Caught in the Form of Limitation
By Clarity Scifiroots
Regular disclaimers apply.
Fandom/Characters: Pirates: At World's End – Jack, Elizabeth – Will/Elizabeth, Jack/Will
THIS IS POST-AWE
Rated: Teen
Summary: Jack and Elizabeth have an important conversation – about life, betrayal, and love.
May!fic 25 of 31
For fivebyfiction prompt "limitation"
--
The detail of the pattern is movement,
As in the figure of the ten stairs.
Desire itself is movement
Not in itself desirable;
Love is itself unmoving,
Only the cause and end of movement,
Timeless, and undesiring
Except in the aspect of time
Caught in the form of limitation
Between un-being and being.
- "Quartet No. 1: Burnt Norton" T.S. Eliot (www.tristan./quartets/index.html)
--
Jack lounges on the railing by the wheel, one foot dangling over the edge, hat low, eyes hidden. He watches as Ragetti leans over and takes Elizabeth's tanned hand. She looks magnificent, as stunning and gorgeous as a court lady – although her life will never be one of quiet estates, embroidery, and elegant tea parties; where she wants to go yet remains a mystery.
An hour ago the crew aboard the Pearl saw the flash of green on the horizon and watched the silhouette of the Dutchman vanish beneath the sea. Jack remembers that last glimpse with a pang of regret. Overlying that image in his mind is one of Davy Jones towering over the younger William Turner, sword plunged through the young man's heart. Jack swears he can still feel the vibrations of a heavy heart in one hand and the chilling fingers barely able to curl over a hilt in his other.
Immortality comes with a price. He's known that since the fiasco with the Aztec gold. The sacrifice the Dutchman requires, however, is something he could have lived with. Sure, there was a job he would have to do, but he'd be forever on the sea – his first love. He'd have the only ship that could compare to his beloved Pearl. One day on land for every ten years would not bother him. He glances at Elizabeth as she is welcomed back and knows that the sacrifice may be too much for her and Will.
A few minutes later he puts up a token argument with Barbossa about control of the helm. He eventually gives a magnanimous wave of his hand, declaring he is entitled to take a rest after recent invigorating events and the helm can be left to an underling. He finds a bottle of rum, one of the provisions from the Cove, and retires to the captain's cabin.
The door opens after a brief knock just as he's settling on the window seat. He glances over and takes a long swallow of rum when he sees Elizabeth.
"Jack," she greets, walking slowly into the room. Her hair is braided back and she wears the robes Sao Fen gifted her. She stops a few feet away from him; she waits for him to ask her closer. Reluctantly he waves for her to join him.
"What's on your mind, darlin'?" he asks, taking another swig of rum before offering it to her.
Elizabeth smiles faintly as she accepts the bottle and sits near where his feet are propped up. "A lot's happened," she starts. She only takes a sip of rum before handing back the bottle. She stares across the cabin. "There are things he knows, now," she says and Jack recognizes she's talking of Will. "I guess the Dutchman has a spirit of her own, like the Pearl. There's more history than he could share, but he told me some." She glances back at him with an expression of empathy. There's a brief spark of envy in her eyes.
"What's it, luv?" Jack prompts.
Elizabeth turns so that she can look out the window. "Sao Fen recognized something no one else did. Calypso wasn't the only god among humans. Gods of old made love with mortals, and their blood continues today." She shakes her head with a look of disbelief. "Somehow... There was a nymph, transformed by a sorceress out of jealousy."
Jack cocks his head incredulously. True, the implication is no more extraordinary than anything else of the past few years...
"She had one chance, if she could conquer her fear of her appearance and that of the sea god who loved her. They bore a daughter, who birthed other children, and so on." Elizabeth turns her gaze to Jack and he can see a hint of fear in her eyes. "Will says I have the blood of Scylla in my veins. My mother..." She grasps Jack's hand tightly when he offers it. "The Dutchman will not accept me while he is captain," she whispers despairingly.
"I'm sorry," Jack says. He squeezes her hand, noting how firm her skin is and the calluses on her palms. "Not much good comes from that ship."
Her smile is genuine despite the trace of tears in her eyes. "No, she is a fine ship. She was only damaged by a captain's broken heart."
"And you think your husband will avoid such a fate?" Jack asks, a sliver of jealousy mixing with his sarcasm.
"Jack," Elizabeth says with a sigh. "Will and I, we talked... a lot, actually." She bows her head and grins. Probably remembering long hours spent naked with her new husband, Jack thinks enviously. He lets go of her hand. Elizabeth quickly looks up and her expression loses the affectionate humor. "All of us... we have a tangled history. And our passions..."
Her gaze is suddenly far too perceptive. Jack hastily stands and paces away, gulping at the rum.
"I understand, Jack," she says quietly.
He whirls around. "Do you?" he demands, waving the rum bottle at her. "You're married, darlin', an' merry wishes to you despite the whole 'gone at sea for ten years' bit." She barely reacts, sitting calmly as he shouts at her. "He trades me in more'n twice, you kill me, he uses me again—"
"Just as you used him," she replies without animosity. Jack stops and blinks at her in surprise. "It's your nature. Both of you." She stands up and reaches into a pouch at her hip. "He told me about it," she says quietly; there's something clutched in her closed fist. "He felt like he betrayed me... and you. Funny how this sacrifice manages to solve his burden." She steps closer and holds out her hand. "Take it," she says.
Jack opens his hand and Elizabeth drops the item in his open palm. His heart skips a beat and he stares at the key with widened eyes. He meets her gaze and is surprised to see acceptance there.
"Why?" he asks when he regains his voice.
Elizabeth's words aren't as steady as her demeanor suggests. "Because I may guard his heart, but you hold something I've never achieved." She takes a deep breath and folds his fingers over the key. "On land, during that one day, he is my husband and my lover. At sea... he is free." She bites her lip for a moment before continuing. "So are you."
"Elizabeth..." Jack protests.
"We talked, Jack," she says firmly, taking a step away. Her expression is open and honest. Despite the traces of regret he can see, her affection and acceptance are at the forefront.
He shakes his head, speechless.
"I will find my way," Elizabeth says. She grins a little. "Gibbs told me of AnaMaria. She has her own ship, did you know? A crew predominantly female. I'll have a place. I don't regret it." She nods at his hand, still raised between them. "I'll always love him, and I don't want him to be lonely."
"I can't be there," Jack says.
"Not always," Elizabeth admits. "You're as mortal as I am. But you'll find a way." She turns to the cabin door. She pauses with her fingers on the handle. "I have faith in your curiosity. You'll find another legend and sail to the ends of the earth if you have to." She looks over her shoulder and offers him an encouraging smile. "Take care of him for me."
"I will," Jack says. Warmth envelopes his body as her words finally sink in. She nods at him in recognition and finally leaves him alone.
The key in his hand is warm and heavy. Jack stares at it with a sense of awe. A thrill of excitement makes him shiver at the promise it implies. Tricky lad, he thinks. He imagines Elizabeth joining Ana and grins at the possibilities.
Legends, Elizabeth said... He crosses to the desk where Sao Fen's intricate chart is rolled into its protective tube. The key slips into a secreted pocket of his vest – he'll have to get a sturdy chain to keep it safe on his person in the future.
As he unrolls the chart on the table he starts humming. Whatever legend he's to take, he needs to be sure it will make up for losing his ship to Barbossa – again. In his mind's eye he sees Will at the Dutchman's wheel, dark shirt billowing open to reveal the long, jagged cut indicating where his heart used to be.
Jack's sacrificed a lot already; he find it gets easier over time.
-- --
Scylla myth: Last summer while speculations abounded about the origins of Davy Jones and ties with Tia Dalma, I pursued leads beyond Calypso. The story of Circe, Scylla, and Glaucus seemed quite probable to me.
/articles/s/scylla.html
/articles/g/glaucus.html