The next hour dragged on for what seemed like forever. When Danielle finally came outside, Elsa was lying under a tree, her eyes closed, her hand occupied with the grass beside her. Blackbeard had found a twig to chew on and was lying close by. Elsa sensed her friend's presence and opened one eye.
"So?"
"They were mad at first...And they're disappointed in me...But they said they still love me. And...They're okay I guess," she said, sitting down next to her.
"See? It's all good."
"Yeah, I 'spose. I'm glad I told 'em. I feel better."
"Good."
They remained quiet for a while. But Danielle was the one to break the silence.
"It was amazing!"
"Oh, lord. You didn't just say that."
"But it was so incredible," Danielle went on.
"Not listening!" Elsa shut her eyes and held her hands over her ears.
"But-!"
"La la la la!"
"So what about Dom?" Danielle laughed.
"Haven't seen him."
"No, I mean, are you gonna-?"
"Not listening!!! You were so much better off without Jim!"
"But I love him!"
"I know, whatever. Damn love. Who created love? They should be shot."
"God, didn't he?" Danielle tried.
"It was a rhetorical question!" Elsa yelled.
"Oh...He he?"
"Eesh, you're an idiot."
"Uh huh. Oh hey!" Danielle exclaimed suddenly. "There's a party tonight!"
"And...?" Elsa asked, not amused.
"And you're coming with me!" Danielle said, dragging Elsa to her feet. Blackbeard jumped up and barked. "We have to go get ready!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa darlin'," Elsa said, digging her boots into the ground, allowing her to stop. "I don't do parties. I'll wait outside long enough for you to sneak out and meet me." She tried to turn around and walk away, but Danielle had a firm grip on her arm. "Let go, blacksmith. Don't make me hurt you," she threatened.
"Aw, Jack! You have to go! Please? I don't wanna go by myself," Danielle whined. "I'll be all alone." She stuck out her bottom lip and whined.
"Arrgh," Elsa sighed. "Fine. But I'll only stay fifteen minutes! Then I'm blowin' the joint!"
"Fine, fine. Whatever you say. Come on!"
Danielle dragged her up to her room and began throwing dresses and and accessories through the air, onto the bed, the floor-everywhere.
"You are insane!" Elsa cried, burying her head in a pillow.
"I think red," Danielle said, ignoring her and holding up a long, crimson dress.
"I think not."
"What color then?"
"Hmm...pants, simple as that."
"You can't wear pants to this!" Danielle shrieked. "A dress must be worn!"
"Will you please explain to me what 'this' is?"
"I...don't...know. But it's really, really important!"
"I'm sure," Elsa mocked.
"Perfect!" Danielle held up another dress, this one pale yellow, with pink accents, a pointed waist and a layered skirt.
"It's yellow...with pink...I love it!" Elsa said, surprising Danielle and taking it from her. "Ah, one thing-corset."
"Yes, well...All these things have corsets."
"You can not make-!"
"Yes I can!" Danielle yelled, pinning Elsa to the bed.
"Too close for comfort!"
"And by the way..." she added, fingering Elsa's bandana.
"Oh no. No, no, no," Elsa chuckled nervously, inching away from her.
"Give me the hat, Jack."
"No!" Elsa yelled, shielding herself with a pillow.
"Oh, gimme the stupid hat!"
"Oh. My. Gaw. I can't believe you just said that. You should be shot!" She pulled out her pistol and aimed.
"Okay, no. But you're givin' me the hat!" Danielle practically ripped the bandana off Elsa's head.
"Hey, hey! Careful with the hat! I love him!"
"Don't worry, you weirdo. I'll keep it on the dresser and as soon as we get back, you can have it."
"Oh, fine!" Elsa said, brushing out her hair. She sighed. "I already miss you, Hat."
"Sure. Come on! We have to get ready!"
After they were all ready to go in their dresses, Will, Elizabeth, Elsa and Danielle headed off to the location of the party, not many blocks away from the Swann mansion.
"Tell me again how we breath in these things?" Elsa gasped, referring to the corset she was being forced to wear.
"We don't," Danielle pointed out.
"This is a nightmare," Elsa said, looking at all the women in their 'poofy-is-an- understatement-' gowns and the men in their brightly colored vests and tights. "Why did you drag me into this?!"
"If I have to go, you have to go," Danielle explained, pushing her friend into the room. "You look lovely. You should wear dresses more often."
"Gonna pretend you didn't say that."
"Fair enough."
An hour of classical music-and dancing around like complete fools-went on for what seemed like forever.
As the next song started, Elsa told Danielle, "I can't take much more of this. I'm gettin' out of here." She turned for the door.
"Wait. Jack-"
"Danielle!" Jimmy called from across the room.
"Please stay!" Danielle whispered, then turning her attention to Jimmy.
"Oh, grr..." Elsa trudged over to the corner and sat down, waiting for Danielle to get done with her 'lover'...if she ever really got done with him. Elsa then realized she may be sitting here for the rest of the night. "Damn!"
A young man came up to Elsa and asked her for a dance.
"Another one?" she thought. "Oh, fine."
"Thank you," she said, taking the man's hand and walking to the dance floor with him. "I can't believe I have to dance with these little Norringtons!"
As they waltzed, Elsa kept an eye on Danielle and Jimmy. They seemed to be having a good time, despite what had happened earlier. That was good. But wait-they stopped, mid step. Okay, he took her into his arms, that's a good sign. We're alright.
At the other end of the room, James noticed his son dancing with the Turner's daughter. Outraged, he sought out Will and Elizabeth instantly.
"Mr. Turner?" Norrington approached Will with an icy tone. "Why is your daughter dancing with my son?"
"You say that as if it's a bad thing James," Will smiled. "Is there a problem Commodore?"
"If you must know yes!"
"And what is that?" Elizabeth asked, interested.
"My son is betrothed, and I don't need some other girl messing up my son's plans of marriage!"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me perfectly, Mr. Turner," Norrington growled.
"Are you saying that my daughter isn't good enough for James, even if he wasn't-as you would say-betrothed?" Will asked.
"Precisely," the commodore smiled.
"Well, in that case-" Will finished his statement by punching James hard in the stomach.
The music stopped abruptly and everyone ceased dancing. Elsa curtsied hastily to her dancing partner and ran off to see what was happening. Jimmy and Danielle stopped dancing as well and, reluctantly, set off to figure out what was going on.
"Norrington, there may be something you should know..." Elizabeth started, looking down at the Commodore she learned to despise after the past few years.
"Oh, no," Elsa thought. "She's gonna tell Norrington, and then Danielle and Jimmy are gonna have to get into it and then-Oh, no! Not me! I don't want to be in the middle of this."
She decided to run out the door and down to the docks. A nice safe place to wait out the storm.
"I'm not a coward, I just don't want to be in the middle of it, that's all," she kept telling herself as she ran.
She glanced back at the mansion she had just come from and sighed, continuing running as best and as fast as she could in her dress.
Suddenly, she collided with something-or someone. Yes, it was someone; a man to be precise.
"I'm sorry, sir, I must be more careful," she tried to laugh.
"It's quite alright, Miss," he said, his Scottish accent enveloping her. He leaned down and kissed her sweetly.
"Dom?" she asked. "You're here? Again?"
"To see you, darling." He stood and helped her up."What were you running from? Or who?" he said, placing a hand on his sword.
"I was...just leaving a party. A very boring party. Had to get out quick before I was asked to dance again," she smiled.
"Dance? With who?" he said, getting defensive.
"Down, boy," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.
His eyes trailed up and down her body. "I've never seen you in a dress. You look beautiful!"
"Oh, please, no. It's horrible. I can't even believe I made it this far with this corset. So not me," she said, trying to smooth out the fabric.
"I love it." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again.
"Mmm," she sighed. Her hands moved up his back and into his hair.
"Elsa?" he asked suddenly. "May I have this dance?"
"We don't have any music," she pointed out.
"We'll make our own." He took her hand and held her close to him, and began humming a waltz. Elsa laughed and began humming herself.
"Ow, that was my foot!" she giggled as Dom missed a beat and accidently stepped on her.
"Sorry," he smiled. "I haven't danced in years."
"Well, besides that, you're very good."
Their 'song' ended and they began walking down to the beach, where they lay on the sand, talking and kissing, until there wasn't anything left to talk about.
Elsa had drifted off to sleep, her head on his chest. The material of her dress had fallen from her shoulder and Dom bent his head to kiss it.
She opened an eye and smiled, asking, "What are you doing?" as Dom's kisses trailed from her shoulder to her neck.
"Nothin'," he said innocently, still kissing her.
"It sure does look like something to us, Mr. Andrews," came Jimmy's voice from above them.
"So you found us, eh?" Elsa asked, looking up to see Jimmy and Danielle standing there.
"Yup. Mind if we join you?" she asked, sitting down.
"You may, blacksmith," she nodded. "So what happened in there?"
"Will and Elizabeth told them what we did."
"What?" Dom asked, curious.
"We slept together."
"Oh."
"But yeah...you shoulda seen Norrington; He was furious," Danielle said.
"Eesh. Sorry mate."
"And I have just found out that I'm betrothed to some woman in Spain I had no clue was alive," James added.
"Sorry mate," Dom said.
"Spain?" Elsa asked. "Isn't that great Danielle? A Spaniard has beaten you to Jimmy," she winked.
"Damn you. Damn. You."
Dom and Jimmy looked at each other confused.
"Anyway, everything will work out."
"Sure," he sighed. "But...What do we do now?"
"I have no idea."
The four sat in silence, Elsa and Danielle lying in Dom and Jimmy's arms, (respectively). Eventually, Jimmy and Dom fell asleep. Elsa looked at Danielle happily, as she ran her fingers through Dom's golden curls. Danielle laughed quietly.
"Hey! Do you remember microwaves?" Danielle said, spontaneously.
"Uh...yes?" Elsa laughed.
"Man, I miss that thing. Oh, my God and fried chicken!"
"Oh no. Not the chicken," Elsa groaned.
"Man, I want a piece of chicken now...Anyway! And hey! What about when we would to spend hours talking on the phone about Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom?"
"Will? We live with them," she pointed out.
"We do?" she asked confused. "Oh my God! We do!!!"
"Ssh," she giggled. "You'll wake 'em up."
"Shouldn't we wake them up anyway?" Danielle asked, looking at Jimmy. He was snoring softly.
"I think you should. If you don't get home, Will and Liz will kill you. I mean they're already pissed off, right?"
"Damn. Fine. What about you?"
"I guess I have to go, too." She looked at Dom. "But-"
"Come on," she said softly.
"Aww...okay, I'm wakin' him up," she sighed. "Dom," she whispered in his ear.
"Mm-hmm?" he mumbled, not opening his eyes.
"We should go. Up to the mansion that is."
"Good idea." He opened his eyes and kissed her nose. "This sand is killin' me!" He stood up and stretched.
By this time, Jimmy had woken up too, so they all walked up to the Swann mansion.
"Come on! The door in the back is always left unlocked," Danielle informed them.
Elsa stared at her dumbfounded. "There's a door? And it's always unlocked? May I strangle you?"
"What?" Dom asked amused.
"Last time," Elsa began, glaring at Danielle, "this idiot cam home late due to some unknown cause," she glanced at Jimmy, "and I had to climb that tree and sneak her into her room."
"How did you get in that tree?"
"My whip."
"You have a whip?" Jimmy asked.
"Really?" Dom asked, nudging her playfully.
"Ssh!" Danielle hissed as they walked through the kitchen. They made their way stealthily up the long flight of stairs and into her room. "Sorry boys, you'll have to sleep on the floor."
"Oh, Will, sleep with your lover. I'll sleep on the floor with Dom."
He smiled and took her in his arms.
"Are you alright with that?"
"I'm in love with the idea," Dom whispered in her ear.
"I like it too," Jimmy said, kissing Danielle.
Elsa suddenly remembered she was in a dress-a very uncomfortable dress. She retrieved her pirate attire and bandana from the top drawer of Danielle's dresser and walked back over to Danielle.
"Get me outta this thing. Please."
"I'll help!" Dom said, placing his hands on her hips.
"No, I trust Will. Thanks Dom," she smiled, removing his hands.
The girls disappeared into Danielle's huge closet and soon came back out, with their regular Will&Jack outfits.
"Now that's the pirate I know," Dom said, taking her hand.
"I can breathe again!" she said happily, breathing deeply. "Damn corsets," she muttered.
"Okay, we should sleep. And whoever wakes up first, wake the rest of us, because you two need to be up and out before Will and Elizabeth get up."
"Alright."
Danielle tossed a spare blanket on the floor, and Dom and Elsa settled into it, while Danielle and Jimmy hid under the covers of the bed.
"'Night everybody!" Elsa whispered.
"Goodnight."
They exchanged goodnight kisses and fell asleep in each other's arms.