Chapter 31: 'Tis only my heart, after all.
"Jack, we have to find her!" Will was adamant that they finally go and rescue Elizabeth.
"Damn it, boy, do you not even care that Arianne is hurt?" asked Jack, his voice sounding absolutely disgusted. "She's lost a lot of blood from that wound and I at least am going to stick around here. Not to mention that you still don't know where Elizabeth may be, as Amos has yet to recover from that fantastic blow to the head."
"Jack, did you not notice how like the sea he smelled?"
"I did notice, but that doesn't mean we have to go running about the shores without having a clearer idea of location. Wait for the--"
"Wait for the opportune moment," Will said, sounding absolutely disgusted.
All of this she heard as awareness stole over her slowly. As yet, she could make little movement except to flutter her eyelids, and she worked harder to regain full control of her body.
Jack had apparently noticed, for he lifted her head slightly and held a cup of some liquid to her lips. "Drink this, love, it'll help," he said softly to her. She obeyed, finding her throat to be parched, and nearly choked as it went down her throat. God, it was liquid fire!
She felt a painful pounding on her back and realized that she must be sitting up now. "I'm ok," she choked out, desperate for the pounding to stop. When it did, she took a few moments to regulate her breathing.
When she could finally draw a deep breath without going into fits of coughing, she laid back again, exhausted, and stared up at the two concerned pairs of eyes above her. Her vision swam a bit with tears, and she suspected that she was more exhausted than she should be due to the rude awakening. Jack knelt by the bed, not touching her. "So, Will," she started, "I understand that you want to get on with the hunt for Elizabeth."
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Will stared down at her, her eyes filled with pain. "You heard us?" he asked softly. She nodded in reply. "Arianne, I'm so sorry, I just...I just..."
"No, Will, don't explain," she said, and her voice sounded sad with only a little bitterness in it. "You have to find your lady love. I just wish you had realized you still loved her before you told me you loved me. Before we..." she turned her head away, and Will, feeling worse than before, left the room.
How could he have done this to her?
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Jack watched her as Will left the room, feeling terribly for her. It was he, after all, who had set them up in the first place. If it hadn't been for him, she would not be enduring this heartache now. He placed a hand on her arm. "I'm so sorry, love, I didn't know this would happen."
"Jack, it's going to be alright. 'Tis only my heart, after all. It will heal."
"But I don't want you to go through all this pain, Arianne, it isn't fair to you. You don't deserve this, you deserve to be loved unconditionally and eternally."
With that, he left the room as well.
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She turned to him when he said that, only to see him shut the door behind him. The tears that she refused to cry for Will now threatened to spill over. "And just who is going to do that, Jack?" she asked softly as the door closed, to no one in particular.
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Jack caught the last thing she had whispered as he left her room, and ached for her more. Deciding that she needed a bit of time alone, he went to find Will, and discovered him recounting his view of how things had happened this night with the officers Amara had brought. Amara, seeing him, made a move to go to Arianne now that she was free from the endless questions of the police. Jack simply shook his head and motioned for her to remain here for a while. He knew he would be questioned if he remained in this room, so he went instead into the room they had put Amos into.
To all appearances, Amos had not moved. Jack fought the urge to plunge his sword into Amos' black heart right then and there. If it hadn't been for Amos, perhaps Arianne would not have suffered the hurt she had this day either. If Amos hadn't been such a sadistic monster, Arianne would likely never have sought out sword lessons or gone running about the docks dressed as a boy.
When he suddenly twitched, Jack nearly jumped a foot in the air. He had not expected any movement out of Amos for quite a while yet. When his mouth started moving, Jack bent low over him, trying to catch what he was saying. It seemed to be mumbo jumbo.
Suddenly, he had an idea. Leaning down close to Amos, he asked softly but clearly, "Where is Elizabeth?"
He then placed his ear near Amos' mouth and listened carefully. Hearing the reply, he realized that he knew well that place, as did Will. That was where he and Will had concocted the plan to commandeer the Interceptor just over a year ago. Clapping Amos on the shoulder in joy that he knew where Elizabeth was now, Will could finally go gallivanting off to save her. Not without himself, of course, as Will was only too likely to do something incredibly stupid.
"You!" said a very groggy Amos, nearly making Jack jump out of his skin once again.
"Oh bloody hell, you would have to wake up," Jack said to him, then knocked him on the head hard enough to put him out again. This was not the time to have to deal with yet more questions.
Jack left Amos' room and headed back for Arianne's to see how she was doing.
********************************
She was woken from a light doze to find Jack staring down at her. She started, only to feel pain lance through her abdomen. Placing her hand there, she felt bandages, and remembered why it was that she was laying in this bed in the first place. She could not believe she had turned her back on her father--who had also been a potentially dangerous person in the room. She cursed herself. "How are you feeling, love?" Jack asked her. "Just fine, I think. As long as certain people aren't standing over me as I sleep, I should heal shortly. As it is, I think I just broke it open again," she said as she thought she felt blood begin to seep forth once more. Jack checked, and apparently found nothing. Kneeling by the bed, he then took one of her hands in his and smiled at her. "Amos told me where he put Elizabeth," he said. Arianne's eyes went wide with shock as Jack related the story to her, smiling weakly as he told her about how he had knocked him back out again. "You and Will should go and find her, Jack, I know I can't come with you," she said, the mention of Will making an ache rise up in her. Jack smiled knowingly at her, and leaned forward to brush his lips across hers. Before she knew quite what was happening, he was standing up, still holding to her hand. "In answer to your earlier question, love: I will." Then he was gone, leaving her to wonder what he had been talking about.
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"Will, get your sword, we're going!" he called as he walked through the room where Will was still being questioned.
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Alright! I finally got the PotC soundtrack, so this chapter was really easy to do! I'd been having the movie playing in the background as I wrote the last few chapters (so it's easier to slip into the story), but listening to the soundtrack is MUCH easier!
Anyway, there should only be about 2 or 3 chapters left! The story is finally winding down to a conclusion! Yay! Thanks to all of you so much again!
"Jack, we have to find her!" Will was adamant that they finally go and rescue Elizabeth.
"Damn it, boy, do you not even care that Arianne is hurt?" asked Jack, his voice sounding absolutely disgusted. "She's lost a lot of blood from that wound and I at least am going to stick around here. Not to mention that you still don't know where Elizabeth may be, as Amos has yet to recover from that fantastic blow to the head."
"Jack, did you not notice how like the sea he smelled?"
"I did notice, but that doesn't mean we have to go running about the shores without having a clearer idea of location. Wait for the--"
"Wait for the opportune moment," Will said, sounding absolutely disgusted.
All of this she heard as awareness stole over her slowly. As yet, she could make little movement except to flutter her eyelids, and she worked harder to regain full control of her body.
Jack had apparently noticed, for he lifted her head slightly and held a cup of some liquid to her lips. "Drink this, love, it'll help," he said softly to her. She obeyed, finding her throat to be parched, and nearly choked as it went down her throat. God, it was liquid fire!
She felt a painful pounding on her back and realized that she must be sitting up now. "I'm ok," she choked out, desperate for the pounding to stop. When it did, she took a few moments to regulate her breathing.
When she could finally draw a deep breath without going into fits of coughing, she laid back again, exhausted, and stared up at the two concerned pairs of eyes above her. Her vision swam a bit with tears, and she suspected that she was more exhausted than she should be due to the rude awakening. Jack knelt by the bed, not touching her. "So, Will," she started, "I understand that you want to get on with the hunt for Elizabeth."
********************************
Will stared down at her, her eyes filled with pain. "You heard us?" he asked softly. She nodded in reply. "Arianne, I'm so sorry, I just...I just..."
"No, Will, don't explain," she said, and her voice sounded sad with only a little bitterness in it. "You have to find your lady love. I just wish you had realized you still loved her before you told me you loved me. Before we..." she turned her head away, and Will, feeling worse than before, left the room.
How could he have done this to her?
********************************
Jack watched her as Will left the room, feeling terribly for her. It was he, after all, who had set them up in the first place. If it hadn't been for him, she would not be enduring this heartache now. He placed a hand on her arm. "I'm so sorry, love, I didn't know this would happen."
"Jack, it's going to be alright. 'Tis only my heart, after all. It will heal."
"But I don't want you to go through all this pain, Arianne, it isn't fair to you. You don't deserve this, you deserve to be loved unconditionally and eternally."
With that, he left the room as well.
********************************
She turned to him when he said that, only to see him shut the door behind him. The tears that she refused to cry for Will now threatened to spill over. "And just who is going to do that, Jack?" she asked softly as the door closed, to no one in particular.
********************************
Jack caught the last thing she had whispered as he left her room, and ached for her more. Deciding that she needed a bit of time alone, he went to find Will, and discovered him recounting his view of how things had happened this night with the officers Amara had brought. Amara, seeing him, made a move to go to Arianne now that she was free from the endless questions of the police. Jack simply shook his head and motioned for her to remain here for a while. He knew he would be questioned if he remained in this room, so he went instead into the room they had put Amos into.
To all appearances, Amos had not moved. Jack fought the urge to plunge his sword into Amos' black heart right then and there. If it hadn't been for Amos, perhaps Arianne would not have suffered the hurt she had this day either. If Amos hadn't been such a sadistic monster, Arianne would likely never have sought out sword lessons or gone running about the docks dressed as a boy.
When he suddenly twitched, Jack nearly jumped a foot in the air. He had not expected any movement out of Amos for quite a while yet. When his mouth started moving, Jack bent low over him, trying to catch what he was saying. It seemed to be mumbo jumbo.
Suddenly, he had an idea. Leaning down close to Amos, he asked softly but clearly, "Where is Elizabeth?"
He then placed his ear near Amos' mouth and listened carefully. Hearing the reply, he realized that he knew well that place, as did Will. That was where he and Will had concocted the plan to commandeer the Interceptor just over a year ago. Clapping Amos on the shoulder in joy that he knew where Elizabeth was now, Will could finally go gallivanting off to save her. Not without himself, of course, as Will was only too likely to do something incredibly stupid.
"You!" said a very groggy Amos, nearly making Jack jump out of his skin once again.
"Oh bloody hell, you would have to wake up," Jack said to him, then knocked him on the head hard enough to put him out again. This was not the time to have to deal with yet more questions.
Jack left Amos' room and headed back for Arianne's to see how she was doing.
********************************
She was woken from a light doze to find Jack staring down at her. She started, only to feel pain lance through her abdomen. Placing her hand there, she felt bandages, and remembered why it was that she was laying in this bed in the first place. She could not believe she had turned her back on her father--who had also been a potentially dangerous person in the room. She cursed herself. "How are you feeling, love?" Jack asked her. "Just fine, I think. As long as certain people aren't standing over me as I sleep, I should heal shortly. As it is, I think I just broke it open again," she said as she thought she felt blood begin to seep forth once more. Jack checked, and apparently found nothing. Kneeling by the bed, he then took one of her hands in his and smiled at her. "Amos told me where he put Elizabeth," he said. Arianne's eyes went wide with shock as Jack related the story to her, smiling weakly as he told her about how he had knocked him back out again. "You and Will should go and find her, Jack, I know I can't come with you," she said, the mention of Will making an ache rise up in her. Jack smiled knowingly at her, and leaned forward to brush his lips across hers. Before she knew quite what was happening, he was standing up, still holding to her hand. "In answer to your earlier question, love: I will." Then he was gone, leaving her to wonder what he had been talking about.
********************************
"Will, get your sword, we're going!" he called as he walked through the room where Will was still being questioned.
************************************************************************
Alright! I finally got the PotC soundtrack, so this chapter was really easy to do! I'd been having the movie playing in the background as I wrote the last few chapters (so it's easier to slip into the story), but listening to the soundtrack is MUCH easier!
Anyway, there should only be about 2 or 3 chapters left! The story is finally winding down to a conclusion! Yay! Thanks to all of you so much again!