Fic: 'Our Mutual Friend'

[dwgm]

My darling niece, gingersnapps wanted some fic featuring Barbossa and Beckett, and I've managed to come up with a little something. Lifted some of the PotC backstory artaxastra has written in her Outlaws and Inlaws series. Pirate.



~ Our Mutual Friend ~


"You'll forgive the intrusion. You knew Jack Sparrow?"

Barbossa looked up at the rather elegant young man. Or maybe not so young. "Who's askin'?"

"The name's Lord Cutler Beckett. May I sit down?"

Barbossa inclined his head, on the alert, but careful not to show it. Beckett. The man himself, head of the EITC. Strange he'd show in the most notorious tavern in Port Louis, but Barbossa'd seen stranger. "Slumming it, me lord?"

One corner of Beckett's mouth lifted, though there was no humor in his eyes. "Quite. You know who I am, then?"

"I know. You've no authority here in Mauritius, though, so I see no need to run for cover."

"Your friends appear to disagree," Beckett observed.

Barbossa gave a slight snort, following the man's gaze. Pintel and Ragetti were sidling out the door and Marty was following, albeit more slowly, with a bodeful glance over his shoulder as he left. He'd be waiting outside, in the shadows. Good man, for all his scant inches.

Barbossa lifted his mug and took a drink of grog, then wiped his mouth and said, "Gets a mite thirsty on a long voyage. Will ye join me in a libation?"

Beckett nodded, and summoned the publican with a snap of fingers. Barbossa frowned, but the publican knew no such qualms.

"Wine, my lord?"

"Do you have anything decent?" The publican only looked embarrassed, and Beckett laughed shortly. "Just bring me ale – and mind the tankard's clean."

"Aye, my lord." The man backed away, bowing and scraping.

Barbossa rolled his eyes. "So. You were eavesdropping on me conversation about Jack Sparrow, were you?"

"I overheard you, certainly. A mutual friend and an interesting one."

"Friend, is it? How long since you've seen your… friend?"

Beckett's sanguine expression hardened, almost imperceptibly. "It's a number of years, I must admit. Nearly fourteen."

"Ah!" Barbossa nodded. "Then you'll not be too aggrieved to hear he's dead, then."

"I had heard that, actually. And yet I gathered from your conversation that my sources may have erred."

"Oh, he's dead, all right. But the lad was quite a card, wasn't he? He may be gone, but there's all sorts of tales as yet extant."

"A card. So he was." Beckett seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"How'd you know him?" Barbossa asked, casually, and took another drink.

For a moment it seemed Beckett would not reply. His lips thinned, and his thoughts very obviously traveled elsewhere. But then he returned and fixed Barbossa with a very blue gaze. "Business. And pleasure. Although I have to admit, we didn't part on the best of terms." He laughed, suddenly. "Mad Jack Sparrow."

Barbossa gave an inward shudder. He knew enough of the things that lay between this poisonous little man and Jack. Knew some, and guessed more. If Jack was mad, a great deal of the blame lay at Beckett's door.

But he smiled in return. "'Twas the same with me, I must admit. But 'tis bad luck to speak ill of the dead. A toast. To Mad Jack, may he rest in peace."

The publican was back, with a foaming tankard on a tarnished tray. Beckett took up his drink. "To Mad Jack. And the friends who loved him."

***

"You saw Beckett!"

Barbossa scowled at Elizabeth's tone. "Belay that, missy. There was always the chance, with the Endeavor making port a day after us, curse the prigs all to hell, and that prig in particular. We've stores and water enough. We'll leave with the tide and make for Serendib, to the North."

"What did you talk about?" Will Turner demanded.

Barbossa laughed shortly. "What else but our mutual friend, Jack Sparrow?"

"Jack!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "What did you tell him?"

"No more'n the truth. We had a toast to the lad, and parted company."

"But Jack hated Beckett."

"Aye, and for reasons I'll wager you don't know yourself. 'Tain't fit for a lady's ears, that tale."

The lady's eyes narrowed. "I want to know."

"Elizabeth!" Turner objected.

But Barbossa chuckled, and looked her over: fine-boned and strong, and deadly as steel. No wonder Turner worshipped at that altar. "I've no doubt ye do, and maybe Jack'll see fit to tell you, some time. Now get some sleep. It's two hours 'til dawn and the turn of the tide."


~.~






Many thanks to choose2live for beta reading!

Comments

[compassrose7577.livejournal.com]

Mad Jack, indeed!

Barbossa does seem to get overlooked, although I did come to a greater appreciation of him in AWE.

Interesting concept--the backstory from Beckett's lips. Are we looking for the full truth from him? Who plays freer with the truth, as they need it, Beckett or Jack?

Love Elizabeth wanting to hear what "tain't fit." Been accused of that a bit meself over the years! And so typical, of Will. Does he ever lighten up?

Good stuff. Glad that sweet bit of Heaven neice of yours has such clout as to be able to elicit such wonders..........Kerry

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Barbossa is gingersnapps favorite character! And she likes Beckett, too! Argh. They never appear together in the movie, but I figured this was at least plausible. Very happy you liked it!! Thank you for the quick response. It's much appreciated.

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Barbossa gave an inward shudder. He knew enough of the things that lay between this poisonous little man and Jack. Knew some, and guessed more. If Jack was mad, a great deal of the blame lay at Beckett's door.
Love every bit of this paragraph, but the last sentence especially.

And you've got Becket's sneering, superior attitude dead on. Marvelous ficlet!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Beckett's a piece of work, all right. Not sure what niece sees in him -- although Tom Hollander is very cute. Barbossa's easier -- he was a great villain in CotBP, but he's so much more in AWE!

Thank you so much for reading and commenting -- I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[choose2live.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking, I've got to hand it to Tom Hollander for the job he did with Beckett's character. It would've been really easy, I think, for Beckett to have come across as just someone with Little Man Syndrome who can be humorous or pathetic - but Beckett is neither. You never laugh at Beckett for taking himself so seriously - instead, you fear him as much as if he were six feet tall. Props to Hollander for a job well done.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

True that! He is a very good actor.

[gingersnapps.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!

Very well put.

That is one talented gentleman.

[gingersnapps.livejournal.com]

T'is nothing to do with cute.

One cannot have an outstanding story without a fantastic villain and this trilogy was fortunate enough to have two phenomenal villains.

Barbossa is intelligent and exhibits an admirable command of language. One must remind oneself that this could be considered unusual at best when considering that those are not common talents amongst pirates. He is very cut & dry and when you think about it,again baring in mind his lifestyle as a pirate, very fair. And he is extremely witty, possessing a very dry sense of humor~~which I very much appreciate.

Beckett is also very well spoken~~considering his station, it is not as unexpected~~but I do enjoy listening to the way he manipulates words. He is also very graceful, his movements deliberate and strong but almost delicate(think of the way he handled the "P" brand when soliciting Will to go after the compass or the way he descended the stairs as the ship under his command was blown to smithereens). And Lord Beckett is conniving, pure evil. How can one not appreciate that?

Both of these men also possess a characteristic that I believe is vital in a quality villain~~they are both extraordinarily calm. They're always calculating. This trait is critical because you'll notice that once a villain begins to lose control, more often than not, it is the beginning of their demise.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

To reiterate what you said above, very well put.

And Lord Beckett is conniving, pure evil. How can one not appreciate that?

I'm not sure the word appreciate quite expresses my reaction, but I definitely see your point. ;)

[choose2live.livejournal.com]

I just got back from seeing AWE for the fourth time and must echo your appreciation of Barbossa and Beckett both. Barbossa became much more intriguing to me after the first time I saw AWE, and I love him more and more with each viewing - am currently trying to work out the many facets of his relationship with Jack, because there's a lot going on there beneath the surface.

Beckett's descent of the staircase always made a big impression on me, and is among my favorite visual images of the film. But do you have a theory as to why he froze the way he did when confronted by the Dutchman? I'd be interested in hearing it. Beckett's another one whose interaction with Jack in AWE hints at a tremendous level of things going on beneath the surface. Just fascinating.

And virtually every character in this trilogy is extremely well-spoken, which is something I tremendously enjoy. Smart is sexy!

[yoiebear.livejournal.com]

What a great spot of characterization!

I'm glad to read something new from you.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! This wasn't what I'd planned to write today, but niece requested it, so there you go. Glad you enjoyed it!

[yoiebear.livejournal.com]

Does this mean you're writing more??? *holds breath in anticipation*

[choose2live.livejournal.com]

I really like this! And I've got to say, Barbossa's risen to a new level as a character for me in light of AWE - a lot more complexity got written into him, I believe, and this fic touches on a lot of the layers he has. You did an excellent job of saying a lot with a few words, not only for Barbossa and Beckett, but even the line about Marty speaks to his character, and of course Elizabeth and Will were spot-on even in their little roles.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Barbossa's risen to a new level as a character for me in light of AWE - a lot more complexity got written into him, I believe, and this fic touches on a lot of the layers he has.

I really LOVED Barbossa in AWE -- if they do make another movie, I hope Geoffrey Rush will be back. Great dynamic between him and Jack.

Thank you again for the beta work! I really appreciate it. I'm so glad you thought everyone in character. :))

[choose2live.livejournal.com]

I never thought I might be a Barbossa fangirl, but I'm definitely leaning that way now. Each time I see AWE he fascinates me more, especially his dynamics with Jack and Elizabeth. There's just worlds there beneath the surface.

I think it was definitely set up for Geoffrey to be back for a fourth movie - and I certainly hope he will, especially since there would be no Elizabeth or Will.

It's always a pleasure to beta for you! I hope we both have need of each others' beta services again soon. :-)

[felaine.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm, villain-fic; yum.
Pleased to learn your niece likes my favorites too.

Finally going to see AWE tomorrow with the grandsons. Glad I'm prepared for James' demise.
*sniffles*

Entertaining and IC ficlet.
Felaine

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm, villain-fic; yum.
Pleased to learn your niece likes my favorites too.

She really does -- especially Geoffrey Rush, she quite nutty about him. The highlight of the red carpet event for her was when he came walking along with the monkey (who's real name is Chiquita!).

AWE is a great movie in so many ways. I've seen it 5 times in the theater (twice at the El Capitan!) and plan to see it again with another group of friends next Friday. It's made for the big screen, and is well worth the money. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Thanks for the feedback on the fic -- very happy you liked it. :))

[gingersnapps.livejournal.com]

I really am "quite nutty about him" (see above comment). He is such an extraordinary character actor. Such talent! I hope to have the chance to meet him one day so that I may embarrass myself by gushing to him over just how amazing I think he is.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm quite nutty about him myself, and extremely envious of our friends who got to see him at closer quarters during the premier!

The icon looks good, btw!

[jaydk.livejournal.com]

I know this is only a minor point, but you know -- Will is not actually a total prig with regard to Elizabeth. The only time he objects to any of Elizabeth's actions is if he fears for her safety, and that's all of once in three movies when she decides to go off with Sao Feng. He is never once shown believing that there's anything Elizabeth shouldn't know, do or see if she wants to know, do or see it. They function as equals and partners in almost every scene they have together, including in the middle of deadly battles, even when their personal relationship is at odds.

I just don't know where this stereotype comes from that Will sees Elizabeth as someone on whom he needs to place limits, when the absolute opposite is shown on-screen time and time again. At the very least, he never suggests that Elizabeth would be better off wearing no clothes at all now, does he? Unlike several pirates....

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

At the very least, he never suggests that Elizabeth would be better off wearing no clothes at all now, does he? Unlike several pirates....

Well, no, he wouldn't, would he? He never jokes around, or flirts with her. He respects her abilities, and they work well together, but their intimate moments on screen are quite awkward much of the time. We're left to infer that things are resolved by the end of AWE, but it's not something that's seen on screen. After the 'Parley' scene in AWE, we see that they both know Jack is up to something, and she certainly marries Will with joy (and it surprised me how well that worked, considering how little communication is shown between the two). So I don't see his objection here as being OOC--they apparently never really talk frankly on the way to Singapore, and that's a voyage of several months.

[jaydk.livejournal.com]

My objection is that Will doesn't treat Elizabeth as someone for whom he needs to decide what she can hear or see or know. That comment would be appropriate coming from Governor Swann, perhaps -- but not Will.

As for Will and Elizabeth's relationship in general, obviously this is a matter of opinion, but I see a lot of joy between Will and Elizabeth simply when they're together on-screen, prior to their problems at the end of DMC and in AWE -- and that's the joy we see again when they marry and share their day on the beach and reunite in the post-credits coda. Elizabeth never shares that joy with anyone else on-screen -- which is why I guess she ends up marrying Will.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I see a lot of joy between Will and Elizabeth simply when they're together on-screen, prior to their problems at the end of DMC and in AWE -- and that's the joy we see again when they marry and share their day on the beach and reunite in the post-credits coda. Elizabeth never shares that joy with anyone else on-screen -- which is why I guess she ends up marrying Will.

True enough. The jail scene and the scene where they are reunited in DMC are very sweet, and they obviously care for each other very much. Unfortunate he ends up CotFD, but one can work around that in fanfic of course.

My objection is that Will doesn't treat Elizabeth as someone for whom he needs to decide what she can hear or see or know. That comment would be appropriate coming from Governor Swann, perhaps -- but not Will.

Well, that's where we will have to agree to disagree. I could very easily see him trying to curb some of her more impulsive behaviors.

[jaydk.livejournal.com]

Will's always treated Elizabeth as an equal, with respect and appreciation for her strength and daring, and I see no evidence that he's ever viewed her as someone he needs or wants to curb. But as you say, we'll agree to disagree.

[jenthegypsy.livejournal.com]

Excellent fic, as always, and especially in the choice of characters - how I loathed Barbossa in CotBP, and how I loved him in AWE. You have his voice down perfectly, just as you have the tone of that evil little bastard, Beckett down as well. Great companion piece to the work of artaxastra.

(A word about my icon - the lovely Scot, Desmond [second in my affections only to Sawyer in the Lost world, and one along with Sawyer who wears his jeans Dangerously Low] has read every book that Mr. Charles Dickens has ever written, save one. He's saving Our Mutual Friend to be the last thing he reads just before he dies - and he should know when that will be, as he is a bit psychic. So, when I saw the title of your fic, I *bounced* to the conclusion that you had finally dipped a toe in the waters of the south Pacific.

A girl can only hope!)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

LOL! I would have an ENORMOUS job playing catch up if I joined the Lost fandom -- have only seen a couple of the shows, from the first season. But you never know. Good looking guys there. *G*

I loved Barbossa in AWE too! And he's so easy to "hear" when one is writing him. And Beckett was an amazingly loathsome villain -- as choose2live said above, Tom Hollander really did a great job with him.

Very happy you enjoyed this, and that you enjoyed reading artaxastra's wonderful fic on my rec -- such fantastic writing!

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

Lovely, very plausible, in-character - wouldn't expect anything less, of course!

I think Beckett's a superb villain, and Tom Hollander did do such a good job with him.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the villains' tête-à-tête here. It was much fun to write. Thanks so much for commenting.

[gingersnapps.livejournal.com]

You.

Are.

Amazing.


Thank you so much! It was so perfect! Barbossa's mannerisms, his speech~~I can hear perfectly his inflection and his casual cautiousness. Beckett! So careful, always plotting.

I love it! And you!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled that you liked it! And it was fun to do. :)

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Oh that's lovely! Beckett to a T! I'm wondering what Beckett would say about Jack, if he spoke frankly. Providing he ever spoke frankly. Which it might take death to make him do.

And Barbossa has many educated guesses, being a clever man who knows Jack all too well. But of course he's not going to share anything that might be an interesting piece of leverage later.

Great character moment for Marty too!

And I don't think Will is OOC. There's so much awkwardness between them.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Very glad you thought everyone in character. Those villains are both smart men, which makes their crimes all the more terrible, of course -- they surely know better, and yet they continue their evil ways. But if they didn't, I guess the movie wouldn't have been as interesting, which was my niece's point.

And I don't think Will is OOC. There's so much awkwardness between them.

In their intimate moments, there is!

[cbtreks.livejournal.com]

Nicely written! I liked reading this possible meeting between Beckett and Barbossa. Elizabeth was certainly in character (as was everyone).

I can't say I like either Beckett or Barbossa, but one thing that struck me about Barbossa from the beginning is that he's apparently well-educated, whether formally or self-taught, yet he allows others to underestimate him if that's to his advantage. Also, I think he's got reason to get angry with anyone who impugns his honor - did we ever see him not fulfill an agreement (even at least the letter of an agreement, if not the spirit)? Very interesting character with, I'm sure, an interesting backstory.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading and commenting! I must say I really liked Barbossa in AWE -- he seemed to have grown as a character so much. As you say, an interesting backstory, I'm sure.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to read and leave feedback -- I know how busy you've been. Very happy you thought everyone in character here. :))

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely! Great interaction between Barbossa and Beckett, I enjoyed it immensely (you know I love Barbossa, but I do really like Beckett as a villain, as well, he's so very good at it). And it's a wonderful idea to have the two of them talk about their "mutual friend" :-) Some favourite bits...

Marty was following, albeit more slowly, with a bodeful glance over his shoulder as he left. He'd be waiting outside, in the shadows. Good man, for all his scant inches. Really liked this description.

If Jack was mad, a great deal of the blame lay at Beckett's door. *shudders*

"Aye, and for reasons I'll wager you don't know yourself. 'Tain't fit for a lady's ears, that tale." The lady's eyes narrowed. "I want to know." ... But Barbossa chuckled, and looked her over: fine-boned and strong, and deadly as steel. Love that :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful feedback! I'm so happy you liked it -- I was thinking you might, as I know you like Barbossa. You have to admit, he was great in At World's End! I enjoyed him as a villain in CotBP, but he's so much more in AWE.

I like your Barbossa w/Monkey icon there. I need to make one for myself. :)

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

Lovely. Both voices are exactly right (as are the rapidly disappearing supporting cast at the start). No mean feat to bring them together like this, but it really works. I can quite believe they had this little meeting and it went exactly like this.
Love that Jack is always such a fascination and frustration to both of them - and to Elizabeth.
Also love that protective touch from Barbossa: "If Jack was mad, a great deal of the blame lay at Beckett's door." And keeping Jack's secrets for him (even though part of his reason for not telling Elizabeth too much is probably to avoid admitting what he doesn't know).

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

love that protective touch from Barbossa

I think Hector feels only he has the right to hound Jack, old friends as they are. Theirs is (as you, in particular, know) a complicated relationship.

I'm so glad you read this and liked it. I just love your Nuts Out series, really admire the way you expand upon the relationship we see in the movies. Thank you so much for commenting!