The Turning of the Tides

TITLE: The Turning of the Tides 5/?
AUTHOR: Seraphina (lealea55@hotmail.com)
PAIRING: eventual Jack/Will slash
RATING:eventual NC-17
SUMMARY: Will finds Jack and together they find trouble.
DISCLAIMER: not mine, never were and onfortunately never will be.

CHAPTER 5

Will’s attempts to voice any protest was swiftly cut off as he found himself with a mouthful of stinking armpit. All he was capable of now were a few indignant muffles as his shirt was torn and his crotch grabbed at. He had a small victory when he managed to elbow one girl hard enough to have her release her painful grip on his hair but that still left him with five other hands groping in various places, none of which were at all appropriate.

Although Will did not consider himself to be a gentleman, he still had a fair idea of what was proper and what was improper and his current situation was leaning heavily on the side of the latter. He had never in his life even conceived the idea of attending a brothel. He had very rarely even visited the taverns of Port Royal but when he had there had definitely been no sign of a whore. They kept to the areas surrounding the docks and were left alone for the most part as they kept the undesirables out of the town centre. But there was evidence of whoring all over Tortuga because the only people there were undesirables…and then there was Will.

Will didn’t know how long he was stuck under the writhing mass of soft but filthy female parts, but at some stage, when his ears were free of tits, elbows and any other obstructions, he heard a commotion coming from the direction of the door as someone entered in a rush and a squeal of whores and a familiar voice rang out over the din of the crowd shouting “Drinks all ‘round!”

A cheer went up all around the tavern but the three girls accosting Will gave no indication that they were going to go and join the madness that had broken out at the bar. With a rise of panic, the thought occurred to Will that he must be stuck under the only three people in the whole of Tortuga that would pass up on a free drink.

“Where're me girls?!” the voice slurred out again and this time Will was able to place it and the panic receded slightly. He would’ve wept for joy if he weren’t already so close to weeping from the lack of propriety of his situation as Jack Sparrow continued to call out across the inn.

“Where are Flora, Fanny and Anneliese?!”

Will attempted to cry out that they were over here, on top of him and violating his person completely against his will, but there was still the matter the armpit in his way. And so it was that Will doubled his wriggling assault but succeeded only on sliding further and further down on the bench until his legs were quite firmly pinned beneath the table in front of him. The panic returned in the form of a tidal wave and kept on rolling in as he heard the Madam approach Jack and tell him that his girls were otherwise engaged with a gentleman and that the pirate would have to wait his turn like any other scoundrel.

Will wanted to scream with frustration and bite into the armpit and if Jack hadn’t been an impatient and possessive bastard, Will could very well have been washing the taste of that particular piece of Flora’s anatomy from his mouth for the rest of his days.

But Will was saved from this disturbing outcome as Jack roared at the Madam to get out of his way. He received a slap for his troubles but soon Jack was hauling Will’s maulers off him crying, “No man, gentleman OR scallywag comes between me and my- Oh hallo Will! What the blazes’re you doin’ under this filthy lot?” The pirate’s demeanour changed immediately as he shoved the three pouting girls away without a second thought, grinning from ear to ear.

Acting as though the few months it had been since they’d last seen each other had never occurred, Jack grabbed Will by the back of his shirt collar and hauled the rather shaken lad back up until he was sitting at the table, trying to look as respectable as one could after such an ordeal.

Jack was ignorant to the fragile state of mind of the blacksmith as he plonked himself down uninvited on the bench next to his young friend. Not that he needed or would have been denied such an invitation as Will stared gratefully at Jack like he was The Saviour, having delivered him from a fate worse than death.

“You look a little worse for wear, mate. What ever made you think you could take on those three?” Jack asked, gesturing with his head towards the bristling whores who looked decidedly miffed having lost not one but two customers for the night. Their glares were exchanged for sultry pouts and giggles as Jack rifled around inside the confines of his dusty old coat and came out with a small bag of coin, tossing it to them and giving them a cheeky wink, sending them on their way.

“I didn’t,” Will ground out, pulling himself up straight and vainly trying to cover his revealed chest with the remains of his torn shirt. He felt decidedly uncomfortable being so exposed in public. “The Madam ‘gave’ them to me.” He rubbed his face, his hands coming away covered in rouge. Jack laughed and slapped him on the back. Will pitched forward from the force, his ribs hitting the edge of the table and he winced.

Jack didn’t seem to notice and snatched two tankards of rum from a passing serving wench. “She must’ve like you!” The pirate offered one tankard to Will who declined, opting to try and make some semblance of order of himself, wheezing through the pain in his chest. “Best whores in the Bride are Flora, Fanny and Anneliese. The cleanest too. Work as a team they do.”

“So I noticed,” Will bridled, finding the situation positively unfunny. There would be no saving his shirt. It was ruined beyond repair but this went unnoticed by Jack who was highly amused by the lad’s misfortunes and he took a large swig of rum, wiping the remnants from his mouth with the back of a bronzed hand. His gold toothed grin remained, unwavering.

“Well you must’ve done something to deserve it. Ol’ Mary don’t give much away for free. Except for the back of ‘er ‘and that is,” He rubbed the side of his face that was still an angry red colour before taking another swig from the flagon.

Will frowned. What had he done? Oh that’s right. “I told her that she had nice nipples.”

The look on Jack’s face was priceless as he choked on the rum, eyes bulging over the top of the mug before howling with laughter. Slamming his drink on the table, he slapped Will on the back yet again. And once again the boy hit the table in front of them with an ‘oof’.

“Oh lad but ye are a green one.”

“That’s what she said,” Will mutter as Jack laughed again and ruffled the boy’s hair which had escaped its bonds at some stage and hung around his rapidly darkening features in a mess of curls. Will ran a hand gingerly over his ribs. ‘Send the whores into break my spirit and the pirate captain to break my body’ he thought, questioning his decision to leave Port Royal for the second time that night. Things were not going as he’d planned.

Jack saw the look and took pity on him. “No need to take it personal, mate. Innocence is something that people like us don’t see much of these days. Bit of a novelty really but don’t take it to heart.”

There was a scream followed by a loud clatter and Jack nearly jumped out of his skin, whipping his pistol out from under his battered old coat and whirling around to face the door. Will went sprawling forward onto the table. He stayed there, thinking that if he didn’t sit back up again, his poor ribs couldn’t suffer anymore damage.

Jack relaxed when he saw that the racket had been caused by a serving wench dropping a jug of ale when a disreputable looking fellow had pulled her into his lap. The woman was currently battering the man about the head with his own hat.

Jack sat back down heavily, knocking Will forward even further but ignoring the groan that emanated from the prone figure of the boy as the pirate’s eyes continued to dart around the room giving his face a comical appearance. Not that Will could see any of this from his position on the table.

Jack took a long draught of his preferred beverage, all the while remaining alert until he was satisfied that he wasn’t under attack or being watched. Setting the pistol down on the table and his hat on top of that, he glanced down noticing Will who’s head was still on the table and dragged the boy up roughly, once more by the back of the collar. Will groaned again as his back hit the wall behind them.

“I think I’ve broken my ribs.”

Jack looked at Will as if he were mad and shook his head, trinkets tinkling with the movement. “Don’t be daft boy. Flora, Fanny an’ Anneliese aren’t big enough to break anything asides a heart. Now look ‘ere,”

Will turned his head to stare mildly at his companion, his facing baring an expression that said ‘there is nothing in this world you could tell me right now that I would give a damn about because you’re a stupid, drunken pirate and I don’t know why I came looking for you in the first place’- all this translated to mean a look that was severely nonplussed.

Jack glanced around as if making sure that no one else would be privy to the information he was about to divulge to his young friend whom he thought looked a little peaky. But that was only a minor concern as he swayed in close to Will as he had a habit of doing to people.

“My life”, he whispered hoarsely, eyes still darting around, “is in peril.”

Will rolled his eyes, shifting and inch to his left, trying to get away from the alcohol fumes that vented from Jack every time he exhaled. “Pirate,” said Will by way of explanation, thinking that Jack must’ve been tipped over the edge at some time in the last few months since he’d seen him. “Since when are you *not* in peril?”

Jack gave him a look that said ‘touché’ but continued voicing his suspicions. “Yes but we’re talkin’ *mortal* peril ‘ere dear William.”

“And hanging from the gallows with a noose around your neck doesn’t constitute as being in mortal peril?”

Jack gave an impatient sigh but went on without comment. “Word ‘as it that someone ‘as been askin’ aroun’ for me this night.” His yes narrowed and he gestured with his hands. “A shady character that leaves no name nor does ‘e state ‘is business.” His head made bizarre movements as he encountered this dramatically to Will who sat patiently until the pirate had finished.

When he had, Will shook his head, smiling.

“I’m in mortal peril an’ you’re all toothy grins?! Well that’s bloody luverly ain’t it?!” Jack slumped back against the wall and drank his rum darkly.

“I’m not smiling because you’re in mortal peril. I’m smiling because you’re *not* in mortal peril.”

“O’ course I’m in mortal peril!!! I just finished telling you that-“

“*I’m* the one that’s been asking around for you.”

Jack frowned, confusion marking his tanned features.

Will rolled his eyes. “I’m the shady character.”

Jack seemed to think for a moment before replying. “Yer not shady.”

“I could be shady,” Will retorted, sitting up straighter and puffing his chest out a little, causing the torn shirt to fall open again. He quickly shrunk back down against the wall, frantically trying to cover himself.

“Yer not shady.” Jack repeated.

Will glowered.

Jack smiled. “But this is a good thing!!! I’m not in mortal peril!!!”

“I just said that.” Will sulked. He was sure he could be shady if he wanted to…he just didn’t want to.

“This is cause fer a celebration,” Jack cried, beaming and throwing his arms about wildly. “Let’s ‘av a drink!”

“You already have two.”

Jack frowned again and looked at the two tankards in front of him with an air of determination. Picking up the one he’d already started, he downed it in one gulp. He made quick work of the second before slamming the empty mug on the table. “Let’s ‘av another drink!” His voice was slightly more slurred than it had been two minutes before hand but he was still quite lucid when it came to the scale of a drunken Jack Sparrow.

“I don’t drink.”

“Let’s ‘av a whore!”

Will blanched. “No whores!!!”

Jack threw an arm around Will’s shoulders. “Now come on lad. We’re celebrating my life not bein’ in mortal peril ‘ere! So what’s it gonna be? A drink or a whore?” The pirate’s eyes widened and his whole body jerked up as he had an idea. “Or both?!!!”

Will slumped under the weight of the arm around him and the power of the alcoholic breath blowing in his face. “I’ll have a drink. But no rum. Ale will do fine.”

“Ale it is!” Jack cried, thumping Will on the back as his arm left the boy’s shoulders. Will had enough sense to brace himself against the blow this time and avoided being pushed into the table. Thanking God for small mercies, he took the mug of ale that Jack had swiped of another serving wench and knocked it against the mug of rum the pirate had in a toast.

“To my life not bein’ in mortal peril!”

Will repeated the toast and they both took hearty gulps from their mugs.

“So,” Jack started after swallowing. “My first question was goin’ t’be ‘What’re you doin’ in Tortuga?’ but ye’ve already answered that so my second question is ‘Why’re ye lookin’ for me?’ and I may as well throw the third question in too ‘cause it probably ‘as somethin’ t’do with the answer to the latter an’ that is, ‘What happened to your darlin’ Elizabeth?’” The word ‘darlin’’ was drawn out a little more than the others and Jack fluttered his eyelashes as he said it.

Will shrugged. What was he supposed to say? It didn’t work out? Well yes, he guessed so. “It didn’t work out.”

Jack nodded sympathetically. “Can’t say as ye couldn’t see that one comin'.”

Will frowned. “What’s the supposed to mean?”

Jack paused for a second and frowned in thought. “I don’t know…it was jus' the…” he made a uninterpretable gesture. “An' the…” followed by another strange hand movement. “With the…” he waved his arms around maniacally. “You know!”

Will stared for a long time Jack, one eyebrow raised and mug mid way between the table and his mouth, before responding. “Let us pretend for one moment, for the sake of my sanity, that all that just made some sort of sense and that you’re not completely mad-”

“Oh no lad, never pretend tha' I’m not completely mad. Ye'd be mad to.” Jack’s eyes went wide as he said that and he broke into another grin and made yet another hand gesture. “Continue.”

“YOU’RE COMPLETELY MAD!!!”

Jack snorted. “I know I’m completely mad. I just admitted to bein’ completely mad which I guess makes me a lit’le less madder than we first though' ‘cause no madman would actually admit to bein' completely mad unless o' course he was mad beyond all stretch o' th' imagination in which case there’s likely t' be another word for ‘im because one can’t be madder than completely mad without being somethin' else, savvy?”

“Oh you’re something else alright. Although I’m not sure what that makes me. I *am* the one who’s been looking for you after all.” The thought was somewhat depressing to Will. Maybe he was mad too…perhaps even madder than Jack. He chugged on his ale.

Jack nodded. “Why were you lookin’ for ol’ Jack anyway? Thought ye’d had your fill o’ piracy.”

Will was just about to open his mouth to tell Jack that he’d been asking himself that very same question all night when a tall, dark man burst into the Bride, flanked by two men on each side, all of them baring pistols.

“Hold that thought,” Jack said, placing a hand on Will’s forearm just as the man turned and spotted them.

“There ‘e is!!!”

The five of them lifted their pistols and pointed them at Jack.

The rest of the tavern had gone quiet and were watching on with mild interest. Fights were more common than the sunrise in Tortuga, even ones that involved gun fire.

“Jack?” Will said out the corner of his mouth.

“Aye lad?”

“I believe your life is in mortal peril.”

Jack turned and grinned at the wide-eyed Will. “Told you ye weren’t shady.”