Notes: And it's Jack to the rescue! This chapter was inspired by another Fuel song, "Luck". Sorry if it seems like I'm flooding the groups with chapters; I'm trying to catch up with where I'm at, because there's a comfortable space between the release of one chapter and another while I'm writing one; I'm getting too far ahead of myself here. ^_^ Anyway, enjoy! Feedback's welcomed.

Chapter Eleven

The next morning dawned bright and early for the inhabitants of Port Royal. Everyone seemed to be in a bright, cheery mood. An announcement had been made: a captured pirate was to be hanged this morning, and naturally, the morbid curiosity of the mind pushed them to meet in the fort to view the spectacle. Everyone was excited.

Everyone, that is, except for the captured pirate in question.

James sat miserably in the dirty straw of his jail cell, his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on them. He wondered where his uncle was and why he hadn't come to rescue him yet. 'Maybe he doesn't think he has to,' James thought morosely. 'After all, I'm only his nephew.'

A tapping sound made him raise his head, and James saw Commodore Norrington standing outside the cell, his eyes observing the boy seated on the straw. "I trust you're ready?" he asked quietly.

Two red-coated guards came to his cell, standing on either side of Norrington. James stood up unhesitatingly and approached the cell door as one of them unlocked it. He allowed the two soldiers to take either of his arms.

"No resistance?" Norrington pondered aloud. Then he looked down at James. "Where's your Uncle Jack now, James Sparrow?"

James ignored the question, looking away from Norrington and allowing himself to be led out of the prison and to the gallows.

***

The crowd was large, much larger than James would have ever guessed the crowd would be. Several of the spectators seemed uncomfortable as they realized James was only a boy, barely out of childhood. A few of those spectators who came to that realization turned and looked back at Norrington, who looked completely at ease. To Norrington, this wasn't the hanging of a child; this was the hanging of a pirate.

James took a deep breath as he was led up the steps to the platform. He wondered if this was what his uncle had felt when he'd been led to the gallows the year before.

The official standing nearby with a scroll in his hand looked James up and down, taking in his strangely mismatched clothes. James looked down at his own clothing, wondering why Jack had felt the compulsion to dress him up like him. James wondered if he really wanted to die in these clothes.

The governor had joined Norrington at the other side of the crowd. James noticed him, and their eyes met as the governor looked up at the platform. The governor looked uncomfortable himself, and he leaned over to say something to Norrington. Norrington didn't reply.

James felt himself subconsciously wondering where Jack was.

***

"How much further do we have to go?" Jack asked, his kohl-rimmed eyes roaming the area as he ran a little ahead of Will.

"Not too much further," Will gasped out, his hand pressed to his side again. "We should be there in just a minute."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the woods opened up before them, and they found themselves on the outskirts of Port Royal.

***

Elizabeth's head jerked up as she heard a noise at the door of the hut she'd been huddled in all night. A man was slipping into the hut, his dark eyes glittering in the light of the tiny fire in the center of the room.

"You should not be here," the man said in stilted English. "I have seen you before, though not in this place."

"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked, standing defiantly.

"My name is Blackbird," the man introduced. "I am following my cousin and his friend. They are going to Port Royal. That is where I have seen you, I believe." He held out his hand. "Come on. We need to get out of here and go to Port Royal. Jack's son is about to be hanged."

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she heard a familiar name. "Jack? You know Jack Sparrow?"

"Shh," Blackbird hissed, catching her hand. "You must be quiet." He peeked out the door and nodded. "Let's go. We must hurry."

***

Port Royal seemed deserted; at least, that's what Will thought. He couldn't see many people about. Several shops were closed that would normally be open, and few people wandered amongst the market stalls. Will reached out and stopped a woman as she passed. "Excuse me, ma'am, but where is everyone?"

"There's a hanging at the fort," the woman replied. "I don't care too much for things like that, but everyone else went to see it. The poor boy."

Will gestured to Jack, and both men raced towards the fort, bypassing guards by hiding in bushes and ducking behind trees. Jack had his hand on his sword the entire time, Will noticed.

As more soldiers on patrol walked by, Will felt himself getting more frustrated. "We're never going to make it in time," he muttered. "Not with all these soldiers around."

Jack merely grunted and motioned with his hand when the soldiers passed by.

***

"...for your willful commission of crime against the Crown, (1)" the official was saying when Will and Jack managed to make it into the fort unscathed. Jack almost felt his heart stop as he saw James standing on the gallows, a rope tied around his wrists before him. He glowered and nudged Will.

"Get moving with your so-called plan," he muttered as the official continued.

"Said crimes are cited herewith: piracy..."

Will began heading through the crowds towards Swann and Norrington as Jack did his best to negotiate through the crowds to get closer to the gallows. It seemed as if James hadn't noticed him yet. The fear hidden behind James' attempted façade of bravery almost broke Jack's heart.

"...depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness. And for these crimes, you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead." The official rolled up his scroll as the executioner stepped forward and looped the noose around James' neck. "May God have mercy on your soul."

Jack pulled out his sword and readied himself.

There was a red flash in the corner of his eye, and someone tackled him from behind, and Jack slammed to the dirt, his sword skipping out of his hand. He could only watch in helpless horror as the executioner pulled the lever and the floor dropped out from under James.

***

The commotion behind him caused Will to stop on his way towards the two men, and he turned on his heel to see James fall and Jack lying on the ground underneath a soldier. As James' rope reached its limit, Will breathed a sigh of semi-relief; James' neck hadn't broken, which gave him a short reprieve to go to his aid.

James wasn't quite as well-off as Will imagined, however; he couldn't breathe. The rope was tight around his neck, tighter than he ever imagined it would be, and he felt himself getting light-headed as his feet kicked. Tears streamed down his face, and his arms came up to pull at the rope. His fingers scrabbled desperately for a handhold as he began to lose consciousness.

And then something whistled through the air and sliced through the rope. James dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap and lay still as pandemonium broke out amongst the spectators. Will was jostled roughly as people ran by, and someone hit his side, bringing tears to his eyes as pain shot through him. Pushing the pain aside, he drew his sword and shoved his way through the crowd, trying to reach Jack's side.

Will's swift kick to the soldier's ribs was enough to give Jack room to brace his arms and lever the man off of him. He dragged himself to his feet, snatched up his sword, and ran for James.

The crowd's noise decreased as the fort emptied out. Will, panting, turned in a circle, brandishing his sword as he attempted to protect Jack and James from the soldiers crowding into the fort's courtyard. He moved closer to the two as Jack sheathed his sword and scooped James up into his arms.

"Will, can you get us out of here?"

Will nodded, gesturing to his left, and the two men broke into a run, Jack carrying James, and Will sparring with soldiers as they attempted to attack him with their bayonets. Soon, though, they found themselves by the bell tower, and there was no escape as the soldiers cornered them.

"Jack, what do we do?" Will hissed as Norrington and Governor Swann made their way to the two.

"I don't care," Jack shot back. "Just do something to stall them. James isn't breathing."

Will looked behind himself long enough to see Jack setting James on the stone ground and pulling the noose from James' neck. He turned back to find himself face to face with Norrington.

"Well, if it isn't Jack Sparrow and William Turner. Again," Norrington said smoothly, looking Will up and down. "I should have known you two would show up and attempt some sort of rescue attempt. But I actually thought we'd be able to go through with the hanging. Foiled again."

Will glared at him. "You would hang an innocent boy under the misguided notion that he's a pirate?" he asked furiously.

"He's a pirate, Mr. Turner. There's nothing that can change that."

"He's not a pirate," Jack spoke up from behind Will. Both Will and Norrington turned to look at the kneeling pirate. "He's not a pirate," Jack repeated. "He's my son. And I do not tolerate any attempts to harm my son."

James broke into a fit of coughing, and Will saw a slight smile flit across Jack's face momentarily before the pirate picked James back up.

"And if you must hang someone," Jack continued, "then hang me. And let James go free. He has done nothing wrong. The crimes you have accused him of are false."

Before Jack and Will could say any more, a commotion at the back of the group of soldiers pulled their attention, and Norrington's, in that direction. And Jack's eyes widened as he saw Blackbird shoving his way towards them, Elizabeth in tow.

"They ARE false," Blackbird affirmed in his strangely slurred English. "The boy has been with me until last year, when he went to Tortuga to find his father."

Norrington's teeth clenched, and the governor looked frightened at the prospect of three well-seasoned warriors standing before them.

Will felt Jack tug on the back of his shirt, and he glanced behind him. Jack was motioning to a place behind him with his head. Confused, Will looked past Jack and saw...

The sea. Their salvation.

Will took a step back to stand even with Jack. "Commodore Norrington," he said pleasantly. "If you'll excuse me." He turned and dodged past Jack, then in two smooth steps, leaped off the bell tower and plummeted to the water below. A splash followed moments later.

"I think I'll join him," Jack added, turning and leaping after him with James in his arms.

Blackbird merely looked at Norrington and the governor before picking Elizabeth up and following Jack and Will.

The governor lunged forward as he watched the Cherokee man go over with his daughter. The soldiers crowded at the edge and watched as Blackbird and Elizabeth reached the bottom. Then, shocked that all five had managed to survive such a jump without hitting the rocks, they watched as the pirate, the blacksmith, the woman, and two Cherokees swam towards...

The Black Pearl, which was sitting almost a mile away.

Norrington growled and yanked his hat off, throwing it to the ground in frustration. "I want them followed, and I want them captured! Now!" he ordered. With one look at the governor, he retrieved his hat, turned on his heel, and headed back towards his office.

(1) This entire speech the official makes is based off the one the official made in POTC, when Jack was about to be hanged. With some adjustments, of course. I don't think James impersonated a member of the clergy of the Church of England ^_^

Native Warrior (12/?)

Notes: Jack sees a terrifying sight. And it shall scar him for life.

Chapter Twelve

After an exceptionally good night's sleep, Blackbird found himself standing on the deck of the Black Pearl, feeling incredibly useless. The crew bustled around the deck performing various tasks that Blackbird didn't understand. Occasionally, he was jostled by a passing crewmember, and he soon found himself near the railing of the ship, staring down at the water that churned against the hull as the ship plowed through the waves.

His eyes turned towards Jack, who was standing confidently at the wheel of the ship, staring out to the north. Jack had definitely changed in the past fifteen years. Blackbird hadn't known Jack well before he left the camp, probably because Blackbird had been so young, and Jack had been in his early twenties. He did remember that Jack had been very happy; he could see one scene in his mind of Jack sitting in the grass, holding the hands of a baby and helping him toddle along on very small feet. Blackbird remembered the beatific smile that would grace Jack's face so often before he'd left the camp. Jack hadn't worn his hair so messily and hadn't worn such...ugly clothes. Something had changed Jack in the past fifteen years, and Blackbird wasn't sure if it was for the better.

Then his eyes moved on to Elizabeth, who seemed to feel as out of place as he felt. Elizabeth was a very lovely girl, Blackbird conceded to himself, watching as she stared across the water at the sunset with a restless look on her face. Blackbird turned his gaze to the water again. Though he didn't know her beyond the small bits of information gleaned in their mad rush to Port Royal, she seemed to be an incredibly strong-willed woman.

Blackbird's eyes shifted towards Will, who was standing beside Jack near the wheel; it had been a long time since Blackbird had seen such a beautiful man, he had to admit to himself. Not since Will's father, anyway. Blackbird had always thought that William Turner was quite good-looking, but he had never known he could produce a son even better looking than he had been.

His thoughts became nonsensical as James emerged from below decks, stretching his arms and breathing the morning air in deeply.

Now James...James wasn't beautiful. James was gorgeous. At least, in Blackbird's eyes. James had the facial structure of his father but he also had his mother's beauty. The shine of his straight black hair, the near-innocent look in his eyes--but Blackbird knew FAR better.

Just then, James caught sight of him, and a large grin spread across his face. Blackbird felt his heart skip a beat, then he stood and walked towards James.

"How do you feel?" he asked him in Cherokee.

James shrugged. "As well as can be expected, I guess," he replied, sitting on a nearby barrel and looking up at Blackbird. "Thank you. For saving me. And all."

Blackbird gave his own grin as he saw James stutter and stammer and look down at his hands. It was entirely too cute.

"You're welcome. And I had to save you. Jack was a bit...incapacitated at the moment."

"When is he not?"

Both of them laughed.

Blackbird noticed for the first time the dark bruises on James' neck, right below his jawbone. He reached out and brushed James' hair back to look better. "These bruises look bad. Have you had anyone look at them?"

James shook his head. "No. They're not a big deal. They don't hurt or anything."

Blackbird's hands reached out of their own accord and began feeling gently along James' jawbone. "They look like they hurt. And see! You're wincing!"

"I am not," James argued, trying to push Blackbird's hands away.

"Just let me look," Blackbird said, swatting James's hands off his own and bending over slightly to examine the bruises. And his hands began to take on minds of their own, as he gently ran his fingers down James' throat and began lightly tracing the tendons in James' neck. James sucked in a sharp breath, and they stayed poised in that position for the longest moment.

Jack chose that moment to turn his gaze from the sea to his son. Cocking an eyebrow, he leaned over and asked Will, "What does it look like Blackbird is doing to James down there?"

Will looked also, squinting slightly. "It looks like he's just examining James' neck."

Jack made a "hmm" noise. "That's what it looked like to me. Huh."

Both watched as James, laughing, jumped off the barrel and grabbed Blackbird's hand, dragging him towards the door leading to below decks.

"At least, I THINK that's what it looks like to me," Jack added as an afterthought.

***

"Anamaria."

"What, Jack?"

"Take the wheel while I run to my quarters and fetch something I left in there."

"A bottle of rum?"

"Yep."

"You really should cut back on your drinking."

"I should."

"You aren't going to, though, are you?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I return with my rum."

Anamaria smirked, and Jack stepped away and hurried down the stairs. He slipped into his quarters and scooped up the glass bottle sitting on the table before heading for the door.

Giggling and a thud from James' cabin made him stop and stare at the wall separating their cabins for a minute.

Curious, Jack frowned and moved closer to the wall.

There was silence.

Slipping out of his quarters and through the door leading to below decks, Jack made his way towards James' door. Easing it open--and pausing to thank God for well-oiled hinges--Jack stared. Then he calmly eased the door shut and joined Anamaria on deck.

"Jack? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I think I have."

"What happened?"

"I really don't think I want to discuss it, Anamaria."

"...should you be drinking the rum THAT fast?"

"Gets me drunker quicker. And God knows I need it."

Will climbed up to join Anamaria and Jack, his eyebrows raising as he saw Jack with his head thrown back, chugging rum like there was no tomorrow. He turned his head towards Anamaria and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Jack came up for air. "Who said anything was wrong with me?" he demanded.

"No one, no one," Will replied. "I've just never seen you drink rum quite that fast before."

"A man has a right to drink rum as fast or as slow as he wishes."

"Jack, seriously."

"Oh, hell." Jack threw the now-empty bottle on the deck and watched as it shattered into dozens of tiny pieces. His eyes stared at the deck, and he mumbled something under his breath.

Will and Anamaria leaned closer. "What was that?" Anamaria asked.

"I SAID, I..." He degenerated into mumbles again.

Anamaria refrained from smacking Jack upside the head with only the barest effort.

Will, however, wasn't so self-restrained.

"Ow! Will! That hurt!"

"Well speak up!"

"Fine! I saw James and Blackbird," here, Jack's voice dropped to where Anamaria and Will almost couldn't hear it, "in James' cabin."

There was a pause. Anamaria and Will exchanged a look over Jack's head.

"So?" Will asked.

"'So'?" Jack repeated, baffled beyond belief. "It was quite possibly the most terrifying experience of my life."

"What were they doing?" Anamaria asked.

Jack gave her an incredulous look. "What do you THINK they were doing, Anamaria? Playing Go Fish?"

Will snorted.

"I'm never going to be able to look at James straight again," Jack moaned, burying his face in his hands.

"I'm beginning to think it's time we had a little talk," Will said in a very parental voice, patting Jack's back.

Jack lifted his head to glare, and Anamaria burst into hysterical laughter.

Native Warrior (13/?)

Notes: *throws hands victoriously into the air* I finally finished chapter thirteen! I'm so proud of me. I hope you guys enjoy. Feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

Chapter Thirteen

The light drizzle beginning to fall from the sky put a serious damper on Jack's mood--not that it wasn't dampened already. With the disturbing news--and sight--that James was in an obviously very serious relationship with Blackbird, Jack found himself in a foul mood, snapping at crewmembers who were unfortunate enough to get anywhere near him. Will and Anamaria kept their distance, and even James seemed to have an idea that something was wrong with Jack.

This foul mood of Jack's persisted for the three days it took for the ship to sail up the coast to its destination. By that time, the entire crew was avoiding Jack like he had the Plague, and he acted as if each of them were vermin worthy of a good stomping. Constantly, Jack's kohl-rimmed eyes would trail from the horizon before the ship up to the crow's nest, where James spent hours watching the horizon for land. Jack had yet to see them in another compromising position, and as far as he knew, James wasn't even aware that he and Blackbird HAD been seen.

James, shielding his eyes from the sun, turned and leaned over the railing, staring down at the ship far below. "Land!" he yelled to Jack, pointing towards the west. Jack, squinting, barely caught sight of a dark line through the somewhat hazy atmosphere. He turned the wheel to steer them in that direction, then motioned to Will.

Will moved away from where he was talking with Anamaria and joined Jack at the wheel. "What'cha need, Jack?" he slurred out.

"Are you drunk?" Jack asked incredulously.

Will shook his head. "No. Just spending too much time with the crew, I think." He scratched his head.

Jack smirked. "James has sighted land. We should be there in about an hour."

"At the camp?"

"No, on land. It'll be about another two hours after that before we get to the camp."

Will sighed. "I'm tired," he complained. "And hungry."

"Well, if you can wait about four hours, you'll get some food," Jack replied. "And, knowing my mother, a huge celebration. Which will mean tons of food. Not much rest, though." Jack slid his hands along the smooth wood of the wheel. "But trust me, after my mother's through with you, you will want for nothing."

"Nothing, eh?" Will repeated, sidling up a little closer to Jack.

Jack shifted uncomfortably and gave Will a look that the younger of the two couldn't read. "Could you back up a little bit? You're crowding me out."

"Sure. Whatever." Will took a few steps back to give Jack room to work and leaned against the railing. "Jack, we need to talk."

"Not now, I'm busy," Jack shot back; he wanted to avoid any sort of serious conversation Will was able to bring up.

Will sighed and brushed a curl out of his eyes. Irritably, he began trying to tie his hair back up again; the wind kept pulling strands of it free from its tail, and those strands had a tendency to get in his eyes. As he tied it up, he could see Jack looking at him out of the corner of his eye, but he pretended not to notice. If Jack wanted to act that way, he could treat him so right back.

Within the hour, Jack ordered the ship's anchor dropped roughly a mile from shore, and as the crew busily fulfilled the orders he shouted out, James climbed down from the crow's nest to greet Jack on the deck. Jack, glancing over at him, wordlessly took out a gold coin and flipped it in James's direction. "Good work," he muttered as he passed.

A small dinghy was dropped to the water, and Jack turned to give final orders to the crew before disembarking. He left Anamaria in charge of the crew, then turned to Blackbird as the warrior headed for the railing of the ship. "Blackbird, you're staying here."

"What? Why?" Blackbird demanded, turning to face Jack.

"Because as soon as we return, you'll be going back to the camp in the south," Jack replied coolly as Will clambered over the railing and quickly slid down the rope ladder dangling over the side. There was a thud as he reached the boat below.

"And how does that justify making him stay here?" James interjected.

Jack's look towards James was enough to freeze Hell over. "Where does this conversation concern you?"

James backed off, giving Blackbird an apologetic look before climbing down into the boat with Will.

"He had a good question," Blackbird resumed as soon as James was out of earshot. "How DOES that justify making me stay here?"

"Does it matter how that justifies what I've told you? I'm the captain; what I say goes. It needs no justification, except for in my own mind, which you'll not be privy to, savvy?" Turning, Jack slipped down into the dinghy and wordlessly motioned for Will to pick up an oar. The two began rowing to shore as James sadly looked up at Blackbird, who stared down from the railing of the Black Pearl with a depressed look on his face.

***

After beaching the dinghy onshore and gathering the few things the crew--presumably Gibbs--had tossed into it, Jack, Will, and James set out for the camp somewhere towards the northwest.

"I don't suppose you have another magic compass with you?" Will asked Jack sarcastically as they retraced their steps in an attempt to find the right path.

Jack scowled. "NO," he said gruffly. "I've only got this compass."

"One that doesn't point north," Will muttered in return. "Maybe you've got one that only points northwest?"

Jack rolled his eyes and kept his head down, studying the compass in his hand. Will peered over his shoulder, and Jack, uncomfortable, glanced at Will before pocketing the compass. "Will, let me ask you a favor."

"What is it?" he asked, stepping over a fallen tree carefully and turning to help James if necessary. The boy made it over the tree by himself, though, so Will turned back to Jack, catching up with him in three quick strides.

"I've got an extra sword on me," Jack lifted the right side of his coat to show Will the short sword strapped to his waist. "I want you to teach James how to handle a sword when we get to the camp. He doesn't know how, and he's practically defenseless."

"I am NOT defenseless!" James spoke up from behind the two. Both Jack and Will turned to look at him over their shoulders. "I can handle a bow and other weapons. I don't need to learn how to use a sword!"

Jack clenched his teeth and struggled to not yell at James. "James, I would like for you to learn it, just for my peace of mind."

James heaved a huge sigh. "Whatever, UNCLE Jack," he muttered.

Will saw Jack flinch slightly, but he didn't comment on it. He'd let Jack handle his own problems.

***

Four hours later, the three found themselves hopelessly lost in the woods far from the coast, hungry and tired. Jack signaled for them to stop and sat down, exhausted, on a stump.

"We're lost, aren't we?" Will asked, staring down at Jack.

"NO, we're not lost," Jack replied. "We just...can't find the right path."

"We're lost," James said, scuffing his boot in the dirt and kicking a tree.

"Let's make camp here for a bit and rest," Will suggested. "You can think about which way we should try next while we do so."

"Good idea, William," Jack commented, sliding off the stump. He made himself comfortable and appeared to go into deep thought.

James sat down several yards away from Jack, slouching against a tree and rubbing at his empty stomach. After a moment, Will joined him, sitting beside him on a raised tree root with one foot on either side of it. "How are you doing?" he asked James casually.

"Tired," James replied. He slumped down slightly. "Why does Jack think he can run my life? I don't want to learn the sword. I don't need to. I can handle myself fine."

"I think he's just worried about you," Will said.

"He doesn't need to be."

Will sighed. "I think it's because you don't have any sort of weapon on you. He's probably afraid you'll get taken again. You weren't exactly armed and in a position to fight when Norrington took you, remember?"

James let out his own sigh. "Yeah, I remember."

"Look," Will started, reaching towards his belt. He pulled his hatchet off and handed it to James. "You think you can handle that?"

"Sure!" James said, examining it. He weighed it in his hand. "This feels like a really good one. Nice balance. Did you make this?"

Will flushed slightly. "Yeah, I did."

"Well, you did a good job." James stood, sticking the hatchet in his sash. Then he paused, listening. "Do you hear something?" he asked, just loud enough for Jack and Will to hear.

Jack rose to his feet. After a long moment, he shook his head. "No, it's just a couple of grackles."

"Are you sure?" Will asked, moving towards Jack. "I can swear I hear horses."

Jack turned his head towards the west, and suddenly his face became joyful. He sprinted into the trees, yelling, "Dioz! Tooantuh!"

The two horses came into view, and Will and James ran to meet them. Jack had flagged them down, and was almost jumping for joy as the old healers dismounted. He threw his arms around them. "Dioz! Tooantuh!" he cried again. "This is probably the only time I'll ever be glad to see you!"

Dioz snorted. "Well, I should be offended, but I'm glad we found you," he commented, giving Jack a swift hug. Tooantuh stood nearby, arms crossed. "We've spent the past five days riding from the southern camp. We were hoping we'd run into you."

"YOU were hoping we'd run into him," Tooantuh muttered. "I was hoping a bear would eat him."

"There aren't any bears around here!" Dioz snapped back.

And then the two were at it again.

Will approached and cleared his throat. "Could you two stop arguing and tell us where the camp is?"

The two healers snapped to attention at the sound of his voice, then ran over to him and started tugging at his shirt, attempting to check on his wound. Will rolled his eyes and pulled away.

"Cut it out! I'm fine!" he insisted. "We need to get to the camp. Lead us there or something. Jack's got us hopelessly lost."

"/I/ got us hopelessly lost?" Jack repeated. "We're not lost!" He bit his lip and looked around. "We're just...mis-located."

Tooantuh did a little eye-rolling of his own and gestured with a hand before mounting his horse. Dioz mirrored his movements. "Come on," Tooantuh said. "We're headed there ourselves."

As the two rode into the trees, Jack leaned over and muttered to Will, "Thanks. Now we'll have to put up with their bickering for the next couple of hours."

As soon as these words left his mouth, the two healers began arguing again, this time on the merits of one particular herb versus another.

Will, Jack, and James sighed simultaneously. It was going to be a long couple of hours.

Native Warrior (14/?)

Author's Notes: "Party? I love parties! Drinks all around!" Much thanks to Grey for all the ideas for this chapter. I'm not sure if it would have gotten written without him.

For those of you who haven't read the first thirteen chapters, they're available in two places: On my page at Characters In Bloom: http://www.charactersinbloom.com/author%20pages/jessie-chan.htm

and at my own website: http://www.geocities.com/jemeigs/nw.html

Chapter Fourteen

Jack was sitting on the ground near a very well-built, small house, looking bored and tired, his chin resting in the palm of his hand as he watched the goings-on of his mother's camp. The five men--Tooantuh, Dioz, Jack, Will, and James (if James could really be called a man)--had been welcomed warmly into the camp, and, true to Jack's prediction, his mother Adsila had immediately begun to plan a feast for that night to celebrate Jack's homecoming.

There was a movement in the corner of his eye, and he turned his head to see Will approaching him, a steaming bowl in each hand. "Hey," Jack greeted as soon as Will was within earshot.

"I brought you something to eat," Will said, holding a bowl out to the pirate.

"You didn't have to do that." Not that that was going to stop Jack from eating, of course; he'd already begun to scoop up his first spoonful of the hot stew.

"I figured I'd at least keep you company for a little bit," Will stated, lowering himself to the ground beside Jack, "mainly because I have nothing better to do."

"Well, let me just say that I can't imagine any company I'd rather have more than yours," Jack responded, raising his spoon to his mouth.

"You're too kind." Will's eyes twinkled as he stared at Jack a moment before tearing his eyes away to glance around the camp. "Was the camp always this busy?"

Jack, spooning stew into his mouth, looked around the camp, following Will's gaze. The Cherokee members of the camp were crawling like ants all over the place, and there were even quite a few white men--traders, Jack imagined--mixed in amongst the Cherokee. He shrugged and shook his head. "As far back as I remember, not really, but then again, it's been about twenty years since I've been here."

Will smirked. "I keep forgetting how old you are."

"I'm not that old!" Jack protested, turning his gaze from the camp to Will. He noticed the smile on the younger man's face as Will spooned more stew into his mouth. The bloody man was teasing him! "You going to the celebration tonight?"

"Nah, I don't think it'll be a good idea..."

"Why not?"

Will bit his lower lip, then let out a soft sigh. "Well, for one thing, I don't know much about your culture, and I don't want to offend anyone by doing something wrong. And besides that, I'm not sure I'd have anyone else to talk to besides you, and I just think it would be a really, really bad idea."

"You really make too much out of this," Jack remarked, frowning slightly. "It's not that big of a deal. There's no pomp or circumstance to it. It's just lazing about, eating, drinking, and having a merry old time. I'm sure it'll be fun. In fact, I guarantee it. Please?" Jack gave the other man his best puppy-dog expression, and Will grimaced.

"I really hate it when you do that," he muttered, picking up his stew bowl and refusing to say anymore about whether he would be in attendance that night or not.

Jack, smirking, mentally jumped for joy. Will hadn't said no.

***

"Hey, Mother, where do you want this table at?" Jack asked, frowning down at the table sitting in the dirt before him, helpfully supplied by the nearby white settlers, with whom those in the camp had contact.

"Bring it over towards where the fire will be," Adsila instructed. "We're going to put some of the food on it."

Jack and Will both grabbed an end of the table and, with a soft count to three, lifted it, and carried it towards the fire pit. Several other men bustled around the camp, moving chairs and furniture about, and women were gathered around nearby, smaller campfires, cooking various delicious-smelling foods. Just thinking about the food made Will's stomach growl.

After Adsila thanked the two and commented at length on Will's helpfulness and handsomeness--to the point of making Will's cheeks flush an adorable red--Will excused himself and headed for the hut Jack's mother had given him to stay in.

Jack spoke at length with his mother about his travels and adventures from the past fifteen years, and he told her of how he met Will. "It was purely by accident, I swear," Jack was saying as Adsila sat beside him, a look of indulgent amusement on her face. "But he's a good man, good to have when you're in a tough situation."

"And he's so handsome," Adsila added. "He looks so much like William..."

Meanwhile, James found himself roaming around the camp, back towards his hut. Jack was talking with Adsila, and Will was nowhere to be seen. Once he reached the hut, deep in thought, he let out a sudden gasp when the door flew open and an arm pulled him into the small, dark hut. Before he could even let out a protest, he felt familiar lips covering his, and he could only moan, feeling his knees going a bit weak.

"I followed you. I really have no shame," Blackbird murmured, giggling slightly. His hot breath danced across James' skin, making him shiver.

"I don't mind," James whispered, hugging Blackbird to him.

"Are you okay?" the older man asked, appearing to notice some hesitance in James' voice. He wished he could actually see James' face, but unfortunately, it was too dark in the hut to really see any facial expressions.

"Yeah, I just...I just missed you, that's all."

"There's something else," Blackbird commented, looking down in the general direction of James' face.

"Well, um, I think...Jack...saw us."

"Saw us?" Blackbird repeated dumbly, taking a moment to realize what James meant. "He SAW us?" he said again, his eyes widening in shock.

"Yeah! And I don't know what to say to him or how to say it or anything!"

Blackbird leaned back against the wall, deep in thought. Jack was going to kill him. He just knew it. "Well, you talk to him when you're ready, all right?" he finally said. "It's not really his business, and he shouldn't try to pressure you into telling him about something that doesn't concern him."

Blackbird appeared to notice that James was trembling, because James felt Blackbird's arms slide around his waist, and Blackbird gently leaned against him, embracing him. The hug felt really nice, and James knew that he needed it, so he eagerly hugged him back. Raising a hand to Blackbird's hair, James marveled at how long and soft it was, and his hand eventually roamed back to Blackbird's face; he lifted his face and gently pressed his lips against Blackbird's. Blackbird gladly began responding to him, their kisses becoming more passionate as time wore on...

***

Outside, Adsila looked up, frowning, then nodded towards Jack. "Jack, I haven't seen James yet, so could you run and get him for me?"

"Sure." Jack heaved himself off the ground and walked towards James' hut, feeling a bit subdued after his conversation with Will. The pirate came close enough to see that the door to James' hut was just slightly cracked. His eyebrows scrunched together thoughtfully as he pulled on the door, opening it and watching slowly as the sunlight from outside appeared to completely startle the two people who'd been so involved in each other, they looked to be joined at the hip. Jack's kohl-lined eyes slowly widened as he realized who they were, and his chest began rising and falling rapidly as his eyes connected first with James's, and then slowly with Blackbird's. "Uh..." Tearing his eyes from them, he swallowed, then stared off into space for a few seconds, his heart beginning to pound furiously inside his chest.

"Uncle Jack--"

Jack held up his hand to James, quieting him, then slowly turned away from them, walking across the camp, so slowly one might possibly assume he was some sort of zombie. He didn't bother to look at anyone he passed; he just continued staring off into space numbly, his thoughts a mass of confusion in his head and his legs feeling strangely jelly-like. Why did he feel so light-headed all of a sudden?

"Jack, are you all right?" Will asked, looking up at the man as he walked by.

"I..." He tried to form words, but it was hard around the dryness in the back of his throat. "I just saw..." Was the world rapidly spinning for anyone else, or was it just him? He raised a hand to his forehead, feeling that lightheadedness growing at a rapid pace, and as he attempted to look around, his eyes rolled back, and everything went black once his knees buckled beneath him.

"Jack?" Will raced over to the older man, looking up when Blackbird and James cam running towards them. They all stared down at Jack, wide-eyed.

"Get some water," Adsila ordered James as she approached, kneeling down to gently nudge Jack's shoulders. Once James returned with a cup of water, Adsila tossed it directly onto Jack's face, watching as Jack twitched and slowly began to come to. "Are you well?"

"I...I'm not sure."

James looked over at Adsila and raised his eyebrows. "He saw us, Grandmama."

"Saw..."

Taking in a deep breath, James realized that now the secret was completely out and looked over at a confused and befuddled Will. "He saw me and Blackbird kissing in the closet," he blurted out before he lost his nerve.

Adsila's mouth dropped open a bit, and she glanced back and forth between the two of them. "You mean...you two...you're together?"

Jack groaned, vetoing any further comment, and the four appeared to notice him once more. Blackbird helped Jack into a sitting position. "You need some more water, Jack?" he asked, then added, "To drink this time?"

"Yes, that's fine," he mumbled, "though I much prefer rum." He took a deep breath and then asked, "Could I...talk to James for a few minutes?"

"Sure." Adsila motioned for Will to follow him, and Blackbird followed after he brought Jack some more water. James was left alone with Jack, nervous and uncertain.

"I wasn't sure how you'd react...which is why I guess I've been reluctant to tell you."

"I know, James," Jack muttered. "And it's all right. I'm okay with it."

"You didn't seem okay just now."

"I was really...overwhelmed. I didn't expect to see that, and I guess it just hit me so fast that I didn't know how to handle it." Jack paused, refraining from thinking of Blackbird and James...together. "I wish you'd teach me your secret, whatever it is," he finally said. "I mean, you nearly got killed less than a week ago, yet you're happy as a clam. You never seem to let anything bother you."

"That's not true." James sat on the dirt next to Jack. "I just push the thoughts out of my head so I don't have to think about them, but that's not really healthy, either."

"How do you do it, James?" Jack asked, struggling to keep the pleading tone from his voice. "How are you so strong when it comes to your feelings, and hwo are you so forgiving when I always end up making a complete ass of myself?"

"What you see as making a complete ass of yourself I see as just giving into your emotions, Uncle Jack. Whether you believe it or not, I really admire you sometimes, and I wish I could be more like you. But I'm not really that strong."

"I don't see how you could want that," Jack joked, then said, "And I don't see how you're weak at all--you ended up with Blackbird, didn't you?"

"Are you really okay with that?" James's eyebrows scrunched together in a concerned manner.

"I am okay with it, James, I really am. He's...a really great, charming man. I think you deserve him more than anyone else in the world, and I hope he'll make you as happy as I'm sure you'll make him."

James took in a deep breath, deeply touched by Jack's words. "I'm really sorry about keeping it from you." He paused, then added, "I don't like lying to you about things, you know, because I consider you one of my best friends in the world, and I really hate not being straightforward with you about things."

"I know. I do know that, and I'm sorry, too, for being such a pain in the ass. I know that today I've been especially hard to get along with, because I'm really bothered about something, and I'm not really sure how else to vent my anger and frustration, so I tend to take it out on the people who are around me and who are close to me."

"He loves you, Jack," James said suddenly. "You don't have anything to worry about, you know."

"Does he really love me, though?" Jack's eyes widened a bit. "I've been thinking about it so much lately, and I'm getting confused again--about what I feel, about what he thinks he may feel...but I always freeze up, and you know, maybe I'm freezing up for a reason. Maybe it's God's way of telling me that what I think is love isn't really love."

James thought for a moment about Jack's disjointed speech. There was something between Jack and Will, something that Jack was only implying, but he obviously didn't want to talk about it yet. "Maybe you just care so deeply that you're afraid once you tell Will that you love him, it's going to make you vulnerable to being hurt." He stood up and walked away; Jack stared after him, his eyes wide with obvious surprise.

Chapter Fifteen

The light of the fire flickered, loud drum beats pounded, and the entire camp partied in celebration of Jack's return. In the midst of the party was Will Turner, who was shoving his way through a mass of people in an attempt to get to the table laden with food and drink. Once he'd managed to stumble out of the throng and reach the table, he glanced around, relieved that the crowd was lighter here. He spotted Jack's mother, Adsila, standing beside the table, dispensing food and drinks to partiers and taking the occasional sip from her own mug.

"I need a drink!" he called over the music.

Adsila smiled and handed him a mug before taking a sip. "If you're looking for Jack, he and Blackbird went out towards the west end of the camp. They've been out there for a while."

Will nodded and smiled. "Okay, thanks. I think I'll go find them."

***

Jack tossed a rock into the grass, feeling a bit more at peace outside the camp, where the music wasn't giving him a migraine. He raised the pipe in his hands to his lips and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he exhaled, and then leaned his head back against the tree trunk he sat against.

Letting out a frustrated groan, he gently knocked his head against the tree a few times and passed the pipe to the man beside him. "Am I insane, Blackbird?"

After taking a few puffs, Blackbird looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Jack?"

"I've never let anyone get to me this much, so why am I doing it now?"

Blackbird raised his eyebrows, then shook his head. "You're hopeless, Jack. Absolutely hopeless."

***

Will let out a sad sigh and glanced around. There were so many people here, he could barely find anyone he recognized. He'd been unable to find either Blackbird or Jack; he'd run into James momentarily, who'd confirmed that he hadn't seen either of them for a while. Wandering back towards the food and drinks, he was relieved to see that the area was amazingly vacant, except for Jack, who was standing with his back to Will by a table. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked over to him. "God, you smell like smoke, Jack."

"Well, thank you. I appreciate the kind words," Jack replied sarcastically, slicing a lemon.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to drink some tequila. Care to join me?" Turning to look at Will, Jack flashed a grin.

"Sure. Why not? I've never had it before."

Jack dumped the cut-up lemon wedges into a bowl and grabbed the bowl of salt, likely provided by one of the white settlers. He watched as Will reached out to grab the unmarked bottle of tequila and immediately reached over and caught the younger man's wrist. "Wait a minute. Let's make this interesting."

Raising an eyebrow, Will began to slowly grin, looking amused and intrigued at the same time. "Do tell..."

"Whoever can down the most without getting sick wins. The other person is declared the loser."

"And what does the winner get?"

"Hmm...the winner...can ask the loser to do whatever he wants him to do. Fair enough?"

Will bit his lower lip, looking slightly excited over the prospect. "Fair enough. Consider yourself about to lose."

"That's what you think." Matching Will's grin, Jack raised his wrist up to his mouth and ran his tongue over it. Grabbing a pinch of salt from the bowl, he sprinkled it onto his wrist, licked the salt, grabbed the bottle of tequila, downed a large gulp, then grabbed a lemon wedge, sucking as hard as he could to sweeten the taste a little. "Oh, your turn," he squeaked out around the bitter taste of the lemon and the alcohol.

Will giggled at the twisted-up expression on Jack's face, then repeated the procedure Jack'd initiated, his own face scrunching up. "Whoa, that's some strong stuff right there," he said hoarsely around the burning sensation in his throat.

"Can't handle it?" Jack managed a grin. "Ready to lose already?"

"Hell no. I was just getting started."

"We've got ALL night."

After about seven or eight rounds, both were feeling incredibly swell and had begun to put aside all reservations of decorum and conservatism they'd had, laughing and giggling uncontrollably. Instead of licking his own wrist during the newest round, Jack leaned over, brushed Wil's hair back, and licked his neck. "Oh, baby," Will said, giggling as he shivered.

Jack sprinkled some salt on the damp spot he'd left, then pressed his tongue against the salt, ignoring the alcohol completely and beginning to softly suck on Will's neck. Will moaned slightly, and Jack reached over and wrapped his arm around Will's waist, pulling him closer so he could continue nuzzling on his neck. The warmth of Will's skin, combined with the warmth flowing through Jack's body, was turning Jack on.

Will reached up and ran his fingers through Jack's hair, leaning his head against Jack's and letting out a soft sigh. "Let's get out of here," he suggested.

Well, Jack sure didn't need to be asked twice. In spite of the fact that neither one could walk very steadily, they began moving in the direction of Jack's hut.

Jack gently nudged the door to his hut open, his fingers entwined with Will's as he led him inside. Darkness engulfed them both at first before Jack let go of Will's hand and made his way over to the small table to light the kerosene lamp sitting on it. Letting out a deep breath, he finally turned back around to face Will, a glazed expression on his face and his body slightly numb. He rolled his neck a little before slowly advancing towards him, nearly stumbling over the corner of the wooden bed along the way. Looking up, his eyes connected with Will's, and they both burst out laughing.

"So..." Will eventually spoke, his eyes drooping slightly but never leaving Jack's.

"So..."

"Who won the bet?"

"I think we both won." Jack laughed softly.

"Well, you can go ahead and ask me anything. What do you want me to do?" Will pondered aloud, tilting his head to study Jack thoughtfully.

Jack bit his lower lip, once again attempting to move towards Will, this time making sure no random bed corners made their way into his path. Sliding his tongue over his lips, he knew what he wanted. He'd wanted it for so long, ever since the night before they'd rescued James from the hands of Commodore Norrington; his body had been aching for it...

"Well?" asked Will once more, looking a bit anxious.

Parting his lips just enough to softly whisper the words, Jack merely breathed, "Touch me."

Apparently, Will, too, was so drunk that he didn't even bother to look surprised but merely allowed a slow grin to spread across his face. "I thought you'd never ask."

Raising an eyebrow in an aroused manner, Jack slowly exhaled, feeling the hot scent of alcohol on his breath. He watched, almost in slow motion, as Will reached out and placed a hand on his chest, that hand inching its way down to his stomach and eventually to the top of his pants.

Once Will'd managed to completely unfasten his pants, he slowly slid his hand inside, and Jack felt his breathing begin to speed up once Will came in contact with his bare skin. Jolts of electricity began pulsing through his body as Will rhythmically started to work his hand up and down at a steady, even pace. Closing his eyes, Jack leaned his head against Will's shoulder, letting out a few deep gasps and feeling the beads of perspiration begin to develop on his forehead and the back of his neck. He softly moaned and started to wonder exactly how many times Will had done this; he was so good at it, for he'd managed to get Jack close within a matter of minutes, but then he backed off at exactly the point Jack could feel a tingling rush begin to rise within him.

"What did you do that for?" he groaned, looking up to meet Will's eyes.

"What, you think I'm finished with you?" Gently pushing him, Will watched as Jack fell onto his back in the middle of the bed, then climbed on top of him.

Once Will'd managed to pin him onto the bed, his hands began roaming everywhere, underneath his shirt, over his chest, through his hair...Before he knew it, Will had removed his shirt and tossed it onto the floor on the other side of the bed. As Will's lips brushed over his chest, Jack leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling as he felt his pants being tugged down and Will's lips moving over his stomach. Just as Will's mouth was heading into an area that definitely needed relief, Jack panicked a bit and reached down to pull him back up, face-to-face. "Fuck me," he ordered, feeling that wild, animalistic portion of himself rising to the surface.

"I can do more than just fuck you," Will murmured breathlessly, finally covering Jack's mouth with his own, the intensity of the kiss sending Jack's mind whirling. Jack's fingers began fumbling with the buttons on Will's shirt as his lips continued urgently pressing against his. The loud, throbbing sound of drums echoed throughout the hut from the celebration outside.

Once he had Will's shirt completely unfastened, he nearly tore it off, the heat of Will's skin raising goosebumps on his bare arms, even though he was already sweating. They both leaned up a bit to remove more clothing, their lips still involved with each other, and Jack's eyelids fluttered a little after Will had managed to completely derobe him.

Pulling back for a moment, Jack gasped in a few deep breaths while staring into Will's eyes. Melodies pounded through his head, in tandem with the music from outside, making him particularly dizzy and more out-of-focus than usual; but it only seemed to heighten his experience, the lightheadedness giving him a rush that he'd never experienced before. Licking his lips, he ran them over the tip of Will's chin and down to his neck as he began working on removing Will's trousers.

He felt his movements flowing smoothly in tempt to the music, making everything seem almost hypnotic, a strange dream-like state washing over him. He knew that it was because he'd drunk so much, and right now he could barely tell which direction was up and which was down. All he knew was that he wanted sex, he wanted it more than anything else he could possibly think of, and he wanted it with Will--now.

Taking in a deep breath, he felt Will shiver once he exhaled into the depths of Will's neck, and he extended his tongue to run it along Will's skin back up to his ear. Once Will's trousers were removed, Jack's gaze roamed over his body, and then his mouth found its way back to Will's.

Mystical feelings of awareness exploded through him once he was completely naked, lying on the bed with Will. They'd somehow wrapped themselves up together in the sheets of the bed, their arms and legs intertwined, before everything turned colorful and enigmatic.

Everything suddenly grew incredibly hot and sticky that he felt himself take in a deep gasp, the air closing in on them and the light in the room almost dancing in circles about them. He could feel the high from when he'd smoked the pipe about a half-hour ago turning into something he'd never felt before. It was making the earth quite literally almost begin to shake.

The rhythm seemed perfect, almost too perfect, following that of the beat of the drums, the pounding matching the beating of his heart. He bit down on his lip to keep from crying out in pure, total ecstacy. It was incredible, the way his body felt as if it had been entirely immersed in thick, hot liquid, the pressure making him ache yet giving him an uncontrollably exhilaration at the same time. Opening his mouth slightly, he let out a hoarse, "Fuck," before leaning his head back, his eyes closed and sweat running down the sides of his face. Lowering his face to Will's neck again, he felt himself picking up a steadier rhythm. Will's fingers worked their way to his back, his nails digging into Jack's skin as Will let out an aggressive growl, and Jack could have sworn he could smell the scent of sex on Will's breath.

God, he needed air. He could feel the energy building up inside him so quickly that he just needed to explode; he needed to let everything out and feel that soaring rush through his veins. The walls began shifting around him; the music was pounding so loudly, he could almost feel it vibrating inside his chest; his head was spinning out of control; and apparently, an ecstacy greater than anything he'd ever felt previous to this was about to erupt throughout his entire body. He squeezed his eyes shut as he bit down on his lip again, every single thought and feeling completely out of control. And then it happened.

His body began to shake violently, the earthquake splitting up all the cells and the mindless ponderings in his head into little pieces.

The two of them breathed in deeply afterwards, their foreheads pressed together, trying to regain a decent amount of composure. Finally, Will opened his mouth to speak.

"I'd say the earth moved, wouldn't you?"

"That's an understatement," Jack murmured, still out of breath. Allowing himself to relax a little bit, he took in a slow, deep breath and exhaled. "When you fuck someone, you really fuck someone."

"I'm a mass of neverending energy," was Will's remark. He finally looked up to meet Jack's stare. "You ready to go again?"

Jack's eyelids drooped a bit, his head still feeling fuzzy, and the bed still felt like it was shaking for some reason. But he felt his lips curve into a smile, and he raised an eyebrow provocatively. "Oh, yes, definitely."

Running his tongue over his lips, Will kissed him again, the two of them getting lost once more in the sensation of pure, drunken, sexual bliss.

***

Outside, Blackbird found himself heading towards the bathroom when he heard some noises coming from the cracked door to Jack's hut. Frowning slightly, he slowly walked over to to door, unsure of whether to look in to see what was going on or to just mind his own business. As he had just decided to not involve himself in anything that was of no concern to him, he heard it: that very soft, muffled, "Jack," that came from the room. The name wasn't really what had captured his attention, but he could have sworn that was a definite male voice, and not only a male voice but one that sounded distinctly like Will's. His eyebrows furrowed together thoughtfully as his curiosity got the better of him, and he walked back over to the door, slowly and cautiously pushing it open just enough so he could peek into the room. What he saw before him sent his blood cold, and a sick, nauseous feeling began to develop in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head, disgusted, as he turned away from the sight before him. He leaned back against the wall of the hut, wishing with all his might that he'd just been hallucinating and hadn't seen what he'd really seen. But the sounds coming from inside were definitely real, and he cringed. They were going to pay for this. BOTH of them.

Native Warrior (16/?)

Chapter Sixteen

Sunlight streamed in through the window of Jack's hut the next morning, and a half-asleep Jack eventually began to feel his eyelids attemping to open. His face was shoved into the straw mattress beneath him, and he could feel his waist and his legs twisted up among the sheets. Swallowing, he cringed in disgust at the awful taste in his mouth. Finally opening his eyes, he squinted against the harsh, jabbing pain that shot through his head.

"Ugh," he grunted, raising a hand to clutch his head. Everything was blurry, and his head pounded mercilessly. He could taste alcohol on his breath, which was making him nauseous, and his entire body ached. Letting out another groan, he began to shift in the bed, turning his head to the other side in hopes of getting some of the kinks out of his neck. Once he was able to focus, his gaze came in contact with a mass of dark-brown curls. His eyebrows furrowed together as confusion washed over him, and he slowly rose to his elbows so he could stare down at the person next to him.

As the man let out a breath and rolled over to face him, Jack's eyes began to widen, despite the throbbing pain in his head. He stared at Will for a moment, trying to decipher why he was lying next to him in bed. Then he glanced down at himself, suddenly realizing he wasn't wearing a shirt. For that matter...

Quickly lifting the sheet, he let out a gasp, then quickly covered himself again. So he wasn't just lying in bed with Will; he was also naked.

Deciding to take a chance, he gently lifted the sheet a little more to see what Will was wearing, then clamped his hand over his mouth once he realized that Will wasn't wearing anymore than he was.

"Oh, shit!" he blurted out, then winced and clutched his head as he rolled back over onto his side and looked down on the floor to find his pants. Once he grabbed them, he furiously pulled them on, fumbling around the floor for the rest of his clothes.

At that moment, Will appeared to shift a bit in the bed, and Jack stared at him, wide-eyed, as Will's eyes began to open. Will stared up at the ceiling for a moment, raising a hand to his forehead and swallowing, apparently unaware that Jack was even in the room with him. Finally, Jack softly cleared his throat, watching as Will jumped slightly and glanced over at him. "What the hell are you doing in here?" Will demanded, pulling the sheet up to make sure he was completely covered.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Tearing his eyes away from Jack's, Will stared off into space thoughtfully for a few moments. "God, my head hurts," he muttered. "How...how drunk was I last night?"

"About as drunk as I was, I think."

"I'm starting to remember a little bit," Will confesed, remorse working its way onto his face. "I, uh, did we...?" Pausing for a moment, his eyes began to widen as realization dawned on him. "We did."

"Yes, we did." Jack gulped, eagerly pulling his shirt on.

"Maybe it's a good thing that I don't remember much. This...this shouldn't have happened."

"No, it shouldn't have." Now that he was sober, Jack could feel a heavy ache in his chest. He'd sworn to himself that he'd never touch Will in this way again, despite the obvious love for the man growing in his chest. How the hell would he ever be able to forgive himself for this?

"Well...maybe we can just...not let anyone know that this happened," Will suggested, quickly leaning over to grab his own clothing.

"It's no one else's business. What no one knows can't hurt them, right?" Jack's eyes were wide, almost as if he was hoping that Will would agree. "I mean, it was just one time, and it was a mistake."

"More like three times, Jack."

Letting out a gasp, he began breathing heavily. "Oh God." Three times. They'd done it three times.

The nausea in his stomach only continued to grow, and he knew that he was going to be sick very, very soon. Glancing towards Will once more, Jack spun on his heel and raced outside, shoving the door shut behind him so he could be sick in private.

***

The door to the healers' hut flew open to reveal Tooantuh, whose eyes widened upon seeing Blackbird on the other side of it. "I didn't expect you...are you...well?" He frowned, because the look on Blackbird's face was one of disbelief and confusion.

"I am going to KILL them, Father!" Blackbird spat out, breezing past the healer once he'd backed up a little for him to enter the hut.

"Kill who? Why? What's going on?"

Blackbird suddenly lowered his voice, noticed Dioz sitting on a chair, and said, "Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Uh...yes," Tooantuh said slowly, never taking his eyes off Blackbird's. Motioning for him to follow, the healer slipped out the door and led Blackbird into the outer edges of the woods nearby. Then he turned to stare at his son, wide-eyed. "What happened?"

Blackbird paused to swallow, then rubbed his tired eyes with his hands. "I walked in on them," he suddenly blurted out, feeling disgust building inside him once more. "They were going at it like there was going to be no tomorrow. I hate them, Father. I hate them SO much for doing this. I've always hated him, but now it's just a million times worse than it ever was before. I cannot BELIEVE he would do this..."

"You're talking about...Jack?" Tooantuh guessed, trying to read Blackbird's expression.

Letting out a deep breath, Blackbird could feel his cheeks growing hot. "He and Will...they were...just like that, no regards whatsoever. Nothing. How could they do this? How could Jack do this, knowing what he knows? I don't get it." His shoulders slumped miserably. "And Jack...if I had been anywhere near him to see him wake up this morning, I swear I would have strangled him with my bare hands."

Tooantuh stared at him a bit sympathetically as Blackbird walked over to a fallen tree and sat down. The healer sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you saw what you thought you saw? I mean, you weren't mistaken in any way?"

Snorting, Blackbird shook his head. "No way. I know what I saw, and it was kind of hard to misinterpret it. I'm going to kill Jack; I'm going to rip him to shreds for what he's done, you know that?"

"Blackbird, you can't interfere in this. You can't tell anyone that you know this."

"What?" Blackbird turned to stare at his father in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

Tooantuh leaned in a little closer, his eyes wide and serious as he placed a hand on Blackbird's arm. "You can't get in the middle of this. You can't instigate things, or it will just blow up in your face, Blackbird. Listen to me. Are you listening?"

He turned to stare at him and nodded, his eyes attentive. "I'm listening."

"Good. Now you've got to just pretend you never saw what you saw last night and let nature take its course. If you try to interfere, I can guarantee you that things will get messy and ugly."

"How can I pretend I never saw it? That's like telling me to walk past a bear killing a child and not to do anything to help. It's just not something I can do willingly. Lying NEVER makes things better; it just makes things worse." His voice cracked, hinting at his emotional torment over this dilemma.

"Not this time. Not this time. Please, just listen to me," Tooantuh softly pleaded, his eyes filling up. "This time I'm thinking of the good of everyone involved. Nothing good can come of you telling something that's not yours to tell." He raised a hand and gently caressed the back of Blackbird's head, trying to comfort him.

As he stared off into space, Blackbird thought about what his father had said. He could understand what Tooantuh meant, and he supposed it really wasn't his place to reveal any of the information he knew, but God, it was going to be hard to face Jack without wanting to punch him. This was already making him sick inside; he could only imagine what it was going to be like to face Jack knowing this. Glancing over at Tooantuh, he attempted a weak smile, then leaned over and wrapped his arms around him, grateful that he had his father to talk to about all this. "Thank you," he whispered into Tooantuh's ear as he tightened his embrace.

"I'm just looking out for you, son," Tooantuh softly responded.

***

Jack took in a deep breath as he opened the door to his mother's hut, reeking of alcohol, smoke, and whatever else he'd engaged himself in the previous night. The sick feeling was swimming around in his stomach, and all he wanted was to take a bath, try to wash away all the filth he felt clinging to his body.

To his horror, James was sitting at the kitchen table, staring off into space over a mug of something. "Hi, how was your night last night?"

"Uh..." Jack finally looked over to meet James' eyes. Biting his lower lip, he tore his eyes away and gulped. "It was good. Fun. I'm really tired, though. I think I'm going to go take a bath before anyone else takes over the lake."

"Are you...all right?" The boy's eyes studied Jack's thoughtfully, his head tilted slightly, and for a moment, Jack almost wondered if he knew...but then the look was gone, and Jack let out a deep breath again.

"I'm just...really tired, James."

"All right, Jack."

Jack tried smiling again, but this time it was incredibly pained. He barely even made it out of the hut before his eyes filled up.

At the lake, he looked down at his reflection in the water and hated what he saw there. Betrayal. Confusion. Disgust. Shame, most of all. He was ashamed of himself; he felt guilty and even somewhat violated, even though he'd been a perfectly willing participant in the "deed" himself. Nearly tearing off his clothes, he dove into the lake, allowing the water to engulf him. If he could just stay here, under the water, for the rest of his life, the cool liquid covering his body and him not having to face the rest of the world, he would have gladly done so.

***

Later that afternoon, Jack found himself walking across the camp, vainly attempting to dry his hair, when he saw Blackbird sitting on a chair near the center of the camp, staring off into space. Jack tilted his head slightly and took in a nervous breath. taking a few more steps, Jack watched as Blackbird looked over at him, glared for a brief moment, then turned back to his thinking.

"You feel like telling me what you think it is you know?" Jack blurted out, not really in the mood to beat around the bush.

"Not really," Blackbird said nonchalantly, his gaze still enraptured in the trees and sky around them.

"Don't you think it's better to just get it out in the open than to let it sit inside?"

Blackbird snorted softly, still refusing to meet Jack's eyes. "Like you're the one to talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack frowned.

Finally raising his eyes to meet Jack's, the younger of the two let out a soft, mocking breath. "You should be used to it by now. Letting things build up to the point where you explode. Keeping things out of the open because you feel it's better to not talk about them. Don't be such a hypocrite and condemn me for doing something you do yourself."

"You realy know how to piss me off sometimes. Why don't you just tell me what you THINK you know?"

"I don't think I know, Jack. I know." The way he said it sent shivers down Jack's spine.

"How?" he whispered, his voice coming out hoarse.

The look of disgust on Blackbird's face was insurmountable. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Jack refused to break eye contact, but he did flinch for a moment as he tried to not let Blackbird see how heavily he was breathing. "You're delusional. You have no clue what you're talking about, and you're just looking for trouble."

"Too afraid to admit the truth? Go ahead and deny it all you want, Jack, but the fact of the matter is we BOTH know that you're a no-good louse who deserves everything that's about to come to you."

"What the hell are you getting at?"

Blackbird stood. "I'm not going to let you do this and get away with it. Life doesn't work that way."

"You say one word, and I swear to God I'll never speak to you again."

"You just don't get it. Do you think I care anymore?" Blackbird's face was hard, and his eyes showed no compassion whatsoever.

"Look, Blackbird, even if you don't care if I ever speak to you again, at least think of who else you'd be affecting with this, all right? Don't DO this to them, don't rip their hearts out of their chests like that, don't--"

"What the HELL? You act like I'm the reason they'd be upset! You're the fucking idiot who refuses to tell them! Don't DARE act like this is my fault!"

"Damn it, lower your voice. The last thing we need is for anyone else to hear this discussion."

Shaking his head, Blackbird rolled his eyes, his own chest rising and falling rapidly, a sign that he was incredibly close to losing control. "You are the most self-absorbed person in the world, you know that? No matter what you've done, it always comes back to how this is going to affect YOU, how YOU are going to be hurt by this, how YOU--"

"Have you even bothered to listen to a DAMN word I've said? I've already told you that I don't want to hurt them. You already know that I feel like shit. What in God's name more do you want from me?!"

James came wandering into view then, looks of confusion on his face. "What's going on here?" he asked, mildly alarmed. "I could hear you shouting from Grandmother Adsila's hut. Is everything...all right?"

Jack's heavy eyes connected with James', and then he glanced at Blackbird again, silently begging him to not say anything. Blackbird pulled his eyes away from Jack's to gaze off into the distance.

James glanced back and forth between the two of them before speaking again. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Jack grumbled.

"It's not nothing," James said. "Something is seriously wrong. You both look really upset. Did something happen?"

"Just let it GO, James."

"But--"

"Please?" Jack pleaded. "It has nothing to do with you. Just let it rest and forget about it."

"Yeah, right," Blackbird muttered, snorting softly. Jack's eyes widened and connected with Blackbird's.

"Uncle Jack, I'm getting a really creepy feeling about this," James remarked, noticing the looks Jack and blackbird were giving each other.

"He has a right to know, Jack."

"Know what?" James asked.

"Blackbird..." Jack swallowed, his heart pounding faster and his palms growing sweaty.

"You don't deserve to get away with this, all right?"

"Shut up, Blackbird," warned Jack, his eyes widening.

"What is he talking about?" James tried to get either of them to talk directly to HIM, but instead, they seemed to be involved in this private dispute, talking about him as if he wasn't even there.

"No, I'm not going to shut up. I'm really sick and tired of you acting as if you have the right to play God with everyone's lives."

"Who the hell is playing God now?!"

"I'm merely the messenger. You're the one who fucked up, NOT me."

"Damn it--"

"And furthermore, James needs to know the TRUTH."

"The truth about what?" Now James' eyes were wide and his stomach sick from anticipation.

"Shut the hell UP, Blackbird."

At that moment, Tooantuh wandered into the clearing as well to witness the whole drama. He opened his mouth to speak but then quickly snapped it shut, appearing to realize that right now the last thing anyone needed was for him to participate in whatever was going on.

"Someone tell me what's going on, all right?" James pleaded. "This isn't funny anymore."

Jack shook his head, never removing his eyes from Blackbird's. His face was so hot, he felt faint, and his eyes began to fill up. Biting his lower lip, he turned his face away, feeling his heart shattering into a million pieces the moment he heard Blackbird speak the words.

"He's your father, James." The words hung in the air, alarmingly loud yet silent all at the same time.

Jack let out a soft, heart-broken sigh, raising his hand to his cheek to rub the back of his hand against his damp skin. Finally daring to look towards James, he didn't know what to say. His son was just standing there, looking as if he'd been kicked in the stomach and, at the same time, in complete shock. His eyes weren't focused on anything; he didn't move; he didn't make a sound. He just stared into space, almost as if he hadn't heard what had been said.

"Jack?" Tooantuh's voice came out questioning and uncertain.

Jack merely raised a hand to silence the healer, not even removing his eyes from James. Everything was so tense right now, the silence could be sliced with a sword. Blackbird looked remorseful for saying anything that might hurt James, James looked completely out of it, and Jack just waited for the downfall to begin. It had to happen, didn't it? The fall...

He couldn't stop watching James, waiting for a reaction, ANYTHING, just to let him know he hadn't gone out of his mind. But James remained standing in the same spot, his wide eyes glassy, not saying a word. Jack could tell that he was definitely upset, though, from the way his eyes were filling up.

"James, I--"

"This is true?" he whispered, finally raising his eyes to Jack's.

Jack could feel his stomach sinking, and the nausea only continued to grow. He could never lie to James, so all he could do was miserably tell him the truth. "Yes, it's...it's true."

At that, James took in a deep breath, then tore his eyes away from Jack's again as he slowly turned and wordlessly walked away. Jack, Blackbird, and Tooantuh stared after him, not sure what they should do to rectify the situation. Jack raised his hand to his mouth and covered it for a moment, feeling his hurried breath brushign against his fingers. He had to talk to James...He had to do something; he could just let things end like this. "I have to go talk to him," Jack blurted out, racing after the boy. Blackbird was about to go after him, but Tooantuh grabbed his arm.

"I told you to not interfere, Blackbird. Just let them go, all right?"

"But James doesn't need to talk to him right now. He's only going to make things worse. I've got to stop him."

"Haven't you done enough already?"

Blackbird glared at Tooantuh sharply. "Haven't I done enough? Why do you and Jack act like I'm at fault for this? He's the one who wouldn't tell James, and he's the one who fucked Will, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let both of you blame ME for this." With that, Blackbird began to head across the camp, Tooantuh following close behind, a curious look on his face.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to Will," he bluntly announced.

Tooantuh's eyes widened, and he grabbed his son's arm once more. "Are you INSANE? What the hell are you doing?"

"Look, telling James the truth was the first time in a long time I actually did the right thing, and Will deserves to know the truth, too."

"But, Blackbird--"

"I'll see you later," he muttered before pulling away and hurrying across the camp, leaving Tooantuh to watch after him and wonder what Jack's reaction to this might be.

Author's Notes: This is the long-awaited new chapter to "Native Warrior." I finally got around to it! Serious case of writer's block was plaguing me--the plot manipulated itself around so much that I had to wrench control back to me and fiddle a bit. But here's what I scratched out. Hope you enjoy!

This chapter was written while listening to "Slipped Away" by Avril Lavigne. Lyrics are at the end of the chapter, for those of you who haven't heard the song.

Previous chapters are available at http://www.charactersinbloom.com (under "Fics by Author" / "Jessie-chan")

Native Warrior

Chapter 17

Rocks and sand crunched under Jack's boots as he sprinted towards Will's hut, desperate to reach it before that bastard Blackbird did. He couldn't BELIEVE the nerve of the man--it wasn't his place to tell! He had no right to be meddling in his business!

Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a shout and a sharp noise from ahead of him. It was a noise he knew well.

The sound of a gunshot.

He skidded to a halt, his boots grinding in the dirt, leaving little trenches in the dirt behind him. Will's hut was just ahead of him; he could see it sitting squatly nearby. A fleeting, terrified thought flittered through his brain, but he shook it off; Will would never do something like that. He took a few cautious steps forward but stopped again as the door to Will's hut opened, and Will emerged, blinking in the sunlight.

"Jack? What was that?" he called.

Relieved that the gunshot hadn't come from Will's hut, he approached the younger man and replied, "I don't know. It sounded like it came from over there." He gestured just past Will's hut, towards the thick-set trees.

"You don't think..." Will didn't finish his thought; he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to say.

"I'll tell you what I think," Jack said, freeing his pistol from the sash around his waist. "I think that gunshot was a little too close for comfort."

"Perhaps it was just one of the settlers hunting," Will suggested; it wasn't the first time the inhabitants of the camp had heard gunshots echoing faintly from the woods.

"They don't come this close with guns," Jack told him. "I think they're afraid we'll attack them if they do. I don't know." He motioned to Will. "Come on. Get your sword. Let's go check it out."

Will turned and ducked inside his hut. He emerged seconds later, his sword in hand. Neatly sheathing it, he nodded towards Jack. "Let's go."

The two men began a slow walk towards the woods. Jack held his pistol loosely in his right hand, by his side so it wasn't visible; he didn't want to frighten any of the children playing nearby. They seemed unconcerned with the sound of the gunshot, and Jack felt the children should not be unduly alarmed. After all, Will could be right--it may just have been one of the white settlers that lived nearby, the ones who traded with them and who were allowed to hunt in the woods near the camp. But something in Jack's gut was telling him that it was something more than that. Much more.

Will suddenly grabbed Jack's forearm. "Jack, look," he breathed, pointing ahead of them.

Jack looked in the direction Will pointed. Then he rubbed his eyes. He had to be seeing things. He had to be.

Blackbird lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, blood pooling underneath him. His ax lay nearby, a few inches from his hand, as if it had fallen from his hand as he fell to the ground. Jack, uncaring of his own safety, ran forward and crouched next to the man, who lay, barely alive and breathing harshly.

"Blackbird?" Jack said softly, his dark eyes looking over his cousin's prone form.

"They're here," Blackbird managed to choke out. "They've found us."

"Who? Who's found us?" Will asked, joining the two. He remained standing, though, keeping his sharp eyes trained on their surroundings.

Blackbird didn't answer Will's question; his eyes continued staring unfocused at the sky. "Tell James I'm sorry. And that I love him," he said, quietly but desperately.

Jack nodded, biting his lower lip. "I'm sorry for fighting with you earlier," he said softly. "I didn't mean what I said. I swear I didn't."

"I know."

Jack grasped Blackbird's hand. "You were good to James. Thank you for that."

"You're a good man, Jack," Blackbird whispered. "Even if you think you're not."

Jack swallowed, his eyes widening. Even Will had gone silent, listening to the dying man's last words. Even though he barely knew Blackbird, Will still felt a heavy ache in his heart.

"Don't forget who you are. Don't forget what you are. You'll need to remember that."

"I won't forget," Jack promised. "I swear."

"The man who took James is here," Blackbird said as he went still. "Don't forget," he repeated needlessly as he finally died.

"The heart of a Cherokee," Jack whispered cryptically, reaching out and closing Blackbird's eyes. "The blood of a pirate." He remained still for a long moment, his head bowed in reverence and grief, before finally standing. He looked at Will, and Will almost gasped aloud at the hollow, empty look in Jack's eyes. "Will, Norrington's here. He's found the village. I need you to go to my mother. Tell her. She'll know what to do."

"What will she need to do?"

Jack shook the question off, looking seriously into Will's eyes. "Help her get the people out of here. I'll stay behind and do what I can."

"I'll stay with you," Will offered.

"No!" Jack said sharply. "You'll go with them. You'll keep an eye on James for me. All right?"

Reluctantly, Will agreed.

"And don't mention Blackbird. Not to my mother, and not to James. Not yet."

"I won't." Will turned to leave.

"Will?"

He turned back hopefully. "Yeah?"

Jack took him in a quick, tight embrace and kissed him firmly on the mouth. "If I'm not back to you in three days, then I'm not coming back," he murmured. Then he turned and walked resolutely into the trees.

Will watched him go, then when Jack was out of sight, he turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could towards Adsila's hut.

His mad sprint was interrupted when he almost ran into James. He would have continued past the teen if it wasn't for the look of absolute horror on his face.

"James?" Will asked.

The young man didn't answer, continuing to stare emptily ahead. Will followed his gaze, and his eyes landed on Blackbird's body.

"He's gone," James whispered. "Isn't he?" His wide, tear-filled eyes looked up at Will. Will didn't need to say a word. James's face scrunched up in anguish, and he fell to his knees, screaming out in grief and pain.

His scream roused Adsila from her nap in her hut, and she hurried out of her hut and towards Will and James as fast as her old legs could carry her. Before she reached them, shouts erupted in the trees, and Norrington's men burst from them, heading straight towards the innocent men, women, and children of Adsila's camp.

"Slipped Away" by Avril Lavigne
from her album Under My Skin

Na na
Na na na na na

I miss you
I miss you so bad
I don't forget you
Oh it's so sad

I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found
It won't be the same
Oh

Na na
Na na na na na

I didn't get around to kiss you
Goodbye on the hand
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can't, oh

I hope you can hear me
Cause I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found
It won't be the same
Oh

I've had my wake up
Won't you wake up
I keep asking why
I can't take it
It wasn't fake
It happened you passed by

Now you're gone
Now you're gone
There you go
There you go
Somewhere I can't bring you back
Now you're gone
Now you're gone
There you go
There you go
Somewhere you're not coming back

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found
It won't be the same
Oh

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found
It won't be the same
Oh

Na na
Na na na na na

I miss you

Native Warrior

Chapter 18

Will cursed to himself as he stumbled over something for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Adsila caught him by the arm and gave him the gentlest, most reassuring smile she could manage, given the circumstances. "All will be well," she murmured in his ear as he righted himself. Her calm demeanor allowed him to give her a small smile in return, but it was a smile that didn't reach his brown eyes.

He glanced behind him at the motley collection of mostly women and children following him and Adsila unwaveringly through the woods surrounding Adsila's former domain. They seemed confident, despite the presence of more than a few tears, and Will knew in his heart they'd make it through this. They were a strong people, and Adsila's presence alone seemed to be enough for them. These people trusted Adsila, and likely Will by extension of being a close friend of Adsila's son, and Will knew that trust was a difficult thing to earn. He would do his best to keep from damaging it. Trust was too precious to throw away needlessly.

Will's thoughts turned back to the past hour, and the near-panic that had nearly invaded their hearts. When Norrington's men stormed the camp, and when Adsila realized what was happening, she immediately began calling out to her people, her musical voice carrying effortlessly across the encampment's center. Those who didn't hear her were quick to gather the much-needed information: Adsila was ordering her people to disperse, to get under cover of the trees as fast as possible. Will and Adsila were the last out of the camp, as they'd stayed behind to make sure everyone got out safely before they, too, ran for the woods.

It was only after almost ten minutes of running and helping Adsila and the other women and children when necessary, that Will realized James wasn't with them. He'd tried to go back, but Adsila stopped him, suggesting that maybe he was with one of the other groups. Besides, Will was needed more here. They would know for sure when they reached their destination, some mysterious safe-haven Adsila mentioned vaguely, but for now, Will had to wait.

***

The woods had gone quiet as the two men faced each other; not a bird chirped, nor did the wind rustle the leaves. One man stood stiffly before the other, who was casually propped against a sword that had its blade jammed into the ground.

Jack Sparrow and James Norrington eyed each other with thinly veiled animosity.

Norrington was cursing the day the two pirates Morgan and Bartholimew came up with the idea of "parley." And he cursed the fact that Jack Sparrow had the gall to use that hated word. Who even came up with the idea of "parley," anyway?

Oh, yes. The French. Bloody eunuchs, the lot of them. Didn't have the balls to face a man in a fight with a sword. Literally.

"Commodore, I don't believe we have all day," Jack said, casually taking off his tri-cornered hat and hanging it over his sword's hilt.

"Why parley, Mr. Sparrow?" Norrington asked, his eyes focused on every movement Jack made. He wouldn't put it past Jack to try something sneaky.

"It's CAPTAIN Sparrow," Jack shot back, feeling his hackles rise slightly in annoyance. "And to be honest, I'm just stalling for time."

"Time for what?"

"Time for the innocent people of the village your men so rudely invaded to move out." Jack gave Norrington a smug smile.

"And Will Turner?" Norrington asked. "Where is he?"

Jack shrugged. "No idea." It WAS, after all, true; try as he might, Jack wouldn't be able to give Norrington Will's location.

"And Miss Swann?"

"Presumably off somewhere pining for William," Jack replied. 'Well, she COULD be,' Jack thought with a mental chuckle.

Norrington's nostrils flared slightly as he fought to keep control of his temper. "Clap him in irons and take him to the Dauntless," he said to the nearest soldier.

Jack gaped. "You can't do that! I'm under protection of parley!"

Norrington gave the pirate a cold look. "The concept of parley was thought of by two pirates. It is part of the Pirates' Code, and for the Code to apply, you must be a pirate. And I am not a pirate." He repeated his order, then turned and began walking through the trees towards the beach and his ship.

***

Gillette looked around the silent Cherokee village; he was admittably surprised that the roughly one hundred people had managed to leave the camp so quickly.

As his men searched each of the huts in turn, the lieutenant made his way towards the woods on the other side of the village. He caught side of two bodies lying motionless not too far from the edge of the woods. One looked to be in his mid-twenties; the other one was on his stomach, making it impossible to tell his age. The pool of blood underneath them told the story, though.

Gillette was a little confused. As far as he had understood, no one had been killed. Perhaps his information had been inaccurate.

Perhaps someone had lied to him.

He approached the bodies cautiously, his eyes surveying the surrounding area, wary of traps. Then he knelt beside them and rolled the other one gently over. Astonished, he couldn't help but gasp.

This one was an adolescent, barely out of childhood, it seemed. Furthermore, Gillette recognized him as Jack Sparrow's son. He was absolutely sure of it. He remembered his initial reaction when he'd first seen this young boy in the woods, defiantly glaring at Norrington, despite the danger the boy must have known he was in. Gillette hadn't attended the hanging; he'd made it known to Norrington how wrong he thought it was, and the Commodore had allowed him to remain in his office, away from the awful spectacle. He'd spent the entire hour pacing across the thick carpeting and praying to a God he hoped and believed to exist. And he'd had to admit to himself that he'd felt a profound sense of relief when he'd sorted through Norrington's ravings and realized that the boy had escaped death. Nothing short of a miracle could cause that to happen, and that event had caused Gillette's faith in a higher being to strengthen once more.

Gillette reached out and gently pressed a hand against the Sparrow boy's chest. The boy's eyes were closed, his dark hair scattered messily across the ground beneath him. His dark skin was sallow, and faint breaths issued from his mouth. Gillette's hand rose and fell slightly.

The lieutenant's eyes widened. James Sparrow was still alive.

***

Elizabeth had been in histronics for the past two hours, and Gibbs and Anamaria were in fits themselves, but not for the same reason as the governor's daughter. Ever since the arrival of the Dauntless and Anamaria's orders for the Black Pearl to flee, Elizabeth had been demanding that Anamaria turn this ship right back around and go back for Will.

As the blond woman stomped around on deck, Anamaria smirked to herself. She wondered if Elizabeth knew that even if they went back for Will, he wouldn't leave unless Jack came with them. And Jack would never just leave the camp unless there was a perfectly good reason to.

But the dark-skinned woman couldn't help wondering if there was a particular reason the Dauntless and Norrington had come to that particular stretch of beach. She suspected that there was a rat somewhere, and that that particular rat could have told Norrington and his men the location of Jack Sparrow, his son, and his mother. Jack's people, she knew, weren't completely defenseless, and she was sure they would have a plan in case of attack, but Anamaria found herself worrying for them just the same.

She shook her head to herself as she adjusted her grip on the wheel. Jack was with them, and if she knew Jack, she knew that he'd protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He was like that.

Anamaria forced herself to turn her attention back to where it belonged: on the open seas before the Black Pearl. She would have to worry about her friends later.

TBC Send Feedback

Home