Chapter Text
A flash of recognition washed over Fitzwilliam's face and his slight, ever-present smirk made place for a look of apprehension. Without taking his eyes off of Jack, he sent his compatriots away with a few hard words while his hand drifted to rest on the handle of his sabre.. It was clear that he didn't expect to see Jack anytime soon and that he didn't expect this encounter to end well for him.
Jack winced. While it was true that the two hadn't exactly left on the best terms (mostly due to Fitzy's betrayal of him), he had no intention of hurting the other man. That is, at least not before interrogating him about his presence and intentions in the Cove.
His father would probably curse him for not killing his old friend on sight but Jack had a good feeling about him. He knew that he was in an extremely risky situation here; barely armed, barefoot, with no one knowing where he was while being one of the most important pirates in the Cove at the moment. He knew it was stupid but he needed answers. Why now? Why had Fitzwilliam decided to become a pirate now, and why wasn't he at the battle? Was he here to kill Jack? Did he hate the Teague family for leaving him behind on that ship so long ago?
Once the other men had left, Jack walked up closer to Fitzwilliam. Once they were only a sword length away from each other (and didn't that feel odd after so many years of not seeing each other?), Jack opened his mouth to ask all of the questions burning on his mind.
The question that came out was not one either of the men expected, "So, why aren't you at home, expanding your oh so noble family, Fitzwilliam P. Dalton III? I would have thought for sure those 'family rules' you always kept mentioning you were bound by wouldn't allow for you to be running around as a pirate?"
Fitzy opened and closed his mouth, strongly resembling a fish on dry land, "That's your first question after all these years? Not all of us followed our predetermined paths Keeper."
Was Jack mistaken or did the last bit have some venom behind it? It was no wonder that Fitzy had heard about his new position but why was he so bitter about it? The last time they had spoken each other (which was a very long time ago, Jack's brain supplied him unhelpfully), he had been adamant about both of them eventually having to follow the path that had been laid out before them.
Jack looked at the man critically, "What about you? I thought you would have been some fancy lord by now, trading slaves and sugar. Or, whatever it is rich folks like you do…"
Fitzwilliam scowled, "Let's just say that daddy dearest and me had some differences about our core values. Once he found out that I wasn't the perfect heir, he kicked me out to avoid my 'inevitable bad reputation' to be attached to his name. Last I heard he remarried and is now pretending like his new children are his only children. I have never met my brother and sisters but I have no doubt that they are much more suited to high society than I ever was."
Jack's surprise must have been visible on his face (even though he rarely showed his emotions) because Fitzwilliam continued with a wry grin, "What? Are you surprised about me not being suited for fancy balls? Have you forgotten that I too ran away when I was younger? Our adventures were certainly not sanctioned by my dear father and one of the reasons I ran away was to escape all of the pressure of high-society life."
Jack had to admit that he had never thought about it like that. Sure, on some level he had known that Fitzy had run away from home but he had still always seen him as a stuck-up rich boy who would eventually go back to his life and pretend to forget all about their adventures. He had never really thought about why the other boy had run away.
Still, one of the things they had had in common was their mutual hatred for piracy. For them to meet again after all these years in the heart of the pirate world, both being pirates was unexpected. Jack's conversion to piracy was logical, given his background. But for Fitzwilliam to end up as a pirate was highly illogical, given what - admittedly little - he knew about the other man.
Too impatient for any kind of political manoeuvring or tact, Jack decided to just ask what he wanted to know, "I guess I never really thought about that. But that still doesn't answer the question of why you're a pirate now. And why, if you are really a pirate are you not at the battle?"
Fitzwilliam shrugged, "To answer your first question I would have to get into some really personal stuff I don't really feel like discussing. Let's just say that I needed the freedom piracy gives you. Besides, when I heard how a young pirate called Jack Sparrow sunk a slave ship, I knew it was you. If you could forge your own path and do some good in the world, I couldn't keep being a coward."
Most people who turned to piracy had a similar story so Jack decided that for now, he would believe him. Fitzy had always been sensitive to challenges, especially if they were issued by Jack.
"That's all very nice but why then are you not at the battle? If you have truly turned your back on the Navy, then why aren't you out there fighting them? This is the biggest battle in pirate history and they are threatening our entire way of life! Surely you realise that if they win, all of the freedom that made you become a pirate in the first place will be stripped away!"
Fitzwilliam growled, "You don't think I know that? If I could be at the battle, I would, believe me! My family is deeply involved in the Navy and they would shoot me on sight. Or even worse, they would kidnap me and torture me for information."
Just when Jack was going to interrupt him to point out how cowardly that was, Fitzwilliam continued in a more dejected tone, "Besides, I don't know what I would do if I came face to face with a family member. I'm not sure if I would have the courage to shoot them. I know you probably think that I'm a coward. I know I am, but I would be a liability both for myself and my fellow crewmembers."
Jack sighed. He really didn't have time to get into everything right now. His father was probably worried, and it wouldn't do for him to think that Jack had been assassinated right after becoming Keeper. He decided that, for now, he would believe Fitzwilliam and trust that the man in question wasn't plotting anything nefarious. Just in case he was (you could never be sure with pirates), he would keep a close eye on him.
After saying goodbye to his childhood rival, he hurried back to his quarters.