Title: Dragonfly

Author: Muse a.k.a. Viorith

Rating: R for sexual content and violence.

Pairing: Will/OFC, Jack/Anna Maria

Feedback: Yes

Archive: Ask first please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with PoTC, I'm just playing with them. I do own Sabine. So please ask if you want to play with her.

Summary: Sabine has loved Will since she was 16, but since his eyes were for Elizabeth only, she settled for his friendship. A year after the curse is lifted, Sabine now needs him to teach her the way of the blade so she can avenge her father's death on a man that once called himself his friend.

Chapter 26

James Norrington appeared not only confused, but disturbed by the pirate's revelation. It wasn't that he wanted to part with his ship, he was simply stunned— literally beyond belief— that Jack was refusing the offer.

"Let me get this straight?" Norrington began, hoping saying it again would some how register it in his brain were the other four times had missed. "You're not returning to Port Royal with us."

"Yeah, that's right. It was right when you asked it the first time, and it will be right if you ask it again," Jack stated in a tiresome voice.

"And you aren't going to sneak into port in the middle of the night and sail away in her."

"Commodore," the pirate sighed, "I've got the Pearl," he stated with pride.

"Yes, well then¼" James hesitated. His views of pirates changed none over the last few months. Truth be told his hatred for them, and desire to rid the Caribbean of their kind had grow exponentially, but there was no denying he wouldn't have gotten Elizabeth back—again— if it hadn't been for the help of a pirate. He offered his hand, "Thank you for the return of my wife Captain Sparrow."

Like the first time Norrington offered his hand, Jack hesitated, choosing to inspect it first before giving a vague smile. "You'll understand if we don't shake on it?" he inquired in the end.

Norrington seemed to make the connection right away, and reluctantly lowered his hand.

"And, um, what do you intend to do about Jacinto?" James questioned.

"Kill him, or course," Jack answered, "He threatened to take my ship."

"Might I remind you, you did the same."

"Why Commodore Norrington, I protest¼ I bargained for your ship, there's a difference."

Norrington forced a smile before turning his eyes down the dock in hopes that he would see his wife and the other occupants making their arrival. The sun was gaining momentum in the sky, and Norrington hoped to be well on the way to Port Royal before noon.

He turned back, un-nerved to find Jack studying him, "I wish you luck, Captain Sparrow. Understand when I say I hope never to see you again."

"Likewise," Jack agreed.

The Commodore beat a hasty retreat to his ship docked closer to the front of the port, while Jack turned back to his ship. There was still gold aboard he had to make sure was secured.

Empty plates and glasses littered the table occupied by Will, Sabine, Elizabeth, and Gezana. The four of them had left the inn early that morning in favor of a hot cooked meal as opposed to the hardtack and salted meat that had become a staple of their diet.

For Gezana, she could not reach Port Royal soon enough. The last trip she took on a boat had been from Spain to the Caribbean island. Being held prisoner on Jacinto's ship made her remember why she decided never to leave the island. A cane lay on the floor next to her seat. The wound was healing, but was still too new to walk unassisted.

"We should make our way to the docks," Elizabeth stated pushing her plate back and setting two shillings on the table for her breakfast. "James will want to make for Port Royal as soon as possible."

Will picked up the shillings and handed them back to Elizabeth. "Breakfast is my treat," he stated, then began counting out the correct amount from his own purse. Gezana, reached down to retrieve her cane, and Elizabeth began to put on her gloves. Sabine's statement managed to bring all activity at the table to an end.

"I'm not leave," she stated in a soft, but determined voice.

"I beg you pardon?" Will questioned praying that he heard wrong.

Without missing a beat, Sabine raised her eyes to meet the unspoken challenge in Will's. "I said I'm not leaving. Not yet. There's something I must do first."

"You mean someone you must kill," Will amended.

"Yes, if you would like to put it that way."

"Oh child."

"Damnit Sabine!" the blacksmith snapped. Had there been anyone else in the restaurant they would have had to politely pretend they hadn't heard him.

"Will!" Elizabeth turned a shocked gaze in the young man's direction.

"I thought we settled this," he strained, "I thought you agreed to return with us."

"I did, I had."

"Then what's changed?" he demanded.

"Will, please calm down," Gezana urged.

"No. Why should I when she's ready to throw her life away."

"I'm not throwing my life away," Sabine countered trying to keep her own temper from escalating.

"He's going to kill you."

"Thank you for having so much faith in me, Will," she finally snapped.

"I told you I loved you. Didn't that mean anything to you?"

Neither of them noticed the look of both surprise, and hurt that flashed across Elizabeth's face.

"It did, but now I'm starting to wonder if you didn't just say it to get the response from me that you wanted."

"I said it, and I meant it, but if you insist on carrying on with this foolish plan—"

"—Foolish—"

"—Don't expect me to stick around. I will not watch you die," he threw his napkin on the table and rose so abruptly his chair scooted back and clattered to the ground. "Excuse me ladies, I'll see you on board."

Sabine watched him go, anger clenching and unclenching her fists. She knew he would be upset, she knew he would be disappointed, but she never thought he wouldn't be supportive. She thought after all they had been through that he would stay with her.

"Sabine," Gezana began.

"I don't want to hear it," the young woman interrupted in a clipped tone.

"Will is right. You could die," Elizabeth stated matter of factly. "James said before he was sentenced, Jacinto was one of the most bloody, vicious pirates to sail the seas."

"All the more reason for me to end his life. I don't expect you to understand, either of you. But this is something I have to do."

"Is there nothing we can say to discourage you?" Gezana questioned.

Sabine gave a sad smile as she shook her head.

"We could stay," Elizabeth offered, "Moral support, or something like that."

"No," she refused, "You have a life, your father is waiting for you in Port Royal. And Gezana, you have your store. All I have left is a promise I made."

"And us," Gezana reminded her before wrapping the woman in her embrace. "Never forget that you have us."

She hugged her tightly and kissed her, then stood back so Elizabeth could do the same. The women said their good-byes, then Sabine followed Gezana and Elizabeth to the entrance. She forced a smile and waved as the two headed towards the docks. There was no sign of Will, and she assumed he probably went back to the hotel to collect his things before leaving. It wasn't how she wanted things to end between them, but there was nothing she could do. She wouldn't leave, and apparently he wasn't willing to stay.

"I guess it wasn't meant to be," she reasoned leaning against the pub's frame.

"The life of a pirate isn't easy, you shouldn't expect it to be," Anna-Maria stated taking a position next to her friend.

"I don't," Sabine replied and pushed away. She walked down the middle of the streets unsure of her destination.

"And this is still the life you choose?"

"It's worked for you so far, right?"

"Sabine," Anna-Maria wrapped her hand around the young woman's arm to halt her forward movement. "You have a good man, who loves you. Why are you willing to throw that all away?"

"Because I can't go back there," she finally confessed, "I can't be that helpless girl that needs to be saved and protected. I've seen too much, I've been through too much, and I'm not that person anymore. I can't just pick up where I left off. I have to see this through to the end."

"Even if it kills you?" Sabine turned away and tried to leave, but Anna-Maria stopped her again. "Is that it? Do you want to die?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Then why are you hell bent on this path. Jack will kill him, and he will be just as dead."

"I don't need Jack fighting my battles for me."

Anna-Maria looked deep into Sabine's eyes before she turned away, and the pirate finally began to see what the driving force behind the woman was. She was wholly familiar with it, as it was the fuel that made most women do stupid things."

"You don't have to prove yourself to anyone."

"You don't understand. The first time I went to town by myself was after Papa died. He always made sure there was someone there to keep me safe while he was away. He made sure I had anything I wanted, and everything I could need. I have to do this for him."

"There is nothing I can say, to make you change your mind, is there?"

Sabine slowly shook her head.

"Very well, then I will be your second."

"Anna, you don't have to do that," Sabine stated shaking her head.

"It would be an honor," the female pirate stated.

The women stared at each other, until Sabine finally nodded. Anna-Maria turned to leave, but this time it was Sabine that stopped her. She smiled, mouthed the words 'thank you' and embraced the woman that had grown to be her friend. It was the first time in Anna-Maria's life that another woman hugged her.

Sabine had gone to the docks under the guise of wishing James a safe trip. What she really wanted was a chance to try to explain things to Will. She didn't want things to end like that between them. She didn't want him to leave thinking he meant nothing to her. Unfortunately she never so much as saw one curl from his brown hair.

She stayed on the docks long after the Revenge had sailed away, but eventually headed back to her room. The last thing she wanted to do was sit up there staring at the dreary four walls, but she didn't feel up to doing anything else.

It was the same inn, her and Will had stayed at during their first stay in Tortuga, and Sabine had managed to get the same room, she hid her money in. The gold had been exactly where she left it, hidden behind the dresser under the floorboards. She had left it there, only taking out enough to pay her way the month she would be in the town.

By the time she returned to the room, she had convinced herself to go to town and purchase new clothes, or at least enough to make it through until Jacinto would arrive. A few items had been left on the Pearl, but the majority of her clothes, and possessions, including her sword, had been lost in the fire on Aruba.

Sabine opened the door, slipped through the crack made, and closed it quickly. She paused for a moment, her head resting against the wood. It seemed so long ago that Will was scolding her for her careless behavior. She had been innocent then, and it seemed nothing evil in the world would touch her. Sabine missed those days, and longed for the time when her life seemed so much simpler.

"Sabine."

The woman gave a startled yelp and whirled around to see Will Turner standing near the window. She stared at him, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her.

"Wh¼ wha¼ I thought you left."

"I did," Will stated, "When I walked out of the pub, I came back here, collected my things and left."

"Then why¼ what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't stay away," he answered plainly and took a step forward. He wanted to close the distance between them, but Sabine looked like she would bolt back through the door at any given moment.

"I thought you didn't want to stick around and watch me die."

"Would you rather I had left?"

Sabine averted her eyes to the floor. The arms that had crossed her breath slowly lowered until her battle stance was disarmed. "That's not what I meant."

"Then you want me to stay?" he questioned taking two more steps.

"Not if you're only doing it because of a promise you made to Papa."

"I told him I would always protect you."

"As his daughter I release you from any oaths you may have been held to."

"And if I don't want to be released?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Will took the final steps that closed the gap between them. "I don't want to be released from my promise to your father. There is nothing that would please me more than if you would make the same oath with me, and agree to be my wife."

Sabine blinked once, very slowly. For years she had longed to hear those words from him, which was why she didn't believe herself when she replied, "I can't."

"What?" Will questioned not believing the answer either.

"I can't."

"I love you," he stated earnestly.

"I know," she replied moving from between him and the door to the window.

"And I know you love me," he reasoned.

"I do," she agreed.

"Then why—"

"I know my father, Will. I know he made you promise to keep me safe, and made you believe the only way to do that was to marry me, but I told you that I release you from any promises you made to him."

"And I told you I don't want to be released from this one. I love you Sabine. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Even if that's only a month?" she questioned with a touch of bitterness.

"Yes," he answered without pause.

Sabine stared at him, studied him. Again he moved closer, his eyes as open and clear as they had ever been. He moved close to her, lining their bodies together. His fingers brushed up the side of her face. A soft smile pulled at his lips before they captured hers. The kiss was soft and simple. He licked his tongue across her lips, but pulled away before it became anything more.

"You're serious?"

"There's a chapel on the edge of town. We can be wed but sunset."

Sabine shook her head slowly, a grin splitting her lips. "You're mad."

"Is that a yes?"

She pressed her lips together to keep the brilliant smile from taking over her face, but it all it took was the appearance of Will's dimple at the command of his own bright grin and all was lost.

"Yes," she said softly, then with more conviction repeated her answer as her future husband engulfed her in a hug that lifted her from the ground. Their lips met again before her feet were set back down.