Chapter Text
Port Royal was eerily quiet the morning after the pirate raid. The stormy, oppressive heat of the night before had lifted, replaced by a soft breeze that played gently on Will’s face as he came to. His head was slightly foggy as his eyes blinked open, taking in the expansive azure blue of the sky.
Groaning, he sat up, raising a hand to his head. He could feel a tender bruise forming, the memory of the blow nothing more than a hazy blur. It took him a minute to even recollect the events of last night, but once he did he stiffened, taking in his surroundings.
The effects of the raid were unmistakeable, several wounded men and women being attended to by uniformed guards, while others dejectedly swept up rubble and broken glass as they looked hopelessly at the wreckage of their homes. He saw that the smithy seemed mostly unharmed aside from a broken window or two, but several nearby buildings seemed to have been set on fire and would evidently require extensive repair.
The extent of the damage set an undercurrent of rage burning through him, unable to swallow a vicious desire for revenge. The image of Elizabeth being manhandled by those brutes played and replayed in his head, a rising tide of panic swelling. Where could they have taken her? Was it even possible that she was still alive?
She had been his closest friend since childhood, the person he had shared all his happiest memories until things had grown frigid under the weight of expectation, confusion as to what their relationship should become now they were grown. Things had been so easy between them at first, secrets and jokes shared without regard for rules or propriety, and his heart ached now for that warm simplicity. His feelings towards her now were too confusing to decipher, muddied by thoughts of wealth, status and marriage, conflicting desires and a pervasive feeling of anxiety that hit him like nausea when he thought too hard about the subject. But seeing her in danger had suddenly made things simple again - he knew with a fierce certainty that he couldn't stand by while her life was at risk, and that made everything else insignificant. He would do whatever it took to save her.
Picking himself up off the ground, an action that sent another vicious throb through his skull, he tried to formulate a plan. The governor, no doubt worried sick, was surely already working with the commodore to track his daughter down, with an entire fleet of soldiers and several of the fastest ships in the Caribbean at their disposal.
For a moment he considered offering his services to them, revealing his skill as a swordsman and suggesting to them that they enlist the help of Sparrow, who being a notorious pirate himself would likely be able to give them useful information. Without it, tracking Elizabeth down would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, besides, the pirates were doubtless well-versed in tricks that the Commodore’s men would be no match for.
But Will frowned and halted his train of thought. From what he knew about the commodore, the man would never stoop to take advice from a pirate, would never even entertain the idea. And the chances of him even taking Will seriously were slim; even if he were to be heard, he would certainly not be allowed to have any part in the decision making, and probably not even accompany the fleet given that he was not a trained soldier. The actions of the commodore would be too slow, too by the book - certainly insufficient to match the cunning of a band of pirates such as those they had encountered last night.
Will had to face it; the only way he would be able to get things done fast, and maximise his chances of finding Elizabeth alive were to solicit Sparrow’s help alone, somehow make a deal with him. The thought sent a dangerous flutter through his chest; only 24 hours ago he had resolved to himself that he would never see the pirate again, having practically delivered him to the noose himself by having kept him occupied until Mr Brown had knocked him out. There was no denying that there was something unspeakably dangerous about the pirate, a pull that felt so deceptively sweet but that would burn him if he lowered his guard at any moment.
The answer was simple - he would have to keep his guard up; use Sparrow for his own gain. He pushed away the certainty that such a conviction was going to be difficult to stick to. This was for Elizabeth, he reminded himself - he was doing it for Elizabeth.
Mind made up, he strode purposefully down the street in the direction of the ocean, heading to the prison which lay just south of the port, near the fortifications that had taken such a beating by the pirate ship last night. There was a flurry of activity throughout the town that reassured him as he made his way through the streets, protected by being part of a crowd. He clung to the feeling, knowing that if all went well, he would soon be on the high seas, a criminal accompanied only by a notorious pirate, and thus persecuted by the law unless he could prove himself by safely delivering Elizabeth home.
As he approached the seafront he was taken aback at the extent of the damage to the port, large holes blown into the ships that resided there, with only a few remaining undamaged. He turned left, away from the centre of the town, and relaxed somewhat as things became quieter. The town's fortifications would likely be unmanned in the wake of the attack, as the officers regrouped and developed a new plan of action, ready to give new instructions to their men.
However no sooner had he thought this than he spotted a group of red-coated officers in a hurry, marching his direction along the dusty dirt track to report for duty in the town. Though of course there was no way they could possibly guess his intentions just from looking at him, Will rushed to leave the road and duck behind a farmhouse in paranoia, heart thumping as he waited there until they passed. The thought of the fact that they might soon be hunting him down terrified him, the knowledge that he would be destined for the noose if he failed in his mission. Yet he could feel a whisper of excitement rippling through him, the awareness of how close he now was to the prison, and therefore to Jack Sparrow.
When at last he reached the half-crumbling gaol, Will slowed his pace and treaded carefully over the rubble, a sensation of being observed crawling across his skin. Though the building seemed entirely deserted, doors blown wide open and the guards seeming to have fled from their posts, he knew that if he was somehow caught now, there would be no going back. But he had made up his mind, the sight of Elizabeth being dragged away still playing in his mind - she needed help.
Steeling himself, he treaded further into the prison.
‘Sparrow,’ he hissed, eyes darting around the cells. He saw that most had been vacated, the gaping holes in the fortified stone walls of the place having doubtless enabled a lucky escape for most. They allowed golden beams of light to penetrate the cells, throwing the dirt and grime of the floor and walls into sharp relief. His heart sank as he walked past empty cell after empty cell. Could Jack have broken out?
He told himself the unease was due to the fact that he couldn’t possibly rescue miss Swann without the help of the notorious pirate. But he couldn’t deny the part of him that was feverishly considering that he would never see, argue or duel with the man again.
However his thoughts were cut short as his eyes finally lit on Jack, stretched out on the dusty floor of the furthest cell from the door, whose walls had miraculously survived the cannons.
He breathed out a sigh of relief and approached the cell. It seemed the pirate was asleep, one arm behind his head, legs sprawled to make the most of the space, as if he were a king lounging on a four-poster.
Will felt cagey at the sight, uncomfortable at the vulnerability the pirate was showing. Fighting the man had been one thing; the adrenaline of anticipating his next move was more thrilling than he’d like to admit, but waiting for him to awake was an entirely different challenge.
He cleared his throat purposefully, shuffled his feet in an attempt to subtly rouse the dozing pirate. Restlessness tugged at him and he was almost debating bolting and abandoning the whole idea, leaving Elizabeth to the responsibility of the commodore, but no sooner had he taken another step than the captain burst into wakefulness, sitting bolt upright and fixing him with a wild disoriented look.
‘Who’s there!’ he cried, hand clutching the pocket where his sword should have been.
No turning back now, Will stepped forward out of the shadows.
Jack huffed a chuckle of disbelief as he took in the sight of him, the wild look dispersing to be replaced by recognition and his usual mirth. ‘You again? I thought you’d be busy taking down the Black Pearl lot with your penchant for pirate hunting. Not satisfied with a whole ship full of blood-thirsty rogues are you?’
Will ignored the question, not rising to the bait. ‘You are familiar with that ship? Where does it make berth?’ he asked determinedly.
Jack’s returning look of disbelief set him on edge. ‘Familiar with the black pearl? Surely you’ve heard the stories! That ship is the stuff of legend.’
‘Like I told you, I take no interest in pirates,’ Will hissed, aware that the declaration was belied by the low hum of interest he felt in his bones whenever this particular pirate was near.
‘Why are you so interested now then?’ Jack returned easily.
Frustrated, Will grabbed the bars of the cell and gave them a shake. ‘They’ve taken miss Swann!’ he growled. ‘Those foul criminals kidnapped her, and I demand you help me get her back!’
‘Ah, now would that be the woman I supposedly threatened?’ The captain raised a quizzical eyebrow in his direction, unphased by his outburst. ‘You’ve rather changed your tune, what makes you think I’m not in league with the ‘foul criminals’ who kidnapped her?’
Will’s grip tightened on the bars of the cell, blood burning with rage. ‘You wouldn’t dare, you-’
‘Relax love, I’m teasing,’ the pirate grinned placatingly. ‘I’ve been stuck in this cell all night with no entertainment and you make it so easy.’
Will refused to acknowledge such a response, attempting to burn the pirate with his stony glare.
Yet the man’s expression had gone distant, voice lowered with an unfamiliar tone of masked fury. ‘If you want to know the truth, I’ve just as much reason to seek revenge on those traitors as you. Nothing would please me more than to see them sunk to the bottom of the ocean.’
Will shivered a little at the look in his eye. He certainly didn’t want to get on Jack Sparrow’s bad side.
But as soon as it had come, his mood had dispersed. ‘So you want me to give you instructions to the dreaded Isla de Muerta just so you can rescue your damsel in distress and get your heroic reward, is that it? Hate to say it love but there doesn’t seem to be much in that arrangement for me.’
The teasing endearment triggered its familiar thrilling and shameful burn. ‘She’s not my damsel in distress,’ he said obstinately, irked by the phrase. It did Elizabeth a disservice and didn’t sit well with him. ‘I told you, she’s a friend. We played together as children.’
Jack chuckled. ‘How sweet.’
‘This isn’t a joke, Sparrow,’ he spat. ‘I refuse to stand by as they hurt her!’
Jack hummed interestedly, watching him closely. ‘I can certainly respect loyalty to a friend. But I don’t believe that’s the whole story, you’re far too defensive about her. Didn’t you know she got proposed to yesterday? Or are you trying to win her back perhaps?’
Will blinked. Elizabeth, proposed to? Could the commodore have made his intentions known so soon?
Jack evidently sensed his confusion and chuckled. ‘Ah, you didn’t know. That commodore, the one who put me in these irons-’ a flicker of fury danced in his eyes - ‘he got there first.’
Before he could process the information an inexplicable surge of relief hit Will, making him frown. The knowledge that Elizabeth’s hand was likely no longer an option should fill him with disappointment and anger; proving himself to her was what he had been working for his whole adult life, and yet the only feeling towards her that he could summon was the concern for her welfare that had been simmering in the pit of his stomach since last night.
Jack interrupted his jumble of thoughts by interjecting - ‘I did sense some dislike on her part so don’t despair yet, you may still be in with a chance!’ He grinned rakishly.
Will filed away the information for later and shook off the feelings. There was no need to give the pirate any more ammunition against him.
‘You asked what was in it for you,’ he said, hoping to distract the pirate as well as himself. ‘I can get you out of here.’
Jack looked quizzically at him. ‘How’s that? The dog ran off with the key.’
‘I helped build these cells,’ he replied with a flicker of pride. Explaining the mechanics of the system, he noted an impressed look growing on the pirate’s face.
‘What was your name again?’ the captain asked, narrowing his eyes.
‘William Turner,’ he responded guardedly.
‘Ah, named after your father no doubt?’ Jack asked curiously.
‘Why do you- yes, I was,’ Will said, confused.
There was a pause as the captain regarded him with an unreadable expression. Will didn’t like not knowing what he was thinking. Had the man somehow known his father? The idea made him uncomfortable; he didn’t want to learn anything more about his father than the little his mother had told him.
‘Alright then, Mr Turner, I’ve made up my mind. You get me out of this cell and I swear on pain of death I will get you to your bonnie lass, savvy?’
Will’s eyebrow twitched and he pushed down the urge to argue about Elizabeth again. He didn’t want to examine his feelings further in any case. He had somehow convinced the pirate to help and for now that was enough. However, he was somewhat uneasy about Sparrow’s motivations, the reference to his father and subsequent long pause for thought weighing on his mind, but he figured he could deal with that later. He would keep his guard up, and could certainly hold his own in a fight.
‘Deal,’ he said firmly.
Grinning, the pirate extended a hand through the bars and looked expectantly at him. Suddenly antsy again, Will looked down at it, apprehensive.
The pirate rolled his eyes. ‘You’re gonna need to trust me if this is going to work, love. Come on, I don’t bite.’
Steeling himself, Will extended his own hand. The pirate’s grip was firm, his hand calloused but warm save the cool touch of a pair of rings that adorned it. He quickly shook it and drew back, busying himself with the cell door to hide his flustered expression. As expected, once he put all his weight into hoisting it off its hinges, the door broke free, allowing him to throw it down onto the ground.
No sooner had he done so than the pirate jumped up, beaming at his newfound freedom. ‘You really weren’t bluffing!’ he chuckled. ‘I couldn't be sure. We’d better get a move on!’
He immediately bounded over to the effects he seemed so attached to, hastily attaching the belt, pocketing the compass, and finally putting on the captain’s hat.
‘Oh and William?’ the pirate said pensively, turning to face him. ‘Something I need to know. How far are you willing to go for this girl?’
Will was prepared for the question. ‘I’d die for her,’ he declared with conviction. It was what heroes said in novels, wasn't it? Childish as it was, he’d always dreamed of making such a heroic proclamation.
But he frowned. Was that a flicker of disappointment he caught in Jack’s gaze? he must be delirious from the effort of breaking open the door.
‘Oh good!’ Sparrow grinned with his usual mirth. ‘We’ll have no problems then.’
And before Will could respond, he was striding purposefully out of the prison, leaving Will scrambling not to be left behind.