Title: Fires of Purgatory: Confession (5/10) WIP
Author: QteCuttlfish
Author email: mizbara@yahoo.com
Rating: R
Type: Angst/Slash/Rape
Summary: Will has withdrawn from Elizabeth, and Jack drowns himself in rum. Will Elizabeth be able to heal them?
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean, its characters, and plots belongs to Disney. I do not own any part of them, even though I wish I did…*starts dreaming of owning Jack and Will*
WARNING: Mentions of m/m RAPE! PLEASE do not read if you no like!
Pairing: Jack/Will, mentioned Will/Elizabeth, Jack/Elizabeth, will be Jack/Will/Elizabeth
Authors Notes:
Iawen: Took you long enough to finish typing this part! (glares)
QteCuttlfish: (backs away) (glares) Excuse me, but college sucks away all your time! Unless you have magically figured out a way to make time stop so I can finish this darn fic!
Iawen: (thinks for a minute) Nope. Haven't quite found that knack yet. (grins)
QteCuttlfish: (rolls eyes) Anyway, I'm sorry this took so long to update. College has me swamped. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed! (hands cookies and hugs to people) Authors live off of reviews, as I'm sure most of you know.
Dedicated to pirategurl85. I don't understand having to flame anyone. I'm guessing someone held a gun to your head, huh? (shrugs) Oh well…thanks anyway for flaming me, although I put warnings on all four chapters and the summary.
Fires of Purgatory
Chapter Five
Confession
The bed was surprisingly comfortable, well above what Jack had come to expect of Tortuga. He knew the bed was not the onboard the Black Pearl, though that bed had a very comfortable mattress. Not so comfortable as this, of course. But somehow, he'd managed to dream an entire journey to…somewhere. He wasn't sure where exactly his crew had been taking him.
Jack slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the blinding sun in the room. Several loud clacking sounds made him wonder what the bloody hell was making that racket. But a drum banging away in his head made the other noise rather moot. He groaned. Rum. Need more rum.
"I think you've had enough rum, Jack," a stern but gentle voice said to him.
Jack opened his eyes wide in shock. Not only did he not realize he'd spoken aloud, but what why was Elizabeth in Tortuga? The pregnant young woman stood in front of one of the windows, smiling uncertainly at him. He blinked several times, taking in the whole room.
"Where in bloody 'ell am I?" he asked gruffly, squinting at Elizabeth.
"In Port Royale," she said.
"How did I come to be in yer lovely port again?" he asked in his loopy way.
"Your crew brought you. They were worried," she softly said.
Damn Gibbs! Jack thought, without real malice.
"Oh. Well, I'll just take me leave then," he attempted to get up.
Elizabeth hurried over and pushed him back to the bed. "Oh no, you won't, Jack," a steel note entered her voice.
Jack tried to fight her, but seeing as he'd already hurt one Turner he loved, he wasn't capable of harming the other.
"Mrs. Turner, yer husband will not want me here, savvy? 'Tis best for all if I just depart," Jack tried again.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I think you are exactly what Will needs right now," she tucked him back into bed, as though he were a child. "And the name is Elizabeth."
Her words sent a dagger through his heart. She didn't know what he'd done, she couldn't. If she ever found out, she would throw him out. He struggled to get free, but the smaller yet firm hands on his arms stopped him. Jack's unfathomable eyes met her gentle ones.
"I know, Jack," she said quietly.
For once, Captain Jack Sparrow was rendered completely speechless. How could she know…and treat him kindly?
"Who told ye? Will?" he said, shame and guilt flooding him.
She shook her head. "You did, last night," she said.
Jack panicked, a rare thing, but he did. He actually began babbling. Elizabeth sat beside him, and put her arms around him.
"Shh," she murmured, gently holding him.
Jack believed for the second time in his life that he'd died. That was the only explanation for Elizabeth's reaction. He hadn't thought his life was good enough for heaven, but hey, maybe God's way was different from man's? Or maybe he was having a hallucination from too much rum? Either way, Jack hoped it would never end. He finally silenced and closed his eyes, just allowing himself to enjoy the comfort from one of the two people he loved.
"Jack?" Elizabeth said at last.
"Quiet lass," Jack answered without rancor. "Let me dream a little longer."
He missed her triumphant smile as she gave him a few more minutes of peace.
Finally, she reluctantly spoke his name again.
"Jack, tell me why you've been trying to poison yourself with rum," she coaxed.
"But I thought ye already knew!" Jack exclaimed.
She quieted him with a finger against his lips.
"I know from the confession of a drunken man who knew not of what he spoke. Now I think it is time for the sober man to dispel the poison that is killing him," she said, her eyes pleading with him to speak.
Jack just looked at her for a few minutes. His thoughts were wild. He didn't deserve this…he didn't what to call it. By rights, Elizabeth should have called upon Norrington to arrest and hang him. He deserved to be hanged, just as Barbossa and his crew deserved to be cursed. He closed his eyes.
"What good could come of it, lass?" he sighed.
Elizabeth caressed his face.
"Why not, Jack? When you're trying to allow rum to kill you, what good is keeping it locked inside?" her words punched him in the stomach.
Her gentleness, her forgiveness, and most of all, her caring made him want to cry, something he hadn't done since he was but a child. I can't tell her. I can't tell her. Why doesn't she condemn me? I can't tell her—but words began pouring out of his mouth in direct contradiction to his thoughts. He couldn't help it. His eyes had snapped open, and he forced himself to watch her eyes as punishment, waiting for the disgust, the condemnation, for his actions.
When he reached the part that truly shamed him, caused him to long for death, where his body lost control, hurting Will…Jack couldn't take the pressure. He began to cry.
Elizabeth put her arms around him, letting him finish. Jack tried to pull away from her, but she refused to let him go. Finally, he just surrendered to her.
Elizabeth gently put a little space between them.
"Jack, he doesn't hate you," she said.
He looked blankly at her. "Lass, he can't forgive me. Ye can't convince me otherwise," he said wearily.
"Help him, please, Jack," she said. "Ask him."
His eyes flickered sharply at her, but she steadily held his gaze.
"If you must, think of it as your penance," she said. Then she softened her voice. "He's withdrawn, Jack, even from me. Help me bring him back."
"Ye ask the impossible," he snapped back.
"But aren't you Captain Jack Sparrow, who managed to escape a god-forsaken island twice?" she reminded him of earlier memories, before the pirate escape. "Barbossa thought that was impossible. It's something you manage to defeat quite often. Please, defeat the impossible again."
Jack knew he could not say yes. He dared not say yes.
"Elizabeth, I will only bring him more pain. It's best if I take my leave."
"Jack, please!" here Elizabeth's control slipped, and her voice choked on sobs. Her eyes held unshed tears, and he saw the desperation, the uncertainty, the hurt…the longing…love? Jack dared not hope he had seen that emotion in her eyes. Elizabeth and Will loved one another. He had known that from the battle between the Interceptor and the Black Pearl. There was no way he would ever come between that, especially not now…but being a pirate who lived outside of the social norms, his most secret wish was that he could join that love, even now, after hurting Will so much. He still wished he could share the treasure of Will and Elizabeth's love. Against the emotions brimming from Elizabeth's eyes, Jack had no defense.
His hands reached back at her, touching her face. "All right. You win," he said wearily. "'Tis against me better judgement, but I'll stay."
The smile that grew out of her surprise as his agreement dazzled him. She suddenly hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Jack," she whispered, still holding him.
Jack didn't speak. He couldn't. Unusual, yes. But in this case…emotion stole all his words. Until he yawned.
Elizabeth laughed. "Sleep now, Jack. Finish sleeping off that rum."
"Only if ye have some more," he was able to say after she let go.
She shook her head. "After hearing what you've been trying to do with rum? I got rid of all the bottles."
He looked at her in horror. She put her finger over his lips again.
"And before you say anything, I will not allow any rum in this house until I believe you won't try that again," she said sternly.
"Ye sound like ye are planning on keeping me around for awhile," he commented.
"Until the two of you are well," she said, smiling.
A knock sounded at the door, and Elizabeth walked over to crack it open. She spoke low with the servant for a few minutes. Jack's eyes perused the room to look at the window. He wondered how high up it was, and plans for an escape began flooding through his mind, when he heard the door close. Elizabeth turned back to him. He realized she knew what he'd been contemplating. She sighed.
"Jack, I'm not going to keep you here if you truly have no wish to stay. You are not a prisoner," she stayed where she was, her gaze drifting to the floor. "But your crew is worried about you. They want their captain back. And—" she paused, struggling to find the words. "Jack…please…don't—" her control broke, the words fighting to get free would not come. "I want Will back. He won't talk to me. And I don't want you to die, especially not by your own hand. Please, Jack. I couldn't stand that. Please don't—" she stopped, before she said too much.
Jack was bewildered. When did Elizabeth become me? a side of himself that would not quiet, even in his worst misery wondered. It could not be true. Captain Jack Sparrow's luck was not nearly that good. Could not be.
"I'll make ye a promise. On pain of death, I'll bring yer love back to ye," he attempted flippancy, swearing in the same way he had when he realized who Will Turner's father was.
"Thank you, Jack," she smiled, trying to regain her composure. "But I have to leave you now. Feel free to wander the house, but if you go outside, please be in disguise. Commodore Norrington is willing to turn away and not notice you, as long as you don't advertise your presence in Port Royale. Savvy?"
Jack smirked. Once again, the Commodore was letting a known pirate stay free. If not for his guilt over Will, that news would have cheered him immensely. He nodded, and she left the room. A chill followed her departure, as Jack realized he would soon have to face Will, hurting him once again.
TBC