"Shut up Cotton," Gibbs said blearily. "We´re nowhere near Isla de Muerta."
"All right," Jack said. "Captain Marcella Castilla has bin rescued, an´ now we´re sailing ta-"
"If I may be so bold as to inquire if I may. . . join. . . the Black Pearl´s crew?" Marcella asked, shyly if not slyly.
Annamaria snatched her mother´s hand. "Oh, Mama!"
"Absolutely," Jack said, "I´ll agree ´s long as ye agree to sail as me co-captain."
Marcella exclaimed, "Oh, Captain Sparrow!" She made to kiss him again but Jack held up his hands.
"That´s all right, Cap´n," he said.
"Thank you," Marcella said. She blushed, gave a little wave, and Annamaria led her down to her cabin.
"Now, will you sail under the Queen of Cuba and me onesies?" Jack barked.
"Aye!" everyone cheered and went down to their bunks. Gibbs, Will, Elizabeth, and Jack stayed behind.
Elizabeth shivered and drew close to Jack. Gibbs noticed this and spoke.
"Cap´n, where now?"
Jack turned to eye the scruffy, short man with mutton chops and a canteen slung on his stubby hip. "Well, first ta Port Royal ta drop off dear Elizabeth. Then, who knows? Certainly not I." He flashed his gold teeth in a huge grin. "Wherever the wind will take us."
Elizabeth almost melted in his arms. He sounded so courageous, so darling, so ah. . .
Will broke her wave of ecstasy by yelling, "Jack, I´m joining you!"
"O´ course, mate! I would ´a bin surprised if ya didn´," Jack said. "G´night, me hearties." Smiling, Will went down below. Gibbs followed suit.
Left alone, Jack and Elizabeth turned to face each other. It was around three in the afternoon, but Elizabeth felt incredibly woozy from lack of sleep.
"Elizabeth, I just want ta tell ya," Jack said, "that that night on the island. . . I really wanted to. . . y´know."
"Oh, Jack, I was a silly little girl then. . . I was in love with Will. . . you understand don´t you?" She thought, He´d better understand or else he´ll never have another chance to undress me.
"O´ course, darling," Jack said and ducked to kiss her. "Sleep with me," he whispered.
Elizabeth wanted to. Badly. But if her father found out he would shut her in a nunnery faster than you could say "savvy." She whispered back, "Jack, I can´t. Gibbs. . ."
"Fine." Jack drew away. He smiled devilishly. "You still have to sleep in my bed."
"Fine." Giggling deliriously, they went to Jack´s quarters and fell asleep as the afternoon turned to dusk and the twinkling stars shone as brightly as the moon.
It was afternoon again when they awoke. Jack was ready for going back to Jamaica and dropping his one true love off. He could tell she wasn´t wild about it but it had to happen, aye?
Elizabeth rose sleepily. She smelled a pungent odor and realized it was her. She could use a lovely swim in the ocean, all alone with her thoughts and decided to practice her famous Swann dive, the one she´d been working on since she saw Jack perform his perfect one last year, just before they got marooned. She glided down the main staircase and self-consciously began slipping off her shift and leaving only a cloth tightly wrapped around her breasts so they wouldn´t be a bother, and her pantaloons. She climbed up on the edge of the Pearl and swan-dived off and into the cool water of the Spanish Main.
Jack, bringing a few biscuits for Elizabeth up from the mess hall, heard a splash and ran to the side of the ship. He saw Elizabeth surface and tread water. "Elizabeth!" he shouted down to her.
"Yes?" she said, practically gaily. She sucked in air and dove beneath again. It was wonderful to be all alone- almost. She wished Jack was with her. She heard another plunk a few feet away and saw Jack next to her.
"´Allo, dear." Jack swam to her and gave her a soft kiss on the mouth. She grinned and submerged once more, pulling Jack with her. Opening her eyes and wincing on account of the saltwater, she saw the beautiful, perfect specimen of manhood in front of her. . .
Will.
Jack had been shoved out of the way and Will was now in front of her, air bubbles flowing out of his nose, which wasn´t very sexy at all. Elizabeth grimaced and bobbed up.
"Oh, Will, hello," Elizabeth gasped, breathing in gulps of air. "Didn´t hear you join us."
"Yeah," supplied Jack. He eased onto his back and looked up into the blindingly blue sky. "Oh, what a day ta be ´live, eh, chums?"
"Yes," Elizabeth agreed, floating merrily. "Oh, Jack, Will- must I go home?"
"´Fraid so, Eliza," Jack said, tilting his head to look at her. "The guv´ner would be none too pleased ta find out ´is daughter joined the ranks of rogues such as myself, permanently, anyway."
"But I don´t CARE about what my father says, Jack! That´s why I escaped with you in the first place!" Elizabeth protested, and immersed herself, twirling her hair like a mermaid. She was more than a little angry at. . . well, everyone. Jack for being right, her father for being controlling, Will for being near her. She was getting tired.
"I think I´m going to go visit Mick and Layla," she said abruptly. She looked at the rope dangling over the edge of the Black Pearl and grabbed it and started climbing up the side.
Will was just off swimming, trying to forget the image of Annamaria and Elizabeth, floating above his head, saying, "We love you, Will. . ."
He swam back to Jack, doing the breaststroke. Fitting, he thought. "Jack?"
"Yes´m?"
"What´s wrong with Elizabeth?"
"Gee, boy, let´s think. Gibbs touches ´er inappropriately, ya almost kill all of us, ya cheat on ´er wit´ Annamaria an´ soon declare yer love fer dear Anna. Not ta mention disobeying ´er father an´ getting a goo´ taste of Tortuga nightlife. . ." Jack said, ticking the reasons off with his fingers.
Will rolled his eyes. "Yes, I think that would make for her odd state."
"Yes. Now, let´s bring th´ Pearl ta Port Royal an´ take. . . Liz. . . home." Jack´s eyes were pricked with tears, and it wasn´t because of the saltwater.
Up on the deck, Elizabeth sobbed quietly.