I wanted to get this up for the weekend… busy at work but hey, a woman can cheat a little, can't she? Much love to the readers and reviewers, who will want to hang me… *sigh*…
Waiting was taking its toll on two impatient crews. Mr. Gibbs, temporarily in charge of the Pearl, busied his men with washing down the decks after the fight; the Esperance crew mended a sail that had been sliced across by a particularly ambitious attacker. The tasks, however, didn't take that long or use all hands, and soon the men were growing restless once more. Although only one man was the assigned lookout on the Esperance, at least five voices sang out simultaneously that the small boat was on its way back. Discipline fell by the wayside as men strained for news of their captain.
Captain Turner stood at the rail with apparent calm, adjusting the telescope as he squinted against the sunlight sparkling off the blue, trying to see into the small boat carrying Will and Elizabeth. Ana was at his side, watching as well. Her voice went quiet. "They've given up, then?"
The captain shook his head. "I don't think so. I don't see Jack."
Gibbs, who had crossed over to wait with them, looked shocked. "They left the Captain behind?"
"Aye, they would've. From what I've heard, she may take someone on to help 'em, but she doesn't brook visitors." Anamaria sighed quietly. "They must've found her, then."
Turner nodded as he closed the telescope, calling for the crew to be ready to take on the two returning in the boat and to separate the ships that were still grappled together. It almost looked as if the huge vessels were huddling near to comfort each other.
"Let's just pray that this woman can help him, and get on with what we must do." It was clear, though, as he continued to stand staring off toward the island - some part of him would stay behind.
In the small boat, Elizabeth sat amidships, facing back toward the island as she leaned against the relatively short, single mast and stared quietly out to sea. They hadn't spoken a word since leaving Jack behind, and she was feeling progressively less secure in that decision. Her focus found Will, and he gave her a tight, reassuring smile.
"I think it was the right thing to do, darling."
"I think so too. But now…I'm afraid."
He stretched out his hand and leaned forward from the rudder while she leaned back to touch his fingers with her own. "I trust her, Elizabeth." His dark eyes were shining wide. "I'm not even sure why. But if anyone can help him…"
"I know." She sat upright again, blinking hard, and took a deep breath. "Do you think she's really a witch?"
Will exhaled a humorless laugh in the face of his fears. "I'm not sure I even know what would make her a witch. But I don't care what she is, if she can keep him alive..." With an effort he shook off the morbid images his mind was throwing at him, and for a moment his eyes sparkled with genuine humor as he pictured his friend alive and well, coming face to face with the taciturn healer. "Can you imagine Jack waking up there?"
Elizabeth considered a moment, then smiled. "He'll be a bit surprised." Abruptly she looked concerned again. "Do you think we should have left a note, or some token? What if he thinks we've deserted him?"
"He knows better, Elizabeth." Looking forward, Will saw the side of the Esperance coming up quickly. "Best bring that sail down. We're almost home."
"Did she say she could help him, then?"
"To tell you the truth, she didn't say much of anything, father."
The captain of the Esperance fidgeted with a small, carved wooden bird that normally perched on his desk, turning the image over and over in his hands. Will looked with concern at his wife, whose eyes showed her agreement without having to say anything aloud. Bootstrap Turner had returned to his old, solid self since the curse was lifted from him, and the fact that he was moving with nervous restlessness was more of a testimony to his worry about Jack than any words he might say.
"How was he when you left him?"
"Still unconscious. But he seemed… as comfortable as we could make him."
The captain nodded, stood to pace to the heavy windows of his cabin where the group had gathered for a few quiet moments before splitting up and starting off again. Compared to Jack Sparrow's opulent quarters on the Pearl, Turner's cabin was positively Spartan. Still, it was the largest onboard the Esperance, and Jack himself had made sure that his old friend had the best bed that money could buy. Oddly enough, it looked relatively untouched, and Elizabeth noticed with a small pang that there was a worn hammock strung in a nook near the windows.
Standing at those windows, William seemed to come to a decision. "Let's get moving, then. According to Governor Swann, we're to deliver the gems to a private estate on the southeastern coast, someplace called…" he stepped back to his desk, opened a leather logbook. "Here it is. Esperanza." He looked up at Will with a wry grin. "Ironic. The ship's name is Latin, the estate Spanish, but they mean the same thing."
Elizabeth frowned and was about to ask a question when Gibbs broke in.
"Well now, Bootstrap, you're the captain of this pretty little armada. What course, and how long are we sailin'?"
The captain moved over to the chart tacked to his wall, and Gibbs joined him as he indicated their route, nodding thoughtfully. "Weather permitting, we should be there in less than three days."
"Aye."
The two men shook hands, and Mr. Gibbs turned to go. "Good sailing to you, Captain Turner."
"And to you. If anyone can take care of her, you can."
The older pirate nodded with a resigned look. "Elizabeth, I'll be needing you on the Pearl. Will?"
The younger Turner looked at his father before answering Gibbs and smiled. "We'll be along in a minute." A slightly shocked expression on Elizabeth's face made his head tilt before he understood. "If that's alright, ah…Captain."
Joshamee Gibbs stiffened slightly. "I'll thank ye not to call me 'captain' of Jack's ship." After the barest pause he allowed a slow grin. "But 'sir', now, that'll be fine." He threw them a smirk as he stopped at the hatch of the cabin, nodded to them all. "Take what time ye need, lad. But the sooner we're off, the sooner we'll be back for 'im."
Will stepped over to his father, and they embraced warmly.
"Be careful, son. One ambush may not be enough for them."
"We'll be ready." He grasped his father's hand and shook it before he stepped back, letting his wife take her turn. Elizabeth hugged her father-in-law and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.
The captain smiled after them as they left his cabin, then paced over to the chart on the wall when he was alone once more. His voice was quiet as he mumbled to himself. "Three days there, three back… no telling what the delivery will bring." Glancing across to the windows again, he sighed. "We'll do our best, Jack. Just be here when we come."
The weather had its own ideas.
Less than a day toward the windward coast of Crab Island, the wind changed. Lookouts on both ships pointed at the gray horizon and reported to their captains that weather was on its way, and as the wind became irregular and gusty, both ships shortened their sails. The wind blew colder, bringing a greenish-gray bank of cloud out of the east. Dusk came early, and the rain began slowly at first, a drizzling cold fog. The Esperance raised a series of small flags in signal, and the Pearl responded in kind. Soon the Pearl fell back, increasing the distance between the two ships.
"What's going on?" Elizabeth, who had just come up from below, turned to Will as they watched his father's ship pull ahead and move off to their starboard in the channel between Puerto Rico and Crab Island.
"There's a storm coming. We're splitting up so we don't collide in the night if this gets worse."
She nodded, but frowned with concern as she watched the shrinking image of the Esperance. "It feels like it will."
"Yes." Will looked at her, loose waves of her hair blowing in frantic little circles as the wind picked up its odd dance. "We're to make all fast." Elizabeth nodded and gave him a smile as he leaned over to kiss her before parting to their respective tasks.
By midnight Elizabeth was on duty at the helm, and the storm was reaching its peak. Lightning flashed, giving her irregular visions of waves that were growing steadily higher. Worse than that was the rain, which was falling in rippling sheets, obscuring what little vision she had. Joshamee Gibbs appeared at her side, watching in the night.
"How's she holdin', Miss Elizabeth?"
The girl grimaced as she fought the wheel. "She's not happy with me, but we'll be alright."
Gibbs grinned as water ran down his face. "Aye. Jack's the only one she really likes in a storm." He looked around, checked the compass bearing by the light of the lantern he carried, and nodded. "Yer doin' a fine job, lass."
His tone was of one professional to another, and she shot him a tight smile. "Thank you."
"I half expected your boy to be up here, tryin' to help."
This time she laughed, even as the rain ran into her eyes and the ship wallowed drunkenly in a trough. "He is helping. Will is sound asleep in our cabin, because he trusts me."
Gibbs chuckled as he swayed, walking back toward the bow of the ship to check the watch. "Aye. Smarter'n he looks, that one."
She smiled again, then became more serious as she looked up to check the masts in another flash of light. One topsail had begun to flutter loose, and Gibbs was calling to Duncan to climb up and fix it. For a moment an old memory made Elizabeth falter as the ship was caught by another wave, but she righted her as best she could. Somewhere in her mind she heard a voice purring quietly. 'C'mon, Lizzie. Keep her steady. I know you can do it, love.' Nodding gratefully at nothing that could be seen, she pulled the Pearl into the wind and held on.
At midnight on the Esperance, Captain Turner released the wheel to Anamaria after she checked the compass bearing. "Try to keep her nose in the wind. It's going to be messy for a while."
"Aye, cap'n." The dark woman wiped the back of her hand against her face, the last time she would try to dry it for hours. The ship heaved itself over another wave, sliding down the other side as if it were made of ice. Ana took a deep breath and shook her head against the tension building in her shoulders. Cursing quietly, she tried to keep the ship steady. It was her first storm in the Esperance, and every ship handled differently in the bad wind and weather.
Her concentration was on feeling for the handling of the ship… which was probably why she didn't notice they had veered northward again in the wind.
It was Gibbs who saw them first. His voice boomed out over the sound of the wind and waves. "Hard a port!"
In a flash of lightning, Elizabeth saw the Esperance coming down a rise directly toward their starboard side. If she hadn't turned the wheel as soon as she heard Gibbs yell, they would have lost a piece of their bow to the other ship. Yelling was heard on the other deck as well, and soon the ships were a safer distance apart. Elizabeth called out to no one in particular as she struggled with the ship. "Find me some quiet!" Moments later, the lookout sang that land was near. They were above the western point of Crab Island, where the sea had carved smooth bays into the beaches, bookended with spires of cliff. As they closed on the leeward side, the wind dropped abruptly, and Elizabeth caught her breath as she managed to get them closer to the sandy shore. "Drop anchor!"
Gibbs had returned to the helm, and saw the young woman hanging savagely onto the wheel, her soaking hair hanging in her eyes. Her expression was fierce, but it softened when she looked at him. "I'm sorry. But it was just too…" She faltered for a moment, and he stepped closer to her.
"Ye did fine, lass. It makes sense for us to harbor here 'til it blows over." Elizabeth sagged a bit, nodded.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you." He put his hand on her shoulder. "That was as fine a bit of piloting as I've seen. Jack'd be proud." Only then did her eyes begin to water, as she nodded and looked down at the sodden deck. "Listen, get yerself below and dry. I'll take my watch now."
"But… I've hardly served my time." She looked up into his steel-gray eyes as he laughed.
"You were fightin' with her for well over three hours, Elizabeth."
"I was?"
"Aye. So go get your sleep, and I'll call you in the mornin'. Maybe we'll find out what happened to get the Esperance that far lost in the dark, and with Ana at the wheel, too."
Even in the shelter of the harbor the waves made Elizabeth stumble as she staggered back toward the gangway, and almost fell into Will's arms as he met her at the top of the stairs. "Sweetheart." He held her tight, and she dropped her head on his shoulder. "Duncan woke me, told me what happened." She nodded, still saying nothing. "Are you alright, darling?"
"Yes." Her voice was small but still strong. "I'm just… very tired."
"Let's get you to bed, then." He slipped an arm around her waist and walked with her, supporting her inconspicuously as they made their way back to their cabin. As she sat down in the chair next to their bed, he knelt to take off her boots. She blinked at him sleepily.
"Will?"
"Yes?"
"What does Esperance mean?"
He chuckled quietly as he stood to help her undress. "Hope." Their eyes met, and she gave him a small smile.
"Oh. Good." She was asleep before she touched the bed.