WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT SEEN THE MOVIE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. (Which I highly reccomend you see). I REPEAT....SPOILERS AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK AND DO NOT COMPLAIN TO ME.
Title: Meant to Be
Author: Phoenix
Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. I am poor. This fic is for entertainment only.
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Pairing: None this part but Will/Elizabeth mentioned and eventually will be Jack/Will/Norrington
Rating: PG this part NC-17 overall
Warnings: Character death, violence, evil people, AU, SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, hints of m/m slash, and I wrote it. Can't deal? Don't read.
Archive: CkoS, WWOMB if they want it. All others please ask.
Summary: A terrible tragedy brings Jack, Will, and Norrington together again.
Meant to Be
by Phoenix
Jack Sparrow sat in his cabin slowly drinking rum and mulling over a rather large problem. Almost a year ago Will Turner had saved his life and helped him gain revenge. But Will was a young boy with all that entailed; thought he was in love. She was beautiful, Jack admitted. Elizabeth'd been one of the truly beautiful women to cross his path.
After events wrapped up, Will stayed behind to marry his love. Jack reclaimed his ship and went back to pirating; each night trying to keep the young man out of his thoughts. And quite frankly it should have ended there. Jack buried himself in spending the loot from the Isle of the Dead. Wine. Women. Lots of women.
Meanwhile, Will married Elizabeth and Norrington volunteered to sail them back to England for a honeymoon. All very romantic. All very storybook ending. Only not.
While out on the open sea, far from help, the small ship was attacked by pirates. Will and Norrington put up a hell of a fight from all accounts. All accounts being Norrington's as he was the only one talking. However, they were vastly outnumbered.
At the start of the battle, Will had locked his wife in their room. He thought she would be safe there. Unfortunately, Elizabeth wasn't one to be locked away. She took to the main deck with a sword in hand, a fierce determination to protect the men she cared for, in her heart.
Norrington didn't know what happened next. Suddenly Elizabeth was screaming Will's name and diving toward him. Then the shot rang out. Blood blossomed across her stomach. Will collapsed with her in his arms. It was all confused in his mind and would probably take at least another day or two for the shock to wear off so he could make sense of the events.
Whatever happened, the pirates had shot Elizabeth in the stomach. A nasty wound to be sure. But the worst was yet to come. The bloody pirates killed all the crew. In a fit of extreme cruelty, they placed Norrington in a lifeboat with the still living Elizabeth and a doting Will. No food. No water. Not even a single shot to end their suffering.
For almost two days Elizabeth lingered. Her pain must have been beyond imagining; poor Will could do nothing to stop it or help. Then, before nightfall on the second day, she died.
According to Norrington, Will screamed once and fell silent. Nothing could rouse him or get him release his grip on the dead woman. In fact, when the Black Pearl ran across them two days later, the only way to get Will to let go was to knock him out.
So now Jack had a problem. Well actually two. What to do with Norrington who was a British soldier and how to help Will? Both were in shock though Will's was far worse. He could die if he didn't eat or drink something. Jack feared it was what the boy wanted.
Jack poured himself another mug of ale. The boy needed to connect with live again, to see there was more to live for. Revenge of course. Surely he could be interested in that. Norrington would jump at the chance. But how to wake Will up enough to make him the offer of aid?
Captain Jack Sparrow knew of a way. Whether or not Will would ever forgive him was something he couldn't predict. Yet, he wanted the young man to live. Sighing, he decided to get really drunk. The morning was quickly arriving and then he could decide.
(2)
The morning started with a promise of bad things to come. A scream echoed through the ship. Will's voice crying out about blood; Elizabeth's blood; all over his hands. All over the cabin. Soon enough Mr. Adams arrived and quieted the poor youth down. No doubt with a strangle hold or a blow to the back of his head. Such hysterics could be dangerous to the crew and most importantly, Will himself. Who knew what the grieving young man might do to himself while in shock and hysterical?
Jack couldn't bite back the moan he made while trying to get out of bed.
"Note to self," he muttered miserably. "Never mix drinks. Ale and rum were not meant to be consumed at the same time."
"What is going on?" A roar rumbled down the passageway. Norrington. Jack had him locked in the cabin next to Will's. Apparently the man was recovered sufficiently to be noisy.
Oh well. Jack needed to speak with him before visiting his young friend anyway. The plan would not work if the sailor took it into his head to protest the sounds he heard.
"I demand to be let out of here now! What are you doing to him you thrice cursed animals!"
Now the animal comment was out of line. They were not animals. They just smelled a bit like them. And that was hardly their fault. All those damn British ships hunting for pirates were to blame. Kept them from finding a proper port to bathe in. Pirate ports weren't exactly big on washhouses. Whorehouses sure.
"Damn you, Jack Sparrow! Let me out of here!"
"Gah," Jack growled. Fine. Deal with the Brit first. Then see if he could help the boy.
"Is anyone out there?"
"WILL YOU SHUT UP!?" Jack howled, unable to stop the pounding in his head. "I'll deal with you in just a moment."
Silence greeted his shout so Norrington was at least partially mollified. Perhaps there was more than just him and the crew who cared for Will. Not that he could depend on the officer to do what was needed, or even let it occur. Dunking his head in a basin of water, Jack did his best to fully wake up. Grumbling, dripping, and cursing, the captain made his way toward Norrington's room.
"I'm coming in," he called before opening the door. Last thing he wanted was a fight while his head felt like exploding.
Norrington stood well back from the door. Every muscle tense as if expecting an attack. His clothes were torn and bloody from the fight on his ship. His normal white wig was gone revealing messy black hair. Though his wounds had been bandaged. Jack mentally cursed his crew for not providing something else to wear. Some of that blood had to be Elizabeth's. The last thing either man needed was a constant reminder of her death.
"Are you going to stand in the doorway all day, Captain?"
At first Jack felt like belting the man for his sneering tone; then it stuck him. Norrington had called him Captain. He never did that. Not even in jest. A man like the Commodore thought the title too lofty for a pirate to carry under any circumstances.
"Merely admiring the view," he quipped to cover his surprise while closing the door. Did this mean Norrington was going to behave?
"View?" At first confusion covered his face only to be replaced by shock and a blush as he understood. "Now see here!"
"I see very well, Commodore," Jack quipped again, enjoying the other man's discomfort. "Never had a problem with my sight before."
"I don't know what you mean by this." Again he was cut off.
"By what? Saving you? Tending your wounds?"
Norrington did appear a bit ashamed. "What about Will? Why can't I see him? He was in a bad way." The man's eyes misted with memory. "A very bad way."
"And still is," he motioned for the other man to sit down. "He hasn't eaten." He paused. "You were offered food weren't you?"
"Yes. It was most delicious. Thank you."
"Welcome. Yet Will won't eat. You heard the nightmare this morning. There will be more to come. I think he wants to die." Norrington's sharp inhalation due his attention. Interesting reaction from a man who once thought Will Turner beneath notice. "And he will succeed unless steps are taken."
"What sort of steps? Surely you don't mean to hurt the lad any further?"
"Hurt him? No. But what I have to do will sound a lot like that. Will is hiding from the world; trying not to feel anything. So, I'm going to make him feel."
"Without hurting him?" There was that concern again. Perhaps he merely wanted to keep some piece of his beloved Elizabeth alive.
"No pain. He's had enough of that. But I need you to promise not to interfere."
"Of course I promise!"
Yet Jack wasn't happy with the promise. It had been given too quickly. "Listen to me carefully. You will hear things after I leave this cabin. They will sound bad. Do not interrupt. Do not call to Will. He must not know you are here. There can be no reminders of what happened."
"But I have your word you will not hurt him?" Once more concern tinged the Commodore's tone. How very odd.
"I may be a pirate, Sir. But I do not hurt those I care for."
"And you care for Will?" Sharp eyes watched his face. It would seem there was indeed something happening with Norrington. "You will not injure him?"
"No more than you would."
For long moments they stared at each other, taking measure. Could this man before him be trusted with someone he so cared for? Did he know how deep his emotions ran?
A knock at the door caused both to jump. "Captain?" Mr. Adams' voice reached them. "The boy is stirring."
"Right, Mr. Adams," Jack yelled back. "Thank you and tell the crew to stay on deck." No need to embarrass Will by having the entire crew listen in.
He rose from his chair and faced Norrington. "Remember your promise, Commodore."
"Remember yours, Captain."
They shared a terse nod then Jack left, locking the door behind him. Now came the hard part. Will. Would the boy ever forgive him? Sighing, Jack resigned himself and went to save a young, beautiful life.
end part 2