Triple Drabble: 'Inheritance' (Jack Sparrow, Tom Sparrow (OC) - PG)

[dwgm]

When I saw that this week's drabble challenge prompt was 'Inherit' I had to write this little prologue to Harry & the Pirate VI: Blood and Treasure. I'm up to chapter sixteen in writing it, and I intend to post a chapter a day beginning on 1-1-11, which is the 7th anniversary of the series.

Harry & the Pirate is an A/U sequel to Curse of the Black Pearl, and the first 200,000 words or so (four chaptered stories and many associated shorter works) were written before Dead Man's Chest came out to thoroughly "Joss" both my plot and character development. If you are a first time reader you might bear that in mind, and also note that this drabble is spoilery for the series as a whole (though I'll probably put a synopsis of the series at the front of the first chapter of B&T for new readers that prefer to skip wading through the preceding stories).

Many thanks to hereswith for taking the time to look this over.



~ Inheritance ~

The solicitor’s letter had taken months to reach him in exotic Singaraja, addressed as it was to The Right Honorable Lord Wainfleet, though at least they’d got The Black Pearl bit right. Jack gave a snort at the absurd error, but then sobered, realizing what the missive might contain, error or no. Word of a father’s death was a rite of passage for any son, even a bastard estranged these many years.

He broke the seal, spread out the pages and scanned it through. Then frowned and started over, reading more carefully and with increasing consternation. “What the devil?” he finally said aloud.

And then there was a scratch at the cabin door and Tom walked in.

Jack’s mood lightened at the sight of his son, so like himself at nineteen. Clever, capable; a couple of inches taller, perhaps, but still lithe and quick, and blessed with his parents’ beauty.

“Is that the letter?” Tom asked. “Gibbs told me.”

“Here. You read it,” Jack said, handing it over.

Tom read, his expressive countenance mirroring much the same emotions Jack had experienced minutes before. When he was finished, he looked up. “You’ve inherited! But how? I thought—”

“It’s a mistake.”

Tom’s brows rose. “Is it?”

“Of course it is. It has to be. Damnation. Where’s your mother?”

“At the palace with Day – dance practice again.”

“Go fetch ‘em, will you?”

“Aye. Are we off to England, then?”

“I suppose you’d like that,” Jack said bitterly.

Tom grinned. “Bring me that horizon!”

Jack scowled. “You dare to bait your father?”

“My lord, I’d never!” Tom said, bowing dramatically, then gave an impudent wink as he straightened and ducked out before Jack could throw something at him.


TBC

Comments

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

That was wonderful! The last lines were simply spectacular! ^^ Fantastic scene. I loved it & I can't wait for the story! :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Tom's a chip off the old block as Jack knows very well. I'm up to chapter seventeen, now, just a few more to go. *bounces* Thank you for reading and commenting, I appreciate it so much!

[luvvycat.livejournal.com]

Tom grinned. “Bring me that horizon!”

Jack scowled. “You dare to bait your father?”

“My lord, I’d never!” Tom said, bowing dramatically, then gave an impudent wink as he straightened and ducked out before Jack could throw something at him.

LOL! Definitely his father's son, is Tom Sparrow! ;-)

And the thought of Jack actually having inherited a Lordship! No wonder he's at sixes and sevens over the very possibility! :-)

Lovely little appetiser for the "main course" to come! I can hardly wait until January! :-)

-- Cat

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

It's nice to be able to look forward to the end of the holidays too, lol! The story is a little different, being set in England, and it's been a lot of fun to research and write. I just hope I haven't got too many details wrong -- I need someone to "Britpick" it, but it's 40,000 words. 0.o

Thank you so much for reading and commenting! I really appreciate it.

[felaine.livejournal.com]

Lovely snippet, I am so glad Jack and Tom are together.
Eager for January. (see icon)
Felaine

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It'll be fun to post a long story that's not a WIP! Almost through writing, I'm on chapter 17 now.

[ladymouse2.livejournal.com]

Oh my! Early Christmas!!

Word of a scrumptious looong chapter tale in the Harry and Jack universe to come and now a glimpse of little Tom all grown and his father's image--in more ways than one--and this to in multi-chapters. With some resolutions in the offing after the lifetime of bitterness with Wainfleet and Jack's temporary apprenticeship to the cartographer.

EEEEE! Heppy Hepppy Kat!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Little Tom isn't so little any more and there are adventures in store for both him and his father. It's been great fun to write. I must thank you for all the encouragement you gave me to continue their story, as well as for your kind comments here.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHA. NO, a Sparrow of any feather would NEVER do something like that to their father. ;-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Hee! Of course not.

[sharklady35.livejournal.com]

Obviously Tom likes living dangerously.

I find it entirely feasible that Jack's descended from nobility. I find it even more feasible that he'd rather keep a distance from that unfortunate circumstance. 'Twill be most interesting to see where this fic goes!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Obviously Tom likes living dangerously.

He's a lot like his dad that way.

I do hope you'll enjoy Blood and Treasure in January. It's been a lot of fun to write. Thank you so much for reading and commenting on this little introduction.

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

Now see here, what've you gotten my sweet Sparrow sideways of? Where's his blood dragging him off to now? I've my own suspects of what's afoot. Thank you kindly for my droplet of story. I'm so spoiled I am getting all itchy twice, May will it ever never when the hecky do and knowing there's your darlin' tale of Harry lurking around the corner--here here!!

I'm so tickled to think of what a lovely man Tom has grown to be--it's hard and wonderful at the self same time to see babies all growed up.

How I relish and revel in this all--thank you dearie--loved him, love him, love you cos of...yep.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you, ma'am! The story of grown up Tom and Anne, and of Jack's return to England (however brief) has been enormous fun to write, and I hope you'll enjoy it too when I post it. Thank you very much for reading and commenting here! *hugs*

[redbells.livejournal.com]

I haven't had a chance to sit down and read your Harry and the Pirate 'verse yet, but after this little drabble? I will MAKE time :)

This is a wonderful sketch of a character I know and love, and one I'm sure I'll come to feel the same way about. I love the snark and the hasty escape especially. Fabulous, and I can't wait to read the rest!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry it took me so long to reply to this comment. I was really thrilled you read and enjoyed the drabble, and the relationship between Jack and his son, Tom. I've had so much fun writing this series. The seeds of it are decades old, stories I began to develop from the first time I went on the PotC ride at Disneyland when it opened in 1966, so when they made the movie it was a natural progression to develop them in that context -- and writing on a computer, rather than struggling with pen and paper, made it all magically easy. I feel my writing has improved some over the years, there are some issues with POV etc. in H&theP1, for example, and the story rambles a bit more than it should. But they do get better, I think, and each one builds upon plot elements in the others (though I think a new reader would "get it" anyway) If you do end up reading the stories, I hope you will enjoy them.

Thank you so much for commenting!