him began to falter.

When Jack appeared from his cabin fully dressed, long before Gibbs even considered waking him, the First mate felt a sudden surge of hope. Although he still looked tired, older, and thinner, he had put on his familiar air of bravado once more, and even paused to upbraid a sailor who had not tied a proper knot in the rigging.

Jack swaggered closer, but when Gibbs saw the look in his Captain�s eyes, the hope within him faded into something more resembling fear. Whatever Jack had in his head, Gibbs knew he wasn�t going to like it. �Good day, Captain,� he said uncertainly.

�Morning Mr. Gibbs � where are we headed?� Jack asked, as though nothing were out of the ordinary; as though the last few weeks hadn�t happened.

It was worse than Gibbs thought. He could feel a superstitious chill ripple up his spine. �At the moment, we�re taking advantage of a friendly northwesterly, Captain,� he reported.

Jack nodded, a look of grim defeat falling into place. �Keep her so � pack on all canvas and let her fly before the wind. We�re headed for the Pirate Round.�

Gibbs� mouth went dry just as he opened it to relay the orders. He felt his own face go as pale as Jack�s before he set his jaw and nodded. �Man the yards!� he shouted to the crew. �Hands to the halyards! I want full sails, and be quick about it!� To Jack, he said in a low voice, �that�s a long voyage, Jack. Even with the Pearl�s speed and at full sail, it�ll take months.�

�We�ll do it in three � less, if the weather stays fair. Maintain top speed at all times whilst I set our course for the South China Seas.�

�Shipwreck Cove,� Gibbs muttered, as if it were a curse. He searched Jack�s eyes. �Dare I ask what you hope to find there?�

Jack turned back towards his cabin, but replied over his shoulder, �My father.�

When William woke with a start, it was nearly noon. He�d finally fallen asleep just after dawn, and though he�d managed to sleep for six whole hours, he did not feel rested. As usual, his mother haunted his dreams, and this time, his father had been there too, staring at him with eyes void of emotion. He wasn�t sure which haunting disturbed him more.

Jack sat at the desk near the door to the cabin, staring at the papers in front of him. When William got up to see what he was doing, Jack picked up an instrument and began making measurements and drawing lines on a map. He was so intent on his work that Jack hadn�t noticed William�s approach until the boy asked hopefully, �We have a heading?�

Jack flinched a bit in surprise, looking up at William for only a second before returning to his maps. �Aye. We�ll be traveling the Pirate Round towards the South China Sea.�

William was well versed in Geography, and knew of the oft-traveled water path called the Pirate Round. It had earned its name due to the frequency with which the Brethren pirates made their way from the Caribbean, down around the Cape of Good Hope, and back up into the Indian Ocean. Merchants used the route only when necessary, and only when heavily armed.

Although the idea of following in the footsteps of many of his pirate heroes appealed to William, he was overwhelmed by one thought. �It�s so far,� he said.
�Remember, Mate,� Jack said holding up a finger. �You�re on the Black Pearl, the fastest ship in all the seven seas. We�ll be in Shipwreck Cove before you know it.�

William�s eyes lit up. �Shipwreck Cove?� he repeated. That was where his mother had been made King of the Pirates, thanks to Jack. �Are we going to Shipwreck City? Can I come?�
Jack chuckled. �Of course � wouldn�t dream of leaving you behind. You�re my partner in this venture, after all.� He did not add that he was loathe to let the boy out of his sight for any length of time, especially in such a dangerous place.
Beaming, William sat in the other chair across from Jack and leaned on the desk, staring at the maps. �What are we going to do in Shipwreck Cove?� he asked.
Jack paused in thought before setting his tools down and leaning back to look at the boy. As he had never before lied to William, he decided not to do so now. �Do you know who Captain Teague is?� he asked.
William nodded. �Keeper of the Pirate Codex� and your father,� he added as an afterthought.
�Before he became Keeper of the Codex, Captain Teague was the Pirate Lord of Madagascar,� Jack said. �That�s where he met my mother.� Jack stopped, unsure of how much to say. Finally, he said, �My mother was� special. Captain Teague went through a lot to win her love. He underwent trials such as no man has ever had to endure for a woman, and in beating them, he learned much about the mysteries of the sea that may help us get to your mum. Savvy?�
Nodding and then shaking his head, William asked, �He�ll know how to get out of the Locker once we�ve gotten Mother back?�
�Maybe� if anyone on this Earth would, it�ll be him.�
�Do you think he�ll help us?�
Telling himself it wasn�t a lie, because he had honestly never been able to predict what his father would do, Jack said, �I don�t rightly know � guess we�ll have to go there and ask him.�
William seemed content, and for a while, the two sat quietly as Jack continued charting their path around the southern coast of Africa and through the Indian Ocean. These were water�s Jack knew quite well, though he tried to stay out of them as often as possible. The land of his birth was no longer as friendly towards him as it had once been, and the proof of that was hanging from his belt.
He glanced down at the shrunken head at his side, and when he looked up, William was staring at it in open curiosity. It was not the first time he�d noticed the boy�s interest, and Jack had never offered an explanation. Similarly, William had never asked about it, but as if reading the pirate�s mind, he did so now.
�Where did you get that, Uncle Jack?�
Jack sighed, but removed the head from his belt and placed it on the desk between them. William didn�t touch it, but his eyes were wide. �From Captain Teague,� he answered. Then, after a second, he added, �It�s me Mum�s.�
William�s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, and he sat up quickly, putting a little more distance between himself and the skull. He glanced a Jack covertly and asked, �who did this to her?�
�Don�t know,� Jack said with a shrug. �Have my suspicions though. The woman had just as many enemies as she had friends, and only someone with a great deal of power could have gotten near enough to her for this. Though I suspect, seeing as how it was my father who gave her head to me, that whoever did it is no longer around to explain his motivations.�
�What was she like?�
Jack thought. �Strong. Clever. Beautiful,� he said. �She was from India � brought to Madagascar as a child and taken in and raised by one of the local tribes. She was a force to be reckoned with� a lot like your Mother, actually.� Jack had a far away look in his eyes as he remembered.
�So you grew up there too?� William asked, breaking Jack�s reverie.
�That�s right � a fishing village on the eastern coast beside the mountains, called Toamasina.�
�What was it like there?�
�Hot,� Jack replied instantly. �Humid. Wet. It rains nearly all year round. Until I left, I spent most of my time with a group of the native boys, going to school, and learning how to hunt and fish.� He smiled. �When we were twelve, all of our faces were painted with interesting patterns, and the priests performed this ceremony where we danced and screamed like animals. We were considered adults then,� he explained, �and I got me first tattoo that night.�
�Let me see!� William asked eagerly.
With a slight hesitation that William did not notice, Jack stood and removed his coat and shirt, baring his chest. Then, he turned around.
�Wow,� William breathed in awe.
Jack�s back was completely covered in tattoos. The three main ones were circular in shape, but were different in the composition of the design. The one on his right shoulder blade resembled a sun, with darts representing the rays surrounding the main disk, and a strange, unfamiliar shape in the center. On his left shoulder blade there was another circle, surrounded by short, thick lines that reminded William of waves somehow. A third circle had been placed in the very center of his back, and though there was a small halo of blank white skin around it, the design within it was the most detailed, and strangest of all.

Around these three circles were lines and lines of script in a language William had never seen before. The words formed an oval that encompassed the three disks, as though trapping them. About midway up his back, a pattern of diamonds touching end to end formed a semi-circle that rose up and around Jack�s shoulders, ending at the same place on the opposite side.
These were not Jack�s only tattoos. Besides the signature sparrow flying above the waves and before the sun on his forearm, Jack had a variety of other markings on his body. There was a skull and crossbones right center on his chest, and around his abdomen was what looked like a belt composed of more tribal markings, the ends of which followed the oval shape delineated by the text on his back. A similar design twisted in bands around either bicep, with more of the strange writing above that, and two further, larger circular designs at the apex, one on each side.
Needless to say, William was impressed.
�It�s the circle in the middle,� Jack said in a voice that betrayed a hint of something quite like shyness. He had never shown his tattoos to anyone before - not even Scarlett and Giselle had seen them. They were very personal, and something he could not easily explain.
William got up for a closer look. Although he had seen Jack while bathing not too long ago, he had not really noticed any of these markings. They had been hidden by his hair, which was now pulled aside, and by the sides of the tub. He was fascinated. �What language is this?� he asked.
�Malagasy,� Jack said. �It�s what we spoke in Madagascar. That and French,� he added.
�You speak three languages?� William sounded shocked.
�No,� Jack shook his head. �I speak eight � English, French, Malagasy, Arabic, Spanish, Mandarin, Malay, and Latin,� he said. �And a smattering of several tribal languages from some of the islands in the Caribbean.�
William stared as Jack put his shirt back on. When he�d finished, he grinned at the boy. �Knowing how to communicate with people comes in very handy � I�ve gotten out of more than a few situations that might have proven deadly, only I knew how to talk to them.�
�Will you teach me?� William asked.
�Not today,� Jack said. Placing a hand on William�s shoulder, he walked them towards the door. �Right now it�s time to see if Cook found anything decent in the storage room for supper.�
�But you will teach me someday, right?� William prodded.
Pausing to look at William intently, Jack nodded. �I think I could do that.
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Savarna