The ship goes down with the captain

by lavenderburps

Summary:

"I won't just let you get away," James answers resolutely. "You stole something from me, Sparrow."

The pirate lifts one finger that's covered in just a bit too much gunpowder to be anything but an intentional choice of aesthetic. "First of all: It's Captain, for everyone and you too. Second of all." The second finger is a bit cleaner, though also only half visible, the rest of it hidden in extravagant golden rings. "Don't let it get to your head. I've stolen more hearts than I can count."

James grits his teeth and this time he uses one of his most dangerous kind of glares. "Captain Sparrow, I am talking about my ship, and my sword. An 'I. O. U.' note does not preclude theft."

 

In which James is just trying to do his job and Jack is being a little shit (lovingly), making James' job a lot harder.

Notes:

This is the first story of two, but you don't necessarily need one to read the other.

It's more about silly flirting and banter, it is built-up for the other story.

Chapter 1: I. O. U.

I.O.U.

James licks his lips, and frowns.
It's been a long, hot day and they haven't had any time to stop to take a sip from their flasks. That's why he does it, and he trusts (and hopes) for everyone else to think of the same reason.

The pirate captain in front of him executes one of his most annoying gestures and is awfully close now; If he leant forward just a few centimeters more, their noses would touch. A horrible mental image, really.

"Nearly considered getting caught this time, just t'see the look on yer face then."

Usually, James would be the last man to give up on a good old staring contest. In fact, he prides himself in being exceptionally good at stern and reproachful glares, and he is sure it did indeed help him in keeping his reputation, respectable place in the Navy and in maybe even interrogating one or two villains. But this is different, and when Sparrow grins, cheeky and flirty, he has to turn away.

Even though they are far beneath them and surely can't see all too much against the blinding sun, his men stare a bit, not sure what to make of the rebellious pirate that seems to be able to provoke their commodore without even trying all too hard and James waves a hand in front of his face lamely. "Truly devastating to find out that dental hygiene does not seem to have found its ways across the seven seas yet," he says, a bit louder than necessary just to make sure they heard it too.

Sparrow fills his cheeks with air for a moment before letting it out, soundly. "'Alright, blue pants, any other declarations of attraction before I escape as per usual?"

"I won't just let you get away," James answers resolutely, one hand resting on his belt, missing the extra weight of his sword. Even though he wouldn't use it right now, he's sure it'd make him more authoritative.
"You stole something from me, Sparrow."

The pirate lifts one finger that's covered in just a bit too much gunpowder to be anything but an intentional choice of aesthetic. "First of all: It's Captain, for everyone and you too. Second of all." The second finger is a bit cleaner, though also only half visible, the rest of it hidden in extravagant golden rings. "Don't let it get to your head. I've stolen more hearts than I can count."

James grits his teeth and this time he uses one of his most dangerous kind of glares. "Captain Sparrow, I am talking about the-" he hesitates for a second, but they are far up on an old tower and his men are beneath, surrounding it and cutting off all escape routes for the pirate, hopefully. They can't hear him. "I am talking about my ship, and my sword. An 'I. O. U.' note does not preclude theft."

"Hmm, right. Thought you might've forgotten it. 's been a while."
He acts disappointed and James sharpens his glare even more.

Across from him, the pirate grins lazily now, a gold tooth glinting in the sun and James nearly expects for his eye to do the same when he winks. Just like everyone imagines him in those epic tales of Captain Jack Sparrow's cunning adventures that make some ladies swoon and James scoff.
This is the version the pirate wants to be known for and James wants to arrest.
The version that drives him up the wall just a bit too often.

Out of a habit, James hand reaches for the handle of his sword before remembering it's gone currently, but the message still came across. Sparrow lifts his hands and eyebrows. "Kidding.
Despite what you may want to think of me, I am a man of honor," he dares to say and then chuckles at his own audacity. "I didn't lie when I said I'd repay you. I keep my word." And then he adds, a little more quiet so his words may only barely reach James before the warm caribbean winds carry them far away across the sea: "For you, I do."

Afterwards, he salutes, sloppily and ironically, and takes a step back, off the wobbly old brick wall surrounding the platform. James' breath hitches as he plunges forwards to stare down the tower, for very professional reasons. He breathes out, a mix of relief and annoyance when Sparrow first rejoices while swinging away on a rope, and then yelps when it snaps under his weight, sending him straight into the bay.

He climbs into a rowboat waiting there, and while he takes off into the open sea, glistening in the sunset and towards a dark ship on the horizon, he waves with his soaked hat, and James is left to stand there, staring after him.

Part of him hoped that Jack would never be a man of his word, because James is not at all sure how to explain when they discover his old ship on a different dock later, his sword rammed into the wooden planks and a bow tied around one handle of the steering wheel, near a delicate carved heart, framing two intertwined Js.

Chapter 2: The captain goes down with the ship

Summary:

The events that led up to the previous chapter.
Some character development.

The captain goes down with the ship

That’s what they say, but James Norrington’s ship isn’t even in any actual danger to sink in the very moment he disembarks. To be more specific: when he goes overboard.

They are mid battle with an unknown pirate ship, when a particularly greasy looking pirate swings his saber, cutting a rope, causing the main boom to swing around, knocking James off his feet and off the ship.

He barely has time to take a breath before he goes underwater. The cold stabs through his skin like a billion tiny needles, and it takes him a few seconds to overcome the shock before he can start kicking to get back to the surface.

The salty water parts, he spits a bit of it out and then opens his eyes. There’s a hand, right in front of him, and James would recognize that hand with it’s ridiculous amount of dirty jewelry and tattoos in an instant, but he chooses not to think about it too much as he grabs it, pulling himself out of the deep waters.

He is dragged into a standard rowboat, like most ships have, and across from him sits the one and only Captain of the Black Pearl. Currently looking him up and down, while James wrings out his uniform coat, still shivering and catching his breath.

“Brunette, huh? Suits you. Nearly didn’t recognize you, yer incapability to catch a single pirate gave you away though.”

James reaches up and sighs when he realizes he indeed lost both, his hat and his wig. He starts combing a hand through his wet hair to save at least a fraction of the appearance of a well groomed English gentleman, but the stubborn Caribbean salt already brings out the annoying waves in his hair. Wisely, he ignores the pirate’s anything but subtle insult. “So, what on earth brought you here? We are in the middle of the sea. The Black Pearl is nowhere in sight. How come that nearly every single time I find myself in any unpleasant situation, you’re not too far?”

Sparrow clicks with his tongue and grabs the paddles to start rowing. “Thrilled to have you too.” Then, a gloomy look crosses his face. “Aye. These useless knaves lost me, and those scoundrels over there thought they could get ‘em to exchange me for the Pearl. Not on my watch.”

“They- These other pirates, they abducted you?” James asks, a bit more startled than intended. The thought that some of the other parties that are trying to lock the pirate up are more successful than him is strangely offending.

The other simply shrugs as an answer, and then a silence settles, or at least something that comes as close to silence as possible, while there are still cannons and pistols going off in the background.

“Uh- I suppose now you want to hear me thank you.” James starts hesitantly while going back to wringing out his by now horribly squashed coat.

“I mean if that’s what yer into. Usually my prisoners don’t thank me, would be a welcome change,” Sparrow answers nonchalantly.

James nearly chokes on a rest of seawater caught in his pipes. “Prisoner?”

“Aye. Yer on my ship now.”

“Your shi- This is a rowboat! That you probably stole from those pirates! And-” James halts and looks around, now finally realizing they are rowing away from the battle.

“Turn around this instant!”

Sparrow squints at him, not even hesitating in his movement. “Are you demented? Have you seen this chaos? Also prisoners don’ get to command the Capt’n.”

“I’m no- no, stop, I-” He seriously considers just ripping the paddles out of Sparrow’s hands but as soon as he stands up, the boat wobbles dangerously, so he sits down again.
“I will not abandon my men.”

The pirate groans frustrated. “Right. Would be too much to ask of you to simply save yourself this time. Never gonna do you a favor again, ‘ts settled.”

“Favour..! That’s what you call taking a respectable Navy commodore as prisoner?” James asks with an appropriate amount of indignation.

“Tha’s what I call saving a respectable Navy commodore from a ‘sploding ship.”

An alarmed tingling starts rising in James’ stomach. “Exploding? Whatever are you talking about now?”

Jack stops rowing for a second, to lift the paddle enough to be able to point at the pirate ship. “Some pirates don’t know better than to lock Captain Jack Sparrow in the same room as their gunpowder. One of the many perks of carrying rum with ya at all times.”

James pales and he shivers suddenly, not just from the cold sea. Right now, the ships are locked in a tense fight, the grappling hooks locked deepily in the wooden rail’s like a cornered animal’s bared teeth. The explosion would rip holes in both of the ships, and the maelstrom of two sinking ships is enough to drown sailors, no matter how good of a swimmer they might be.

He pulls out his gun, pointing it at the pirate with shaking hands. “Turn. around.”

Unimpressed, Sparrow looks down the gunbarrel. “Won’t get much shooting done with wet powder. And you don’ really plan to cross swords in this wobbly rowboat? You might wanna try again.”

The commodore takes a shaky breath and puts his head in his hands for a moment, before putting the gun back in its holster. “We have to go back and cut the lines. There’s no- This is a catastrophe. Please, we have to go back.”

Jack watches him closely for a few seconds, before glancing towards the horizon, where the glistening sun on the waves paints an irregular pattern on his face. When he looks back at James, there is a glint in his eyes, a dangerous one. James knows this one, it is always the indicator that he is about to manipulate or talk his way out of a tense situation, to propose a deal very likely to his own benefit.

“Here’s a deal.” Spot on.
“I bring us back to yer men, we defeat the pirates and leave. They’ll probably get washed up at the nearest shore where they can be arrested. But, in return, after we arrive in Port Royal, you let me go and give me a ship to find the Black Pearl.”

“I- You know I cannot do that.”

Sparrow purses his lips and looks at the sky. “Well. One ship for the lives of your loyal men. You decide.”

James stares at his ship in its chaos. By now most pirates jumped to their side, it’s an even fight, both parties are good fighters but unaware of the line of powder burning away under their feet. A blood curdling scream echoes over the waves. “Alright. Fine.” He pats his pockets until he finds his ring of keys and throws it at the pirate. “You get a boat, not a ship. And you play prisoner until you’re alone in the cells.”

Sparrow grins. “You won’t reg-”

“And you will bring the boat back, fully functioning, including the keys. No games.”

He isn’t grinning anymore now but simply hums. “Well. Sure. I’ll see what I can do.”

James is too impatient for a handshake or the likes by now, and he simply takes the paddles from him and starts paddling back.

 

⚓

 

It’s okay.

Nothing went as well as it could have, but his men survived, only some injured and the ship is still sailing.

A few holes burnt into the sails, and the railing went missing on one side, but other than that the explosion of the other ship has done no harm. The pirates' ship hasn't sunk either, though the explosion did blow a gaping hole into its wood and James might have raised an eyebrow at Sparrow's incapability to even sink a boat when he has to, had there not been other things to worry about.

The pirates did get away, though judging by the state of their ship, James is sure they'll have no choice but to enter the next harbour. Certainly, their rampaged ship is going to attract attention, and hopefully of the local soldiers too.

James rolls his tense shoulders in a fruitless attempt of relaxing them and getting rid of the pain as he walks behind the pirate, guiding him into the prison of Port Royal.

The shackles fall to the floor, clattering noisy, when he unlocks them. Obediently, Sparrow walks into one of the cells and James closes the lock, as if he didn't know it would be opened as soon as he leaves the room.

A familiar feeling of dread settles in James’ stomach from seeing the pirate in the cell. One of his greatest goals in life accomplished - to catch Captain Jack Sparrow - and he only managed it with the pirate’s consent. Not that he could actually savor any feeling of success, knowing that Sparrow will once again be able to leave whenever he wishes to.

And now that he is locked up, James has to return to the Governor to deliver the news personally. The news that their ship needs to be repaired, that they lost track of another pirate ship but at least caught Jack Sparrow… Who might have already escaped before the news reach Governor Swann.

James sighs and rubs his thumb and pointing finger over his eyes for a moment. When he opens his eyes again, Sparrow has hooked his arms through the bars to rest his face in one of the squares of the door, looking at him with an unreadable expression. “Yer stressed,” he remarks.

“Yes, of course I am stressed. This is a stressful job with a lot of responsibility, only a mad man would not be stressed under such circumstances.”

“Aye, the perks of being a little mad, innit,” his prisoner answers with a brief smirk before cocking his head as much as he can in the small opening. “Then wha' keeps you here?”

James takes a deep breath and attempts to straighten his coat, but the fabric is rigid and stiff from all the sun-dried salt. He shouldn’t be here, talking to a dangerous criminal and wanted man. But the alternative meant leaving and facing the Governor right after, so, he will let himself have this. “Duty and love. I swore my devoted service and life to the King, England and to justice. To leave would mean to betray what I love most.”

Sparrow raises an eyebrow. “Which would be? The big pile of dirt you live on? A man you never met who makes decisions over yer head?” He smiles before placing a finger on his lips. “Or maybe just Governor Swann’s fair daughter…”

How does a man of this little class know so well what to say and where to stab his words at, James wonders and he frowns. “I’m afraid you forgot your place. You are a prisoner, talking to a Commodore of the Navy. I don’t have to explain myself to you or correct the lies you want to believe.”

“I’d never,” Sparrow says, and while his voice bears an amused edge, his dark eyes seem truthful. ”But it doesn’t have to be this way, does it? You gave so much for Elizabeth back then and now she eloped with a pirate and became one of us. The lass you thought so highly of.”

James swallows dryly, but it doesn’t do anything against the lump in his throat. “I- Well, I am aware. And I am happy for Ms. Swann to have found her calling and the man to spend her life with. I found my calling long ago, and it is to serve my men and the Governor. There is nothing you could say to take me off my journey to protect these people and end piracy at once.”

The pirate pushes himself off the bars, the door rattling loud in its hinges. “Ah yes, God forbid you’d just once make a decision for yerself instead of for yer land or yer highness.” He turns around to sit on the floor, and with this, the conversation is over.

He seems, for some reason, disgruntled at the answers he received, and James wants to think that it’s all the same to himself. There is no excuse he could come up with at this point to stay here, to talk some more, instead of tending to his duties, and he knows it is best that way.

He has found his path, he is sure of that, and that he doesn’t have a choice. At least in this life he doesn’t.

Notes:

Okay, so I know this isn't exactly a happy end, but as I said, this is only build up! The sappy cheesy happy end of our dreams is in the second part of this story: The King's blessing. (The other part of the mightiest ship of the seven seas series!#)

Anyway, thank you for reading this far! :)

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of the mightiest ship of the seven seas