Backstory Drabble 20: 'Thirteen Years' (Jack; J/E implied - G)

[dwgm]

300 words and the last of the drabbles for hseas_challenge #4...



20. Thirteen years - Jack’s quest to regain the Pearl.


~ Thirteen Years ~


Thirteen years.

Should've known, just from the number. Jones had a sick sense of humor. Bad luck, as Gibbs would say.

Thirteen years.

He missed Gibbs. Joshamee was a good first mate, good at sea, less good on land, what with the drink and all. But he told the stories fine and clear, so ol' Jack didn't have to.

Thirteen years.

Plus a bit more, for dying; fighting; then living again, with all that living meant. Heartache. Striving. Failing. Longing.

Jack took another healthy swig of rum and refused to look at his compass. Which wasn't working. Or was working. Or something.

The breeze had died, and the sea had an oily look.

Thirteen years.

Lizzie would've been seven. Still in England. Climbing trees, or playing pirate with the stable lads when she'd slipped her leash, which doubtless she had whenever possible. Seven, when Jack had been busy squaring with his pirate blood, defying Cutler Beckett, suffering the consequences. Making his deal with the devil.

He felt old. And the rum wasn't helping.

He threw the bottle (there were a couple left, anyway) and it went end over end and plopped into the water where it bobbed a minute before sinking. Then he checked the compass.

Same story, different version. And all of them are true.

Jack sighed. Felt a puff, then stronger: a change in the wind. A change that colluded with Tia Dalma's infernal contraption.

He was tired. Tired of feeling old. Hungry. Alone. Tired of missing the Black Pearl. His Pearl.

Thirteen years.

It was long enough. It was time to get her back. Both of them.

She was Pirate King through his kind offices. Helping him retrieve his ship was the least she could do. And so he would tell her.

Eyes narrowed, he brought the dinghy about, settled, and for the first time in several days found himself humming.


~.~

Comments

Praise from Willofthewisp

[(Anonymous)]

Yes! YES! This is so perfect. There is no doubt in my mind this was Jack's destination. How could he possibly be satisfied with himself at the end of AWE? It gave him nothing other than a renewed appreciation for his good side, and it wasn't like the good man in him was ever truly gone to begin with.

Ah, it's a curious thing about age. There is a great difference between 7 and 22 (sorry if you have Jack and Liz at greater/less than a 15-year age difference. That's what I'm used to) and 21 and 36. If you like at a 6-month-old and a 2-year-old, there is a world of difference, but they are considered peers later on in life.

"He was tired. Tired of feeling old. Hungry. Alone. Tired of missing the Black Pearl. His Pearl. Thirteen years. It was long enough. It was time to get her back. Both of them."

Gorgeous! I can't imagine Jack feeling any other way. He's too relentless, too in love with the sea, with freedom, with Elizabeth, to have it any other way. I have no doubt he will get everything he wants (and needs) in the end.

Re: Praise from Willofthewisp

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I am so happy you liked this, and thought it fit -- I didn't run it by hereswith, my ever-patient sounding board, so I didn't know if I was off base or not. But I really think a few days in that dinghy would have brought him to this point.

I use a 16 year difference between Jack and Elizabeth (and Will, though Will could be a year or two older than Lizzie), but yes, I see no problem pairing them when she's an adult.

Thank you very much for your detailed and thoughtful comments! They are very much appreciated.

[sharklady35.livejournal.com]

> She was Pirate King through his kind offices. Helping him retrieve his ship was the least she could do. <

That could definitely be argued.

Go get her, Jack!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Most definitely! It would have been fun to see something to that effect in PotC4, but I don't think we can hope for that. Thank you so much for reading, and commenting!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

his compass. Which wasn't working. Or was working. Or something.
Oh, Jack!
This, and squaring with his pirate blood. I love that.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

squaring with his pirate blood

I was hoping someone would catch that, I know it's fanon, but I like to think he spoke to Will that day with the voice of experience, that he wasn't always as easy making that choice as he is in the movies.

I'm so glad you liked this! Thank you for letting me know.

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

This is so beautifully written! (And such dream-scenario too! ^^) The tension, all the thoughts & memories - a complicated map of Jack's feelings at that moment is so perfectly described. Wonderful fic!!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I can't help but feel his satisfaction in sailing off in that dinghy at the end of AWE wouldn't last. He's too volatile a creature. Gave him time to think, though. ;)

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

Lovely. :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

"Thirteen years."
"Plus a bit more, for dying; fighting; then living again, with all that living meant. Heartache. Striving. Failing. Longing.

...refused to look at his compass. Which wasn't working. Or was working. Or something."
So Jack, bookkeeping after the fact--somehow imagining that he would have postponed/avoided/something'ed that time line.

"...she'd slipped her leash, which doubtless she had whenever possible. Seven, when Jack had been busy squaring with his pirate blood..." This is a good 'un! Both squaring, Lizzie at the beginning end, Jack, as usual, stuck in the middle...

Love how he shows his mind to you--and you share with us. Congratulations on setting down all the questions answered in your delightful way about this very interesting pirate man. It's good what you've writ, what Jack's whispered to you.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

It's very satisfying to have finished all twenty, such a great bunch of prompts that djarum99 created, I couldn't resist a one. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I truly appreciate it!

[luvvycat.livejournal.com]

What an excellent capper to your whole Backstory Drabble series! And returning us to an "echo scene" of where canon left off ... Jack, in a dinghy, drinking rum, checking his compass...

He was tired. Tired of feeling old. Hungry. Alone. Tired of missing the Black Pearl. His Pearl.

I just love Jack when he's being introspective, and he certainly has ample food for thought here! Love how his mind turns to Lizzie ... the whole "when I was doing this, she would have only been seven" thing! He is (practically) old enough to be her father, and nice to see him acknowledging that fact here.

She was Pirate King through his kind offices. Helping him retrieve his ship was the least she could do. And so he would tell her.

Just like Jack! Oh, no ... he wouldn't be honest with Lizzie, and tell her he came back because he wanted her ... only that he wanted her ship, and that she owed it to him to help retrieve the Pearl. Classic Jack! (Somehow, I think Elizabeth will be smart enough to see right through the ruse, though!)

Wonderful ending: Jack, finally making up his mind to reclaim both the Pearl, and Lizzie! A dream ending indeed (for us Sparrabethers!)

Great drabble! And heaps of kudos and congrats to you for making it through all the backstory prompts! A grand achievement, indeed ... and very, very enjoyable for all of us who have had the pleasure of reading the "fruits of your pen" (keyboard?) these past months! Brava, madame!

-- Cat

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Just like Jack! Oh, no ... he wouldn't be honest with Lizzie, and tell her he came back because he wanted her ... only that he wanted her ship, and that she owed it to him to help retrieve the Pearl. Classic Jack!

He's also forgetting he made her King mostly to further his own ends. Selective memory. *g*

I'm thrilled you enjoyed this one, and I thank you for the congratulations -- they were certainly fun to write, such great prompts! Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I really appreciate that.

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

Congrats on being finished! This is lovely, as usual, and I liked the format, with the interspersed repetitions. Also that he's missing Gibbs, and how he imagines Lizzie, playing pirate while he was busy squaring with his pirate blood.

...refused to look at his compass. Which wasn't working. Or was working. Or something. Or something, indeed. *g*

She was Pirate King through his kind offices. Helping him retrieve his ship was the least she could do. And so he would tell her. Elizabeth would have a thing or two to say about that :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the congrats! And for reading and commenting. I'm glad you liked this, I was very nervous about posting it before you'd seen it (you know how I trust your judgement) but you were asleep and I was too impatient. Turned out fine in the end, tho'.

Elizabeth would have a thing or two to say about that :-)

I feel sure she would. *g*

[berne.livejournal.com]

This is beautiful. Oh, Jack. *wallows in it* I really like your icon, too; that would be perfect as Jack's flag.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

that would be perfect as Jack's flag.

That is Jack's flag, from the end of AWE. I keep writing these post-AWE scenarios, trying to convince myself the end of the movie was a new beginning for all the characters we love. I am so very glad you enjoyed this instance. Thank you for letting me know!

[berne.livejournal.com]

It makes me a little sad that I didn't know it was Jack's flag... Five years ago, I wouldn't have let a single detail escape me! I need to rewatch the sequels ASAP.

(Sorry for the super late reply-- I'm woefully behind on replying to emails!)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

You should read p0wdermonkey's take on At World's End, particularly the end of the movie, before you see it again. It all makes sense that way. It's of the Jack/Barbossa slashiness, but amusingly so.

Happy Holidays!

[berne.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'll definitely bookmark that to read. Thanks for the rec & I hope you had a good New Year.