A/N- Ugh, my Internet connection is down at home, so I'm using the
library's and the school' s computer when I can, but this is affecting
updates loads. Unfortunate, but true. Please keep the reviews coming, as
I love getting them!
Wheeee, thank you all!
Peace out and rock on, chicks/dudes/it's!
. . .
Are there any dudes reading this? ?_?
*~~*
Elizabeth, and Jack stood in the blacksmith's shop, a little amount of light coming from the fire. Will had barred the doors, and closed the windows, to ensure a little privacy. Will had left to deliver the order he had finished the previous night, leaving the pair of them to discus the plan of action for leaving Port Royal.
"Now listen. I left Anamaria as captain when I came back here. She's going to sail back in to port hours before dawn tomorrow night. I'd figure around four in the morning, although I can't be sure. That means that we all need to be here at midnight, savvy? There is a slim change that a ship as large as the Black Pearl is going to go unnoticed. If anyone finds out it's been back, and both of you aren't on it, it's going to lead to some tricky questions. And this might be my last chance to leave." Jack leaned casually on a wall, folding his arms over his chest, the familiar grin starting to play around the corners of his mouth.
Elizabeth nodded. "I'll be here."
"Anamaria'll let you borrow some of her clothes, and we'll get you some the next proper town we come to. Other than that, there's nothing you need to bring, really. But you have to be sure you're alright with leaving. Regret dampens adventure." The normally present hint of sarcasm was missing.
"I've made my decision. I'll follow Will." She sighed, looking at the ceiling. "Besides, it might be the only way we'll be able to get married."
"You can get married here."
"My father doesn't want me to have any ties with Will after he helped you escape again. He still wants me to marry Commodore Norrington." She looked back at Jack. "I don't want to have to put Will through the stress of trying to deal with my father. Besides, I'm having trouble myself."
"Are you going to tell him at all?"
"I'll leave a note. I want my own freedom, and I'm tired of having my life controlled."
Jack laughed, and Elizabeth looked at him questioningly, beginning to grin herself.
"What's so amusing?"
"Gods, you sound like Anamaria. Honestly, it's terrifying."
"Is that a good or a bad thing?"
Jack shook his head, grinning.
"It means I'll have myself a load of trouble back on board."
~**~
Elizabeth hugged Will.
"I need to get back now. My father's going to be upset I've been gone so long."
Will sighed, and whispered an "I love you."
Elizabeth drew away, smiling. "I do to."
She turned to walk to the door, but Jack stood in front of her, his arms outstretched.
"Hug for me?"
She shook her head, still smiling and said, "Don't push it," but gave him a quick hug anyway. Jack and Will watched her walk out into the dusk.
"I feel bad about not walking her back home."
Jack glanced at Will.
"Elizabeth has the better understanding of the situation, Will. She declined because she doesn't want you being caught up in any argument."
Will nodded.
"You're right, I suppose."
"And don't you hate that?" Will raised an eyebrow.
"When your right, I've found it's normally out of luck."
Jack shrugged.
"I've found I'm remarkably lucky."
"What are you going to do when that luck runs out?"
He paused. "I'm not quite sure, actually." He grinned suddenly. "But I *know* I won't end up a eunuch. I'm really sorry, Will. You know how it is."
With that last parting shot, he walked over to Will's bed, and laid down, folding his arms behind his head.
"You get off that! I'm not sleeping on the floor!" Will shouted.
"Make me."
Will shook his head. "Bloody pirate," he muttered under his breath.
*~~*
Elizabeth knocked on the door of the manor, aware of how nervous she felt. Call it a feeling, but somehow she knew her father was going to argue. Dusk was going faster, turning into night much more quickly than usual.
Or, perhaps it was her imagination. The door opened, at it was one of the maids. She gave a polite curtsey, and opened the door further.
"Your father's been looking for you, Miss. He's upstairs in the study." She paused, as Elizabeth entered, and leaned out the door a little.
"The winds have an odd feeling, like something's coming, you know? And night's here much earlier than is normal." She shook her head as she closed the door. "I don't mean to talk nonsense."
Elizabeth smiled and picked up her skirts as she walked up the fleet of stairs, making little sound as she walked. She turned right at the hallway, and walked through an open door. Weatherby Swann was sitting at his desk, and he looked up from a piece of paper his quill was flying over.
"Ah, Elizabeth! Where were you? I was worried."
"I was with Will today."
Governor Swann stood up, and walked over to his daughter.
"I would have thought an intelligent young lady such as yourself would have had enough sense to tell me where she was going." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.
"I was unaware I had to report my daily affairs to you." She brushed her hair off her shoulders. He shifted uncomfortably.
"I thought I expressed my dislike-"
"Yes, you've made it quite clear you don't like him." Snapped Elizabeth, her temper getting the better of her.
He sighed, and looked at her sternly.
"You say you love him, but how can you be sure what you feel is love? I think that it's a phase, Elizabeth. I think it is a poor decision on your part."
"You just want me to marry someone with a high social status. Norrington's wonderful for me, it he?" Her voice was rising.
"Elizabeth, its Commodore Norrington, out of respect. And Norrington is dependable, much more so than a blacksmith and a pirate. Will doesn't have anything to offer you if you marry. You need to understand that."
"But he loves me. That's enough."
"You think so now, but what about afterward?"
"Why can't you be happy with me?" She turned and walked brusquely out of the room, blinking back angry tears, and ignoring her father.
Locking the door behind her, she laid down on her bed, and extinguished the lamp on the table beside her. Elizabeth laid there in silence, closing her eyes, and trying to block out everything else. She shivered, and sat back up. The window had been left open, and a sudden wind was blowing though her room, making the curtains dance.
A raven sat on her windowsill. It's black feathers glinted in the rays of moonlight streaming through the window. It was staring at her, she realized. Its eyes never leaving her direction, it screamed.
Peace out and rock on, chicks/dudes/it's!
. . .
Are there any dudes reading this? ?_?
*~~*
Elizabeth, and Jack stood in the blacksmith's shop, a little amount of light coming from the fire. Will had barred the doors, and closed the windows, to ensure a little privacy. Will had left to deliver the order he had finished the previous night, leaving the pair of them to discus the plan of action for leaving Port Royal.
"Now listen. I left Anamaria as captain when I came back here. She's going to sail back in to port hours before dawn tomorrow night. I'd figure around four in the morning, although I can't be sure. That means that we all need to be here at midnight, savvy? There is a slim change that a ship as large as the Black Pearl is going to go unnoticed. If anyone finds out it's been back, and both of you aren't on it, it's going to lead to some tricky questions. And this might be my last chance to leave." Jack leaned casually on a wall, folding his arms over his chest, the familiar grin starting to play around the corners of his mouth.
Elizabeth nodded. "I'll be here."
"Anamaria'll let you borrow some of her clothes, and we'll get you some the next proper town we come to. Other than that, there's nothing you need to bring, really. But you have to be sure you're alright with leaving. Regret dampens adventure." The normally present hint of sarcasm was missing.
"I've made my decision. I'll follow Will." She sighed, looking at the ceiling. "Besides, it might be the only way we'll be able to get married."
"You can get married here."
"My father doesn't want me to have any ties with Will after he helped you escape again. He still wants me to marry Commodore Norrington." She looked back at Jack. "I don't want to have to put Will through the stress of trying to deal with my father. Besides, I'm having trouble myself."
"Are you going to tell him at all?"
"I'll leave a note. I want my own freedom, and I'm tired of having my life controlled."
Jack laughed, and Elizabeth looked at him questioningly, beginning to grin herself.
"What's so amusing?"
"Gods, you sound like Anamaria. Honestly, it's terrifying."
"Is that a good or a bad thing?"
Jack shook his head, grinning.
"It means I'll have myself a load of trouble back on board."
~**~
Elizabeth hugged Will.
"I need to get back now. My father's going to be upset I've been gone so long."
Will sighed, and whispered an "I love you."
Elizabeth drew away, smiling. "I do to."
She turned to walk to the door, but Jack stood in front of her, his arms outstretched.
"Hug for me?"
She shook her head, still smiling and said, "Don't push it," but gave him a quick hug anyway. Jack and Will watched her walk out into the dusk.
"I feel bad about not walking her back home."
Jack glanced at Will.
"Elizabeth has the better understanding of the situation, Will. She declined because she doesn't want you being caught up in any argument."
Will nodded.
"You're right, I suppose."
"And don't you hate that?" Will raised an eyebrow.
"When your right, I've found it's normally out of luck."
Jack shrugged.
"I've found I'm remarkably lucky."
"What are you going to do when that luck runs out?"
He paused. "I'm not quite sure, actually." He grinned suddenly. "But I *know* I won't end up a eunuch. I'm really sorry, Will. You know how it is."
With that last parting shot, he walked over to Will's bed, and laid down, folding his arms behind his head.
"You get off that! I'm not sleeping on the floor!" Will shouted.
"Make me."
Will shook his head. "Bloody pirate," he muttered under his breath.
*~~*
Elizabeth knocked on the door of the manor, aware of how nervous she felt. Call it a feeling, but somehow she knew her father was going to argue. Dusk was going faster, turning into night much more quickly than usual.
Or, perhaps it was her imagination. The door opened, at it was one of the maids. She gave a polite curtsey, and opened the door further.
"Your father's been looking for you, Miss. He's upstairs in the study." She paused, as Elizabeth entered, and leaned out the door a little.
"The winds have an odd feeling, like something's coming, you know? And night's here much earlier than is normal." She shook her head as she closed the door. "I don't mean to talk nonsense."
Elizabeth smiled and picked up her skirts as she walked up the fleet of stairs, making little sound as she walked. She turned right at the hallway, and walked through an open door. Weatherby Swann was sitting at his desk, and he looked up from a piece of paper his quill was flying over.
"Ah, Elizabeth! Where were you? I was worried."
"I was with Will today."
Governor Swann stood up, and walked over to his daughter.
"I would have thought an intelligent young lady such as yourself would have had enough sense to tell me where she was going." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.
"I was unaware I had to report my daily affairs to you." She brushed her hair off her shoulders. He shifted uncomfortably.
"I thought I expressed my dislike-"
"Yes, you've made it quite clear you don't like him." Snapped Elizabeth, her temper getting the better of her.
He sighed, and looked at her sternly.
"You say you love him, but how can you be sure what you feel is love? I think that it's a phase, Elizabeth. I think it is a poor decision on your part."
"You just want me to marry someone with a high social status. Norrington's wonderful for me, it he?" Her voice was rising.
"Elizabeth, its Commodore Norrington, out of respect. And Norrington is dependable, much more so than a blacksmith and a pirate. Will doesn't have anything to offer you if you marry. You need to understand that."
"But he loves me. That's enough."
"You think so now, but what about afterward?"
"Why can't you be happy with me?" She turned and walked brusquely out of the room, blinking back angry tears, and ignoring her father.
Locking the door behind her, she laid down on her bed, and extinguished the lamp on the table beside her. Elizabeth laid there in silence, closing her eyes, and trying to block out everything else. She shivered, and sat back up. The window had been left open, and a sudden wind was blowing though her room, making the curtains dance.
A raven sat on her windowsill. It's black feathers glinted in the rays of moonlight streaming through the window. It was staring at her, she realized. Its eyes never leaving her direction, it screamed.