"You can't...leave," Danielle said sadly. "I'll
miss you."
"I think I have to.
Damn, what a time to be shot! I'll never be able to get out of a
hanging sentence like this!"
Danielle gasped at the thought of her best mate being hanged from the
gallows.
"Just kiddin' Will,"
Elsa comforted. "No one's gonna be hanged. And it's not like
I'll never see you again. I'd come visit you even if Ol' Norrington
banned us. And you know Jack-he doesn't listen to anyone. No one
stops him from seeing his friends. And I would count the Turners as
very dear friends." She winced suddenly and held a hand to her
side.
"What?" Danielle asked
concerned.
"What? I've been shot!
It hurts, Will!" she laughed slightly. "As I was
saying-"
"Elsa!" Dom
rushed in the door, panic lighting his face. "The Royal Navy!
They've arrested your father and the whole crew, and now they're
fighting. We have to get you two off this ship!"
"No!"
Danielle ran out of the
cabin and reported back, "Norrington's with them!"
"He's gonna find out about Jimmy and hang us." Elsa stated
calmly, now completely serious about hanging.
"No! He can't-!"
"He's
already found out about Jimmy, Danielle," Dom said. "And
Norrington's already sentenced Jack and the crew to be hanged."
"I won't let them!" Danielle said.
"Calm down, blacksmith! Jack will
hopefully handle all of this. In the meantime, you should get you off
the ship, Will."
"What?"
Danielle asked, totally crushed. "I'm not leaving you here."
"Will, if you get caught with me after what happened to Jimmy,
you could be hanged yourself. Please, just go," Elsa asked of
her friend. "I don't want that to happen to you."
"No."
"There isn't time!"
Dom said hurriedly. "Elsa, can you walk?" he asked
off-hand.
"Oh, yes, Dominic. I feel
as if I could run a mile in record time!" she said in a
happy-sarcastic tone.
"Oh, right.
Sorry." He swept her out of bed and into his arms.
"Dom-!" she began to protest.
"Ssh! We have to get you out of here!"
"But-!"
"Don't you dare
argue with me, young lady," he said as he raced out of the
room.
At any normal time-when she could
walk maybe-Elsa would have argued. But it seemed, for the time being,
she was silenced. One reason being: she had never heard Dom
contradict her-and it surprised her.
Danielle and Blackbeard (who had been laying quietly at the bedside
all this time) followed, also surprised Elsa had given up so easily.
"What now?" Danielle
asked, breathing heavily.
The four
(including Blackbeard) were safely shut in Danielle's room of the
Swann Manor.
"We wait. For Jack,"
Elsa said.
"What if-"
"Please, don't even think that, Will," Elsa choked.
"He couldn't have been hurt. He's Captain Jack Sparrow,"
Dom tried. "Right."
"We'll see," is all Elsa said, as she sat on the edge of
the bed, dazed and extremely worried.
"I'll be right back," Dom said.
Elsa stood up with him, asking, "Where are you going?" She
didn't want to lose Jack and Dom in he same day!
"It's alright," he laughed. "I won't get caught. I
just want to check out on the balcony. You have a lovely view, by the
way, Miss Turner. A clear view of the docks. Amazing luck," he
winked and stepped out on the balcony.
"Should you really be standing up?" Danielle asked watching
Elsa swagger to the bed stand and retrieve her pistol, which was then
promptly placed carefully in her sash.
"Oh, Will!" Elsa cried exasperated. "Don't go all
'Steven Maturin' on me."
Danielle
laughed and mouthed, "Oh yeah. I am him."
"I am stubborn, and sick of laying in bed."
"It's only been, like, a day, hon," Danielle pointed out.
"Hate that pet name!"
"Right, sorry mate."
"Anyway,
I'm stubborn and sick of laying in bed," she repeated. "I
just need to stretch my legs."
"Alright alright, okay. But just don't fall. Or, like, if you
do, say something so I can catch you," she tried, going slightly
blonde for a second.
"Hey Jack,"
Danielle asked after awhile. She stood by her and tugged at her
(slightly torn and bloodied) sleeve. "Why'd you let him kiss
you? You always said you didn't like him."
"I don't. Didn't. But he figured out my 'weakness'," Elsa
said, knowing exactly what Danielle was talking about.
She gasped. "The face thing?"
"Yeah. Anybody does that to me, I'm Jell-o."
"Face thing?" Dom asked, coming back into the room. "You
mean this?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Elsa and brushing
his fingers across her face gently.
"Yeah," she closed her eyes and sighed happily. "Hey!"
She pulled away from him and crossed her arms playfully. "So
how's the situation down there? Anybody dead?"
"Elsa," he said sadly. "Nothing is going to go wrong.
Trust me?"
She looked at him,
reading his eyes-like she did with everyone-to see if he was telling
the truth.
"Trust me?" he said
again, squeezing her hand.
"Yes.
Always," she gave in.
He smiled.
"Alright lovebirds," Danielle
giggled.
"Sorry," they said at
the same time.
Elsa ran a hand through
her hair, flushed and slightly embarrassed. She looked at Blackbeard,
who promptly cocked his head to the side and barked.
