Narcissa Barbossa: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Two Captains One Ship

Hector was leaning on the rail of the Pearl his mind whirling. Carina Smyth. HIS Carina. His little girl that he had left all those years ago as a babe at an orphanage in the hope she'd find a better life than one he could give her.

For he was no more capable of parenting a child on his own than he had been when Narcissa lost her mother. And Narcissa had at least been a child able to think and at least moderately fend for herself rather than a helpless baby.

It also turns out that letting a child go is no easier the second time around. Jack came up beside him with a bottle of rum.

"Fancy a swig?" he asked. Hector accepted the bottle lord knows he needed it.

"It's nice to see the Pearl back in her proper place if not with her proper Captain," commented Jack lightly. Normally Hector would have risen to the bait but his mind was still too full to bother fighting back at the moment.

"At least Blackbeard will never touch her again," he answered.

"True, though Angelica will never forgive me," Jack said. Hector raised an eyebrow. He'd known Jack and Angelica had, something going on. But the depths of the care were never clear to him.

"And why is that?"

"I tricked her into drinking the water that would have saved her father," Jack answered.

"How did ye know how to trick Blackbeard?" asked Hector. Jack shrugged.

"Easy, I knew he'd make the opposite decision that you would in his place." Hector was slightly puzzled.

"What do ye mean?"

"See Angelica reminded me quite a lot of your dear Narcissa. Both fearsome females determined to do anything to help daddy dearest including giving their own life if necessary. But Blackbeard he didn't remind me of you." Hector snorted.

"I should think not." Jack chuckled.

"Not in that way mate. See I never saw him smile at his daughter. At least not when she hadn't done something that would help HIM. You're a right bastard sometimes Hector but one thing that can't be denied is your love for your daughter. Just the way ye look at her like right now for no particular reason, as if she were your greatest treasure is proof of that."

"True but what are ye getting at?" he asked.

"That's how I knew the difference between you two and that whatever course you would choose in his situation, faced with sacrificing his own daughter to save his life, he would take the opposite. You'd never let your daughter give her life for yours even willingly. So I knew he wouldn't object if I supposedly gave Angelica the cup without the tear."

Hector was slightly stunned. He supposed he wasn't surprised by Blackbeard's actions but he personally could never imagine trading his daughter's life for his own. Hell had that been the cost of breaking the Aztec Curse he wouldn't have paid it.

"But speaking of daughters, are we going to discuss the giant elephant on the ship?" added Jack bringing Hector out of his revere.

"I have no idea what yer talking about." he said swiftly but Jack snorted.

"Come now Hector, we knew a Smyth with a Y. One you were very attached to. What was the name its right on the tip of mi tongue."

"Do you want te lose that tongue?" scowled Hector.

"Marylyn, Madeleine, Martha..."

"Margaret," snapped Hector knowing Jack wasn't going to let this go and that there was no advantage to playing dumb.

"A yes lovely Margaret. Who it seems produced that dark haired beauty up at the helm," said Jack with a smirk. "You know considering you are VERY VERY ugly, it really is a miracle how you managed to produce two such fetching creatures."

"Watch yer tongue Sparrow before I cut it out," growled Hector sharply. Jack held up his hands in surrender.

"Relax mate. I know better than to go after either of your daughters." Hector sighed. Jack Sparrow was the last person he'd have confessed this to but the man was cleverer than he usually let on. The fact that except for her eyes Carina was the spitting image of her mother was also a dead give-away to anyone that knew Margaret.

"Margaret died in childbirth. I couldn't take care of Carina so I summoned what honor a worthless blaggard like me had and left her at an orphanage. I thought the ruby might give her some comfort in life. I never dreamed she'd follow those scribbles and make a life of her own. A life that's led her back to me."

"And you have absolutely no intention of telling her do you?" said Jack.

"No. We both take this to our graves," he said sharply.

"It seems this puts me in a favorable position Daddy." Barbossa rolled his eyes.

"And what is it you be wanting?"

"The Pearl in exchange for my silence." Barbossa scoffed.

"The thing is Jack, a clever young woman such as that would never believe purely on your word that a swine such as me were her blood. Now let me ask ye something. Why did ye betray the compass?" Jack's slightly smug look disappeared and he took another swig of rum.

"My luck's run out Hector. None of me plans come to fruition. It's hardly a wonder my crew mutinied. Even Gibbs gave up on me. I think I knew that was coming. So I didn't see the point in the compass. I'm not the pirate I was."

"None of us are the same pirate we were years ago Jack. For one thing twenty years ago I still had both legs. Twenty years ago Narcissa was a free woman. That doesn't mean ye need to give up."

"Well, I haven't got a choice now do I? With bloody Salazar on the loose and after me." grumbled Jack.

"That's not the only reason. Maybe ye should view this as a last chance to be the Jack Sparrow ye once were." Hector wasn't quite sure why he was encouraging Jack. He supposed that as annoying as Jack was at times, he was a bloody good pirate who'd helped him out of tight spots. When they set aside their differences (namely the Pearl) they made a good team. There was just something wrong about seeing him so despairing.

"Maybe mate but speaking of chances you might be right. Miss Smyth might not believe her parentage coming from me. But she might learn it from another source."

"What do ye mean?" asked Hector sharply. Nobody else knew. It was Jack's turn to roll his eyes.

"Look at those two," he gestured towards the helm where Hector saw Narcissa embrace Carina. A part of him felt happy to see his girls getting along but then a realization hit and worry filled him.

"You underestimate your eldest. I reckon she's putting two and two together and it won't be long before the lass makes four if she hasn't already."

He saw Narcissa begin to leave the helm and move towards him Jack moved to walk away.

"Where are you heading?" asked Hector he had been trying to keep one eye on Jack.

"To watch the show," replied Jack before adding almost sincerely, "Seriously made good luck. You're going to need it." Hector sighed because Jack was probably right.

Author's Note: So I really like exploring the relationship between Jack and Barbossa. As funny as them trading insults in 5 is I felt it was more fitting to have more of a heart to heart. Let me know what you think! Thanks again to everyone who has commented and read this. Please do leave your thoughts below if you like the story!