Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic. Is that enough
of a disclaimer to satisfy you?
Author's Note: Here we go; the first of the sad ones! This is where the tears will start to fall! (At least, that is my intent here.) If it's too sad, or not sad enough, don't blame it on me! And just so you know, I really don't like Gillette; something about his comment to Elizabeth. I dunno, he just strikes me the wrong way..
-A Time to Die-
This couldn't be happening. Not here, not now, not ever! This was something that was never supposed to happen; something that could not happen. Should not happen. So how come it was happening? Ana-Maria could not force her mind to work out the details. She was in too much shock, and she simply could not comprehend this nightmare. Jack Sparrow could not be dying! But he was, and that was the truth of it.
All she could do was sit next to him and hold his hand, desperately hoping for a miracle; that he would at least wake up to say goodbye, that she could tell him what she had finally realized the instant it had happened. She knew he wouldn't, though. He hadn't woken up once since, and it had been nearly three days.
She closed her eyes and tried to resist the sudden urge to cry; she wouldn't cry, no, not until there was no hope left. Closing her eyes didn't help, though; it merely brought back the images that she didn't want to have in her memory; the ones that would be ingrained in her mind for the rest of her life.
---
The day had started out fine, if a bit on the cloudy side. No possible indication of what was to befall them. They had spotted a merchant ship not far to the northeast, weighted down with the amount of cargo she was carrying. Not in itself an unusual occurrence.
After shadowing her for a bit, Jack had decided that she was worth taking. Normally they shadowed a ship for much longer than this, but for some reason Jack didn't wish to wait as long. Probably because this merchant was one he recognized, and was known for carrying rum, which by some odd happenings, they were currently running extremely low on.
It was a bit risky, but Jack wasn't known to be inherently cautious. If he were, he wouldn't have been the kind of pirate he was. Ana-Maria thought that there was something odd about this merchant, but she couldn't really explain just what it was. She didn't think that they should bother with this one; they were only a day or two's sail away from Tortuga, and they could always get rum there.
She had voiced her concerns once, and only once. After that one attempt it became clear that no amount of persuading (forceful or otherwise) could keep Jack from going after this ship. Perhaps his lack of desire to hear out her thoughts on the matter was attributable to the prank Ana-Maria had played on him just a few days ago. He had been rather upset with her ever since.
Later, when she would have time to reflect, she realized that her prank had hurt him, without her ever knowing it. But at that point in time, she was merely angry that he wouldn't believe her when she said there was something wrong about that ship. As it turned out, she had been right.
The merchant ship was merely a decoy; bait to catch the pirates unguarded. Apparently Commodore Norrington was on the warpath again; since he knew that the Black Pearl was the faster ship, he had shown that he knew other ways to take care of the pirate threat. With his intelligence he would have made a good pirate if he hadn't chosen the side of the law.
The Black Pearl could outrun the Dauntless; there was no lie in that. Still, the suddenness with which they had been caught unawares (something that rarely happened the Captain Jack Sparrow) forced them to do battle before they could gain enough advantage to escape.
It was in that battle that it had happened. Ana-Maria had seen it from where she was fighting off two of the redcoats by the mainmast. Jack was fighting off two of his own when one of the officers, Lieutenant Gillette she later learned, decided to fight like a pirate. Or at least, fight like his image of one.
Not even a pirate would do what he did, and Ana-Maria found herself in shock as her captain went down. The rest of the fight was a blur. Gibbs later informed her that she had gone berserk, and that she had fought like a whirlwind, not stopping until she had slain or at least disabled every member of the British Royal Navy that she could reach.
Somehow or other they had gotten away, and the next thing she remembered was sitting next to Jack in his cabin, watching him breath. His skin was pale: far too pale to bear any semblance of health. It almost matched the white of the bandages that were wrapped around his torso and head.
He had lost a lot of blood, she had been told, and the head wound was one of the worst Gibbs had ever seen. He didn't know how he was still alive at the moment; it looked like someone had split his skull open. Ana-Maria, having been sickened by his descriptions, was at that moment thankful she didn't remember helping Gibbs tend Jack, although she knew she had.
---
Nearly three days on from that moment, Ana-Maria was still sitting here, next to Jack. She hadn't moved in all of this time, and she didn't plan on leaving any time soon. She would maintain her vigil over Jack until he either woke up, or- she wouldn't let herself think of the other. She knew, though. In the deepest part of her heart, she knew. He wouldn't wake up; the head wound was just too severe. It was a miracle in itself that he had hung on this long; or maybe it was just his tenaciousness.
Either way, he had stayed for as long as he could; had fought for as long as he was able. Now Ana-Maria, sitting here, watching him, could feel him losing his grip; slipping away from her. It was in that moment that she realized the truth of her feelings, as all of her emotions and memories collided and rolled into one.
They say that when a person is close to death, their life flashes before their eyes. Ana-Maria didn't know if there was any truth in that statement, but she certainly could say that her life flashed before her eyes as she watched Jack's breathing slow, then still completely.
She recalled every harsh word they had ever exchanged, every teasing remark, every slap and every punch. Every suggestive comment he had thrown at her; even the way he smirked when he had managed to raise her ire. Everything that they had endured together, everything about him flashed before her eyes in that second.
In that second she realized that she loved him. And in that second: that small thing, miniscule in the scope of time, Captain Jack Sparrow, captain of the last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, passed from this world. Her heart shattering in that instant, Ana-Maria realized that it was too late to tell him how she felt; the opportune moment had presented itself many, many times; she had missed it for the last.
Now, as many times as she sobbed it over his body, heedless of the tears that she had been unwilling to shed earlier, he would never hear. That was almost harder to bear than his death, in a way. She cradled his body to her, as if somehow she could force the life back into the empty shell that had been her captain. She could no more do that than she could attempt to repair her shattered heart.
At that moment, the clouds that had been building up over the last three days could hold no more moisture, and the rain started to fall.
-Fin-
Author's Note: Here we go; the first of the sad ones! This is where the tears will start to fall! (At least, that is my intent here.) If it's too sad, or not sad enough, don't blame it on me! And just so you know, I really don't like Gillette; something about his comment to Elizabeth. I dunno, he just strikes me the wrong way..
-A Time to Die-
This couldn't be happening. Not here, not now, not ever! This was something that was never supposed to happen; something that could not happen. Should not happen. So how come it was happening? Ana-Maria could not force her mind to work out the details. She was in too much shock, and she simply could not comprehend this nightmare. Jack Sparrow could not be dying! But he was, and that was the truth of it.
All she could do was sit next to him and hold his hand, desperately hoping for a miracle; that he would at least wake up to say goodbye, that she could tell him what she had finally realized the instant it had happened. She knew he wouldn't, though. He hadn't woken up once since, and it had been nearly three days.
She closed her eyes and tried to resist the sudden urge to cry; she wouldn't cry, no, not until there was no hope left. Closing her eyes didn't help, though; it merely brought back the images that she didn't want to have in her memory; the ones that would be ingrained in her mind for the rest of her life.
---
The day had started out fine, if a bit on the cloudy side. No possible indication of what was to befall them. They had spotted a merchant ship not far to the northeast, weighted down with the amount of cargo she was carrying. Not in itself an unusual occurrence.
After shadowing her for a bit, Jack had decided that she was worth taking. Normally they shadowed a ship for much longer than this, but for some reason Jack didn't wish to wait as long. Probably because this merchant was one he recognized, and was known for carrying rum, which by some odd happenings, they were currently running extremely low on.
It was a bit risky, but Jack wasn't known to be inherently cautious. If he were, he wouldn't have been the kind of pirate he was. Ana-Maria thought that there was something odd about this merchant, but she couldn't really explain just what it was. She didn't think that they should bother with this one; they were only a day or two's sail away from Tortuga, and they could always get rum there.
She had voiced her concerns once, and only once. After that one attempt it became clear that no amount of persuading (forceful or otherwise) could keep Jack from going after this ship. Perhaps his lack of desire to hear out her thoughts on the matter was attributable to the prank Ana-Maria had played on him just a few days ago. He had been rather upset with her ever since.
Later, when she would have time to reflect, she realized that her prank had hurt him, without her ever knowing it. But at that point in time, she was merely angry that he wouldn't believe her when she said there was something wrong about that ship. As it turned out, she had been right.
The merchant ship was merely a decoy; bait to catch the pirates unguarded. Apparently Commodore Norrington was on the warpath again; since he knew that the Black Pearl was the faster ship, he had shown that he knew other ways to take care of the pirate threat. With his intelligence he would have made a good pirate if he hadn't chosen the side of the law.
The Black Pearl could outrun the Dauntless; there was no lie in that. Still, the suddenness with which they had been caught unawares (something that rarely happened the Captain Jack Sparrow) forced them to do battle before they could gain enough advantage to escape.
It was in that battle that it had happened. Ana-Maria had seen it from where she was fighting off two of the redcoats by the mainmast. Jack was fighting off two of his own when one of the officers, Lieutenant Gillette she later learned, decided to fight like a pirate. Or at least, fight like his image of one.
Not even a pirate would do what he did, and Ana-Maria found herself in shock as her captain went down. The rest of the fight was a blur. Gibbs later informed her that she had gone berserk, and that she had fought like a whirlwind, not stopping until she had slain or at least disabled every member of the British Royal Navy that she could reach.
Somehow or other they had gotten away, and the next thing she remembered was sitting next to Jack in his cabin, watching him breath. His skin was pale: far too pale to bear any semblance of health. It almost matched the white of the bandages that were wrapped around his torso and head.
He had lost a lot of blood, she had been told, and the head wound was one of the worst Gibbs had ever seen. He didn't know how he was still alive at the moment; it looked like someone had split his skull open. Ana-Maria, having been sickened by his descriptions, was at that moment thankful she didn't remember helping Gibbs tend Jack, although she knew she had.
---
Nearly three days on from that moment, Ana-Maria was still sitting here, next to Jack. She hadn't moved in all of this time, and she didn't plan on leaving any time soon. She would maintain her vigil over Jack until he either woke up, or- she wouldn't let herself think of the other. She knew, though. In the deepest part of her heart, she knew. He wouldn't wake up; the head wound was just too severe. It was a miracle in itself that he had hung on this long; or maybe it was just his tenaciousness.
Either way, he had stayed for as long as he could; had fought for as long as he was able. Now Ana-Maria, sitting here, watching him, could feel him losing his grip; slipping away from her. It was in that moment that she realized the truth of her feelings, as all of her emotions and memories collided and rolled into one.
They say that when a person is close to death, their life flashes before their eyes. Ana-Maria didn't know if there was any truth in that statement, but she certainly could say that her life flashed before her eyes as she watched Jack's breathing slow, then still completely.
She recalled every harsh word they had ever exchanged, every teasing remark, every slap and every punch. Every suggestive comment he had thrown at her; even the way he smirked when he had managed to raise her ire. Everything that they had endured together, everything about him flashed before her eyes in that second.
In that second she realized that she loved him. And in that second: that small thing, miniscule in the scope of time, Captain Jack Sparrow, captain of the last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, passed from this world. Her heart shattering in that instant, Ana-Maria realized that it was too late to tell him how she felt; the opportune moment had presented itself many, many times; she had missed it for the last.
Now, as many times as she sobbed it over his body, heedless of the tears that she had been unwilling to shed earlier, he would never hear. That was almost harder to bear than his death, in a way. She cradled his body to her, as if somehow she could force the life back into the empty shell that had been her captain. She could no more do that than she could attempt to repair her shattered heart.
At that moment, the clouds that had been building up over the last three days could hold no more moisture, and the rain started to fall.
-Fin-