A/N: Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

Chapter 25

Elizabeth did not think that Jack was serious. Steer the ship... No, he could not be entirely serious. Her mind was processing the endless chain of random thoughts, as she was buttoning the shirt, and pulling the breeches on. The boots were little too big, but they fit surprisingly well, nevertheless. She grabbed a brush, and began brushing her hair, noticing that her hands were trembling. Why was it so? She smiled nervously to herself, tying her hair with a ribbon. She put the hat on, and sighed excitedly. She did not know why she felt this way, but there was something overwhelmingly elating in the entire situation. She felt as if she was getting closer... Getting closer to... herself, to the recognition, to... the memory? No. Actually, somehow she did not think it had anything to do with the memory. Unless it was connected with the memory of herself... Who was she? The question bothered her, exhausted her. Except for those moments when she did not care... Those moments in his arms... Only then, she did not care, she did not care about anything. Or rather... In those moments she knew who she was... Even without knowing it... If that made sense... which it did not... or did it?

When she reached for the coat the ship rocked violently, and she fell to the floor. Was this that drizzle that he was talking about?

She flung on the coat, and dashed out of the cabin. Jack was waiting for her, leaning against the wall next to her cabin door. He looked her up and down with a smile.

"How do I loo-", she started, but the ship jerked suddenly, and she fell straight into Jack's arms.

"You look beautiful, 'Lizbeth", he said, straightening her hat with a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes mischievously, and did the same with his hat.

"Let's go, luv", he said smilingly taking her by the hand.

They rushed up the stairs, and when they finally got on the deck, Elizabeth gasped in amazement. It was not what she had expected. The night was black, and the roaring black waves of the furious ocean were crashing against the ship, splashing on the deck, attacking. The rain was pouring down in glittering torrents, blurring the vision. The sky was dark, and the storm was real. She shuddered, fear suddenly washing over her like cold wind.

"Thank ye!!", shouted Jack, his voice barely audible, veiled by the shouts of the waves.

Gibbs released the wheel with a nod, and Jack took the helm, dragging Elizabeth with him, placing her in front of him at the helm. She looked around in shock. She was sure she would not have been able to keep her balance, if it was not for Jack behind her, and the wheel before her. He put his hands over hers on the wheel. Then he withdrew one hand, and wrapped it around her waist.

Only maybe a minute has passed, and they we already soaking wet. She could feel his hot breath near her ear, and it sent shivers down her spine, and she did not know whether it was the storm, or rather him that enthralled her beyond comprehension.

She was terrified. She looked around wide-eyed, breathing heavily, gasping for strangely fresh, salty, intoxicating air. The wind was tugging on her clothes, and it surprised her that her hat did not fly away yet.

"You alright, luv?", Jack whispered into her ear. She shivered. His wet with rain lips brushed against her ear, as he held the wheel firmly in his hand, and only then she noticed, that now it was her hands that laid over his hand on the spokes, his other hand still securing her by the waist. She could not imagine how he could manage to steer with only one hand. The ship jerked, as it hit a wall of water, and it seemed as if the tormented sea overtook the ship for a moment, as the black water encompassed the deck, knocking down several people struggling to unfurl the last sails.

She did not answer his question, and he began to worry that perhaps it was not such a good idea after all. Maybe she was still weak after that accident, or maybe she was tired, as he quite mercilessly had woken her up in the middle of the night. At last, maybe she was simply scared, maybe she-

"I'm fine", she said, slightly turning her head, to see at least a part of his face.

"You don't have to be here if-", he whispered with feverish concern, his lips nuzzling her cheek.

"I want to be here", she breathed, and he leaned forward to look at her, noticing in amazement that she was smiling.

"Hold on to me", he said into her ear, the drops of rain from his hat dripping on her face. The rain was becoming heavier with every minute. The lightning crossed the sky, lightening the deck of the Black Pearl for a moment. Elizabeth felt a sudden coldness in her heart. The rain, the night, the lightning... Her eyes unconsciously wandered to the main mast, and for a moment she thought that she saw some silhouettes there, but when she blinked, and looked again there was nothing. She must have had imagined it. Imagined... Remembered...?

Jack removed his hand from her waist for a moment, turning the ship decidedly. She felt his arms holding her tight in between them. He did not stop watching out for her even for a moment.

But strangely, all of a sudden she felt that she could watch out for herself quite well. Coming out of nowhere was the impression that made her feel suddenly strong. But the impression was brief, and she forgot about it at the sound of a thunder.

She instinctively leaned against Jack's chest, and when she tilted back her head, she saw the stars on the impeccably black sky. Stars. She smiled to herself. He remembered.

She felt his lips near to her ear once again. "You can do this, Lizzie. You can", he whispered, and she was not sure whether it were the rain drops, or light kisses that she felt sprinkled along her neck.

Do what?, she wondered, as her mind at last registered his words.

"Do what?", she asked confusedly through the rain streaming down on them, on the ship, and the sea, on the entire world...

"Steer the ship through it", came the answer, and her eyes closed involuntarily, as she suddenly found herself enveloped in the scent of the enraged ocean, angry rain, and his skin, him, so close to her.

He placed her hands on the spokes, and only then it finally dawned on her what he was doing.

"Jack, no, I can't, I don't know how, Jack", she tried to withdrew her hands, but his hands were stronger, and he did not let her pull away.

"Yes, you can, 'Lizbeth, yes you can", he murmured, and this time she was sure that it was not the rain, but his lips that kissed her ear.

She clutched the spokes hesitantly. His hands closed over hers. His hands... Somewhere in the back of her mind, involuntarily, she imagined those hands roaming all over her body... She pushed the thought away, trying to think clearly, trying to concentrate.

"Now", he whispered, catching her full attention. "Keep it as steady as you can, when I let go, luv."

Let go? Her eyes darted from the black horizon to the wheel. He was withdrawing his hands?...!

"No!", Elizabeth panicked, trying to stop him, but he only pressed her hands back to the spokes. She stiffened.

"I know you can do this", he said under his breath, leaning his forehead against the back of her head. "Ye're beautiful, brave, and invincible...", he slowly withdrew one of his hands. She clenched her suddenly solitary hand on the wheel, realizing with both fear and amazement, how difficult it was to keep it steady, how difficult it was to stand up to the tormented sea.

She moaned, on the verge of tears, suddenly feeling the coldness of the rain drops on her face.

"...ye're indomitable...", his voice was low, humming, soothing. She trembled, wordlessly begging him to leave at least his other hand over hers on the wheel, "...indestructible...", he squeezed her hand, before slowly pulling his hand away, "...undefeated..."

Elizabeth gasped, petrified with fear and terror, when his hand slipped off her hand, leaving the helm to her completely.

But he was still with her, he did not move away, he wrapped his hands around her waist, and rested his head on her shoulder.

She held the wheel as steadily as she could, forgetting about her tears and raindrops stinging her eyes, about the pain that was coursing through her body, as she put all of her strength into what she was doing. She just did not want to let go of the wheel.

Jack whispered the instructions into her ear, his voice stunningly calm, she wondered how could he be so calm, but she was not able to ask him. Why was he doing this to her? For a moment she was angry with him, she was furious. How could he... It hurt... Her hands hurt... Her eyes... And she was not even sure whether she could hold on long enough. The wave of exhaustion were gradually overtaking all of her senses.

"Relax, Lizzie", he whispered. "Relax, luv. Loosen the grip."

"I can't!", she screamed frustratedly.

"Let it go a little, 'Lizbeth. Don't fight the waves, just overcome them."

Was he mad?! She knew nothing of sailing, nothing of steering a ship. She was weaker than he was, and she was not even sure whether she was strong enough to hold the wheel in one place, and now he wanted her to perform some maneuvers?!

"I can't!", she shouted unable to voice all the frantic thoughts that were rushing through her mind.

"Who can if not you?", his hands travelled up from her waist.

She shook her head helplessly to signal her lack of understanding. She felt a sudden wave of heat washing over her, and she opened her eyes wider in astonishment, trying to figure out what it was, and then realizing his lips nuzzling her neck, kissing her rain-soaked skin.

"You are this sea...", he murmured between the kisses. "You are this night, and this wind, and the stars... And the tomorrow's sunrise, 'Lizbeth."

She listened to him mesmerized, letting the stiffness drift off, relaxing, holding the wheel with strength, but without desperation.

And then suddenly she saw it. The immensity laid bare before her. The waves screaming their undecipherable demands. And she noticed that the waves were not black. They were white-maned, and when they were crashing over the rails on deck, the blackness dissolved in milion shades of the iridescent darkness. Dark blue and dark green sparks glimmered underneath the coal black, ruffled surface of the waves.

And she was not trying to avoid the waves anymore. She was breaking through them, withstanding their piercing gazes, and persevering.

She looked around, dazzled, listening to the waves colliding with each other.

"Jack. This is... celestial", she gasped, and smiled, and looked up at the sky, at the twinkling stars, and at the shimmering ocean around her.

He smiled into her neck, and slowly withdrew his hands.

"Jack?", she shouted hesitantly.

He brushed his lips against her cheek, and whispered one last time before stepping aside completely:

"The Black Pearl is yours, Lizzie."

Before she had a chance to protest, she suddenly felt the cold wind on her back, when he moved away. She wanted to turn around, and see where did he go, but she could not let go of the wheel.

If she turned around she could see, that he did not go away, that he merely took a three steps backwards, keeping a watchful, and amazed eye on her. She looked beautiful. Untamed, fatigued, soaked to the skin, smiling, laughing... Laughing?

Yes, he noticed now. She was laughing. She was laughing out loud. He smiled listening to her untrammeled laughter alternated with the roar of the waves, with the beating down of rain.

Elizabeth was standing at the helm, letting the unwonted wave of unutterable joy wash over her, carry her away, carry her through this madness, this storm, this journey. And she felt free, she felt purposeful and strong. She felt... beautiful... brave... invincible... indomitable... indestructible... undefeated...

Jack cringed, suddenly feeling somebody's grip on his shoulder.

"What the hell are ye bloody doin'?!", screamed Barbossa, his voice muffled by the rain, but still dripping with venom. "I'm not goin' to drown for the sake of yer mistress' sailin' lessons!!", he shouted angrily.

"Go back to yer station!!", shouted Jack back sternly, pushing Barbossa's hand off his shoulder.

"Ye won't be givin' me orders!!", squinted Barbossa, wiping the rain away from his eyes with his sleeve.

"And ye won't be deciding who's steering my ship!!", retorted Jack.

"Jack!"

It was Elizabeth. She did not know whether he was anywhere near, but as she saw a huge wave forming on the right side of the ship, she called him nevertheless.

Jack approached her quickly. Barbossa snarled furiously, and rushed to the starboard.

"Turn toward it, Lizzie", said Jack, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"What?!", she exclaimed in disbelief. "Turn away, you mean."

"No." Jack put one hand over hers on the wheel, looking intensely at the ocean. "I mean toward it", he said solemnly, turning the wheel.

Elizabeth stared in horror at the black wave, now directly in front of the Black Pearl.

"She can take it", he whispered, and Elizabeth could feel his face right next to hers.

The wind was blowing the driving rain straight against them, severely limiting the visibility. Elizabeth looked at Jack out of the corner of her eye. His eyes were looking straight ahead, unblinking, shining, as if hypnotized by the sight before them, transfixed by the risk, mesmerized by the beauty of that danger, but, above all calm, stunningly calm, confident; loving.

She tilted his head, and kissed him quickly on the cheek. He grinned, without averting his eyes from the ocean, and then all of a sudden, whispered into her ear, stepping out of the helm: "Overhead."

Unable to speak, unable to breath, shocked that she was steering alone again, she grasped the wheel tightly, but then loosened the grip slightly, turned instinctively to the right, then to the left, and then to the right again, surprised by her own actions. Strangely, she just felt what to do, as if there was some enigmatic connection between her, and this ship, and this sea...

The wave came down suddenly, Elizabeth held her breath, and looked with disbelief at the wave disappearing smoothly under the Black Pearl. She smiled nervously, and laughed.

She laughed, but then suddenly she felt giddy, and she almost fainted, but somehow managed not to.

"'Lizbeth", gasped Jack appearing right beside her, and supporting her. "I think ye've done well and enough for tonight", he whispered, leaning her against him as she let go of the wheel. She rested her head on his shoulder, and smiled faintly.

"Thank you, Jack", she said in a low, miraculously audible in the rain tone of voice. "I have never felt that... happy before..."

He kissed her rain-streaked cheek, and smiled.

"We have just fixed the position of the Black Pearl!", announced happily "Bootstrap" Bill Turner walking into the Flying Dutchman's captain quarters with a smile.