Author – Unplugged32
Rating – PG-13
Classification – Post PotC fic - Will/Elizabeth romance, angst, adventure, oh and Jack of course;)
Summary – Will's past threatens his future. Can Jack stop what fate has set in motion?
Disclaimer – Obviously, the characters portrayed aren't mine. No money being made, no harm intended.
Author's notes and reviewer responses – at the end of the chapter
The Darkest Hour – Chapter 10
In the back of her mind, Elizabeth Turner knew there was no time to tarry. But at that moment her exhausted body wasn't listening to her brain. Around them, the 'Renegade' continued to burn, the heat and the smoke making her gasp for air, and yet she found herself unable to move her leaden limbs. Beside her, Will had slipped wearily to his knees, his body sagging heavily against the rail. His pale face was streaked with sweat and soot, his breathing labored, and for one horrible moment, Elizabeth felt real fear coil in her belly.
"Come on Will, we need to go," she told him firmly. Forcing aside her own exhaustion, she offered him her hand. "Fate seems to have once again thrown in our lot with Jack's...let's go and find out what mischief he's been up to these past months," she said lightly, carefully concealing her growing terror beneath her teasing words.
Will coughed and shook his head as if to clear it, leaning heavily on both the ship's rail and Elizabeth to pull himself upright. Shaking from the effort, he clung to his weary bride tightly while he tried to get his bearings.
"I don't know if I can do this," he told her with resignation.
"Yes, you can," his wife replied hurriedly. "We've been in tighter spots than this. I won't have you giving up so easily. We have a house to finish...and you owe me that fancy wedding you spoke of," she reminded him, one hand tenderly pushing the sweaty locks of dark hair from his face. "I've never known you to be a coward, Will Turner. Don't become one now."
"No, not a coward...just so tired..." he said hoarsely. The look in his fever-bright eyes made her flinch, the hopelessness she saw in their dark depths staggering. Will's despair was understandable, considering the circumstances, but somehow, Elizabeth did not expect it. He'd always been her rock, her guiding force, and in her girlish fantasies, her invincible hero. Surely he would not disappoint her now...
How long they stood there, frozen in that moment, Elizabeth did not know. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, a fleeting flash of time, yet still long enough for their lives to be irrevocably changed forever. In the back of her mind Elizabeth thought she might have heard the sound of cracking timber, but she would never be sure. Despite his own private hell, Will appeared to have sensed the danger, otherwise Elizabeth could not explain why he pushed her away so roughly, his lungs screaming for her to jump. Paralyzed by fear and confusion, Elizabeth could only stare dumbly while her husband rushed forward with amazing speed for an injured man and effortlessly shoved her over the side of the 'Renegade'. She tried to scream; her mouth opened wide but no sound would come forth. Her arms flailed, instinctively reaching for something to grab onto to but it was too late. Below her, debris from the damaged ships littered the swirling sea liberally, but there was no time to brace herself for the impact as she fell.
Any carefully formulated plans that Jack Sparrow might have considered were quickly scrapped when the 'Black Pearl' finally got close enough to see the horror unfolding before them.
Earlier, Jack hadn't needed to hear the excited cries of his crew to know that the 'Renegade' had been spotted. It was in the air, the wind bringing the smell of smoke and cannon fire, of burning timbers and canvas, and it struck Jack at once that they were quite possibly too late. But he was forced to push ahead with extreme caution when it became clear that the other ship involved in the firefight was a Naval vessel, an eerie sense of déjà vu settling uncomfortably in his belly when he realized it was an almost perfect replica of the doomed 'Interceptor'.
It quickly became clear though to the pirate Captain that neither ship was in a position to threaten the 'Pearl'. As they moved in closer it was painfully obvious that the Naval ship was sinking quickly while her crew made haste in their boats to distance themselves from their doomed ship. The 'Renegade' on the other hand was still afloat but slowly being ravaged by fire, the boats that Jack assumed held the escaping pirates nearly out of view.
"I want two boats lowered, 5 volunteers, pistols and muskets for prudence," Jack bellowed. "The 'Pearl' stays here for good measure. Either one of those wrecks could go up in a flash. I won't be losing her for good this time," he added, turning towards the frowning Anamaria, their eyes locking in a fierce gaze. Jack gave her a lopsided grin in return, wondering if she'd understood the double meaning in his words.
But the moment was lost when cries of 'man overboard' were heard from above and Jack looked up to see Duncan scrambling down the rigging, breathing hard. "Two men in the water, Captain...swimming towards us. One looks to be in a bad way," the younger man said grimly.
Jack nodded. "That's it, lads. Down the ropes if you're coming along," he told his crew. There was a moment of confusion as too many men made for the rails and Jack smiled smugly to himself, saving the moment in his mind for a later date. "I appreciate your loyalty mates, but since only 5 of you can come along, I'll choose."
Stubborn to the core, Gibbs didn't bother to wait for Jack to ask him to go along before he took up a musket and stuffed and extra pistol in his belt. Jack and the other four pirates followed behind the older man, hurrying down the side of the 'Pearl' and into the waiting boats as quickly as they could with the extra burden of the cumbersome firearms strapped to their backs and stuffed in their belts.
Climbing awkwardly into the small boat Jack quickly divested himself of his burdens and reached for the oars. "Jesus and Mary," breathed Gibbs from beside him, his voice tinged with horror. Jack whipped his head around to see what the older man was going on about.
From the fiery deck of the 'Renegade' a slight figure tumbled over the rail as the remaining mast broke in half and crashed to the deck. They were too far to be sure but he could swear he saw a flash of golden hair that looked too long to belong to a boy.
"Miss Elizabeth!"
"Probably," Jack affirmed grimly, all his theories coming together into sickening reality. "Row faster, lads...she looks to be in trouble!"
But seeing Elizabeth Swann falling overboard from the deck of the 'Renegade' wasn't nearly as shocking as the sight of the heaving and sputtering boy swimming towards them, dragging Jack's one-time...and presumably dead...good friend through the choppy waters of the Caribbean. Jack though could not waste precious times questioning the boy about the miraculous appearance of Bill Turner. Especially not when the exhausted young sailor was babbling hysterically about Will and Elizabeth still on board the 'Renegade'.
Struggling to the surface with the use of only one arm, Elizabeth Turner knew that the only thing that was keeping her from drowning was her determination to find Will. Her left arm had been rendered useless when she hit the water, her shoulder popping painfully out of its socket as it slammed into a sizable piece of the 'Renegade's' shattered hull. She coughed violently, her straining lungs doing their best to force the seawater out and the much-needed oxygen back in. The pain in her shoulder was blinding, but she grit her teeth and did her best to keep it at bay. With her arm hanging limply at her side, Elizabeth choked back a sob when she realized that Will was no where in sight. She'd assumed he'd jumped in after her, but if he had surely she would have seen him by now. Unless of course....No! She refused to accept that. Kicking her feet furiously to keep afloat, the injured girl cried out for her husband, her voice though no more than a harsh croak that was easily drowned out by the sound of the roaring fire just above her.
Long, agonizing moments passed and Elizabeth felt both her body and her spirit slowly give in to the weariness that gradually overwhelmed her. Will was still no where to be seen. With her injury, it was impossible to climb back up onto the 'Renegade' and search for him there. Besides, the heat and the fire had already disintegrated the ropes that had earlier dangled over the side, leaving her no access to the ship anyway. She knew the 'Pearl' was not far away, yet she feared she didn't have the physical strength to swim towards her. But even if she did, Elizabeth knew she would not have moved an inch from where she was. Not without Will.
Time slowed and the chill Elizabeth had felt when she'd first fallen into the water eased away, her body now feeling numb and weightless as her senses dulled. Beside her, she could see the broken piece of hull that had caused her injury yet she no longer possessed the strength or the will to grab on to it. The burning pain in her shoulder had faded away to a dull throb. As her legs moved slower, her lids drooped and her thoughts drifted off to a far away memory of being held in Will's arms. They were in the garden of her father's home. The day was sunny and fair, his strong embrace felt warm and safe, the reassuring smile on his face filling her heart with a comforting tranquility. Nestling closer into her beloved's arms, Elizabeth ceased her struggles and closed her eyes, a long sigh of content escaping her parted lips as the comforting darkness came to take her away.
With Bill and the boy safely on their way back to the 'Pearl', Jack, Gibbs and Kursar made their way with urgent haste towards the spot where they'd seen Elizabeth struggling. Jack didn't bother to wait for the small boat to get any closer. He dove into the sea without a second thought as soon it became obvious that Elizabeth was in distress. It only took him seconds to grab her after she'd slipped under the water but to Jack it seemed as if hours had passed before he was able to reach the drowning girl.
When they broke the surface, her turned her over gave her back a hard slap. When there was no response he hit her again, harder this time, and Elizabeth rewarded his efforts with a choking cough and a swift kick to his midsection as she struggled in his grasp.
"It's alright, luv...it's Jack. I won't hurt you," he told her soothingly, "let me help you."
"Jack!" she cried out, her voices no more than a scratchy rasp. "You've got to find Will! He pushed me over...the mast broke...I don't know where he is.." she babbled frantically, still struggling in his arms.
"As soon as you're safely in the care of Mr. Gibbs, I swear on my honor I'll find the lad."
"No! You don't understand! You have to go now! He's injured and he probably can't swim and..."
The small boat was nearly upon them and Jack turned to see his first mate struggling alone with the oars, as Kursar was now in the sea as well and swimming hard towards Jack and Elizabeth. The younger man immediately reached for the struggling girl but she cried out in agony when he unknowingly grabbed her injured left arm.
"Stop fighting, luvvie and let your old friend Kursar here take you back to the 'Pearl'," Jack told her slowly, trying his best to calm her, "I'm after Will, I promise you."
"My arm's broken I think...I can't move it," she hissed through gritted teeth. Understanding, Jack handed her off to the other man more carefully and this time she did not struggle.
"Swear to me you'll find him!"
Jack met her pain filled eyes and his gut clenched at the raw anguish he saw mirrored in the girl's gaze.
"I swear to you that I won't come back with out him," he told her solemnly and turned at once to swim towards the 'Renegade'.
But the pirate Captain would not make it any farther than a few yards before a mighty blast was heard and a wall of heat and fire rose up before him. Debris soared through the air like cannon fire and instinctively, Jack tried to dive under the surface to protect himself from the deadly pieces of the splintered ship that flew all around him. Fate though it seemed had other plans, as She usually does and just before Jack could slip under the surface something struck him hard and pain exploded just above his right ear.
Elizabeth, he thought groggily, I'm so sorry, luv. Mercifully, he felt nothing else as the blackness swallowed him.
To be continued.............
Author's notes; Whew! Finally! You cannot imagine just how much this section tortured my brain. It was supposed to be part of Chapter 9; that's why both 9 and 10 are relatively short chapters. This long delay had nothing to do with lack of time or laziness of my part. I simply could not get it right. Since this is a pivotal point in the story it had to be 'perfect' or else I would not be able to tell the rest of the story the way I've planned it. Will anyone believe me if I say it will be smooth sailing from here and on?? Since I have a lot written and the whole thing planned out updates should be more regular. Huge thanks to everyone who is still reading and still supporting me. Your comments and encouragement mean more to me than you could ever imagine :)
Reviewer responses:
Neenie – I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Sorry for the delay!
Jeshika-chan – Thanks for your kind words!
Ila – I'm trying to write Will as he was in the film; loyal, honorable, courageous. Thanks so much for taking the time to review.
Mel – Huggles to one of my most loyal supporters. Thanks so much luvvie!
Takada Saiko – Somewhere in the author's notes you'll see that I too saw the deleted scenes but it was too late to correct Norrington's name. Thanks so much for your wonderful review.
Momma B – Here is yet another short chapter. Thanks so much for your continued support. It's greatly appreciated.
Ele – Melodrama is exactly the reason this chapter took so long. I really wanted to avoid that while still keeping it nice and angsty. Huggles and tons of thanks for all your help. Without you, this would have been buried long ago!
Trinity Day – Huge thanks for sticking with me. It means so much. I'm hoping to post more regularly from now on. (crosses fingers!)
nuit – I'm so glad you like my Elizabeth! In the film she comes off as fearless and clearly willing to risk everything for Will. As for Jack, well even though he comes off as comical in parts of the film there are moments where you can see that he is a character with depth. One such moment is the look on his face when he shoots Barbossa. The look in JD's eyes says it all. Thanks so much for your encouragement. hug
DemonicPelicans – Thanks so much for your kind words! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
clpm-9 – A fellow Will/Elizabeth shipper!! You don't need to leave detailed reviews; I appreciate each and every comment my readers leave and I thank you for taking the time to review.