Pirates of the Caribbean Oneshots

Leaving Home

Gunshots and raised voices rang through the tiny cottage.

"For fuck sake," Roxanne Sparrow muttered in irritation, looking up from her paperwork yet again as the noise disturbed her concentration.

She ran a hand through her hair, pushing her chair back from the cluttered kitchen table and standing up.

Exiting the kitchen, she followed the noise, pausing outside the room she shared with her husband.

"I'm going!"

"Ye are hell! Yer absolutely not gettin' involved in that!"

"You can't stop me!"

"I can. So can yer mum. So ye ain't goin'. End of story."

Another gunshot sounded and Roxanne opened the door cautiously.

"Can you two shut the fuck up please?" she asked in irritation.

Her husband and son both turned, two identical pairs of furious dark eyes fixing on her.

"Maybe ye can talk some fuckin' sense into him," Edward Teague grumbled irritably, lowering his smoking pistol at the sight of her, his gaze flickering to Jack.

"What's going on?"

"Wants to join the effing EITC," Teague muttered, throwing Jack a scornful look.

"You're a fine one to talk about going against traditions and expectations, look what you married."
Jack returned his father's look.

"Don't ye fuckin' dare-"

"That's enough. Shut up, both of you," Roxanne said firmly, cutting her husband off.

Teague opened his mouth, she raised an eyebrow sternly at him and he closed it.

"Very good. Now, can one of you please explain calmly what you're arguing about?"

"I'm joining the EITC," Jack said immediately, before his father could answer.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I want a job that lets me sail and travel and earn money but don't want to go on the account. I want to be a good man."

"You can be a pirate and a good man," Roxanne said simply.

Jack scoffed. "Yeah, sure," he muttered in disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

"What did I just say about shutting up?"
Roxanne glanced pointedly at her husband, then returned her gaze to Jack, awaiting more information about his decision.

Teague stalked over to the windowsill, seating himself there, his smouldering eyes still fixed on Jack as he placed his pistol on his lap.

Jack, arms folded over his chest, stared at both of them for a moment before his gaze shifted to fix on Roxanne.

"I want a job. I want to earn money a rightful way, instead of taking it. I want to follow society's laws and don't want the threat of being hanged in every other port. I want a ship, want to travel and get paid for it."

Jack paused before continuing, still only looking at Roxanne.

"My last name means I'd be respected in English high society, treated like royalty and able to rub shoulders confidently with the Navy as well as the EITC. Able to attend social gatherings in England and hold my head high, knowing I have as much, if not more right as anyone else to be there."

Roxanne glanced at the obsidian ring on her wedding finger, then at the P-shaped brand on her wrist, white against her tanned skin.

One had resulted in the other and she didn't regret either.

"That last bit I can't deny. Your last name should be enough to afford you a high living standard and respect in England, as long as they don't find out how closely you're related to me," she murmured in reluctant agreement.

From his place on the windowsill, Teague snorted softly.
"Ye do realise that one look at ye an', unless they're completely stupid, they'll know exactly who ye are. You're a Sparrow, aye, but ye have Teague eyes an' enough of me for them to figure out who your father is, then-"
He made a gesture, indicating hanging.

Jack scoffed.
"They can't prove you're my dad just by looking at me."

"No, but they can guess, and it's fairly well-known that me and Roxanne are married with a child. Won't take a genius to figure out that's you."

"Roxanne and I," she muttered automatically, making her husband wave a hand flippantly.
"You have a point. Though I do think the Sparrow name will afford respect and protection despite that."

"Ain't it lucky I let your mother have her way when we were namin' ye?" Teague asked sarcastically.

He sighed and looked between Roxanne and Jack.
"You're going to go regardless of what we say ain't ye?"

Jack nodded firmly, his jaw set stubbornly.

Teague exchanged a glance with his wife.
Nothing was said, but to the two of them, that glance was a thousand words.

"I've been arguing with you for over an hour and I'm fed up with it. Do whatever you want, boy."

Jack's eyes widened briefly in surprise at his father's words, then he nodded and quickly left the room.

"Not exactly a wish of love and success," Roxanne muttered, sitting on the windowsill and resting her head on Teague's shoulder.

"Still more than I ever got," he muttered back, softly kissing her head.

She smiled sadly, kissing him in return. "Well I love you. And I'm not the only one who does."

"Aye, I know," he said softly.

A heavy sigh and the accompanying motion of his shoulder almost dislodged Roxanne's head from its resting place.

She gently stroked his jaw with the backs of her fingers, trying to offer him some form of comfort.

"Jack's so fucking stubborn."

"I blame your genes for that."

"You contributed half of them, so it's half your fault."

A smile flickered briefly on both pairs of lips, the teasing momentarily lightening the dark mood that lingered in the room.

Several moments passed before Roxanne stood up again.

"As much as I'd like to sit here with you all day, I need to finish all my bloody paperwork," she said, kissing the top of Teague's head.

He also stood up, returning her kiss.
"I'll keep ye company. And I promise not to distract you."

His eyes ran over her, mischief dancing in their dark depths.

"We both know you have no intention of keeping that promise." Roxanne grinned and swayed her hips slightly.
"So by all means, distract me as much as you like. The kitchen floor was washed this morning."

"Excellent."