Disclaimer: Not mine. I only wish I owned POC... alas, alack, le sigh, I do not.
A/N: This story came to me WAY before the second movie came out and it's been a struggle to get it out on paper. I just want to note that while I play with the Elizabeth/Jack/Will love triangle in this story, it is only coincidental that it also happens to be in Pirates 2. Honest. :)
Regarding reviews: I love 'em! Please do review! But flames... I hate 'em! Please refrain! Thank you!
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Elizabeth woke with a start. Pre-dawn light was coming through the closed shutters of her room, giving the room an eerie sheen. The fire in the grate had long since gone out and the room was cold, but Elizabeth still felt overly hot, sweat dripping down her back from the dream that had just awoken her.
It was two weeks before the wedding. Months of planning had cumulated up to this point. Her dress stood ready in the corner of the room, the flowers were being delivered to the chapel this very day, and the local rector had been summoned. Delectable food had been ordered by some of the finest cooks in the city, the guest list was confirmed, and her father the governor was finally reconciled to the fact that his daughter was to marry a mere blacksmith. No detail had been overlooked; everything was in order. So why, then, did Elizabeth feel this heavy burden oppressing her?
Jack's words kept ringing in her head: "Elizabeth, it would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry."
Elizabeth groaned in frustration. Damn that pirate and his insufferable arrogance! She could not believe his gall, implying that there was something between them when he knew full well that it was Will who held her heart.
Ah Will. She smiled at the mere thought of his name. He was everything she had ever longed for in a husband: good, kind, thoughtful, and with enough pirate in him to satisfy her long held romanticism towards the profession. Not to mention handsome. He treated her as if she were worthy of royalty, a prize far above any treasure. So what if he was a blacksmith? All that meant was that he valued hard work and an honest living. What more could a girl want?
But still, Jack's words plagued her. What had started as disgust at his words had led to more contemplation of the man. Even though he had been gone these many months and the adventures upon the Black Pearl were over, he was never far from her thoughts. When Will brought her flowers, he was there. When they took moonlit walks along the shore, he was there. When she ate her meals, when she was alone, Jack was never too far away. What had he meant by his words? It would never have worked between us, darling…
She knew that she meant nothing to him. He was, after all, a pirate. He was filled with lust for open sea, for conquering ships, for finding treasure, for women…
Ugh. He was despicable. If nothing else, she knew that about him. Likely he had gone off to find his next conquest as soon as he escaped and never gave her another thought.
Too bad it did not go the other way.
Elizabeth shook herself mentally, wrapping her arms around herself, trying to forget the dream. Like so many other nights, she had found herself once again in Jack's power. While he haunted her thoughts during the daytime, he owned her dreams once she was asleep. The dreams never were the same two nights in a row, but they always had a similar theme. Jack starred as a debonair lover, she his object of devotion.
Tonight's dream was stronger than the norm, however. She was stranded on a deserted island with Jack, having just been thrown off the Pearl by his mutinous crew. They were laying on the beach beside a roaring bonfire, talking of their hopes and dreams, toasting to freedom. Will was far from her thoughts; in fact, looking at Jack, she could not imagine how Will had ever taken a place in her affections. Here before her was a true pirate, one strong and capable, creative and daring.
Their eyes met and a spark passed between them. It was only a second, but in each other they recognized a familiar spirit, a mutual destiny in which one completed the other. No longer was Elizabeth Swann the governor's daughter, surrounded by every luxury one could afford, no longer was she young, innocent, and tamed; now she was set free, the bonds around her heart had been cut. She was now a woman, passionately, madly, unapologetically in love, and that love needed no excuse, no pretenses that her former life had required. Now the chains of societal obligation had been loosened and she was merely a woman, desperately clinging to all that she held dear: her freedom, the open seas, and the love of a rouge pirate, known only for his passion for life.
He bore her to the ground, slowly, gently, and brushed the strands of her wayward hair tenderly away from her eyes. There he lingered, his face merely inches from her own, his brown eyes studying her own brown eyes, searching their depths for an answer only she could provide.
Yes.
Freely she opened herself to him, allowed him to see her trust in him, the permission granted. All that she was, all that he allowed her to be, reflected from the very depths of her soul. With him there were no lies or formality. No longer did she need to pretend to be something she wasn't. Yes.
He read her soul, understanding her completely. It was all he needed to know, right there in her eyes. Bending only slightly, he lowered his lips to hers and the fireworks exploded within her. Waves of passion threatened to envelop her and she surrendered to him completely.
His lovemaking was passionate and wild; like the sea he so cherished, he claimed her for his own. The waters of his love flowed over her and in her and all around her, causing her to gasp in sheer agonizing pleasure.
Jack…
That was when she woke up, tangled in the sheets of her own bed, the bed she had slept alone in for the past twenty years. She was still a virgin, waiting for heat of Will's bed, and yet somehow she felt completely alone. Empty.
The sweat that had soaked through her nightgown now cooled her skin and she sat there shivering for many long minutes, trying to ignore the palpitations of her heart and the places her skin had been set on fire by Jack's touch.
This was no longer a dream she could ignore. In her waking, she still felt everything that Jack had done to her in the dream. For the first time in her life, she had felt truly alive. The only time that even compared to that was when she had actually set sail under the command of Jack Sparrow.
The irony of this situation did not escape Elizabeth's notice. Was she truly so sheltered, so naïve in her beliefs that she could find happiness in the gilded cage that was her life? If only there were a way to truly find the freedom she was searching for. Without that freedom, her life would be a lie and she would be restless to the end of her days.
Pushing the blankets off her bed, Elizabeth stood resolutely to her feet. Something must be done, now, before she gave her life away to Will. Jack could not haunt her forever; she must free herself of his power over her if she were to find any happiness with her future husband.
She adored Will and always had. Nothing could ever change that. But Jack was getting in the way. One day Will would know something was not right in their marriage, and Elizabeth refused to marry him under any false pretenses. It was time to confront Jack face-to-face.
o0o0o0o0o
Tortuga was as despicable as Will had once described it. Garbage lined the streets and its foul smells mingled with those of urine and human waste. Prostitutes, the primary money makers in town, lined the streets, selling their trade with a lustiness that made Elizabeth's stomach churn.
But this is where a search for a pirate such as Jack must begin. She knew that, while Jack frequented this port on a regular basis, the chances of actually finding him here were slim to none. Jack was too much in love with the sea and the life that it afforded. Still, if she were to have any hope in finding him, someone in this God-forsaken town must surely know where he was.
"Hey you," Elizabeth called to a man she thought looked vaguely familiar. Was he one of the pirates she had encountered on her last sea voyage?
The pirate turned, eyeing the one that stopped him from entering the tavern. Here was no regular prostitute; here was a lass who, despite her apparent disguise as a sailor, was most definitely out of her league. What a man could do with a woman like that…
He licked his lips in anticipation. "What is it ye want, missy?"
"Do you know Captain Jack Sparrow?" Elizabeth asked, ignoring the flutters that came to her stomach when the man had recognized her as a woman, despite the fact that her breasts were bound flat and she wore the clothing of a cabin boy.
The pirate, ill-bred as most pirates are, openly gawked at her, undressing her with his eyes. "I might," he said casually, "What's in it for me?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and made a loud sound of disgust. Ignoring his obvious lewdness she pressed him for details. "Do you know where I might find him?"
"I still haven't heard what I might get for this information," the pirate told her, stepping close enough that Elizabeth could smell the foul odor of his breath.
Elizabeth stood her ground, looking at the pirate directly in his eyes. Swiftly she pulled a short knife and placed it at the base of his most private place. "What you get for this information," she informed him, "is that you get to keep your family jewels. Savvy?"
The pirate gulped and nodded. "I think we have an agreement," he whispered hoarsely.
"So where's Jack?" Elizabeth demanded, pressing the knife into the pirate's leg.
"'e just set sail, 'e did. Left Tortuga not two days ago."
"Just where," said Elizabeth with gritted teeth, "did he go?"
"'e was talkin' up a storm 'bout sailing for Santo Domingo. Says 'e gots himself some business there."
"Santo Domingo," Elizabeth said to herself. That was not too far from Tortuga; all things considered, she supposed she should count herself lucky. As it was, she would be cutting it close to making her wedding on time.
The crew that she had set sail with from Port Royal was not an option. They were sailing for Havanna after their stop in Tortuga and that was in the opposite direction from where she wanted to go.
"Ye be in need of a ship, missy?" the pirate asked, sensing her thoughts.
"Can you get me one?" Elizabeth countered, seeing a possibility in this vile man before him.
"Aye, I can get ye one," the pirate said, emboldened.
"And what, exactly, would that cost me?"
"For ye, I think we can make a special arrangement."
"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Elizabeth asked, rightfully suspicious.
The pirate told her. Were she any other woman, one who had not already sailed under the command of a pirate, she would have blushed. As it was, however, she merely adjusted the knife in her hand, causing the pirate to break out in a light sweat.
"That is not an option," Elizabeth told him firmly. "I can pay you any sum you ask; money is no object. But what you propose will not be acceptable. You will take me to Captain Sparrow and then and only then will I give you your payment. Savvy?"
"Savvy," the pirate answered, feeling the uncomfortable position of the knife point in his groin.
"When do we set sail?" Elizabeth asked.
"With the next tide," the pirate answered, glancing down at the knife. "Will that be acceptable to the lady?"
"Yes, very," Elizabeth answered, "But let's get one thing clear before then. I am no lady and to your crew I will only be known as William, the ship's boy."
"Ye be a mite bit old to be a ship's boy," the pirate pointed out.
"Fine then. I will be your passenger. But I am still William, and I am not to be disturbed on this voyage."
"Very well," answered the pirate, plans already forming in his mind. No, he had no problem keeping "William's" secret. His crew would not like a woman sailing with them; they were terrible bad luck. But to him… well, a lady could cure all sorts of boredom on those long nights…
"I know what you're thinking," said Elizabeth, "and I can assure you that will not be happening. I have taken… precautions. I trust you will not want to test them."
"No miss," the pirate answered, "I wouldn't dream of it."
o0o0o0o0o
"Miss Swann?"
Elizabeth turned abruptly at the sound of her name. Surely no one here would know her…
"Mr. Gibbs!" she exclaimed, showing her delight and astonishment at seeing him. "I did not expect to see you here!"
"What are ye doing in Tortuga?" Mr. Gibbs exclaimed, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the street and into a nearby doorway. "Ye of all people should know better than to be here."
"I am in need of finding Jack, Mr. Gibbs. He is said to be in Santo Domingo right now. We set sail within the hour."
"Aye, Jack's in Santo Domingo all right," Mr. Gibbs said, confirming that the shady pirate Elizabeth had arranged transport with was indeed speaking the truth. Somehow she felt relieved to hear this, and some tension she did not know she was holding was released.
"Why be ye needing to find the captain, if I might be so bold to ask?" Mr. Gibbs continued. This lass had flitted in and out of his life since she was just a tyke herself and finding her here in this hellhole was more than a little alarming.
"That is between Jack and me," Elizabeth answered defiantly.
"Fine, fine," Mr. Gibbs said, throwing his hand up in resignation. "But may I at least ask who it is ye be sailing with? I'd be more than a little bit responsible if ye fell in with the wrong crew."
"I do not know his name," Elizabeth confessed. Scanning the crowds mingling at the docks, she saw the pirate with whom she had arranged passage. "But he's over there," she said, indicating the foul man.
Mr. Gibbs followed her finger. "Ye don't be meaning the one down by the barrels there, be ye?"
"Yes, that's him."
Mr. Gibbs swore. "Missy, I'd get clear away from that 'un. He's bad news."
"I can take care of myself," Elizabeth answered coldly, jerking her arm that was still in his grasp. "I need to find Jack as soon as possible, and he's the only one I've found whose going that way."
"I'm still not comfortable with you going alone with him. Knowing him, he might just be going that way, as you say, because he sees a likely target in you."
Elizabeth suppressed the sudden shudder that threatened to come over her. She did not need Mr. Gibbs to warn her about this man; her instincts told her that he was not to be trusted. Still, to hear these words from one she did trust, the fullness of her foolishness fell once again squarely on her shoulders. But she had come too far to give up now; indeed, it was only for a few days that she would be in the company of this man. If she could endure Captain Barbosa and his crew, certainly this pirate could be no trouble.
"I can take care of myself," Elizabeth repeated coolly.
"Sure ye can," said Mr. Gibbs a touch sarcastically. "But if ye be insisting on going, I'm going with you."
"That's not necessary, really," Elizabeth said, trying to rid herself of his presence. The last thing she needed in a voyage to confront Jack was Mr. Gibbs…
"It is necessary," Mr. Gibbs informed her, "I'm coming with ye. Your father and Mr. Turner would not be too favorable to ye going alone. That they let you come at all to this place…"
"They don't know," Elizabeth said, suddenly alarmed, "And you're not to tell them, you understand?"
"Ahh," said Mr. Gibbs, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Miss Swann was alone and looking for Jack…
This could only mean one thing. And although Mr. Gibbs was not by nature a romantic, he felt keenly that Miss Swann and Mr. Turner were meant to be together. She had no business chasing after Jack. This was bad. Very bad.
"Mr. Gibbs?" Elizabeth prompted.
"Yes, of course," he answered finally, "They won't hear it from me."
"Thank you."
"But I'm still coming with ye."
"I take it there's no changing your mind."
"No."
Elizabeth sighed. "Very well. Go get your things and meet me at the ship. We're about to sail."
o0o0o0o0o
Captain Jack Sparrow was sitting idly in his favorite tavern in Santo Domingo, watching the ships as they docked. His business here was concluded and he was enjoying a rare moment of contentment. Ever since he had regained the Pearl, which should have made him happy, he was plagued by the sense that something was missing. For some reason his life felt oddly bereft and the feeling ate away at him. He could not identify what, exactly, was missing, nor would he speculate, but it was always there, lurking in the background.
Except right now. For whatever reason, he felt relaxed and even happy. He would not analyze this feeling right now; he was determined to enjoy it.
Taking a deep draught of his rum, he suddenly choked and sprayed it across the table. That person there, disembarking from the ship that had just docked… surely that was not…
No. It couldn't be. He was seeing things again. Glancing at the bottle in his hand, he again wondered if he ought to cut back on his drink. Lately he'd been seeing her everywhere…
He rubbed his eyes and looked back towards the dock. Of course it wasn't her. It was merely a lad, obviously too young to realize that his choice of crew was not ideal. He was young and naïve, and clearly new to this port.
Jack went back to his rum, his mood suddenly darkened. Gone was his contentment of only a moment ago. Thoughts of her often managed to do that.
Ahh, there was Mr. Gibbs now getting off the ship. What was he doing with a crew like that? While the lad was too young to know any better, Mr. Gibbs did know better. Jack had never known Mr. Gibbs to ever set sail under such auspices. If he did not see it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.
Rising to his feet and steadying himself against the sudden lurching of the ground, he started to amble towards his friend. Suddenly he froze. Surely not…
But this time his eyes were not deceived. It was her, dressed in trousers and disguised as a ship's boy.
He staggered towards her, trying to ignore the excitement that was growing inside of him. Coming to her, he grabbed her arm from behind. "What are you doing here?" he growled. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Let go of me, you ill-mannered oaf!" Elizabeth spat, spinning and stomping her heel onto the boot of her captor.
"Ah, I see the life of a married woman has not calmed your spirit," Jack drawled, amused and relieved to see the same spirit he had last seen in this woman almost a year ago.
"Jack?" Elizabeth gasped, suddenly realizing who was holding her.
"The same," Jack answered, swaggering to bow deeply, sweeping his hat off in what he assumed to be a grand gesture. Fixing his hat securely back on his head, he straightened and looked down into those brown eyes that had been haunting his dreams since he last saw them.
"You still haven't answered my question," Jack said, refocusing his attention to the matters at hand.
"I was looking for you," Elizabeth answered, jerking her arm from his grasp, "though I hardly know why."
"Shouldn't you be home with dear William, making lots of babies by now?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes in disgust. "You're disgusting," she told him.
"I've been called worse," Jack answered unfazed as Mr. Gibbs caught up to them, huffing deeply. "Ah, Mr. Gibbs. I must say, I'm a bit surprised to see you sailing with such a crew."
"Aye," answered Mr. Gibbs, trying to catch his breath, "I didn't expect to myself. But Miss Swann here insisted on sailing with them, and I wasn't about to let her go on her own."
Jack eye Elizabeth drunkenly for a moment before he spoke. "How chivalrous of you," he said before he pitched forward only to land with his face in her bosom. Looking up from that position, he added, "I s'pose ye were thinkin' ye could take care of yerself."
Pushing Jack off her chest, Elizabeth stepped back. "As a matter of fact, I can," she informed him saucily.
Jack cracked a half-smile at her that always seemed to suggest more was going on behind his simple statements. "Is that right," he observed. "Well then, I won't keep ye from yer business. Good day, Miss Swann."
Again he bowed, righted himself, and started to swagger down the boardwalk in the opposite direction.
Ooh, that pirate, thought Elizabeth to herself, what I would do to him…
And what, exactly would you do to him? asked another voice in her mind, wickedly.
She pushed that unbidden thought away. "Jack!" she called after him.
He stopped then swung around to face her again. "What is it that you want?"
"How quickly you forget, Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth answered. "Just a moment ago I told you the reason I am here is that I was looking for you."
"And," said Jack, swaggering, "it would seem that you found me. What can I do for you?"
Elizabeth stopped short. For weeks now she had been contemplating finding Jack and setting things right before her wedding. But now that she was actually here, standing not ten feet from him, she did not know what to say to him.
"Cat got your tongue?" he prompted.
"Mr. Gibbs," Elizabeth said, turning to her companion from Tortuga, "Would you be so kind as to get my bag for me? I left it in my cabin on board."
Mr. Gibbs looked from one to the other, wondering what was about to transpire. "Aye, that I can do for ye. I'll be back in a minute's time."
"Thank you, Mr. Gibbs. Take your time. I need a moment here with Jack."
Mr. Gibbs nodded and left. Watching him go for only a second, Elizabeth turned back to Jack. "What, exactly, did you mean when you said it wouldn't work out between us?" she asked him, surprised at the words that left her mouth. That wasn't what she meant to say!
Jack arched his eyebrow at her inquisitively. "You came all the way from Port Royal to Tortuga to here to find me just so you could ask me that?"
Elizabeth felt heat rising to her cheeks. It would not do to show her embarrassment to this man, however. "Well, no."
"What is it, then? Have you been dreaming of me? Wondering what it would be like to be with a pirate?" Jack smirked.
"You're despicable," Elizabeth told him, narrowing her eyes.
"Well you obviously didn't come here for tea and crackers," he observed.
Elizabeth glared at him.
"Come love, spill it," Jack said. "You can tell Jack."
Raising her chin, Elizabeth looked at him coolly. "All right, then. What I want to know is, what exactly, is it that you want from me?"
Jack froze, not allowing Elizabeth to read his emotions. Was this what she had come all this way to ask? Her earlier question implied that she had been thinking about him all this while. Had her feelings shifted from Will to him?
Gathering himself, he staggered towards her, a grin emerging on his face. "Ah," he said, "are ye ready to hear an answer to that?"
Elizabeth squared her shoulders. "Of course I am."
"Even if I were to suggest that what I wanted was for you to give up your fine life, live as my wench, and pleasuring me whenever I'm in port?"
"Is that what you want?" Elizabeth asked, trying not to show her disgust.
"What if all I wanted was for you to turn around, go home, and forget about me?"
"Gladly," Elizabeth said, perhaps a little too intensely, "but you still haven't given me a direct answer."
"What makes you think I want anything from you at all?" Jack countered.
"Ah, but your answers already indicate that you do," Elizabeth observed, stepping close enough to him that she could smell the rum on his breath. Pressing her body to his, she ran her hand up his thigh to grasp his sword hilt. "What is it that you want, Jack?"
Jack gazed down at her, a flash of heat suddenly surging through his body.
Elizabeth smiled, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. She did not miss the look of intense passion that flickered through Jack, no matter how quickly he masked it. He did want her! After all these months of wondering what Jack meant by those words, her being plagued with feelings she should not be feeling, she finally knew. What dismayed her was that this notion thrilled her; a tingling feeling ran from the roots of her hair and down her spine.
"Jack," she whispered.
"Please," Jack begged her in a low voice, "please don't do this."
"Do what?" Elizabeth asked, her breath tickling his skin.
"Do this," he answered. "I… I can't be responsible for my actions if you…"
Elizabeth thrilled at this moment of vulnerability in the usually aloof pirate. Finally he was letting his guard down in front of her. No longer was he the swaggering, arrogant pirate he portrayed to the world; now he was simply a man, overcome with his desires, and she was the object of the passion that was emanating from him.
"Jack," she whispered, "let yourself go. Let what should happen, happen."
Suddenly the guarded look went back up, the pirate once again in charge of his feelings. Stepping back, he grabbed her arm. "You'll not be wanting to travel back with that crew," he said, his mood abruptly changed. "Come. I am aiming to leave this town shortly. I will take you back to Port Royal and to the waiting arms of your husband."
Disappointment seared through Elizabeth. She had been so close to getting everything she wanted; Jack wanted her and she could no longer ignore that she wanted him too. But isn't this exactly what she had come here for? To find that Jack rejected her and she could go freely into her wedding, unhindered by this plaguing doubt?
She nodded. "That would be acceptable," she said. "I'm sure Will would love to see you again anyway."
Jack inclined his head in what she could only assume was acknowledgement. "We'll set sail in the morning," he answered.
"Okay," she whispered, trying to ignore the fact that her heart was in her throat and that all she wanted at this moment was a quiet room where she could cry her eyes out and be alone with her feelings that she finally allowed herself to recognize: despite all matters of convention, rationality, or personal expectations, she was in love with Jack Sparrow.
o0o0o0o0o
The morning dawned bright and early and Elizabeth greeted the light filtering through her blinds with something akin to a hangover. While she had never gotten drunk – a loathsome activity, to be sure – she could not help but think that the headache that came from little sleep and many tears surely must be a similar feeling.
No matter. It was a new day, a new chance to find happiness. Jack was taking her back home where Will was waiting for her. She was determined not to lose any more sleep to the matters of her heart. One could decide to be happy or not; she would choose the former.
o0o0o0o0o
The storm blew up quite unexpectedly. Broad day turned to sudden deep night as clouds came rolling in bringing lashing rain and hail with it. Lightning tore through the fabric of the sky, thunder cracked and boomed, and the wind ripped roofing off of buildings and sent debris flying through the air. There was no way they would be setting sail in this.
Elizabeth sat in her chambers, clutching her knees to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees and stared out the window at the grey scene outside. Ironic how the weather seemed to be reflecting her very soul, showing on the outside what was raging on the inside. Despite her good intentions to the contrary, Elizabeth could not help but dwell on the anger she felt towards herself in caring for Jack. In fact, she was glad this storm kept them in port for another day; it felt good to brood.
The howling of the wind nearly drowned out the knock on the door. Keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead she bid the caller to enter.
"Thought ye might be in the mood for some company," Jack said, stepping boldly into her private room above the tavern's common room. Music wafted up over the sound of the storm outside; fiddles and drunken singing of sea shanties seemed to be keeping the sailors marooned here in good spirits.
"Surely a pirate such as yourself could find plenty of opportunity for alternate amusement in a place like this," Elizabeth observed darkly.
"Aye," Jack agreed, nodding his head, "but none so interesting as what I might find here."
"And just what, exactly, would that be?" Elizabeth asked warily, untucking her body and standing.
"I brought rum!" Jack announced joyfully.
"That vile drink!" Elizabeth exclaimed loudly. "Captain Sparrow, I would think that you of all people would know what I would do with that."
Jack's countenance darkened for a moment, remembering the evening they were stranded together on that forsaken island. The evening where he almost lost all his remaining few inhibitions and had claimed Elizabeth for his own...
He shook his head as if to clear it. "Forget the rum." Hastily he stowed it beneath his jacket, which for some unknown reason he brought with him. Kicking it out of sight beneath a bedside table, he took a moment to contemplate the woman standing before him.
"What?" Elizabeth asked, a smile playing at her lips, her black mood only moments ago disappearing.
"Oh nothing," Jack said, feigning indifference. "I was just thinking how much better the sea air seems to suit you when you're not being detained by matters of your rank in society."
Elizabeth furrowed her brow. This, quite possibly, was the first time Jack actually opened up and shared his thoughts with her. That he had any thoughts beyond treasure, open sea, women, or rum was a bit remarkable. Remarkable, and somehow, though not remotely romantic at all, it sent a thrill through her body like a current.
"Jack…" she whispered, closing the distance between them.
Jack stepped back, trying to remain aloof, knowing that he no longer could fool Elizabeth. "Why did you come, Elizabeth?" he asked her, suddenly quite serious.
"I had to know… that is, I needed to know how you truly felt about me. Before I commit my life to another, I need to know…" She was stumbling for words and she knew it.
"You wanted a clear conscience," Jack stated, finishing her thoughts for her.
She nodded.
"I can't give that to you," he said.
"Why not?" she asked, feeling foolish at the desperation she heard in her own voice.
"Elizabeth, before you came into my life, I had but one thing that I wanted: freedom. The Black Pearl. But since then, I cannot find any medium of contentment in anything that I do; the lust I had for life that I clung to has vanished. In its stead, I am empty, bereft of all that I once held dear." He lifted his hand towards her cheek but halfway there he checked himself and the arm flopped uselessly to his side. A look of yearning came to his eyes, and he closed his lips into a tight line.
"So you do want me," Elizabeth whispered, stepping closer, causing Jack to back into a wall.
"Elizabeth…" he warned.
"What?" she asked, her lips brushing his in an almost-kiss.
"Don't do this," Jack whispered.
Even as he pleaded with her he knew it was too late. Her scent overwhelmed him. That scent that clung to her, even during their adventures at sea, threatening to weaken him in ways that rum never did. Grabbing the back of her head, he pushed his lips against her in a fiery kiss.
Sparks erupted inside her, exploding behind her eyes. The intensity of the kiss sent flames shooting down her arms and legs, warming her in her secret places. Her skin pricked at the slightest touch; the brush of fabric against her breast caused her to nearly gasp in glorious pain.
She groaned, allowing herself to be caught up in the flood that was enveloping her. She fell back, thankful that Jack's strong arms were around her. Her neck was now exposed to Jack's exploring kisses, her head empty of all other thoughts except the want for him.
Kissing Will had never been like this. He was tender and loving and always proper. This was passion and heat, basic animalistic needs meeting and dancing together as two people long separated finally gave in to their carnal desire.
"Jack…"
"Elizabeth…"
Their names were hoarse in each others' mouths, the desire for one another overpowering their ability to speak. This was no time for thought or rational decision. As Jack swept her into his arms and carried her the few feet to the bed, all Elizabeth sensed was that this was right. For the first time in her life, she was truly alive and it was Jack who set her free.
o0o0o0o0o
He wanted her. Gods above, he had always wanted her. But this was wrong, so wrong. She was betrothed to another, one who loved her and could give her the stable life she deserved. Not only that, but Will was a good man, an honest man, and son of one of the best pirates he'd ever known. He could not do this.
"Elizabeth," he said, pulling himself away, "We need to stop."
"Stop?" she asked, a confused light in her eyes.
"I can't do this."
"Why Jack Sparrow!" she exclaimed teasingly, "I would never have guessed that you of all people would have problems with…"
"That's not it," he said, cutting her off shortly. "It's about Will. You remember him, your betrothed."
Elizabeth looked mildly astonished at his abrupt change. That astonishment quickly changed to anger and she clutched at the bodice of her dress that had been opened in the heat of the moment. Wrapping it around her, she quickly buttoned it up and glared at him.
Jack gazed steadily at her, no sign of regret or embarrassment marring his face. "Sorry, love, that's just how it's got to be."
Incensed by his casual use of the word "love" that moments ago had meant so much more, Elizabeth stood to her feet and suddenly slapped him across the cheek.
"I deserved that," Jack noted.
"Damn right you do!" Elizabeth spat back at him.
"Come on. The storm is breaking. Get your things together. We can still make the tide."
Elizabeth looked at him slightly agape. "No way am I sailing with you!" she exclaimed, incredulous, "Not after what you just did!"
"And there's no way I'm letting you set sail with those hooligans you came here with. Sorry love, it's out of the question. Either you come with me willingly or I will be forced to hogtie you and carry you on board like some piece of luggage."
Her eyes went wide. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Wouldn't I?" he drawled casually.
She stopped to contemplate him for only a second. Of course he would. He was Captain Jack Sparrow!
"I despise you," she said.
"Oh good, then the honeymoon's over. Back to Will you go," he said lightly.
"Get out!" she shouted, shoving him towards the door. "Get out, get out, get OUT!"
Jack grabbed his hat and his rum. Raising it towards her in a mocking salute, he took a deep draught of it and opened the door.
"Be ready to sail in the hour," he told her. Then suddenly he was gone.
o0o0o0o0o
The wedding was short but beautiful. Every detail was attended to: the flowers were perfect, the musicians especially wonderful, and the celebration feast magnificent. For years to come people would say that Elizabeth Turner was the most beautiful bride Port Royal had ever seen, never knowing that the bride had felt empty inside.
Gone was her anger towards Jack. Now only a gaping ache resided in her chest when she thought of him. He was right, of course. He could never be hers, not the way he was the sea's, and she could never learn to share him with the life he loved so greatly. Their life together would have been misery, while Will could give her everything that her heart desired. Well, almost everything.
As she took her vows, she looked deep within Will's eyes and found a love so pure and tender there that it practically took her breath away. She loved Will, she truly did. He deserved better from her.
"I take thee Will to be my husband…"
As she spoke the oh so familiar words, another vow formed in her heart. He would never know.
"to have and to hold from this day forward…"
She would commit to Will, body and soul.
"for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish…"
Jack would fade away as a memory: he would become only a memory of the one who first brought them together on a crazy adventure on the high seas… and nothing more.
"from this day forward…"
She would cherish the love Will had for her and the love she had for him.
"until death do us part."
The potency of those words struck her. Will would never know. She would hide the ache she carried for Jack to the grave.
"In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
Her eyes glanced up to where Jack was standing, unseen by the rest of the crowds. I will always love you…
"Amen."