Chapter 25

Allie landed with a small "oomph" in the snow. She slowly sat up and looked around. Tears began to form in her eyes as she realized that she was back in Rexburg. She looked over and saw Liz lying next to her. Then she noticed that they were back in the clothes they were wearing a year ago. Allie in her pirate costume with paper dagger and Liz in her pink dress with a tear now at the bottom. The girls were fair skinned once more and her hair seemed to be shorter than it was the day before. In short, Allie realized they looked exactly like they did right before their adventure began. Allie looked at Liz.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. Liz just shook her head 'no'. Without a word, Liz got up and walked up the stairs and into the apartment. Allie watched her go, then gradually got to her feet. Did it all actually happen? Was it all a dream? As she got to her feet, she put her hand into one of her pockets and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Opening it, she found the poem that Jack had written her the day before. It did happen. And now I'm never going to see Jack ever again. The tears started to slide down her cheeks as she trudged slowly up the stairs after Liz. Walking into the apartment, she stepped over Liz who was lying on the floor, and flopped down on the couch, feeling totally miserable. After about half an hour, she noticed that Liz hadn't moved. She wasn't even crying. Allie slid off the couch and sat down on the floor next to her friend. "What happened in the brig, Liz?" she asked. Liz's eyes snapped up to meet hers.

"I punched him in the nose." Allie's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Excuse me?" Liz smirked with grim satisfaction.

"I punched him in the nose," she repeated matter-of-factly.

"What? Why?" Allie demanded. Liz's eyes went hard and cold.

"Because he compared me to…to…to her!"

"To who?" Allie asked, even though she had a pretty good idea who.

"To she-who-must-not-be-named!" Liz said dramatically. Allie laughed.

"Oh, you mean the other Elizabeth," she said. Liz nodded.

"Yeah, her." Liz paused for a moment. "I hate him." Allie sighed.

"Well, I love Jack. I even told him. And he told me that he loves me too, and now I'm never going to see him again. I just wish that I had told him sooner. I only got to tell him once." More tears started streaming down her cheeks. "I'd give anything just to see him again, even if it was only for a few minutes. I just want to tell him once more that I love him."

The girls sat for awhile without moving. Allie muttering about how she would never see Jack again and Liz quietly thinking to herself. As she contemplated the last few hours Liz realized that Allie was right: they were never going to see the Black Pearl nor its crew again. She would never see Will again and no matter what he had told her or how angry she was at him, Liz knew that she still loved him with all her heart. But now she would never be able to apologize for the way she acted in the brig and for not telling him about her sooner. Liz spoke up again.

"Allie?" Allie looked over at her.

"What?"

"I don't hate him," Liz whispered, staring straight ahead, not looking at anything. "And I just wish he would have believed me."

"I know you don't. I'm sure he knows it too," Allie said, trying to cheer her up. Liz didn't reply, but she just kept staring straight ahead. "Liz, look at me." Liz didn't move. "Liz, please, look at me," Allie pleaded, trying to snap her friend out of her self-induced trance. There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Allie called, not taking her eyes off her friend. She heard the door open then close. "Liz, please, snap out of it!" Allie practically yelled, not caring who was behind her. "Liz, I swear, if you don't snap out of it, I'm going to smack you," she warned. Liz still didn't move. Allie sighed. "Okay, I warned you," she said, and lifted her hand preparing to slap her best friend. Someone grabbed her wrist from behind. Allie turned around and found herself staring into a pair of chestnut brown eyes.

"Don't you dare hurt my Princess," he warned, pointing a finger at her. Allie's mouth dropped open in shock.

"How…?" she started, but the words died on her lips when she saw Jack leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "Jack?" she questioned, just barely above a whisper. He grinned and nodded.

"'ello, luv." Allie slowly got up and walked over to him, still not quite believing what she was seeing.

"How…how is this possible?" she wondered aloud, still staring at Jack. He smirked.

"Cursed Aztec gold can really come in handy, darlin'," he said. It took her a moment to understand. Her eyes widened.

"You went to Isle de Muerta and cursed yourself?" she asked in disbelief. "Why the crap would you want to do such a thing?" Jack smiled softly.

"You enchant me," he said, taking her hand and kissing it, never breaking eye contact. Allie smiled.

"I love you," she said, then leaned in and kissed him. Jack immediately deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up against him. Allie wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to pull him even closer. She gradually pulled back as the need for oxygen became a priority.

"Ye don't know how long I've waited to do tha'," Jack said with a small grin. Allie smirked back.

"Probably quite awhile," she said. "When did you shave?" she asked, just now noticing that Jack had cut his hair and the braids off his beard. In fact, now that she truly looked at him, he looked exactly like Johnny Depp. He grinned.

"When I went into acting, luv." Allie's forehead creased in confusion.

"Acting? What are you talking about?" Jack's grin widened.

"Have ye ever 'eard of Johnny Depp, darlin'?" Allie smirked.

"Course I have. He played you in a movie called Pirates of the Caribbean. He's one of my favorite actors." Jack gave a little bow.

"Johnny Depp, at your service," he said, dropping his accent, and sounding exactly like Johnny. Now Allie was really confused. He wasn't making any sense.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Well, some years ago I decided to become an actor. I had to do somethin' with meself while waiting fer the day tha' ye and Liz would fall through time an' onto the Pearl."

"Okay," Allie said, trying to figure this whole thing out. "So ye became an actor."

"Aye. But I couldn't go by Captain Jack Sparrow."

"So you came up with the name 'Johnny Depp'?" she asked. Jack grinned.

"Well, I didn't exactly come up with the name." Now Allie was really confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"Jack Sparrow's not me real name." At Allie's incredulous look he continued. "Me parents named me John. John Depp. I simply modified me first name and became 'Johnny Depp'." Allie thought of something.

"What about the real Johnny Depp?" Jack sighed.

"Luv, I am Johnny Depp." Allie smiled.

"Okay. I think I get it now." Actually, she didn't, but she'd figure it out later. Jack grinned, leaned in, and kissed her again. After awhile, they pulled apart. Jack looked over her shoulder.

"'ow long has Liz been like that?" Allie gasped and turned around. She was so caught up in seeing Jack again, that she had completely forgotten about her friend. She hurried over to Will and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, Allie smacked him as hard as she could, hurting her own hand in the process. Will's hand flew up to his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked in disbelief. Allie glared at him.

"I told you that if you hurt Liz, I would kill you," she reminded him. "Guess what? You've broken her heart. Look at what you've done to her! You'd better fix it, Mr. Turner, or else I won't be held responsible for what I do to you!" Jack gently took Allie by the arm.

"Come on, luv. Let's leave them be," he said, steering her into the kitchen. Will watched them leave, then turned back to Liz.

"Princess, please look at me," he asked softly, trying to get some sort of response out of her. When she remained silent, he carefully picked her up and moved to the couch so that she'd be more comfortable. Her shoulders and head rested in his lap. She was staring off to the side, still not looking at anything in particular. Will sighed and started pulling the pins out from her hair one by one, then ran his fingers through her curls. "Liz, come on. Please say something." When she didn't reply, he sighed again. "I've waited almost three hundred years to say I'm sorry. I should have known better than to doubt you." Liz still didn't reply but Will went right on talking to her. "You look just like you did the first time I ever saw you. Did you know I thought you were the most lovely thing I'd ever seen? I knew right then and there my heart was in danger. I haven't been the same since then, by the way." He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. After a few moments, he felt Liz start to kiss him back. He quickly repositioned himself so that he was lying down next to Liz, arms wrapped around her waist, the kiss not breaking once. He kissed her until she finally pulled back.

"What are you doing here?" Liz asked confused, finally out of her trance.

"I'm here to see you, silly." Will answered with a grin. Liz rolled her eyes.

"I mean, how is this possible, how did you get here, how did you find me?" He pulled Liz closer.

"Well, did you ever hear the story about the stupid first mate who didn't believe a word of an account the love of his life told him? She disappeared right before his eyes and then he realized she had been telling the truth after all. He felt like an idiot and a monster. Especially after the cruel things he had told her." Liz started to speak but Will put a finger over her lips, "SHHH! The story's not over yet, Princess. Just listen. Anyways, this pirate sulked around for about a month hoping one day she would return to him as magically as she had arrived. When he realized that she wasn't coming back he grew distressed. For you see he had told her the most horrible things he could muster up right before she left, and he felt awful about them. He desperately needed her to know how much he still loved her and that he spoke the words out of hurt, he really didn't mean them. So he decided he'd have to find a way to get to her. He knew the exact date she would come and so he knew where he had to go to find her. It was just getting there that would be difficult. After months of scheming he had gotten nowhere." Will paused for a second and Liz spoke up.

"Will, are you ever going to explain to my curious mind how you got here?"

"I'm getting there," he said patting her leg. "The pirate was just about to give up when he remembered where he could find some enchanted gold that would make him immortal for awhile. So the pirate cursed himself until the day he could be with his fair lady again." Liz sucked in a deep breath at what he had just told her he had done to himself for her.

"Oh Will!" she said and hugged him tightly. He looked down at her.

"Liz, the story still isn't over." Liz pulled back so she could look at his face.

"It isn't?" Will pushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"No it isn't. Listen there is more I have to tell you. For awhile the pirate stayed hidden so the world would think him dead. But after some time he knew he would have to start a new life. He couldn't be a pirate anymore. He would need a way to provide for his woman." Liz rose her eyebrows at the adjective Will had used to describe her. He shrugged and continued. "So he came out of hiding and headed into the world. He gained some experience and learned how this new world worked. He was fascinated with the modern day technologies, especially film. The pirate then decided that he wanted to be a part of it. So he enrolled in a school that would teach him how to perform for a camera. He altered his name and pretty soon he was on his way. It seems the pirate had a knack for acting."

Liz all of a sudden felt dizzy so she sat up, Will following. She looked up at the Orlando Bloom poster on the wall, that she hadn't seen for a year, and then back at Will. Sure enough his hair was slightly shorter and his facial hair wasn't as thick as he had kept it on the Pearl. In fact he looked very comparable to the man that was hanging on her wall she determined as she looked at the poster again. Will followed her gaze and smiled.

"I take it you're 'catching my drift' sort to speak." Liz slowly nodded her head. And then realized that her Will was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. Something she had never expected to see him dressed in. She stared at him in amazement. He was gorgeous.

"Why 'Orlando Bloom'?" Liz finally squeaked out. Will smiled again.

"It's quite clever actually, Princess. Orlando is actually my middle name. William Orlando Turner."

"And the 'Bloom'?" His smile widened.

"Bloom was my mother's maiden name," he said matter-of-factly, then he pulled her close and started to kiss her with all the passion he had kept stored away over the years. One of Liz's hands instantly went into his hair and the other she placed on his thigh. They sat there kissing each other until Liz felt something slide onto her left hand and she pulled back. She looked down at the small familiar diamond. Then back at Will, joy in her eyes. He looked nervous and she didn't know why. He spoke up.

"I was hoping you would want this back," he said with a small grin. "Or if you would prefer something bigger, I can certainly afford it now." Tears began to form in Liz's eyes.

"I don't want anything except for the ring that is on my finger. I can't believe you kept it all those years," Liz said moving her finger, making the diamond sparkle. He kissed her hand.

"I was hoping to one day put it back on your hand."

"I'm glad you kept it. I love this ring."

"It was my mother's. So does this mean you're agreeing to marry me?" Liz just nodded. Will beamed and kissed her neck. Liz giggled.

"Good because I wasn't taking no for an answer." All of a sudden he stopped kissing her and his eyes grew serious. "Liz, I'm really sorry for not believing you and for telling you all of those horrible things. I love you so much." Liz melted in his stare.

"I love you too, sweetie. Let's just forget about it now. It's in the past, remember?" she said with a laugh. "We're together now and that's all that matters." They once again shared a fiery kiss. Then laid back down on the couch being content with just holding each other. Some time later Liz turned around and looked directly into Will's eyes.

"Hey Will?"

"Hmm?" he asked sleepily.

"How does the story end?" He pulled her even closer and kissed her nose.

"They lived happily ever after."

A/N: Well, that's it. sniff Liz and I have both enjoyed writing this story, and we hope you enjoyed reading it. Now, the only question is: should we write a sequel? Let us know! Thank you so much for all your kind reviews. Thanks to our roommate Becky and our friend Kristina for helping us with the final chapter. Have a wonderful summer!