Following the reasonable success of my previous PotC fic, I thought I'd get right on and write another, but I'm not as pleased with this one as my last one. Enjoy!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Set six months after the end of COTBP (the first one). Also, title may change.
Title: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Summary: Elizabeth hasn't seen Jack since he escaped. They find themselves thinking of each other, and she escapes Port Royal to go to Tortuga, drawn to the sea, and Jack. She can't get a ship, but an old friend's willing to help, for his own personal reasons. JE.
Rating: PG-13
Rated for: Language, possible violence, slightly detailed sexual situations.
Chapter 1 – A Close Shave
Elizabeth Swann brushed her golden locks in front of her mirror in her bedroom. She sighed; little less than a year after her kidnapping by Barbossa, she found herself bound once more in Port Royal, not to mention those dreaded corsets. It seemed that her father, following her unfortunate ordeal, wanted to keep an even closer eye on her than ever before, if that was physically possible.
Setting down her brush on her bedside cabinet she looked around the room. It seemed inexplicably dull and boring compared to the lavish interior of the Black Pearl, the ship she'd helped a pirate regain.
Ah, yes. A pirate. Encounters with pirates these days were not uncommon for beautiful young ladies such as governor's daughters, the wives of high-ranking officers in the navy, and other upper-class women.
But the pirate Miss Elizabeth Swann, also known as herself, had come across hadn't been violent. He hadn't raped or killed her as she'd expected he would. In fact, he had saved her life before even learning her name.
Most pirates didn't do that.
And his name...something about his name sent chills up and down her spine. Jack Sparrow...there it was again, that tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach. And the way he spoke about freedom...it made her want a taste of it.
But no, no no, all thoughts were vaporised as she heard a loud knock on her oak door.
"Come in," Elizabeth called out miserably. No doubt it was a servant or a maid come to check up on her for some reason or another.
Therefore she wasn't at all surprised when Rosa, Elizabeth's favourite maid and long time friend, popped her head around the door.
"You have a visitor, miss," she said politely.
Elizabeth nodded as Rosa left the room. Sighing again, she stood up and started to get dressed into the 'latest fashion in London'.
-----
Ten minutes later, after her waist had been harshly squeezed into a corset, Elizabeth made her way down the stairs to the entrance hall of her father's mansion. She was dressed in a plain but elegant ankle-length white dress that looked a lot like a wedding dress.
Will Turner looked up at the footsteps nearing the bottom of the grand staircase.
"Elizabeth, you look stunning," he smiled. Elizabeth smiled as she got closer.
"Thankyou Will," she replied, smiling, "I notice you're finally calling me Elizabeth."
"We're engaged," Will reminded her, laughing slightly.
"Of course," she chuckled. "Is that what you're here about?" she went on, starting to walk towards the lounge. Will followed hastily.
"No, actually," Will answered, seemingly remembering why he was here in the first place.
Elizabeth sat down in an armchair. Will looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Then why?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
Will sighed, sitting down on the sofa. "I can sense you're unhappy."
Elizabeth scoffed. "Whatever put such ideas in your head?"
"The way you act nowadays," he shrugged. "You seem constantly fed up and it's been like that ever since our return to Port Royal."
"So for the past six months, you say?" Elizabeth considered. "I must say, William Turner, you do have a keen sense of observation."
"It has served me well in the past," Will smiled.
"Like the night you saw me being taken, you mean," Elizabeth recalled. Will only nodded. "Well, I see I most probably cannot convince you otherwise, so I'll be truthful. I am deeply unhappy here."
"I knew it," Will said triumphantly. "Why are you unhappy here?"
"It's boring," Elizabeth said flatly. "I feel so trapped all the time; like I'm never going to have a taste of..." she chose her words carefully, "...freedom."
"Considering your past experiences with freedom, Elizabeth, I thought you'd be well rid of it," Will brought up.
"Well you were wrong," Elizabeth snapped sharply. Will recoiled.
"I can see I have upset you," Will said quietly, standing up, "so I think I should leave."
"Yes, I think you should," Elizabeth replied coldly, looking away from him.
Will said nothing more, and only left the house silently, leaving Elizabeth fuming in the lounge.
-----
Elizabeth had been in a bad mood all day since Will's surprise visit, and there was no doubt in her mind at all that that was what had caused it.
She had returned to her room after having dinner with her father and a few important guests, and now lay in the bed in her nightgown reading a book. One of her many literatures her father had bought her over her years.
Turning the page, she yawned. She looked out of the window, and saw the bright stars twinkling sweetly in the night sky. It had gotten awfully dark so fast.
She reached over to her bedside cabinet and put her bookmark in her page, putting the book back on the cabinet. She yawned widely again as she blew out the candle and the room was engulfed by the darkness once more.
She rested her head against the pillow and pulled the covers upto her chin, waiting for sleep to arrive, leaving dreams in its wake.
Sure enough, she fell asleep in a matter of minutes.
The rocking of the boat's deck beneath Elizabeth's feet made her feel safe; secure. Her hair blew wonderfully in the breeze and she turned and walked to a cabin at the other end of the ship. She knew where she was going and what she was doing.
Without knocking, she opened the door violently and marched inside, a confident smile on her face. The sight of one Captain Jack Sparrow with no shirt on, however, was enough to wipe the smile off her face.
"'Ello, darlin'," he smiled devilishly. "An' what brings you to ol' Jackie's cabin tonight, then, eh?"
"I –" she stammered. He had bullet wounds in his chest, and those muscles... "Um..."
"Wanted a bit of a run-in with a pirate, did ya?" he went on, moving slowly towards her.
With every step he took, she felt more of the air leave her body.
She gasped as she felt him press his body against hers. He had her pinned up against the wall. She gasped even more when she felt his hand moving towards...newer places.
Then, he kissed her. He kissed her while his hand was doing...things...and she enjoyed it. She enjoyed it so much that she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Jack..." she whispered, as they parted.
He quickly but quietly led them over to the bed, and they collapsed onto it.
"Trust me, love," he whispered in her ear hoarsely, "Ol' Jackie knows what he's doin'."
He pulled her top off over her head, kissing her again.
Elizabeth woke up, moaning in real life almost as much as in her dream. She sat bolt upright, feeling her nightdress cling to her from her cold sweat. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something by the window. She shook it off. Did she really just dream that?
She had just dreamt that Jack Sparrow, a pirate, had touched her in...places...and she'd liked it. He was about to make love to her on that bed. She felt dizzy.
She was in love with Will. Will, goddammit! Then again, who ever said sex was in the name of love?
She groaned; she needed air. But, instead of going to the window, she just lay back down, waiting for sleep to claim her again. This time, though, she wasn't sure she was going to enjoy it.
-----
Outside Elizabeth Swann's window, Jack Sparrow stood perilously on the window ledge. He knew he barely made it out of her room in time. In fact, he was almost certain she'd seen him climb hastily out of the window.
God, if she ever found out that he'd been in her room, doing that to her, he'd be dead before morning came.
Looking down at his hands, he smiled. She'd certainly enjoyed it. But then again, it had been an awfully close shave.
Well, that was my first attempt at writing something relatively mature, so I apologize if it was bad! Being my age, I don't exactly have first-hand experience in that kind of thing...how was that for a first chapter?
Review please!
QueenSerenity818 out.