Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters, just the compromising positions I put them in. :)
"Enough." Tia Dalma's silky drawl abruptly pulled Will from his melancholy. Immediately everyone turned towards the strange woman whose very presence demanded extreme respect and deference. Pintel and Ragetti quickly stopped examining some strange artifact they had found lying on the floor, a small marble spinning top with foreign characters carved carefully into each of the four sides. Gibbs put down the bottle of rum he'd been quietly nursing ever since they had stepped into the sorceress's hut. Barbossa took up position against a nearby wall and leaned his broad shoulders lazily against the damp wood, almost reluctantly drawing his gaze away from Elizabeth who had firmly refused to break eye contact first. He was content to see that in his absence she had not lost any of her spirited temperament.
Tia Dalma stood at the head of the table. Dark dreads hung still in front of her black cold fathomless eyes, her full shadowy lips drawn austerely together. "We is not 'ere to discuss de past. We is together so as to rescue him th' now wanders de desolate plains of Davy Jones' Lock'r. Jack Sparrow needs ye 'elp…an' ye cannot stand agains' d'ose who means to destroy ye without him hands at ye sides."
Hands. Unconsciously Elizabeth's hand went to her cheek in remembrance of Jack's embrace. The way he had gently caressed her hips and back, run his long fingers through her salty hair. The pungent taste of his lips; it had been like kissing a cresting wave. His raw passion for her had been palpable. She had felt it in his body through her clothes, seen it in his deep inexplicable gaze. There had been openness in those eyes, an acceptance and guarded sincerity that had risen from someplace dark and hidden. In the moments before she had sealed his fate, Elizabeth had witnessed Jack's innocence.
"Elizabeth?" Will's quiet voice broke through her reverie. She had suddenly gone very pale.
Tia Dalma paused in her speech and glanced at the younger woman. Her face remained impassive but she knew of the agony that twisted itself around Elizabeth's heart and mind. There was plainly much more to the story of Jack and the Kraken than what she had originally been told, and it appeared that Miss Swann had played more than a supporting role in the terrible event. Perhaps she had underestimated the young lady of society from Port Royal. Could it be that Elizabeth, after gallivanting across the Caribbean seas and battling creatures both human and other, had finally succumbed to the pirate way of life? The idea gave Tia Dalma reason to smile.
"I'm fine." Elizabeth tried to hide the quiver in her voice. "I just need…a bit of fresh air. Would anyone mind if I stepped outside for a moment?" The room was a bit warm and muggy with everyone clustered together inside the small space, although her one pressing desire at the moment was to garner some alone time for her turbulent thoughts.
Tia Dalma's response was only a curt nod. Gratefully Elizabeth rose, offering her what she hoped was a sincere smile that belied a rising sense of anxiety and unease. Keep it together, Elizabeth. You can't break down in front of these pirates…in front of Will.
She was almost to the door when the rough voice of Barbossa suddenly broke the thick silence of her departure. "Where be ye gents' sense o' decency? A lady should not 'ave to brave the dark night without prop'r comp'ny."
Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and waited for someone to notice the multiple levels of irony behind his words. After her behavior at the mast (not to mention various other locations and dates), she doubted anyone considered her a lady anymore. She didn't even think of herself as a lady. And after her past trials and tribulations, she didn't suspect that the night held any danger she couldn't handle.
Behind her no one voiced an objection to the Captain's suggestion. Pintel and Ragetti simply looked at each other a little confusedly and Will imagined that his company was the least desired of all. She hadn't even looked at him when he had spoken her name. Gibbs just took another swig of his increasingly tasteless rum.
"Aye, indeed." With a slight shake of his head, Barbossa pushed himself off from the wall. "Looks like it'll be me who's t' be the gentleman 'round 'ere." He narrowed his eyes and gave Will a severe look. Why was not the whelp jumping up to attend to his damsel in obvious distress? The last time he had seen him, the boy had been willing to throw himself in front of a sword (and worse) for the sake of Elizabeth's comfort and safety. It was clear that he still care very much for her, that much was apparent even to the likes of a man recently raised from the dead. Something had happened during his time away from the living, something so devastating that it threatened to tear apart the young couple before him. Somewhere along the line the rules had changed, and he suspected that Jack Sparrow was heavily involved in it. A quick glance at Elizabeth confirmed his intuition; she held all the answers.
Barbossa started towards Elizabeth just as she turned to face him. "Really Captain, it's not necessary. I thank you for your thoughtfulness but I will be perfectly safe. I'll only be right outside the door." His intrusion had blindsided her. She was unsure as how to best handle his offer and so settled on polite formality. Well done, Elizabeth. That worked out well for you last time, didn't it?
"There be plenty o' monsters hidin' in these here waters, missy. I wouldn' want the poor whelp to 'ave t' send out 'nother search an' rescue party fer ye. T'would be quite difficult seein' as 'e don' 'ave a ship t' sail." He glared accusingly at the former members of his infernal crew.
"I can take care of myself," Elizabeth snapped before she had a chance to quell her sudden anger. "I don't need you or anyone else chaperoning my actions, especially in this god-forsaken swampland." To hell with propriety. He's a bloody pirate. One who's supposed to be dead. Without further ado she spun on her heel and, in a very unladylike manner, stormed outside. Should the now-mortal Captain wish to follow her, so be it. At the moment she could not guess his intentions for wanting to join her, but it would make no difference. She was not much in the mood for talking and she hoped her silence would sufficiently bore him into wanting to return inside to more agreeable company.
Good gods, the woman is practically seething with fury. Elizabeth's reply had taken Barbossa aback. Of course he expected a sharp response, perhaps some sarcasm, but the vehemence in her voice was something he had not yet experienced. But it was not a totally unpleasant experience; in whatever manifestation her fiery character showed itself, it had never failed to stir something primal within him. He had always been rather fond of strong-willed women.
Quickly he regained his composure and addressed the room. "I be beggin' ye pardon gents…" He glanced at Tia Dalma. "An' lady…but it appears tha' Miss Swan is in a state o' displeasure. I'll be goin' outside t' make sure she don' do somethin' foolish in 'er upset condition. Ye never can trust women when they've gone off an' lost their 'ead." He threw a slight apologetic smile to Tia Dalma as he strode after Elizabeth. Will looked after him, the longing in his eyes to run after his beloved more painful than any mortal wound. His soft sigh was lost as the door shut firmly behind Barbossa's vanishing figure.
Outside, Barbossa squinted in the blanketing darkness. The flame lamps attached to Tia Dalm's hut provided weak light and it was a moment or two before he spotted her slim silhouette poised unmoving at the water's edge. He heard no sound except for her light breathing. Upon abrupt reflection, Barbossa realized that he ultimately had no reason for following her. True, he wanted answers to the events that had transpired while he had been trapped in Death's embrace; he wanted to know the whereabouts of his ship and the reason for Jack Sparrow's absence at this impromptu gathering. He was more curious than he allowed himself to recognize for the tension between Will and Elizabeth. But he knew that all of those answers he would learn later in time, if not that night. They were important but not to the extent that they demanded that he rush after a woman he had once captured, threatened, and harmed. A girl, really. At times he had to remember that she was not actually as old as she played herself to be.
Slowly Barbossa made his way towards her, being careful to keep his balance in the marshy ground. It was impossible that Elizabeth didn't hear him approach but she made no acknowledgement of his presence. He spoke softly into the darkness, his drawl smooth and oddly melodious. "Miss Swan, permit me t' ask ye a small question. On tha' fateful day a' Por' Royal, how was it tha' ye knew tha' we were there fer Aztec gold?"
Thank you to everyone for your reviews! This is my first fan fic and I'd really appreciate any comments, praising or constructive. Not quite sure where it's going, I'm just having a bit of fun writing it.
Amymimi: Thank you for pointing out the discrepancy in Barbossa's eye color. It totally slipped my mind.
