Jack paced outside his cabin. It had been a day now and Elsa was fine-already recovering. But Jack was still anxious.
Regretful of disturbing him, Dom cleared his throat quietly behind him.
"Is she alright?" he asked carefully.
"Ana says she'll be fine." He turned to see Dom. "Andrews?" Jack questioned surprised. "Thank you for saving her." He paused. "What are you doing here?"
"Captain Sparrow, there's something you should know." Then Dom explained everything.
"This is the truth?" Jack asked. If it was possible, he had gone even paler than he had been a few minutes ago.
"Yes, sir. I love your daughter. With all my heart. And would never, never hurt her. I'm sorry about...my father. But I..." he paused to gulp. "...He's dead now, and it's over. I never meant for Elsa to get hurt." He took Jack's hand. "Please believe me. I do love her," he smiled.
"You're a good man, Dominic," Jack sighed and laid a hand on Dom's shoulder. "I wish she had told me, though."
"She didn't want you to be angry. She knew about what my father had done to you and was just...afraid. She loves you and didn't want to hurt you."
"That sounds just like her," Jack laughed quietly.
"Captain Sparrow? Can I see her?"
"Of course. Go on. And Dominic? Call me Jack. Take care of her, mate."
As Dom stepped in the room, he saw that Danielle was already there, and it looked like she had been crying. Elsa was lying in the bed, eyes closed, breathing evenly. Blackbeard the dog was sitting protectively by the bed, his big sad eyes on his master.
When Danielle saw Dom, she hugged him and, because she was so worked up, accidently drove the breath from him.
"Sorry," she sniffed, trying to smile.
"You're a hero Blackbeard," he said, taking one of the chairs by the bed and patting the dog's head. "How is she?"
"Unconscious," she answered miserably. "When Jack told me what happened..." She paused. "I was afraid she was dead," she whispered.
She sat back down in her chair and took Elsa's hand in hers. As she looked down at her friend, tears spilled down her face. She bent over Elsa's body, hiding her face from Dom.
"Oh, Jack...I can't lose you, too," she said, barely a whisper.
"Come on now, Will. What are you crying for?" came Elsa's voice in quiet, tired breaths.
"Oh my God-Jack!" Danielle shrieked. She hugged her friend hard. Elsa winced. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she apologized, beaming. Then she glanced at Dom, who was looking down at Elsa. Thinking they needed a moment alone, she said, "I'll, uh, go get Jack." She left, wiping away the new tears from her face.
"Blackbeard!" she said happily. The dog put his front paws on the bed and licked her face softly. "Thanks, buddy."
"Elsa," Dom whispered quietly, about to cry himself.
"Dom! You're here! I can't-"
He kissed her softly, cutting off her sentence.
"I missed you," she smiled, sitting up in bed-with difficulty. She took a sharp breath. Dom gave her his arm for support. "Thanks," she laughed. "Ah, that hurts, too." She held her side in pain.
"I'm sorry about...my father," Dom said quietly. "I never meant for this to happen. It's all my fault."
"No, Dom," she said, brushing away the hair hanging in his eyes. "Nothing's your fault. Nothing's anyone's fault." She kissed his cheek. "Except maybe your father," she thought, but kept it to herself. "I love you."
Dom suddenly furrowed his brow and pursed his lips tightly.
"Dom?" Elsa asked, laying her hand on his.
"He...kissed you," he struggled, looking away.
"I know." She sighed.
"I wanted to kill him..."
"Dom-"
"Right there. I wanted to run him through. And the way he looked at you...I know that look..."
There was a painful pause as realization struck them both.
"But, nothing happened. And I'm yours," she smiled, "not his. I love you."
"I love you, too." He paused momentarily, and then said, "I told Jack, Elsa."
She looked at him wide eyed. "What?" she gasped.
"I told him," he laughed. "I think he's alright with it. He seemed happy."
"Oh, thank God," she breathed. She laid back on her pillow. "Are you sure though?"
"You need your rest, darling. I should leave," he said getting up.
"No! I'm fine. I'll be up in a day!" She sat up in bed a little too quickly. "Ah, ah, ah! Okay, maybe a few more than that," she said rethinking.
He kissed her on her forehead.
"Sleep, Elsa."
"Don't leave me," she pleaded.
"I would never leave you," he sighed and sat back down. "I love you."
After a few minutes, though, Elsa had quietly fallen asleep.
"Watch out for her, Blackbeard," he whispered to the dog. "I'll be back."
Blackbeard rested his head on the edge of the bed, watching Elsa sleep.
Dom smiled and cautiously crept out of the room and out onto the deck, where he found Danielle at the bow of the ship, looking out at Port Royal.
"She's back to her old, insane self," he laughed quietly.
"Oh, good."
"I love her, Danielle," he sighed, the ocean breeze blowing through his hair. "I love her."
"And she loves you. You're perfect for each other. I never thought I'd see the day," Danielle mused.
"What?"
"Elsa is the most stubborn, hardheaded pirate in the Caribbean! She has always protected herself from everything-and everyone. But when you came along...it caught her completely off guard."
They stood in silence for a while.
"I'm sorry...about Jimmy," Dom finally said.
"Yeah, me too. I really loved him."
"And he loved you. He really did. He told me once. I'm so sorry. I know how much you cared."
Another fit of tears came over Danielle. Dom hugged her softly.
A few minutes passed and Danielle decided to go talk to Elsa. She left Dom standing on the bowspirit, staring out into the ocean.
As she walked into Elsa's cabin, Danielle saw that Jack was asleep, his hat low over his eyes, sitting in a chair by the bed.
"That's a bloody pirate for you; someone's wounded, lying in bed-dying!-and he's asleep! Daft egg," Elsa laughed softly. "Nice battle wound you got there." She nodded towards the bandage around Danielle's arm.
"Yeah. It hurts!" Danielle sat on the bed beside her friend.
"That hurts?! Bloody hell..." Elsa said, moving uncomfortably underneath her blankets. "This thing, I thought, would kill me. But-what you did was probably the most stupid thing I have ever witnessed you do!" she reprimanded.
"Yeah...Sorry. But-"
"I know," Elsa said quietly. "I'm sorry, Will. I know it, uh," she laughed, "it's pathetic but...I really don't know what to say. Nothing can make this any easier on you, save your own mind set. All I can do is be here for you."
"I hate it when you're right."
"I'm a wise 45 year old mind inside a 17 year old girl. I've always been philosophical, come to think," she smiled.
"Dom tried to save him," Danielle said.
"I'm sorry he couldn't. Andrews is...He was a strong brute."
"Yeah!" Danielle said, pointing at her arm.
"Well, look at it this way: it's your first ever piratical wound on the sea! And against said brute. Wow, man. I am oh, so proud!"
"So what happens now?" Danielle asked after a while.
"I don't know," Elsa admitted softly. "Norrington will have to be informed, I guess."
"Crap."
"I know. He'll want my head."
"Why?"
"Because I'm who I am, Will," she sighed. "I'm a pirate."
"But I can get you off the hook-!"
"Not this time I'm afraid. This is a big thing. His son has been killed. Killed by pirates. And in cold blood. Norrington won't be happy at all. And knowing the Sparrows have something to do with it?" Elsa laughed suddenly, but then grew serious and solemn. "We'll probably have to leave-soon. And maybe for a long time.