Cold
By: Beautiful x lie
Her hands slid as she desperately clung to the rigging for extra support. The rain was coming down more violently and seemed a fair payment for all of her sins. Killing a man with his own emotions, toying with him just to get what she wanted for so long.
Pirate
He called her and he was never one to be on such an honest streak. But his truthful disposition slowly faded as the longboat paddled off into the distance, watching Captain Jack Sparrow fall to his demise. The devil himself laughed in his face and Elizabeth was grief stricken, now she truly understood the meaning of the phrase "You don't know what you've got, until it's gone." And on the return voyage to the witch Tia Dalma's hut, felt like days slowly expanding while she sat contemplating why she did what she did and what the enigmatic glow in Jack's eyes were as she passed him a fleeting last glance.
And now as she stood above everyone clinging to the ropes and back to the wind feeling abandoned. Over the past weeks following the rescue of Jack, her wellbeing has been neglected.
Her skin turned pale from countless hours spent below crying over the anguish of her broken engagement and her forlorn Captain.
Her bones were starting to jet out and become more visible on her person. The wrinkles and bags under her eyes became more apparent and gave her an aged manifestation. The emotions she once felt on a ship disintegrated.
Freedom, become constricting and the life she once had suddenly became more appealing. Though she knew not to expect much of a welcome. The real joys she once had were gone. Her prissy life of corsets and balls were lost along with the charts that had once kept them on course.
Even through the pounding rain she could hear the bickering of Jack and Barbossa arguing over whose responsibility it was to watch them. Out of the corner of her eye she saw them, each with one respective hand on the wheel trying to shove the other off. This would have been an amusing situation if in a much brighter circumstance.
And with each passing moment, that bright time seemed to get farther and farther away.
The wind was now howling and bursts of lightning were seen further illuminating the vessel giving it the ominous glow of a ghost ship. Befitting that the crew seemed more zombie like each day.
Their once zealous captain was now seemingly quiet and self-spoken. The animated glint in his eye seemed distant and frigid. Filled with disappointment whenever he cast her a glance, though usually it was out of pity. He once had pride in her, he knew her fate was sealed the day she pressed her lips to his. If he could simply describe her in one word…
Pirate
Her vice-grip on the rigging tightened as a fierce wave threatened to pull her down. She just held her head higher and her white knuckles continued to unresponsively clench the ropes. Her eyes were glazed over with fresh tears. She knew if she cried, no one would know the rain was enough to shield it. But she has had enough with hiding and facing this was one thing she had to do.
And if it got her out of confronting Jack, that was a bonus.
The rain was being carried with the wind, blown in random directions strewn about into the frigid air. Thunder crashed above her as the bolt of lightning unsurprisingly followed striking the bow of the ship, lurching it forward.
She now only had one hand supporting her frail, listless body. She clenched her eyes shut and stretched her arm out to reach the ropes next to her. Her hand slipped and she felt herself falling. Then everything became slow motion. She heard voices screaming incoherent words and then a loud crash brought everyone out of their stupor. Her body went into shock, her breathing turned into shallow intakes and her thoughts not processing correctly.
She felt vibration underneath her, confident; pounding footsteps each had a different cadence of its own. The inaudible whispers being said were somehow understood by Elizabeth and she knew her condition was seemingly, critical. Then her breathing stopped and the rhythm of her heart was gone that is until she felt a pair of lips cover her own and she sensed air being forced inside of her.
Her thoughts immediately wondered back to Will, she assumed he was the one giving her the kiss of life, but when she opened her eyes he wasn't there except in his place was the person she thought hated her and would never forgive her for her crimes.
His face was traced with worry and concern. For a split second he smiled at her and the old Jack was back but when she broke out of her comatose state, his face turned hard and he stalked off to his cabin.
Her face was filled with sudden confusion, why had he saved her if he was just going to walk away again? Never the less, she used all of her strength to attempt to pull herself to her feet in front of the curious gazes of the family she had come to love.
Using the rail for support she finally managed to get herself off of the ground. The only noticeable problems on her person were the many cuts and scratches on her legs and arms, but the broken rib hurt like hell.
Though as they say, "Hell hath no fury on a woman scorned."
So as if nothing happened, she strode back to her post on the rigging despite the protests of the crew members. Her confident demeanor fizzled out when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She whirled around and was standing in front of the once jolly face of Mister Gibbs.
"Miss. Elizabeth, do ye be thinkn' this wise to go back up thar, I mean, look at ye yer covered in scratches lass, why don't we just carry ye to the captain's quarters…Aye?"
Elizabeth knew Gibbs cared for her and so did the majority of the crew with the exception of Will whom was lurking in the rum cellar she guessed.
Though she made her mind up when a strong bold of lightning struck close to the ship, it was mocking her. Taunting "You don't have the courage to come up here and face me." Her gaze considerably hardened and her jaw set, she had to do this.
With one last fleeting glance, she walked passed Gibbs and heartedly climbed the rigging. When she gingerly turned her body toward the turmoil of wind and rain, she wanted so much to run and hide though too much of that had been done. Content with braving Mother Nature's worst, she held on contemplating whether anyone besides Mister Gibbs and a portion of the crew cared that she went back up there.
She shook her head; she shouldn't burden herself with these insecurities that haunted her. She had learned to face them and had Mister Gibbs to lean on, even Barbossa was civil to her so far. All though she couldn't help hearing the whispered words on deck and the obvious sound of a door slamming and strong footsteps on the hard wood.
Then she felt the odd sensation as if she was being watched, even through the mist and the pouring rain. It burned her skin and made her heart race, and then she knew it could only be one person…
"ELIZABETH!" That was the first time she ever heard him use her real name, usually it was Luv, or Lizzie or even Pet but never Elizabeth. "GET DOWN FROM THERE! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS." Even though she knew he was trying to help her again, she still could hear the distain in his voice and the venom that dripped from his hollow words.
She scoffed at him and turned around for a spit second, only enough time to utter one word,
"No."
She could sense his temper escalating and his voice become more malicious and desperate.
"LIZZIE! DOWN! NOW!"
She shivered, the rain was finally getting to her, but she couldn't give in, she wouldn't. Another overpowering bold of lighting struck, fleetingly blinding her. She was close to the edge but pulled herself up.
Her face was emotionless and unfeeling as she watched the storm with melancholy her demeanor considerably saddening the sensation of being lost finally sinking in.
Then she felt a pair of safe arms wrap forcefully around her and warm breath on her ear,
"Come down." It snarled harshly
It sent shivers down her spine and she was frozen, she hadn't thought of what to say to Jack when they were alone and…in such close proximity. She just looked up at him, her eyes wide with fascination as he looked at her with a menacingly curious glint in his eye.
Her mouth ran dry and her mind a blank as his face twisted with confusion. Then, she found her voice.
"What do you want Jack?" She asked sheepishly still coy about facing him one on one. Her disposition was considerably shifting.
His face stayed stony and frigid as he retorted venomously,
"Well, we wouldn't want Captain Swann dead would we?" His eyes darkened and his nostrils flared for a vague motive.
"Well then by all means Captain Sparrow help the lady down." She quipped sarcastically not breaking eye contact.
"Well I would hardly consider you a lady." He snapped spitefully his hands balling into fists.
She grimaced and irritably rolled her eyes, the remorse of betrayal washing over her once again.
Jack smirked darkly, "You said it your self, you feel no regret, and it's all a lie. All you feel is petty. Because you don't feel." He held her tighter whispering menacingly into her cold ear his lips brushing it with every harsh word he mumbled.
"You can't feel luv."
Now she was shaking from the truth spilling out of Jack, he was right.
Could her forlorn mind care or even comprehend feelings? This whole journey seemed aloof to her and she felt like a ghost, doomed to walk the ship and see everything, but not experience it.
Her face turned hard and for the first time really looked at him, his face didn't falter under her skeptical gaze. His eyes were foggy hidden behind a veil of insecurity and fear. She bared her teeth at him.
"The Great 'pirate' Jack Sparrow is telling me that I do not care? The man whom has killed many and felt nothing but pleasure. Remorse does not seem like a word that should be in your vocabulary Mister Sparrow."
She finished this statement with a rather satisfied snarl before trying to free herself from Jack's vice-grip. But he only held her tightly as he mused more heating their already steaming debate.
"I wish I could say I felt pleasure Captain Swann but you are sorely mistaken." She could feel the melancholy in his voice that stood out more then the malice as he deliberated. But he stayed firmly placed two feet on the ropes barely supporting both of their bodies, as the dismal thunder storm raged on. Elizabeth was confused and lost trapped in the turmoil she called a life.
She struggled in his arms her movements becoming more violent and desperate as she cried silent tears. Tears for her broken rib that was now starting to bruise. Tears for her awry engagement. Tears for her new haphazard life. Tears for her late father. And Tears for her new love.
Jack knew she was crying and he felt a small pang of guilt but brushed it off as he gingerly made his way down the rigging, his clothes sticking to him as a second skin. Once his feet were on solid ground, he let the withered to his cabin. She hid behind a curtain of hair as she passed the worried glances of various crew members.
Once inside he set her down gently on his bed wrapping her in a linen blanket. He passed her a fleeting glance before stepping behind the changing curtain to get out of his soiled clothes.
She sat quietly on his bed contemplating the many ways to apologize but was content with leaving her mind blank for the moment. Once Jack stepped out from the screen she looked up at him silently pleading for a chance to speak.
He looked longingly at the empty spot on the bed next to her, but cautiously took the chair beside his desk.
Then she spoke,
"Jack, I know you must hate me for what I did and…I…would hate me too but I did it for a reason."
He scoffed heartlessly, "Reason? Do tell."
Her confidence had been brought down a tad but she continued to speak,
"The crew Jack-" She paused and took a shaky breath at the next name.
"Will… And lastly myself. I truly was not in the right mind but…I thought back to our previous conversation…Curiosity?"
Jack smirked at this thinking fondly on that day.
"But Jack remember the old saying 'Curiosity Killed the Cat'?"
She looked at him expectantly and unsurely on her own defense.
"Ahh but Lizzie, 'Satisfaction brought it back'"
She could feel it now, the ice was now starting to melt and the heart she knew Jack had was thawing.
"I never considered it in that context but Jack… what satisfaction brought you back?"
He smirked and moved next to her.
"You."
Okay there it is REVIEW!
And I will be updating my other story soon!