I Promised, Luv
Part 2 – A Fateful Reminder
~*Seven Years Later*~
"Jack, NO!" Ana screamed, lurching to the railing in an attempt to stop him, despite the fact that he had already hit the water. Her feet skidded on the wet deck until they hit the base of the railing and came to a stop. She gripped the railing so tightly that her knuckles turned bone white and she leaned over as far as she dared.
The violently churning water whipped about, thrashing into the hull of the Black Pearl. Rain pelted down relentlessly, mixing with the black sea water.
Ana's eyes scanned the water frantically, searching for Jack. She breathed a sigh of relief and loosed her grip on the rail ever so slightly when Jack's head broke the surface and he spat out a mouthful of water.
"Jack! Ye daft fool, git bac' up here!" Ana screamed, trying to make her voice loud enough to be heard over the storm.
An out of place splashing pattern off to his right caught Jack's attention and he turned his face away from the ship. He hesitated only a moment before fighting his way through the current towards the ship's bow.
"Daddy!" A small voice squeaked, its owner barely able to stay above the water.
The call forced Jack to swim harder, despite the fact that his water-laden clothes were creating a drag, trying to pull him under. Exhaustion soon began to set in; Jack was fighting the power of the ocean and losing.
"He-" the plea for help chocked out as the young girl was submerged by a wave, her tiny frame dragged into the ocean's dark depths.
Without another thought, Jack took a quick gulp of air and dove, ignoring the forceful water that shoved him deeper once he was below the surface. He struggled against the churning currents, forcing his eyes to stay open and search the inky blackness for some sign of the child.
A short tower of bubbles, with a struggling dark figure in the center drew his attention. He noted with dread that the struggles were growing weaker and less frequent as the girl sunk deeper and deeper.
Jack pushed himself down, swimming as fast as he could after the rapidly sinking child. He ignored the fact that his lungs had taken all the life-giving oxygen from his last breath and were burning for another. If he were to surface for breath now, then the girl would be lost to the dark oblivion of the sea.
Just a little closer…
Jack reached out for the girl's wrist with his right hand. Her lack of self-induced movement worried him, sending a chill of fear to the core of his being. With a final kick, he was able to snatch her wrist and drag her body into his arms. He firmly wrapped his left arm around her waist, then began kicking and reaching for the surface.
A few moments later, his head broke the surface and he quickly dragged the girl's head above the water as well. He sighed in relief as she coughed and began gasping for breath.
"Tha's right Jewel, take't easy." Jack said, trying to calm the frantic child.
"Daddy?"
"'m here." Jack said with a reassuring nod, treading water and trying to keep them both above sea level. As hard as he tried to fight it, his body was tiring quickly and he knew he couldn't keep them both up much longer.
"Jack! Catch!" Ana's familiar voice yelled, accompanied a few moments later by one end of a rope falling into the water beside him.
Jack quickly snagged the rope, wrapped it around Jewel's waist, and tied a secure knot.
"Daddy, what about you?" Jewel asked, tears streaming down her face.
"I'll be up in a minute, luv." Jack said, forcing a grin. "Now, just 'old onto tha' rope tight, okay?"
"Okay." The girl consented with a small nod.
"Tha's m' girl." Jack said, giving her forehead a quick kiss before moving back from the child clinging to the rope. He looked up to the deck of the ship. "PULL!!"
A few seconds later, the rope was in motion and hoisted the young girl from the dark waters and was moving her ever closer to the deck of the Black Pearl.
Before he knew what was happening, a swift current caught onto his legs, dragging him beneath the waters. In his surprise, he didn't take a breath before being dragged under with crushing pressure on his body.
"Daddy!" The girl screamed in horror as she watched her father get pulled under.
Ana ran to the side of the ship at the child's scream, fearing the worst. She noted with relief that the girl was still firmly attached to the rope, and passed the cry off as a fear of heights. She then looked down into the waters, expecting to see Jack not far from the ship. Her brow furrowed in worry when she couldn't find a trace of him.
"Pull faster!" Ana yelled to the crew, who quickly complied.
The young girl was soon sitting on the deck, sopping wet and shivering both from the cold and from sobbing.
"Jewel!" Ana exclaimed, enveloping the girl in a tight hug.
"Mommy,"
"Yes?"
"Daddy's still down there. He got pulled under." Jewel choked out through sobs.
Ana gasped and was on her feet in an instant. She cut the rope from around the girl, and then took the loose end in her hand. Before the crew had a chance to react, she had jumped overboard, trailing the rope with her.
Jack slowly drifted towards the inky void, no longer having the strength to fight the inevitable. The water was growing steadily colder around him, numbing his body to the point where it could no longer move of its own accord. It pressed closer, putting more painful pressure on his sore body.
Before his brain shut down due to lack of oxygen, a single thought drifted through his mind…
'So this is what it must have been like for Bootstrap; able to feel, but unable to feel at the same time…'
Ana hit the water, surfaced and, after taking a deep breath, she dove down, searching for Jack. To her relief, she spotted him instantly, a dark silhouette sink slowly towards the bottom of the sea and not doing anything to fight it. She swam with all her might, desperately trying to reach him in as little time as possible.
What seemed like an eternity later, she managed to grab his arm, preventing him from sinking anymore. Shifting herself, she got behind him and placed her arms under his, and after putting the end of the rope between her teeth, she forced herself to swim towards the surface as quickly as possible.
Once they broke the surface, Ana quickly wrapped the rope around both of their waists and secured the knot. "PULL!!" She yelled up to the crew, who were watching over the side eagerly.
They quickly disappeared, pulling on the rope with all their strength in a desperate attempt to bring their commanding officers back onboard.
A few minutes later, Ana and an unconscious Jack were back onboard the Black Pearl. Ana was panting for breath, while Jack was doing quite the opposite; he wasn't breathing at all. Ana noted this with a fair amount of fear and, despite being breathless herself; she quickly cut the rope holding them together.
She then placed one hand on his chest, while pressing the fingers of the other onto his wrist. She found the pulse quickly enough, but it was weak and erratic. Ana brought her other hand up and placed it atop his chest. Placing one hand on the other, she pressed down quickly, succeeding in making Jack cough up a good amount of seawater.
Despite the fact that most of the water had been emptied from his lungs, he still wasn't breathing.
"C'mon Jack, don't do this…" Ana growled, pushing down on his chest again, forcing out the rest of the water. She then bent down and blew air into his mouth. Nothing. She pushed down on his chest twice more, and then blew again. Still nothing. She pressed down thrice more and blew, this time longer.
Finally, Jack coughed a bit and once the fit was over, he was breathing on his own again. This fact relieved Ana, even though his breaths were short and irregular. At least he was still alive.
Small hands clinging to her shivering arm alerted her to her daughter's presence at her side.
"Mommy, you're shivering."
Ana forced her body to be still, ignoring the cold. She turned to look at the young girl and pasted a smile on her face. "I'm fine, but what about you?"
The girl ignored the question, her gaze fixed on Jack's motionless form. "What about daddy? What's wrong? Why isn't he moving?"
Ana turned back to look at Jack's body, unable to see the girl's pained face any longer. "Daddy will be fine. Now, why don't you go with Uncle Gibbs?" Ana more told the girl than asked, giving Gibbs a meaningful look. She then stood slowly, her gaze never leaving Jack. "Git 'im in." She muttered to the crewmen standing nearby.
Jewel clutched to Ana's pant leg, burying her face in the rough material.
"Gibbs,"
"Aye?"
"Take Jewel below where it's warm; I'll be down in a bit."
Gibbs looked like he was about to protest, but at Ana's threatening gaze, he lapsed into submission. He took Jewel's hand and silently led her below decks.
Ana waited until they were out of sight before turning back. Jack was still lying motionless on the deck, with a gathering of crew in a half-circle around him.
"What'd I say ye dogs?! Git 'im in!" Ana snapped loudly, stepping forward to enforce the order.
The crew started out of their reverie and three stepped forward. They gently lifted Jack off the deck and started for the captain's cabin, one on each side, and one holding his legs.
Ana walked on ahead and opened the cabin door. As the crewmen carrying Jack's body passed, she pointedly suppressed her shivering. The men carefully deposited Jack on the bed, and then silently left the cabin, knowing they would be unwanted.
"One o' you go an' get the surgeon." Ana whispered, knowing at least one of them would hear.
Once they had left and shut the door behind them, Ana turned her attention to the bed. Jack was lying almost death-still, his breathing shallow and his skin starkly pale.
"Jack?" Ana asked, not really expecting a response.
As she had guessed, no response was forthcoming. Ana sighed to herself and stepped up to the bed, quickly removing Jack's boots and socks, tossing them to the ground. She then sat on the edge, placed one hand on each of Jack's shoulders, and carefully lifted him up. Resting his back on her shoulder, she proceeded to remove his overcoat.
After tossing the heavy, water-soaked fabric to the ground, she turned her attention to the waistcoat. She first had to remove the leather belt and strip of fabric. She had to fight with the knot for awhile; the wind, rain, and saltwater had stiffened and tightened it almost to the point of no release. A few twists and sharp tugs later, and the long piece of fabric was lying atop the other clothing articles on the floor.
Ana quickly removed the waistcoat and water-sodden white shirt, noting with concern the cold feeling still remaining from his little dunk in the ocean. She carefully shifted him so she was holding him up with her left arm. She carefully removed the bandana from around his head with her right hand, tossing it to the cabin floor as well. She pushed the strands of beads and dripping hair off his face.
"Hey Jack, time t' wake up," Ana whispered, running her fingers through his thick, wet hair. "Please?" She added even more quietly as an after-thought.
Much to her surprise, Jack's eyelids fluttered in response before stilling once more.
"Jack, you there?" Ana asked in a normal tone of voice, daring to hope.
Jack's eyebrows pinched momentarily before his eyes opened ever so slightly. He tilted his head towards Ana, his eyes fogged over.
Ana smiled tightly, removing her hand from his hair and instead running it lightly along his jaw line. "Hi Jack."
"'ello." Jack replied weakly, his voice gravelly.
Ana frowned as just how cold his body was fully registered. She looked into his eyes and felt a chill creep down her spine at the dull gaze that met her.
"Wha's wrong luv?" Jack asked, his exhaustion slurring his words.
Ana quickly hid her emotions behind a façade of indifference. "Nothin'."
"Tired."
"Understandably." Ana replied, reaching for a cup of fresh water. She then extended the drink to Jack. "Here, have a drink."
"Tired."
"Drink." Ana enforced sternly, jerking the cup closer to his mouth.
Jack slowly, reluctantly reached for the cup with a shaking hand. Ana kept her grip on the cup to sturdy it as he took one small sip of the liquid before a fit of coughing enveloped him. Ana quickly took the cup away, placing it on the bedside stand, before taking his hand in her own free one and giving it a light squeeze.
"Jack, calm down; relax. S'okay now," Ana whispered, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.
Eventually the coughing passed and Jack slumped back, his breathing lapsing into the shallow breaths once more. His eyes soon fell shut and the hollow breathing sounds fell into a steady rhythm.
Ana gently put him down and stood from the edge of the bed. She retrieved several extra blankets from the chest at the foot of the bed and thoroughly covered Jack with them. After completing her task, she stepped over to the table, retrieved one of the chairs, and silently carried it over to Jack's bedside. She sat down, leaned back, and sighed, allowing at least some of the tension to drain from her body.
A light knock on the cabin door roused her from her comfortable position on the chair. With a sigh, she dragged her tired body from the chair and plodded to the door, her clothes still dripping salty liquid. She opened the door wearily and then stepped to the side to admit the ship's surgeon.
The man was younger than most of the crew, but well-versed in his practice. He wore an oiled poncho over his normal clothes and, although his hair was dripping rainwater, his eyes were sharp behind his thin-rimmed glasses. He took in Ana's drowsy and sodden appearance before his brow knit in worry.
"Well, they told me you had gone for a bit of a swim, but you look terrible."
Ana quickly put up a tough attitude of defense and growled a bit. "S'not me ye're here t' see; it's Jack." She snapped, pointing to the motionless figure on the bed.
"But you're soppin' wet…"
"Now," Ana growled.
The surgeon stiffened. He had heard tales of the fates of those who crossed this woman's path when her temper ran high. True, he wasn't sure he believed that she had really keelhauled a man, pulled him back up while he was still alive and bitten off his finger just because he had called her a wench to her face, but he wasn't about to take any chances.
"Yes, yes, quite right," he hastily acquiesced, pacing towards the cot. Taking a seat in the recently emptied chair, he opened his surgeon's kit. Leaving it open on his lap, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on Jack's forehead then moved to check his pulse. "Has he been awake at all?"
"For a minute not too long ago,"
"Good."
Silence fell again as the young surgeon set about his business. Ana had to clench her jaw to keep her teeth from clicking together, but try as she might, the rest of her person would not remain still.
"Ana-Maria,"
Ana nearly jumped as the young man suddenly broke the silence with his words, not turning to face her, but addressing her all the same.
"You need to go below and warm up."
"Why? S'just fine in here."
"It's somewhat warm, but not as warm as below decks. As the ship's surgeon, I'm telling you to go below, get dry clothes, a warm drink, and some rest."
"But-"
"Go take care of your daughter." With this statement, he turned and locked eyes with her. Something deep in his gaze told her that everything would be fine and that he was right.
Ana sighed, both exhaustion and defeat overwhelming her before she nodded. "Alright. But I'll be back within the hour."
The young man returned the nod, his eyes lightening. "Thought as much. Just try to relax, I can handle things."
Ana turned and somewhat shakily headed out the door. She paused briefly in the doorframe, looking worriedly over her shoulder at Jack's still form.
"Go on." The surgeon urged, not turning from his patient.
Ana reluctantly left the cabin, closing the door behind her to trap the heat within. She then slowly made her way across deck, noting that the storm had let up and the sky was now cloudless and dark, the stars twinkling across the heavens. She descended the stairs and strode down the corridor below decks to her and Jewel's cabin. When she opened the door, she was met by a small child dashing towards her and jumping into her arms.
"Mommy!" The belated welcome came, muffled in Ana's soggy shirtfront.
"Jewel, get down now, I've got to change…where's Uncle Gibbs?"
The girl released Ana and looked up at her, eyes wide. "He said to wait here for you and that he was going to get a drink for me,"
"And?"
"That was a long time ago."
"Figures," Ana muttered, glaring at the doorway behind her.
"Mommy,"
Ana turned her attention back to the six-year-old standing in front of her. "Aye?"
"Is daddy gonna be…okay?"
Ana's expression noticeably softened at her daughter's words and she kneeled down in front of the girl. "Of course. Remember, not only is he Captain Jack Sparrow, but he's more stubborn than a herd of mules."
The playfulness behind the words brought a small smile to the young girl's lips and she hugged Ana tightly around the neck.
"I sure hope so, mommy."
~*~
"Jack!"
"Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack corrected routinely, turning to face his lover's voice.
Ana strode purposefully over to her captain, who was standing casually behind the wheel. His left hand was wrapped around a spoke and his right held his trusty compass. As she approached, he snapped the compass shut and clipped it back onto his belt before looking up to meet her angry gaze with a lazy grin.
"What're ye doin' out?" Ana demanded, stopping sharply in front of the helm and planting her fists on her hips.
"I'm doin' what a cap'n's supposed t' do…guide me ship an' crew." Jack replied casually, waving his right hand about as he spoke.
"That's all well an' good, but ye just recovered from yer little swim…shouldn't you take a break?"
Jack shook his head quickly, sending the beads into an intoning of sounds. "'Course not. No rest fer the weary."
"Jack…" Ana growled, a definite warning in her voice.
"I'll be back in me cabin in a bit, luv. Don' ye trust me?"
"Ne'er have, ne'er will."
Jack simply smiled, teeth flashing in the early morning sun. Ana shook her head in exasperation and turned back to the main deck, contenting herself with badgering the crew. Jack shook his head again, the smiled fixed on his face. He turned his attention to the starboard rail and his eyes flickered across the sparkling waves. His eyes slowly fell shut and he leaned towards the ocean, inhaling deeply—too deeply. Instead of filling his lungs gently as it had always done in the past, the air seemed to choke him, causing him to break down into a coughing spell.
The fit lasted for several minutes, drawing the attention of all on deck. Ana was at his side instantly, alternately patting his back lightly and rubbing it in circles, trying to get him to relax and take shallower breaths.
Finally, breathless and eyes watering, the coughs subsided and Jack took normal breaths, not daring to breath too deeply.
Ana gave a barely audible sigh of relief before launching into a short rant. "What was tha'?! I tol' ye yah shouldn't be up an' about yet! Daft fool, ye trying t' get sick agin?!"
"I weren't…sick…t' begin wit'," Jack retorted between gasps.
"I beg t' differ," Ana stated bluntly. "When one coughs fer a full five minutes straight, I'd say tha' person were sick. An' yer cough's been gettin' worse by th' day."
Jack glared at her as best he could when she seized his arm and began dragging him down to his cabin. However, he followed without a verbal complaint. The two entered the captain's cabin, Ana slamming the door behind them.
"Just because ye're cap'n doesn't mean tha' ye need t' kill yerself t' be on deck watchin' yer ship an' crew e'ery minute!"
Jack slowly raised his head until his gaze locked with Ana's, the emotion in his eyes effectively silencing her. "Ana," he spoke gently, his voice barely above a whisper, "you know what this ship means t' me."
"Aye, but tha's no reason t'-"
"Ana, just let me have my freedom…please?"
Ana was shocked by the raw longing in his voice and stared at him, at a loss for words. After a few moments, she once again found her voice. "But you nearly drowned not three days ago!" She exclaimed, worry tingeing her words. "Will ye just do me this one favor?" She added more quietly.
"An' wha's that?"
"Take the rest o' the morning t' rest. I'll come back t' git ye at noon. Okay?"
Jack took a moment to contemplate the request before nodding. "Agreed."
"Agreed." Ana repeated, planting a kiss on his lips, which he returned after a moment. When they broke apart, she shot him a quick grin and ran her hand down his arm. "I expect you t' keep yer promise, savvy?"
Jack nodded with a loving grin playing across his lips. "I savvy."
"Good. See you this afternoon, captain." Ana muttered before turning and leaving the cabin, making sure to close the door behind her.
Jack watched her exit and, once the door had closed, he removed his effects and kicked off his boots. He then removed his overcoat and vest, and lay back on the bed, allowing his eyes to drift shut.
~*~
Ana drifted towards the captain's cabin, meandering to give her captain even a few more minutes to rest. She occasionally stopped to help a crewmember tie down a sail or adjust a belaying pin—anything to waste time. Eventually, she found herself facing the closed, dark wood door of the captain's cabin. With an internal sigh, she knocked once before pushing the door open. As she stepped into the cabin, she noted that Jack was lying on the cot in his shirt and breeches, apparently asleep.
"Jack," Ana spoke aloud, walking over to the bed. All she received in response was a small moan. She, in turn, sat on the edge of the mattress, making Jack's sleeping form slide towards her. When she felt him bump lightly against her hip, she reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. "C'mon Jack, wake-" she cut herself off as she realized that an unnatural amount of heat seemed to inhabit his hair. She quickly untangled her fingers and laid her palm over his forehead. To her horror, his skin was immensely hot and sweat was beading noticeably on all his exposed flesh. "Jack, wake up!" Ana said loudly, gently shaking his shoulder.
Jack still didn't open his eyes; he simply groaned quietly and shifted his position ever so slightly.
"C'mon Jack, you've gotta wake up, gotta fight this," Ana encouraged, not giving up shaking him.
Her efforts were finally rewarded when Jack's eyes fluttered open to reveal the fever-glazed chocolate coloring.
"Jack…" Ana breathed in relief.
"A-Ana…" Jack whispered, his voice shaky as he shivered despite the heat of his fever. Before Ana could come up with something more to say, Jack's eyes fell shut again and his body became completely limp.
Ana quickly stood from the bed and dashed out the cabin door, leaving it open in her wake. She stumbled onto the deck, then began shouting orders to the crew. "Someone git me some cold, clean water an' a rag…go git Thomas, too!"
The crew didn't ask any questions, they just did as they were bidden. Ana soon had received a bowl of cool water and a soft cloth, which she quickly brought with her into Jack's cabin. She sat where she had before on the bed and dunked the cloth in the water. She removed the excess liquid from the cloth before touching it to Jack's overheated skin. When the cloth did touch him, Jack moaned quietly, then tried to shift away from the coolness. Ana held his arm firmly, preventing him from getting too far in his weakened state.
"C'mon Jack, don't fight it." Ana said firmly, continuing to dab at his skin with the cold compress.
"Whe…re's…J-Jewel?" Jack asked with a great amount of difficulty, his voice rough.
"She's down below, but don' mind about her," Ana answered simply, focused on trying to cool him down. She carefully slipped his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. The cool water seemed to have no effect whatsoever in lowering his temperature and Ana's brows knit in worry. She carefully moved his thick hair away from his neck and pressed her fingers against the side of it, checking his pulse. Much too sluggish for her liking.
"Jack, Jack ye daft idi-"
"Ana-Maria?"
Ana spun at the familiar voice and found the young surgeon standing in the doorway, a curious expression on his face.
"What did you call me for?"
Ana silently pointed to the figure on the bed, her face betraying her emotions. Thomas nodded and went to the other side, quickly placing a hand to Jack's forehead.
"Goodness! He's burning up!" Thomas exclaimed.
"Thanks fer pointin' out the obvious…can ye help him?"
Thomas's face looked quite uncertain, sending a chill of fear through Ana. "Well, you're on the right track for a normal fever, but this—this might be beyond help-"
"Yer're not jus' gonna give up!?"
"No, no, of course not!"
Jack shifted and rolled uncomfortably, moaning and muttering indecipherable nothings. The actions indicated that his fever-induced sleep was not something he fancied.
"We'll probably have to sweat it out…s'a mighty high fever he's running." Thomas whispered, indicating the pile of blankets at the foot of the bed.
Ana nodded, her eyes solemn. "Okay."
The two quickly set about covering Jack's body with the blankets, being sure to tuck them around his body tightly to conserve body heat. Once they had finished, the pirate captain was huddled beneath a mountain of blankets and the beads of sweat on his face stood out against his pale skin. His barely noticeable respiration was slow and gravelly.
"That's about all we can do for now…" Thomas said, trailing off as if he had something more to say, but was hesitant to voice his thoughts.
"Wha's wrong? S'obvious you want t' say more."
Thomas took a deep breath before answering, knowing she would not like what he had to say. As he spoke, he chose his words very carefully. "You should bring Jewel up here…"
"Why?"
Thomas sighed, rubbing his temples lightly. "Because when I suggested we sweat it out, it was only in hopes of making us feel useful…the truth of the matter is, we're fighting something we can't possibly win against. I-I think she would like to say goodbye."
Ana stared at him, her jaw hanging open. After a few minutes, she found her voice. "Ye're certain?"
Thomas nodded gravely.
Ana sighed, but it seemed more to prepare herself for a fight than anything else. "No need t' git Jewel; he's Captain Jack Sparrow…he'll pull through." He has to, she added mentally.
Thomas didn't reply, he simply collected his belongings and silently slipped from the cabin. When he was gone, Ana focused her energy on Jack once more.
"C'mon Captain Sparrow…don' give up. S'not yer style." She muttered, gently running a hand down his clammy cheek.
The sun's light waned and faded, dousing the room in near darkness and taking most of Jack's strength with it. He was indeed losing the battle: his breathing was shallower, labored and his pulse continued to slip nearer to nonexistence.
The silence and lack of light in the cabin closed in, causing Ana to become drowsy. Her eyes slowly drifted shut and her breathing fell into a steady pattern. However, her hand remained on Jack's face. A sudden light grip on her forearm caused her eyes to snap open and her body tense. When she looked down, she was met by Jack's hardly inhabited gaze and noted that it was his hand that rested on her arm.
"Jack?!" Ana exclaimed in shock, relaxing quite noticeably. "How're ye feelin'?" she asked more gently, looking worriedly into his eyes.
"Jewel?"
Ana's eyebrows knit in confusion and she looked questioningly down at the fevered man.
"Daddy?" A small voice questioned back, followed by hesitant footsteps.
Ana turned in time to see their daughter set herself lightly on the bed beside her father, peering down at his pale, unfocused face. Upon seeing the young girl's face, hazed in his eyes by the fever, Jack grinned weakly.
"Daddy, what's wrong?" Jewel asked meekly, her voice low.
"Nothin-"
"Ana, give it up…" Jack paused, attempting to fill his lungs with air. "No use hidin' th' truth." Jack finished slowly, the fever slurring his words.
Ana choked back a flood of tears as her previous impression of the infamous man was shattered. The Jack Sparrow she knew no longer existed.
"Daddy, what do you mean?"
Jack tried his best to smile at the girl, but his weak state prevented him from accomplishing it. "I'm gonna go fer…'nother adventure."
"You're taking me and mommy with, right?"
Jack barely managed to shake his head before coughing hollowly, the sound making Ana wince in sympathy. "Nah. Can't. 'Sides, s'nowhere ye'd want t' go."
"Where are you going?"
Jack simply grin sloppily, his teeth for once not glinting in the lantern light. "Secret." He answered, his voice as heavy as his eyelids. Before anyone could utter anything more, Jack slipped back into the darkness of oblivion, his eyes never again to see the light of day as they once had.
"Jack, don't leave…not yet," Ana begged, taking his hand in both of hers and allowing a tear to slip down her cheek.
"'M…sorry," Jack gasped weakly, "but…s'time. Remember th' promise…luv."
Ana's eyes filled with salty tears as his breathing became more ragged and finally stopped all together. She quickly checked for a pulse at his neck, only to confirm that, it too, had been extinguished. Ana drew Jewel into a tight hug, offering her daughter comfort and receiving it in return.
The spark of life that had burned inside Jack Sparrow for his whole life had been smothered.
~*~
"Sure you want t' leave? You would make a good-"
"Don' say it, Gibbs," Ana stated sharply, cutting him off mid-thought. "We'd love t' stay, but there's too many memories." Ana said quickly, cutting him off and suppressing the tears that threatened her.
Gibbs nodded solemnly, the gesture a silent acceptance and support.
"Bye Uncle Gibbs," Jewel muttered, hugging him tightly, her tears soaking into the rough fabric of his shirt.
"G'bye Jewel, Ana." Gibbs said quietly.
"Fair winds an' a following sea, lads." Ana whispered just loud enough for the gathered to hear.