The Many Adventures of Elizabeth Swann

Chapter One

Elizabeth Swann stood on the beach, staring out at the two ships on the horizon. Turner, she told herself sternly – she kept forgetting. A small dinghy was slowly proceeding towards her, carrying the love of her life. She was still recovering from the shock: she had been proposed to, married, and widowed in the same day. Realizing that her dead husband was now rowing towards the beach in a dinghy from a ghost ship didn't do much for her nerve either. However, there she stood, silent and reserved, awaiting her beloved Will. After a few minutes, he jumped out of the boat and pulled it onto the sand, away from the water. His ripped maroon shirt glistened with seawater, clinging damply to his torso. Will saw Elizabeth's sword stuck blade down in the sand and crossed his blade with hers. Glancing at the setting sun, ruby-red against a golden sky, he turned and faced Elizabeth. She smiled weakly.

'Mr. Turner," she said, feigning formality. Will grinned and took her arm, and they set off across the beach. After a few minutes, punctuated with Will's almost incessant glances at the horizon, Elizabeth stopped. She turned and studied the face of her beloved, and found that instead of the joyful, love-struck expression one would expect on that of a newly married man, his distracted eyes shone with sadness, and something else she couldn't quite place.

'Will?' He revolved slowly on his heel and looked at her.

'Yes?' Perturbed, Elizabeth stared at him for a moment. She then glanced at the rapidly sinking sun. Elizabeth guessed that they had an hour, perhaps two, to spend together. Looking back at Will, she commented quietly,

'You'll have to leave soon.' It was not a question.

'Yes,' he answered. They resumed walking. Frustrated at his lack of conversation, Elizabeth suddenly suspected him of hiding something, concealing something he didn't want her to know. She turned to confront him, only to find that he had stopped suddenly. He smiled and indicated a sandy niche, hidden from roving eyes: one could never guess what Barbossa's crew might be up to. Elizabeth relaxed. This was the Will she was used to. Once they had settled down, she sighed and tugged at her collar. Noticing Will's head turn slightly, she pushed him away, laughing. She still fingered it, though, and after a moment she explained.

'This outfit...I dunno, women in Singapore must've learned not to breathe.' They both laughed. She then pulled the top layer off, exposing the black undergarment underneath. It was still itchy, but thankfully not quite as hot. As she removed her boots, Will did the same. She then turned to him.

'Will, are you alright?' He looked at her incredulously.

'Am I alright? Am I alright? He laughed harshly, surprising Elizabeth. As she watched, he got up and faced the sea, arms clasped behind his back. She blinked.

'Sorry,' she said uncertainly. Will certainly was behaving strangely. 'I didn't mean – I mean, I...' Unsure of what to say, she stood up and went over to him. 'Will?'

'I'm sorry,' he said sadly. 'Elizabeth, I'm so sorry, I dunno what's wrong with me.' Elizabeth nodded. 'It's just so weird', he added, turning to her suddenly. His faced was pained. "I'm...I- I feel so...empty.' He turned away, running fingers through his hair. Elizabeth put her hand on his shoulder. Whirling to face her, Will looked hopelessly into her eyes, searching for something, although for what he was not entirely sure. She tentatively placed a hand on the scar on his chest. His skin was cold, and she couldn't sense a heartbeat. Of course she couldn't; there was no heart to beat.

'Oh, Will,' she whispered. He hugged her then; the embrace lasted for a long time. Afterwards, Elizabeth took his hand and gently led him back to the spot they'd discovered. She sat, and, after glancing again at the sun, Will plopped down next to her. 'Now...' Elizabeth started, edging towards him.

'Elizabeth...I love you,' Will said, looking at her with much passion. 'I love you so much...' Elizabeth grinned. 'But...'

'But?' Elizabeth asked, smile fading. She shifted in the sand to get a better look at him, and he gazed back with tortured eyes.

'It's not- not fair,' he faltered. 'It's just...you can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. Forever.' He looked down at the sand in front of him, troubled. 'A-and it's not just that,' he continued, before Elizabeth could speak. 'Ten years is a long time, Elizabeth. Too long. At this rate, we will see each other maybe five times, at the most, and then...' He paused, loath to continue, 'and then you'll be dead.' His voice broke on the last word, and Elizabeth put her hand on his. He looked her in the eyes. 'The night before we were due to be married, your father had a talk with me, d'you remember?' Elizabeth nodded sadly. 'He told me many things, but...there was one I can't stop thinking about.' He fell silent. Elizabeth said nothing but was curious as to her father's advice. 'He said...A woman is a delicate thing. If one can't be there for her, one must let another take his place. Otherwise, both hearts will suffer.'

For a moment, all that could be heard was the constant crashing of the waves on the sand. Then Elizabeth said quietly,

'He was a wise man.' Will looked once more at his feet. Elizabeth waited for him to speak, then got to her feet, agitated. 'But- after all this, all we've seen, all we've done, you want to just...end it?' She put her hands on her hips. 'We've risked our lives for each other. We agreed – nothing will separate us. What happened to that?' Will looked up, smiling. This annoyed her, and she crossed her arms.

'You know, I love it when you do that,' he said. Elizabeth cocked her head in inquiry.

'That- that thing you do...' he shrugged. 'Most women yield to the man, to any man, but you...You fight back. Like an equal. It's...wonderful.' Elizabeth did not smile. Flattery was not going to cool her temper. Will seemed to sense this, and got up. He took her hands in his and whispered, 'Oh, Elizabeth, don't you see? I love you to the end of the world and back, and we've been, but I'm not the only one. Ten years is a long time, and I know that men will try to take my place. You might even want them to, just out of loneliness.' Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. Will continued, 'But I know you, and that longing will be accompanied by guilt if your heart belongs to me.'

'But I love you!' Elizabeth exclaimed, wrenching her hands out of his.

'Yes, I know, but...ugh,' he broke off, again running a hand through his dark hair. 'Listen,' he said. 'You loved Norrington, maybe just for a moment, but you did. Things might have turned out differently had he survived. And,' he continued quickly, for Elizabeth's face had reddened – apparently the tongues of Sao Feng's crew were quite loose– 'you loved Jack. Not quite in a...a marriage way...but you cared about him, and that's a fact. You are capable of loving someone else, Elizabeth Swann.' He fell silent, waiting for a reaction. She sighed and came a little closer.

'Maybe I don't want to. Maybe I don't want to love someone else, whether I'm capable of it or not! I would wait a hundred years for you, and lonely or not, I will.' Her voice had risen to a shout, and her eyes glinted dangerously. But Will's mind was set, and nothing she could say or do would change it. Their argument lasted for several minutes, in which Elizabeth put up a fight worthy of any real pirate. After nearly ripping out her hair, Elizabeth finally gave in. Worn out and heartbroken, she muttered, 'Are you sure?' Will nodded sadly, but resolutely. 'Well then,' she smiled suddenly, 'let's make our last day together worthwhile.' Will looked relieved that her mood had improved, and they walked back to their little hideaway.

* * * *

The sun was near the horizon when Will leaned back in the sand and pulled one of his boots on.

'I'm gonna need the other one,' he said wearily. Elizabeth stood near him, and placed the boot on a rock. Her leg was inside it. She looked down at him as he looked up, and he gently lifted her leg up. As he pulled the boot off, he kissed her leg tenderly. Elizabeth relished the moment, knowing this would be her last chance to. Her eyes closed euphorically. She heard Will say, 'It's nearly sunset.' Opening her eyes, she too glanced at the horizon and nodded sadly. She followed Will as he walked towards his dinghy, and as he stopped near one of the many rocks on the beach, she brushed her hair out of her face. Will lifted a cloth off of a very familiar chest, and the sound of his beating heart seemed to fill her mind. Lifting the chest, Will turned around. 'It's always belonged to you,' he said, turning to face her. 'Will you keep it safe?'

'Yes,' Elizabeth whispered. She stepped forward and took it, her heartbeat matching the steady rhythm from inside the chest. 'Yes.' He leaned forward and put his forehead on hers, breathing deeply, sadly. Then he turned away, heading towards the boat. Elizabeth stood there for a moment, then hurriedly set the chest in the sand, calling Will, and rushed to meet him. She then kissed him more passionately than ever before; no matter what he thought might happen, she loved him now, and that was what mattered.

'Keep a whether eye on the horizon,' he murmured as they finally broke apart, and, looking forlornly into her eyes, stepped into his dinghy. Elizabeth watched him row out, motionless, a tear running down her cheek. Ten years, she thought to herself. Will was right; ten years would be a long time. To her it already felt like a lifetime since she had touched him, held him, kissed him.... The dinghy soon disappeared and the Dutchman began to move toward the setting sun. In a sudden green flash, the ship was gone, along with Will, and already the world seemed a bit less bright.

End of Chapter One