Fic: 'Hero' (1/6)
This is my first potcfest fic - prompt: Jack playing hero to Elizabeth's son (from anyone's POV). I'm going to post a chapter every other day, so the whole thing will be up by the 5th. This is basically written in the same universe as most of my post-AWE fic, which owes a lot to artaxastra's work, and maybe other authors'. If I have unknowingly commandeered elements of your story, please forgive me.
As always, my profuse thanks goes to hereswith, whose eagle eye always makes my stories so much better!
This is written entirely from James William Turner's pov, so no smut, sorry, a very clean (though hopefully interesting) PG. This first chapter's short, but the others... er... not so much.
~ Hero ~
Chapter One: Caught Out
"James! James Turner!!"
James William Turner started at his mother's call, far too close at hand, and was betrayed into uttering an expletive: "Bugger."
This in no wise caused his cohorts in crime to think less of him. "Does she know where we are?" Robbie Banks whispered fearfully, his round blue eyes growing even rounder.
"Naw, she couldn't!" Josh Tennet said, though he kept his voice low.
But the call came again, disproving this hopeful theory: "James William Turner, come down from the foc's'l cabin of the Mary B. this instant or by the powers there'll be a grim reckoning between the two of us."
"Bugger!" Jamie groaned.
*
His friends scattering quick and silent into the labyrinth of Shipwreck City like the young bilge rats they were, Jamie made his way down to the tilted afterdeck of the Mary B. where his mother, the Pirate King, stood scowling, booted feet apart, arms crossed. He faced her squarely, but kept his tone on the wheedling side as he asked, "How'd you know we were here, ma'am?" To his relief, her lip twitched, as though holding back a smile.
"Your Uncle Jack told me to look here. He said he knew it of old, the perfect place for a pack of young ne'er-do-wells to secret themselves against the rigors of study."
"Uncle's back? And me not there to greet him!"
"You would have been, if you'd been in school with Dr. Barry." She shook her head. "James, how do you expect to become the captain of your own ship someday without an education? This is the fourth time this month you and your friends have taken off! I told the good Doctor I wouldn't tolerate use of the cane in the school, but perhaps I erred?"
A cold chill swept through Jamie. He was no coward, but…. "No, ma'am," he said, quickly. "It's just…"
"Just what?"
"It's so… dull! It was mathematics again today, drilling and drilling, and never getting anywhere. I already know-"
"And do Robbie and Josh 'know'?"
"Well… no-"
"Then why do you take them away from where they can learn? James, it was not well done of you."
Jamie’s eyes fell away from his mother's accusing ones. "But they're my friends."
"Then one would think you'd have a care what trouble you draw them into. Dr. Barry is one thing, but their parents are another. Robbie and Josh should both be eating supper off the mantelpiece tonight, and the blame lies at your door. I know they would not have gone had you not tempted them. Isn't that so?"
"Yes, ma'am." James swallowed hard. Josh would be all right, he was tough as nails, but Robbie…
But then his mother relented. "As it happens," she said, more mildly, "I saw their parents down among the crowd at the docks as the Pearl came in, and it's not likely Dr. Barry will let the cat out of the bag. So to speak."
James looked up. "You've spoken to him?"
"I have." Her eyes narrowed. "If you had your just deserts… but your Uncle takes a lighter view of the matter, though he does agree it's time you had more training at sea, so you know the good and bad of it, and precisely where you'll be using your mathematics. The Pearl is leaving again tomorrow, on the noon tide, and you'll be on her."
James gasped in shocked delight. "Mum!"
"Jack has received a letter from the governor of Providence Bay, requesting a dozen cases of French brandy, among other sundries, and, specifically, your company for his son while the goods are offloaded and the bargain struck."
"Gilbert!" James capered, and grabbed his mother's hands. "Thank you! I swear I'll be good from this day on!"
She turned her hands and caught his, squeezing them. "You'll think of your men before yourself, savvy? That's the mark of a good captain."
Jamie chuckled at his mother's use of Uncle Jack's pet word. "Yes, ma'am, I savvy! Can we go? I want to see him!"
TBC
As always, my profuse thanks goes to hereswith, whose eagle eye always makes my stories so much better!
This is written entirely from James William Turner's pov, so no smut, sorry, a very clean (though hopefully interesting) PG. This first chapter's short, but the others... er... not so much.
~ Hero ~
Chapter One: Caught Out
"James! James Turner!!"
James William Turner started at his mother's call, far too close at hand, and was betrayed into uttering an expletive: "Bugger."
This in no wise caused his cohorts in crime to think less of him. "Does she know where we are?" Robbie Banks whispered fearfully, his round blue eyes growing even rounder.
"Naw, she couldn't!" Josh Tennet said, though he kept his voice low.
But the call came again, disproving this hopeful theory: "James William Turner, come down from the foc's'l cabin of the Mary B. this instant or by the powers there'll be a grim reckoning between the two of us."
"Bugger!" Jamie groaned.
*
His friends scattering quick and silent into the labyrinth of Shipwreck City like the young bilge rats they were, Jamie made his way down to the tilted afterdeck of the Mary B. where his mother, the Pirate King, stood scowling, booted feet apart, arms crossed. He faced her squarely, but kept his tone on the wheedling side as he asked, "How'd you know we were here, ma'am?" To his relief, her lip twitched, as though holding back a smile.
"Your Uncle Jack told me to look here. He said he knew it of old, the perfect place for a pack of young ne'er-do-wells to secret themselves against the rigors of study."
"Uncle's back? And me not there to greet him!"
"You would have been, if you'd been in school with Dr. Barry." She shook her head. "James, how do you expect to become the captain of your own ship someday without an education? This is the fourth time this month you and your friends have taken off! I told the good Doctor I wouldn't tolerate use of the cane in the school, but perhaps I erred?"
A cold chill swept through Jamie. He was no coward, but…. "No, ma'am," he said, quickly. "It's just…"
"Just what?"
"It's so… dull! It was mathematics again today, drilling and drilling, and never getting anywhere. I already know-"
"And do Robbie and Josh 'know'?"
"Well… no-"
"Then why do you take them away from where they can learn? James, it was not well done of you."
Jamie’s eyes fell away from his mother's accusing ones. "But they're my friends."
"Then one would think you'd have a care what trouble you draw them into. Dr. Barry is one thing, but their parents are another. Robbie and Josh should both be eating supper off the mantelpiece tonight, and the blame lies at your door. I know they would not have gone had you not tempted them. Isn't that so?"
"Yes, ma'am." James swallowed hard. Josh would be all right, he was tough as nails, but Robbie…
But then his mother relented. "As it happens," she said, more mildly, "I saw their parents down among the crowd at the docks as the Pearl came in, and it's not likely Dr. Barry will let the cat out of the bag. So to speak."
James looked up. "You've spoken to him?"
"I have." Her eyes narrowed. "If you had your just deserts… but your Uncle takes a lighter view of the matter, though he does agree it's time you had more training at sea, so you know the good and bad of it, and precisely where you'll be using your mathematics. The Pearl is leaving again tomorrow, on the noon tide, and you'll be on her."
James gasped in shocked delight. "Mum!"
"Jack has received a letter from the governor of Providence Bay, requesting a dozen cases of French brandy, among other sundries, and, specifically, your company for his son while the goods are offloaded and the bargain struck."
"Gilbert!" James capered, and grabbed his mother's hands. "Thank you! I swear I'll be good from this day on!"
She turned her hands and caught his, squeezing them. "You'll think of your men before yourself, savvy? That's the mark of a good captain."
Jamie chuckled at his mother's use of Uncle Jack's pet word. "Yes, ma'am, I savvy! Can we go? I want to see him!"
TBC