The Mercy of the Sea

I apologize for the multiple uploads of this story. Document manager seems to be down and will not allow editing. After whining to other writers over the need of updates, I have taken one of their advices and written my own short story. Inspired by a friend's idea of a shirtless Will, this one shot is set post AWE. The typical disclaimer of having no affiliation with Disney or the Pirates franchise still applies. I hope everyone enjoys this short story and reviews are always appreciated!

The whine of the rudder startled Captain Elizabeth Turner as she quickly corrected the wheel then looked around to note any witnesses. Falling asleep at the wheel was an amateur's mistake. One would think that after her third night shift in a row she would have more control over herself. The shift, although dreaded, was actually fairly benign after the first night. The crewmember would start his/her shift at midnight and finish at day break. Typically after you worked the first night, exhaustion would allow you to sleep most of the day, and you were fairly refreshed by your next shift. Unfortunately, due to uncontrollable circumstances, Liz spent most of the day time hugging the nearest crate bucket. Losing whatever food or water she had managed to choke down. Now starving and sleep deprived she found the drone of the waves hitting the ship lulling and found it harder to keep her eyes open as each slow minute passed. Honestly she had begun to rethink the sensibility of her journey days ago. If it wasn't for her innate need to return back to her homeland to give birth she would have denied the trip all together. Timing really was of the essence. Being only two months along she knew that if she held out even another month she risked being stuck in shipwreck cove and having her first child being delivered by pirates. Nothing against them, she just preferred the safety net of having an experience midwife least something went wrong. Her mother after all, had died giving birth to her brother only to have him shortly after expire. A sudden dark thought creped into her mind. What if she wasn't to survive? Women dying in childbirth was not unusual…he would never know. Will would think she had left him, abandoned their life together for some form of immediate bliss! The thought chilled her to the soul, and as a strong gust of wind swept across the deck she shivered shaking the mist from her loosely tied back hair. She would just have to give birth on the water. It was a Port for God's sake; she would find a way to make it work. Another loud creek from the stern brought her mind back into reality. The swell of the waves had markedly increased along with the wind. Looking up to the sky she saw grey storm clouds swirling, and wondered how she had missed them gather. Scanning the deck she saw no one else afoot, and quickly looked up to the crow's nest to find it empty. Panic began to set in as the waves began to pick up in speed, with no signs of her crew from down below. The storm hit hard, with rain pelting her back and face like small rocks from the sky. The waves washed over the decks with such velocity that the cannons and crate began to shift and groan from the pressure. It was taking every bit of her strength to control the wheel; there was no time to run for help. Her cries would be drowned out by the might of the sea, so it was futile to waste the energy. Out of her peripheral sight she spotted her fate. A massive wave, two times the size of the ship. As it rolled towards her, she vainly tried to steer into it but as the ship started to climb her arms could no longer control the wheel. Giving up her post she ran towards the hull, crouched behind it, and braced herself for the hit. A million thoughts swirling through her mind, ending with the question of how could she have done this to them? She was carrying the most precious gift of all, their child, and she had failed. Failed as a wife, failed as a mother, after everything Will had went through all was now lost. It was her selfish pride that had brought her here, her need for a home, and a life for their child that was not surrounded by debauchery. Material things and needs had brought her to this position, and now they were useless. She would have been better off back at shipwreck cove. Sitting locked in her tiny room out of fear that someone would attack her or worse steal the chest. She wiped the tears from her face, and quickly remembered her predicament. Wondering why the wave had yet to hit, she peered around the hull and realized her situation had seemed to change. It was still steadily raining, but the sound of the sea was completely absent. She slowly stood, her legs still shaken from the storm. The ship seemed to be still, not even a slight sway from the waves. The rain hindered most her view of the sea but she could tell by the way the rain poured straight down from the sky the wind was gone, all was calm.

"I've died." The first words she had said aloud all day.

"No you're very much alive Elizabeth." A strong voice replied. Her feet seemed frozen to the deck. That voice, she knew that voice. That voice which penetrated her soul, made her skin tingle, and heart sing. Wiping the rain from her face, she turned around expecting nothing, only confirming the illusion she had just heard. She could barely see through the torrential downpour, but could make out a figure across deck. Her heart jumped, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Moving aside her coat, she brandished the hilt of her sword. Whoever this stranger was, he knew her by name and seemed to know she was alone. As she moved slowly towards the silhouette, it suddenly dissipated and before she could reach for her sword she was engulfed in a pair of strong arms. Panic quickly overtook her as she struggled against his strength. She opened her mouth to scream only for her voice to be taken away by the force of his kiss. His sudden bold move took her completely off guard, and she attempted to push him away. That is until he forcibly deepened the kiss and she could taste him. The rain was falling with such vigor that she could not see him but her heart did not need sight for confirmation. She responded enthusiastically, eagerly willing to accept what her soul told her was true. His hands roved her body as she ran her fingers up his neck into his hair pulling him as close as possible. When her lungs demanded air, she broke the kiss and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Will, I need you." She breathlessly replied, grasping at his wet shirt in attempts to hold him nearer. Her statement was wordlessly answered with another urgent kiss as he lifted her into his arms and slowly dropped to his knees. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and he let out a soft moan. Remembering the last time she was in this position, she slightly pulled back and leaned her forehead against his. With her wet locks falling loosely around them she was able to screen the rain and look him in the eyes. Smiling like a loon she couldn't formulate words before he took her lips again in a searing kiss. She pulled back again before loosing all logical thought,

"Will, I'm pregnant." The words came out before her mind could filter them. She had rehearsed many different ways to tell him if she ever had the chance, and none of them where as bold as her last statement. She watched him with bated breath as his mind processed what had been said. His hand which had been cupping her cheek slowly crept down the front of her shirt to rest on her flat stomach. His eyes were wide, and focused on his stray hand resting above their unborn child. She moved one of her hands over his. His eyes met hers again, and a wide smile quickly broke across his face.

"I'm going to be a father?" He questioned aloud. She nodded her head and could not contain her joy. Kissing each other madly, he soon laid her down on the deck using his body to shelter them from the rain. Her hands soon found their way under his shirt, and she relished in the feeling of his soft skin beneath her fingertips. She practically peeled the wet shirt from his torso, and he momentarily lifted himself from her to take it off completely. The muscles of his chest glistened in the rain, and her hands could not have enough of him. As his lips moved down her neck, the subdued moan reminded her that this vessel did have a crew and she was practically making love to her husband on the main deck of the ship.

"Will," she voiced as his hand slid down into her trousers. He began his slow torment, and she couldn't hold back her voice any longer,

"Will!" She loudly moaned. He stopped as if he had been burned and quickly rolled from atop her.

"Did I hurt you?" He voiced with fear, "did I hurt the baby?" The look of dread in his eyes alarmed her, and she instantly regretted the terror she had inadvertently placed there. Reaching out for him she took him into her arms,

"No," she consoled, "everything is perfect. You are perfect." She cooed. Softly she powdered him with kisses to relay reassurance and apologize for the sudden outburst. As he once again deepened the kiss, she gently pulled back and quietly voiced her concern.

"Will the crew is sure to be afoot." A wide smile once again broke across his face, and a small chuckle escaped him. Slightly offended as his apparent lack of decorum she pulled further away from him.

"Liz wait," he chuckled as his arms wrapped tightly around her preventing further escape.

"Well if you don't mind if a dozen other men see your naked wife…" but before she could speak another word his lips started a train of kisses from the nape of her neck up to her jaw line.

"She has given us this time Elizabeth. No one will bother us." He whispered as he nipped one of her ears.

"She, you mean" His kiss once again cut off her thought as he rolled atop of her again. His hands started to unbutton her shirt with his lips closely following. She arched into him as her shirt soon fell next to his on the deck. As he started to work on the tie to her trousers he moved back up and met her gaze as her eyes fluttered open.

"Do you really think I would let another man even glance at my wife, clothes or not?" As his lips moved south, exploring the peaks and valleys of her chest, her mind continued to dwell on his last statement.

"Can she see us?' She asked timidly. His big brown eyes looked up from her belly button.
"She is the sea." He replied, looking up at the rain falling down upon them.

"I too will not tolerate another woman eyeing my very handsome husband." She replied with mischief. Smiling down at him she looked over to her cabin.

"To my quarters Captain Turner," she commanded. Picking her up in his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist and had to hold up his unfastened trousers as he moved them towards her cabin. The warmth of his chest against hers was exhilarating, and she teased him on their short journey with wet kisses to his jaw line and a quick nip to his right ear lobe. Once in the cabin she relinquished his trousers and in short order he had shuffled them to her small cot. The cabin was dark, but neither had the desire to take a break to light a lantern. The rain on their skin acted like a lubricant and she relished in the warmth his body made gliding above her. The pressure building inside her was overwhelming and soon she found her release with him following closely behind her. As their heavy breaths turned to smiles and kisses she lay next to him in awe of what had just occurred.

"How did you find me?" She asked, moving a tendril of hair from his face.

"I can sense you, I know that sounds insane but I can feel when you are near by."

"What does it feel like?" She teased, brushing a hand across his lower abdomen.

"Not like that," he laughed. Grabbing her hand and moving it to her cheek. "It is hard to explain, but trust me I can tell when you are near." A comfortable silence fell between them, as each enjoyed the rare ability to be near to each other.

"When will I see you again?" She meekly inquired, as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, resting her head on his chest. A small twinge of pain emerged as she realized his lack of a heart beat.

"I do not know." He quietly replied, it will be up to her. Elizabeth had to keep her hormones in check as she attempted to swallow his last statement.

"That is hard to hear." She confirmed, burying her head in his chest, attempting to hide her jealous tears.

"Do not think of it that way." He cooed, "She may factor into my physical time with you, but you will always have my heart. Literally and figuratively," he chuckled.

"That is not funny," she retorted as she pulled back and kissed him on his chin. He wiped away the few stray tears from her eyes, and ran a finger across her cheek.

"Ten years seem long love, but then we have the rest of our lives together. I am sure she will allow at least a few more visits in the interim." She gazed back at him lovingly,

"I don't care if it was a 100 years, I will always love you Will Turner." He leaned up and kissed her tenderly.

"This is not a curse but an obligation dear, 10 years of servitude and then a lifetime spent with my true love." She kissed him in return,

"A small price to pay to have you in my life Will." He kissed her one last time then bade her to lie next to him.

"Sleep love, you have a long day ahead of you." With his strong arms wrapped around her, she willingly gave into sleep. With the morning sun creeping into the cracks of her cabin Elizabeth awoke naked and alone in her bed. As she moved her damp hair from across her face she saw his hair ribbon still discarded on the edge of the bed. Smiling she sat up and used it to pull her hair off her shoulders. Quickly finding some fresh clothes she stepped out on deck to find the sun shining bright in the clear blue sky and her first mate at the wheel. Every crew member acted as if nothing had taken place, and went on with their daily routine in typical fashion. Elizabeth went below decks enjoying the feeling of being hungry and not the least bit nauseous. After she finished she walked up to meet Tai Huang at the wheel. He did not mention her absence earlier that morning, and instead noted the strong headwind and marveled at the ship's speed. Elizabeth offered to give him a well deserved break and took over at the wheel. Before he went below decks, he went over to a nearby crate and pulled out her discarded shirt from last evening.

"This was on deck Captain." He did not even crack a smile as he handed her the shirt and quickly bowed to take his leave. Once alone, Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh as she placed the shirt back in the crate and looked out towards the horizon. As she returned to the wheel, she said a silent prayer that Calypso would have mercy and allow Will to return to her soon. As she steered west a strong wind was her reply and for a moment she felt him nearby. The feeling came and gone, but she knew he was with her and that she would never be alone.

Fine