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Once In A Blue Moon, Part 1Bon Voyageby
Pairing: J/W
Rating: NC-17 for adult themes, language and m/m sexual content (that would be slash and smutty thoughts, as well as rampantly gay lovin' fluff 'n' stuff). Disclaimer: I wonder what The Mouse Inc. would say, considering they are among one of the corporations to award gay-couple employees with domestic partner benefits. Archive: Yes. Help yourself. Just make sure you include all chapters. (They're mates, you see.) Originally Posted: 8/17/03 Revised: with polish and corrections, fluffing and dusting, again thanks to the lovely Kanzeyori. :) All remaining errors and awkward glitches are mine. Much gratitude to you, lovey!! Beta: Moonsalt (Mwah! You still be a treasure, darlin'! That ye arrrrr-re!) and Permetaform, who helped to iron some difficult passages and make this thing worth reading after all. ;) Note: Matelotage - French for Seamanship. Also the unique name applied to the bond between two 'sailors' (pirates) in the Caribbean; they shared everything, including wives, assets, plunder, and bed. Probably the closest thing to recognized gay marriage the historical world has seen beyond the Theban Band - brothers/lovers in arms. Lucky for us slashbucklers, it's an absolute fact and historical precedent. ;) Additional Note: I've decided, in spite of my Norrington obsession, that I love Will, and that Will loves Jack. It's so sweet to vicariously love Jack through Will, so most of this is told from Will's POV. For those who wanted more of Jack's rambling mental train of thought, I'm sorry. Not. MUAHAHA! Will caught up with Jack Sparrow as the pirate and his straggling, hung-over companions wove their way down to where their longboat was secured. "Jack," he called, quickly striding along the pier with his satchel. "Jack Sparrow." Jack turned and did a double take as Will joined them. "Well, well. Young William Turner. Haven't we been here before?" Will glanced about them, at the surrounding tableau where he and Jack had departed Tortuga before, on the Interceptor, after sizing up their first crew. "Indeed, this very spot." "Still got the hat. Good." Jack grinned at him. "Thought maybe you'd given it up for the hammer and tongs. Thought you'd be getting wedded and bedded by now. What, did the old man change 'is mind about your suitability, then?" Will stifled a smile. "Elizabeth is fine, as is her father. We're engaged. We're to be married next year, come February. Governor Swann agreed we needed time to settle things properly. Arrangements to be made, and all. Listen, you're leaving; may I join you?" Jack considered him, looking him up and down. "For as long as it takes to reach the Pearl." Will realized Jack was in a hurry to be on his way. Damn the man's penchant for rum. If he'd been sober the previous night in the tavern, Will would have approached him then. But Jack had been sloshed. Completely. And he'd not had an opportunity to approach any sooner. He hadn't known that Jack would be sailing out so soon. He'd only just caught up with them in time. And the hell of it was, he had been waiting around in Tortuga for weeks, after learning that the Black Pearl might indeed be stopping there to pick up more crew and supplies. He sighed to himself as he sat down in the longboat with the others. Jack was sitting opposite him. A hand on his knee made him look up in surprise as Jack leaned forward. He'd not forgotten Jack's tendency to lean into people's personal space, but he still wasn't quite prepared for it. Something about the gesture seemed too intimate, despite the close quarters of the longboat, and Will stifled a flinch as he simultaneously tried to sort out the idea that it didn't bother him enough, that in fact Jack's seemingly friendly move took his welcome for granted. "So was it that you were a eunuch after all, then?" Jack's grin also took too much for granted. Will wanted to wipe it off his face. But he was hardly on safe ground, his previous association with Jack Sparrow notwithstanding. He couldn't afford to rise to Jack's inane jibes. He swallowed and drew himself up. "I'm man enough," Will said earnestly. "But apparently not pirate enough, according to Elizabeth. I failed to meet her standards as a seaman, a brigand and a scoundrel." Will gave Jack a dry, self-mocking smile. "She said she wouldn't marry a man who'd never sailed beyond the Spanish Main and had no knowledge of the world." "So the lady was expecting a pirate and instead found her blacksmith not quite impulsive enough for her liking. And you've come to me for lessons," Jack surmised, shrewdly. "In a word, yes." Will wasn't sure how well this would go down. After all, Jack Sparrow had hardly been impressed with either his seamanship or his attitude during their venture to regain Elizabeth. And Jack's ship. "Piracy isn't taught by pirates, lad, but life." "Life aboard the Black Pearl, Captain," Will carefully agreed, with a nod. "Living aboard your ship, and under your command, among pirates." Jack's eyes narrowed. "Well-said, but it's hardly enough to endear you to me crew. They won't take kindly to a lovelorn land-lover who's not yet proven his worth." Jack wasn't playing and Will realized his interview had begun in earnest. "So give me the chance to prove my worth, Captain. You'll not regret it." Will had started out addressing Jack formally to make a point, but now he suddenly found he had to rethink his approach. If he failed to meet Jack's estimation of a worthy crewman now, his chances of being accepted by the rest of the crew were nil. Yet, Jack was probably the one man aboard who would be willing to accept him at all, even if just for sentimental reasons, with him being Bootstrap Bill's son. Jack had turned away and was regarding the ship with a serious gaze as they approached the Black Pearl. "I won't let you down," Will promised in a low voice, acutely aware of the other men sitting in the boat with them. "We stood together before. And you know my sword-arm is good. Give me just one chance, Jack. Please." Jack's dark eyes were a little too deep, unfathomable and holding some strange consideration Will couldn't begin to wonder at, as he held Will's gaze. He said nothing, however, and Will began to grow uncomfortable, wondering if Jack considered him not worth the trouble, or the risk. Instead, a knowing smiled crept onto Jack's face as he continued to regard Will. Will bit his lip, wondering if he was the one actually taking something for granted, such as their friendship. Finally Will looked away, willing to wait for the answer. Of course, Jack seemed to take that as his cue. "We'll see, won't we?" Will glanced back at him sharply, as it returned to him that he was, after all, among pirates. The sun was bright on the water as the longboat neared the Black Pearl. Will was unaccountably struck by how glad he was to see her again. He felt it as an uplifting swell inside that nearly made him giddy. An almost inaudible chuckle reached his ears. He glanced over at Jack who was watching him. "Good Turner blood," Jack commented quietly. And then they were preparing to board, they were climbing upwards, with Jack going first, and the other men after him. Will had no chance to reply or ask further. Once on board the Pearl, Jack departed with the others and Will was left standing alone on the deck, wondering if he'd be made to swim back to shore. He stood aimlessly on the deck for a while, shifting his heavy satchel from one arm to the other, watching as every crewmember aboard seemed preoccupied with busily preparing to make way, ignoring him. Soon though, he caught sight of Jack returning to him, and he found himself tensing expectantly as Jack came to stand beside Will where he still waited. "All right, William Turner," Jack replied, a hint of meaning in the way he spoke the name. "I've had a word with some of the others, and you'll receive an equal share of all takings. We have decided to make for Madagascar. It's very possible we'll see action along the way. You're willing to place your sword with ours?" "I am," Will said. "Good. Can't promise that we'll be back in the vicinity of Port Royal come February, but we'll try. Got unfinished business there, as it is." Will considered him, bewildered. "Unfinished business?" Jack nodded. "Managed to take most of the treasure from Isla de Muerta to another location, but it's still painfully vulnerable. Can't have some other light-fingered bastard helping himself to my stash, now can I? And Will," Jack added, leaning close to him. "Best you stay close to Gibbs and the others as remember you, as they knows you right enough, from before. Some of my crew are new faces and they don't look kindly on the British—could be trouble, what with you being a Port Royal citizen." Will glanced about them, regarding some of the men who were preparing the sails to make way. "You mean—" Jack nodded. "Marooners. Ex-slaves, Cimarrons seeking better than the pressgang had to offer. Good men. Good fighters, pirates all. But motivated by more than a desire to line their pockets, if you take my meaning." Will took a breath. "Very well. I'll watch my step." "Will, son, you're going about this all the wrong way," Jack said, putting an arm around his shoulders and giving him a friendly shake. "When I tell you there's something to fear, you're supposed to tell me to take the long swim. If I tell you there's men aboard who'd gut you for loose change, you're supposed to laugh and say something," Jack waved his other hand about loosely. "...Foolish. Like, 'let them try, do or die'. I've seen you with a blade, boy. You can hold your own. Or you could do what I do. Smile." Jack beamed at him. His face fell. "On second thought, don't. Leave 'at one to me. You start smiling at 'em, they're likely to think you're looking to get hitched." Will sucked in a breath and said, "You want me to lie. Put on a brave face." "No," Jack said, impatient with his decency. "I want you to bluff. There's a difference." "A lie is a lie, however it's told," Will commented. "You'd make an excellent Quartermaster, young William. But you're still young, young William, for all that, and Gibbs is me Quartermaster now that Anamaria's left. Which just leaves the position of First Mate, and I'm not sure you qualify as me First Mate, do you now? So, what can you do?" "I can fight, and I can win. No quarter," Will said, sincerely. Jack grimaced. "Best not be saying that until you've seen your first battle at sea. Quarter is sometimes dearly precious." "I've already experienced my first battle at sea," Will reminded him. "Aboard a stol—" Will caught himself. "A commandeered ship, with a pirate crew that I sailed with out of Tortuga, with you." He met Jack's eye. "That battle... You were in the brig, apparently, at the time." He meant it as a reminder that Jack hadn't actually taken part much in that battle...and it was aboard his own ship. But then Jack's next words took him by surprise. Jack nodded. "So I was, no thanks to you." Will stopped, dead. "What?" Jack turned, looking out to sea. "You were willing enough to leave me to Barbossa's kindness when it suited you." Will was paralyzed with the realization that he had, indeed, deserted Jack in his desperation to see Elizabeth removed from Barbossa and his crew. His own glib reply came back to haunt him, when Gibbs had asked after Jack's whereabouts on their return to the Interceptor: "He fell behind." The well-placed strike of an oar had ensured Jack wouldn't be able to use Will as his 'leverage', yet now he realized that Jack would have done anything to get back the Pearl from Barbossa, same as his own desire to regain Elizabeth—and had even seen to it that Elizabeth had been safe... where it was most convenient for his own plans of course, but then... How else were they to have had anything to deal with Barbossa, in any case? He suddenly saw it from Jack's point of view, the entire incident, and realized, thunderstruck, that Jack thought he'd not just been stupid, but incredibly stupid—and untrustworthy as well. After all, Barbossa had ended up capturing him and marooning both Jack and Elizabeth on the island he'd marooned Jack on before. He'd hoped Jack might have overlooked this matter, as he'd saved Jack from the gallows upon their return to Port Royal. He'd been willing, in fact, to stand between Norrington's blade and the condemned pirate, merely on the principle that it was the right thing to do. His silence and delay in answering Jack didn't go unnoticed, however. Jack tilted his head and regarded him, quietly saying, "Any man who falls behind. I do recall. But you know, there's another little saying and it goes something like this: any man that falters upon boarding another ship endangers the rest of the crew. Now, aboard the Pearl, Moses' Law applies, unless the company's in a good mood, and if I've got me rum, and everyone's a happy little crewman with his share of the booty when all's said and done. Savvy?" "I'll not falter, so no. Yes. I mean, savvy. I do. Uh," Will looked up with a puzzled frown. "Moses' Law?" "Forty lashes, minus one." Jack raised his brows. "But methinks saving me own life is fair exchange. Enough to forgo the Prophet's Threat and speak on your behalf to any who might question your being aboard, should any unpleasantness arise. Question is, what's in it for me?" Will considered him. He was out of options. He'd asked Jack for one chance and now here he was asking him for a favor and another chance besides. He still owed it to Jack to prove his trustworthiness. Then again, he was not a murderer. A freeman did not necessarily take a life needlessly, although a pirate might. And yet again, he'd not seen Jack or any of his company ever take a life unnecessarily either. Barbossa and his undead crew had been an entirely different sort, undead or not. And Jack had lost the Pearl to Barbossa before, in the mutiny, because of his willingness to negotiate. He couldn't see the man as bloodthirsty. Besides, there was the Code. Swallowing, he answered, "My sword is yours, and I'll lay down my life for yours, against any who might threaten you. Or the Pearl," he added. "Or her company and crew." At Jack's still expectant expression, he thought quickly, and then continued, "Or any that we might threaten." Jack relaxed. "Excellent. Welcome aboard, Will." Jack grasped his arm, by the elbow, and Will returned the greeting, the clasp of a brother in arms, and Will realized in that moment that Jack had already decided he could stay, probably before they'd even left the pier. They were just sealing their agreement. Will turned, looking up at the sails billowing in the sea breeze and the new rigging. "Hasn't been long, has it?" Jack grinned, looking out to sea. "Long enough." It had only been six months since Jack had fallen over the edge of the wall into the sea, out of his life. Truth be told, though he would follow Mr. Cotton's involuntary example and cut out his tongue before admitting it to Jack, it hadn't exactly been Elizabeth who'd wished that he seek out Captain Jack Sparrow once again. In fact, Elizabeth had finally put her foot down and ordered him to get the sea out of his blood before she'd marry him. She'd insisted that he was worse than useless, unless he'd satisfied his distressing contradiction about his choices in life: freedom, or marriage. Although she'd stated she well understood his feelings, she wasn't going to be a lonely wife and probable widow to a man who left once the babes began arriving. It was far better that he return to her in a while, after he'd satisfied himself as to how much of his father still boiled within him—now that Bootstrap Bill's legacy had awakened in his son. She would wait. Marriage, indeed. He'd begun to understand why grooms become nervous closer to the set date... But for all that, Jack was married to his Black Pearl, and life as a pirate was a marriage of a different sort. And there was always the gamble that Elizabeth would decide before the year was out that she'd accept Commodore Norrington's proposal after all, if she got tired of waiting or finally realized that marrying a blacksmith was out of the question. The life of a pirate's wife... For that's what he was now. A pirate. Perhaps it was worth it. He was committed, out of sheer curiosity, to see whether or not it was indeed something worth giving up after nearly a year's passing. And there was no better ship he could remember ever having laid eyes on than this one. Nor a better captain. "Will we be returning to the Spanish Main, then, in nine months time?" "Most probably." Will smiled. "Then we have an accord." "We do indeed," Jack grinned back at him. "After all, it was thanks to you I was returned to me fine ship, here." "She is a fine ship," Will said respectfully, the reverence in his voice not a bluff at all. "A fine lass indeed, to let you go," Jack said, meaningfully, leaving Will no mistake that Jack had already divined the truth about why Will was standing on his ship begging to become a pirate. "She's taking a chance on me, just as you are. You were right," Will admitted, aghast at how easy it was to say it. "It's the Turner blood. My blood." Jack smiled at him. "Don't worry, lad. I won't be expecting you to shed any of it on my account. We're blood brothers already, after all." And he held up his hand, the faintest trace of a white scar lining his palm where his own blade had cut to redeem the Aztec coin Jack had pilfered in the cave. Will held up his own, and clasped Jack's left hand in his, where his own scar lay, and pressed the two scars together. "All is forgiven, then?" Jack answered carefully, "If it weren't, you'd not be standing here now, would you?" Jack's sharp reply was delivered in a mild tone, but Will caught it nonetheless. He met Jack's eyes. "I know." Jack stared back at him and Will suddenly became aware again that although they had an accord, and they'd renewed the honor between them from their first venture together, it was an entirely new situation. And for some bizarre reason, he was growing uncomfortable to still be holding Jack's hand. And Jack's eyes were looking through him, seeing right down into the very bare parts of him, where even he was afraid to look. Jack's eyes were so brown, they were nearly black. Will felt a strange, leaping heat course through him, settling somewhere in his lower belly. It wasn't unpleasant, and that was the most disturbing of all. The call of anchor's aweigh reached them, breaking his rapport with Jack, for Jack then clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, "We'll have us a little chat later, Will. Things to see to just now, you understand. Even a ship as fine as this one don't just run herself." Will watched as Jack left him standing again, watching the pirate depart. He stared down at the white scar in his left palm. Did Jack truly see a pirate in him? And had Jack glimpsed what he himself had only just grasped? He hoped not. The stain of heat that spread over his face was delayed, but all too real now and, he knew, all too visible. He wanted Jack to approve of him, to consider him a good man. A good pirate. Like his father. God, it was humiliating, actually. To know, to have to admit, that Jack was right. Had been right all along. And to realize that his heart still was not his own. It had found roost here, with the Black Pearl, with a pirate crew. With Jack Sparrow. It galled him to know that being once more reunited with Jack, to be feeling that edge, that keen zest for life and the thoughts in the man's heat-addled mind that were probably more tangled than before... To know that it was invigorating like nothing else had been since their first adventure half a year ago. Will's spirits sank, even as the Black Pearl moved swiftly out of Tortuga's waters and beyond. Africa was a long ways away, and Will realized it was going to be a long journey indeed. For he'd just discovered what Elizabeth had already known. He'd loved Elizabeth for such an extensive number of years. Attaining her was almost an anti-climax. The truth of his father and his heritage haunted him, and had remained a shadow between them ever since their return to Port Royal. It had tainted his love for her, and cast such a depressing shadow, in fact, that Will had been surprised to find himself ruminating consistently over the possibility of growing bored with an unending life of toiling in the smithy and just... running. Anywhere, in any direction. Towards anything but what was expected of him. Despite his love of working metal, of crafting what he knew were the finest swords and watching their beauty shaped out of fire by his own artistry and skill, it was mostly a thankless task. Most still considered him merely Master Brown's apprentice. Only Commodore Norrington had actually ever revealed he knew Will to be the true master, working while Brown snored the afternoons away. And there was Port Royal, where he'd always felt at home. He'd expected to have to resolve the contradiction of his pirate blood and his life as a metal-worker. But ever since his adventure with Jack, rescuing Elizabeth and discovering his father's legacy of piracy, he'd felt confined, constrained and tied down by the looks that the townspeople gave him. The Governor's daughter. A blacksmith. A pirate.
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Chapter 2
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