#pirates of the Caribbean fanfiction

[socksracoon10]

Hi love here I come with my first spontaneous idea 🩷

Reader is the Commodore's sister but sick of the ways of society. When Jack saves Elisabeth, reader is the one who persuaded James not to kill Jack and also the one he happens to threat in order to escape. She’s somehow drawn to the Captain and later gives Will the keys to the cell to set him free. Jacks thoughts circle around her, too and they reunite when she swings last minute from the Dauntless over to the Interceptor to join the pirates making way❣️

Curious of The Seas

A/N: Literally fell in love with your ask oh my god, couldn't stop thinking about it before I began writing!! Thank you so much for this request! Pairings: Jack Sparrow x F!Reader, Will Turner x F!Reader (Platonic), James Norrington x F!Reader (siblings)

"Don't slouch, stand straight," Commodore Norrington hissed at you. You glared at your brother, curving your lips downward. You hated how strict and loyal he was to the British Crown and how he enforced his rules onto you, despite being his "precious baby sister." 

Your brother didn't hate you, but he sure did a good job of making you hate him. He was pacing his quarters back and forth, rehearsing what he would say to Miss Elizabeth Swann upon meeting her. You rolled your eyes at the pathetic scene, realizing that if your brother were to marry Miss Swann you were next on the list for the most eligible bachelorette in Port Royal. Your body cringed at the thought and you wriggled your back to shake off the eerie feeling crawling down your spine and focused on trying to ease your brother at the moment.

"James, there is no point in stressing over something as simple as this. Tell her you are in love with-" You began but frowned when he interjected,

"Love? Don't be ridiculous!"

"So, you're not in love with her?" You inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no, I very much am in love with her. But it is not proper for a man such as myself to say trivial things to the daughter of the Governor!" Your brother reasoned and you sighed in an exasperated tone, shifting your gaze out the window.

Elizabeth had stared at you with a quizzical look on her face when your brother and you had first approached her. You both shared the same expression of disdain for the situation. It was very clear to see that she was indifferent to your brother and surely was the very last man that she had any interest for. You, on the other hand, dearly loved your brother and wanted to save him from any heartache that she would cause him. You chewed your lip nervously, watching them exchange a few words of greetings before walking away. The commodore glanced over his shoulder, mouthing a few warnings to reign your behavior in for the biggest moment of his life before stalking away.

Huffing in annoyance, you picked the ends of your dress up and marched past the Governor who was just about to start a conversation with you. He awkwardly shut his mouth and watched you walk away to stand on the other corner of the pillar where your brother and Elizabeth stood. He leaned backward to get a good look at you, sending you another glare before returning his full attention to the woman in front of him with a nervous smile. You sighed, gazing out to the sea. Your brother had taken you once beyond Port Royal when you were a little girl and he swore it was something he very much regretted; all you could ever do since then was talk about sailing the seas. You desired to travel across the world, collect artifacts, and live a free life. Your brother scoffed at your desires, stating that he would rather die than see his little sister galloping around like a pirate of all creatures.

As you gazed out into the horizons with a look of yearning, you heard the loudest splash from below. Peering over the edges of the wall, you frowned at the ripples that seemed to bloom near the rocks and you instantly pulled back from your position and walked around to notice your brother screaming Elizabeth's name.

"What did you do?" You exclaimed, resting a hand on his shoulder. He pulled away from your grasp, beginning to take his coat off but you grabbed hold of him,

"The rocks, James! She's lucky that she didn't hit them on her way down! Come, we can reach her at the docks!" You urged him, yanking his arm. He seemed instilled with distraught, at a loss for words, "She must've jumped by your mere presence!"

Your brother sent you a nasty scowl and the playful smirk on your lips faded away instantaneously. You knew this was no joking matter; the poor woman could've died on her way down and she was to be betrothed to him anyway. As your brother scampered off with the rest of the guards, you found your feet rooted to the ground as you stared up at the sky. Something was amiss. The clouds darkened and circled about gravely, and the sea no longer held its silky blue blanket to comfort you. Before you could try and comprehend what must've occurred, you felt an urgent tug around your arms and you sharply turned to find yourself facing the Governor.

"Come now, my dear, you mustn't dawdle around when my daughter's life is in danger!" He exclaimed and you frowned at his words, resisting the urge to roll your eyes at him. Even if you wanted to help Elizabeth, there was surely no way you could swim into the waters with this puffy dress around you. You followed him down to the docks, pushing past the British officers to find yourself facing Elizabeth coughing up heaps of water from her lungs and then... a pirate.

With all the rifles surrounding him, you nearly thought they were aimed at your brother who stood in the way. You could only make out half his face, oblivious to the ensuing conversation that your brother was currently engaged in. You peeked around the Commodore's shoulder, carefully eyeing the strange man in your presence when his eyes flickered over to you for a sharp second before returning to your brother. Your breath hitched at the moment, taking in his disheveled and wet appearance as your brother remained as the shield between the man and you.

"He's a pirate," Your brother growled, his jaw clenching as he barked orders for his arrest. He ignored your gaping stare as he continued, "Sparrow, I assume?"

"Jack Sparrow?" You interjected, your mouth practically on the floor as you stared at him. The corner of the pirate's lips curved into a small smirk,

"It's Captain Jack Sparrow, love," He smiled with a wink. You smiled back before your brother forcefully shoved you behind him once again. He made a mental note to have a discussion with you about your behavior as soon as you returned home. He took the pirate's belongings and derided him for his lack of proper weapons, but it bothered him so deeply that you were so enchanted by the man. It irked him to think that his sister would fall foolish to a PIRATE of all people. He forcefully grabbed onto Jack's arm and began dragging him off before you cut him off,

"James! James!" You cried out, and your brother halted in his tracks and sent you a menacing scowl.

"Not another word from you, (Y/N)." He hissed, and you scoffed before pulling your skirt up ever so slightly to march up to your brother,

"This man, pirate or not, has just saved your betrothed's life! I suggest you at least show some mercy upon him!"

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man's life of wickedness," Your brother corrected you as Jack was being handcuffed by a Redcoat.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack added, and you offered him a sympathetic look before turning to your brother with pleading eyes.

"Brother, please. I beg of you, consider an alternative for this man." You prodded him, as your eyes fell onto Elizabeth who smiled softly at your words.

"Please do so," Jack muttered, before dragging his bound hands around your neck. You gasped in response, tugging at the chains as your brother panicked.

"No one shoots!" The Commodore bellowed, holding his hands in the air, "Let go of my sister."

"Only if you return my belongings," Jack taunted with a haughty grin. He leaned closer to lowly utter into your ears, "You must be regretting your kindness, do you not?"

"I don't, but it seems that you'll regret it," You whispered, as you watched the guards hand in his belongings in a bundle. Jack nudged your back with his knee ever so lightly to grab hold of his things and you begrudgingly did so, before sharply turning around to face him.

"Now if you'll do me the pleasure... my, I don't think I know your name..." He said with a sly smirk. You frowned at him,

"It's Miss Norrington to you," You spat, placing his hat on. As you placed his sword, belt, and other personnel around him, you could feel his intense stare burning deep into you. If it was of lust or attraction, you did not know and at the moment did not necessarily care. Your mind was fixated on other things, and your brother was seething in rage as he watched Jack give him a look regarding your body against his that made him want to hurl. To think his sister was so close to a gruesome pirate! It was preposterous!

As you tied the last remaining string of his belt around him, you looked up at him with disgust. Not only was he a pirate, but this would be the talk of the town, and your brother's and your reputation would be spoiled. Your brother could easily regain his good fortune, but you were never as lucky. You hated the way the women would gossip and to think it was all spoiled over one man you decided to be too merciful with because your curiosity could not be controlled made you ready to commit arson.

"Is this how you repay me?" You hissed and the pirate smirked at your words,

"I saved your friend's life, and now you save me. Besides, you did after all wish for me to live. Now, suffer those consequences. When shall a beautiful lady such as yourself realize to never mess with a pirate?" He chuckled, before harshly turning you around with his gun aimed at your head. Your brother flinched at the sudden movement, making sure you were alright. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, you will always remember this as the day you almost caught Jack Sparrow," The pirate's voice boomed from behind you and the very next second you found yourself thrust upon your brother and Elizabeth. As Jack Sparrow hurriedly began his escape, he did not fail to include a personal message from his heart, "Thank you very much, Miss Norrington. I shall not ever forget such kindness!"

And you weren't ready to forget him, either. It would be for another reason. As the night raged on with a surge of pirates infiltrating Port Royal, you felt a growing desire to do something about it. Your brother had joined the Governor for his safety and left you at home to be tended to by the maids. Upon realizing that the front door would burst open regardless of the circumstances, you quietly slipped out the window in your nightly attire and made your way to the blacksmith's quarters where you knew for a fact that your good friend Will Smith would be. Will and you had grown as siblings; he was there for you more than your brother had been. He had anticipated your arrival anyway but found himself in jeopardy when his ears gathered the news that Elizabeth Swann had been abducted by the pirates. He was pacing around when you arrived and he quickly latched onto your shoulders,

"They've taken Elizabeth! I tried my best but-" Will began but you silenced him, bringing a hand to his mouth.

"I know what you must be going through. But there is not enough time. I heard you helped imprison Jack Sparrow." You whispered and he nodded his head, eyes wide as he tried to make the best of the situation, "Come, I have the key with me, we can both interrogate him and seek his help." Your hand fell to his own and led him towards the streets.

"Wait a minute," Will stopped you, and with a glance over your shoulder you already knew what he was about to say. He was going to prevent you from going. "(Y/N), I know you've always wished to escape Port Royal, but I cannot bring harm to you once you step foot onto the waters."

"Will," You chastised him, "I am no longer a little girl. I am very capable of handling my own matters."

"You are inexperienced, that's all I can say." Will rebuked your claim and you gasped at his words, before furrowing your brows,

"So are you!"

"Ah, but I shall be bringing Sparrow with me to help find Elizabeth."

"Oh, don't be so dull! I can help Sparrow and you as well. Do not prevent me from doing so! If it is out of fear that a pirate may do something towards a woman of my status, I assure you that no such thing will occur! If he dares to even look at me, I shall see to it that his eyes are gouged out by his blade!" You reasoned and Will took a step backwards, his lips parting in shock at your words. You had the spirit of a pirate in you that was for sure, and that was exactly what he feared.

"I cannot let you join. Your brother is... already facing loss," He replied in an awkward tone, considering how much he cared about Elizabeth, "He would be devasted to find you gone as well. Just stay put for now. I'm sure there shall be something more exciting for you in Port Royal."

You muttered a few unladylike curses under your breath and reluctantly offered him the key to the jail cell, "At least tell Sparrow that I was... delighted by his presence."

Will raised a suspicious eyebrow at your remark, unsure of how to respond. He nodded his head and then left you alone, as you brought your hands over your arms as your mind wandered towards the sea once again.

To say that Jack Sparrow was surprised by Will's statement regarding you would be an understatement. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that you so willingly offered him the key to his escape, considering how he had humiliated your brother and especially you in front of everyone at the docks earlier in the day. He chewed his lip, his eyes dilating at the thought of you. The way you stared at him in defiance, your temples rising and falling with the way you clenched your jaw. Of course, who could forget the sensation of your fingers pressed up against him as you fastened his belt? As much of the ladies' man that Jack was, there was something different about you. You weren't like Giselle or Scarlet, complaining about superficial things or just merely trying to get into his pants. He could tell there was this curious spirit fighting to break free when he first laid eyes on you. The way you cautiously peered over your brother's shoulder had made him... well, he certainly wouldn't say his heart skipped a beat. He wasn't a silly little boy. He was a man! A grown man, a pirate! CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow, mind you. And yet here he was, trying to justify to himself that what he felt for you was nothing more than just infatuation that would surely pass on.

But it didn't. It never did. While of course, his thoughts about stealing The Interceptor were his priority, he just couldn't stand still without his mind fleeting over to the very image of you, dressed in that regal bright blue gown and your hair all curled and pinned to form the most exquisite portrait of a woman he'd ever seen in his life. He smirked to himself at the thought of you, wondering what you must be doing at Port Royal at the moment. What if your brother had you married off to someone else? What if you were to live the rest of your life as a boring wife to an equally boring officer? He shook his head, wriggling himself free from those imaginative concoctions. He was a pirate, damn it. He had better things to think about than just a woman he had seen days ago.

"You've got to be kidding me," Your brother grumbled as he pushed past you. You had boarded The Interceptor with him, not because you had wanted to - even though you took every chance out on the sea with gratefulness - but because your brother was so worried about the possibility of your abduction that he wished you were beside him at all times. Including those incredibly still moments of him gazing out into the sea. To him, he seemed to have an air of control, all the world's burdens upon his shoulder. This was his duty. When you gazed out into the sea, however, it was a plethora of possibilities. The unmarked territories you could claim, the desire for you to seek out treasure from all corners. You could be free. And no one would stop you. Save your brother, but that was something he'd always do anyway. Your attention focused on The Dauntless a couple hundred meters away as you noticed flocks of the British crew on small boats were paddling towards the ship you were in. Your brother gazed through his telescope and snarled at the sight, hesitantly passing the device for you to see as well. From afar, you saw Will Turner and... Jack Sparrow? The pirate? Both of them were flapping their arms around trying to make use of the mast. You guffawed at the sight, laughing at them. You turned to face your brother who quickly reminded you with his gaze about your behavior and you swallowed the amusement away as fast as you could.

The two ships - The Dauntless and The Interceptor - were locked horns now and your brother ordered you to come with him to board The Dauntless and put an end to Sparrow's madness. You reluctantly agreed, your eyes scanning around to see any sight of the familiar pirate you had so longed to see. 

"Search every cabin, every hull," Your brother barked, before turning back to you, "And you stay close to me. Do not go wandering about like a fool like you always do." 

You glowered at him, electing not to anger him any further as you stood on the deck. You watched him disappear among the surge of officers onto The Dauntless. You sighed, pacing back and forth when you noticed two men swing over to The Interceptor. It was Will and Jack.

Eyes widening in surprise, you tried to call attention to the situation but your cries fell on deaf ears. You stomped your foot and watched Jack cut off the rope ties, one by one. His gaze was fixed downwards until he looked up momentarily, and there you stood. He stood there for a few more seconds, completely surprised by your presence. Deep down, as much as he hated to admit it, he feared that he would never see you again.

"What are you doing? Cut the rope!" Will cried out in confusion before he followed Jack's eyes to you. Jack looked upwards at the rope still connecting the two boats before turning back to you,

"Jump, Miss Norrington!" He instructed, and you stepped forward, holding onto a long piece of rope. Upon hearing your name, your brother rushed out of the Captain's Quarters, pushing past his men.

"(Y/N)!" He yelled, his eyes daring you to make another move. Realizing that this was the only opportunity to acquire what you had spent so long yearning for; the deep blue seas, the adventure, and the whimsical treasures, you sent him one final glance before running off the deck of The Dauntless and swinging onto The Interceptor. With the final rope now gone, and the ship sailing forward at full speed your brother looked at you as if you were dead to him.

When The Dauntless was far behind and there seemed to be no danger at the present moment, you walked towards your friend Will and the pirate beside him. Will seemed elated that you were there, and he hugged you so warmly that you nearly forgot that he was not related to you by blood. Releasing you from his arms, he sheepishly stepped aside as Jack Sparrow stepped forward.

"Miss Norrington, it is a pleasure to have you on board with us. I almost feared you might not have the guts to swing over," He teased, his hand graciously wrapping around your own as he kissed your fingers with such gentleness that it surprised you. You cracked half a smile at him, narrowing your eyes, before responding,

"You may call me (Y/N), and please, I never turn down an opportunity for adventure."

[hannaswritingblog]

Imagine: Jack Sparrow and James Norrington getting jealous of you

Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean

Suggested by anon [x] – I really hope that this imagine is at least close to what you had in mind and that you like it! And if you have any other suggestions, my inbox is always open. 😊

You're walking down a pier in the Port Royal harbour, trying to clear your mind. Everyone's been waiting for James Norrington to be promoted to Commodore for a while now and today, on a day of the official ceremony, the area is buzzing with excitement.

Being a part of James's immediate circle, you should feel that excitement too. Deep in your heart you certainly do. But at the same time you can't help but wonder how your life would've gone if you didn't abandon your life at sea. Your life as a pirate...

Lost in your thoughts, you don't realise you're not alone anymore until you feel a tap on your shoulder, forcing you to turn around only to see the soon-to-be Commodore next to you.

"Is something bothering you, Y/N?" Norrington says, smiling softly.

"Oh, it's... nothing, James. Nothing's bothering me. I was just thinking about... my past."

His smile immediately fades away, but he manages to keep his composure as he tells you:

"You don't have to worry about your past. Nobody around knows that you were a pirate except me, and I intend on keeping your secret safe, just as I promised."

"Thank you. But... you know who was my captain during my time as a pirate, right?"

A solemn expression crosses his face before he says:

"Yes. Yes, I know. And it doesn't change a thing."

Deep down you know it changes a lot, but neither of you is going to admit it. But even though his pride must be hurt, you appreciate that James is steady in his promise.

"I'm glad. If you could give me one more minute alone though. I'll join you soon."

"Of course."

He bows to you slightly and walks away. You wait for Norrington to be gone from your sight before reluctantly following him.

On your way out of the harbour you pass a familiar figure. It takes you a second to realise where you know the person from, but once you do, you can't help but turn around and call out:

"Jack!"

"Oh. So it really is you, Y/N," Jack Sparrow says, walking back to you. "Didn't expect to see you around, sweetie."

"As if it wasn't where you dropped me off last time we saw each other," you respond.

"Okay, so maybe I knew I'd find you here. But not in the company of an officer of the Royal Navy, for sure."

"Oh, Norrington? He's just a..." You stop for a second when you notice that Jack's usual sly smile is now gone. "Wait... are you jealous?"

"What, me? Jealous? Of some officer? Never." Only when you raise an eyebrow at him, he admits: "Okay. I might be just a little jealous. But if this is how you live now..."

"Yes. I believe it is."

"...then I won't try to change your mind."

Something in your heart stings, as if you wanted him to try. You almost ask him to, but instead you catch yourself saying:

"Thank you. I still hope you'll stick around; Norrington is promoted to Commodore today, it's a chance to have some fun."

"You should stop tempting me, Y/N. A chance to have a good time and be in your presence? I reckon I shall stick around."

Jack sends you a smile before you part ways. And that smile is how you know he's back to his usual self and besides the fun, you can definitely expect some trouble.

[justanotherescapism]

The Greatest

Jack Sparrow x Fem!Reader

Tags: Angst and light fluff

Word Count: 891

Note: This is based on The Greatest by Billie Eilish, so credit to her for some of the song lyrics.

Jack sat on the sand, he was here at last, in Davy Jones’ locker. He had been expecting this for a while, but he wasn’t expecting her to be here with him. She sat next to him, facing away, angry at him for this predicament. The shoreline wasn’t far and the gentle breeze was refreshing from the harsh sun that was setting now. 

“Look, love, you knew this were gonna happen at some point.”

She just scoffed, this was the first time either had said a word since they realized where they were. She laid down, hoping he would leave her alone. Even now, he still couldn’t see. She was going to die with him here, and still he couldn’t accept the blame. She shut her eyes, hoping she could sleep but all she felt was the terror she felt when she was taken by the kraken. The tentacles wrapping around the ship, the deep fear of the water. Elizabeth kissing Jack, and him seemingly kissing back. She knew Jack was attracted to Elizabeth, she had eyes, and reasonable judgment but her fears all came true in that moment. She wasn’t his priority, not in the way she wanted to be. 

In the morning, Jack was still asleep when she woke up. Watching him sleep, she still felt anger and sadness but also fear. How long would they survive? Hunger didn’t seem to change here, and she was glad because there was nothing on the Pearl and there was nothing but sand everywhere else. But then again, there was no-one else here, so they would have to die at some point. She began to cry silently. 

Jack began to stir, finally waking. She turned back away from him but he caught her for a split second. He didn’t say anything, just sat up and looked at the sun, trying to gauge what time it was. He then shuffled across the sand to be by her side. She didn;t react at first, but then moved to stand up. She still didn’t look at him, she thought about going back to the Black Pearl but what would be the point, there was nothing there. She picked a direction, and started walking. Honestly, she’d rather be anywhere but with him now. 

“Where are you going, love?”

“Don’t call me love.”

He ran after her. She was the only other person here and he sure as hell wasn’t dying alone. 

“Where are you walking to? There’s nothing here.”

“Anywhere but with you.” 

“That hurts.”

She turned around to him, now he could see that her eyes were red and sore, her cheeks flushed. She punched him straight in the face, her fist connected to his cheek. He fell down to the floor, shocked, he didn’t think she’d actually punch him.

“Do you want to know what hurt is? I spent my whole life looking past your mistakes, your arrogance and your pride and look where it’s got me.”

“Love I-”

“I’m not done. I wake up everyday hoping things will change but they never do. Do you even like me? Or am I just a lackey for you to have around?”

“It’s not-”

“Don’t.” She began to walk off again, but then stopped when he wasn’t following. “Do you have anything to say?”

“You were the greates-”

“You’ve taken everything from me. All my love and patience, all my admiration.” 

“I swear, love-”

“All the times I waited for you to want me naked. I made it all look painless. Man, am I the greatest?” She started crying again but also laughing, rubbing the tears from her face so he wouldn’t see. She had silenced him. “I loved you, and somehow I still do. Just wanted you to stop blaming everyone else.” 

She began walking again. Her feet digging into the sand, making it hard to walk fast. Anywhere but here, she kept repeating to herself. But then a hand grabbed her shoulder, turned her around. Before she could question what was going on, lips crashed on hers. It was soft at first, but as soon as she kissed back, Jack roughened it. Both of their lips were calloused and dry and scratched against each other. His hands wrapped around her waist and hers reached up to his face, pulling him closer. He pulled away, and looked at her, his hand raised to her cheek, cradling it in his hand. She softened against it. 

“Love, I’m sorry you’re here and that we’ll die here.” She sunk into his arms. He cradled her head. She shuddered and he pulled her closer. But something was moving around her feet.

“What th-” Crabs were everywhere, scuttling along the ground. Thousands of crabs were racing towards the shoreline. Jack let go of her, and started looking behind them. The Pearl was moving towards them. 

“Get on the ship!” There feet were struggling against the sand. She spotted a rope hanging by the side of the ship, it was enough for them to climb up. Jack grabbed it and began to climb, she followed quickly behind, grabbing his hand to help her up. Once they were on, they could see the crew from the Black Pearl on the beach, drenched from the sea. She grabbed Jack’s hand, and smiled at him. They weren’t going to die here after all. 

[ghostofskywalker]

Rescue Mission

Will Turner/Fem!Reader

Fictober 2023 Day 26 of 31

Words: 1,238

Summary: When your husband is taken, you very bravely (or very stupidly) go alone to rescue him.

Note: today is actually a double feature of will turner fics, since i promised i would write a request for an anon a little bit ago.

there's some canon divergence in here for dead man's chest i suppose? it doesn't ever specifically follow the movie but it has to do with davy jones and i've just kind of wrote with the general vibe of things.

Will Turner Masterlist

You could hear the sound of Davy Jones’ voice as you crept up the side of the ship, with nothing but a sword at your hip and a wooden lifeboat bobbing behind you in the shallows, an unwavering determined expression on your face.

When Captain Jack Sparrow had returned to shore three weeks ago without your husband with him, you immediately threatened the pirate with certain death if you found out that he had let Will die. Triumphantly, the slightly drunken idiot informed you that Will was not in fact dead, but rather trapped on a ship with a ghost crew and no way out. You kept to your word (and didn’t kill him), but that wasn’t to say that he left the encounter completely unscathed.

So when the Flying Dutchman appeared at the port of Tortuga, you jumped at the chance to fix the mess that Sparrow had created and save your lover from a fate worse than death. You probably had a death wish, to try and go against Jones like this with no backup and no combat experience, but you had to try. You’d been handling a sword since your early teens, so your skill was all you had to rely on.

You climbed through one of the large windows on the lower levels on the ship, thankful for the fact that the rest of the crew was most likely on the deck. It would probably present a bigger problem for you later, but right now it was a good thing.

Keeping your steps as light and gentle as physically possible, you snuck up the stairs and took refuge behind a large pile of crates. You caught a glimpse of Will, with rope around his wrists but otherwise unharmed. You could also see a glimpse of his sword in one corner of the deck, glinting against the old and darkened wood.

But most surprising of all, you didn’t see Davy Jones.

Now, this was not something you were going to question, because you knew that if you could get out of here without ever catching sight of this ship’s captain you had a much higher chance of success. Pulling the sword from its place on your hip, you crept around the ship, keeping yourself out of sight of the two crew members who were standing in the middle of the deck. The rest of the crew must be off somewhere else, you realized, and you definitely didn’t want to still be here when they returned.

As you moved from the crates, you caught Will staring right at you, a completely shocked expression on his face. He seemed to mouth What are you doing here? and you just raised a finger to your lips in response. If even one of the remaining crew members suspected that they weren’t alone on this ship your elaborate rescue mission was toast, and you couldn’t afford to lose right now.

You knew that Will would probably have a lot of questions for you later, and you would answer them in due time, but right now the most important thing was getting him free.

When the crewmen descended to the lower levels of the ship, you knew that was your chance. You immediately began to cut the ropes around your boyfriend’s wrists.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered.

“Rescuing you,” you hissed back. “And we don’t have much time, so you need to listen to me.”

As well as this plan had gone so far, you were not particularly lucky after the ropes fell to the deck of the ship and Will picked up his sword, because the crew of the Dutchman were finally alerted to your presence.

Immediately, one of them lunged at you, and your sword clanged against his. You attempted to stab him in the heart, but he parried and blocked your blow. You could hear what sounded like Will’s voice calling out to you to jump overboard, and you hoped that you heard him correctly.

This crewman (who had what looked like rotting limbs and the head of a shark), made a stab at you, but you managed to dodge it. You were just about to make another move, but the second crew member attacked the first, giving you the chance to pull away.

You looked at the man in confusion, and he nodded at you, his eyes darting to the waters beyond the ship as he parried his crewmate. Not wanting to waste the chance to escape, you quickly sprinted to the edge of the ship, clambering over the edge at the same time as Will, and the two of you reached for each other as you fell into the ocean.

You were worried about slamming into the seafloor as you descended, but thankfully the ship had been anchored in a place where the water was deep enough for you to land without major harm. After a quick breath of air, you ducked back underwater and followed Will to a rocky cave just out of eyesight of the Dutchman. You had thought about swimming for the boat you had taken out here, but it would be too easily seen and generally too risky.

You stepped out of the water, immediately finding yourself wrapped in a hug before Will leaned down to place a kiss on your lips. You hadn’t seen him in so long, and you passionately obliged, wanting to never leave this particular moment. Despite the fact that you were currently sopping wet and were more than likely still in some kind of danger, this fleeting moment was the happiest you’ve felt in a long while.

When you finally had to pull away for air, you looked at Will. “Are you alright?”

He nodded. “We were lucky that Jones was finally using his day on land to hunt down Jack, or we could still be stuck on that boat.”

You nodded. “And we’re also lucky one of the crew let us go.”

His expression changed slightly. “That was my father, Bootstrap Bill,” he said softly, and immediately your heart broke for him. It was in no way his fault and he had no say in the decision, but you knew that he likely felt responsibly for leaving a family member on that ship.

You reached down to take his hand, looking into his eyes as you spoke. “It’s clear that he loves you,” you said. “Do you know if there’s a way to release him from Jones’ crew?”

Will shook his head. “Not without a huge sacrifice on my side,” he said. “And even so, I doubt Jones would be so willing to negotiate now that I’ve run away.”

“Speaking of that,” you said. “Are you still in danger?”

He paused before responding. “Yes. After today, Davy Jones has to wait another ten years before he can set foot on land again, but we would lose that protection on the water.”

You nodded, not sure what to do. “Maybe we can take a few days before going back out there,” you suggested.

Will smiled. “I’ll need to find some kind of crew anyway.”

“Well, you have me for sure,” you said, squeezing his hand.

“I’d never doubt that,” he said, leaning down to steal another kiss from your lips.

You couldn’t help but smile into the kiss. The dangers weren’t over just yet, but at least you had Will by your side once more.  

- the end - 

i no longer have a taglist! if you're interested in being notified when i post, you can follow my library blog @ghostofskywalker-library and turn on notifications!

[esta-elavaris]

WICKED GAME FINAL CHAPTER IS UP

8k words, most of 'em filthy xoxo

Feels so good to finally cross a project off the list!! Enjoy!!

[quillofspirit]

2023 fic recs

If there's one thing to know about me, is that I love to read! and I love to share the good fics, so I figured I would put them all on one list💚

pssst! it's my first time doing anything like this, so if you have recommendations for the format, please do leave them in the comments or drop me a message! thanks xx

Key 🍬 fluff 🧯 spicy 🌡️ smut ⛈️ angst 🌪️ all

For people I have tagged, please let me know if there is anything you’d like me to add or remove — like a link to another account. It’ll be my pleasure☺️

Lord of the Rings (and related)

⛈️🧯Fuck the Forbidden pt. 1 by @entishramblings

Boromir x mermaidfem!oc Teens and Up but read the warnings carefully 9,500 words

Now I want mermaids in everything. why aren’t there mermaids in everything? The descriptions are so well done, everything is so vividly easy to visualize, oh I just loved it.

I am so hyped for pt 2!!

🍬⛈️ Healing Touch by @ass-deep-in-demons

Boromir x fem!oc Teens and Up 4,350 words

My film studies degree was very happy about the descriptions of movement in this one - it’s a little specific but hear me out. It’s much easier to see the actors playing the scene when it’s described this well! THAT ENDING, I have to say I joined Legolas, and I don’t have excuses.

I cannot wait to read the rest of the adventures of Joanna!

🍬 I Might Need to Kiss You by @fizzyxcustard

Thorin Oakenshield x fem!reader 400 words

I was squealing, this is so sweet. like the perfect little pick me up when you need a reminder, and Thorin is nothing if not a good king to his subjects 😇

🍬 Sweet Conversations by @glassgulls

Haldir x fem!reader Teens and Up 5,360 words

did I almost break my mouse when I clicked on this? noooo

Would I do it again? approximately 5 times since ☺️

Who doesn’t love sneaking around and kissing pretty elves, especially when they propose the idea so nicely… Just read it, you’re welcome

⛈️🧯Transformed by @sotwk

Thranduil’s son OC x fem!reader Teens and Up 2,400 words

There are at least two werewolves! When I tell you I read it three nights in a row, just to truly catch all the little things that made me go absolutely feral this so lovely to read. Yes, there’s gore (only a little bit) and there’s angst, but there’s also dialogue that would be made into gifs were it a movie.

Pirates of the Caribbeans

🌪️Catch the Wind by eriathiel (@esta-elavaris)

James Norrington x fem!oc Explicit 418,000 words

101 chapters of epic, pirates, and sweetness. The definition of you will suffer and you will like it. I finished this in like two days, because I couldn’t put it down, like a child on Halloween night going through their whole bag of candy.

⛈️🍬 Fallen Through Time by eriathiel (@esta-elavaris)

Catch the Wind AU Mature Ongoing; 34,000 words

12 Chapters so far, but it’s probably going to make me want to read everything about Theodora again. I am very normal about this character. 😌

Other fandoms

🌡️One of Those days by @capricornafterdark

Jason Todd x fem!reader Explicit 750 words

Sometimes you need to be taken care of, and sometimes its easier to take care of others.

🍬Patience by @velvetcloxds

Charlie Swan x fem!reader Just straight cuteness 600 words

A cute yet serious conversation with Charlie

🌡️That Takes Trust Darlin by @capricornafterdark

Jason Todd x transmasc!reader Explicit 1,950 words

It takes a lot of trust to tell a person about your desires, and even more when you spend your time catching villains.

🌪️ What Happens After You? by StrengthBeforeWeakness

Ominis Gaunt x fem!oc Mature 219,000 words

A badass Ravenclaw, sweet sweet Garreth, and dark!Sebastian. I am tempted to say it’s almost a Hogwarts Legacy AU because the lore in this fic is so incredible, it feels new again.

These are my headers and dividers, please do not use them.

[justafairytailofinnocence]

Hii!! Could you pls write a James Norrington x Swann!reader where the reader is Elizabeth’s older sister who loves/fancies James Norrington but he doesn’t know that she loves him so the reader pretends to pass out but he catches her and carries her to her bedroom and waits for her to wake up and the he finally tells her that he loves her too and they get married at the end. (You can add what you like) thank you 😊 :)

Hello dear💖, thanks for your request.

James Norrington x Swann reader⚔🦢

A reconsidered proposal👰

On this day was the ceremonial promotion of James Norrington, a man who served in the naval army for a long time. He served the Swann family. James was always by their side, he viewed us like family although—there was but one inharmonious part—the day the commodore had planned to propose to Elizabeth Swann. The commodore had always been close to Elizabeth although, before Elizabeth was born there was another, a girl who was bright and bold who had grown up with Norrington since they were younger. Y/n Swann. A fine woman who protected her sister from the beginning since the tragedy of their mother’s passing. The two sisters were opposites: one fantasying about pirates and the other fantasying of marriage. Y/n sided with her father and the commodore; she was set to be a lady. Though, since y/n was younger she had known the commodore more than Elizabeth. She had been their during his downfalls, worries and woes while spending her time making him fall high in laughter and joy. The commodore protected the family with honour and respect, the soon to be admiral will choose a betrothal to a fine woman.

Governor Swann had bid Elizabeth farewell to accept the commodores proposal. He turned to y/n wearing a gown with a fine layer of skirtings. She placed her hands together in a ladylike manner approaching her father. “Tis be quite a tremendous day y/n, Elizabeth will accept the commodores proposal and she will wed” Y/n’s father smiled.

“Indeed, though I can’t help but feel—rather—” y/n muttered although her father ended the sentence for her. “Happy for your sister’s occasion” he concluded.

The truth is, y/n didn’t exactly feel tremendous joy for her sister. It was hard to explain but, she had hoped the commodore would betroth her to his hand in marriage.

The Governor accompanied his daughter inside the manor, her heels clicked as she headed up the stairs into her bedroom. Only, at the door there was a knock. The servant opened the door to greet a commoner, he was smaller in height and his clothes weren’t of riches. His brown hair was tied back as his eyes were soft in expression. “Have you seen Elizabeth” the man asked. It was Will, the blacksmith. “No, Miss Swann had just left Sir, I suggest you leave your request with Governor Swann if you insist to visit her” the servant informed Will.

Y/n called out to Will “Blacksmith, I assume your work is going well?”.

Will turned his head up the stairs to see a woman in a dashing, fine silk gown. “Miss y/n, yes, indeed, I thought I would’ve caught Mrs Swann just in time”.

“Please Will, you know how many times Elizabeth told you to call her by her first name” y/n smiled kindly.

“Uh, yes but, perhaps there is a way you can pass my regards to Elizabeth for me” Will requested. “Certainly, Sir William” y/n politely curtsied.

Will was more acquainted with Elizabeth then y/n, the two had known each other since childhood. The blacksmiths past is rather a mystery, no one knew who or where he came from. The boy was caught adrift in a sea wreckage, he was taken in by a rather older gent who knew about the works of swords. Will had been accustomed to the family, every day he would pass by just to see Elizabeth. Their meetings were always rather short but, y/n knew, the blacksmith had feelings for her sister, even more, her sister had grown closer to the blacksmith. The commodore didn’t know, Liz always dismissed it. Will was a rather humble and kind gent, more than any other man y/n knew.

“I shall inform her once I see her, Sir William” y/n promised.

In the distance a carriage pulled up rather earlier than expected, out of the entry door, Elizabeth and the commodore climbed out. Y/n quickly rushed down the stairs, grabbing her skirtings to see what happened. “Elizabeth, dear God, what happened”. Elizabeth was dripping with water as her hair was soaking, the commodore accompanied her inside. “Get her warmed up and keep an eye on her” the commodore ordered the maid. “Yes sir” the maid helped Elizabeth to warm her up in any way she could. “Commodore, what happened, is Elizabeth alright” the Governor rushed out to find his daughter soaking wet.

“Indeed, we’ve just encountered a scoundrel, a pirate” the commodore informed y/n’s father.

“A pirate?” he questioned.

“Yes Sir, a no-good buccaneer of the seas, we gave chase and the pirate shall be set to hang” the commodore said proudly.

A pirate? A pirate? here in port royal? Oh no this is terrible news, if it weren’t for the navy, who knew what kinds of terrible things would’ve happened to poor Elizabeth. “I-I thank you commodore for saving my dear sister” y/n shyly showed her gratitude. “Fret not lady y/n, your sister is safe, we shall purge that pirate for his no-good deeds” the commodore stated.

Y/n fancied him, she always has, it was only a matter of time before she could tell him. “Commodore, I-“ y/n stuttered. James turned with curiosity, his face, holding a stern expression.

“I, I, I” y/n began to close her eyes as her body collapsed. James coming into action took y/n in his arms. “Y/n” the Governor had noticed his eldest daughter had fainted. The commodore informed her father that he will bring her up to her bedroom, even if it was inappropriate, he felt the need to protect the woman who had been there for him, for all those years. The commodore carried the woman’s body up the stairs into what looked like a white, elegant room. James placed y/n in her bed, he felt her forehead to make sure she wasn’t burning up whilst watching her chest move up and down. Now, it might’ve been selfish but, y/n hadn’t intended to use this action, rather, it was to gain the commodores attention. The bed was soft; the sheets made of cotton and silk; feathers filled the pillow. The commodore intently watched as y/n flickered her eyes open.

“Commodore, oh, forgive me” y/n muttered out.

“Lady y/n don’t burden your forgiveness on something you had no control of doing” James furrowed his brows. “I’m just glad your well” he addressed.

Y/n grabbed his hand, she wanted to tell him, all these years of growing together, spending time, and enjoying each other’s company. The commodore had always been protective of her and her sister. “I want to inform you of something—you see my mind was set on Elizabeth’s betrothal that, that I never knew” he paused.

“I had been paying my affections toward the wrong person” he looked into y/n’s eyes.

“Elizabeth is a fine woman but” James smiled. “You are, such a remarkable lady”.

“I must re-consider my proposal; would you wed me” James asked.

Y/n smiled as her eyes were full of happiness “Oh, James of course I will”.

Norrington smiled with genuine emotion, something he had only done when around her family. Y/n leaned forward from her bed, not caring if her hair was messy from the pillow. She leaned forward and embraced James in a kiss. He was caught off guard but leaned into it.

The commodore had potentially nearly made a mistake that caused him misery, he was engaged to y/n, a woman who had known him far longer. He had informed Governor Swann that his proposal was to be reconsidered, Mr Swann was rather hesitant thinking Elizabeth would be heart broken. However, she granted her blessings as she had fancied William.

On the middle hour, on the day of June, the commodore had awaited at the arch as many gathered. Y/n had said her vows as James spoke his and the rest you can say was history.

On this day, Y/n Swann was known as Y/n Norrington. The Commodores wife.

anyways that's all I have for now:

Ta Ta ✨

[mimilind]

The Stowaway Passenger - Part 1

Pairing: Will Turner x Reader

Rating: T

Chapter Word Count: 1950

Parts: [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

⚔ ⚔ ⚔

1. Stowaway

It was only the first day after you left Port Royal, and you had never felt this sick in your life. The smell had much to do with it, closely followed by the torturous heat, the rolling motions of the ship and the pitch darkness in the cargo hold. Had you known the stout freight ship you had chosen for your escape would carry salted fish, you may have thought twice about boarding it, but there was no going back now. 

If you survived this, you would be free at last; that was worth any discomfort. And at least you had not thrown up – yet.

You heard a squeaking sound and the hatch opened above you. Cowering behind a crate, you tried to make yourself as tiny as possible, holding your breath.

A tendril of light illuminated your surroundings slightly, and you heard steps on the ladder. A loud, rough voice called down: “Move all the crates from that side to the other. And get on with it, or I’ll make the boatswain whip yer. Lazy bilgerat!” 

The hatch shut with a loud wham, and darkness returned. No, not quite. Whomever had been sent down the ladder carried a lantern. You could hear them swear under their breath, obviously annoyed at getting such a meaningless task. 

Then it struck you that their task would put you in danger of discovery, and with a pounding heart you hoped they would refuse doing it. 

Sadly, you had no such luck. Within moments, you heard grunts and ragged panting as the unlucky sailor began to push the boxes over the wooden deck.

If only you could fit inside one of the crates! But they were nailed firmly shut.

The sounds grew closer as the sailor worked their way towards you, and the light brighter. A whiff of musk hit your nose. To your surprise, it smelled pleasant. Being brought up in a fine home, you had never been this close to a working man, and in other circumstances it might have made you curious. 

Not now, however. You were too afraid. Any moment now they would find you, and drag you up to the captain, and what would he do then? Beat you? Keelhaul you? Or… maybe he would force you to walk the plank – pushing you off the ship, bound hands and feet.

Probably not the latter, you thought. You were too easily recognizable as a rich person in your fine clothes, and the captain would realize your family might pay him to get you back in one piece. 

Your father would pay, you knew that. If it became known what you had done, it would ruin your family’s status in society forever. Especially considering how long and hard he had worked to procure your marriage.

That marriage… Just the thought of your intended made bile rise in your throat. Going back was not an option. If you were discovered, you must make sure this sailor helped you remain hidden at any cost!

The crate you were hiding behind moved, and you heard a breathless voice: “What the heck?” 

His lantern blinded you, so you could not see what he looked like, but you prayed inwardly he was a kind man.

“Shh,” you whispered, a finger against your lips. “Please…”

He moved the lantern closer, moving it up and down as he regarded you. “Who are you?” he murmured after what felt like an eternity, and thank goodness, he kept his voice down! 

“I’m someone who needs to escape,” you pleaded. “Can you pretend you never saw me?”

“What’s the point? We’ll make land soon, picking up more cargo. You’ll be found then, if not sooner.” 

Darn. Darn darn darn! 

“I thought this ship was heading for Europe!” you hissed, despair filling you.

“It is, eventually. But not until the hold’s full.” The sailor placed the lantern on a crate, and for the first time you could see his face. He was a handsome, youngish looking man, a little over twenty-five perhaps. But what caught you off guard was the fact that he only wore a pair of short, cotton breeches. 

You tried hard not to stare at his exposed chest, but could not avoid noticing how muscular he was, and how the moisture from his previous exertion made his tanned skin almost glow in the lamplight.

“I’m screwed,” you muttered. 

“What are you running from?” he asked curiously.

“Marriage,” you admitted. “My father found a spouse for me. Rich and important. But I just…” You sighed. “I just couldn’t. Not without love.”

“I understand.”

“You do?”

He nodded. “I’m kind of running away too… I was engaged to the woman I had pined after since childhood, but once it was settled, I realized I’d grown out of love. Somehow, by all the hardship we endured to get each other, we had changed.” His dark eyes filled with sadness. Then he straightened up. “I must continue working, or the captain will have my hide.”

“Need help?” you heard yourself offer, though you had not done an honest day’s work in your life before.

The sailor looked at your clean, smooth hands and embroidered clothes, and his lips twitched. “Sure.” He held out a dirty fist to you. “I’m Will, by the way. Will Turner.”

His hand was warm and felt strong when you shook it and told him your name. 

Hearing your surname, Will whistled silently. “Good Lord. I imagine there’s quite a bounty to be had, if the captain brings you back to Port Royal.”

You stared at him, bitterly regretting exposing yourself. “Please…” you whispered, earnestly shaking your head.

“No worries.” His grip on your hand hardened. “Even if I were that cruel, I’d not give the captain the satisfaction. He’s probably the worst captain I’ve known. I hate his guts, but sadly this was the only ship hiring, and I just had to get out of there.”

Breathing out in relief, you pressed his hand in return. “Thank you. I mean it.” 

Your eyes met, and suddenly the air felt even hotter than before. You found it hard to breathe and quickly dropped your gaze. “Let’s work then,” you said lamely.

The crates were ridiculously heavy, but by the time you had managed to push one to the other side, Will had already moved three of them. 

“How can you do it so fast?” you panted, feeling every muscle in your body protest as you began on another crate.

“I used to be a blacksmith.” He smirked.

No wonder he was so fit, you thought, appreciatively glancing at his broad shoulders when he had his back turned. You felt a flutter of excitement deep within.

When the work was done, you were exhausted and flopped down on a box with shaking arms and legs.

“Thanks for the assistance,” said Will, though he obviously knew you had not done much to ease his task. “I like your spirit. Perhaps I should help you in return.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful! But how?”

“I think you could pass as a deckhand, if you borrow some spare clothes from me. The captain is a lazy lout, and can hardly write. He doesn’t know the names of half the crew he hired.”

“But don’t you think my name would give me away? What if he’s heard of me before?”

“True. Then let’s call you…” He glanced at the crates and grinned. “Casey. Or Carter?”

“Casey Carter sounds good.” You grinned back. 

You hid behind the crates again while Will climbed back up, promising to return at night with clothes you could borrow. It would be easier for you to sneak out unnoticed in the protection of darkness.

While waiting, you thought about what you were about to do, and slowly the courage left you. You were a rich brat, with a weak body and no experience of hard labor, and suddenly you felt sure the other sailors would see through your cover immediately and call you out. And what about your seasickness? If you threw up in front of a bunch of rowdy seamen you would probably die of shame. And then you would die again when the captain tossed you overboard.

When Will returned after a few hours, you had bit your nails down to the quick and was a nervous wreck.

“I’m not sure I can do this,” you whispered shakily.

“No worries. I’ll look out for you.” He smiled encouragingly. Such an attractive smile he had!

“Why are you so kind to a stranger?” you asked. 

“I told you. I like your spirit.” He squeezed your shoulder.

The clothes Will had brought were a typical sailor’s outfit with breeches, an offwhite shirt and a vest, and a scarf to tie back your hair with. You changed behind the crates, though you told yourself you were being silly, really – your underwear covered almost all of you, and besides, had he not exposed his bare chest to you before? Soon you would share living quarters with the rest of the crew, and you would have to get used to showing a little skin. 

The clothes were not too dirty, but not freshly laundered either like you were used to. You did not mind; on the contrary, you liked the exotic, masculine scent impregnated in the garments. You knew Will had worn them.

When you returned to the circle of lamplight, you looked down at yourself critically, thankful the shirt was loose with long sleeves and covered your body effectively. You hoped it was not too obvious you were no real sailor.

There was a glint in Will’s eyes as he regarded you. “Looking good.”

Before you left the cargo hold, he explained to you the work you would do as a deckhand; mostly cleaning the deck and performing lesser chores, and when the ship reached the next port, help carry goods aboard. Will would make sure you were not assigned complicated tasks such as raising sails or climbing the rigging.

You went up the ladder, Will first and you closely behind. He cautiously peeked out before allowing you up. 

“Coast is clear,” he whispered, taking your hand to help you.

You drew in a deep breath of the cool night air. How wonderful to be out of that horrible hole!

Will did not release your hand. With you in tow he sneaked over the deserted deck until you came to another hatch, which led to the sleeping quarters. You descended a new ladder, and your stomach sank as you realized the respite from the stuffy, stinking cargo hold had been short lived; here it was almost equally bad, although the stench of salted fish was replaced with that of unwashed humans. 

The area was crammed with sleeping people, snoring away in hammocks hanging from the low ceiling. The floor underneath was no less crowded; littered with seaman’s chests, bags, used clothes and, in a corner, a stinking bucket which you suspected you as a deckhand would be assigned to empty. 

“Where do I sleep?” you breathed in Will’s ear. 

Instead of replying, he pulled you with him to one side, where two empty hammocks hung very close together. “It will be a bit tight, but there was not much room left.” His breath tickled your neck when he whispered.

You nodded, and gratefully accepted his offer to help you get up. He placed his hands on your waist and promptly lifted you onto the swinging bed, as if you weighed hardly anything.

The hammocks were so close you could feel his body heat next to yours when he lay down, but in this strange and frightening situation, that only made you feel safe.

⚔ ⚔ ⚔

Parts: [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

[crimsonrae]

Vexation

I have missed you all! It has been a minute since I've posted here, but I feel like Tumblr is the place to put this piece - for now. I haven't had much time recently to do as much writing as I would like, but I was perusing old outlines and ideas and stumbled upon one from ages ago for Pirates of the Caribbean. Suddenly, my muse woke up and I wrote close to twenty pages in three days.

Premise: Basically, this is a what-if for Captain Jack Sparrow. What if during the first three movies he had someone that vexed him. His version of a wife because he can't do anything normal.

The scene written below is set during Dead Man's Chest, after the Brethren Court convened. Be advised it's long.

I would like to know what you all think. I have four other scenes for this all waiting to be flushed out and would welcome any thoughts or critiques.

Mildly horrified and entirely exasperated, Jack wasn’t even sure grief could sink into his measly guts as he watched Teague tuck the shrunken head of his mother away. Mostly because he wasn’t even sure that was his mother and that his father hadn’t completely lost his marbles. He wouldn’t put it past his mother to have such a thing delivered to Teague if the two were on the outs again.  

And people wondered why he was so mad, look at what he sprang from...Christ’s Blood. 

It was almost like another Tuesday; this is what being back on the Cove did to him... No, that wasn’t quite right, this is what being near any of his family did to him. 

Dull amusement began to seep in as the lingering implications of Teague carrying that head around began to settle. 

 Jack smiled as he gestured awkwardly to his father’s coat, “Not a bad way to startle the grandkids.”  

Teague smirked as he quietly admitted, “Already have. Your woman only let me do it once to little Rosie. Done it a few to the boy - I think Rosie handled it better.” 

Jack snorted unsurprised by his family antics. Rose more than likely took the shrunken head to be a new strange doll. Jonah was old enough to know better. He did wonder when Teague had made the time to stop in on them. 

“They’re here. Up in the Alley.” Teague murmured lightly as if sensing his son’s thoughts, fingers strumming gently at his guitar. 

“What!” A sharp flash of surprise lit Jack’s dark eyes before he masked it behind something that Teague couldn’t quite read. Worry if he had to guess and confirmed as Jack quietly growled, “You brought ‘em here?” 

Teague bit back a sigh as he gave his son a pointed look, “Wasn’t intending on it... Honestly, still puzzlin’ out how Quinn talked me into their passage aboard. I had told her no.” 

“She likely just ignored you.” It's what she did when they had been children. Jack rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath about devious strumpets. He felt sick. They weren’t to be here; he never would have made that deal with Beckett otherwise.  

He needed to see to preparations for his ship before Barbossa got too far in his ego thinking he was captain of the Pearl again, but he would make time to see his children and he had a bone to pick with his woman. His hearted lifted a bit...she was here. 

It was only as he lurched away from his father that Teague called out to him, “Go easy on her, Jackie. She’s been through the gamut.” 

Jack nearly scoffed.  

He hadn’t? 

He had been swallowed by a bloody gigantic cephalopod and trapped in Davy’s Locker with stony crabs and far – far too much time with his thoughts. Besides he didn’t bloody remember her being present to save him.  

Admittedly, Jack knew that last uncharitable thought was unfair – he would not have been happy to see her in the Locker. Not when they had their two little treasures to protect, and he was well aware that the onus of that responsibility fell to her.  

Which was why he wasn’t terribly happy on her being here now.  

Despite being a fortress, Shipwreck Cove, the city, and its inhabitants would be raided should the Pirate Lords fail in their endeavor to stop Beckett and Jones. It was the last place he wanted Quinn and the children to be.  

It was with clear intent and purpose that Jack made his way back to the Pearl. Gibbs and Marty would have a head for what was already on board, and they would have to make do with what supplies they could get in the city. Jack could only hope that word had spread already of what was afoot and that the shopkeepers would keep any wily haggling to a minimum – of course, a few would see the coming battle as a golden opportunity to gouge their prices.  

Barbossa was already issuing orders when Jack stepped aboard, but he paid his former first mate and current rival little mind. The brunt of the crew was paying him more attention anyway as he asked a few carefully plotted questions before heading to his cabin for parchment and quill. Barbossa hadn’t spent near as much time on the Cove as Jack had... none of his crew had really, but there were a couple that were familiar with the city’s workings. It would have to be enough. 

Jack tagged a few more orders onto Barbossa’s before snagging a handful of the crew to head into the city. A list of merchants and an inventory of necessities in hand, he passed instructions onto his little group and watched as they dispersed to follow orders. They would be back on ship by the time he was done with his own errands.  

-----

He was stepping out of Doc Nessa’s shop when he felt the familiar glance of a small body skimming his hip. He didn’t even think as his fingers grasped the back of a well-loved shirt and tugged the body inside around. A pair of familiar dark eyes far too intelligent to belong to a child, but in fact did, regarded him.  

A wild thrill of amusement coursed through his gut, though Jack was careful not to show it as he returned his son’s indifferent regard, “Need to be quicker than that, lad. Hand it over.” 

Jonah scowled as he held out his father’s compass. Well, a compass. One that Jack had pilfered from Barbossa. 

Jack took it with gentle care before he arched a brow, “The rest?” 

Jonah slumped and pulled a coin purse and a ring from his pockets.  

Jack blinked in surprise at the ring before casting a glance to his right hand where indeed one of his rings was missing. He hadn’t even noticed that one, that was impressive.  

In return Jack held up a French silver medallion and grinned as Jonah blanched and checked his pockets. 

Jonah reached out to snag it, but Jack yanked it back, “Da!” 

“Pay attention to your possessions next time, eh?” Jack said as he tucked the medallion in his pocket, “Want it back? Best figure out a way to get it. Savvy?” 

A churlish pout curled his boy’s mouth, but he nodded before mumbling a quiet, “Savvy.” 

“Good lad.” Jack murmured before he crouched down, “Now come ‘ere and give your old man a proper greetin’.” 

Jonah hesitated much to Jack’s consternation. He had never known his boy to be leery with him and he didn’t care for it starting now. He refused to have the same relationship with his son that he had with Teague. As if summoned from the depths, Teague’s words about Quinn having a difficult time came floating back to him... What had gone on in his absence? 

He didn’t have time to ask before he had his arms filled with a seven-year-old. He relaxed and wrapped a tight arm around his boy as he felt Jonah turn into a limpet. That was more like it. 

Grinning, he pressed a kiss to Jonah’s ear as he murmured, “Missed ya, lil’ scallywag. You causin’ trouble for your mother?” 

“Aye.” Jonah answered against Jack’s chest. 

“You watchin’ out for your sister?” 

“Aye.” 

“Rosie tormentin’ you?” 

“Aye.” 

“You been getting revenge on her?” 

There was a pause before Jonah uttered, “No.” 

Jack nearly snorted in disbelief, but quite seriously asked, “And why not?” 

“Mum would tan me hide.”  Jonah stated as if it were obvious. He wasn’t dumb enough to admit to any wrongdoing he hadn't been caught at – especially not to his parents.  

Jack chuckled and gently pushed his son to stand back, “Depends on what you did and if you get caught. ‘Sides you probably deserve a good tanning every once in a while.” 

“Daaaa.” Jonah whined, making Jack snicker further before he was attacked by another small body. 

He leaned sideways and he grunted under the sudden impact, but the lilting giggle gave away his accoster long before he caught sight of her face. This was another one that could use a tanning or two.  

“Oi! Careful, darlin’. You gonna break this old man.” Jack cried as he lifted Rose to perch on his hip. He couldn’t stay crouched any longer, “Miss me?” 

“Aye.” Rose chirped as she grinned widely at her father.  

Jack’s heart melted under that smile and damn if his little girl didn’t know the power that she had over him. Just like her mother. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before she snuggled further into his hold. 

Seven bells rang in the distance, and he suddenly realized the hour. It was a bit late for his two wildings to be running amuck. Yet as he peered down the alley Rosie had flown from he saw the familiar shape of Quinn’s guard lingering.  

Poor blighter must have been put on watch. 

“Why are you two not with your mother?” 

“Mummy said youse be here and um- we wanted to find you, but we – uh – we made new friends and we’s got to playin’.” Rosie explained excitedly, “And then Morris came to get us and then Jony disappeared, and we’ve been lookin’ for ‘im.”  

“Is that so?” Jack murmured as he sent a speculative glanced to his son. 

Jonah stared unperturbed back at him, and Jack was reminded that this was very much his son. Stubborn and underhanded. 

As if to reinforce Rose’s words a faint cry from the opposite street caught the children’s attention. A few of the wharf rats were lingering and Jack took them to be the new friends. Jonah had a longing glint in his eye, and he sighed reluctantly, “Back to the quarters by first bell or I’ll put you over me knee meself, savvy?” 

Jonah didn’t wait and went skittering off before Jack had a chance to change his mind, “Savvy!” 

“I wanna go too!” Rosie cried, wriggling to get out of father’s hold.  

Jack held tight, “Ah, ah, no. I don’t think so, luv. You are gonna keep your old man safe as he goes and finds your mum.” 

“Nooo!” Rosie howled. 

“No?” Jack cried back, nodding to Morris as he passed him in the alley, “No? So, you want your dear dad to be savagely attacked? How cruel you be, little Rose. However, will I be able to find your fair mother all be me onesies, I wonder. Be a good lass and help your da out, eh?” 

His attempt at guilt did little to persuade the five-year-old as she stared at him mutinously. She was developing a fine glare to stop a man cold. It was obvious that Rosie had been spending far too much time with her mother. He barely dodged her little hands as she reached to pull his chin braids. Jack had almost forgotten that she needed no instruction to fight dirty.  

And it was a fight...all the way back to the quarters which only ended as he began to regale her with stories from the past. He pitied any man who dared to woo his daughter once she was older.  

It was a thought that vanished as he swept into the old family quarters only to find Quinn nowhere in sight. It was odd to suddenly be standing in a place that he had done everything he could to run away from – an all too familiar unease began to twist in his gut, and he had to bite his tongue to not become lost to ghosts that still haunted him. He tilted his head down the hall and saw a barely perceptible glow emanating from the slap shod parceling of lumber that was to act as a staircase.  

Jack nearly groaned. She was in Grandmama’s old quarters... Quinn was trying to punish him. 

Lovely. 

“Daddy?” Rosie cried softly as she watched her father’s countenance turn sour. Childish worry peered at him through eyes that were so like his. 

Jack forced a small smile to his lips before he tapped her nose, “Let’s get you to bed, eh? You’ll need your energy to go torment your brother come mornin.” 

Surprisingly, Rosie merely pouted a little at the bid for bed. Either she was more tired than she wanted to admit, or she still sensed the poor mood possessing her father. Jack didn’t want to explore either option, but he would take the opportunity her current submissiveness was giving him.  

----

He dawdled. 

He would never admit it, but he loitered in his old bedroom watching his daughter curl around a pillow as she fell into an easy slumber. He itched with the desire to haul her out and bring her to his cabin on the Pearl. Too many memories haunted this decrepit place and only a handful were counted as anything happy or good. He wanted none of it to touch his children.  

Jack couldn’t understand why he was here – Why Quinn had chosen to come back here. Even if it was to check in on him.  She held as little love for this place as he did... less in some regards. But he wouldn’t get any answers by hiding away. 

He came out just as Jonah crept through the front door. Jack arched a brow as he heard first bell in the distance, “Cuttin’ it close, lad.” 

Jonah fidgeted under his father’s stare before uttering, “Still ‘afore the bell.” 

“Aye, so you were.” Jack hummed and nodded to him to get to the bed with his sister, “Go on. To bed wit ya. Don’t let me catch you out of it.” 

“Da?” 

Jonah called as Jack ambled towards the stairs. He turned to find a churlish frown pinching his boy’s features.  

Jonah swallowed tightly as he stuttered out, “Ar- are you leavin’ us again?” 

Again. 

The quiet resignation in his son’s voice fair broke Jack’s heart, but he was unsurprised by it. In a perfect world he would keep his family aboard the Pearl with him. In a perfect world he wouldn’t miss months of his children’s lives. But a pirate ship was no place for a child and Jack had been a pirate for too long to stop now.... The world wasn’t perfect, and reality was a far more painful place as his son was beginning to learn. Jack just wished he wasn’t the one teaching that lesson already. 

He crouched down before Jonah again, this time tilting his boy’s chin up as he answered honestly – because his son deserved honesty, “Aye. I am, but I hope to be with you again soon.” 

“I don’t want you to go.” A suspicious sheen had come to decorate Jonah’s dark eyes. A wobble to his lips.  

It dawned on Jack then that Jonah must have just heard about the coming battle. Word had been slower than he had anticipated reaching the shops, but it would have spread through the city fully by now and his boy wasn’t stupid enough not to listen. 

Jack winced as he murmured soothingly, “Now none of that, lad.” 

“Please.” Jonah choked out, unable to hold back his tears. He was suddenly folded into his father’s embrace as he broke into a sob. Rum, sea salt, and gunpowder invaded the little boy’s senses – it was a unique combination of scents that he would forever associate with his father. It was home and it was safe, and he lost it every time his father disappeared to the sea.  

Jonah burrowed into him in a way that made Jack think he was trying to hide in his pocket. Jack closed his eyes sadly and tightened his hold as he let his boy cry it out, “Wants and needs, Jony. Very rarely do those two ever line up. I would love nothing more than to keep you and your sister and your mother with me always, but it's just not possible. So, we must steal what time we can with each other and not give any of it back.” 

Jonah sniffled, “Be a pirate.” 

“Aye.” Jack murmured, “Be a pirate.” 

They sat together soaking in what comfort they could before Jonah pushed back and wiped at his nose. His eyes were swollen still with his tears, and it hurt something deep in Jack to watch his son try and be brave. He was too young for that skill yet. 

A glint of silver caught his eye, and Jonah gave a watery smile as he held up his medallion, freshly stolen back into his care. 

Jack huffed a faint laugh, “Well done, lad. I’ll make a pirate out of you yet. Or at the very least, a very competent thief.” 

Ruddy cheeks still damp were softly soothed by Jack’s rough hands before he prodded Jonah to the bedroom his sister was in, “Go on. Give your face a wash and get to bed.” 

Jack stood in the doorway as he watched Jonah reluctantly follow his orders. The dry sink holding the washing bowl made his boy seem incredibly small and too grown all at once. He made a mess of washing his face, but it was more of a cover to hide fresh tears and soft hitched breaths.  

Jack pretended not to notice, no sense in embarrassing the boy.  Finally, he shucked his clothes and grabbed a large shirt Quinn had left out. Jack recognized it as an old one of his and that brought on an entire new swell of bittersweet emotion to drown his heart. 

It was only as Jonah began to settle next to his sister that Jack meander back to tuck him in. He smiled faintly under his son’s doleful gaze before giving into the temptation to press a kiss to his temple, “Sleep, lad. Tomorrow’s a new day with new adventures.” 

“Take what you can.” Jonah whispered. 

“And give nothin’ back.” Jack whispered back solemnly. He gave a light squeeze to his boy’s shoulder in silent good night. 

-----

 A heavenly sight greeted Jack when he finally made his way upstairs. The bare expanse of Quinn’s back was on display as her shift hung loosely around her waist. His gaze drifted up from her shapely legs to the delicious curve of her bottom over the dark lines that inked her spine to the thin wispy curls that had found freedom from the mishappened updo she had imprisoned the rest of her mane in.  Steam rose from the tub residing beside her and for a moment Jack quite forgot his irritation with her. 

For a moment, anyway. The tense set of her shoulders was his first clue that he wasn’t the only one out of sorts. 

“Now, there’s a sight for sore eyes.” Jack murmured as he leaned against the doorframe. Her lukewarm welcome was his second clue. 

Green eyes peeked over a slim shoulder at him as Quinn place a bottle of some concoction down, “Wondered if you’d actually come up here.” 

Jack wasn’t sure if here was the quarters or Grandmama’s room in specific and he didn’t care to ask. He ignored the subtle prompting in her comment with a gesture that said, ‘well, here he stood’. It didn’t surprise him when Quinn rolled her eyes and turned back to her ablutions. 

“Are the children sorted?” 

“Aye.” Jack answered with a frown. He hated talking to her back – even if it was a glorious view. It made it a mite difficult to ascertain what was going on in her head, “As you well know. Surprised you didn’t step in while Jony was cryin’.” 

“He needed you, not me.” She said with a slight shrug, but he felt the truth in her words. Jonah had wanted his papa. There be no denying that. 

“Shall I wash your back, luv? Get those hard-to-reach places.” Jack offered as he sauntered closer, “Nice and squeaky clean, eh?” 

Quinn snorted, “Your dirty hands are not to touch me, Jack. When was the last time you had a washin’, you filthy pirate?” 

Jack paused, slightly offended and unwillingly amused as he pondered that query. He didn’t think that he as that dirty – he had definitely been worse, “I took a dip not too long ago, I’ll have you know.” 

Surely hanging upside down in the ocean counted. 

“You can take another now. Waters for you. I’ve already bathed.” Quinn said, her hands moving to pull up her shift when his came to stop her. 

“Now don’t do that, luv.” Jack whispered against her ear as he pressed against her. He bit back a smile as he felt a faint shudder wrack her body, “I’m quite enjoyin’ you half dressed. Course it’d be even better if you were completely undressed.” 

“Jack...” 

His lips brushed over the curve of her neck as his hands slid over her hips to hold her more firmly...except, there was more of her than he expected. Jack paused as his grip flexed over the small swell of her belly. Only just slightly bigger than a bump. His heart leapt into his throat in realization before his dark gaze snapped up to find her watching him warily. 

“Thought I told you not to touch me with those dirty hands.” Quinn rasped, trying for a light – indifferent tone and failing. 

“I’ll touch you however much I want, woman.” Jack said thickly, “Is that why you came here? To tell me?”   

 “Thought you should know... You’ll have one more to be comin’ back to.” She mumbled, “You need to stop gettin’ me with child.” 

Jack grinned, fierce joy and pride batting back his outright terror for the moment, “Whatever for? I quite enjoy gettin’ you fat with my child.” 

He grunted a moment later as her elbow collided with his side and she growled calmly, “Fat? I’ll show you fat, Jack Sparrow.” 

Despite the playful glint in her eye, Jack chuckling, quickly grasped both her wrists before she could do something decidedly unpleasant to his person. Now, he understood why Teague had let her come. A pregnant Quinn was an impossible Quinn to reason with, “Come ‘ere.”  

He tugged her around and stole the kiss he had been angling for since he had stepped inside. It felt good to have her with him again. It was downright beautiful actually. There had been a few dark moments when he wondered if he’d make it back to her and the kids. And he had – they were here. 

At least for the moment and he’d take it. 

He’d steal this time like he had told Jonah to do. 

Jack broke the kiss, reveling in her mewl of protest as he leant his head against hers, “Another one, eh?” 

“Aye.” Quinn murmured back, “You upset?” 

“Have I ever been upset over being made a father?” He asked blithely, “Or given you cause to think I’d be?” 

“Jack...” She sighed, “It’s different this time and you know it.” 

Tendrils of the terror he had been pushing back were starting to grasp, but he refuse to let it hold. The memory of her last pregnancy was clearer than air for him. The babe they had lost - How he had nearly lost her as well... Damn her for alluding to it. His hold on her tightened almost imperceptibly.  

Jack shrugged, pressing his lips to her crown, “So, we’re a little older – a little more damaged, a little more weary. Still wouldn’t change a thing.” He pushed back and nudged her to do the same as he did a quick calculation in his head, “Let’s have a look at ya. Be about five months, that right?” 

Quinn hesitated, making Jack frown. She had never been shy with him before and he didn’t understand her reluctance now. Jonah had done the same. It was on the tip of his tongue to say something until his appraising gaze found the crest of her bosom or more specifically the top of her left breast and what should have resided there. 

His mark... 

“What’s this?” He breathed. 

The dark lines of the sparrow over the horizon that normally decorated her skin had faded. It wasn’t the type of blanching that would come from the sun, but it was as if the ink had eroded to a thin sketch. His fingers traced the mark bewildered before he yanked the sleeve of his shirt up to view his matching bird.  

It had burned something fierce while he had been in the Locker. A hallucination. Or at least... Had that pain been real? He had thought - taken it to mean really that his soul saying he was too far from his other half... but now?  

It had changed.  

The dull bluish black lines had become more a sickly grey. He hadn’t noticed...it’d had stop hurting once he had left the Locker and he had all but put the odd experience from his mind. 

It was then Jack truly took stock of his woman. Faint circles lined her usually lively emerald eyes, her cheeks a little hollower than he would like... She was pale. Sallow really. Despite that he knew for a fact, that she tended to spend a fair bit of time out in the sun. 

“It may not have been just the babe that brought me here. I guess that bonding ceremony we did wasn’t as much of a lark as we thought.” Quinn uttered quietly. She bit her lip and stepped away as she pulled her shift into place, “Get your bath. I wanna check on the little ones.”  

Jack watched her go with gaping worry. 

Go easy on her, Jackie. She’s been through the gamut. 

What the blood hell had happened in his absence? 

-----

Quinn was mildly astonished to see that Jack had followed her decree to bathe when she returned to the room. Of course, he was already reaching for a towel...  

She hadn’t been gone more than a few minutes, “You’ve only made the dirt on you muddy, at least scrape it off.” 

“You want me clean, luv, you best get over here and give me a hand.” Jack grumbled as he sent her a sly glance, “Get those hard-to-reach places.” 

Quinn scoffed at him, “For someone who loves bein’ on the water, you have a peculiar resistance to gettin’ in it.” 

“It’s not the same though is it.” Jack replied as he washed his arms a bit better. He wanted to see the full extent of the change to his mark, “Of course, there be a list of interestin’ questions you’d be good to answer if you want me to sit in this water longer.”  

“I have a feelin’ I’ll be answerin’ those questions regardless.” She muttered, but she snagged a washrag and poked him to sit forward so she could sit on the lip of the tub behind him, her dainty feet brushed his hips. It wouldn’t be too much longer before her belly would make such a feat impossible. 

Jack fairly purred as she worked the rag across his back, lightly massaging as she went, “Aye, you would...What’s happened, Quinn?” 

“Let’s see... You left.” She supplied unhelpfully, but she sensed his unimpressed glare long before he opened his mouth, “I had business in New Orleans – its changed since we’ve last been. Kids caught the measles. That was a miserable few weeks. I missed two of my courses before realizin’ I was increasin’. Oh, and then suddenly, I was struck by the most debilitatin’ pain – bit like takin’ a hot poker to the chest I reckon. Scared poor Jonah half to death with the way I screamed, ended up passin’ out thankfully, but I was sure I had lost the babe. Bloody miracle, I hadn’t. That was when I received word of your demise and then Teague stopped by on his way to here and I figure it best to hear what was goin’ on.” 

Jack hummed as he was once again dropped into a pool of horrified and exasperated. Only Quinn could utter all of that like was the most casual thing in the world. Just afternoon tea, really. It should have clued him in really. That sort of passivity from her only meant that she was brimming with fire beneath the surface.  

It didn’t for his ire with her was definitely rearing its head once more. He didn’t even know where to begin with all of that, so he waspishly muttered, “Oh is that all? Just another bloody Tuesday, is it?” 

“It’s Wednesday actually.” 

“Quinn.” Jack rebuked, losing his patience.  

He needed to see her.  

He twisted, grabbing her wrist, and yanked her around so suddenly that water sloshed out of the tub. She fell haphazardly into his lap. Her shift was soaked within seconds. 

“Oh!” She growled, livid.  

She became even more so when she caught his agitation with her. As far as she was concerned, he didn’t have the bloody right. It was as if a bubble had burst within her. Everything that she had kept bottled up for last half year came flowing out at him.  

The tub wasn’t big enough to accommodate two people, but she somehow maneuvered herself to straddle him before she began raining blows, “You are –Such -A – Bastard!” 

“Ow! Woman!” Jack wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he would rather endure this rage from her than the barbed flippancy she had been spewing behind his head. Though the way she was wriggling in his lap wasn’t helping matters on another end. A particularly hard blow to his stomach had him restraining her wrists again as they both labored for breath. 

Quinn glared at him, hot tears stinging her eyes as she wrathfully muttered, “You died! You died! You -” 

And there was the heart of the matter... at least for her. The anguish in her emerald eyes startled Jack. It had been a long time since he had seen her this upset. A rush of guilt tore through him like a riptide and she saw it too.  

She tried to yank her hands free to strike him again, but Jack held firm, “I know, luv, I know. But I’m here now. I’m back.” 

“Oh, codswallop!” Quinn swore a blue streak, “You’re here? For how long? Or are you not chargin’ out into that bloody massacre that’s set for tomorrow? Shall I plan the eulogy now?” 

Jack’s face darkened and it took some not inconsiderable control for him not lash out the way he wanted to – they had both been through hell. He could recognize that, even with the bare bones accounting that Quinn had given him. Like the sun rose in the east, he knew that she hadn’t told him everything. He also knew he had scared her and if the tables had been turned, he would be just as furious. 

Lord, he didn’t want to fight with her. He really didn’t, but a thought had occurred that he wanted answered, “Quinn - Quinn, stop wrigglin’!” 

She didn’t and he muttered a quick oath before he shifted his grasp on both her wrists to one hand before he delved his other between their bodies. 

Quinn jerked in shock as his fingers grazed over her slit, searching for evidence of arousal as much as desiring a way of stilling her. She didn’t even notice when he let her go, only that she was suddenly bracing herself on his shoulders as he caught her startled gaze and a sank a finger into her. 

She emitted a strangled, “Jack!” 

“Told you to stop wrigglin’.” Jack murmured smugly as he tried not to lose the thread of thought he had been chasing before he decided it’d be a good idea to reexplore tempting territory to get her attention. Throwing her down and ravishing her was fast becoming an overwhelming desire – especially as she made no attempt to stand up and leave. Maybe they needed to fuck this one out, “Now, before you resume abusin’ my person, luv, do us a favor and tell me... when you made the fundamentally stupid decision to come back to the Cove -” 

Her nails dug into his shoulder, and he hissed before adding another finger to his play, “That’s not nice, luv... When you made the decision, did you know I was alive?” 

Quinn frowned at him, wondering why this was so important. Of all the things that she had said to him this was the last line of inquiry she had expected... and really wasn���t that just like him.  

Impatience seemed to get the best of him again at her prolonged silence as he very purposefully curled his fingers inside of her. Quinn suppressed a moan as he grazed that spot that brought such exquisite pleasure. A mordant liquid began to seep to her loins, “...Yes.” 

“Sorry, was that yes to my question or are you beggin’ me for more, darlin’?” Jack asked grinning wickedly. She swore at him which only made him giddy, “Pirate.” 

“Jack, I can’t focus when you’re doin’ that.” She said, trying to tug his arm up, but he didn’t budge. 

“Good, I don’t want you focusin’ too hard.” He murmured back, quite forgetting what he was about as he leaned in and nipped at the skin exposed by her collar. The faded lines of his mark glared up at him. That would be fixed... Had to be. 

“Yes.” Quinn said, “Yes, to your question.”    

“How did you know?” 

“Your bloody mark.” Quinn murmured, “It stopped feeling like it was going to burn me from the inside out.” 

Jack went silent. A deep frown marring his features and she could only wait for him to verbalize his thoughts. He fell back, allowing her the freedom to get up if she so chose. She didn’t. 

“Not as much of a lark, eh?” Jack finally said, but there was no hiding the anguish behind his words.  

Just a bunch of words that ceremony. Neither of them had been keen on a proper marriage but their own promises? A blood pact that was meant to twine their souls?  That added a touch of mystery, and romance, and fun – well that had been right up their alley, now hadn’t it. 

What bloody fools they had been... 

Quinn found that she unwillingly softened in the face of his horror, and she sighed, “I think the babe is what kept me from joinin’ you... wherever you were.” 

Jack peered at her quizzically, not following her line of thought. 

 “A bit of you is in me, isn’t it? It’s how we’re creatin’ this little life.” Quinn whispered, not willing to tell him that she also suspected that was why she had been in such horrible pain. The bond didn’t know where to pull her too – so it tore at her, “An entwining of essences to be forever one.” 

Jack swallowed as she recited the words from the ceremony, “Doesn’t sound quite as sensual anymore, does it?” 

“No...” Quinn agreed, it sounded downright terrifying now. She drew a fortifying breath, “How long? How long before you have to go?” 

“We’re to leave at daybreak.”  

“Right.” Jack froze as she leveled a cold glare on him that made his heart cringe in anticipation of her wrath, “Don’t you dare die on me again, Jack Sparrow.” 

She swiftly removed herself from the tub before he could respond. Her back to him once more as she hid a rush of tears. She shed her wet shift with little care as he murmured, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Quinnie.”     

 Though she was better at hiding her tears than their son, Jack still noticed, and he wasn’t about to pretend he hadn’t otherwise.  

The sloshing of water was her only warning before he was on her. His fingers grasped her elbow and spun her around before she could think. Her mouth found his first. Harsh, angry, biting as she unleased her distress upon him and... claimed him. Jack took it all, silently relishing in the rare show of possessiveness from her. Anything to make her tears stop. He couldn’t stand her crying for him, never could. 

His arms became bands around her waist as he pulled her tight. For the first time in months the world seemed to still and feel right. A strange peace fell over them both. Their kiss broke when the need for air became too great, but that didn’t stop her from nuzzling into him, trailing biting kisses along his jaw as he walked them back to the bed.  

Jack hummed as her attentions fell to his neck and he realized she was truly laying claim to him with a mark of her own, “You’re not normally one for love bites, what’s brought this on?” 

“Just a reminder.” Quinn murmured as she let him push her onto the mattress. Her hands traced the panes of his body as if she was trying to commit it to memory. 

Jack crawled over her, nipping her lip, but he couldn’t help but ask, “Reminder? It’s unlikely I’ll be attractin’ a strumpet to me tomorrow for you to chase off with a reminder.” 

“Reminder’s for you.” Quinn said drolly even as she spread her legs for him. She wanted him close – needed it really and he was moving too slow when they had only a few hours before he’d leave again... 

“Woman, you’re not makin’ a lick of sense.” Jack stated stoutly, firmly ignoring her overtures for a quick fuck.  

This wasn’t Tortuga and he wasn’t taking her against an alley wall. Though... A faint smile tugged at his lips at the few good memories they had against said walls. He wanted to see her. He took in the fullness of her breasts and smoothed his palms lovingly over her growing belly. He had always been fascinated by the change pregnancy wrought on her body. 

Quinn tugged on the end of one of his dreads as he leaned down to place a kiss to her stomach, “It’s just to make you think twice before you do something incredibly stupid – Like become so distracted by a kiss as to get yourself shackled to a ship and then killed.” 

Jack reared up to find Quinn staring at him with an indifference that scared him more than her anger, “I haven’t the foggiest of what you’re on about.” 

“Mmhmm.” 

He couldn't stop himself from playing with fire though, “But if I did... How much groveling would one have to do to be forgiven for such an infraction? Pray tell.” 

Quinn was silently amused as she watched him try to puzzle out how much trouble he was in exactly – Never mind that he had her completely naked and willing at the moment, “Alot, more if I have to throw myself at you to get any kind of satisfaction tonight. You’re doin’ a very poor job of making me feel desirous right now.” 

Jack had the gall to look affronted at her critique, “I’ve been harder than a bloody hammer since I’ve stepped into this room, luv. Let’s not pretend you don’t know the effect your utterly delectable and sinful body has on my person or that you intentionally kept yourself half-dressed to lull me into forgetting’ where exactly we are right now. Which well-played by the way.” 

“I haven’t the foggiest of what you’re on about.” Quinn uttered back at him, shrieking with laughter a moment later as he pounced on her. Her laughter was dissolved by a rather thorough kiss that left her with no doubts of Jack’s desire for her. 

A slow heat swept through her as she fell into his touch. The familiarity of him was a comfort that she had been lacking for too long. His scent, his strength, his warmth surrounded her, and she basked in it, just as Jack basked in her. He was almost... reverential. As if he was not entirely sure that she was real as he took his time rediscovering her body.  

Calloused fingers hooked under her knee and pulled her wider as he entered her...slowly... so slowly. As if he were afraid of her hurting her. To be fair, her muscles strained a bit from being split, but it was a welcome discomfort that disappeared with the relief of being fulfilled. 

Quinn emitted a pleased sigh as he bottomed out and Jack moaned, enjoying the way her lurid cavern suckled him so sweetly.  

His lips danced over hers in a gossamer caress as he watched her, “Alright?” 

“Hmmm.” Quinn hummed contently. She drew a finger across his cheek, marveling at his gentleness for not the first time, “I missed you.” 

Jack smiled warmly at her, as his arms came to rest on either side of her head. He stole a true kiss then, “And I, you, luv.” 

“Then you should ravish me, Pirate.” She teased, arching against him in silent demand. 

“Aye. I should.” Jack chuckled as he began to thrust languidly.  

He was intent on drawing their union out for a multitude of reasons. A petty one being that he knew it would drive her mad and he was still stinging over where their fortuitous reunion was occurring. More significantly, Quinn had successfully lit the fuse on every one of his concern canons with her wan appearance and he didn’t trust her to tell him if she was feeling unwell. Stubborn bint that she was.   

Amusedly, he could practically feel Quinn’s frustration build as she shifted, matching his movement, but also trying to get enough purchase to change the pace to something faster. 

“Jack!” 

He shook with laughter but stilled – knowing she had reached the limit of his teasing, “I should have gotten you off before playin’, luv. I’m sorry. I’d forgotten how insatiable this state makes you.” 

“Insufferable.” She grumbled, pinching his side as he reached for a pillow to put under her hips. He jumped, swatting lightly at her as he resituated them, “You’re treating me like I’m made of glass.” 

Jack realized then that Quinn didn’t know how fragile she looked to him, like a good gust of wind would knock her down. He sighed and rubbed a soothing trail up her thigh as he murmured, “I haven’t been around to take care of you, Quinnie. Your body’s no longer used to it. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you winced when I breeched you or the way you tensed when I was touchin’ that fair chest of yours. You’re tender, ain’t ya?” 

“Only a little.” Quinn sulked, “I can handle more, luv.” 

Jack arched a brow at her. 

“I’m not gonna break. Promise. Please” She wheedled, reaching for him, “You know I don’t say please often.” 

There was a long moment of silence as he studied her before suddenly, he bucked. It was heavenly, just the right amount of friction they both needed. Jack stifled a groan, but Quinn hadn’t been prepared and failed to hide another wince as a twang of discomfort rippled with the pleasure he brought to her body.  

“You gonna follow my lead now?” Jack demanded. 

“Is your lead gonna go any faster?”  

“Woman...” Jack swore, shaking his head, “You are -” 

“Yours?” Quinn smiled cheekily and Jack couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Aye, that you are.” Despite being charmed, he didn’t give into her whims. If they had time for another round he would, but for now she’d have to deal with slow and gentle. He sure as hell was... not that it was much of a trial.  

Her faint moans and whispered mewls were music to his ears after coming uncomfortably close to not being able to hear this ever again. No, he had no problem taking his time to swim her depths. 

-----

Jack fell next to her sweaty and sated as Quinn labor for breath next to him. She lazily squeezed his arm as she murmured, “Alright... I’ll be more willin’ to follow your lead next time.” 

Jack grinned smugly, pulling her against his chest as he recovered from their crush of bliss, “Feel like I’ve heard that ‘afore, luv.” 

Quinn suppressed a smile and entangled their legs as he drew circles over her belly with curious fingers. A wistful grimace painted his vintage that Quinn understood all too clearly... It was different his time around, whether Jack wanted to admit it aloud or not. She placed her hand over his, catching his weary regard. 

“I’m glad you’re here.” He murmured after a moment, gaze drifting to her mark. It may have been a trick of the light, but the lines seemed to have thickened – at least a tad. It pained him to think he may have almost caused her demise. 

“No, you’re not.” She arched a knowing brow at him. 

“No, I am not.” Jack agreed dryly, aware she thought he was speaking about being back in the Cove. And aye, that he was not pleased with, “You’re incredibly lucky to be with child right now or else I’d have you over my knee for comin’ back to this hell hole– especially now, luv.” 

Quinn’s emerald eyes glimmered dangerously at the threat as she murmured, “Liked to see you try.” 

“I’ve done it before, haven’t I? Don’t tempt me.” 

It was how unusually serious he was as he uttered those words that let Quinn know how upset she had made him. Coming back to the Cove had never been on her agenda and she wouldn’t have if every bone in her body hadn’t been screaming at her to return. She had learned to trust her instincts ages ago. 

She forced a bland retort, “Hardly think it counts when it's just a lead up to more pleasurable pursuits.” 

Jack sent her a warning look but took the opportunity their turn in mood presented to address the elephant neither wanted to acknowledge, “Should the worst happen tomorrow, I want you to find Teague. Grab the children and go with him. Shipwreck Island won’t be safe. As Keeper of the Code, he’ll be the last to depart which will make him the quickest to get back here.” 

A spark of undo terror tightened Quinn’s throat and she withdrew her hand from his as she protested, “Don’t. Don’t talk like this -” 

“I want you to go with him to Madagascar. You'll be safe there.” Jack pressed, otherwise he’d never get the words out. 

Dropping an explosive would have been a kinder shock. Her eyes widened in quiet outrage, “Mada - you want me to go to your family? Jack, there’s a reason you don’t visit them.” 

“Aye! They’re barmy and insufferable, but harmless for the most part. - Well, now that Grandmama is dead, they’re mostly harmless. You're more than capable of handlin’ Quick Draw and her ilk. The house in Madagascar is nye impossible to get to unless you’ve been before. Beckett has a grudge against me, and you know it. Should he discover I have a family...” Jack shuddered, refusing to travel down that rabbit hole. He was one of the few who knew just what a cruel and cold bastard Beckett to be, “Promise me, you’ll go.” 

“...” Quinn bit her tongue, feeling positively sick from what he was demanding of her. 

“Promise me, Quinn.” 

She glowered at him, scowling faintly as she said, “I will always do what needs to be done to keep our children safe, you know this.” 

He did, he did know that “I’m not just worried about our children now, am I? Promise me.” 

A strangled note of desperation burst free on that last command and Quinn felt her ire quite blown out to sea at the sound of it. Jack wasn’t playing fair.  

She swallowed tightly before she whispered, “...I promise to find Teague.” 

Jack didn’t miss the way she had worded that oath. She’d find him, didn’t necessarily mean she’d go with him. He cursed quietly but acknowledge it was probably the best he would get from her, “Thank you.” 

“...Jack?” Quinn breathed, letting her worry come to the surface as she made her own demand, “Come back to me. Just come back.” 

She didn’t care when he did it or how’ just as long as he came back. 

Jack softened in the face of her concern. Cupping her cheek, he placed as much flippant bravado in his words as possible, “I’ve defied death once and come back to you – think I won’t do it again?” 

His cockiness did the trick of making her relax and roll her eyes at him, “I swear by all that’s holy, if you say that you’re Captain Jack Sparrow and that’s why it won’t happen again, you can go sleep on your bloody ship.”  

“Well, I am...” Jack murmured.  

He knew she didn’t buy it when he acted like this, she was one of the few people in the world that could remind him that he wasn’t as indestructible as he liked to pretend. 

“I think you wouldn’t have had to do it once if you hadn’t been so stupid...” Quinn intoned, leaning into his touch before lightly continuing, “And then you followed up that stupid by making it the Pirate King with your vote and now you’re goin’ to battle.” 

Jack’s mouth moved soundlessly for a moment before he uttered, “You are...annoyingly well informed.” 

Quinn shrugged, “I was in the room when the vote happened. Not my fault you didn’t notice.” 

His dark eyes narrowed at her, “And the kiss?” 

“Oh, so you do know what I was speaking of then.” She murmured a little caustically. 

“Aye, well, it seems that Karma’s fine tone sense of retribution for my brief moment of disloyalty was to have me eaten and spat out in a fish captain’s purgatory. Surely even you must agree that I’ve been sufficiently punished for my crime, eh?” Jack smiled as charmingly as he could, making her snort. 

“It wasn’t the kiss that bothered me, Jack. It was you dying...Miss. Swann may have mentioned it to me in a moment of unburdening.” She answered vaguely, misinterpreting his dubious glare as disbelief when merely he was trying to puzzle out when the two women had met, “She didn’t know who she was confessin’ to.” 

“And you left her unharmed?” Jack asked genuinely surprised.  

While jealousy made a rare appearance in his Quinn, protective did not. There were a few pirates – and maybe one or two of his relatives - residing at the bottom of the ocean for far lesser offenses than killing him.  

Hell, he wasn’t entirely sure Grandmama had died of natural causes as Teague had claimed. He remembered that Quinn had been in their part of the world at the time, and she hated the old bitch almost more than he did.   

“If I had been in her place, I would have done the same.” Quinn said with a shrug. For a moment Jack thought her possessed before she continued, “Sides, I knew Tia had talked her into helping get you back from the Locker, if she happened to get maimed or died in the process I wouldn’t have shed a tear.” 

There it was - that was his Quinn. He relaxed back into his pillow as he sent her another suspicious look, “And how were you privy to what Tia Dalma’s plans were?” 

“...Didn’t I mention?” 

 “No, no, you did not mention, luv.” Jack said pointedly, irritation flashed in his dark eyes at her, “It seems you’ve left quite a bit out of your recounting of our time apart.” 

Quinn smiled sweetly, “And you can get the rest of it when you come back. You should have your own version of events well thought out by then.” 

Jack pursed his lips, debating if he wanted to press the issue. At this point, the only thing he would have edited out of his account, she already knew...  

Deciding it wasn’t worth the headache, he changed the gambit, “Sri Sumbhajee, you heard him speak tonight then, do you know -” 

“He’s a eunuch.” 

“...Is he not married?” Jack asked, perplexed and he faintly pitied the woman if it true. 

“He is.” Quinn said quietly, resting her head over his heart, “On his second wife, if I heard correctly.” 

“I wonder how that works then.” Jack grimaced curiously. 

“For him or her?” 

“Both?” 

-----

The utterly disconcerting feeling of being watched woke Jack sometime later – at least that’s what he would tell Quinn. Confusion briefly descended when he didn’t feel the soft shifting of waves. Then it all came screaming back – he barely muffled a curse. Drowsily, his head tilted toward the doorway to see Teague pulling his fist back from the door. 

Must have knocked. 

Christ, but that was off putting. For a moment, he thought he was thirteen again. 

“It’s time, boy.” Teague growled lowly once he saw Jack was conscious before disappearing from sight like a ghost. 

Very off putting.  

Jack could only grunt before he moved to get up, only to find a weight pressing against his stomach. He thought it Quinn’s leg as he slipped his arm from beneath her head, but a quick peek, showed him a messy curly mane belonging to his daughter. He wasn’t sure how he slept through her clambering into bed with them, but not his father’s knock. 

Sense of self-preservation perhaps. He didn’t need to defend himself against his little girl. 

Gently, he eased her over before he reached for his trousers. He moved with more grace than he typically displayed in public, donning his clothes and wresting his boots into place before he moved back to sort his girls.  

Luckily, Rose’s propensity for sleeping like the dead hadn’t changed in his time away as he slid her up the bed to lay within her mother’s protective reach.  

He was pulling the sheets around their little one when he heard Quinn whisper, “Don’t do anything stupid.” 

Glittering emerald worry peered at him, but Jack met her stare unflinchingly, “As long as you swear to do the same.” 

“When am I ever stupid?” 

“I’ll not answer that.” He said wisely, smiling when she glared at him, “I’ll be back before you know it, luv.” 

“Better be.” Quinn said tightly, fighting back tears as she watched him kiss Rose in farewell, “I love you.” 

Jack stilled as those three words escaped her lips. Rarely did they ever acknowledge it – they never needed to because it was just a fact. He loved Quinn and she loved him and that was it. To hear her say it now felt incredibly wrong – too much like a permanent farewell. His heart thundered loudly in his ears. 

“I thought only heedless fools ever said those words.” Jack said quietly, reminding her of the first time he had ever said it to her. 

“Aye, and you’re the biggest heedless fool I know and maybe I am too. So, I'm saying it.” Quinn stated softly. 

He nodded, suddenly understanding just how frightened she was for him before leaning over and catching her lips in his. His kiss was bruising, almost angry as he took his fill. A wetness splashed his cheeks as Quinn lost the battle with her tears.  

He pulled back and found himself soothing her in much the same way he had Jonah earlier, “None of that now, Quinnie. Don’t you dare cry.” 

Wants and needs, he had told their son. He wanted to stay. Quinn needed him to stay even if she wouldn’t say it, but he also needed to go. His hand had been deep in the pot that caused the current climate with Beckett and Jones, so it would be his hand that helped clear it and kept his family safe. 

He stole one last kiss before he whispered, “I love you too, Little Sprite.” 

Jack turned from her then, knowing he wouldn’t be able to leave if he didn’t. He didn’t dare look back at her, her distress would simply break him. Instead, he snagged his sword and gun from the chair by the door and strode from the room and down the stairs to where Teague waited.  

His father didn’t comment on his grim expression, merely watched as Jack pointedly ignored him in favor of finding his coat, “Is she alright?” 

“No.” Jack said stoutly, but raised his chin as he met Teague’s stare, “But she will be if I have anything to say about it.” 

[dutchessofcaladan]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Wrath of the Kraken

My 1st Pirates fic! And before you ask: No. I didn't abandon Ghostbusters: Soul Resurgence. My hyperfixation wheel decided to spin and somehow landed on Pirates of the Caribbean (I blame Geoffrey Rush).

Anyway, this fic (and possibly others, we'll see how this goes) will be a continuation of the PotC franchise (not a reboot like Disney so stupidly decided on) and will feature new and returning characters as well as take inspiration from previous films and the mobile game Tides of War.

And just like Ghostbusters: Soul Resurgence, a bit thank you to @phantomoftheparadise0002 for beta-reading this!

Summary: When Jack recruits Smith to help him find the lost relics of Cortez, their mission doesn't go as planned when they run into terrors and joys from their past, ultimately witnessing the resurrection of the Dutchman...and her beloved Captain.

TW: Some language

Jack smiled as his face became illuminated by the moon, its light shining through the parting clouds.

"Mr. Gibbs!" He shouted from the helm.

"Cap'n?" Gibbs responded, turning to Jack.

"Prepare the Pearl for docking!"

"But Cap'n, where be the dock?"

"Look through the mist, Mr. Gibbs." Jack smiled.

As if by magic, the mist faded, revealing the fortress that had been built into the side of a mountain.

"El Silencio en el mar Caspio." Jack all but sighed, as if he was returning home. "The Silence in the Caspian Sea."

As the ship got closer to the dock, Jack hopped down to the main deck, Cotton having taken the wheel.

"ALRIGHT STEADY! STEADY!" Jack shrieked as the ship aligned itself.

A terrified look covered his face as a loud snap echoed from the front of the ship.

Turning back to Cotton he shouted, "No matter! Everything's fine!" Pulling Gibbs to him he whispered, "Let's just hope she'll go easy on him otherwise we'll need a new helmsman."

Gibbs turned to him in shock. Before he could ask who they were here to see, Jack had hopped off the ship and started down what was left of the dock.

"Oi!" One of the guards shouted, blocking Jack's way. "What do you think you're doin'?"

Jumping back slightly, Jack looked at him in confusion. "Have we met before?" He questioned bluntly.

Before the guard could answer, Jack snapped his fingers, delight painting his face.

"I've got it!" He slurred. "You're one of those guards from Port Royal!" Leaning in close he asked, "Have you learned to swim yet?"

He jumped as the guard let out an angered huff.

"Let's just forget that last bit, shall we?" His eyes widened slightly, seeing that the guards expression hadn't changed. "How 'bout this: I'll go wait in that tavern over there, have a few drinks, while you go get your Captain for me."

Before the guard could answer, Jack pushed past him towards the tavern.

"Pirate, nay. Privateer."

"I'm disinclined to acquiesce your request. Means no."

"Aye. But that's a gamble of long odds, ain't it?"

"There's no guarantee of comin' back. Passin' on, that's dead certain."

"Too long me fate has not been in me own hands. No longer."

"Do ya mean grass? On a farm? Milkin’ a cow? Makin’ cheese? While they sink me treasure?! I'm a Pirate. Always will be."

"You know the first thing I'm gonna do after the curse is lifted...eat a whole bushel of apples."

“For too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea. Nor the warmth of a woman's flesh.”

“You best start believing in ghost stories Ms. Turner. You’re in one!”

"I'm the master of me ship. Not Blackbeard. I'm the master of me fate. Not Blackbeard. So I did what needed done. I survived."

"Nay, belay that! Let ‘er run straight and true!"

"Brace up yards, ya cack-handed deck apes! Dyin' is the day worth livin' for!"

"I feel...cold."

Smith awoke in a cold sweat to someone banging on her door. Standing up, she went to open it.

"What do you want, Mullroy?" She growled, glaring daggers at the guard who'd been banging on her door.

"Pardon me for awakin' you, Captain, especially at this hour, but," the look on her face told him to get to the point, "there's a man, in the tavern. He requested that I bring you to him."

Grumbling, Smith slammed the door, only to reamerge moments later fully dressed, motioning to Mullroy to take her to him.

As Jack downed his 4th mug of rum, the door to the tavern opened.

"Jack Sparrow." Smith smirked.

"Smith! It's been too long!" Steadying himself as he stood. "Hasn't it?"

"Aye." Her smile was strained. "9 years."

Heading to the table and pulling up a chair, Smith leaned close to Jack.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jack?"

Leaning forward, Jack slurred, "I've heard stories. Of a great treasure that lies at the bottom of the Atlantic. It's said to be one of the relics of Cortez himself."

Sensing she wasn't paying attention, he poked her in the forehead.

"'re you alright?" He asked.

"I've been having these...dreams." She sighed. "Every night for the past 9 years. Every single one about Hector. It's like he's calling to me."

"Tis not Barbossa who calls to you."

Swiftly turning in the direction of the voice, Jack aimed his pistol while Smith readied her sword.

Jack's eyes widened.

"Calypso." Smith's eyes narrowed.

"In de flesh." The Sea Goddess smiled, black teeth shining in the dim light of the rising Sun.

"What do you want?" Smith held her sword more firmly.

"Not'ing more dan to give you a gift."

"A gift?" Jack questioned. "Did you bring me a gift too?"

Calypso shot him an incredulous look, causing his smile to fall.

"Tis more of a...repayment, den a gift."

Smith's eyebrows furrowed. "A repayment? For what?"

Stepping closer, Calypso smiled. "In time, you and Jack will venture to dah sea. Dehn you will fallow Deh Map No Man Can Read. Dehr you will find your repayment."

"Repayment for what?" Smith repeated.

"You'll see."

As quick as she'd arrived, Calypso vanished.

"The Map No Man Can Read." Smith repeated, turning to Jack. "You don't think-"

"Think what?"

Before he could get an answer, Smith fled the tavern.

Placing her hands upon the wheel of the Queen Anne's Revenge, Smith let out a shaky breath. For the first time in 9 years, she stood at the helm of her ship. Her. Ship. Those words felt wrong. No. This was Hector's ship. He had been the one to take it from Blackbeard. He had been the one to make the Revenge what it was today.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled her sword from its sheath and thrust it into the air, the tip of it gleaning in the newly risen Sun. As she did so, the wine colored Sails were released from their bonds, the early morning air filling them. Thrusting the sword towards the bow of the ship, she watched as her crew tumbled down the deck at the sudden burst of acceleration.

Returning the sword to its sheath, she addressed her crew. "All hands! Ply to windward! Get crackin' ye bloomin' cockroaches!" She let out a laugh as her crew joined. "The Crown served me well! But now, by the Gods of sea and sky, make way for Tortuga!" Her crew cheered as the ship continued on.

Smiling as he heard the cheers of Smith's crew, Jack whispered to himself, "That's my girl."

[kathaariawrites]

Nights in Cádiz - Armando Salazar x Reader (Chapter 3)

I know I should be ashamed to come back and write another chapter as if nothing happened BUT at least I'm back so yay.

The dress I picture [Y/N] wearing here is this one. Also, because it's mentioned, here's a guide on the language of fans in the 18th century.

As breakfast progressed, with stolen glances and smirks from your part, Armando felt his face flush. It was highly, highly inappropriate for a lady, specially this young, this joyful, to behave like this. He was her father's friend, he left for his last trip when her mom was pregnant. [Y/N] had her whole life ahead and shouldn't be giving her attention to him.

He looked at Lesaro for help but he only shot him knowing glances back and it made him frown. No, this would not do it. He excused himself and stood up, going for a walk outside the house. Fresh air, instead of the suffocating atmosphere inside.

Lesaro found him soon after.

"¿Dónde vás?", his voice made him pause. It was too easy to forget he was a commanding officer too.

"I need fresh air, Gui."

"I can see that. You're troubled today, Armando, and your face is showing it to everyone. ¿Qué pasa?"

Armando turned around then, a loud sigh leaving him. "It's the señorita, Gui. I...Diós."

Guillermo chuckled, approaching him with slow steps. He knew his friend too well, the same good old Armando from the Academy days in front of him now.

He remembers how Armando was, how he always has been. Passionate, intense, a handsome man who always let insecurities get the best of him on these matters. When they were young sailors, it would brew down to him thinking no respectable woman should be with him because of his father's actions. Then, as they rose ranks practically together, it extended to his capabilities, to him being away for too long and not wanting to hold a woman "hostage to his work", as he said.

Armando never planned on being a captain until Guillermo himself vouched for him. He would be a good one, and time proved him right at every possible instance, but at the cost of his own captaincy offer. Guillermo was a man of the crew, Armando was a man of command and it was the way it was supposed to be.

Being on so many different ships together, the deaths, La Maria and the curse, had brought them impossibly close together. They confided everything to each other. The young Armando who relucted in seeking comfort with brothel women in their stops was in front of him again, insecurity and fear shining in his deep eyes and Guillermo almost laughed at how unfitting it seemed to see this man, strong and stubborn, like this.

"What about her, amigo? You seem to be enjoying each other's company enough."

Armando blushed and Lesaro's eyebrows shot up as he said, "She showed up in my dream last night. We talked, Gui. She held my hand, not even flinching at my cursed face."

"Impossible. She never saw us cursed, never even been on La Maria. Armando, are you sure you simply didn't dream her being there?"

He shook his head, "No, ella estaba conmigo. She mentioned it today before breakfast, when I met her at the hall. No sé que hacer."

To say Lesaro was more amused than he should was an understatement, "Perhaps it is a sign, amigo."

Salazar squinted at him, "No te atrevas..."

"A sign your affections are mutual and you need to stop this nonsense and ask Hugo for her hand."

"¡Guillermo Lesaro!", Armando said, eyes going wide and face red. "¡No, absolutamente no!"

"Armando, we got another shot at life to make things right and be happy. If it lies with her, allow yourself to feel it."

"¡No, Guillermo! La señorita is young, I'm an old, seasoned sailor. It is highly inappropriate and wrong to even suggest such a thing."

"A lot of things changed in these years we have been gone, amigo."

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of someone approaching. One look at her and Armando's eyes softened immediately and she gave them a curtsy before looking up at him again. The dress, green skirt and floral overcoat, the hat on top of her head, the way she looked up with the fan in her left hand, open, the message conveyed so elegantly.

"Am I interrupting, ¿almirantes?"

"No, señorita! I was just telling Armando I have something to attend to at the Armada headquarters so if you will excuse me.", Lesaro bowed to them and walked away, a smile on his face at the playful betrayal.

Armando, on the other hand, held her right hand and planted a kiss on it in greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Walk with me, Armando?", she said, smiling. And Armando would not, could not refuse. He offered her his arm, smiling as she took it and they walked towards the gardens.

Spanish translations:

¿Dónde vás? = Where are you going?

¿Qué pasa? = What's going on?

Diós = God

No, ella estaba conmigo = No, she was with me

No sé que hacer = I don't know what to do

Amigo = Friend

No te atrevas... = Don't you dare...

¡No, absolutamente no! = No, absolutely not!

Almirantes = Admirals

Señorita = miss

[ariwritessometimes]

Pirates of the Caribbean Masterlist

Captain Jack Sparrow

Sunsets and Black Sails series, x OC

Summary: Aria Swann fell in love too soon. Before they even have a chance to be married, her young fiancee, a captain for the East India Trading Company, is killed by pirates.

Or so she is told.Ten years later, she still refuses to even consider any other man. However, at her father’s insistence, a marriage seems to be inevitable. Commodore Norrington is kind enough, but he isn’t who she loves. A proposal gone awry leaves Aria staring into some very familiar eyes, but this scoundrel of a pirate can’t possibly be her dear captain… Could it?

Series Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, Curses, Magic, Major Character Death, Miscarriage

Read on Ao3

Read on Quotev

Series Incomplete

Lazy mornings with Jack Sparrow headcanons

[no-damsel]

Poisoned love

[swannposting]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth Swann Characters: Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, Cutler Beckett, Estrella (Pirates of the Caribbean) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, post awe, Murder, Assassination, Revenge, Blood and Violence, Friends With Benefits, Friends with detriments, Pirate King Elizabeth Swann, Bloodlust, Submissive Jack Sparrow, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Infidelity, Mild Sexual Content, Hurt/Comfort, mentions of Elizabeth/Will, POV Alternating, Not Beta Read Summary:

By some unforeseen and highly unlikely circumstance, Cutler Beckett survived the destruction of the Endeavour. Jack wants revenge, but he cannot do it alone. Luckily, he knows someone who hates Beckett as much as he does.

[ghostofskywalker]

Where You're Meant to Be - 1

Will Turner/Fem!Reader

Words: 1,928

Summary: After being taken prisoner aboard the Flying Dutchman, you resent the men who have accepted your soul as repayment of another's debt, especially the Captain. It doesn't matter one bit that he's the most attractive man you've ever seen, not at all.

Flower and Meaning: frangipani || the strength to withstand tough challenges

Chapters: one || two || three || four

Note: my august work for the @yearofcreation2023 :) pirates of the caribbean have completely taken over my brain at present so this was so much fun to write!!

Year of Flowers Masterlist • Will Turner Masterlist

The ship was an ugly thing, if you did say so yourself. Now of course anyone would be critical of a ship they were currently being tied to the central mast of, but this one was especially unappealing. The sails looked to be made of woven seaweed, rotting as it hung limply from barnacle-encrusted masts, and the dreariness of the boat was only surpassed by the terrifying nature of its crew. There was an emptiness to the men’s eyes that you couldn’t describe, and although your captors were no longer part of the sea by their appearance, you could feel the strength of their rage with every rock of the boat. 

You had heard the stories, you knew what this vessel did and who its previous master was, but you couldn’t bring yourself to hold too much sympathy for the men who were tying you to the mast of their ship. They may also be trapped here, but at least they were able to move freely around the deck, while you were essentially nothing but a decoration against the wood.

You also held a special contempt for the crew because they were the reason you were here. While your life was nothing special and you worked in a nearby saloon serving beer and rum to all the questionable men the traversed through the doors, you enjoyed the fact that you resided on dry land. Now, your latest whirlwind romance had been nothing but a trick, and you were traded away to settle a debt with the devil that kept this ship moving. You hadn’t even met the current captain, and you had quite the barrage of insults planned for when you did. What kind of lowly piece of scum accepts another’s soul in place of the one that made the deal in the first place?

You could feel the ropes around your wrists tighten as you heard the sound of heavy footsteps echo across the floor, and the mysterious captain of the Flying Dutchman was revealed. Unfortunately for you, words of battle had already left your mouth before you got a chance to see how attractive he was. “I demand you free me this instant, you arrogant swine!” 

And by heavens was he attractive. With long hair that was kept out of his face by a gray piece of fabric, a single gold earring that shimmered in the moonlight and the bone structure that could only be described as beautiful, you suddenly weren’t feeling as combative as you were before. How dare he not be the grizzled, old, and decaying figure you were imagining from the moment you set foot on this boat? How dare the man who makes all the decisions around here, the one who had very clearly ruined your life, be so attractive? This just simply wasn’t fair. 

The captain let out a short laugh, and your eyes searched his face, taking in the way his hair fell across his shoulders and trying not to let that change your opinion of him. “And why the hell would I do that?” 

“Because you took an deceitful deal, and I was caught in the crossfires,” you responded sharply, refusing to let him intimidate you. “If there was any heart left in your chest, you would be searching for the man who tricked you into wiping his debt clean, not lashing me to this post and moving on with your life!” 

Another laugh, and this time the crew members on board joined in. “You see dearie, Will Turner ain’t got no heart,” one of the men said as he stepped up closer to you, and the pungent smell of his breath was enough to make you gag. “Not anymore at least.”

The captain, whose name you now knew, spoke before you had a chance to respond to the crewman’s strange comment. “It doesn’t matter,” he said sharply. “The deal’s been done, and that’s it.”

The conversation was done after that, it was clear that this man did not have any patience for you, and he moved along the ship. You however, did not take the affront lying down, and you continued to spit insults at every passing sailor, including the (unfairly) handsome captain. They all ignored you, and you were starting to wonder how on earth you were going to get out of this, because you had no intention of spending the rest of your life in what could only be described as hell. 

After a while, your anger morphed into a refusal to speak to anyone. When the captain offered you food, you took the bare minimum, the entire time wondering where exactly you stood in the cycle of life. If the stories were to be believed, all of these men were dead, condemned to crew the decaying corpse of the Flying Dutchman as she sailed the seas for eternity, but you weren’t dead (well, as far as you were aware). And yet you seemed to be protected, and when the boat fell beneath the waves, you could breathe. You refused to believe that it could be anything else but the heart of the ship itself, because there was no love lost between you and the Captain. 

Will Turner may be devastatingly handsome, but the two of you traded insults every time you spoke. You didn’t expect him to try to be your friend, but you would prefer it if you were allowed to walk free on the ship for more than just a few moments each day. The ship was nowhere near land, where were you going to go? Even if you did manage to make an escape without anyone realizing, you would only be dooming yourself, and then you would end up tethered here for real, the very thing you wanted to avoid at all costs. 

***

It felt like weeks had passed since you were first brought aboard, but the reality of the situation was that it had barely been three days. The sharp claws of final judgment had not yet sunk into your flesh, even though you felt like you should be dead by now. Each day you watched as the creaking ship supervised the movement of departed souls between the realms of the living and the dead, looking empty and lost as they boarded small boats of their own and joined the procession alongside those who died on land. 

At night, the ship traveled the seas, and sometimes you were able to make yourself believe that this voyage was normal, and that you weren’t trapped here, serving as collateral on a ship of the damned in the place of a man who did nothing but lie to you from the moment he first said hello. The stars that twinkled above you were a reminder of the good and beauty in the world, and even though you knew little of the constellations an d their meanings, you picked out shapes yourself, assigning them whatever significances happened to catch your mind at the time. 

It was during one of your heavenly searches that you were surprised to hear footsteps coming towards you. It seemed that the Dutchman never needed a crew member to keep watch at night, because in all the time you spent here, you had never seen another vessel (even the vessel that had brought you here was a crewman’s lifeboat). There must have been someone at the wheel, but you were facing away from that area of the ship, and had no way to know whether or not anyone was there. 

Annoyed that someone was interrupting your time alone, you looked down from the skies and glared right at the Captain. “What are you doing here?” you asked, a biting tone to your voice that he must have known all too well by now. 

But instead of the usual retort, Will Turner smiled. “I couldn’t sleep. What about you?” 

“Very funny,” you deadpanned, nodding down to your tied wrists. “I think you already know the answer.” 

“I could untie you,” he said, seemingly out of nowhere. 

You almost burst out laughing. “Wow, I didn’t know you had a sense of humor, I almost believe you.” 

“Do you really think so little of me?” Now his voice had a tinge of sadness to it, and you genuinely wondered if something was wrong, because this did not seem like the same man who had traded insults with you every time he passed, that had allowed for another man’s debt to be paid with your soul. 

“Do you really expect anything more?” you asked. “Or have you forgotten the entire reason I am here?”

There was a stretch of silence before he responded. “I suppose you’re right,” he said. “But I would like to make it clear that it wasn’t I who chose to accept the deal, but a member of the crew in my place.” 

“But surely you could have sent me back.” 

The ropes holding you to the mast of the ship fell away as he untied them, and then he responded. “That’s what I had every intention of doing,” he said. “Until you yelled at me the first time we met.” 

“So?” 

“Clearly you’re not a pirate, because then you would know that no self-respecting captain would allow his reputation to be called into question the way you did to me.” 

“You’re right, I am not a pirate,” you huffed, sitting down on top of a crate. “And I would like to return to land, Captain.”

“Very well,” he said. “But please, call me Will.” 

Deep down, you expected more of a fight, and it seemed almost too good to be true. “Why the change of heart?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I’ve been stuck on this ship for days, we’ve been nothing but rude to each other, and all the sudden you’re untying me and telling me I can leave? It seems odd, that’s all.”

He sat down on a crate across from you, and you were able to look at him again. “I know what it’s like to be trapped on this ship, and I never intended for that to be your fate. No debt has been paid, and eventually I will claim the soul of the man who thought he could cheat death by sending another in his place.” 

There was a genuine emotion to his voice, and you actually believed in what he was saying. “Thank you,” you said, a smile crossing your face.

The two of you sat in silence for a few minutes before Will got up. “Why don’t you go get some sleep? I have a room separate from the others.” You stared at him with a confused look on your face, and he laughed. “I feel bad enough for trapping you here, the least I can do is offer you a bed to rest in. I don’t use it all too much anyway.”

He didn’t take no for an answer, and soon you were stepping into a small room below the deck of the ship. You could hear the cacophony of snores that signaled where the rest of the crew slept, but this room was completely empty, except for a decent sized cot, a small desk, and a couple bottles of rum in the corner. Compared to rough wood the ship was made of, the slightly scratchy bedding felt as if you were falling asleep on a cloud, and soon you had drifted off to dreamland, wondering whether or not this was all a dream. 

If it was, you didn’t really want to wake up.

- end of part one -

Series Taglist: N/A

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[esta-elavaris]

It's on AO3 I know I know I know I got bitten by the sickness I can't be held responsible.

( @bumblingbriars however should be held responsible, thank you for this idea but also how very dare you )

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