The Fine Line Between Legends And Lies

Chapter 15:

A/N: Okay Jack and Teague finally explode at each other forcing Elizabeth to come between them. The Interceptor having been successful in squeezing information out of the locals on Shipwreck Island turns it’s sights on Shipwreck City to search for Elizabeth and Jack.

Elizabeth sat at the table her fingers drumming against the sleek wooden surface quickly. Her irritation was easy to read as her chocolate eyes shifted from Jack to Teague and then back to Jack again as she waited for one of them to break the deafening silence. Finally when it was becoming clear to her that neither of the men that sat at the table with her had any intention whatsoever of speaking she slammed her palm down on the table angrily. The sudden clap of her hand hitting the table startled both men making them flinch momentarily. Elizabeth gave a frustrated sigh before speaking. “Alright, I’ve had it!”

“Lizbeth, love….”

She cut him off quickly. “Don’t! I’ve had it with the ridiculous way the two of you refuse to speak to one another! You’re father and son so start acting like it!”

“Love, me father an’ I have nothing t’ say t’ each other. So I’m afraid yer wasting yer time.”

She spoke through gritted teeth as she glared at her husband making his dark eyes fall to the table quickly to stare at his dirty hands. “I don’t care if you think you have nothing to say! Obviously you do! Or else the both of you wouldn’t sulk like little children when in each other’s presence! Now you two will talk or else you will be sitting here all night!”

Jack glanced over at Teague who shrugged at him. He was being no help at all. As usual, that was par for the course. When had Teague ever been helpful in anything that concerned his only son? Jack frowned as he tried to remember a time when his father had acted as any normal father would. Hmmm, that’s embarrassing to think that nothing popped into his head. Oh wait, he had helped them when they had battled Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Company, along with Davy Jones. Okay so Teague had done at least one good thing. But a lifetime of shortcomings as a father were not to be absolved by one selfless act as far as he was concerned. And his darling wife simply just had to accept that.

Finally drawing the courage to address his wife Jack cleared his throat. “Darling, I know ye mean well, but take into consideration that not all fathers are as wonderful as yers?”

Elizabeth scowled at the mention of her father and immediately tossed a sharp reply back at Jack. “At least your father doesn't pretend to be anything but what he is! If not for my father we wouldn't be in the mess we are right now!"

“Love I’ve managed t’ get along jus’ fine without having a….” he winced as if saying the very word hurt him. “relationship with me father.”

“Jack you will make an effort to talk to your father or you will sit here at this table in silence until one of you finally decides to take the initiative and speak.”

He sighed heavily knowing that his stubborn wife would not likely give up this fool hearted attempt at making them talk to each other. No matter how good intentioned it might have been. “Alright love, ye win.” She grinned at him and stood up to leave the table. Both Jack and Teague stood up to excuse Elizabeth from the dining hall.

Elizabeth placed a hand over her pregnant belly as she padded out of the dining hall only to stop just outside the doorway to listen to what they would say to each other. Jack and Teague both sank back down into their chairs casting irritated glances at each other as they did. Teague glared at his son his dark eyes glittering clearly displaying his disappointment with him. But not a word was spoken as the two men sat there at the table. Jack stared down at the table where his hands lay flat. He stared at his dirty fingernails as if they were fascinating to him. When he heard his father clear his throat he reluctantly tore his gaze away from his hands and looked over at the older man. Jack raised his eyebrows waiting for Teague to speak. When he didn’t Jack just rolled his eyes and looked back down at the table. Elizabeth stood there in the hall with her back pressed against the wall. She folded her arms over her chest annoyed that they still hadn’t uttered a single word since she had left them sitting there. This was not going the way she had intended at all. At this rate they would be there for an eternity just sitting in silence occasionally glaring at each other.

She bit her bottom lip anxiously when she heard Teague clear his throat again. Hopefully this time he would say something. This time she wasn’t disappointed when she heard his gruff voice. “Ye’ve gone soft boy.”

Jack glared up at his father angrily his dark eyes glittering in the dim candlelight. “Come again?”

“Ye heard me. I said yer soft. Marrying that girl has made ye soft.”

“I’ll not have ye insulting me wife dad. She is still King of the Brethren Court so ye should show her some respect!”

Out in the hall Elizabeth smiled to herself as she listened to Jack defend her to Teague. Not that she needed him to defend her. No she could handle Teague Sparrow all on her own.

Teague snorted before responding to his son’s outburst. “Ah such anger, ye must really love that girl then.”

“Of course I love her, she’s me wife. I bloody married her. Why would I marry her if I didn’t love her?”

“Obligation perhaps?”

“Jus’ cause she’s pregnant? No I’m with Elizabeth because I choose t’ be, not because I feel obligated t’ her.”

“Ah so ye confirm it then?”

“Confirm what?”

“Ye love her?”

“Did I not jus’ say that I loved her? Ye haven’t listened t’ anything I’ve said have ye?”

“Most of the time nothing worth listening t’ comes out of yer mouth boy. But I heard ye.”

“I’m surprised.”

“My boy, the idiot who fell in love.”

“Ye talk bout love like it’s such a terrible thing.”

“Aye, love is a dreadful bond that only serves t’ weaken the most formidable of men.”

Jack snorted this time before speaking. “Oh right, this is bout mum isn’t it?”

Teague glared up at Jack the instant his late wife had been brought up. “Yer mother has nothing t’ do with how I feel bout love!”

“Right. So ye were always this bitter? Poor mum.”

“Don’t talk bout Olivia! It’s yer fault that she’s gone boy!”

Jack’s smug smile faded quickly at his father’s harsh words. So here it was, the real reason his father was so bitter towards him. So all this time his father had blamed him for his mother’s death. As if Jack could have done anything to prevent his being born onboard his father’s ship during that typhoon which had resulted in his mother’s untimely death.

“So ye do blame me then?”

“Yes I blame ye! Ye took her from me!”

“An’ ye hate me for it?”

Teague remained silent awhile before raising his dark eyes to meet Jack’s. “Yes I do, I hate ye Jack.”

The words stung as they fell from Teague’s lips. Jack did his best not to visibly flinch at the harshness of them. He lowered his eyes to the table once more before speaking. “Ye think I took her from ye?”

“Ye did! Olivia died giving birth t’ ye, ye ungrateful whelp!”

Elizabeth felt tears prick her eyes as she stood there listening to the harsh words that spewed out of Teague’s mouth. Finally she found she could stand there no longer and listen to that horrible man berate her husband for something that was in no way his fault at all. Elizabeth clenched her hands into fists and marched back into the dining hall. Her voice was louder than she expected it to be when she spoke causing both men to look up at her in shock. “You bastard! How dare you blame Jack for his mother dying while giving birth to him! That was God’s will and you know it to be true! How dare you try and make Jack feel guilty for something that he has no fault in!”

Jack stood up as he watched Elizabeth cross the room to where Teague was standing. Her right hand came up so fast that she barely had time to realize it herself. The palm of her hand came into sharp contact with the older man’s cheek giving a resounding slap to his face. She stared up at him a little surprised by what she had just done but then her hand quickly fell to her side. Teague glared down at her his dark eyes burning into her. “Ye dare t’ strike me girl?”

“King of the Brethren Court! You will address me with proper respect Teague!”

He scowled at her and then sarcastically responded. “Of course yer majesty. Might I demand the same respect?”

She shot back just as sarcastically as he had. “You may Captain.”

“This be none of yer business majesty. It be between me son an’ meself.”

“No it is my business, Jack is still my husband, and I will not stand idly by while you insult him.”

“Ah ye got yerself a good an’ feisty little wife I see boy. Well I said all I care t’ say so if ye will excuse me majesty?”

“Oh right, be a coward!”

“A coward ye say?”

“I do.”

“Majesty, me boy an’ I know where we stand with each other. An’ that’s not likely t’ ever change. I blame him for Olivia’s death an’ he blames me for being an absent father.”

“Well don’t you think you should try and salvage your relationship?”

Jack spoke up before Teague had the chance to. “Elizabeth love, I appreciate ye coming t’ me rescue, but nothing’s going t’ change with me an’ Teague.”

“Jack?”

“Don’t love, jus’ let it go.” Having said that Jack turned and walked out of the dining hall leaving Elizabeth and Teague alone. She turned back to him and glared at him making no attempt to hide her contempt toward him.

“You’re a selfish man and you deserve to be alone! You don’t deserve to have a son that’s as wonderful a man as Jack is!”

“Think what ye will of me yer majesty.” Teague then tipped his hat to her as she stormed out of the room after Jack. Shaking his head Teague exited the dining hall to retire to his bedroom for the evening.

Elizabeth found Jack heading out the main doors of the fortress that was Shipwreck City. She jogged as quickly as she could manage to catch up to him. Nearly out of breath she reached out and gently grasped his hand. Jack jumped startled at her touch. He then smiled at her and closed his fingers around hers as they walked out into the cool balmy night air to head down to the beach. “Jack I’m so sorry.”

“What have ye got t’ be sorry bout darling?”

“I forced you to talk to your father when you had no desire to do so. I had no idea he was such a monster.”

“Forget it love, it makes no difference what that bastard thinks of me.”

“Jack?”

“Yes love?”

“I love you.”

“I love ye too Elizabeth, an’ the runt as well.”

She grinned up at him as he reached down and placed a calloused hand over her rounded belly. They walked hand in hand down the beach beneath the moon content to stay silent for a while.

Out on the main island of the small chain of islands that made up Shipwreck Island the Interceptor had docked in the bay. Commodore Norrington and Will Turner made their way ashore with nearly every soldier they had at their disposal leaving only a small group behind to stand guard over the ship. “So what course do we take now Commodore?”

“We see what information we can get out of the locals.”

“How so?”

“Persuasion of course.”

Will frowned as he replied more to himself than the Commodore. “Interrogation you mean.”

Norrington ignored the snide comment that Will had muttered as they walked down the pier towards the small village that lay ahead of them. There were many of the natives scurrying about as they approached the village. Once they reached the village it didn’t take long for Norrington to shout orders to his men. “Alright men, gather up any women and small children you can.”

“Norrington you can’t do that!”

“I’m the Commodore Mr. Turner, I can do whatever I deem necessary to find Elizabeth.” He nodded his approval and sent the soldiers running through the village to do his bidding. It didn’t take long for them to raid every house and drag out all the females and small children. Once they had them gathered they bound their hands and feet with rope.

The chief of the village approached Norrington with another elderly man. He spoke in a language that neither Will or Norrington understood. Then as if knowing they didn’t understand the other man began to speak in English. “Chief Azamati asks why you have taken all the women and children prisoner?”

“Tell your chief that we will let them go for some information.”

The elderly man turned and addressed the chief in their native language. After the chief responded he turned back to Norrington to reply. “What information do you seek?”

“The location of one Captain Jack Sparrow.”

“If we do not wish to involve ourselves in whatever trouble Captain Sparrow is in then what?”

“I’m afraid that all your women and children will be taken back to Port Royal and Kingston to be sold as slaves. So do we have an agreement?”

The elderly man spoke once more to the chief before quickly turning his attention back to Norrington. “Agreed. We will give you what you seek. Captain Sparrow is hiding in the fortress built of shipwrecks, it is called Shipwreck City.”

“Ah you’ve been most helpful. Now as agreed we shall release your women and children.” Norrington turned to the troops and gave them a small nod signaling them to release the prisoners.

Norrington turned and started back towards the ship with Will quickly on his heels. “Since when did you become such a monster Norrington?”

“When it became necessary Mr. Turner.”

They boarded the Interceptor and Norrington gathered every man onboard. “Men we have successfully learned of Jack Sparrow’s whereabouts. At dawn we will weigh anchor and sail to Shipwreck City. There we will find Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann and we shall bring them to justice!”

The men gave a cheer and then were dismissed back below decks. Norrington retired to his cabin and Will chose to remain on deck alone save for the soldier that was in the crow’s nest keeping watch. He leaned over the railing to look out at the dark water the moonlight shimmering on it’s surface. What on earth had he done? If they were successful in capturing Jack and Elizabeth it meant certain death for Jack. Elizabeth would more than likely never forgive him for this act of betrayal towards her. He looked up at the sky. “Oh please God forgive me for my actions. I was only trying to protect Elizabeth and now I fear that I may have put her on the path to certain harm.”

A/N: Okay now Will is starting to regret siding with the Commodore because he sees what it will cost Elizabeth in the end. Will he decide to betray the Commodore and come to Elizabeth and Jack’s aide? Let me know what you think!