Disclaimer: DOPOTC! So now what will Liss do? Be with the fun but irresponsible Jack? Be with the sweet and sensitive William? Or with Norrington to assure her safety in her final days in Port Royal? Who's to say? I'm excited too because even I don't know who she will choose!
Chapter Twelve: Hard decisions and empty promises.
Life is difficult. Don't fall into that bullcrap they teach you in school. Even the teachers get depressed when they are forced to push that shit, want to know why? It dredges up all the old hopes and dreams they had held for themselves, all the unfulfilled aspirations. What sent me spiraling into such a foul and dark mood? Hard decisions.
I had run from my problems, like a coward, I scurried away to leave other people to clean up the mess in my wake. And I punched a bloody Commodore, you can't tell me that wouldn't have repercussions in the morning like a horrible hangover.
I had no place of my own to go, and I had spent the last twenty minutes wandering the street cold and alone searching for something, but what? Fighting back the tears of utter despair and hopelessness I trudged along. The slow and somber walk of someone who has nothing left but the will to push ahead.
It had just occurred to me that I had pushed away the only things in this place that could ever make me feel better. Will and Jack. But I had deceived William, and Jack, well really I can't think of anything horrible I did to Jack but I still felt like blaming myself.
I had the most horrible suspicion that someone was following me. I had passed a pub a few minutes ago and got lots of cat calls from the men inside. Could it be possible I was in for more sexual harassment tonight? If so I was going to be ready.
So on my little jog away from who ever was following me I started thinking about all the sad and miserable things that had happen to me since I had arrived in Port Royal. A pebble up my nose, a concussion, a little thing I like to call corset torture, I'd been shot, threatened, used, abused and yet between all these horrible memories were ones I wouldn't trade for anything. Jack and I bantering back and forth, the look on Will's face when I wore pants, the kiss I had shared with Jack in the bath house, and punching Norrington.
I was living every fan girls dream. But yet I hadn't felt this alone since I had first moved out by myself to San Diego. Slowly I came upon the Swann residence, but I felt like I couldn't return there, not until it was much darker and much later. Then I remembered my car the only thing that I had here that would give me a little amount of comfort. Shaking off the cold air on my damp body I crept my way to my car.
Maneuvering through the logs was difficult and in the pale moonlight well, it was almost impossible. I had to remove my shoes and hike up my dress to avoid getting it snagged. To be honest I was very terrified from all the horror movies I had ever seen in my life, to be alone in the dark in the woods…well I have goose bumps as you read this.
Roughly ten minutes later I arrived at my car. Seeing it made me relax a little, like being reunited with an old friend. Digging about in my clutch I pulled out my keys and proceeded to the drivers side door, but a movement towards the hood stopped me and got my heart started. With so much adrenaline pumping through my system I was surprised my heart didn't explode.
"Is that you luv?" Oh my god, it's just Jack, I'm going to kick his ass for scaring me like that.
"Jack!" I exclaimed running into his arms, catching him off guard. Happily he took me and caressed my head as I rested it on his shoulder.
"I was worried about you." He confided. What? Jack Sparrow worried about a girl? I'm not a ship, so why would he care enough about me to worry?
"Why is that?" I asked expecting and answer like, 'Because ye have the rum' or 'I hadn't gotten to sleep with ye yet!'.
"Because ye looked rather upset, and I wanted to be there for you." I stopped breathing. Pulling away I squinted at his face to make sure it was him. I guess sometimes you get lucky with Jack. He is nice to you for a few minutes about as often as Davy Jones can step on land, this was just a fleeting emotion for him.
"Wha-" I began confused, obviously.
"When we first met, aboard the Interceptor, and you asked me if I needed help to commandeer the ship, I thought to meself 'now here is a lass I can warm up to'. And further on, you saved me life, not once but twice." He stopped holding me at arms length, "What I'm saying is that Captain Jack Sparrow never leaves a debt unsettled." I thought about this and nodded my head a little in agreement.
"Three times if you count the time I defended you from William…" I said modestly.
"Now tell me what happened tonight lass that left you three in such a state of disarray." Jack asked letting my arms go. I leaned against the side of the door and began the story starting with the waves against the haul.
"That mangy bugger!" Jack exclaimed hearing the whole story. It felt nice that Jack honestly cared about my well being. Something I thought he cared little about seeing as he tends to let people down here and there.
"It's nothing, at least I know his weakness. If anything happens I can just sleep with him to get what I want!" I said trying to lighten the mood.
"I don't know how you do things in the future, but here that only works in Tortuga." Jack explained.
Trying to smile, the events of the night piled up in my emotions box until it was over filled. Before I even knew I was about to cry Jack had me in his arms. Letting the tears come freely but without making a sound was my way of emptying the nights disaster. Jack kissed the top of my head affectionately.
A rustle came from the trees behind us as the sound of someone tripping echoed into the forest. Jack kept a protective arm around me while he pulled out his gun and cocked it pointing it in the direction of the noise.
"It's me, It's William." Will called out emerging from the trees. I motioned for Jack to put down the gun, but he only did so after I put a hand on top and forcefully pushed it down. Shrugging Jack pocketed the gun again.
"How long 'ave ye been there lad?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"Long enough. Duchess please tell me what is going on." Will pleaded. Ugh, not another long story.
"Why ye be wanting to know so badly?" Jack asked. I shivered from the cold night air. Both men noticed and that was all she wrote, they were in a race to see who could remove their jacket the fastest to offer it to me. Blushing I insisted I was fine.
"But Liss you will catch your death of cold out here." William said insisting I take HIS jacket.
"William, I come from a place called the north mid-west, we have snow 7 out of 12 months, and I wander about outside barefoot at times!" I exclaimed.
"Ye be my bonny lass, and ye'll be taken me jacket." Jack said straight up.
"As much as I appreciate the offers, I can take care of myself." I said opening the car door and popping my trunk.
I had my emergency stuck in a snow storm in southern California kit a.k.a beach party kit, packed in my trunk. Four blankets, food rations consisting of mostly candy, and s'more ingredients, a lighter, and some reading material.
"Bloody magic monstrosity." I heard Jack mumble to himself as he pulled on his jacket once more. I pulled out a hoodie I had laying in the back seat and put it on.
"You want to know what is going on?" I asked to William, who nodded with a kind of resoluteness, "Fine then, go get some kindling and fire wood and I will tell you everything." Laying the blankets down by the car I sat myself down and waited for Will's return.
Sitting around the fire after I had explained my entire story to William was a little freeing. There were no longer any lies between me and him, and I felt closer to him in a way. Not as close as Jack had insisted we sit, but close enough. Jack had actually fallen asleep, his head in my lap.
"So you aren't a duchess." William asked sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest.
"Nope, I'm just a med student, trying to work my way up to be an ER doctor." I sighed thinking of all the school I had missed.
"And you and Jack?" William questioned hopefully.
I sighed looking down at Jack sleeping. Must have had a bit too much rum tonight. I caressed his cheek affectionately avoiding the open wound on his right jaw line, you know the one that never seems to heal. Mumbling a bit he opened one eye to see me, grabbing my hand he kissed it and got comfy before falling back asleep.
"I know things wont work out between me and anyone here. I'm too different, and I have to go back home." I said feeling a choking sensation in my throat.
Will laughed, "You and Jack are exactly the same person."
"I suppose so." I said staring into the fire.
What seemed like an hour later both William and Jack were asleep but I was still looking around at the fire and the shadows that danced across the forest. Jack moved about in my lap and noticed that I was still awake.
"You alright?" He asked squinting up at me. I nodded at him giving him a weak smile. "Ye want to go back to the house an' get in bed?" He asked sitting up. I shook my head.
"Jack, what are you going to do once I go back home?" I asked, he looked a little taken aback. He pushed a finger to his pursed lips and looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I wasn't expectin' you to go back." Jack said finally. I looked a little surprised and furrowed my brow at him. "Didn't ye wonder why I was so late to the party?"
"I figured you were getting some pre rum in." I replied.
"True enough, but, I was also looking for this." He said pulling something shiny out of his pocket. I gasped as he held up a gold ring with a giant princess cut diamond fitted on top.
"Oh, Jack." I said looking at it in awe.
"I wanted to give it to you on the ship, but ye ran off before I had a chance to." Jack said twisting the ring in the fire light. "And there be something I've been wantin' to ask you."
There you have chapter twelve. OMG is he going to propose? Didn't William try that one once? What the heck did they put in his rum? I wonder what the big question is! And if you are completely offended by the fact I would whack Jack's character and personality, trust me before you flame me please! Like OMG 7 hours until POTC3!! Well on to Chapter 13 for me, see you there!
