Chapter 21

(ELIZABETH'S POV)

She shouldn't have prayed.

Everything had been going alright, but, of course, destiny (or the gods) had to laugh at her and that was how they had ended just there, not far from Shipwreck Island, fighting against a ship bigger that the one they had.

As the enemies boarded them, Elizabeth glanced at the ship's flag… The one that had sent everyone into a panic… The flag of the same man from whom she had won some loot, even if only in one game… The flag of the pirate Charles Vane, captain of his new ship, the Katherine.

In part, she hated that Ana María was right: It seemed that troubles always followed her like a shadow. Really, everything had been going fine.

"I truly thought that I would never see you again, girl." Ana María confessed one day as they worked on the sails, one of the jobs the other let her do "I thought that you would have stayed with your precious life, with all the good stuff and all that… Most of us would have done so."

"That was the idea…" Elizabeth sighed at that "I was about to marry Will when someone appeared with the order to arrest us for Jack's escape, or well, more likely because he wanted something from him… It was madness and then… I don't know, I simply never left and deep down I think that I knew that I belonged more between pirates than where I had been."

Ana María seemed to nod, understanding, and pointed to her belly, the very obvious bulge in its fourth month "What about that? I imagine that you married the boy in the end, but obviously you're not with him. Did something happen?"

Elizabeth breathed deeply "Will… He's on the Dutchman…" The other one raised an eyebrow and Elizabeth explained herself "As captain, I mean. Surely you heard that Davy Jones died in the battle with the East India Company?"

"Aye… But that doesn't mean that I believed it, Elizabeth." the other replied, shrugging "You know it won't be easy to be a pirate, a captain, a lord and a pirate king while carrying that, right?"

"... I'm aware of it." Elizabeth admitted "I just… I wanted to keep at least a piece of Will, if I can, if the baby doesn't…"

She didn't continue, but Ana María understood what she meant and patted her on the back "The baby will be fine, Elizabeth. The Chinese girl knows about medicinal herbs, I have a doctor and I also know about that."

"Really?" Elizabeth said, astonished "I would have never imagined it…"

"It was years ago, before we met… She's quite an annoying creature, but I always visit her when I have time."

"Is she…?" Elizabeth bit her lip "Is she in Shipwreck Island?"

Ana María laughed "There? Oh, no. She lives in Cuba with her now fiancé and will marry in a year. She made a good life for herself." Elizabeth smiled at that "And now that I think about it, how did you end up in Brazil in any case?"

"It's a secret." Elizabeth said with a satisfied grin.

This one shook her head at that.

"Ah… We meet again, captain Swann." she heard at her right and turned to pierce Vane with one look "Although, I'm almost sure that last time you were with a very different ship… "Did the crew finally decide to be logical and get rid of you?"

She narrowed her eyes and raised her head with pride "Whatever happened there is none of your business, captain Vane." she spat, poisonous; she was careful with her clothes, trying not to show the bulge of her belly… She thanked that the clothes were too big for her "If you have come here to recover what I rightfully earned with my crew, then I must disappoint you."

"In fact," the other mocked her "it's just a little coincidence… I was only going to steal all the contents of this ship and send the rest to the bottom of the sea." He pointed her with his sword and she moved her head away "But since you're already here… Maybe I can get that piece of yours that makes you a lord."

Elizabeth didn't even blink at that and only huffed a bit "Then I must disappoint you once again. I don't have it anymore, I gave it to my first mate." She kept her face neutral.

She knew she was telling the truth about it, but Vane wasn't informed that she had 'another' piece… Or, rather, a part of it. She hoped Jìng Yì would keep quiet about it, even with her little knowledge of English.

Vane hardened his gaze at that and appeared to be serious for a moment "That's a pity." He mentioned "But, well, not all is lost, huh, buddies? At least I got a pretty precious seashell from you, not counting the chests we're taking, right?"

He had directed the latter to his crew, who were currently seizing as many chests, of gold or goods, as they could. These ones nodded. Vane turned back to the other crew and smirked.

"Anyone who wants to leave this watery grave is welcome on my ship, as long as you swear allegiance to me."

Many of Ana María's crew men turned to look at her slightly and raised their voices to be released from their bonds while Ana María muttered something that sounded like 'fucking cowards.'

Vane released those who had spoken and, with a big grin, bowed to the rest of the men and the three women on board.

"It's been a pleasure, of course… Send regards to Jones' new replacement and tell him I'll find his heart… One way or another. Until next time."

They observed as he left the ship, landing on his with the rest of his newly acquired crew, and watched as he approached the helm while shouting an order to open fire.

Cannons echoed and they screamed as the ship rocked from side to side, water seeping through the holes.

"We have to get out of here! And fast!" Elizabeth shouted, sincerely, as she tried to move her hands from the bindings.

"And what do you think I've been doing?!" Ana María shouted back "Have a picnic?!"

"Is now a good time to discuss?!" Ana María's first mate told them.

Ana María groaned at that "Let's just move…"

They moved as one, their bindings getting looser, even as the cannons hit the ship, first on the sails at the left, and a second time on the quarter deck.

"We'll never make it!" said the first mate desperately "And I don't want to meet Jones' replacement… I don't want to die!"

"Can you stop?!" Ana María shouted as the bindings came quite loose.

Suddenly, Elizabeth had an idea, knowing that the first mate was almost right… And she ran to the men Vane had wounded when he had boarded the ship, looking for one who was still alive, even if he was at death's door.

As if luck was on her side, there was one and immediately, she kneeled in front of him, praying to the gods with all her remaining strengths that this would work.

"Tell the captain of the Dutchman to come to our aid… Tell him Elizabeth Swann is in danger." The mand looked at her with glassy eyes but nodded "And I'm sorry…"

And she drove the knife deeper, sending the man to his death immediately. She didn't give herself time and quickly took the man aside, threw him into the water and went to the others… Ana María had gone to the helm and was trying to get them out of Vane's sight, but the ship was slowly going into the water and with only five of them working, it was going to be impossible.

"Whatever you've done, I hope it was more productive than it seemed!" the captain shouted at her.

"I hope so!" Elizabeth replied back, trying to make herself heard above all the noise from the cannons "What can I do?!"

"Take the helm and turn to port side!" she said and Elizabeth hurried to the helm, grabbing it "I have to make those sails move or we'll be easy prey and you'll see your so-called husband sooner than you thought!"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and moved the helm to the left as fast as possible… But, even when moving it and putting the ship kind of safer, she knew that Vane's ship had the wind on his side… She tried not to panic as she gripped the wheel tighter in one of her hands; her head turned slightly so she could see where Vane was steering his own ship. She gulped, watching Vane's ship turn a bit towards more favorable winds.

"We'll never get out of here." She lamented.

As soon as she said these words, the water stirred and shook from down below… It gave way to a ship that Elizabeth recognized easily and, from the helm, she watched as the rest of the crew began to pray as the looming shadow of the Flying Dutchman set upon them.

"Oh, Dios mío…" Ana María muttered.

The big ship got between Vane and them, and Elizabeth watched as the Katherine seemed to make a decision when the Flying Dutchman took out his famous cannons, turning around. Only one cannon resounded, hitting the water as a warning.

Both Elizabeth and Ana María sighed, relieved, seeing how the Katherine began to disappear.

"I see you called for help." Ana María noted once she got down of the rigging.

Elizabeth shrugged, handing her the helm and almost yelped when she saw Will behind her. Who really did scream was Jìng Yì and the first mate, who had been surprised by his appearance along with two of his crew.

"Elizabeth…" he whispered.

"Hello Will…" She smiled "I… You got my message."

This one frowned a bit "... I did, though I would have preferred another method." Elizabeth shrugged a little and Will sighed "You're aware that I can't always do this for you, right?"

Elizabeth hardened her look "I know that, Will… I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't necessary."

Will rolled his eyes a bit "How this happened and how was this necessary, then?" he said.

"Why did you come, Will?" she asked, heaving a sigh "If you can't do this…"

"It's not that." he interrupted "And Calypso told me to go… She said something about, and I quote, 'I did not give her that present for her to lose it like that', but I have no idea what she's talking about."

Elizabeth got pale for a second about that and breathed deeply.

"I think I do know." she muttered as she passed absently a hand to her belly. Will looked at her weirdly and she took a deep breath "Will… You… I'm pregnant."

Will just blanched, with wide eyes. And then, suddenly, someone exclaimed.

"I'm going to be a grandfather?! God bless it!" It was, of course, Bill Turner who had spoken, Will's father "Now that is something to look forward to, isn't it, son?"

Will got redder than a tomato, but cleared his throat, trying to keep his appearance as a captain.

"... Right." he blinked and looked softly to Elizabeth "I… You're sure of it?"

Elizabeth was going to tease him but she didn't think it would look good in front of his crew, so she just nodded.

"Quite, more than four months have passed." she muttered, smiling a bit before frowning for a second "... If the baby survives…"

"Everything will be alright, I'm sure." he smiled at her flimsily and kissed her forehead. He then turned to look at Ana María "Will you arrive safely at your destination?"

Ana María opened her mouth to speak, but something cracked below and all she could say were curses. Will grimaced at that and sighed.

"I'll take that as a 'no', I guess… Well, get on my ship. I'll take you there. Where were you going?"

Ana María was fuming a bit, but exhaled and turned to Will "Shipwreck Island."

And so, she grabbed a rope and jumped onto the other ship, followed, without enthusiasm, by the rest of the crew. When Jìng Yì turned to look and Elizabeth nodded, she did the same and Elizabeth was going to grab a rope in her hands when Will stopped her and she raised an eyebrow.

"I think it would be best for our baby to do this my way." he said, grabbing her by the waist.

Elizabeth was going to speak, but she didn't do it in time and, before she knew it, she had appeared in the Flying Dutchman along with Will and her jaw dropped.

"Very well, gentlemen!" he shouted to the crew of the ship "Make way to Shipwreck Island!"

"Aye, captain!"

Elizabeth smiled a bit at that and Will returned it. Perhaps the gods had listened to her after all. Even if it was just a little bit.

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&&& A.N.: And at last, the Spanish and English version have the same chapters :)

Welcome back once again! I hope you had a great start of the year; in my case, things are going smoothly and I can't complain!
This chapter and the next gave me a lot of feelings, with Will and Elizabeth there together ^^

It will help me a lot if you give some feedback because though I kind of know how I'll finish, I still don't know how to write it and maybe you'll give me ideas hahaha

Lots of love to everyone and hope you are healthy and okay! As always, thanks to everyone for the kudos, comments, etc. I'll see you next time 3 &&&