The days passed quickly with no real memory. Selective memory was in command, burying away our more romantic moments and I tried not to think about Beckett. Every thought of him made my throb and brought the stinging tears in my eyes, and I was forced to switch to a happier memory. Just kidding, I wasn't that dramatic. Instead, each day, I merely sat on the side of the ship, unfeeling and emotionless, stopping only to help clean the deck from time to time. I ate regularly, my appetite unaffected by Beckett's betrayal. A few days after Beckett left, Will had approached me, hoping to provide a word of some comfort.

"Love, who can tell if it is right or wrong." He had said ominously. "It is only after you've lost it that you realize how much you need it."

"I can do without a man." I snapped, but Will nodded encouragingly.

"Perhaps not specifically a man. I've noticed how much you love food..."

"Food is love; the only thing that will always be there for you." Then I thought about it. "Unless someone intentionally keeps food away from you, then you starve and die. Why are you being so nice? You should hate me for scheming with Beckett."

Will grinned in amusement, and then replaced it with a more serious look. "Because I believe that it's not your fault. You were merely manipulated by him, the cunning bastard. You did something terrible, but it doesn't necessarily make you a terrible person."

"Do your actions not make who you are?"

"If so, then you were simply the one caught in the middle."

After those wise words, Will slipped me a small, nice, plump cake and left me alone, and he ordered the rest of the crew to leave me in peace. With that, I realized that perhaps I was better off without Beckett.

Once in a while, Will picked up a lost soul, sometimes multiple ones at once as they leave their wrecked ships. It amazed me at how many people died at sea. In spite of myself, I kept an eye out for Beckett. So far, no sign of him or his soul. I took that to mean that he had survived. Well, good for him.

Beckett was hauled up onto the ship. He had been swimming and floating for hours, his skin pruned and his clothes weighing him down. He had stripped down to only his breeches, shoes, and his billowy white shirt, which surprisingly helped him float if he allowed it to expand above the waist of his pants. Every minute he was afraid that a sea creature would break surface and swallow him whole, but fortunately nothing of the sort happened. A crew aboard a passing ship saved him, throwing a rope and hauling him in. He gratefully accepted and when questioned, he assumed a new identity; Clint, Clint being the first name that popped into his mind. He was not yet sure if it was safe to use his real name. He told a tall tale of his ship being attacked by pirates (which was half true) and the crew understandingly took him in and agreed to ship him back to London, one of their destinations anyways.

Sitting on a spare hammock in the sleeping quarters of the crew and sipping a cup of warm tea, he tried not to review his actions. It was the way he managed through his life; by pushing aside all things that he didn't want to care about, creating an invisible wall to keep his emotions out, and before he met Loraine, that wall was his sanctuary. It was the thing that kept him in control, in command, to be feared above all and obeyed. And here came a talkative brat who broke his wall. She made him care, an emotion he had long rid himself of, and she made him love. Love, a feeling he was not used to, having lived with an uncaring father and disapproving brothers. He stared at the cup of tea, watching as some twisted insight of his morphed his reflection into that of Loraine's, who glared at him, mouthing words that were bound to be unpleasant. Even with the salvation of the ship and the promise of London, he felt a sudden urge to throw himself back into the waters. How could he face her? You don't have to, whispered a nasty voice inside his head. And what of the King of England. whom he'd surely lost his favor? Lie. Most of the witnesses are dead, and the survivors can be persuaded.

A smile crept up on his face as he formulated his plan. He'd seek the help of influential people, and people who still owed him favors. He still had his manor, and as far as he knew, he hadn't been officially denounced of his title. After all, what did a dead man have to lose?

The weeks melted into days. Sometimes, it's amazing how much time can pass when you're not really thinking about it. Therefore, it came as a surprise when we finally arrived in London. Will had me board a longboat, providing two other men to help me row to the harbor, explaining that unfortunately, it was not yet his time to come even close to land. I understood and thanked him for his time, patience, and hospitality. As they left me on the harbor, I was glad to be back on sturdy land. I waved them away, and they slowly sailed off into the nightly horizon. I stood there silently, wondering what to do next. I decided the only I can do was return home, and so I did. It seemed like years since I walked along the streets, and the lack of light did not affect my memory.

My parents were shocked at my appearance. When they opened the door, fuming at who was visiting so late but keeping a civil attitude, they stood shocked at this young girl who resembled their daughter, but, according to them afterwards, seemed much thinner, raggedly, and older. Meaning more wrinkled, I joked. They took me in, gave me the time to settle into a bath and dress in my more comfortable clothes. My room smelled slightly musty, displaying a maid's handiwork but revealing that no one had inhabited it for quite some time. With a sudden drop of my stomach, I realized how much I missed my home. But enough of that stuff. My parents waited downstairs, readying a hot meal for me, claiming I looked pale and starved. I did not argue and dug into my meal. Meanwhile, they asked me questions of my journey. I gave them the outline of it, that I went on board and was stuck there, and met Beckett, and went along with him to, as I put it, get to know him better. I felt a twitch of longing when talking about Beckett, and was quietly amazed at how I flew over details with ease; my experience left me with a flit for lying. I apologized over and over for my lack of responsibility to my parents, but they waved it away, understanding my concern for my future husband, and confessed they had a rather nice time without my presence anyhow.

"So where is Lord Beckett, now?" My mother asked.

"Haven't the foggiest idea." I said. "We were separated after a pirate attack."

"Are you certain he left because of a pirate attack or because it was an escape from you?" My father teased, attempting to hide his disappointment of Beckett's absence.

"Oh, Henry!" My mother exclaimed. "Be serious for a moment; pirates! What an outrage! Do they not realize whom they were dealing with? A very important officer and his fiancee-"

And that brought us to a whole other conversation about dangerous pirates.

Boarding the harbor of London, and repeatedly thanking the captain of the ship for his kindness and slowly edging off, Beckett immediately made his way to his manor. He ignored the cries of disbelief and uncertainty from his servants as he passed by them, them believing he had died and taken the liberty of finding other jobs and rather neglecting his house, and took a long over due bath and ate a nice hot meal. Then, the following morning, he proceeded with haste to His Majesty's residence and managed to convince him that his ship had been attacked and outnumbered. The King, a pudgy middle-aged man, mindful of Beckett's father's contributions to the country and of Beckett's own achievements, was still reluctant to give him another ship.

"Enlighten me, Lord Beckett. If is matter is as urgent as you claim, then why is it that you appear to have taken the time to return home and take care of yourself? Do you hold your well-being above the matter of me?" The King asked in a casual tone.

Beckett suppressed a grin; apparently, he had not yet lost his title, and the thought of the rather exuberant king saying such a thing was amusing. "Because, your Excellency, I wished to make myself presentable and not taint your household with my uncleaned presence." Back to the old days of arse kissing.

"Acceptable. Tell me, why should I give you a ship? You've lost hundreds of lives with your incompetence with the Endeavor, if I recall correctly."

Beckett gritted his teeth. "It was beyond my control. The pirates were able to raise a sea goddess to their rescue, and the legendary Flying Dutchman also aided them." Beckett said, twisting the truth a bit.

The King looked slightly frightened. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to have an experienced man on my side." And so the king awarded him with a better ship. As he left the castle, he caught snatches of conversation with him as a topic. Mainly, they ridiculed him as an ambitious man but they also knew losing that losing men to a pirate attack was not uncommon in their line of work, and besides, most of them agreed with Beckett's desire to rid the world of pirates.

Beckett spent the next few days shut in his manor, unable to sleep peacefully, his mind riddled with thoughts of revenge and Loraine. He couldn't bring himself to look for her. He decided that he would visit her parents and offer his condolences for her absence. He set out straight away before he could change his mind again. Carried in his carriage along the path to her house that he had taken only once before, he practiced lines as to what to say to her parents. Before he knew it, he was already at their front door.

"Oh - Lord Beckett! What a pleasant surprise!" Henry said as he answered the door. "Won't you come in?"

"Actually, I'm in a bit of a hurry, and I'm afraid I must decline." Beckett lied; he didn't want to stay for the tears. "What I have come for today is a matter considering your daughter." Beckett took a hesitating breath, "I must offer countless apologies, for I have lost sight of your daughter. We were separated by an unfortunate and untimely attack by fleets of notorious pirates -"

" - ah, yes, Loraine did mention a pirate attack." said Henry.

"Yes, well, again, I must apolo- wait what?" Beckett said, stopping. "You've spoken with her?"

"Yes. She returned home a couple of days ago. If you wish, I shall bring her out." Henry said. Beckett blinked, unable to comprehend this. She already returned? Henry took this loss of words for a 'yes'. "Loraine! Come down, you've a visitor!"

"Hiss!" Came a response from what Beckett recognized to be Loraine's voice. "The sunlight!"

"You've been cooped up in this house for long enough!" Henry shouted. He turned back to Beckett. "Do pardon me, Lord Beckett, but the girl has been rather standoffish since her return."

Again. Beckett did not reply, but gave a stiff nod. He felt the urge to run off in the opposite direction, but another part of him kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. A few seconds later, Loraine appeared in the doorway. She did seem rather pale, with dark circles under her eyes and her posture sulkily. As her eyes raised to meet Beckett's, for she had been staring at his boots, they widened and Beckett braced himself.

"You bloody traitor!" She yelled.

"Loraine! Do watch your language!" Her father said.

Beckett cringed and waved a hand. "Please, leave us." He said. Henry looked from his daughter to Beckett, saw the daggers in Loraine's eyes, and complied, hurrying into his house and probably looking for his wife. Beckett and Loraine stared at each other, not knowing how to start, and so to avoid more of Loraine's scoldings, he started.

"You're alive." Beckett said, his voice slightly cracked. He gave a cough and cleared his throat.

"No. I am a figment of your imagination. A hallucination created by your subconscious in an attempt to relieve you of the guilt you possess for your part in my death." She replied in a monotone tone.

Beckett looked troubled, actually inclined to believe that she was a hallucination, and so he leaned forward and poked her in the shoulder.

"Ow!" She said pointedly, hand flying to where he had touched her.

"Ah, so you are real."

"A simple are-you-lying would have sufficed."

Beckett smiled; at least she wasn't swearing now. "Shall we take a stroll?" He asked, offering his elbow. Loraine looked over her shoulder- and saw her parents' heads quickly disappearing.

"We shall." She said, closing the front door and taking his arm. They walked along the sidewalk through her mother's garden. It was some time before either one spoke again. Beckett sneezed, repressing it with the sleeve of his other arm.

"Curse you." Loraine said politely.

"Thank yo - what?" Beckett said, realizing what she had said.

"I said bless you." She replied. Beckett gave a small sigh, ah Loraine.

"I never meant to leave you." Beckett said, spilling it all out. "But in the moment, I felt it would be better for me to escape first and come back for help later."

"Oh yes, that's how you came to be here just a few days later, apparently about to apologize to my parents about my death."

"Disappearance, not death." Beckett said hastily. "I was also going to reassure them that I would do everything in my power to recover you."

"Oh, so that puts you in the right." She said sarcastically.

"Does it?" Beckett asked, thinking it rather did.

"No. You're neither in the right nor wrong, you are the fool." She said.

"That's a bit harsh." Beckett said. "But I speak the truth. I was going to save you."

She appraised him. "Only you would know if you were lying or not." She said softly.

"Would you trust me?" Beckett asked, just as softly.

"Should you be trusted?" Loraine asked.

"I want you to."

Loraine expelled a breath of air, presumably deciding that his intentions were true, and in Beckett's perspective, she could hardly argue. "Beckett, you are quite fortunate that I do not hold grudges for long, and your explanation does makes sense, and I quite honestly do not want to stay angry at you." Beckett grinned. His Loraine. "But that does not mean you may leave me again." Now his grinned shrank. He shifted his weight.

"Then I guess that implies that you come along with me again in my quest to continue exterminating pirates." He said.

Her eyes narrowed. "You're still chasing that dream? After all that just took place, you'd willingly try again?"

"Yes." Beckett, regretting it as soon as he said it.

"Well, you match the name of your late ship, 'endeavor', because you're quite persistent. Why can't you just leave them be?"

Beckett felt a spark of anger. "Why are you defending them?" Sudden thoughts of what Loraine might had done while on Will's ship sprang into his mind.

"Because they are just living their lives! The only life they can acquire for themselves, and I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Did you fraternize with Will Turner or something?"

"No! How could you think - well I guess you could - but no! The man was nice though, he offered me cake-"

"Are you easily bought for food?"

"What? No! Only I can accuse you! But honestly, I did nothing with Will, and same for his crew!" Beckett paused, slightly seething, the position of trust floating back into his mind. "And, I beg you, do not go chasing after them again. Look what happened to James."

"Yes...Admiral Norrington..." Beckett said absent mindlessly. Finally, it seemed as though he was thinking outside of his usual demeanor. He did not know how, but something was channeling through him. In light of the recent events, he thought that perhaps it was time to hang up his own grudges before it consumed him whole. As long as no pirates touched him, he shouldn't do anything to them. Perhaps he could simply pursue his career, unrelated to pirates for they were really nothing but trouble and he knew it would be death to attempt to kill Will, a more amiable replacement for 'Davy Jones'. His own name was already widely known between pirates, and maybe that was enough. But Jack Sparrow...would always be a slippery thing. But for now, he suddenly realized what weariness of chasing after ghosts had done to him. "But I already made a promise to the king that I'd try again."

"The king can deal with it.. Besides, I'm sure there's plenty of other people willing to dedicate their time to such things. It doesn't have to be you. You've done your fair share."

"My whole life was devoted to this, and here you stand, asking me to throw it all away?" said Beckett.

"Naturally. Your whole life was bent on rising through the ranks. You've accomplished that. You've showed everyone what you can do. And then you tried the impossible; to destroy piracy, and you failed, but you tried, and that's what counts. Aren't you tired of chasing after ghosts?"

"Do you think I am not able to terminate these lowlifes?"

"Face the truth, obviously not. I don't fancy being so blunt to you, Beckett, but that's how I see it. You can choose that or me."

Beckett had half a mind to tell her to sod off and continue chasing after pirates, but then he knew that if he did, the result would be the same as he did when he betrayed her; he'd come back to her, and perhaps not even alive. Why waste the time and effort? His anger ebbed away as his love for her took over.

"I choose you." He said quietly. (Hehe, pokemon.)

"What was that before, jealously?" Loraine asked slyly while Beckett was thinking to himself.

"No- I was merely- just a thought-"

"Someone is jelly~"

"I've no patience for your weird words." In the rush of the moment, he bent down on one knee. "Loraine Ann, will you marry me?" He asked.

Loraine was taken back by the sudden proposal. "Er, yes! Oh my- yes!" She squealed, throwing herself at Beckett and squeezing him. Then, as quickly as she did that, she pulled back. "Now, where's my ring?"

"Most likely, it's still sitting in its dusty spot in a jewelry shop." Beckett said mildly. Loraine glared. "But my proposal is true." And with that, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

A/N: And that's all, folks! Sorry if it seems rushed, I'm an easy going and lazy person so I really don't like having too much drama and extended and unnecessary actions and meanings and blah (for example: no! you must not go! Yes, it is my duty, my whole life! No, you're my life! Oh, we must kiss and make more love! No, just no. xD ) Thank you all so much for following me with this story, I hope you guys enjoyed it!