𝓣𝓪𝓲𝓵 𝓲𝓷 𝓦𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 [IN EDITING]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐 ~ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝.

It's finally here. FINALLY. I wrote my authors note at the end instead so I'll just let you get straight into it hehe. This isn't a particularly interesting chapter as it's more of a filler and just a lot of monologue and passing not interesting dialogue unfortunately but I have to get through this section. Hopefully you're still able to enjoy it :) it's about 2K words to make up for my absence which doesn't make up for it but anyways. I will see y'all at the end of the chapter!
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"Jack Sparrow. You look good."

Bill Turner steps out of the shadows. Jack winces slightly. He wishes he could say the same; regardless he tries anyways but can't bring himself to tell that lie. Instead, what comes out is;

"Is this a dream?"

"No." Bootstrap replies, his voice like gravel.

"I thought not," Jack says, weighing up the facts, "if it were, there would be rum!"

Bootstrap grins, raises up a bottle and hands it to Jack. Jack's face lights up and he reaches to take the rum from Bill. This however, takes a fair bit of effort due to the barnacles encrusted on Bill's hand. When he eventually tugs it free, he sniffs it, nods approvingly and wipes the mouth of the bottle.

"You got the Pearl back, I see." Bill says, gesturing to the body of the ship around them.

Jack stares at Bill for a few seconds.

"Bouillabaisse- I had some help retrieving the Pearl. Your son."

This comes as a shock to Bootstrap. "William?"

Jack nods.

"He ended up a pirate after all."

"Given a liberal definition of the word 'Pirate'. He's got an unhealthy streak of honest in him." Jack chuckles.

"That's something, then. No credit to me, of course." Bootstrap nods back to Jack.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?" Jack chimes, changing the subject.

"Davy Jones. He sent me as an emissary."

Jack nods again, slowly. This is something he's been expecting. A long time coming.

"Ah, so it's you then, that he shanghaied into service."

Bill shrugs. "I chose it." Suddenly, his expression falls solemn. "I'm sorry for the part I played in mutiny'ng against you, Jack."

Jack waves it off. Bill shakes his head.

"Everything went wrong after that. I ended up cursed, doomed to these depths of the ocean. The weight of the ocean crushing down on me. I was unable to move, unable to die. All I could do was think; and mostly I thought, even the tiniest hope of escaping this fate ... I would take it. trade anything for it."

"That is the kind of thinking, bound to catch his attention." Jack says.

"It did. Davy Jones came. Made the offer. I could spend one hundred years before the mast, with the hope that after, I would go on to a peaceful rest."

"Funny what a man'll do to forestall his final judgement."

"Don't forget you made a deal with him, too, Jack. He raised the Pearl from the depths for you, and thirteen years you've been her Captain." Bill reminds gently.

"Technically-" Jack starts.

"You won't be able to talk your smart mouth out of this." Bill interrupts, warning him sternly. "The terms what applied to me apply to you, as well. One soul, bound to crew a lifetime upon his ship."