*1*
I've waited a long time, My Love.
How sickly sweet those words are, tripping out of my throat, the sarcastic combat you forced me to take part in. The
lie you made me tell you for my skin. Because you wanted my skin, and I wanted to preserve it.
I've grown you see, in so very many ways. I'm not silent anymore, I'm not compliant, I'm not afraid and most of all I'm
not yours. You bought me with gold but now only I own me. You made me savage as the wind and mercurial as the mad sea
with all you did to me. You made me just as twisted in heart and mind as you, when all I ever wanted was to be simple
and sweet and free. So Death is not good enough.
Goodness can be found in the strangest places, clad in the filthiest shell. That I have learnt with my growth. Who
would have thought my Saviour and my Death could reside in someone who should have been as evil as you? Yet he was
not... He was... special...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Friend! .... OW!! .... Of the family.... OW!.... Honest!"
This familiar voice drifted to Elizabeth through the indignant shrieks and crashes coming from the kitchen as she
gathered up her skirts and hurried inside. She had been quietly reading in the study when the peace of midday had
suddenly been shattered by hysterical yells which she had reluctantly found herself trying to find the source of. Whilst
expectant of what she saw ever since she had heard that uncouth, mildly slurred but somehow impossibly endearing voice,
it did not diminish the amount of amusement it gave her. The kitchen was a warzone, flour, fruit and pots and pans
strewn across the floor and smothering counters. A shrieking Bessie, the chef, was laying hands upon anything at her
disposal. Alternating between crouching under the assault of flying kitchen assortments and staggering upright in an
attempt to explain himself only to be hit every time, Captain Jack Sparrow had his traditional look of confusion and
cheerful drunkeness as the cook attempted to murder him with cutlery. Finally noticing Elizabeth he flashed her a
toothy grin "Hello luv." he said "Just acquainting myself with the local women." A particularly large pot came flying
over the table and landed an inch from Jack's foot, causing him to shriek in a very undignified manner. "Oh stop making
such a fuss Bessie! This is... a friend of mine." Elizabeth said sharply over the shrieks. Bessie turned in surprise
upon hearing her mistresses voice and mumbled a series of apologies. "Beggin' your pardon mame, but he came in through
the side door, and he looked rather out of sorts with the normal people you associate with mame..." Bessie stammered
nervously as Jack ever-so slowly stood upright to ensure he would not be impaled by a fork, before customarily swaying
in what was his excuse for a walk in their direction. "That's probably because he's a pirate Bessie." said Elizabeth,
arching a perfectly formed eyebrow in challenge, daring Bessie to pass comment. On occasion it gave her a small thrill
to show those around her that she was not just the well brought up lady she was meant to be. "Yes, that's right, that's
me, a pirate. Damn good one too luv, now d'you mind giving me my hat back? I believe you were hitting me over the head
with it earlier." Jack said, his gold teeth gleaming in a charming smile as his hat was thrust disdainfully at him.
"Thank you Bessie." said Elizabeth, grabbing Jack's wrist and towing him after her. "I think she loves me..." Jack said
in a loud whisper to Elizabeth, smacking Bessie on the behind as he was dragged past her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will peered out of the door for possibly the hundredth time, his eyes nervously skittering around the corridor. The fine
surroundings of this house, the plush carpets, the expansive windows, even now when he was engaged to Elizabeth, unsettled
him slightly, made him feel out of place. The vast corridors were thankfully empty, most servants undoubtedly finding
whatever excuse they could to go outside on such a warm, deliciously golden evening. Sun wrapped itself lovingly
around every inch of floor it touched. "Relax lad, I'm under the protection of the delightful Miss Swann!" exclaimed
Jack, sprawling himself into a chair that did not look designed to be used in such a robust manner. "Exactly why I'm
keeping an eye out. I don't want Elizabeth to get into trouble because of you." Will said dryly, re-entering to room
and sitting down next to Elizabeth. Jack's chair creaked alarming as he slung one leg over the armrest and surveyed
them with a lazy toothy grin. "So when are the wedding bells? I'd offer to give you a present..." "But it would
undoubtedly be stolen." added Elizabeth, smiling at Jack despite her disaproval. It looked as though Jack paused to
consider this before breaking into another mocking grin "Only a little."
"We are to be married next Spring, as of yet we haven't made all of the preparations. I'm trying to get enough money for
us to start out." Will said, his eyes gleaming with evident pleasure as he held Elizabeth's hand. Jack nodded, glad for
his two friends who, at least by his estimations, had been destined to get together from the very beginning. "You're in
for it my lad, trying to compete with a home like this..." said Jack, gesticulating round himself with his normal
flailing movements. Elizabeth opened her mouth to stop him too late as she saw the chair tip,only for the Captain to
fall off the chair in a scramble of arms and legs with a loud crash.
"What's going on in there? Elizabeth are you all right?"
Launching herself towards the door Elizabeth held it closed "Yes I'm fine father." she declared loudly over the sound of
Jack cursing in mumbled tones and trying to pull himself upright. After a sharp conference through the door with her
father, Elizabeth heard the click of his shoes as he left. Breathing out she glowered at Jack in annoyance as he flipped
the chair upright again and stared at it accusingly, as though it had purposefully wounded him. It never ceased to amaze
her how Jack could be so inescapably clumsy in one instant, and extraordinarily graceful and fast the next. Whether his
swaying, never-still gait was due to enough rum to kill an ordinary man or a life on ships she had no idea, but when in
combat or aboard his beloved Black Pearl, Jack moved like refined silk. He seemed a man designed solely for existing
aboard a ship or in the sea, as she had noted when seeing him swim, his limbs entirely within his own mastery.
"The Pearl's hidden round past the port, I had to comandeer a little fishing boat that went past us." Elizabeth glanced
at Will as they shared the same thought. "And what happened to the people in the fishing boat?" asked Will, giving Jack
a reproachful look. Jack made a valiant attempt to look hurt and innocent "What? They could swim! There was no
sinking!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dying sun fell down into the sea, lighting it in myriad shards of yellow, gold and burnt orange as the magnificent
ship cut through the waters up to the dock. Ropes were thrown overboard onto the planks, followed swiftly by several
people who secured the ship before climbing the ropes back aboard.
Women, eyes ranging from hot to cold, hard to sugary sweet, angry to drunken, surveyed the Port they had come across.
Only five of the crew were male, and they watched with gleeful anticipation, their very expressions showing their
eagerness to head for land. "D'you think it's a good idea for us to be right where they can see us Cap'n?" enquired one
crew member, a thick-set woman with vigorously scraped back brown hair. "We look damaged. They won't reckon on us
trying to leave with the amount of holes we've got in our Beauty." replied their Captain, tapping her fist woefully
against the side of the ship, causing the crew to laugh quietly. Eyes the colour of burnt hazel flashed across her crew
and she gesticulated for them all to pay attention. "Now remember mates, supplies first. No looting, no pillaging..."
The eyes squinted as if reconsidering this before she shrugged broadly "Ok maybe a little pillaging." The crew laughed
raucously at this, adrenaline for enjoyment swelling in them. "Just go and enjoy yourself. I want to see fires high
enough to roast God on. Make me proud." she declared, waving them away wildly. Letting out cries, shrieks and positive
warcries of conquest, the crew all headed down the ropes onto the docks. "You men..." continued the Captain, her sword
shooting out and barring the path of the few men in the crew before they could step forward. "No raping. Not a popular
sport on my ship." she continued coldly, her gaze suddenly venomous. Hostile gazes returned her own but nothing was
said as they followed the others. She smiled to herself as she saw the swarm of her crew fly up the dock. Removing her
hat and shaking out her dark red hair, she began the process of pinning it up, a look of intense displeasure on her face
as she did so. "Now I need to go find me a Commodore to kill. And a Swann to ... do something beginning with S to." she
said happily to herself before sliding down the rope onto the dock.
I've waited a long time, My Love.
How sickly sweet those words are, tripping out of my throat, the sarcastic combat you forced me to take part in. The
lie you made me tell you for my skin. Because you wanted my skin, and I wanted to preserve it.
I've grown you see, in so very many ways. I'm not silent anymore, I'm not compliant, I'm not afraid and most of all I'm
not yours. You bought me with gold but now only I own me. You made me savage as the wind and mercurial as the mad sea
with all you did to me. You made me just as twisted in heart and mind as you, when all I ever wanted was to be simple
and sweet and free. So Death is not good enough.
Goodness can be found in the strangest places, clad in the filthiest shell. That I have learnt with my growth. Who
would have thought my Saviour and my Death could reside in someone who should have been as evil as you? Yet he was
not... He was... special...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Friend! .... OW!! .... Of the family.... OW!.... Honest!"
This familiar voice drifted to Elizabeth through the indignant shrieks and crashes coming from the kitchen as she
gathered up her skirts and hurried inside. She had been quietly reading in the study when the peace of midday had
suddenly been shattered by hysterical yells which she had reluctantly found herself trying to find the source of. Whilst
expectant of what she saw ever since she had heard that uncouth, mildly slurred but somehow impossibly endearing voice,
it did not diminish the amount of amusement it gave her. The kitchen was a warzone, flour, fruit and pots and pans
strewn across the floor and smothering counters. A shrieking Bessie, the chef, was laying hands upon anything at her
disposal. Alternating between crouching under the assault of flying kitchen assortments and staggering upright in an
attempt to explain himself only to be hit every time, Captain Jack Sparrow had his traditional look of confusion and
cheerful drunkeness as the cook attempted to murder him with cutlery. Finally noticing Elizabeth he flashed her a
toothy grin "Hello luv." he said "Just acquainting myself with the local women." A particularly large pot came flying
over the table and landed an inch from Jack's foot, causing him to shriek in a very undignified manner. "Oh stop making
such a fuss Bessie! This is... a friend of mine." Elizabeth said sharply over the shrieks. Bessie turned in surprise
upon hearing her mistresses voice and mumbled a series of apologies. "Beggin' your pardon mame, but he came in through
the side door, and he looked rather out of sorts with the normal people you associate with mame..." Bessie stammered
nervously as Jack ever-so slowly stood upright to ensure he would not be impaled by a fork, before customarily swaying
in what was his excuse for a walk in their direction. "That's probably because he's a pirate Bessie." said Elizabeth,
arching a perfectly formed eyebrow in challenge, daring Bessie to pass comment. On occasion it gave her a small thrill
to show those around her that she was not just the well brought up lady she was meant to be. "Yes, that's right, that's
me, a pirate. Damn good one too luv, now d'you mind giving me my hat back? I believe you were hitting me over the head
with it earlier." Jack said, his gold teeth gleaming in a charming smile as his hat was thrust disdainfully at him.
"Thank you Bessie." said Elizabeth, grabbing Jack's wrist and towing him after her. "I think she loves me..." Jack said
in a loud whisper to Elizabeth, smacking Bessie on the behind as he was dragged past her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will peered out of the door for possibly the hundredth time, his eyes nervously skittering around the corridor. The fine
surroundings of this house, the plush carpets, the expansive windows, even now when he was engaged to Elizabeth, unsettled
him slightly, made him feel out of place. The vast corridors were thankfully empty, most servants undoubtedly finding
whatever excuse they could to go outside on such a warm, deliciously golden evening. Sun wrapped itself lovingly
around every inch of floor it touched. "Relax lad, I'm under the protection of the delightful Miss Swann!" exclaimed
Jack, sprawling himself into a chair that did not look designed to be used in such a robust manner. "Exactly why I'm
keeping an eye out. I don't want Elizabeth to get into trouble because of you." Will said dryly, re-entering to room
and sitting down next to Elizabeth. Jack's chair creaked alarming as he slung one leg over the armrest and surveyed
them with a lazy toothy grin. "So when are the wedding bells? I'd offer to give you a present..." "But it would
undoubtedly be stolen." added Elizabeth, smiling at Jack despite her disaproval. It looked as though Jack paused to
consider this before breaking into another mocking grin "Only a little."
"We are to be married next Spring, as of yet we haven't made all of the preparations. I'm trying to get enough money for
us to start out." Will said, his eyes gleaming with evident pleasure as he held Elizabeth's hand. Jack nodded, glad for
his two friends who, at least by his estimations, had been destined to get together from the very beginning. "You're in
for it my lad, trying to compete with a home like this..." said Jack, gesticulating round himself with his normal
flailing movements. Elizabeth opened her mouth to stop him too late as she saw the chair tip,only for the Captain to
fall off the chair in a scramble of arms and legs with a loud crash.
"What's going on in there? Elizabeth are you all right?"
Launching herself towards the door Elizabeth held it closed "Yes I'm fine father." she declared loudly over the sound of
Jack cursing in mumbled tones and trying to pull himself upright. After a sharp conference through the door with her
father, Elizabeth heard the click of his shoes as he left. Breathing out she glowered at Jack in annoyance as he flipped
the chair upright again and stared at it accusingly, as though it had purposefully wounded him. It never ceased to amaze
her how Jack could be so inescapably clumsy in one instant, and extraordinarily graceful and fast the next. Whether his
swaying, never-still gait was due to enough rum to kill an ordinary man or a life on ships she had no idea, but when in
combat or aboard his beloved Black Pearl, Jack moved like refined silk. He seemed a man designed solely for existing
aboard a ship or in the sea, as she had noted when seeing him swim, his limbs entirely within his own mastery.
"The Pearl's hidden round past the port, I had to comandeer a little fishing boat that went past us." Elizabeth glanced
at Will as they shared the same thought. "And what happened to the people in the fishing boat?" asked Will, giving Jack
a reproachful look. Jack made a valiant attempt to look hurt and innocent "What? They could swim! There was no
sinking!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dying sun fell down into the sea, lighting it in myriad shards of yellow, gold and burnt orange as the magnificent
ship cut through the waters up to the dock. Ropes were thrown overboard onto the planks, followed swiftly by several
people who secured the ship before climbing the ropes back aboard.
Women, eyes ranging from hot to cold, hard to sugary sweet, angry to drunken, surveyed the Port they had come across.
Only five of the crew were male, and they watched with gleeful anticipation, their very expressions showing their
eagerness to head for land. "D'you think it's a good idea for us to be right where they can see us Cap'n?" enquired one
crew member, a thick-set woman with vigorously scraped back brown hair. "We look damaged. They won't reckon on us
trying to leave with the amount of holes we've got in our Beauty." replied their Captain, tapping her fist woefully
against the side of the ship, causing the crew to laugh quietly. Eyes the colour of burnt hazel flashed across her crew
and she gesticulated for them all to pay attention. "Now remember mates, supplies first. No looting, no pillaging..."
The eyes squinted as if reconsidering this before she shrugged broadly "Ok maybe a little pillaging." The crew laughed
raucously at this, adrenaline for enjoyment swelling in them. "Just go and enjoy yourself. I want to see fires high
enough to roast God on. Make me proud." she declared, waving them away wildly. Letting out cries, shrieks and positive
warcries of conquest, the crew all headed down the ropes onto the docks. "You men..." continued the Captain, her sword
shooting out and barring the path of the few men in the crew before they could step forward. "No raping. Not a popular
sport on my ship." she continued coldly, her gaze suddenly venomous. Hostile gazes returned her own but nothing was
said as they followed the others. She smiled to herself as she saw the swarm of her crew fly up the dock. Removing her
hat and shaking out her dark red hair, she began the process of pinning it up, a look of intense displeasure on her face
as she did so. "Now I need to go find me a Commodore to kill. And a Swann to ... do something beginning with S to." she
said happily to herself before sliding down the rope onto the dock.