Part Seven. Aboard the Black Pearl

"The Bermuda Triangle!? Sir, that's suicide?"

"You don't like suicide missions do, ya'?" Jack laughed a bit, showing his teeth. " 'Fraid you're on the wrong ship. You may as well step off then."

Mr. Gibbs spluttered for words as the Captain crossed the deck away from him. He shook his head to himself, still trying to think of a protest. "It's a dangerous place. I've never known any ship to return from there. Nothing's worth going to the Bermuda Triangle. Nothing!"

Jack casually leaned against the railing on one arm. "Not even the Bounty of Zodiac?"

Mr. Gibbs' mouth fell open. The last comment rendering him more speechless than before. Eventually, he was able to force out a disbelieving laugh. "The Bounty of Zodiac?! And how exactly are we going to find it? Not even the miraculous Captain Jack Sparrow can sail aimlessly through the Bermuda Triangle without some kind of direction."

The Captain turned and pointed up to the helm, where Joan stood conversing with one of the other crewmembers. "She has all the direction we need."

"Jack, I've said it once, I'll say it again. It's bad luck to bring a woman aboard," Mr. Gibbs replied solemnly.

"We've had a woman aboard for a year now," Jack said. "Anna Maria, remember? Ah, your memory must be slipping with your age, eh?"

"We don't need any extra women on board!" Mr. Gibbs hissed.

Jack held up his callused hand and raised three fingers so as to correct his first mate.

"Three!? Sir, now that is suicide! We'll be lucky if we make it out of the harbor! This is madness!"

He simply smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Gibbs, you fail to remember, but I suppose it is my duty to remind you… I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

Mr. Gibbs sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging. He patted the Captain on the shoulder. "Was nice knowing you, there, Jack."

Jack turned around in time to see Rhiannon and Almour coming up on the ship from the harbor. It had been several hours since the meeting in the blacksmith's shop, and with any luck, they'd be able to leave before dawn. He walked up to greet the two women, smiling to each one in turn. He half turned his body in order to outline the main mast with his hand.

"Ladies, welcome aboard The Black Pearl!" He looked at Rhiannon. "And where is dear William?"

"He's gone to say goodbye to Elizabeth… or something along those lines," Rhiannon replied a bit stiffly, her eyes faltering a bit.

Jack didn't reply right away as he watched her face wearing a sincere expression. "If your heart is for Will … He loves Elizabeth, is all I can tell you. I've seen his devotion to her first hand."

"I suppose you're right…" Rhiannon sighed despairingly. She forced a smile on her lips. "After all, you were there. You should know."

His gaze softened as he looked at her, he was couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "But if I do remember correctly," he started in a lighter tone. "I can't verily say that I wasn't quite sober for the good part of the venture."

She laughed faintly, and smiled half-heartedly. "I suppose that'll have to do for hope."

(~*~)

"Elizabeth! What are you doing!?"

"I'm going back to Port Royal and the life I knew!" Elizabeth snapped, forcing the last of her clothing into a trunk.

"But… but why?" Will asked, completely exasperated.

Elizabeth slammed the trunk closed with a deafening crack in the air. "I love you, Will. No matter what, I will always love you. But this… this is not the life I want. I want to go back to Port Royal… I want to make something of myself."

Will opened her trunk in response. "Then we'll make it the life you want, but don't cut me out of it. This is going to be the last time I ever deal with pirates. For you, I swear!"

Elizabeth looked back at him, her eyes filling with sorrow. "It's always been the last time. For the past year you've been telling me it's the last time. Will… I don't want to be the one who changes who you are…" She deliberately turned away from him and banged the trunk closed again, hiding the tears that streamed down her face.

Will moved closer to her, making to kiss her tenderly, but she moved away. He watched her try to hide her face from him, making his heart grow all the more heavily. "Elizabeth, whatever it is you want me to be, I'll do it."

She looked back at him, smiling gently, though her eyes were still glistening with unshed tears. "That's not it, Will. And I know you want to make it right… But it just can't be done… Do you understand?"

"No!" Will shouted, feeling frustrated and hurt. Again, he opened the lid to the trunk, still in disbelief of what was happening.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice softly cracking, kissing his cheek lightly. With that she closed the trunk a final time and locked it. Will winced slightly as the key turned in the lock of the trunk. Elizabeth crossed the room to the door, then looked back at him one last time. "Goodbye, Will Turner."

Long minutes past after Elizabeth left when Will could only stand in place, feeling a mixture of anger, aggravation, disbelief, and (quite presently) pain. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling on it, trying to cause himself as much pain in the action, as if this would remedy his situation. He closed his eyes and slammed his hand down on the wooden table with a startling thump. "Elizabeth," he moaned, in a voice that was barely audible.

(~*~)

"Are you the one that talked Jack into this?"

Joan kept her eyes fixated on the ocean, her palms gripping the railing of the ship. "You must be Anna Maria."

She paused, looking taken aback. "Th-that's right. How'd you know that?"

Joan glanced over her shoulder and smirked faintly, seeing the puzzled look on her face. "I'm not some witch or anything that can read people's minds. Jack told me you were the only female in the crew. It's called deduction."

Anna Maria recovered and regained her steady gaze. "You didn't answer my question."

"You're right," she replied, turning around, leaning back against the railing. "How rude of me. Allow me to answer your question. Yes, I'm the one who talked him into it, but trust me; Mr. Sparrow didn't need much talking to."

"He didn't need much talking to… to get him to go into the Bermuda Triangle?" she replied incredulously.

"That's so naïve of you, Anna Marie."

"Maria."

"Of course," Joan said, clearly not interested whatsoever. "You see, I've promised the Captain of this lovely ship that I can lead him to the biggest treasure anyone could ever dream of. Why am I telling you this? 'Cause personally, I couldn't care less what the crew does or doesn't know. That's Jack's problem, not mine."

"But… why would Jack keep that from us?"

Joan rolled her eyes. "Because it's the biggest treasure anyone can dream of. Were you listening to me at all?"

"I've been listening," Anna Maria said, her arms folded across her chest. "But I don't believe it."

"You think I'm bluffing?"

"I think you're after something else."

Joan tilted her head to the side slightly and grinned. "Now what would give you that idea?"

Anna Maria narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong with your teeth?"

The other woman's smile quickly faded, but she tried not to let her shock reach her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Two seem to be longer than the others…" she observed skeptically. "And pointed."

Joan's face fell slightly, but she was saved from having to come up with an answer when there came several happy cries from the others on the ship. Will had boarded the ship, looking very sullen and not returning of any of the welcoming greetings. He kept his gaze fixated ahead of him as he moved up to Jack.

"When do we leave?" Will muttered in a surly tone.

"Well, now that you're here, we leave now," Jack said, not taking note of the other man's poor mood. The Captain looked to his crew. "Don't act like ye' didn't hear me! Get yer asses up and get to work! We leave Tortuga now!"

"Good," Will muttered. "The sooner we leave the better." Then he stalked off, hoping not to have to speak to anyone, unfortunately, his one hope didn't come through.

"Will, what's wrong?"

He raised his eyes to find himself looking at Rhiannon. Had it been anyone else, even Almour, he probably would have snapped horribly and said something awful. But when he saw Rhiannon's sincerely concern gaze, he felt his desire to bite off her head melt. He opened his mouth to pour out his heart. How Elizabeth had left with him. And how he didn't understand. He wanted to ask her for a simple answer. Regrettably, it was impossible to say all these things at once.

"Elizabeth… left me," he croaked out, feeling a lump in his throat.

"Oh Will," Rhiannon sighed, taking his hand comfortingly. "I'm so sorry…" And she knew that this was not entirely a lie. She hated to see Will in pain. "I'm sorry," she repeated softly. "Is… is there anything I can do?"

He simply shook his head, then rattled his shoulders as if to shake off the feeling of morose. "No… no, there's nothing you can do."

The young woman opened her mouth partially, hoping to offer some sort of condolence, but he simply walked below deck. Almour walked up and tapped Rhiannon on the shoulder, wearing a look of concern.

"What's wrong with Will?" she asked.

Rhiannon just sighed and looked down at her feet.

"Hey look! It's our old friends from the tavern!" Jack cried out laughingly, as they passed by a ship on their way out of the harbor. Sure enough, three of the men that had chased him into the well. Jack removed his hat and waved to them, grinning quite broadly. " 'Ello there! Did ye' miss me!"

The Captain threw his head back and laughed seeing the utterly shocked looks on the men. He pointed towards Joan and continued to grin. "Were ye' looking for her!" He continued to wave to them, unable to contain his mirth. His smile changed into a look of disappointment when a gunshot went off and ripped through his hat. Jack closed his middle and index fingers over the hole in the hat. "Ah, well, we had a good run," he said to the hat, as if it were an old acquaintance of his.