All Good Things Must Come to an End
Chapter I: Temptation Waits
This is the last story in my Pirates series, I swear!! This is a redo of 'At World's End' because I think we can all agree it deserves some attempt at salvation. Please see 'Lost Boys', "Desperate Men', 'Love for the Sea' and 'The Sparrow and the Swan' for this to make any sense. If you like, review please! If no, then go ahead and let me know what's wrong.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth stood, watching the west from the stern. For the third day in a row, the sun set in a fiery blaze but she still had not seen the green flash that Jack had mentioned. Perhaps it did not exist, but then he had been so urgent in explaining exactly how it looked to her. And why would he lie? There was no obvious gain, unless he simply delighted in watching her stare bleary-eyed at the sunset…then again, perhaps there was some gain from his perspective.
She sighed inwardly, letting the tiredness fall from her. For the first time of being on a ship, she was acting as an actual crew member. The hard work was starting to get to her. She rolled her shoulders to try and relieve the tightness there, but it did no good. The Captain had not assigned her any duties on board, but he hadn't protested either. They both knew that Jack was short on deck hands and needed all the help he could get in running the ship. Elizabeth turned around to let the last heat of the day help sooth her aching back. She saw him now, head down, staring at something in his hand. He strode madly across the decks, not noticing as crew members had to dodge him as he came blustering past them. She turned back to watch the sun slip out of sight.
Jack Sparrow was in a twitchy mood. He knew that no matter where a man sailed in the world, if he was a member of the Brethren, and headed for the Banchi's Port, he'd be there by the third sunset, no matter what. But he saw nothing on the horizon. And the sun was setting. Not knowing what else to do, he had taken out the old compass, hoping it would some how point in the direction of the problem. Trouble was, its arrow spun as erratically as Sparrow's nerves felt. Since the evening meal, he'd been following its direction from bilge to crow's nest, searching for anything that might indicate why they had not yet reached their goal. Then he looked up, and saw her.
She stood at the very back of the ship, staring west. The back wind blew her hair in soft wisps and the sun hit the golden stands, glinting. He saw her sigh, then move her back in agitation, now trying in vain to rub the sore muscles. Poor little dove, should just go to sleep and forget the pain. He stopped only a foot behind her. Blinking, he wondered how he'd managed to walk this far without realizing it. Must be the rum. But then he looked down at the compass, and saw that it had finally stopped its incessant spinning. He pocketed the trinket, and rolled his eyes and prepared to walk away, something stopped him. He sensed her turn, to face him, and the idea that he felt her movements put chills down his spine.
"What does the green flash mean, Jack?"
He swallowed deeply, knowing this would be yet again another test of his will and restraint.
"Meaning the one I told you can sometimes be seen right at sunset, as the sun slips below the horizon?"
She nodded. Her eyes were weary, and he could tell the rest of her was even more tired. A tiny bit of guilt gnawed at him, yes he was short on deck hands, but this was too hard of work for her. Not because she was a woman, but because of the other burdens she had to bear already. The meaning of the flash might soothe her, or only frighten her. No way to tell.
"In the beginning of maritime adventures and merchant men on the sea, sailors saw that flash frequently. To them, it meant a soul was returning to the sea from the shores of the dead."
Her eyebrows furrowed and knit in concentration.
"You said it used to happen frequently?"
He nodded. My, but she was quick.
"Indicating it happens not as much now?"
He nodded again. Girl this sharp would've impressed his old masters. A slight nostalgia hit him as he recalled his childhood tutors. But now she was glaring at him; her impatience was adorable, like a puppy at Christmas.
"Nobody really knows why it doesn't happen as much anymore, pet, so don't go trying to pick my brain for an explanation."
Truth was, he knew exactly why. He'd been there. But no one else could possibly understand, so why bother?
Smiling wryly, he closed the distance between them, expecting some kind of repulsed reaction from her. But instead she seemed to ignore his advance, and turned back to face the sun. Only a quarter of the sphere remained above the horizon now. An odd uneasiness settled in his stomach as he stared at her slender back, and followed the shape to where it flared at her waist. She'd changed back into sailor rags, but it was no matter. The curves of her figure still showed through the baggy shirt and pantaloons. His body seemed to possess a mind of its own, and his hand came up to rest on her shoulder.
Elizabeth felt the warmth of his hand, and smelt the rum of his breath mix with the salt of his clothes. Smirking, she realized this should have disgusted a woman of her class, but instead she found it only calming. His right hand, already on her shoulder, began to softly massage the ache away, while the other traced up her left side. Part of her knew she shouldn't let him behave in this manner. But the rest of her needed so badly to be soothed. Body and soul.
The uneasiness in his belly had now changed into a feeling more familiar to him.
"Elizabeth, I-"
"Shh, Jack. Don't say anything"
His throat tightened as one arm encircled her waist and the other swept the hair away from the back of her neck. Her face turned to his and her breath breezed across his lips. Turning the rest of her to face him, he could see her trembling. Her eyes stared at the part of his shirt where it stopped buttoning up to reveal the darkened skin beneath. He forced her chin up, to make her look at his face.
"Elizabeth, I think I lo-"
Suddenly, the sun set and the sky behind filled with a fast flash of bright green light. It illuminated the strands of hair behind Elizabeth, but she didn't notice. Jack Sparrow, the most notorious pirate the world had ever known, had just admitted to being in love with her. Well, almost. Something had distracted him-no surprise. Shiny-thing-syndrome was rather a main stay of piracy.
"Jack, what were you going to say? Jack?"
She turned around. The sun had finally set, and iridescence had settled over the sea. It hit her then. She brought one of her hands up against his chest, while the other curved itself around the back of his neck. His eyes darted from the sea back to her face.
Great timing, he thought. About to step into the biggest nest of your existence, and decided to tell the bird you love her. Their eyes met, and he realized he'd never noticed the little flecks of green in her eyes. He felt her stretch up on her toes, closing the distance between their lips.
"I think I've fallen in love with you, Lizzie"
"I know"
Like a collision, their mouths met. It was entirely different from the last time she'd kissed him. Before it'd been forward, and false. But this-this was the real Lizzie. Shy, but curious with hints of raw hunger. He fought the piercing desire to take her now; the Devil may care what happens to the rest of the world. But he knew better. At some point during his time in Purgatory, he'd spiritually signed a contract of sorts. Get the Heart of Jones back. Restore balance to the seas. He explored the honey interior of her mouth for a moment longer, and even suffered the torture of her returning the favor before he let the kiss expire.
They both breathed deeply. The narrow space between them felt like a vast expanse after their intense nearness. They both jumped as a man shouted,
"LAND- HO!"
