London Calling
Author: williz
Summary: Modern Will/Elizabeth and definitely AU. Will and Elizabeth are lovers in London and this is the story of their lives. Plots will filter in and out of the story. It's mostly for destroying my writer's block.
Note: This story is dedicated to Mz-Turner. She is my soul sister and whenever I have writer's block, she gets the juices running. Thanks soul sister!!!!
Disclaimer: William Turner and Elizabeth Swann do not belong to me. Although, if you are Disney and want to reach me to negotiate...email me. I'm up for whatever you have to offer. Keira Knightley...if you want to give me a call, maybe we can shop, grab a coffee, cuss out Lindsay Lohan, what have you.
William sighed as he stepped off of the bus, his backpack hung over his shoulder. He looked up at the gigantic, old, majestic theater and squinted.
It was strange to think that this whole thing belonged to him and had belonged to him since his father's death. It was high above him, but it was old-fashioned and elegant. The doors were shackled tightly and a few of the high windows were broken or cracked, but it was still terribly beautiful.
This building had been passed down to the first son of each Turner. And so far it had been kept in the Turner male line.
This was what William Turner feared the most. His business was entirely too slow at his blacksmith shop. He received so few customers, that it seemed his trade was forming more of a hobby than anything else. Something he did on the side.
None could possibly guess that he lived off of the small amount of money he was making. The young man hadn't even bought groceries in the last three weeks. He was surviving off of small portions and no heating in his apartment. His bill also hadn't been paid for last month.
The landlord understood his predicament, but still needed the pay for two months in the next few weeks if at all possible.
And Will had yet to tell any of this to his girlfriend.
He reached into his trouser pocket and felt the small, velvet box with his fingers. Inside of that box was the ring he meant to propose with. Before he did anything with that ring, he knew he would have to call Weatherby Swann for permission, as any respectable man in love should due. He wouldn't even consider it though…at least not until he picked himself up out of this drought in his income.
Will walked up to the doors and put his hand on the cold steel sealing them. He had the key to the building in his apartment, hidden in the drawer where he kept his father's things.
Ever since he realized what was happening, Will Turner had begun contemplating what might happen were he to sell this heirloom to someone outside of his family. The mere thought of letting something this priceless go to some other money monger made him feel sick to his stomach.
But the worse alternative was losing the most precious thing in the world to him.
Elizabeth Swann.
He knew that he could never support two people off of what he was receiving from sales lately. He barely ate two meals a day now. And they were small at that.
As if to remind the boy of life's idiocies, his stomach growled loudly.
With a grunt, Will ran his cold hand through his hair and turned away from the theater. He walked one block down the street and came to the London Roberts Orphanage. As he pushed the door open, he was immediately hit with a gust of warm, comfortable air.
He unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and immediately felt two small arms tackle his legs. "WILL!"
He looked down and chuckled, his spirits already raised a smidgen. "Hello Bruno. How are you today?"
"Good! Except I accidentally knocked over Kelly's painting and nothin' 'appened to it but she's been really mean now. I said I was sorry though."
"I'm sure Kelly was just worried about her painting. You'll be alri…"
"William! Young man, it's good to see you." Mr. Roberts came out of his office and shook hands with Will, a large grin on his face. Ever since first meeting Will Turner, the man had come to think of him as a sort of son. The boy was better than any son he could wish for. "How is the business at the shop?"
Will's eyes dimmed a bit, not going unnoticed by the elder man, but brightened again. "As well as it could, I suppose. How is everything here?" He quickly changed subjects. Again, Mr. Roberts knew this but did nothing to let on and made a note in the back of his mind to inquire with Elizabeth about it later.
"Oh everything is fine. Fine. The Missus has lately been getting on my back about some of the children misbehaving, but I'm afraid they're just at that age. You know what I mean."
Will laughed. "Oh, I do indeed."
Both men turned when they heard the door to the washroom open. Elizabeth came out half wet dragging a pouting little girl out with her. "Will, I almost forgot! Oh, I'm sorry! Just give me a few minutes!"
"No rush, love." Will grinned at her, looking down at the little girl. Her angry little pout brightened as she met Will's gaze.
"Mr. Will! Mr. Will!" She pushed her wet, blonde hair out of her eyes and ran to him, leaving a little wet trail behind her little five year old feet.
"Belle! Are you giving Miss Elizabeth trouble?"
"She made me get washed and I don't wanna, Mr. Will! Tell her I don't wanna!"
"Well, I must say I commend you for not wanting to get washed!" He winked at Elizabeth who smiled amusedly down at the small scene. The little girl's eyes became wide.
"You do?!"
"Of course! Not every little girl is so kind and hospitable as to not wash so that the little bed bugs and germs have a home in her hair and in between her little toes every night!"
"EW!!!" She turned to Elizabeth. "Am I washed, Miss Elizabeth?!"
"You're done. No bed bugs or germs, I promise." She bit her lips to keep from laughing.
"Good! Mr. Will, sorry to not give the bugs a home, but I don't want them in my toes!" She skipped out of the room, still a bit wet, but Elizabeth figured someone else would take care of the girl went she went into the night room.
"Well, I'll let you kids be off then. I have work to do. Unfortunately." He gave them a wry smile. "Have fun at dinner, hm?"
"Thanks, Mr. Roberts." Elizabeth kissed his cheek.
"Goodnight, Sir. Hope to see you again soon."
"Likewise, William."
They watched as the man left them alone. Elizabeth reached up to hug Will. She felt how cold his skin was. "What have you been doing?" She asked, pulling back and feeling the cold skin of his cheek with her palm.
"I took the bus and walked a bit."
"But it's freezing outside! Why wouldn't you just drive?"
"Uh…I couldn't really bring myself to I guess. Tired of driving. I guess I wanted to try something new for once. Do you mind walking a little?" He felt absolutely ridiculous and ashamed. He had stopped car payments lately and took the bus or walked everywhere he went.
"Oh…well, alright. Of course I don't mind. I just thought you may be sick or something. Just give me a second and I'll change out of these wet clothes I have obtained thanks to little Belle and her bath." She giggled and kissed his lips before darting away quickly.
Will hung his head and reached into his pocket to feel the box again. By every so often feeling the velvet of the box and reminding himself of what was in it, he kept awake the fury and power of striving on and fighting to keep working. He had something to work for.
A future with the woman he loved.
"Will?"
"Yes, love?"
"I've just been thinking about things lately…where are you?" Elizabeth walked through the hallway of her apartment, looking into each room for her boyfriend as she went.
"In your room," he called out.
As she went into her room at the end of the hall, she leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed in front of her. She watched him as he sat up from his laying position on her bed. "Why are you on my bed, Mister?"
"Technically, we share it."
"Don't be cheeky," she giggled. "Really, though. Are you feeling alright? You're sort of despondent and what not." She pushed herself from the doorway and walked to sit next to him, running a hand through his hair. "Hm?"
"I'm not despondent, what makes you say that?" He asked.
"You always come and stand next to me when I'm cleaning up the kitchen and all that, but you're all huddled in here on my bed alone. You feeling sick?"
"Nah, no of course not. I'm fit as a whistle." He grinned boyishly at her and leaned over to kiss her nose. "I promise, I'm extremely healthy."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, love. I promise."
"I know you."
"Honestly, Elizabeth. Are you so full of yourself that you think you can judge every one of my actions? Goodness!" She rolled her eyes as his eyes twinkled teasingly.
"Oh, God."
"I mean, who's going to love you when all the mirrors are gone?"
"Shut up!" She laughed, hitting him over the head with a pillow and pushing him over so that she lay atop him on the mattress. "Why do you have to be so cheeky?" Her tone took on a completely loving tone as she stared into his eyes and pushed his dark hair from his brow. She leant down to kiss his eyelids, but when she pulled away, she saw tumult in his dark eyes.
"Elizabeth, I have to talk to you. I can't keep anything from you anymore." He turned his head on its side so that he wasn't looking at her anymore and shut his eyes.
"What have you been keeping from me?" The young woman's tone was completely serious now. "Will…what?"
"Have you recently wondered why I'm hardly ever at my own home? Or why I haven't really been driving my car?" He asked her, looking back up into her confused and slightly worried gaze.
"Yes, I have actually. I figured you got in a bit of a tuff with your landlord again."
"No, he's actually being alright about it. Pretty understanding."
"Understanding about what, Will?" She asked, getting off of him and sitting at the edge of the bed. He sat up and joined her.
"I'm not making much money anymore, Elizabeth. Blacksmithing isn't going to cut it after this month. I'm out."
"Out?"
"No one's coming in anymore, Elizabeth. I've lost all of my customers. There are a few who still come in and buy. A few custom made orders every few days or so. But they aren't enough anymore. I'm out."
Finally, she understood. "Oh, Will…" She moved closer to him and set her hand on his back, rubbing it comfortingly. "Why couldn't you tell me?"
"I haven't paid the bill for electricity. So I have no heat, no running water, and I'm a month late in paying my rent. If I use my car, it will die and I've lost the automobile insurance I had. I'm losing things, Elizabeth."
She shook her head. "Will, how long has this been going on? Why didn't I know this before? Why did you keep it from me?!" She demanded, turning his face to look into hers. "Answer me! This is serious!"
"It's only been a month or so, Elizabeth. Not too long."
"That is too long, Will Turner! Look at you! What have you been eating?" There was a sickening pause. "You haven't been eating, have you?"
"I have…"
"Will! I'm ashamed of you, tramping in here and…"
"Well how do you think I feel?!" He interrupted savagely, standing up from the bed and staring down at her. "You think I'm not ashamed?! The one thing in my life that I can actually succeed at is blacksmithing and I can't even earn enough to keep myself! How do you think it makes me feel to sit in my shop ten hours a day with maybe one customer who is 'just browsing'?" His voice quivered and he turned from her.
"Will…" She breathed, watching as he hung his head.
"How do you think I feel knowing that I've failed at life. After all these years, working, trying, overcoming what everyone thought I could never overcome, I've failed. And I've become, or I'm in the process at least, what they always thought I'd become. A failure." He sighed, his breath coming out shaky, his eyes shutting tightly and warding the tears off. The last thing he needed was Elizabeth seeing him cry now. He heard her stand from the bed and felt her take his arms.
"You are not a failure, Will. You will never be a failure. Never. Not to me."
"I am a failure. I have nothing left to do. I have no skills. No education passed high school. All I have is blacksmithing. Elizabeth, it's over. That part of my life is over. No one wants any of these traditional pieces of crap anymore. They want machine made, strong weapons. Shit!" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Why don't you take some classes?" She asked him, trying to quell not only his terrible feelings, but hers as well. If only she could dispel him of these thoughts and get him to think about solving the problem. But she understood him. And she knew he took pride in his work, in his skill, and he took pride in being able to look strong before her.
She knew he felt weak and it was killing him for her to see it.
But she didn't care. Will Turner was hers. And she wasn't going to let this happen to him.
"I can't take classes," he said. "I can't afford them. I couldn't afford them when my father was alive, when I had money, how could I afford them now that I have none?" He nearly spat.
"Will, come on. Be reasonable. Just keep working and we'll see what happens. What are you afraid to lose?" She smiled softly, but found his features were just as stony as ever.
"You, Elizabeth." His eyes suddenly reflected great pain. "I'm afraid to lose to you."
"You wont lose me, Will. How many times do I have to tell you I love you?"
"That has nothing to do with it."
"That has every damn thing to do with it. And don't try to tell me otherwise!" She barked.
"Elizabeth, how could I possibly provide for two people the way I'm going now?" He asked her, looking her straight in the eye. "I can't."
"You don't have to provide for me…" She started, but was immediately interrupted.
"Not yet, maybe. But in the future…." He stopped completely, swallowing.
"The future, Will?" He saw a flare of hope, which gave him everything he needed, but he pushed the soaring feelings from his heart and kept talking.
"Elizabeth, my future is nonexistent without you in it." He stroked her cheek with every bit of love he had inside of him. "But the harder I try at making this stupid shop successful again, the further and further my dream of the future drifts from becoming a reality and it kills me."
Her head was reeling. Will Turner just professed to wanting a future with him.
"And the closer I become to doing what I promised my father I would never do."
"Will, no."
"I may have to."
"Will, no. You can't sell that theater! It's an heirloom! It's the most important thing you own!" She grabbed his hand. "Will, no. Don't do it."
"I may have to," he said, shaking his head. "I cannot forsake my own living for a building."
Elizabeth was silent, knowing she had no say in it.
"If I want a future, I might be forced to sell it."
"And if I am the woman who spends that future by your side, as I wish for every day, I don't want to see you living with the regret for the rest of your life." She hugged him tightly, hoping that this would at least buy her enough time to speak to Mr. Roberts. She had an idea.
"Mr. Roberts, if he loses that blacksmith shop completely, he will of course stay with me in my apartment, but I fear he would forever lose his self-confidence! And I don't know what to do at all." Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair and sighed, her eyes troubled.
"Yes, that is a problem. I don't quite know what I could do. I could offer him a job here. The children love Will." He grinned, finding himself having a soft spot for the young man as well.
"I know they do, and I think secretly William would enjoy working with them as well. Outwardly, he would do everything he could to deflect the kindness you show him. If there is one thing he will never lose, it is his pride." Her smile was whimsical as she thought of the boy she spoke of. And he was a boy.
Yes, he was twenty-four years old, and hadn't been a boy since he was practically forced into adulthood at the death of his mother when he was a child, but there were little things she noticed, faces he made, things he said, things he didn't understand…like a little boy. And she loved it.
"Then I know nothing that I could possibly do to help…I am very sorry for him. I know the projects I have seen him complete in that shop were amazing. His trade is far beyond skill, Elizabeth; he is a genius."
"I know it. And I'm afraid he may not. No one is buying, there is really no more market for it now that there are other hobbies for grown men to delve into, like golf, other sports. Fencing isn't so popular and collecting blades and other things of metal are no longer popular either."
Mr. Roberts nodded and shook his head. "It's a sad thing that he may have to get rid of that theater."
"Well, he can't! I won't let him get rid of it! It's the last tie he has with his father, with his family! It's something he can pass down to his children someday. He can't just sell it!" She missed the amused and teasing smirk Mr. Roberts threw in her direction at her mentioning of Will's children.
"It's such a beautiful building though. If William had the money to refurbish it, it could make him a good amount of money, couldn't it?" He asked, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling.
He sprung back to sit straight when Elizabeth suddenly snapped and cried "I've got it!"
"What?!" He asked, surprised.
"The theater, Mr. Roberts. It could make you so much money!"
"No, no, no, Elizabeth. I cannot buy that theater from your young man! It would mean…"
"No, Mr. Roberts! I'm not saying you buy it. You could go into joint contract with Will and pay to have it refurbished. We can all pitch in and have it beautiful again, shining and bright, new curtains on the stage, reupholstered chairs, clean, smooth wood onstage. And we could use it for the orphanage! You know how much these kids like to put on puppet shows and plays!" Her voice was becoming faster and faster and more passionate.
Even Mr. Roberts couldn't hold himself back from leaning closer.
"By golly, we could use that stage, couldn't we? And we could have other drama troupes perform…you know, those traveling harlequins! And we would collect a percentage of their profits. It will be a hit in London! There aren't too many good theaters around!" His eyes were alight with excitement. Suddenly they dimmed. "I think your William might be too proud for even that, Elizabeth."
"He looks up to you, Mr. Roberts. I see it in him. You have a beautiful wife and share a wonderful marriage with her full of love and happiness, you are hard-working, and you've done something which has helped so many children over the years. He admires you. When he says no to me, he won't be able to say no to you. I'm sure of it." She paused. "Besides, it's a good idea, is it not?"
"It is, indeed. Bring that boy in here as soon as possible."
"I think he's out there with Sam right now."
"Good, send him in. We'll have a good ol' fashion business discussion."
Elizabeth stood up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much, Mr. Roberts! You have no idea how much this means to me."
"You really do love that boy, don't you?"
"I do ever so much," she whispered, grinning with the sincerity of it. He laughed and waved her out of his office.
"Oh!" She turned to him. "And make sure Will knows I had nothing to do with this decision, and nothing to do with the planning of it."
"Of course."
She walked out of the office and strode into the play room where her boyfriend was on his hands and knees, the five year old Sam sitting on his back and holding Will's semi-long hair in his little fist.
"GO FASTER, HORSIE! FASTER!"
Will neighed and jumped up on his 'haunches' before going back down and chuckling with the little boy.
Elizabeth laughed. "Sam, be careful with that hair! I like it too much to see it go."
He let go and toppled onto the carpet. "Alright, Miss Lizzie."
"Thank you," she giggled, going over to Will and fixing his ponytail. He looked up at her and smiled widely, flopping over onto his back. "C'mon, Mr. Turner. Up you go." She reached down for him to grab her hand so that she could help him up.
"Why? I'm comfortable like this." His smile turned cheeky.
"Because, Mr. Cheeky, Mr. Roberts wants to talk to you about something he won't tell me about. That's why."
"A secret?"
"Yes, I suppose."
"Oh, I like secrets. Help me up."
She rolled her eyes in amusement and hoisted him up. When he popped his head forward to kiss her lips, Sam groaned in disgust and ran away, earning a laugh from the couple. He took her hand and kissed her palm before walking into the other room where he continued into Mr. Roberts' office.
"Hello, William."
"Hello, Boss."
The older man chuckled. "Sit down, I've been thinking and I have a bit of a proposition for you."
"What kind of proposition?" Will asked before sitting down.
"A business one. It has come to my attention through eavesdropping on your conversations with others and through my own discussions with you and Elizabeth that you have a contract for a rather large theater in the community."
"Get to the point, Sir…I might know what it is. You want to buy my theater?"
"No, no. You've got the wrong idea."
"What is it?"
"Well, these kids are a rather entertaining and theatrical group and I was hoping you might open the theater up to the London Roberts Orphanage for us to put on productions?" His eyes were hopeful.
"I'm sorry, Sir. But the theater is out of commission. It's old and dirty and would take millions to get everything to do all of the clean-up and refurbishing. I'm terribly sorry. You know I would love for the kids to use it…"
"I'll pay."
"You'll what?"
"I said I'll pay…for everything." His face was completely serious.
Will stood up with his hands outstretched in front of him, shaking his head. "No, Sir. No, no, no. I'm not taking any of your money. There will be no charity money. I swore to myself when I started my job that I would never take charity."
"This isn't charity, Will. I am hoping you might like to sign a contract for joint ownership for the theater...the Turner Theater…and we would share all profits at fifty percent each. Then when I die, most assuredly before you, I'm sure, the theater will pass fully into your name and my money will transfer into donations. Then you may pass it to your son. I think it's a foolproof plan that both of us could profit from. But you would need to handle most of it, I'm afraid."
"Mr. Roberts, this…this is…I don't understand why you would do this?"
"Like I said, we need that theater, if you'd be so obliged, son." He smiled widely and outstretched his hand. "Do we have an accord?"
Will thought for a long time, staring down at the hand and sighing. "Mr. Roberts, this is a big decision."
"I don't see what you have to lose…"
"Nothing, but you have a lot to lose. Your money, Mr. Roberts."
"Of which I have plenty, William. Remember? This theater will be the making of you and I. Come on and shake my hand."
Will shook his head with an amused grin and shook the older man's hand who began beaming. "We have an accord, Mr. Roberts. I'll take care of all of the dirty work if you provide the funds."
"Deal!"
They stood and embraced as a father and son would. Will then grinned widely and walked out of the office, a new spring in his step.
Elizabeth met him near the door. "Elizabeth, we're going out to celebrate right now!" He exclaimed, lifting her in his arms and twirling her. She squealed with laughter as he set her down again, a wide smile on both their faces.
"For what?! What are we celebrating?"
"Blacksmithing is just a hobby, Lizzie. Just a hobby…I have a new job."
"What?" She tilted her head.
Will suddenly had a mischievous look in his eye. "The plan you had about making Mr. Roberts pitch that idea for joint ownership of my theater was excellent."
"My plan? What do you mean?" She asked, her eyes completely innocent.
"You trouble maker! I knew it was your plan. Your pretty little name is written all over it."
"I didn't…"
"But I love you for it."
"You do?" Her eyes were wide as she backed away a bit.
"I do. You were trying to protect my stupid pride, and in the process you came up with the best idea I've ever heard." He kissed her quickly, surprising the young woman as she laughed against his mouth.
"What in the world? I thought you would be incredibly pissed at me!"
"I am a bit. But the absolute excitement of this whole thing becoming real is overcoming my annoyance with you. And I love you. We have to celebrate. Tonight. Now. Sometime!"
She laughed. "Alright, can I finish my job first? Give me an hour. Go get some food or something and calm down a bit then come back for me in an hour."
"I've got to plan! I have so much work to do! I have to start!"
"Oh my God, Will! Calm down, love!"
"I'm calm as a cucumber!"
"Cool?"
"What?"
She shook her head, laughing. "Never mind. Just be careful and don't be so blindly excited that you wander into the street and get hit by a car because I can't imagine my life without you, alright?" She kissed his nose lovingly.
"Alright, love." He kissed her back.
"Good. See you in a bit."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" He said, excited as he jogged out of the orphanage's front doors.
"Miss Lizzie?" Sam peaked into the room with wide, confused eyes.
"Yes, Sam?"
"Is Mr. Will ok?"
"I'm not sure…he's a bit insane. But he's just excited."
"Ok. Wanna see my painting?"
"Of course I do." She followed Sam into the other room to see what his clever little mind came up with this time.
"Jack, it's going to be amazing."
"Don't you dare ask me if I'll help refurbish that gigantic piece of shit you call a theater," Jack said, walking through the kitchen of the Black Pearl with a hot plate sizzling in his oven mitt. Will was following him and getting on the older man's nerves.
"Why not? You love that kind of stuff! And it's not a piece of shit!"
A woman looked up at him as they entered into the dining area, glaring in his direction.
"Uh…sorry…."
"Will, you'll frighten away the customers, mate. Now get out o' 'ere an' we'll talk about this later, savvy? I've got thin's ter do!" Jack said, rolling his eyes but amused all the same.
"Alright, alright….where's Ana?"
"Now don't go getting 'er involved in this either! Ya hear me?"
"Alright, alright….but…where is she?"
"Not tellin' yeh."
"Where is she, Jack? I just want to say hi. Can't I say hi? I just want to say hi to her. Jaaack…." He grinned teasingly. "Jaaack, c'mon, big brother. Jack? Jack, Jack. Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack…"
"She's in the back alley feedin' the stray dog out there, alright?!" Jack barked, causing a few startled customers nearby to jump.
"Thanks!" Will ran off to the back door where the alley was.
"Don' go mentionin' this to 'er! Will?! WILL!" Jack called after him. He grumbled under his breath. "Woman'll go makin' me work on th'damn theater. Call it Sparrow Theater an' see wot kin'o' 'elp I'll give 'im."
Will stepped outside and saw Ana Maria clicking her tongue at a small, ragged mutt and setting a tray down in front of it with the skins from the meat. When she turned, she gasped, not expecting her husband's best friend standing behind her. "Will, God! Why yeh do tha'?!" She smacked him in the back of his head, then laughed when he yelped.
"Ow! God, Ana! What's that for?!"
"Fer bein' stupid! What are yeh doin' 'ere?!" She asked, wiping her hands on her apron.
"I've got some major news to tell you."
"Wot's tha'?"
"I'm signing my father's theater for joint ownership."
"Will! How could yeh? After all your grandfathers went through to keep that buildin' in th'family!" She smacked the back of his head again. "Who'd yeh sell it to?!"
"Ow, wait! Joint ownership with Mr. Roberts, Elizabeth's boss. He's the owner of the London Roberts Orphanage, Ana. Which means he's a good friend. He's writing the contract so that we split profits between the two of us. He's paying for refurbishing and the repairs. The orphans get to use it for their own productions and all I have to do is keep it up."
"Tha's not a bad deal at all," she said, raising one eyebrow and pursing her lips. "But it still ain't in th'family, is it?"
"In his will, Mr. Roberts has promised that the contract and all ownership will be passed to me after his death and passed to my son after my own. It will be kept in my family. All of his money that will go into the theater yearly will then be transferred into donations, rather than ownership paying."
"Why'd the ol' man do it?" She asked, grabbing Will's arm and pulling him inside with her.
"He likes me. He needs the theater. And Elizabeth probably tricked him."
"She would, wouldn't she?" Ana Maria said in laughter, crossing her arms. "I've always liked tha' lass o' yers. I really have."
"Yeah…me too."
"Look, nobody knows about this and you can't tell anybody, alright Jim, Kate?" Will looked face to face with the sixteen year old boy and fourteen year old girl standing beside him. "I know I can trust you two to keep my secret, but I really need to know you're willing to help."
"I am."
"Me too, Will," Kate piped up. She grinned at him. Will Turner really was incredibly hot, despite the ten year age difference between them. But she resigned herself to knowing he would always have eyes for Elizabeth, not that she really expected anything before. But he was still really hot.
"Ok, so…this is my plan. And I trust you both. Know that…."
The young man continued to regale all of his plans for the night to the teenagers. It had to be right. And if it was, he promised them favors. He knew not what he was getting himself into, but he recognized both Jim and Kate as good kids and he knew he had nothing to worry about.
He hoped.
Elizabeth took Will's hand and moved closer to him as they neared the large, towering theater. "Will, why are we here?"
"I have a hankering to explore my theater. I thought it would be more fun with my girl." He stopped in front of the padlocked doors. "Are you alright with it? Should I just come back alone tomorrow?" His eyes were sincere as he looked at her, no trace of teasing found in his chocolate eyes.
"No, no! Of course I want to see it. You scarcely ever mentioned it to me over the last three years, let alone took me inside and the curiosity is certainly there. C'mon, let's go in." Elizabeth grinned in excitement.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course!"
"Alright. You can hold my hand if you are frightened." This time, his eyes were teasing, in fact, incredibly so.
"Ha ha, so cheeky it's charming. Just take me inside, Mr. Turner."
He released her hand with a laugh and fished his keys from his coat pocket. It took him about two minutes to finally get it unlocked and pull the gigantic metal chains from the doors. He then took another set of keys from the key ring and unlocked the large, wooden doors. Pushing the doors open, they were immersed in the darkness of the place.
Dust rose from the walls, the floor and everything in between, causing both of them to cough a bit. Elizabeth waited to hear Will put the keys away before grabbing his hand again. It was terribly dark.
"Should have brought a flashlight," she whispered, as if afraid to speak any louder.
"I did." She looked down and saw a beam of light suddenly explode from near Will's other arm.
"Oh. I didn't see that before."
"It was in my bag." Will always carried his large knapsack around with him when he needed more than just his wallet and phone with him.
"Alright, so where are we going?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm going to take you through the lobby to the stage."
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the darkness overcoming both of their senses for awhile as they strove on. They realized they were lost a few times, but then found their way to the aisles and aisles of seats.
Elizabeth felt cold, and realized they were in a larger space. "This is the audience now?" She asked.
"Yes, I believe so." He flashed the beam over the backs of the dusty, grand chairs.
"How long has this place been unused?" The young woman asked, pushing back a chill that threatened to cascade through her.
"I would say it closed before my grandfather got it…so maybe in the late nineteen twenties."
"Yes, it shows…I'm sure there are other life forms dwelling in the dust particles that come off the ground with each step we take." Will chuckled at her comment and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Let's get up on the stage. I brought candles."
"Did you now?" Elizabeth asked, a coy look on her face and mischief coming from her tone.
"I did, indeed. Because I knew there would be no electricity, so get your dirty mind out of here."
She giggled. "Any red-blooded Englishwoman would think as I did, so don't trip."
"Don't trip?" He laughed. She laughed as well.
"Shut up!"
They made it to the steps leading up to the stage. Elizabeth immediately put one foot on the step and almost moved up, but Will pulled her back quickly. "Wait!"
"What?!" She squeaked, having been shocked by the speed of which he grabbed her and pulled her back into him.
"It might not be strong enough to support you. As incredibly light as you are, my love, I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I'll go first."
"Alright…but don't you get hurt either."
"I won't." He put one foot on the step and stomped lightly, deeming it sturdy enough for his weight to be on it.
But the moment he did put his weight on it, his foot busted through and there was a loud crash and a groan. His foot was in the hollow step up to his ankle.
"Will! Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm good. Just my pride, really."
She giggled and helped him ease his foot out. "Holy shit, ow."
"Poor darling," she cooed, taking his arm again. "Why don't we just climb onto the stage from here?"
"Might as well," he agreed. "I'll lift you." He grabbed her by her lithe waist and lifted her easily up to sit on the stage. "Hope you don't mind dust on your ass, because there's no way of preventing it now."
"Who cares?"
He hopped up beside her and kissed her cheek, despite the fact that he could still barely see her. "I certainly don't. An ass with dust is an ass that's been somewhere."
She threw her head back and laughed, falling back against the stage comfortably. "And so what shall we do in here? What have you planned?"
He pulled his bag off of his shoulders and set it down beside him, opening the flap and rummaging for a few moments. Then he pulled out a few candles and a box of matches.
"Candles? Is that safe?"
"Yeah it's safe. No worries. I did this all the time when I was a kid. If a ten year old can do this safely, so can a twenty four year old." He set the candles up in the middle of the stage and took the matches out, lighting them and setting the stage alight.
Elizabeth looked around in awe at what she could see. It was absolutely grand and beautiful, everything she had imagined an old theater would be. She reveled in what she could do with it when they started working on it.
Will plopped down next to her and pulled her close to him, looking up at the ceiling. The flames of the candle waved in the slight breeze that came in from outside through the small slits and holes in the roof, causing the shadows to dance across the ceiling of the stage. "You know, this is rather romantic," he said softly.
"It's very romantic. Was this your plan: to seduce me in your theater, Mr. Turner?" She leaned over him, propped up on her elbow.
"Partly. I also wanted you to see it, as I intend to involve you in some of the decorating. Women are mostly helpful when it comes to that sort of stuff."
"Oh, thanks a bundle," she giggled, smacking his arm lightly. He reached up to gently push her from him so that he could stand. "Where you going?" She asked, sitting up and looking at his towering form, the candle light creating shadows on his chiseled features. He grinned, bowing to her in a gentleman-like fashion.
"May I have this dance, milady?"
She smirked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "I make it a habit not to dance with gentlemen I do not know, sir." Elizabeth turned her head away a bit, raising her chin haughtily.
"Ah, but don't you know me?"
She looked at him again, squinting up at him. "Hm…no. I don't believe so. I am sorry."
"Then shall I make acquaintance with you?"
"I see no reason why…"
He ignored her. "My name is William Turner, milady. Now may I have this dance?"
"I suppose." She thrust out her hand, her eyebrows raised in a teasing expectation. He took her hand and began lifting her from the ground, but he let go suddenly, causing her to land on her behind with a thump and an 'Oof!'
"William Turner!" She scolded, looking up at him with a slightly amused glare.
"Sorry, milady. Butter fingers. Runs in my family, unfortunately. Care to give it another try?" He grinned cheekily at her as he lifted her from the ground. With ease, he shed her of her scarf and jacket, leaving her only in her jeans and sweater. He himself had shed his jacket and scarf earlier.
Putting his hand on her waist, he took her left hand with his right, allowing her to place her own right hand on his shoulder. With his handsome features suddenly proud and haughty, he began to bring her around the candles in a waltz, both of them moving with grace and agility, as if they were from the time period in which the theater they danced on was built.
Elizabeth broke character and began to laugh, enjoying the dancing and curious as to where Will learned to waltz. As they began to slow the waltz, the soft tunes of old music began to reverberate through the theater. Elizabeth tensed, her eyes wide as she clutched at Will's shirt in surprise. "Will," she breathed.
"Don't worry, love," he replied softly, "Just dance with me."
He wrapped his arms around Elizabeth, a twinkle in his eye telling her he had an accomplice or two that were playing the music. She relaxed, biting her lip and snuggling into him, putting her arms around his neck. One of Benny Goodman's old records spun from somewhere hidden. Remembering her father's old records when she was a child, she knew this was Moonlight Serenade, one of the more popular songs of the 1940s.
They stopped dancing and Elizabeth felt warm lips catch her own in a soft, loving kiss. Will's hand moved up to her neck and pulled her a bit closer as they embraced. As he pulled his lips away slowly, they both shut their eyes and reveled in the beauty of the crackling music in the background, the candles at their feet.
"Elizabeth," Will whispered as the record player stopped.
"Sh, just be quiet for now."
"No, this is important." The tone in his voice told her he was serious in his words and she moved her head back from his, opening her eyes to let him know she was listening.
"Elizabeth, before today I thought everything was going to change. I thought our relationship would change. I thought I would lose everything. But Mr. Roberts, you, you changed my life. I've got heading and a future that has so recently become so clear…" His voice got caught in his throat as he felt himself beginning to tense up.
Elizabeth just watched him, her lips parting.
"I love you," he tried again. "And when I think of the opening of this theater, I imagine every night being in Box 5 with the girl of my dreams sitting beside me." One of his hands moved down into his pocket and felt for the velvet box that resided there.
Elizabeth wasn't entirely lost on this gesture, but her heart was beating rapidly as she stared into his eyes. She listened to him talk on and on about the future, about the theater, about how much he loved her, wanting only for him to get to his point, as much as she loved his flattering remarks.
That is, if his point was what she thought it was. If it was, God help her, for she feared she would faint of happiness.
"What I mean to say…is that when I think of my future, I can't think of it and not imagine you beside me. In one year, five years, ten years…I'll be an old man with you beside me as an old woman. And then only thing I can think of to make this happen is if I take the next step." He was dumb in silence, swallowing and diverting his eyes to his feet.
Elizabeth was impatient as she stared at him, waiting for him to finish. "What's the next step?" She asked, her throat tight with emotion.
"Will you…"
A sudden gust of wind from nowhere blew across the stage, putting all candles out and pitching the couple into complete darkness, with only the sound of heavy breathing and the feel of their bodies pressed together to know they were alright.
(A/N): Sorry I took so long, guys. The year is winding down. College is looming over my head. I'm going to miss my friends. And my theater. Sad face. But I have lots that I'm doing right now. I wrote a few scripts that I got into the IB Theatre show, which is exciting. I believe two of my scripts are in. Yay!
But I watched At World's End tonight. It exceeded my expectations very much. I'm very pleased with it.
And Keira is the bomb. She completely was the best character and she did better on this film than I expected, even though I never expect any less, as she's a genius. But I'm excited that she was PIRATE KING! And now I point and laugh at all of the Elizabeth haters. You all suck because she was the main focus of this film. And I laugh at you.
The end.
Thanks for reviewing everyone. See you in a bit.
-williz
