Chapter 25

I sat there, waiting in the long boat, waiting to go up and knock the life out of who ever was causing all this… then I saw something on the beach… a group of men… an all too familiar group of men.

On the beach, Gaverty and his men had just arrived on shore and were trying to figure out how to get to the ships.

"Sir, I thought I saw two long boats back there shou—"

"Go get them! Fast! I don't want to miss anymore than I've already missed! Hurry up!" Gaverty yelled to the young man and they went and got the two long boats and began rowing out.

"What the—? Uh oh, shit, shit, shit…" I whispered trying to stay calm as I quietly climbed up the side of the ship. When I got o deck, war between the men was well under way; no one even realized I was there. I searched around trying to find Will or Jack when I spotted Will and ran over.

"Will!" I exclaimed.

He whipped his head around to me, "Elizabeth? What in god's name are—?"

"I can explain later! Right now let's focus on killing whoever's behind this!" I said pulling out my sword as one of the Dutchman crew came towards me and we began to battle.

"Elizabeth, please escape while you can!" Will hollered fighting one of the crew.

"No! Not without you and not without knowing whoever's behind all of this!"

"Elizabeth that's the thing!" He exclaimed killing the man he was fighting.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I said as the man I was fighting's sword broke and he ran off to get another.

"You need to go, I can't let you—"

"Will, what is it? Do you know who it is?"

"…Yes…"

"Then tell me!"

"I can't!"

"William!"

"Go Elizabeth! You'll get hurt!"

"How!" I yelled.

"IT'S NORRINGTON!"

There was silence between us; I couldn't believe what I had just heard…

"But… but—"

"He's alive, in a matter of speaking… But he's not the same man you knew, he's changed, he's cruel and conniving and he—"

"I don't believe you…" I cried.

"Elizabeth please—" he said reaching to hug me but I backed away.

"I won't believe it until I see it…" I said backing away slowly.

Suddenly we heard Norrington yelling something from across the deck. I looked around and ran trying to follow the voice. Will followed me trying to stop me but I ignored him.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Wait! I need to tell you something! No, stop! Elizabeth! Wai—"

I came to crowed of men and did my best to get through them until I was in the middle and saw something I hadn't seen for ten years…

"…James?..." I almost whispered. The men fighting in the middle stopped. James looked up and couldn't believe his eyes; he pushed through the men so that he was in front of Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth?... Is it really you?"

"…Yes, I… I… how are you here?"

"William brought me back… with a plan of using me and making me captain of the ship, selling my soul, without ever knowing… just so that he could have you and young William…"

I turned around to Will, "Will, is this true?"

No answer.

"William… is. This. True?" I exclaimed.

"…Yes… But I—"

"No! I don't want to hear it!" I exclaimed. I looked back to James calmly and looked into his eyes. They were not the same eyes as I had seen so many years ago… they were changed… filled with greed, cruelty, and death…. But there was still somewhere deep down, that same James Norrington.

I stepped closer, "James… why are you doing this? You always had a good head on your shoulders..."

"I had… no choice."

"You had the choice to be a man and talk it out with Will."

"Maybe you haven't realized it but your little hubby other there isn't such a golden boy anymore…"

"Excuse me?"

"You see… When I got the hint of Will's plan for me… I decided to conjure up one of my own. A better one of course. But still, here I am… not alive, not dead. No feeling left in me except hatred for the people of this cruel society we live in. Except for one thing…"

"What one thing?"

"You, Elizabeth, I've always loved you, I always will. I don't know why but I became obsessed with it… even though I knew if I did get rid of Will I'd still have to fight for your love…"

"Oh James…" I said brushing my hand against his cheek, "You've always had my love… just in a different way than you expected… I'll always be here for you James…" I took his hand in mine and move them over his heart, "Right here."

Then there was once again silence between us, until I heard a boat come up against the side softly.

Gaverty…" I said under my breath as I opened my eyes and looked back at Will.

"Gaverty?" Will, Jack, and James said in unison.

"Yes, coming up the side of the ship!" I whispered, that's what I came up to tell you!"

"Well thanks for the warning!" Will whispered.

I rolled my eyes as I got out my sword and headed over to where the sound came from. I looked over the railing to see the two boats but no men, right as I was about to yell back to Will I felt someone grab me from behind and cover my mouth.

"Miss me?" Gaverty said as I looked up to see that it was him.

He pulled me back over to where Will and the guys were.

"Eliza—, Gaverty? What the hell are you—" Will exclaimed.

"The better question Turner is why the hell haven't you been here?" Gaverty joked.

Right then I bit down on Gaverty's hand over my mouth. He shot back still holding me, "You're a feisty one!" He joked.

"Let 'er go Gaverty!" Will demanded.

"I'm sorry what was that? I'm not sure I quiet heard you right."

"I said... Let. Her. Go." Will said walking towards us.

"Get 'em Will!" I exclaimed, "You're a bigger man than he'll ever dream to be!"

I smirked up at Gaverty; he rolled his eyes and threw me off to the side. I tumbled over to Jack and James who caught me.

"Let's just get down to it Turner… I don't like you and you don't like me… there's nothing changing that, but… it's about time we settled this."

"Settled what? The fact that you've been harassing my wife non-stop for the last nine years?" Will smirked as the two of them circled like animals in the middle of the circle.

"Me? Harass her? It was the other way 'round mate. If anything she was harassing me. Always flirting with me and hanging out with Lyle cause she knew I hated his guts."

"I can't imagine Elizabeth wasting her time with a brainless scum-bag like you…"

"Hmmm, you two are just two peas in a pod aren't you? You sound exactly alike, plus…" they stopped circling, "Neither of you know your place… and I'm not even counting that little short-minded son of yours…"

"Don't you dare bring William into this…" Will warned.

"Did I find a soft spot?" Gaverty teased.

"If you had any brains, you would shut your mouth and walk away before I kill you. Because I swear to God, if you bring him or her into this... you'll regret it."

"Well, if your little wife over there had any brains she would had said yes to marrying me the day she stepped on my island…"

"I'm gonna give you one last chance—"

"Then what?!"

"That's it!" Will said launching at him with his sword, Gaverty pulled out his just in time to stop Will and they then went into full-blown sword battle.

"Will! Matt!!" I screamed trying to stop them but James and Jack stopped me.

"Let them fight it out!" They yelled. Just then Gaverty's men appeared out of nowhere and began fighting us all. After a minute or so I lost track of Will and focused on getting rid of these men as quickly as possibly. I was only paying attention to fighting, not my surroundings. So when Matt and Will moved over closer to me I didn't even know it. I killed at least three of those men in less than eight minutes when suddenly I heard from far away across the deck, "He's got a gun! Elizabeth! He's got a-" GUNSHOT!........ Silence……. I froze in place, had I been shot… I couldn't tell… in fact I didn't feel a thing… I just froze terrified… but then I turned to see who had saved my life. Another gunshot rang across the deck as I flew around to see him on the ground.

"NO!" I screamed flying down to his side.

"Elizabeth," he rasped putting the gun down.

"Joey! How did you—, why did you do that?!" I exclaimed as Will, James and Jack ran over to our side.

"I… I … heard Gaverty, this afternoon, saying that he was planning to kill Will, Jack, and you if he had too. I couldn't," he began coughing badly, "I couldn't let… Will die… not after how long… you two have waited…"

"Joey, I—…" I said brushing my hand across his cheek.

"I need… I need to tell you something…" he rasped.

"Shhhhh, just relax. Will, get a doctor…" Will knew it was too late to save him, " Will! Go and get—"

"Elizabeth, it's too late… I'm… I'm going to—"

"No! No! You're not! I won't let you!" I cried.

"Before it's too late I have to tell you something."

I nodded my head.

He continued, "I… I've loved… I've loved you since the first time I saw you and William in the town square…" his coughing began to get worst, as did his bleeding. I took my hand his.

"Joey don't say goodbye… it's not goodbye yet…" I cried.

"I'm so sorry Elizabeth… I… I…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"…P—Promise me something Elizabeth…"

"Anything…"

"Promise me… that no matter what, you'll be happy… start a new life… with Will and William… see the world… don't ever let someone…. Anyone, every put you down… you're a fighter Elizabeth…"

"…I promise…" I could barely speak.

"Elizabeth? I finally did it…" he laughed slightly.

"Did what?"

"I killed the bloody bastard, and with one shot."

"You did, you did indeed. Finally, we can all be at peace."

"Finally, peace… Owwwww," he said cringing.

"Fight it out Joey, you're not going to die! Not yet!"

"It's my time, I can feel it coming," he suddenly started to shake slightly.

"No, no, no…"

"Elizabeth," he took both my hands, "I…. I'm glad… I'm glad I died saving you… I wouldn't have it any other way…"

"Don't let go! Joey Lyle don't you—"

"Goodbye Elizabeth, I can't hold… on any longer…" he started going limp.

"NO! JOEY! NO!" I cried out as he fell limp in my hands and his eyes closed, I shacked him.

"Elizabeth…Elizabeth… darling, he's gone…" Will said putting his arms around me.

"No he's not, he'll wake, just watch! He'll wake up!" I said struggling as Will tried to stand me up until I finally gave up and fell into Will's embrace.

The deck was silent, until we heard a slight life coming from the one of the men. It was Gaverty, somehow still alive but shot in his gut.

"Serves… him right!" Gaverty blurted out.

I looked over to him as Will let go of me and went for Joey's gun, picked it up and went up to Gaverty. I went to Jack as he pulled me close to him.

Gaverty spit on Will when he came up to him.

"Any last words?" Will said as the gun clicked.

Gaverty smiled and sat up from the barrel he was sitting on, Gaverty then pointed to me and said, "Worthless, piece of washed-up trash that I have ever seen…" he then laughed and then fastly looked back to Will, "And you call yourself a father?" he laughed again.

Will then without a second thought shot Gaverty. Will held him up by his chin against the wall and said, "No one, and I mean no one calls me a bad father, but if you have the nerve to tell to me that sort of indecency towards my wife... then you better as hell deserve to die." Will then let Gaverty down and he died about a minute a later without saying another word.

Will ran back over to me and nodded to Jack as I literally launched myself into Will's arms. He took he in and protected me as he had ten years earlier when I learned of my father's grim fate, and on the island when I really realized that I would not see him for ten years.

The storm had turned out to be a dud and passed on with minor wind and rain damage. We waited it out and then headed back to shore slowly o return home and try to put things back together…

*NOTE: This is not the last chapter  There's probably 2 or three plus epilogue to come as soon as possible  Sorry this one took so long, I had the school play plus crazy school work, but hey maybe I'll finish her up as a Christmas to all my loving readers! Thank you for your awesome reviews and please… keep reviewing!

Yours truly,

WillAndElizabethForever

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the original movie character. But if I keep praying… maybe jjuuussstttt maybe… three certain very hot fictional pirates will show up on my doorstep some day…*cough*Will, James, and Cap'n Jack*cough* What I didn't say anything… ;-)