'Proper Pirates' by Penknife - (NC-17)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Title: Proper Pirates (NC-17)
Pairing: Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth Swann, Jack Sparrow/James Norrington
Author on LJ: penknife
Author Website: Penknife to Paper
Why this must be read: penknife came late to the PotC fandom, but brought a fresh perspective and great writing skills to the party after Dead Man's Chest premiered in July of last year. We are profoundly thankful. She has favored us with a great number of excellent stories, but Proper Pirates is my favorite of hers, and one of my favorite pirate!fics ever. It tells the story of how James Norrington breaks ties with Lord Cutler Beckett and, together with Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann, escapes Beckett's stronghold. A simple enough premise, and simply and clearly told, but penknife has these characters down pat, both their natural dynamic and their emotions in that moment, and it is quite simply a joy to read. There is sweet romance and semi-non-con; banter, sniping, and a strong h/c vibe; and situations that are terrifying and joyful by turns.

Jack woke at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Too close already, too little time; he hadn't heard the door at the top open. He wouldn't have thought it was possible for him to sleep so deep in one of Beckett's cells. Wouldn't have thought it was possible to sleep at all. He still felt tired to the bone, moving too slowly as he shifted Elizabeth's sleeping weight off his shoulder and felt uselessly for the knife and sword and pistol he still didn't have. At that point, he would have settled for a rock.

He heard Elizabeth's breathing change and knew she was awake, but she didn't make a sound. A proper pirate wench, giving nothing away. He wished they'd worked out better how to play this, or that he could remember whether there had been a plan. He wasn't entirely himself, he thought, which he supposed came of being all too recently dead. Then again, it was possible that this was what being himself felt like, and that he was currently failing at his habitual avoidance of the feeling.

"You know, some of us are trying to sleep here," he said.

"So sorry, Sparrow," a familiar voice drawled. "How rude of me to intrude."

"James?" Elizabeth was scrambling to her feet before Jack could think of anything to say in response that might score a touch on the bloody man. "James, please, don't do this --"

"Do what?" The cell door swung open, at which point Jack should have been behind it with a rock, except that he hadn't quite managed to find his feet and he still didn't have a rock. He worked on the first, as it seemed more within his control. "A fine opinion you have of your rescuer."

"A fine rescuer you are," Jack said.

"Beggars can't be choosers," James said. "I could just rescue her."

"This is not a good time to argue," Elizabeth said, in a whisper that was just this side of hysteria.

"Yes, later, mate," Jack said. "Is there something like a plan?"

"This is the plan," James said. "I rescue you. We escape."

It just gets better and better. Trust me.

And don't miss the great "commentary track" that penknife recently wrote for this story. A surfeit of riches.

He reminded himself that they'd gotten clean away from Beckett, and so it was time for his heart to stop pounding now. He wasn't in Beckett's cell and he wasn't dead, and that was something, right?