{Fic} Ocean Soul 16/18 | Will/Jack
Ocean Soul
Part 16 of 18
By Clarity Scifiroots
Standard disclaimers apply. This AU plot rules parallel to the first movie but isn’t quite the same. By a fan, for fans.
Rating: Ranges from Teen to Adult/Mature.
Pairing: Jack/Will
Summary: An AU tale that weaves a rather bleak past for one Will Turner. When the young blacksmith apprentice stows away on the Interceptor to get away from abuse, he didn't expect it to be taken over by pirates led by the most famous (or is it infamous?) Jack Sparrow.
Warnings: Sexual harassment, abuse, and recovery from such
January 18, 2008
Sixteen - brand new!
He’d lost one of his few truly capable men, his bo’sun, to Sparrow’s oddball crew; it was the only loss he regretted. Though it couldn’t be helped, Barbossa felt more than a little irritated at being forced to assign a crew member to spying on Jack while he questioned the boy. He had yet to determine how to interpret the accord to suit his best interests.
“How’d a fool rogue like Sparrow manage a catch like ye?” Barbossa prodded, circling the boy bound hand-and-foot at the main mast. “Steal ye away in th’ night ‘n seduce ye to ‘is side?”
Will stubbornly refused to look up.
“Ye fuck ‘im yet?” Barbossa leaned over, voice lowering conspiratorially. “Always could ‘ear th’ shoutin’ from ‘is cabin. Does ‘e still beg like a two-bit whore?” The boy jerked his head aside, shutting his eyes and hunching his shoulders in a clear attempt to ignore the taunts. Barbossa grinned, knowing he had found the right weakness.
“Aye, th’ good Capt’n plays with ‘is pets a while ‘fore they tire. An’ if a lad tickles ‘is fancy, they get th’ rogerin’ o’ their life. ‘E take ye ‘ard, whelp? I wonder, were ye a virgin? ‘Ard to tell wit’ this face.” Barbossa grasped Will firmly by the chin, delighting in the grimace of pain as his fingers pinched the fresh cut only now scabbing over. A defiant glare met his gaze but just below the surface lay a turmoil of emotions, fear and disgust foremost. “Scared ye ‘alf to death, did ‘e?” Barbossa laughed at the thought and turned the boy’s head this way and that, looking beneath the recent scrapes to imagine a previously unmarred face.
“Ye’re prettier than yer father. No wonder ol’ Jack went for ye, ‘e did always seem t’ ‘ave a certain... tension ‘round Bootstrap. Could be ye’re only fillin’ a fantasy, boy.”
Apparently fed up, Will hissed, “Next time you die you won’t get another chance.”
Barbossa smiled widely. “Is tha’ a threat, young Turner? ‘Case ye forgot, I renewed the curse.” Pleased with himself, he slipped a hand into his pocket to finger the co-
The boy had the audacity to grin. Bloody hell and curse to the depths Jack Sparrow and his slut! “We’ll wipe tha’ smile off yer face for good, boy,” he hissed, bringing out the dagger from his belt. Sure enough, the boy attempted to draw away, smugness wiped away in acknowledgement of the imminent threat of losing his lips. “I’m sure Jack’ll love t’ see ye after this.”
“Cap’n!” Raggetti squawked, fumbling with the spyglass in one hand and popping his fake eye back into place. “Cap’n thar’s ships on th’ way - navy ships!”
-----
“Cap’n!” Jack quickly turned away from his intent study of his nemesis’ ship to meet AnaMaria’s strained call. “Look ahead.”
Returning the spyglass to his eye, Jack focused in on the two sets of fine white sails. If not mistaken, and he usually got his ships right, one of the navy vessels was none other than the Dauntless that had provided the distraction needed to ease away on the Interceptor from Port Royale.
“Bloody lobsterbacks. Hells!” Jack slammed his fist against the rail, then silently apologized to his beloved ship for the outburst.
Gibbs and other crew members gathered along the Pearl’s rails, staring uncertainly at the ships on the horizon. The older sailor came up the stairs to stand beside Jack. “Cap’n, couldn’t we use this to an advantage? Navy ships’ll be concerned ‘bout capturin’ pirates an’ freein’ their captives. If we pull back, could jus’ let the royal lads ‘ave at it. At port we could get the boy back.”
Jack hissed through his teeth, hating the decision he needed to make. He didn’t want to risk his Pearl in a fight against two, possibly three, ships when he hadn’t familiarized himself with her changes and condition as yet. True that the navy would see to Will, recognizing him as a victim...
Port Royale, an inner voice reminded him.
Another voice continued, You said you’d go back ‘n take care of those ghosts if ‘e wanted you to.
The first voice, fainter now, protested that hadn’t been the point it wanted to make.
Grimly Jack gave a curt nod. He could either chance some discomfort for his lover or the livelihood of his ship and rest of his crew. Forgive me, darlin’.
“Pull out, Ana,” he ordered.
She stared at him, stunned. In a moment her gaze turned flinty and she stepped away from the wheel. “Yeh’ll be doin’ that yerself, Sir.”
Damn woman. “Get out of the way,” he snapped, hating how easily his hands settled onto the wheel and turned. The Pearl moved smoothly under his touch, recognizing his caress and accepting him like no other. He refused to look over his shoulder to watch the Interceptor grow smaller in their wake.
-----
“Watch th’ whelp!” Barbossa snapped at the lanky, one-eyed pirate and his much stouter companion. The captain stormed away, shouting orders as he went to take the helm.
Will took a moment to close his eyes and calm his racing heart. That had been very close- Barbossa’s wild-eyed look had been utterly inhuman, and he feared he would have nightmares of the man for some time to come. With a little luck, Jack should be there to help.
“’Fink they saw us?” the lanky pirate asked.
The stout one grunted in annoyance. “Why else’d they be ‘eading toward us?”
The ships - the Royal Navy ships. Will opened his eyes. Oh. This did not bode well for the Pearl... Unless, he thought, they’ve already turned away. They could probably manage it, too, if the navy had realized this ship was their missing Interceptor. Although relieved to think that Jack and his friends were probably safe, his stomach turned over at the thought of being caught between a rock and a hard place - while bound, nonetheless.
“Roll out the cannons!” Barbossa boomed.
The pirate duo standing sentry over him fidgeted incessantly, particularly the lanky one. Will studied them silently, wondering just how keen Barbossa’s crew were to give up their renewed lives and if he could work the situation to his advantage. Worth a try at least; any minute Barbossa would realize he might have a chance with holding Will as a hostage.
“You’re outnumbered,” Will said. He gazed at the navy vessels closing in but noticed from the corner of his eye how the pirates startled at his voice.
“So wot?”
“Been a long time since you had to worry about... You know, dying. Hasn’t it?” The one-eyed pirate wrung his hands nervously. “They probably have full crews of naval men, all trained fighters and eager to get their ship back. What advantage could you have? The crew’s diminished, your captain’s mad, and you’ve nowhere to run.” He turned his head and shrugged. The two pirates stared at him and he offered an apologetic smile. “I’d say it was nice to meet you, but it really hasn’t been an enjoyable stay.”
“Ooh, wha’ should we do, Pintel?”
“Shut up!” muttered the stout man, nervously clutching the hilt of his cutlass. “No one crosses Barbossa!”
“Bu’ I wanna get me that glass eye ‘n stop at port, git a full course meal,” the other whimpered. His good eye rolled from Pinel to Will and then to the helm where Barbossa had abandoned the wheel to someone else in favor of overseeing the canon preparation.
“If you surrender,” Will reasoned calmly, “you’ll have future opportunities to make an escape. Can’t do that if you’re dead.”
Pintel hissed in annoyance. “Damn you, boy! Th’ Capt’n would ‘ave our ‘eads for cannonballs!”
Keeping the urge to smirk in check, Will replied, “Then wait for the opportune moment.”
One-eye scratched his head in confusion. “Oppo’tune? Tha’s like sayin’ th’ perfect moment, righ’?”
The first boom of the navy’s cannons drowned out Will’s verbal reply. Instead he nodded and turned to watch the battle unfold. With any luck the navy would be more interested in capturing their stolen ship than sinking it and her crew. Given the chance, he knew that at least these two pirates would lay down their arms in surrender.
The sense of assurance soon faded and his thoughts drifted to Jack. He knew the pirate captain would have done what was best for his crew and ship, and that meant leaving Will behind. Part of him understood, but the more insistent voice argued that he’d been part of the crew.
-----
To Barbossa’s great consternation, his crew gave up long before their due. The early complainers he stabbed with his own blade and fear alone kept the others loading up the cannons. They might want to surrender, but none would dare to attack the captain.
The navy ships closed in on either side, little the worse for wear despite the Interceptor’s attempts to wear them down. Knowing defeat would be inevitable, Barbossa determined he’d take out Jack’s whelp before he went down; he planned on gutting the naval command as well.
Sword in one hand, pistol in the other, he reached the deck before the enemy managed to swing aboard, and he strode straight for the mast. He heard the first thud of sailors’ feet hit the deck, but he only had eyes for the whelp-
“Wha’ do ye think ye’re doin’?” His voice dripped with a promise of death. Raggetti cowered away from untying Turner’s bounds and tried to hide behind Pintel’s shorter form. Pintel turned deathly pale, and the boy looked plenty terrified.
“See ye in ‘ell, boy.” Barbossa aimed his pistol and squeezed his finger-
For the second time in the past day he felt a bullet tear through his chest. This time, though, the shot was perfect. Barbossa had enough time to stare down at his chest in disbelief before the world vanished.
-----
“We surrender!” the lanky pirate squeaked, still attempting to hide behind his shorter friend. He held his hands up and waved them, just in case the navy men had missed the weapon-free appendages.
Will dragged his gaze away from Barbossa’s body, heart pounding hard in his chest. This time he had to be dead, of course, but what if...? Christ. He stared at the group of sailors gathering up the remaining pirates and realized in a distant sort of way that he recognized some of these men.
“Mister Turner?” one of the officers asked skeptically, stepping around Barbossa to take a closer look. “What the devil are you doing here?”
“Where’s... where’s Jack?” he said, mind gone numb.
“Who?” The officer turned aside and called to someone across the deck. “Commodore, we have their hostage.”
The appearance of Commodore Norrington, pristine wig only slightly askew and a single rip in his blue coat, seemed utterly surreal. Will barely noticed as someone finished untying his bonds.
“Mister Turner.” The commodore sounded impatient, making Will think he hadn’t been paying attention for some time. “Did these pirates kidnap you?”
“I... No. I mean, yes.” Just not during the time period as these men understood it. “I’m sorry, I feel... ill.” For lack of a better word, he thought dimly. Jack, Ana, the crew, and the Pearl had gone. He didn’t know where to begin searching for them.
“Lieutenant Groves, please see that Mister Turner gets some care and has a place to stay for our return to Port Royale.”
Will stared numbly at Norrington, horror crawling up his spine at the thought of returning to... to... He wanted nothing to do with that place ever again! In his shocked state he completely missed the commodore’s cool expression change with perplexity and unease.
“Come now, Mister Turner,” the lieutenant guided, tone slightly patronizing but nonetheless kind. His hand on Will’s elbow helped steer them toward the Dauntless and promise of medical attention.
-----
TBC
-----
Part 16 of 18
By Clarity Scifiroots
Standard disclaimers apply. This AU plot rules parallel to the first movie but isn’t quite the same. By a fan, for fans.
Rating: Ranges from Teen to Adult/Mature.
Pairing: Jack/Will
Summary: An AU tale that weaves a rather bleak past for one Will Turner. When the young blacksmith apprentice stows away on the Interceptor to get away from abuse, he didn't expect it to be taken over by pirates led by the most famous (or is it infamous?) Jack Sparrow.
Warnings: Sexual harassment, abuse, and recovery from such
January 18, 2008
Sixteen - brand new!
He’d lost one of his few truly capable men, his bo’sun, to Sparrow’s oddball crew; it was the only loss he regretted. Though it couldn’t be helped, Barbossa felt more than a little irritated at being forced to assign a crew member to spying on Jack while he questioned the boy. He had yet to determine how to interpret the accord to suit his best interests.
“How’d a fool rogue like Sparrow manage a catch like ye?” Barbossa prodded, circling the boy bound hand-and-foot at the main mast. “Steal ye away in th’ night ‘n seduce ye to ‘is side?”
Will stubbornly refused to look up.
“Ye fuck ‘im yet?” Barbossa leaned over, voice lowering conspiratorially. “Always could ‘ear th’ shoutin’ from ‘is cabin. Does ‘e still beg like a two-bit whore?” The boy jerked his head aside, shutting his eyes and hunching his shoulders in a clear attempt to ignore the taunts. Barbossa grinned, knowing he had found the right weakness.
“Aye, th’ good Capt’n plays with ‘is pets a while ‘fore they tire. An’ if a lad tickles ‘is fancy, they get th’ rogerin’ o’ their life. ‘E take ye ‘ard, whelp? I wonder, were ye a virgin? ‘Ard to tell wit’ this face.” Barbossa grasped Will firmly by the chin, delighting in the grimace of pain as his fingers pinched the fresh cut only now scabbing over. A defiant glare met his gaze but just below the surface lay a turmoil of emotions, fear and disgust foremost. “Scared ye ‘alf to death, did ‘e?” Barbossa laughed at the thought and turned the boy’s head this way and that, looking beneath the recent scrapes to imagine a previously unmarred face.
“Ye’re prettier than yer father. No wonder ol’ Jack went for ye, ‘e did always seem t’ ‘ave a certain... tension ‘round Bootstrap. Could be ye’re only fillin’ a fantasy, boy.”
Apparently fed up, Will hissed, “Next time you die you won’t get another chance.”
Barbossa smiled widely. “Is tha’ a threat, young Turner? ‘Case ye forgot, I renewed the curse.” Pleased with himself, he slipped a hand into his pocket to finger the co-
The boy had the audacity to grin. Bloody hell and curse to the depths Jack Sparrow and his slut! “We’ll wipe tha’ smile off yer face for good, boy,” he hissed, bringing out the dagger from his belt. Sure enough, the boy attempted to draw away, smugness wiped away in acknowledgement of the imminent threat of losing his lips. “I’m sure Jack’ll love t’ see ye after this.”
“Cap’n!” Raggetti squawked, fumbling with the spyglass in one hand and popping his fake eye back into place. “Cap’n thar’s ships on th’ way - navy ships!”
-----
“Cap’n!” Jack quickly turned away from his intent study of his nemesis’ ship to meet AnaMaria’s strained call. “Look ahead.”
Returning the spyglass to his eye, Jack focused in on the two sets of fine white sails. If not mistaken, and he usually got his ships right, one of the navy vessels was none other than the Dauntless that had provided the distraction needed to ease away on the Interceptor from Port Royale.
“Bloody lobsterbacks. Hells!” Jack slammed his fist against the rail, then silently apologized to his beloved ship for the outburst.
Gibbs and other crew members gathered along the Pearl’s rails, staring uncertainly at the ships on the horizon. The older sailor came up the stairs to stand beside Jack. “Cap’n, couldn’t we use this to an advantage? Navy ships’ll be concerned ‘bout capturin’ pirates an’ freein’ their captives. If we pull back, could jus’ let the royal lads ‘ave at it. At port we could get the boy back.”
Jack hissed through his teeth, hating the decision he needed to make. He didn’t want to risk his Pearl in a fight against two, possibly three, ships when he hadn’t familiarized himself with her changes and condition as yet. True that the navy would see to Will, recognizing him as a victim...
Port Royale, an inner voice reminded him.
Another voice continued, You said you’d go back ‘n take care of those ghosts if ‘e wanted you to.
The first voice, fainter now, protested that hadn’t been the point it wanted to make.
Grimly Jack gave a curt nod. He could either chance some discomfort for his lover or the livelihood of his ship and rest of his crew. Forgive me, darlin’.
“Pull out, Ana,” he ordered.
She stared at him, stunned. In a moment her gaze turned flinty and she stepped away from the wheel. “Yeh’ll be doin’ that yerself, Sir.”
Damn woman. “Get out of the way,” he snapped, hating how easily his hands settled onto the wheel and turned. The Pearl moved smoothly under his touch, recognizing his caress and accepting him like no other. He refused to look over his shoulder to watch the Interceptor grow smaller in their wake.
-----
“Watch th’ whelp!” Barbossa snapped at the lanky, one-eyed pirate and his much stouter companion. The captain stormed away, shouting orders as he went to take the helm.
Will took a moment to close his eyes and calm his racing heart. That had been very close- Barbossa’s wild-eyed look had been utterly inhuman, and he feared he would have nightmares of the man for some time to come. With a little luck, Jack should be there to help.
“’Fink they saw us?” the lanky pirate asked.
The stout one grunted in annoyance. “Why else’d they be ‘eading toward us?”
The ships - the Royal Navy ships. Will opened his eyes. Oh. This did not bode well for the Pearl... Unless, he thought, they’ve already turned away. They could probably manage it, too, if the navy had realized this ship was their missing Interceptor. Although relieved to think that Jack and his friends were probably safe, his stomach turned over at the thought of being caught between a rock and a hard place - while bound, nonetheless.
“Roll out the cannons!” Barbossa boomed.
The pirate duo standing sentry over him fidgeted incessantly, particularly the lanky one. Will studied them silently, wondering just how keen Barbossa’s crew were to give up their renewed lives and if he could work the situation to his advantage. Worth a try at least; any minute Barbossa would realize he might have a chance with holding Will as a hostage.
“You’re outnumbered,” Will said. He gazed at the navy vessels closing in but noticed from the corner of his eye how the pirates startled at his voice.
“So wot?”
“Been a long time since you had to worry about... You know, dying. Hasn’t it?” The one-eyed pirate wrung his hands nervously. “They probably have full crews of naval men, all trained fighters and eager to get their ship back. What advantage could you have? The crew’s diminished, your captain’s mad, and you’ve nowhere to run.” He turned his head and shrugged. The two pirates stared at him and he offered an apologetic smile. “I’d say it was nice to meet you, but it really hasn’t been an enjoyable stay.”
“Ooh, wha’ should we do, Pintel?”
“Shut up!” muttered the stout man, nervously clutching the hilt of his cutlass. “No one crosses Barbossa!”
“Bu’ I wanna get me that glass eye ‘n stop at port, git a full course meal,” the other whimpered. His good eye rolled from Pinel to Will and then to the helm where Barbossa had abandoned the wheel to someone else in favor of overseeing the canon preparation.
“If you surrender,” Will reasoned calmly, “you’ll have future opportunities to make an escape. Can’t do that if you’re dead.”
Pintel hissed in annoyance. “Damn you, boy! Th’ Capt’n would ‘ave our ‘eads for cannonballs!”
Keeping the urge to smirk in check, Will replied, “Then wait for the opportune moment.”
One-eye scratched his head in confusion. “Oppo’tune? Tha’s like sayin’ th’ perfect moment, righ’?”
The first boom of the navy’s cannons drowned out Will’s verbal reply. Instead he nodded and turned to watch the battle unfold. With any luck the navy would be more interested in capturing their stolen ship than sinking it and her crew. Given the chance, he knew that at least these two pirates would lay down their arms in surrender.
The sense of assurance soon faded and his thoughts drifted to Jack. He knew the pirate captain would have done what was best for his crew and ship, and that meant leaving Will behind. Part of him understood, but the more insistent voice argued that he’d been part of the crew.
-----
To Barbossa’s great consternation, his crew gave up long before their due. The early complainers he stabbed with his own blade and fear alone kept the others loading up the cannons. They might want to surrender, but none would dare to attack the captain.
The navy ships closed in on either side, little the worse for wear despite the Interceptor’s attempts to wear them down. Knowing defeat would be inevitable, Barbossa determined he’d take out Jack’s whelp before he went down; he planned on gutting the naval command as well.
Sword in one hand, pistol in the other, he reached the deck before the enemy managed to swing aboard, and he strode straight for the mast. He heard the first thud of sailors’ feet hit the deck, but he only had eyes for the whelp-
“Wha’ do ye think ye’re doin’?” His voice dripped with a promise of death. Raggetti cowered away from untying Turner’s bounds and tried to hide behind Pintel’s shorter form. Pintel turned deathly pale, and the boy looked plenty terrified.
“See ye in ‘ell, boy.” Barbossa aimed his pistol and squeezed his finger-
For the second time in the past day he felt a bullet tear through his chest. This time, though, the shot was perfect. Barbossa had enough time to stare down at his chest in disbelief before the world vanished.
-----
“We surrender!” the lanky pirate squeaked, still attempting to hide behind his shorter friend. He held his hands up and waved them, just in case the navy men had missed the weapon-free appendages.
Will dragged his gaze away from Barbossa’s body, heart pounding hard in his chest. This time he had to be dead, of course, but what if...? Christ. He stared at the group of sailors gathering up the remaining pirates and realized in a distant sort of way that he recognized some of these men.
“Mister Turner?” one of the officers asked skeptically, stepping around Barbossa to take a closer look. “What the devil are you doing here?”
“Where’s... where’s Jack?” he said, mind gone numb.
“Who?” The officer turned aside and called to someone across the deck. “Commodore, we have their hostage.”
The appearance of Commodore Norrington, pristine wig only slightly askew and a single rip in his blue coat, seemed utterly surreal. Will barely noticed as someone finished untying his bonds.
“Mister Turner.” The commodore sounded impatient, making Will think he hadn’t been paying attention for some time. “Did these pirates kidnap you?”
“I... No. I mean, yes.” Just not during the time period as these men understood it. “I’m sorry, I feel... ill.” For lack of a better word, he thought dimly. Jack, Ana, the crew, and the Pearl had gone. He didn’t know where to begin searching for them.
“Lieutenant Groves, please see that Mister Turner gets some care and has a place to stay for our return to Port Royale.”
Will stared numbly at Norrington, horror crawling up his spine at the thought of returning to... to... He wanted nothing to do with that place ever again! In his shocked state he completely missed the commodore’s cool expression change with perplexity and unease.
“Come now, Mister Turner,” the lieutenant guided, tone slightly patronizing but nonetheless kind. His hand on Will’s elbow helped steer them toward the Dauntless and promise of medical attention.
-----
TBC
-----