Cutler and I woke up together in the green grass by the swimming bath's deck early the next morning. He stood up first, and then helped me get to my feet.
"Thank-you," I told him, brushing myself off, "And good morning." He said the same. We were still in our undergarments from last night. Thank-full that there was a fence blocking us from the outside world, we retrieved our clothes from the deck, and went back inside.
As soon as I walked in the door, I saw Rayanna at the table, resting her head on her hand. She looked up at me with red, puffy eyes. Clearly she had been up all night crying. "Good morning, Heather," She said quietly.
"Good morning," I said, sitting down next to her. "Tell me, Rayanna, what's the matter?"
She looked up me with a tear flowing down her swollen face. "My true love, Jack Sparrow, is to be hung by the neck until dead next week, and, I'm getting married."
"Married to whom?" I asked quietly, feeling dirty for keeping such a secret from my friend.
Rayanna flew into a fit of tears. "Mr. Mercer," She sobbed. "He was one of my friends, but I do not love him the way I do Jack. I, although I will love my children either way, do not want to carry his children. I want to carry Jack's."
I hugged her, and said, "I know how it feels, to be marrying someone who you do not love at the time. I felt the same way when James said that I was going to marry Lord Beckett. But look at us now!" I said arms wide. "Cutler and I can barley get enough of each other, and we're expecting twins!"
Rayanna looked like she was feeling a bit better. "Trust me," I said, patting her shoulder, "every thing will be alright."
A week later
Today was the day that Jack Sparrow was being hung. Everyone working in the Navy or East India Trading Company (except for the person reading off Jack's treacheries) was standing in the shade of Fort Charles. Rayanna and Antoinette were both standing next to their fiancées, Elizabeth next to her father, and I myself standing next to my husband.
"This isn't right," I heard Elizabeth say. For once, I actually agreed with her.
"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law," The Governor replied, "As the rest of us are." Antoinette had told me what the governor had said to Elizabeth when James rescued the four of them from the island, and I was about to give him a piece of my mind when Antoinette blocked the front door, saying, "Calm yourself, woman! We will have our revenge in time."
As they were reading off the reasons why Jack should be hung, Rayanna started crying. Mercer saw this, and gripped her hand in his for the first time, sending chills up their spines. Just then, Will Turner came up. He greeted us all, and then said, " Elizabeth, there's something that I should have told you the moment we met. I love you." Then, he took off running towards Jack, receiving odd looks from all of us.
We heard screaming as Will jumped up by the hangman's noose, and tried to free Jack with his sword.
"Oh! The heat!" Elizabeth said, falling down on her back. She was up again in a second, letting us all know it was a trick. James took off after Will, the rest of the Royal Navy following him. Just then, the trap door under Jack opened, Jack surly dropping to his death. But he had been caught! Will had apparently thrown his sword to where it was underneath Jack. Jack slipped the rope off his neck, cringed at it, and then jumped onto the deck. He grabbed Will's sword, and threw it back to him.
I looked over at Rayanna, who was so happy that Jack was alive that she hugged me and Antoinette both. "I told you everything would be alright!" I told her gleefully. Just as I said that, I saw that James and the Navy had surrounded Jack and Will both. Rayanna, Antoinette, and I rushed up to where they were, Elizabeth following us, and Felicity holding my hand. When we were there, Rayanna and Antoinette both assumed their positions beside their fiancées, as did I with Cutler, Elizabeth standing next to her father, and Felicity standing next to James.
"James!" Rayanna said, stepping out of the crowd, and beside Jack, "Do not hurt them. They are good people, and pirates. As am I." She took Jacks hand in hers.
"And me too," Elizabeth said, grabbing Wills hand.
I looked over, and noticed Mercer, struggling to find the right words to say.
"This, this, is where your heart, truly lies, Rayanna?" He finally asked. She nodded. He smiled slightly, and walked away into the crowd.
"Is this where yours lays, Elizabeth?" Governor Swann asked his daughter.
"Yes," She quietly replied.
"Well then!" Jack said, prancing over to the Governor. "It seems that we have arrived in a great place! Spiritually, grammatically!" Then walking over to James, said, "I was rooting for you, mate." He then looked over at Will. "Will….," He said trying to think of something nice to say, "Nice hat." Will looked down and smiled. Jack was about to jump off the side of the fort and into the water when Rayanna yelled at him, "Jack! Wait!" She walked over to him, and then turned to James.
"Commodore Norrington," She said, "marry us."
James looked around, and saw everyone looking at him, expecting him to do something. "Very well," he sighed. "Do you, Jack Sparrow, take Miss Rayanna Berksly to be your lawfully wedded wife? Through sickness an in health, though good times and bad, 'till death do you part?"
Jack grinned, looked at Rayanna, and said, "I do, mate."
James smiled at her, and then continued. "And do you, Miss Rayanna Berksly, take Jack Sparrow to be your lawfully wedded husband? Through sickness an in health, though good times and bad, 'till death do you part?"
Rayanna smiled, everyone in the crowd watching intensely. "I do," she said sweetly.
"Then I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow," James said, binding it. I held tightly onto Cutler's hand as James said, "You may now kiss the bride." Antoinette and I were crying as Jack and Rayanna shared their first kiss as husband and wife. She and I both ran up to the new couple.
"Congratulations, you two!" I said, hugging Rayanna. "Enjoy married life!"
"I'm sure we will, Mrs. Lord Beckett," Jack said, shaking my hand.
"Oh, Rayanna!" Antoinette said, embracing Rayanna, "Oh, we're going to miss you! Don't forget to come by and visit!"
Rayanna smiled, as Jack and her stepped back up on the ledge. "We won't! And I'll still be coming to that wedding of yours!" She said, pointing at Antoinette.
"Well everyone!" Jack said grandly. "Today is the day you will all remember as the almost-hanging, and marriage of…." Jack was about to say his name, when suddenly he toppled over the edge, bringing Rayanna along into the ocean with him. Everyone ran over, and saw the bob up out of the water, and start swimming to the Black Pearl, which was now crewed by Jack and his friends.
Antoinette stood there giggling. "That's our Mrs. Sparrow!" She said.
"Commodore!" Gillette said as he noticed James walking away. "What about Jack?"
James thought for a second, and then said, "Oh, we can give him and his new wife one day's head start." As everyone began to walk away, I couldn't help but notice and smile as Will and Elizabeth stood arm in arm, sharing their first kiss.
Authors note
Just to give you all a heads up, Next chapter is Antoinette's and James' wedding! And don't worry, although this story is almost over, I will be writing DMC and AWE too. So you don't have to say good-bye to Rayanna, Antoinette,and Heather just yet! Thanks to everyone for reviewing!
