Argh, I'm so sorry I took so long again! School is making me crazy (finals). Hope you enjoy this extra long chapter. Please review!!
Chapter Seven: A Change of Heart
"Letter for you, Ellie." Will handed her an envelope.
She slipped into her seat at the kitchen table. "Who from?"
"I'm not sure."
Elizabeth and Will watched curiously as she opened it. Ellie pulled a thin sheet of parchment out of the envelope. Her eyes widened as she scanned it, then pure pain crossed her face.
"Ellie? Ellie, who is it from?" Elizabeth asked.
"No one," Ellie whispered, anguished. She threw the letter onto the table and flew from the house. Neither Will nor Elizabeth moved. Slowly, Will reached out and took the paper, afraid of the worst. Could Jack be dead?
"Read it," Elizabeth breathed, looking terrified.
"Ellie," Will began. "Forgive me for not returning, but I've been thinking. The sea is my only love and I can't be tied down. I am sorry for leading you on. Jack."
"Oh God," Elizabeth said. "It can't be."
Will folded the letter methodically. "Perhaps he did have a change of heart."
"No. He wouldn't." Elizabeth stood up. "I'm going to find Ellie. She must be devastated."
"Perhaps you shouldn't give her false hope..."
Elizabeth glared at Will. "I will never believe Jack has left her."
¯ ¯ ¯
Elizabeth and Will spent the morning searching Port Royal for Ellie, but it was as if she had disappeared. Despairing, they returned home for dinner. As they walked up the path to their home, Elizabeth spotted Ellie, sitting on the front doorstep, gazing seaward.
"Ellie!" Elizabeth ran toward her. "We've been so worried."
"Forgive me," Ellie replied dully.
Elizabeth considered Ellie's strange expression and tone of voice. "Are you well?"
"I think being the Commodore's wife shall not be too bad," Ellie mused, tears falling silently. "He is a good man..."
Elizabeth gasped. "You accepted his proposal?"
She nodded. "I have nothing left. He loves me. He will treat me well."
"But he will not make you happy," Will said.
"What is happiness without Jack?" Ellie clawed at the locket she wore. Grasping it, she jerked the chain free and pitched it at a mulberry bush. From within came a distinct 'ow.' Ellie leapt up. To her great wonder, the bush moved and a figure emerged.
"Ello luv!"
"JACK!" Ellie screamed and flung herself into his arms.
"Lovely reception. I feel so loved," he grinned, caressing her cheek. He gently clasped the necklace back on Ellie's neck. "Yeh dropped this."
"You said you were never coming back," Ellie told him.
"Never comin' back? When'd I say that?"
"In your letter."
"Letter? What letter?"
Ellie's jaw dropped. "You didn't write me a letter?"
"No, 'fraid not, luv."
Ellie met Will's eyes. "The Commodore," they said simultaneously.
"I'm feelin' left out, luv. Please do me the courtesy of explainin' this letter business."
Sitting on the doorstep, Ellie told Jack about everything that had occurred while he was away. She ended by telling him that she was engaged to Norrington. He appeared thoughtful.
"Engaged, eh? We're in fine order."
"How so?"
"It's easy to get out an engagement. If you'd married him, it'd be a different story."
Ellie shuddered at the thought. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face in his chest. "I love you, Jack."
"I've missed yeh, luv." Jack kissed her forehead. "But things are going to be shipshape now that we're together. I promise, Ellie-luv."
"I know."
¯ ¯ ¯
"So, what's the plan, Jack?"
The four sat around the kitchen table. Will watched Jack carefully. He was unusually jumpy-ready to run at a moment's notice. "What is it, Jack?"
"Norrington. He'll be comin' soon."
Ellie tensed. Jack's hand found hers. He squeezed it reassuringly. "I won't be leavin' without yeh this time, Ellie."
There was a sharp rap at the door: Norrington.
"That's our cue." Jack said. "Will, Liz, thankee kindly. You've been most considerate takin' care of me Ellie. Now, ta-ta!"
Ellie took Elizabeth, then Will into her arms. "Thank you so. I promise to visit."
"Good luck!" Will whispered, leading them out the back door. He and Elizabeth watched the two lovers travel down the sandy path to the sea. Elizabeth touched Will's arm lightly.
"I best tell Norrington to leave."
She told Norrington that Ellie was asleep after her tiring day. He accepted the lie readily and left. Pleased her bluff passed, Elizabeth returned to Will. He still remained at the back door. In the distance, they could make out the figures of Ellie and Jack.
"No worries, Will," Elizabeth said, kissing him. "True love always wins the day. Don't you know that?"
¯ ¯ ¯
Ellie and Jack returned to the Black Pearl speedily, although Jack said there was no chance of them being following for at least a day. The Pearl was lit with moonlight in the Jack's secret cove, it's sails glowing with an eerie luminescence. On board was the entire crew. Anamaria and Gibbs stepped forward to embrace Ellie.
"Glad to see you again, Ellie," Anamaria smiled.
"And you," Ellie replied. She looked round the deck to see that nothing had changed. A smile lit her face. she was home.
"Yeh must be tired, luv," Jack took her arm. "I cleaned me quarters just for you!"
Ellie laughed genuinely for the first time in a month. She practically skipped to Jack's cabin, lighthearted with joy. Once inside, Jack proceeded to take off her shoes and tuck her into bed.
"Comfy?" he asked.
"Oh yes."
"Good." Jack turned to leave, but Ellie called his name. Her eyes were warm and earnest as she said, "Don't leave me, Jack."
Jack kicked off his boots, hung his jacket and hat on the bedpost, and climbed into bed with Ellie. "I would never do that," he murmured into her brown curls.
"Jack-" He cut off her words with a passionate kiss.
"I love you," he swore, holding his face in his hands, tracing her cheekbones with his thumbs. "I love you forever."
Ellie reached up to kiss the tip of his nose. "Saying I love you would be the understatement of the century."
Jack grinned. "That so little miss dignified?"
"Yes."
Jack kissed her again, letting all his love be revealed. Ellie gave a small sigh when they broke apart.
"Jack," she said. "I'm happy again."
"Aye. Me too."
Nestling in his arms, Ellie let her eyes close. "Goodnight Jack."
"Nighty-nighty luv."
The couple drifted into a peaceful slumber, unaware that at that every moment, Norrington had boarded the Revenge, prepared to rescue his fiancée from the clutches of Captain Jack Sparrow.
Chapter Seven: A Change of Heart
"Letter for you, Ellie." Will handed her an envelope.
She slipped into her seat at the kitchen table. "Who from?"
"I'm not sure."
Elizabeth and Will watched curiously as she opened it. Ellie pulled a thin sheet of parchment out of the envelope. Her eyes widened as she scanned it, then pure pain crossed her face.
"Ellie? Ellie, who is it from?" Elizabeth asked.
"No one," Ellie whispered, anguished. She threw the letter onto the table and flew from the house. Neither Will nor Elizabeth moved. Slowly, Will reached out and took the paper, afraid of the worst. Could Jack be dead?
"Read it," Elizabeth breathed, looking terrified.
"Ellie," Will began. "Forgive me for not returning, but I've been thinking. The sea is my only love and I can't be tied down. I am sorry for leading you on. Jack."
"Oh God," Elizabeth said. "It can't be."
Will folded the letter methodically. "Perhaps he did have a change of heart."
"No. He wouldn't." Elizabeth stood up. "I'm going to find Ellie. She must be devastated."
"Perhaps you shouldn't give her false hope..."
Elizabeth glared at Will. "I will never believe Jack has left her."
¯ ¯ ¯
Elizabeth and Will spent the morning searching Port Royal for Ellie, but it was as if she had disappeared. Despairing, they returned home for dinner. As they walked up the path to their home, Elizabeth spotted Ellie, sitting on the front doorstep, gazing seaward.
"Ellie!" Elizabeth ran toward her. "We've been so worried."
"Forgive me," Ellie replied dully.
Elizabeth considered Ellie's strange expression and tone of voice. "Are you well?"
"I think being the Commodore's wife shall not be too bad," Ellie mused, tears falling silently. "He is a good man..."
Elizabeth gasped. "You accepted his proposal?"
She nodded. "I have nothing left. He loves me. He will treat me well."
"But he will not make you happy," Will said.
"What is happiness without Jack?" Ellie clawed at the locket she wore. Grasping it, she jerked the chain free and pitched it at a mulberry bush. From within came a distinct 'ow.' Ellie leapt up. To her great wonder, the bush moved and a figure emerged.
"Ello luv!"
"JACK!" Ellie screamed and flung herself into his arms.
"Lovely reception. I feel so loved," he grinned, caressing her cheek. He gently clasped the necklace back on Ellie's neck. "Yeh dropped this."
"You said you were never coming back," Ellie told him.
"Never comin' back? When'd I say that?"
"In your letter."
"Letter? What letter?"
Ellie's jaw dropped. "You didn't write me a letter?"
"No, 'fraid not, luv."
Ellie met Will's eyes. "The Commodore," they said simultaneously.
"I'm feelin' left out, luv. Please do me the courtesy of explainin' this letter business."
Sitting on the doorstep, Ellie told Jack about everything that had occurred while he was away. She ended by telling him that she was engaged to Norrington. He appeared thoughtful.
"Engaged, eh? We're in fine order."
"How so?"
"It's easy to get out an engagement. If you'd married him, it'd be a different story."
Ellie shuddered at the thought. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face in his chest. "I love you, Jack."
"I've missed yeh, luv." Jack kissed her forehead. "But things are going to be shipshape now that we're together. I promise, Ellie-luv."
"I know."
¯ ¯ ¯
"So, what's the plan, Jack?"
The four sat around the kitchen table. Will watched Jack carefully. He was unusually jumpy-ready to run at a moment's notice. "What is it, Jack?"
"Norrington. He'll be comin' soon."
Ellie tensed. Jack's hand found hers. He squeezed it reassuringly. "I won't be leavin' without yeh this time, Ellie."
There was a sharp rap at the door: Norrington.
"That's our cue." Jack said. "Will, Liz, thankee kindly. You've been most considerate takin' care of me Ellie. Now, ta-ta!"
Ellie took Elizabeth, then Will into her arms. "Thank you so. I promise to visit."
"Good luck!" Will whispered, leading them out the back door. He and Elizabeth watched the two lovers travel down the sandy path to the sea. Elizabeth touched Will's arm lightly.
"I best tell Norrington to leave."
She told Norrington that Ellie was asleep after her tiring day. He accepted the lie readily and left. Pleased her bluff passed, Elizabeth returned to Will. He still remained at the back door. In the distance, they could make out the figures of Ellie and Jack.
"No worries, Will," Elizabeth said, kissing him. "True love always wins the day. Don't you know that?"
¯ ¯ ¯
Ellie and Jack returned to the Black Pearl speedily, although Jack said there was no chance of them being following for at least a day. The Pearl was lit with moonlight in the Jack's secret cove, it's sails glowing with an eerie luminescence. On board was the entire crew. Anamaria and Gibbs stepped forward to embrace Ellie.
"Glad to see you again, Ellie," Anamaria smiled.
"And you," Ellie replied. She looked round the deck to see that nothing had changed. A smile lit her face. she was home.
"Yeh must be tired, luv," Jack took her arm. "I cleaned me quarters just for you!"
Ellie laughed genuinely for the first time in a month. She practically skipped to Jack's cabin, lighthearted with joy. Once inside, Jack proceeded to take off her shoes and tuck her into bed.
"Comfy?" he asked.
"Oh yes."
"Good." Jack turned to leave, but Ellie called his name. Her eyes were warm and earnest as she said, "Don't leave me, Jack."
Jack kicked off his boots, hung his jacket and hat on the bedpost, and climbed into bed with Ellie. "I would never do that," he murmured into her brown curls.
"Jack-" He cut off her words with a passionate kiss.
"I love you," he swore, holding his face in his hands, tracing her cheekbones with his thumbs. "I love you forever."
Ellie reached up to kiss the tip of his nose. "Saying I love you would be the understatement of the century."
Jack grinned. "That so little miss dignified?"
"Yes."
Jack kissed her again, letting all his love be revealed. Ellie gave a small sigh when they broke apart.
"Jack," she said. "I'm happy again."
"Aye. Me too."
Nestling in his arms, Ellie let her eyes close. "Goodnight Jack."
"Nighty-nighty luv."
The couple drifted into a peaceful slumber, unaware that at that every moment, Norrington had boarded the Revenge, prepared to rescue his fiancée from the clutches of Captain Jack Sparrow.