Author's note: Okay, here it is Battle for love, my most action packed
chapter so far, and this one goes out to Captain Oblivious for ALWAYS
REVIEWING!!!! Thank you for that, it always brings me great joy. Ok here it
is!
Will had finished his bath and dressed himself when he decided that the stuffy apartment needed some air. Sitting in the bath before, he found had not calmed his nerves but instead left him to stew over Elizabeth's sitting right where he sat for hours the previous night. Will couldn't help himself, every time he thought; it was of her. Her smile, her laugh, her strange sense of humour, and more and more he dreaded going back to his now empty and Elizabethless life in the Caribbean.
As he opened the balcony door and felt the cool breeze play across his face and playfully blow about some clothes strung on a long line across the building gap, Will pondered the prospect of staying with This Elizabeth indefinitely. He pictured himself learning about this strange, new world with Elizabeth at his side and smiled slightly. He then almost kicked himself at his rashness; he did not belong here anymore than he belonged at home. He had no skills, other than those of a blacksmith and Pirate, and could barely understand the few rules of the strange world Elizabeth shown to him already. He was of no use to her; she didn't need him at all, and it was selfish of him to think otherwise.
Suddenly Will's thoughtful silence was torn by a bone-chilling scream. Frantically he searched for the source and was terrified to see Elizabeth three stories below running from several brutish looking men brandishing fiendish looking weapons. His mind was nothing but panic as he tried to find a way down as quickly as possible. He watched as Elizabeth was chased into a corner and ripped off her feet from behind. He had to act now!
Suddenly he looked up and made the connection absent from his mind before. Unsheathing his sword without any further hesitation he grabbed onto the clothesline strung between the two buildings. Wrapping the lose line around his arm and praying that it was long enough to take him safely to the other side Will stood on the balcony railing and took a leap of faith.
*****
Elizabeth started to run, screaming at the top of her lungs as she did so. She hoped that she was making enough noise so that someone would hear, but realized that being in a big city meant that screaming and running were circumstances barely given recognition. Running through her mind in slow motion as if to taunt her was any and every self-defence move that she had ever been taught. She weighed the possibility of turning and making a stand, but remembered the weapon in one of the thugs hands, and quickened her pace.
Ahead of her, the end off the alleyway loomed. Elizabeth looked behind her briefly and knew that only a miracle would bring her out of this alive, she tried to scream but was cut off as the largest man caught her in a crushing squeeze and wrenched her off her feet. She was completely breathless and terrified, she probably would have fallen to the ground in defeat had the man not been suspending her in his grip. She watched helplessly as the one with the baseball bat sauntered up menacingly.
"Now," he said with an evil grin. "Are you going to tell me how to find Augustine, or are you going to experience what life is like with permanently disfigured knee caps." He wound up his arms and held his bat above his head.
Elizabeth, while terrified, knew that they wouldn't spare her, even if she gave them the information, so brought composure to her face, squared her shoulders and looked the large thug straight in the eye.
"Bring it on." She said with a steely determination in her eyes and the fires of love burning in her heart. "I'm not afraid of you." Elizabeth said fighting back tears.
The thug's gaze turned from evilly playful to cold and monstrous. The henchman's mouth turned to a sneer and he started to bring the bat down fast.
"Why you little." The thugs sentence was cut off however as the hilt of a flying sword smashed into the back of his head. The blow directed for Elizabeth's precious kneecaps flew wide and smashed into her arm, dislocating it from her shoulder, but knocking out the thug on her right in the process. Elizabeth started to let out a scream of pain, but silenced as the voice of Will Turner rang through the air with a fervour that only a passionate lover could relate to.
"If I were you," he said as all eyes in the alleyway turned to see Our Fine Hero silhouetted against sun like a golden Adonis, standing on a fire- escape one story up. "I would leave this place, and that woman alone." He grabbed what looked like Elizabeth's clothesline and swung down to the alleyway floor with a grace that only a Pirate could muster.
"If I were you!" One of the henchmen on Elizabeth's left said as he grabbed Elizabeth around the neck and pulled out a pocketknife, brandishing it fiendishly. "I wouldn't move, or else you might want to say good bye to your girlfriend here."
"Elizabeth!" Will said in absolute panic.
"Don't MOVE!" the henchman said.
Elizabeth's mind was racing, because it was less than twenty-four hours since this had last happened to her and Will, except this time there was no gadgets to save them. She momentarily marvelled at how her previously quiet and reserved life had now been filled with danger and excitement. While she liked some parts of it, (the Pirate defending her now being the main bit) she defiantly was not coping so well with the whole life threatening routine.
In fact, she was getting kind of tired of it. Using a defensive technique she had seen only once in a Jackie Chan movie, and summoning all of the annoyance she felt at having this oaf of a henchman threaten her, Elizabeth let herself go limp and let her bodyweight do the work. She thanked the martial arts master as she was able to shift the troll off balance enough to squirm away and run toward Will.
"Elizabeth!" Will cried in disbelief as she ran into his waiting arms.
"I think we'll save the reunion for later, evil minion number three is still advancing on us," Elizabeth said as she looked back and saw the, now furious henchman barrelling down on them.
"Leave him to me," Will said as he pushed Elizabeth aside gently and stood to face the train head-on.
Elizabeth watched and her breath caught in her chest as she saw Will fight with the large henchman. He was calm and cool, as opposed to the brute who was blind with rage. He side stepped the first charge and countered with an elbow to the back of the brute's neck sending him to the ground. The henchman regained composure quickly and swung at Will again. Will weaved and came up with a sharp jab to the face. The Brute wheeled and spun, his rage increasing. He lunged at Will but was again thwarted as Will spun aside and picked up his sword.
The Brute took one look at the shiny, long, sharp, menacing blade and decided to go back to plan A, threatening Elizabeth. He did about the stupidest thing his tiny brain could think of and grabbed her dislocated arm causing her to scream as a mind numbing pain shot through her body. Will was furious. The henchman laughed cruelly as he twisted the sore arm and caused Elizabeth to scream out against her will once more.
"Now isn't this fun," the henchman said with glee as he pulled Elizabeth close, screwing her arm out of place at the same time. She almost screamed again, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction so bit her lip instead.
"Let her go!" Will said with a fierce determination, but Elizabeth could see fear in his eyes.
"I don't think so, see you wouldn't want to cause her any.PAIN," he said as he emphasized his point by giving her arm a cruel twist. "Would you?" He smiled evilly at Will and started to back toward his car, twisting her arm the whole way.
Elizabeth almost wretched with the pain but kept her watery eyes screwed tightly shut and her mouth closed, despite her tasting blood from her lip because she was biting so hard. She was determined to not give the brute the satisfaction of another scream. She opened her eyes briefly to see a look of pain in Will's face that she swore could have rivalled hers.
"Now unless you want your girlfriend's arm to be mailed back to you in a box," the brute said as they reached a car and paused to take out the keys. "I suggest you tell me where to find the computer and Augustine." He said as he dug through his bag.
Elizabeth looked at Will frantically, knowing that he would cave eventually in order to spare her. She was shocked however to find a look of triumph on his face instead of a worried one. They locked gazes and she smiled as she realized that he had a plan and was close to implementing it. His eyes motioned up and she followed to find a clay planter positioned on a windowsill directly above the henchman's head. She almost screamed again, but this time out of delight. Noticing that the henchman had resurfaced from his bag once more, she dawned the act of fear and pain (which wasn't hard seeing as he still held her dislocated arm) and whimpered slightly.
"Wait!" Will said in feigned defeat.
"What?" The henchman said gleefully.
"What on earth is that?" Will screamed as he pointed to the windowsill.
"What?" The henchman said as he looked up to face his doom.
Will wasted no time and threw his sword at the sill causing the hilt to jar it and send the heavy pot tumbling down. Elizabeth covered her head with her free arm as dirt and flowers flew down from above, landing right on target. The clay pot came down with a smash and the henchman toppled like a rag doll, unfortunately bringing Elizabeth down with him. She let out the pent up scream she had held inside and let it reverberate throughout the rooftops. A short distance away, the pair of jealous eyes heard and came rushing to her aid.
However, Will was there first. He was by Elizabeth's side as soon as the dust settled, helping her to her feet and coddling her like a baby.
"Are you alright?" he said in almost the hushed tone he used in the movie. He stood pushing the hair out of her face and stroking her check tenderly.
Elizabeth nearly fainted again but was able to refocus her mind, reminding herself that Will did not belong to her, that he would never belong to her.
"I'm fine Will, I just need to get inside," she said as she smiled at him, and then forcibly broke contact.
"I'm sorry Elizabeth, this is all my fault, you would have been better off to leave me where you found me." He said casting his eyes downward, ashamed of his existence.
Elizabeth couldn't believe he was doing the whole chivalrous thing again but she couldn't take much more of it. She had to be strong even if he wasn't. She paused and turned to look into his eyes.
"Will do not for one minute blame this on yourself, these guys need to be stopped, regardless of who stops them. And I'm glad that when I was in trouble, it was you who came to my rescue." She looked into his eyes and felt herself slipping into his sorrowful gaze, she wanted him, needed him, but knew he could never be hers. She broke the gaze and started to turn away, but Will stopped her. He grabbed her good arm and whirled her around to face him.
"How can you have so much faith in me?" he asked in a hushed voice, his head drawing ever closer.
"We can't discuss this now Will, we need to get back inside." Elizabeth was losing control, every fibre of her wanted to grab Will, kiss him and never let him go, but that wasn't what he needed. He needed to be returned to his home, to his true love, not his rebound girl.
"I know there's something you want to tell me, why can't you just let it out?" He asked in that hushed tone.
Elizabeth couldn't take it any longer, giving in she leaned in to Will's soft face, and was tackled to the ground by a pair of jealous eyes which had finally decided to take action.
She screamed in a combination of both pain and anger as her and Will were sent flying to the ground. The attacker at this point was concentrating many on Will so left Elizabeth to get up herself. She was majorly ticked off, not only because of the searing pain in her dislocated arm, but because she had been millimetres away from achieving her impossible dream. A part of her was grateful she and Will had been stopped before regrets were created but it was momentarily shoved aside as she prepared to fend off yet another attacker. Suddenly she heard a whiny annoying voice ringing through the air that made her blood boil.
"What are you doing with Lizzie!?" Bradford's voice reverberated through the alleyway.
Elizabeth was furious, screwing up all the anger inside of her she ran up to Will and Braford who were still scrapping on the ground and kicked them apart furiously.
"Bradford Shanigan what the heck do you think you're doing!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
Bradford and Will both froze and then both started talking rapidly at once.
"He was attacking you!" both cried in unison.
They both looked at each other and double taked.
"YOU were attacking her not me!" yelled Bradford.
"YOU were the one who attacked both of us!" yelled Will.
"Why I oughta!" And Bradford and Will started yelling at each other and fighting again.
Elizabeth's mind was spinning wildly out of control with all that had been going on. Bradford had interrupted her for the last time.
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Elizabeth yelled at the some point beyond the top of her lungs, causing the air around her to almost sizzle and fry.
Both Will and Braford stopped again but were cut off before they could say anything.
"I have been threatened, beaten, chased and just when I think I'm gonna get a little peace and quiet, tackled from out of the blue by someone who is supposed to be an ally! I have an arm, which is as we speak sending such mind tearing pain throughout my body that I can barely stand and YOU TWO have the brainless testosterone driven idea that it would be OK to start a Royal Rumble out in the alleyway in broad daylight! Both of you get up to my apartment NOW!!!!"
Both Braford and Will had never experienced such fury from Elizabeth and certainly did not want any more of it. Both gathered up all of their spilt effects and started out of the alleyway.
"One more thing." Elizabeth said from behind as all the previous energy in her drained away.
Both Will and Bradford turned sheepishly around to look at the furious women whose expression was now curiously calm, almost deadpan.
"Somebody catch." but passed out from pain and exhaustion before she could finish her sentence.
Will had finished his bath and dressed himself when he decided that the stuffy apartment needed some air. Sitting in the bath before, he found had not calmed his nerves but instead left him to stew over Elizabeth's sitting right where he sat for hours the previous night. Will couldn't help himself, every time he thought; it was of her. Her smile, her laugh, her strange sense of humour, and more and more he dreaded going back to his now empty and Elizabethless life in the Caribbean.
As he opened the balcony door and felt the cool breeze play across his face and playfully blow about some clothes strung on a long line across the building gap, Will pondered the prospect of staying with This Elizabeth indefinitely. He pictured himself learning about this strange, new world with Elizabeth at his side and smiled slightly. He then almost kicked himself at his rashness; he did not belong here anymore than he belonged at home. He had no skills, other than those of a blacksmith and Pirate, and could barely understand the few rules of the strange world Elizabeth shown to him already. He was of no use to her; she didn't need him at all, and it was selfish of him to think otherwise.
Suddenly Will's thoughtful silence was torn by a bone-chilling scream. Frantically he searched for the source and was terrified to see Elizabeth three stories below running from several brutish looking men brandishing fiendish looking weapons. His mind was nothing but panic as he tried to find a way down as quickly as possible. He watched as Elizabeth was chased into a corner and ripped off her feet from behind. He had to act now!
Suddenly he looked up and made the connection absent from his mind before. Unsheathing his sword without any further hesitation he grabbed onto the clothesline strung between the two buildings. Wrapping the lose line around his arm and praying that it was long enough to take him safely to the other side Will stood on the balcony railing and took a leap of faith.
*****
Elizabeth started to run, screaming at the top of her lungs as she did so. She hoped that she was making enough noise so that someone would hear, but realized that being in a big city meant that screaming and running were circumstances barely given recognition. Running through her mind in slow motion as if to taunt her was any and every self-defence move that she had ever been taught. She weighed the possibility of turning and making a stand, but remembered the weapon in one of the thugs hands, and quickened her pace.
Ahead of her, the end off the alleyway loomed. Elizabeth looked behind her briefly and knew that only a miracle would bring her out of this alive, she tried to scream but was cut off as the largest man caught her in a crushing squeeze and wrenched her off her feet. She was completely breathless and terrified, she probably would have fallen to the ground in defeat had the man not been suspending her in his grip. She watched helplessly as the one with the baseball bat sauntered up menacingly.
"Now," he said with an evil grin. "Are you going to tell me how to find Augustine, or are you going to experience what life is like with permanently disfigured knee caps." He wound up his arms and held his bat above his head.
Elizabeth, while terrified, knew that they wouldn't spare her, even if she gave them the information, so brought composure to her face, squared her shoulders and looked the large thug straight in the eye.
"Bring it on." She said with a steely determination in her eyes and the fires of love burning in her heart. "I'm not afraid of you." Elizabeth said fighting back tears.
The thug's gaze turned from evilly playful to cold and monstrous. The henchman's mouth turned to a sneer and he started to bring the bat down fast.
"Why you little." The thugs sentence was cut off however as the hilt of a flying sword smashed into the back of his head. The blow directed for Elizabeth's precious kneecaps flew wide and smashed into her arm, dislocating it from her shoulder, but knocking out the thug on her right in the process. Elizabeth started to let out a scream of pain, but silenced as the voice of Will Turner rang through the air with a fervour that only a passionate lover could relate to.
"If I were you," he said as all eyes in the alleyway turned to see Our Fine Hero silhouetted against sun like a golden Adonis, standing on a fire- escape one story up. "I would leave this place, and that woman alone." He grabbed what looked like Elizabeth's clothesline and swung down to the alleyway floor with a grace that only a Pirate could muster.
"If I were you!" One of the henchmen on Elizabeth's left said as he grabbed Elizabeth around the neck and pulled out a pocketknife, brandishing it fiendishly. "I wouldn't move, or else you might want to say good bye to your girlfriend here."
"Elizabeth!" Will said in absolute panic.
"Don't MOVE!" the henchman said.
Elizabeth's mind was racing, because it was less than twenty-four hours since this had last happened to her and Will, except this time there was no gadgets to save them. She momentarily marvelled at how her previously quiet and reserved life had now been filled with danger and excitement. While she liked some parts of it, (the Pirate defending her now being the main bit) she defiantly was not coping so well with the whole life threatening routine.
In fact, she was getting kind of tired of it. Using a defensive technique she had seen only once in a Jackie Chan movie, and summoning all of the annoyance she felt at having this oaf of a henchman threaten her, Elizabeth let herself go limp and let her bodyweight do the work. She thanked the martial arts master as she was able to shift the troll off balance enough to squirm away and run toward Will.
"Elizabeth!" Will cried in disbelief as she ran into his waiting arms.
"I think we'll save the reunion for later, evil minion number three is still advancing on us," Elizabeth said as she looked back and saw the, now furious henchman barrelling down on them.
"Leave him to me," Will said as he pushed Elizabeth aside gently and stood to face the train head-on.
Elizabeth watched and her breath caught in her chest as she saw Will fight with the large henchman. He was calm and cool, as opposed to the brute who was blind with rage. He side stepped the first charge and countered with an elbow to the back of the brute's neck sending him to the ground. The henchman regained composure quickly and swung at Will again. Will weaved and came up with a sharp jab to the face. The Brute wheeled and spun, his rage increasing. He lunged at Will but was again thwarted as Will spun aside and picked up his sword.
The Brute took one look at the shiny, long, sharp, menacing blade and decided to go back to plan A, threatening Elizabeth. He did about the stupidest thing his tiny brain could think of and grabbed her dislocated arm causing her to scream as a mind numbing pain shot through her body. Will was furious. The henchman laughed cruelly as he twisted the sore arm and caused Elizabeth to scream out against her will once more.
"Now isn't this fun," the henchman said with glee as he pulled Elizabeth close, screwing her arm out of place at the same time. She almost screamed again, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction so bit her lip instead.
"Let her go!" Will said with a fierce determination, but Elizabeth could see fear in his eyes.
"I don't think so, see you wouldn't want to cause her any.PAIN," he said as he emphasized his point by giving her arm a cruel twist. "Would you?" He smiled evilly at Will and started to back toward his car, twisting her arm the whole way.
Elizabeth almost wretched with the pain but kept her watery eyes screwed tightly shut and her mouth closed, despite her tasting blood from her lip because she was biting so hard. She was determined to not give the brute the satisfaction of another scream. She opened her eyes briefly to see a look of pain in Will's face that she swore could have rivalled hers.
"Now unless you want your girlfriend's arm to be mailed back to you in a box," the brute said as they reached a car and paused to take out the keys. "I suggest you tell me where to find the computer and Augustine." He said as he dug through his bag.
Elizabeth looked at Will frantically, knowing that he would cave eventually in order to spare her. She was shocked however to find a look of triumph on his face instead of a worried one. They locked gazes and she smiled as she realized that he had a plan and was close to implementing it. His eyes motioned up and she followed to find a clay planter positioned on a windowsill directly above the henchman's head. She almost screamed again, but this time out of delight. Noticing that the henchman had resurfaced from his bag once more, she dawned the act of fear and pain (which wasn't hard seeing as he still held her dislocated arm) and whimpered slightly.
"Wait!" Will said in feigned defeat.
"What?" The henchman said gleefully.
"What on earth is that?" Will screamed as he pointed to the windowsill.
"What?" The henchman said as he looked up to face his doom.
Will wasted no time and threw his sword at the sill causing the hilt to jar it and send the heavy pot tumbling down. Elizabeth covered her head with her free arm as dirt and flowers flew down from above, landing right on target. The clay pot came down with a smash and the henchman toppled like a rag doll, unfortunately bringing Elizabeth down with him. She let out the pent up scream she had held inside and let it reverberate throughout the rooftops. A short distance away, the pair of jealous eyes heard and came rushing to her aid.
However, Will was there first. He was by Elizabeth's side as soon as the dust settled, helping her to her feet and coddling her like a baby.
"Are you alright?" he said in almost the hushed tone he used in the movie. He stood pushing the hair out of her face and stroking her check tenderly.
Elizabeth nearly fainted again but was able to refocus her mind, reminding herself that Will did not belong to her, that he would never belong to her.
"I'm fine Will, I just need to get inside," she said as she smiled at him, and then forcibly broke contact.
"I'm sorry Elizabeth, this is all my fault, you would have been better off to leave me where you found me." He said casting his eyes downward, ashamed of his existence.
Elizabeth couldn't believe he was doing the whole chivalrous thing again but she couldn't take much more of it. She had to be strong even if he wasn't. She paused and turned to look into his eyes.
"Will do not for one minute blame this on yourself, these guys need to be stopped, regardless of who stops them. And I'm glad that when I was in trouble, it was you who came to my rescue." She looked into his eyes and felt herself slipping into his sorrowful gaze, she wanted him, needed him, but knew he could never be hers. She broke the gaze and started to turn away, but Will stopped her. He grabbed her good arm and whirled her around to face him.
"How can you have so much faith in me?" he asked in a hushed voice, his head drawing ever closer.
"We can't discuss this now Will, we need to get back inside." Elizabeth was losing control, every fibre of her wanted to grab Will, kiss him and never let him go, but that wasn't what he needed. He needed to be returned to his home, to his true love, not his rebound girl.
"I know there's something you want to tell me, why can't you just let it out?" He asked in that hushed tone.
Elizabeth couldn't take it any longer, giving in she leaned in to Will's soft face, and was tackled to the ground by a pair of jealous eyes which had finally decided to take action.
She screamed in a combination of both pain and anger as her and Will were sent flying to the ground. The attacker at this point was concentrating many on Will so left Elizabeth to get up herself. She was majorly ticked off, not only because of the searing pain in her dislocated arm, but because she had been millimetres away from achieving her impossible dream. A part of her was grateful she and Will had been stopped before regrets were created but it was momentarily shoved aside as she prepared to fend off yet another attacker. Suddenly she heard a whiny annoying voice ringing through the air that made her blood boil.
"What are you doing with Lizzie!?" Bradford's voice reverberated through the alleyway.
Elizabeth was furious, screwing up all the anger inside of her she ran up to Will and Braford who were still scrapping on the ground and kicked them apart furiously.
"Bradford Shanigan what the heck do you think you're doing!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
Bradford and Will both froze and then both started talking rapidly at once.
"He was attacking you!" both cried in unison.
They both looked at each other and double taked.
"YOU were attacking her not me!" yelled Bradford.
"YOU were the one who attacked both of us!" yelled Will.
"Why I oughta!" And Bradford and Will started yelling at each other and fighting again.
Elizabeth's mind was spinning wildly out of control with all that had been going on. Bradford had interrupted her for the last time.
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Elizabeth yelled at the some point beyond the top of her lungs, causing the air around her to almost sizzle and fry.
Both Will and Braford stopped again but were cut off before they could say anything.
"I have been threatened, beaten, chased and just when I think I'm gonna get a little peace and quiet, tackled from out of the blue by someone who is supposed to be an ally! I have an arm, which is as we speak sending such mind tearing pain throughout my body that I can barely stand and YOU TWO have the brainless testosterone driven idea that it would be OK to start a Royal Rumble out in the alleyway in broad daylight! Both of you get up to my apartment NOW!!!!"
Both Braford and Will had never experienced such fury from Elizabeth and certainly did not want any more of it. Both gathered up all of their spilt effects and started out of the alleyway.
"One more thing." Elizabeth said from behind as all the previous energy in her drained away.
Both Will and Bradford turned sheepishly around to look at the furious women whose expression was now curiously calm, almost deadpan.
"Somebody catch." but passed out from pain and exhaustion before she could finish her sentence.