Heaven
Disclaimer- PotC is not mine. It belongs to- :winces: Disney. The Five People You Meet in Heaven influenced this fic, that is also not mine. It belongs to Mitch Albom. The song I have quoted, 'Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)' is not mine either, it also belongs to Disney:mutters: corporate sellouts.
Summary- Jack muses on the horizon and the afterlife. Anamaria listens. Angsty J/A one-shot.
This is my first venture into PotC fanfiction, so feedback would be much appreciated!
-Anamaria was not very happy. The rest of the crew was in the galley, getting completely smashed to celebrate their near-escape from the Navy earlier that day.
She, however, had gone up on deck after her first bottle. It was too hard for her, to be down there with him. He had been moderately drunk when she left fifteen minutes ago, and he always tried to chat her up when he was drunk. Usually she just slapped him until he stopped, but lately, her heart hadn't been in it. She had been having strange feelings for Jack- not the normal exasperation and annoyance, but actual affection and- what? Was it love?
Sighing, Ana took a swig from her second bottle of rum. It was already half empty. Or half full. It depended on how you looked at it, really. She only thought of it as half empty because she was such a pessimist. Of course, it was hard not to be.
From below deck came the faint sound of drunken singing.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me,
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot,
Drink up, me 'arties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up, me 'arties, yo ho.
The singing continued. Ana estimated that the crew would probably sing the entire song through three or four times before they all passed out. She took another swig from the bottle as she stared out across the water and tried not to think about Jack.
She had just managed to turn her mind to the minor repairs that the Pearl was in need of when the hatchway leading below deck opened, and Captain Jack Sparrow himself swaggered drunkenly towards her, bottle of rum in hand.
"Ana!" he called. "What're ye doin' out 'ere when ye could be enjoyin' yerself with the rest of us?"
"I just didn't feel like it tonight, I guess." She said dully.
If Jack was not too drunk to notice her tone, he didn't remark on it. "I'll keep ye comp'ny out 'ere then!" he said.
"Ye don't have to." Ana said. Part of her wanted him to stay, part just wanted to be alone.
" 'Sno problem." He said.
"Alright." She replied.
They stood leaning against the rail for a while, looking out at the sunset. The sky was painted not only with orange and yellow, but red and even pink as well. The ocean looked almost black near where they were standing, but where the sun was setting on the horizon it created a perfect reflection of all the colors in the sky.
"D'ya ever think on it?" Jack asked, not taking his eyes off the sunset.
"What?" she asked, turning to look a him.
"The horizon."
"What is there to think on?"
"Lots. It's a place, but ye can never get there, can ye?"
"I guess not."
"Or yonder." His eyes took on a fierce look. It was the same look he had always had after he had lost the Pearl and was talking about getting her back. If you had to describe it in one word, it would be longing, but that word alone could never do it justice. "I would love to go to yonder."
"Go yonder, you mean." Ana corrected him.
He shook his head. "No, I want to go to yonder. It's a place, y'know."
"It is?"
"Aye. Yonder's always over the next horizon."
"I don't think it's possible to get there, then."
"That's why I want to go there." Jack said simply.
Jack and Ana were silent for a minute, each lost in their own thoughts.
This is why I love him. Ana found herself thinking. When he says things like this, he makes you respect him. Even if he is drunk.
"Ana?"
"Aye?"
"Do- d'ya think we're damned?"
She thought about it. "I think that, even though you're a pirate, Jack, you're a good man. The Lord knows that, I'm sure."
"Does 'e?"
"He must. You ain't damned, Jack."
"Oh. Good."
Ana held her breath. She could see it now. What about you, Ana? He'd ask. I'm not the one to be judgin' my own character, she'd say. Then he'd tell her that she was a good person, and he'd name all her good points. Then she'd say, Do you really think all that's true? And he'd tell her yes, it was, and then they would kiss, and-
"Ana?" he asked, looking at her.
Her hear swelled with hope- this was it! "Yes, Jack?" she asked.
"Have ye ever heard the theory that each person has their own special heaven?"
Her heart sank. Of course he isn't going to say all that, you daft fool! She berated herself. "Ah, no. I haven't heard o' that one." She managed to say.
"Well, everyone that gets into heaven's happy there, right?"
"They're supposed to be."
"But it don' make sense that everyone'd be happy in the same place, do it?"
"Guess not."
"So the way it goes is that everyone has their own heaven in the place they'd be happiest."
"That's… that's interesting."
"Isn't it?"
Ana nodded.
They were silent for a time, gazing out at the sunset. Then Jack spoke again.
"Ye know where my heaven'd be?" he asked.
"Where?"
"Beyond the horizon. It'd be a paradise, probably on some island or other. I'd be surrounded by all me friends, and there'd be lots of rum." He punctuated this last sentence with another swig from his bottle. "An' the Pearl. The Pearl would definitely be there too."
"So… your idea of heaven is an living on an island paradise in a place it ain't possible to get to, in the company of your friends and your ship?" she asked, not sure why this bothered her.
"Aye." Jack replied.
"Would I be there?" she asked softly. It was a question that she never would have asked if Jack had been sober- Ana was gambling that all the rum he had drunk would make him unable to remember their conversation come morning.
"I'd think so." He said. "You're me friend, Ana."
"Only your friend?"
"What else- oh." He smiled. "Ye've fallen in love with me, 'aven't you? I knew it."
She snorted. "I wouldn't call it that. But ye're an… endearing person, Jack. It- it's hard to resist you." Idiot! She thought, why are you telling him this?
Jack grinned, swaying unsteadily. He moved closer, until he was half-leaning on her. He brought her lips up to hers, and they kissed for several long moments. Ana was filled with desire, and she knew he was too… but it wasn't like hers. She pushed away from him.
"Ana…"
"Jack, no."
"But why…?" he did not understand.
"Because-" her voice cracked, and she found her feelings suddenly verbalized and poured out of her mouth. She did not care if he knew how she felt. "Because I know that it's the rum doing that, not you. And because if we do go through with this, when you wake up in the morning it'll just be one blurry night for you, but for me it'll mean so much more. And-" she blinked back tears. "Above all, because I love you, Jack Sparrow, but until I know how you feel for me, I need to just be your friend- or else I'll end up getting my heart broke."
"Ana, I-" he seemed at a loss for words.
She shook her head. Tears ran down her face, and, sobbing quietly, Ana turned away and walked to her cabin.
He did not follow.
-Wow… that was angsty! Like I said, this is my first PotC fic, so please leave me a review!