At dawn they were at war. Dawn. Only a few precious hours before she led these unlikely heroes into battle. For some, it would be their last fight. More than likely it would be the last fight for all of them.
What on earth had she been thinking?! Elizabeth didn't know the first thing about leading anyone into battle, but her instincts said fight, and he'd agreed without hesitation. He trusted her so implicitly to make that decision, was so confident that she was capable of bringing together such a band of misfits. Perhaps overconfident was a better explanation, but still, he had voted her King.
In the commotion that followed, she locked eyes with him for a moment. He gave an approving grin and a hint of something else from behind his intense gaze, before he slipped away toward the back of the hall. Jack always had a way of looking right through her. She blushed, feeling suddenly exposed and looked around nervously wondering if anyone had noticed. Of course no one paid her any mind, they were too busy spending their last night wrapped fully in revelry.
Elizabeth sighed and found her way outside. She needed the fresh air and was in no mood for revels. She leaned against a small bit of railing looking out over the water, pondering the events that led her to Shipwreck Cove, the events that made her King of the Brethren Court. It was an unlikely story, and a sad one at that. Everything she held close to her seemed to vanish all at once. Her father was gone, James was gone, Will was in enemy hands, and Jack remained…distant. She felt utterly alone. Tears threatened to plunge down her cheeks as she stared at the night sky. How she wished she had someone to comfort her, to tell her not to be afraid of what was to come.
"Care to have one last drink before doomsday is upon us?" Jack asked leaning against the railing next to her. His timing is impeccable.
She smiled to herself, holding her gaze ahead of her and without warning let the tears she'd been holding back fall freely.
Jack placed his hands on her shaking shoulders and whispered gently, "Not here. Come with me."
Wiping the wetness from her eyes, she followed him down several winding wooden pathways that led them back to the docks, to the Pearl. Elizabeth followed him up the gangplank and onto the deck. The ship was empty, save for one sailor in the crow's nest keeping watch. It was eerie without its usual bustling, but it still looked magnificent beneath the moonlight, yet at the same time haunting, tormenting her with a mixture of bittersweet memories. Jack pulled out a ring of keys from his coat and opened the door to his cabin.
Elizabeth was pulled from her thoughts as Jack cleared his throat from the doorway, gesturing for her to go in.
Hesitantly, she put one foot in front of the other and made her way inside. She stood awkwardly in the center of the room, not really knowing what to do with herself while Jack busied himself in a nearby cabinet. Before long he emerged with a dusty, grimy bottle of rum and two glasses.
"Been saving it for a special occasion" He smirked in response to her questioning gaze. Jack sat himself down and poured them each a drink. Elizabeth found she was frozen to the spot. She was equal parts embarrassed and nervous and suddenly wished she were anywhere else.
"Well, are you going to stand there until dawn or are you going to join me?" He joked. She made her way to the table and sat down across from him. To Elizabeth, he seemed unnaturally calm. All the venom that he'd pointed at her over the last week had evaporated. This Jack was stripped bare of pretext and subterfuge and sipped his drink in silence. Elizabeth followed suit and as the amber liquid ran down her throat her shoulders relaxed of their own accord.
He never asked her why she had been crying. She supposed it made him uncomfortable or, perhaps, he already knew the reason. They sat in silence a while longer before Elizabeth spoke, "Why did you do that?" She asked softly.
"Do what?"
"Make me King? I'm not fit to lead these men."
"That's a load of bollocks," He said plainly. "you're just the right man..er..woman for the job. If we're going to come out of this alive we need someone who will do whatever is necessary." He added with a pointed stare.
"You really believe that? You think we can survive this?" She asked hopefully, ignoring the obvious dig.
For a moment Jack could still see a trace of the naive Governor's daughter who believed with all her heart that he could get them off that island so long ago as she stared at him now, desperate for some kind of assurance.
"I believe you can survive anything." He said, pouring himself another drink.
"What about you?" She asked taking another sip from her glass.
"What about me?" He asked, avoiding her stare. She cared about what happened to him, and it caught him off guard.
"You have something at play, don't you?" She asked him half accusingly, half curiously.
"I'm insulted you would think so low of me." Can't put anything passed you, can I, luv?
She raised her eyebrow at him, not believing the act of feigned offense.
"Alright, you caught me. I may have cooked up a plan of sorts." He said staring at his hands.
"Well, what is it?" She urged him.
"I made a deal with Beckett, though I hardly believe he'll hold up his end of the bargain."
"What kind of deal?" She asked with far more accusation than before.
"I was to lead him to Shipwreck Cove and convince the brethren to abandon their stronghold and head blindly into battle, ripe for the slaughter in exchange for my freedom and the freedom of a few others. Yours, in fact." He added to soften the blow.
"So that's why you voted me King?! Because it just so happened I was playing right into your devilish hands?" She stood, fury raging in her eyes. "You're unbelievable! Selfish, despicable…"
"Pirate?" He finished her sentence for her.
"Beckett could very well be at our doorstep at this very moment and you don't give a fig for your so called brethren." Or for me, she wanted to add.
"Why should I? They've done nothing for me. We've no sacred bond between us. We're pirates, scallywags, and you'd do well to remember that because from where I'm standing, it seems you've forgotten who you are." He blurted out, his temper rising.
"I haven't forgotten." She said, retreating.
"Then you'll do what's necessary when the time comes?" He asked. There was something resembling a plea in his tone.
She looked at him confused.
"You're to parlay with Beckett. Barbossa and myself will join you. Knowing Beckett, he'll probably bring along Jones and your dear William for dramatic effect. Beckett will attempt to turn us against each other by revealing my dealings with him. At that point you need to propose an exchange."
"I don't understand." Elizabeth asked not following his train of thought.
"I need to get onboard the Dutchman" He said finally.
"You plan to stab the heart?" She asked disbelievingly.
"Aye, and if I can get to it fast enough, then we may have a chance and you can live happily ever after." There was a touch of resentment at the end of his statement.
"You know what will happen to you?" She asked.
"Of course I do, but it's the only way out, as far as I can tell." He stared out of the window, brows furrowed.
After a pause, "I shouldn't have doubted you. You are a good man, Jack." Elizabeth murmured. "In spite of everything."
"To my great detriment." He said downing his glass in one go. "For what it's worth, if I had to do it all over again, I'd still vote for you."
She gave a small smile and stared thoughtfully at her glass. Picking it up, she gulped the entirety of its contents and slammed it down in front of Jack, silently asking for another.
The two continued to drink well into the twilight hours, sharing stories, laughing and trying to put future events out of their minds. It was the first time in a long time, Elizabeth could remember having fun.
"Well, I should probably try to catch a few winks. Big day tomorrow." Jack said at last, getting up from the table. "You should too."
"I'm not sure I could even if I tried." She said looking off into the distance.
"You're welcome to stay. Help yourself to another a drink, or maybe you fancy reading a book. I'm just going to shut my eyes for a little while." He said laying down on the bench beneath the window.
"Thank you, Jack."
He smiled before putting his hat over his eyes. Not long after that, a faint but noticeable snore permeated the air. Elizabeth chuckled. In another life perhaps it could have worked out between them, she mused, but this life was cruel and there was far too much pulling them apart. Even Will was pulling away from her and she thought, perhaps, it was better for her to be alone. No one else could get hurt, just her. She could handle that, but the thought of losing either of them was too much to bare.
She stared out of the window for what seemed an eternity and watched a sliver of light peak over the cove. Quietly getting up from the table, she walked over to where Jack was sleeping. He was sprawled out like a cat, one arm above his head, the other draped over his chest. The small "P" burned into his wrist just visible from behind his shirt sleeve. Such a small scar for such deep wounds, she thought. A single good deed changed his life forever. Hers as well. She never realized how deeply connected they were. Absent-mindedly, Elizabeth reached out and lightly began to trace the mark with her fingertips. She pulled back quickly upon realizing what she was doing, expecting Jack to jolt awake at the sensation, but he remained still, purring contentedly.
"I wish you wouldn't stab the heart." She said to him, barely above a whisper. "I don't think I could survive losing you a second time." That damnable wetness returned and she turned to walk away when Jack quickly caught her hand.
"You're awake?" She whispered, startled. Jack sat up, her hand still firmly in his grasp.
"Only just. Sit." He said, pulling her down beside him. "I need you to promise me, Lizzie."
"Promise you what?"
"That you will do what I asked of you. There isn't any another way."
"Jack, I-"
"There's no happy ending for me." He said wiping away a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. "But you can still have yours."
"But what if I don't want that happy ending?"
"You don't know what you want."
"You don't know that."
"Just promise me." He said biting back a bit of anger.
"Alright." She said frustrated. "I promise"
"Shouldn't you be getting to your ship?" He smiled, changing the subject as quickly as he could.
"No. Tai Huang has his orders; I'm staying on the Pearl." She said defiantly.
"As you wish, your majesty" He said as he stood. With an exaggerated bow, he placed the softest kiss upon her hand and winked.
As he turned to walk away, she held his hand tightly. Pulling him back to face her, she stood in front of him, shoulders squared as if poised for a fight.
Not wanting to spend their last moments locked in battle, he attempted to stem her fury before it started. "Lizzie-"
"Don't say anything." She interrupted him, and searched his face for just a moment before closing the distance between them. A blinding heat filled her body as she pressed her lips against his, her hands upon his face, memorizing his features. He responded without hesitation, arms wrapping around her, and he pulled her as close to him as physically possible. A tangle of limbs, they finally parted, out of breath, foreheads resting against each other.
"I still need you to promise me, luv." He exhaled, still breathless.
"Pirate." Elizabeth whispered back. She kissed him one last time and released herself from his embrace. He squeezed her hand once before letting go. She smirked at him, straightened her shoulders, and walked out of his cabin, seeming every bit the King he expected her to be.