No Regrets
Title: No Regrets
Author: Jenn
Summary: Missing scene.Will and Jack talk the night before Jack’s hanging. Will wonders if he can do anything to help Jack. Will/Jack Friendship. One Shot.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: For POTC
Timeline: the night before Jack is to hang.
Category: General. Missing scene. Non-slash.
Disclaimers: They’re not mine. Disney owns them. Not making one penny for this story. This fic is just for enjoyment.
Thoughts and quotes from the movie are in italics.
- O - O - O - O - O - O -
“They did what’s right by them. Can’t expect more than that.”
These words haunted Will Turner. Usually he took his frustration out on his work as a blacksmith. What could he do? He couldn’t stop Captain Jack Sparrow from going to the gallows tomorrow.
His mouth turned up in a weary grin. Jack may not have a ship and was going to be a dead man tomorrow, but he was still a captain. Why had his crew deserted him like that? They were pirates, true enough, but didn’t anyone count loyalty to friends above piracy?
I guess not, Will silently answered his own question.
By the law Jack should hang tomorrow. Even though Jack was a pirate, he was also a good man. But there wasn’t anything Will could do. Correction, there was nothing he could do that wouldn’t go against the law.
Throwing down his hammer, the young blacksmith eyed the sword he had been forging. He’d hammered it too much. The blade would be no good if it wasn’t perfectly balanced. It would have to go back into the fire to be done again.
Will made no move to do that, though. Instead, he took off his apron and headed for the door. Turning, he looked over at the unkempt drunken man in a chair slumbering. Will doubted he would be missed.
Mr. Brown was a good blacksmith, that is when he was sober. He had taught Will everything he knew about being a smith. Will, nearing the age of thirteen, had had a talent for the art. As he had learned and grown, Will honed the ability. Now, at the age of twenty, he was doing most of, if not all of, the work while Brown got drunk or slept.
The wind, carrying the scent of the sea, brushed Will’s nose when he left the smithy. That scent didn’t bring to mind Jack, who sat in the prison awaiting his fate on the morrow. No, it brought to mind the woman Will had loved since he’d first seen her on the HMS Dauntless when he was twelve.
Elizabeth Swann. How was she faring? Will hadn’t seen her since they docked this morning. They hadn’t spoken on the voyage back from Isla de la Muerta, Island of the Dead.
Running his thumb over the white bandage that covered his cut, Will started walking, no real destination in mind. Looking around him, he saw Port Royal was going to take some time to heal from the destruction the Black Pearl had left in its wake. The destruction Barbossa and his undead crew had caused.
Now the curse was lifted. Commodore Norrington hadn’t bothered waiting for tomorrow to order the deaths of what remained of Barbossa’s crew. But perhaps he’d been more merciful ordering them to be executed, instead of waiting to be hung this afternoon.
Governor Swann had granted Will clemency, though he deserved to be in the cell with the pirate captain. Frowning, Will tugged the scarf loose from his neck. He had been forgiven, but that didn’t clear Jack’s fate from his conscience.
Ironically enough, Will found himself in front of the building that was the jail. One of His Majesty’s men was standing guard at the entrance. He stopped Will from going in.
“State your business.”
“I wanted to see Sparrow.”
“You are to leave all weapons here.”
Will stared at the man, his temper starting rise. But keeping his voice the same, he said, “I do not have anything on me.”
Giving Will an once-over look, the guard stepped aside.
Now on the floor where the cells were, Will could hear singing. It was quiet, what it was he didn’t know, but still hearable. He saw two more guards at one of the cells. The guards were none other then Murtogg and Mullroy. They aren’t taking any chances were they? Or rather Norrington won’t, Will thought grimly.
But Will wasn’t going to do anything as stupid as to try to spring Jack from jail again. As much as he didn’t want to see his friend hung, Will couldn’t think of anything to prevent that from happening.
The mutt with the keys was laying under a small bench. It merely raised its head when Will passed. The dog didn’t follow in Will’s wake.
“…-rate’s life for me,
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.”
Will now could hear the song Jack was singing quietly. He’d remembered Elizabeth singing it when they were young at some point. Now wasn’t the time to hear that song. Elizabeth was going to marry Norrington.
Sitting against the far wall, Jack was making the song so mournful.
“We’re beggars and blighter’s and ne’er-do-well cads,
Drink up, me-”
“Stop singing!” Mullroy snapped as he glared at Jack. Jack stopped. Turning to Will, Mullroy asked, “What do you need, Mr. Turner?”
“Aye, but we’re loved by our moms-”
“Jack.” Will ignored the two solders, and cut off his friend’s singing.
“Will?
Glancing at Mullroy and Murtogg, Will asked, “Can I talk to him in private?”
“We are to-“ Murtogg started to say.
“We’ll stand over there,” Mullroy cut in. He nodded where the dog was. “Make it quick.” At least they wouldn’t have to hear Jack Sparrow singing.
Now with some small amount of privacy, Will sat on the ground to make himself comfortable. He didn’t know how long he could talk, but he figured he’d at least sit so Jack won’t have to look up at him.
“How are you?”
“If hard bread and water was what you had for supper, then I’m fit as a fiddle.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
Shrugging, Jack said, “If this is the end, mate, then this is it. Do you have anything to drink to lift up the spirit?”
“Sorry, Jack. You should know by now I don’t touch that kind of drink.”
“You are your father’s son.” Jack shook his head.
Will smiled slightly. Turning serious, he asked, “So you don’t have doubts about anything that led to this?”
“We all have regrets, mate. Things we can’t change. Like what happened to Bill, I can’t change that, but I wish that hadn’t happened to him.”
“My father, do you think he regretted anything?”
“If you mean turning to piracy, I don’t think so. As for other matters, I don’t know, Will. But one thing I’m sure he was regretting was leaving your mother and you. And with the curse, there was never that chance that he could go back.”
“And you, Jack?”
“Me? To have the Black Pearl, my freedom. What of you, Will? You rescued your bonny lass?”
“Time’s up.” Murtogg said as he and Mullroy came back over.
“Remember Will, the opportune moment? And do everyone a favor, and try not to do anything stupid.” Jack grinned, his gold teeth flashing at him as Will got to his feet.
“Goodbye, Jack.” Will said quietly. Jack Sparrow was hardly what one would call a mentor, but Will had learned a lot of important things in the past few days.
“We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, we loot,
Drink up, me hearties…”
Going toward the stairs, Will heard Jack start to sing once again. The guards were in for a long night. Feeling the wind on his face, Will headed for the beach.
Walking the beach that was a few miles away from the docks, Will inhaled the salty sea air. It was quiet now that it was nighttime. Being out here let him think.
Looking down the beach, he saw footprints in the sand by the light of the moon. Quickening his pace, Will saw a small boat up a ways. Who owned this boat?
Hearing something, Will looked up, and saw two people coming toward him. It was Anamaria and Gibbs. What were they doing here?
“Are you two mad?” Will asked in a high whisper. “What are you doing here?”
“It is good to see you too, young Will. But to answer your questions, maybe there’s a chance we can keep Jack from meeting the noose.” Gibbs said. “But we can’t think of anything that can get Jack free without getting caught ourselves.”
“Do you have any bright ideas?” Anamaria asked. Her unasked question hung in the night air. Are you not going to do anything?
“Now you want to help Jack?” Will could not believe this. Why hadn’t they stuck around before? Jack wouldn’t even be in this mess if they had waited for him.
“The Code is more like guidelines, Will.” Gibbs explained.
“So you follow the Code when it suits you?”
“The point is, we are here now.” Anamaria said sharply. “Are you willing to help or not?”
Will’s mind raced. Was there a chance that they could pull of a rescue attempt? Think!
A plan started to form in his mind. “Can you remain hidden behind the cove?”
Anamaria and Gibbs glanced at each other, then back at Will. “Yes,” the woman pirate said.
“I have a plan to get Jack from the gallows tomorrow morning. You’ll just have to be waiting until he hits the water over there.” Will pointed out the fort’s wall that held the bell. It was too dark to see clearly, but the outline was visible.
“And how do you expect to get Jack in the water?” asked Gibbs, with curiosity.
“Leave that to me. I’ll need Cotton’s parrot to fly into the fort to let me know that you’re ready.”
“Fair enough.” Anamaria nodded. She would leave the young man to make his plans.
“You may want to go back to the Pearl so you aren’t seen.”
“Just a moment, lad.” Gibbs said. Taking something off his belt, he handed it over to Will.
It was a small, but heavy bag. “What’s this?”
“It’s a small share of the treasure, it’s yours.”
“But, I-” Will started to say.
“You were one of Jack’s crew for a time, Will.” Anamaria cut him off. “The crew gets a share of whatever we find.”
This isn’t from Isla de la Muerta, is it?”
“Nay, we haven’t gone there. This was in Barbossa’s stash of loot.”
Will didn’t want to take it, but he knew better then to argue, especially with Anamaria. He could try, but he didn’t want to make a scene.
“Thank you,” he said humbly.
“Good luck to you tomorrow.” Gibbs said as he and Anamaria made ready to row out to where the Pearl was hidden.
Will watched them go, and waited until they disappeared before heading back up the beach.
What was he going to do with money in the pouch? He didn’t know how much was in there, but it was small fortune indeed. He could buy a hat. He hadn’t had one of those in a long time.
Hopefully everything will work out, Will thought. There was a chance that he would end up next to Jack tomorrow if his plan failed. But he wouldn’t regret doing it.
There was something else he would have to do as well. It was time seize the opportune moment. Will Turner was going to finally tell Elizabeth Swann how he felt about her.
The End