"Dom!" Danielle screamed when she saw him.
Danielle had forced Elsa down to the docks for a visit and before even reaching them, it only took one look-of the ship, of Elsa in her pirate attire, of the crew, of Dominic Andrews without his shirt on-and she was thrown back into the past. But now it was the present, and everything was alright.
Dom stood suddenly, leech lines measured out and held in his hands. Yes, his shirt was off-it was one of the warmer days of the Caribbean summer and after working all day, something had to be taken off.
Danielle shot Elsa a questioning look when she realized he had no shirt on, and ran on deck.
"How have you been?" Danielle asked, hugging him.
"Not bad. Save the fleets of frigates sent out to hunt us down and bring our heads back to jolly old England, I've been just grand," he smiled.
"He's been workin', can ya tell?" Elsa laughed, tugging at his shirt that was tied around his waist.
"I'll be done shortly," he said and kissed Elsa lightly. "I take it you'll be down in your room? Catching up on things?"
"No sir! We'll be up there, catching up on things" she pointed up, up beyond the rigging and at the crow's nest. "I'll see you later," she said in a Scottish accent and winked.
Danielle laughed and followed Elsa up one of the many rope ladders leading up to the nest.
"I see you two are as well off as ever," she pointed out.
"Yeah," Elsa sighed, ceasing her climb momentarily. "I love him, Will."
"I'm glad. You are perfect for each other."
They reached the crow's nest.
"You made it without falling this time!" Elsa congratulated Danielle.
"Thanks Jack-y," she said sarcastically.
"Hey, uh, Will?" asked Elsa, serious now. "Have you found anyone new? Do you still think about Jim?"
Silence.
The cool wind blew their hair in their eyes and cut through their clothes. Elsa didn't mind the cold, chill air in the least, but Danielle was wearing Elsa's coat she was so cold and unaccustomed.
The silence lasted only a minute or so, but Elsa could tell Jimmy still had an impact on Danielle's life.
Then Danielle spoke.
"Oh yeah, I always think about him," Danielle answered quietly. " Did I ever tell you he proposed?" she asked comically, pulling a out the chain around her neck with a small ring dangaling from it. "I loved him." Elsa's jaw just dropped.
"He loved you. He still does." Elsa smiled and took Danielle's hand into hers.
"Yeah...and no I haven't dated recently."
"Will you?"
"I think I will. He told me to. But there could be someone out there."
"I know there is someone out there!" Elsa said, cheerily. "Someone who will take care of you like Jimmy did. I know it. Trust me?"
Danielle smiled. "Never!" she laughed.
"Blacksmith!" Elsa gasped theatrically, as she loved to do. "I am hurt!" she exclaimed-as she also loved to do. "What you say cuts me deep. I, I, I feel as if I'm..." And in a few short seconds, Elsa dove out of the crow's nest and into the ocean below.
"Jack!" Danielle gasped, witnessing the trademark swan-dive.
Elsa's red bandana-covered head popped out of the water seconds after she had submerged, and she waved up at Danielle smiling.
Danielle made her way carefully, slowly down the rigging back onto the somewhat stable deck of the ship and looked over the railing.
"Where did she go?" Danielle muttered to herself.
Blackbeard the dog barked loudly behind her, and gave chase to a barrel of gunpowder that suddenly rolled past him. The ship gave a slight roll to port side. Danielle got nervous.
"Right here," Elsa said, tapping her on the back.
Danielle spun around and slapped Elsa across the face, sending her beads flying to the opposite side of her head and causing them to make a lot of noise in the process.
"Not sure I deserved that!" Elsa groaned, in her Jack-like way.
"Never scare me like that again!" Danielle shrieked. "I thought you actually fell!"
"Actually-"
Slap.
"Ow, that bloody stings!" she laughed, rubbing her face and repositioning her beads and bandana. "It was just an act," she smiled. "See? Fooled you too, Merry."
"Wow we just went from Pirates to Lord of the Rings, you know?" Danielle said.
"Yeah, wasn't it brilliant?" Elsa said. "What else could we do?"
"I don't know...Oh! How about," Danielle paused and changed accents. "I fear this deed won't easily be paid back, Captain Aubrey." Doctor Stephen Maturin.
"Tosh!" Elsa said, sounding like Russel Crowe. "Name a shrub after me. Something wild and hard to eradicate."
They laughed and hugged each other.
"Now I'm wet," Danielle complained jokingly.
"Oops," Elsa 'apologized'. "I've got another one."
"Movie scene? Go on then!"
"Alright," Elsa paused and changed her voice again. "So, are ye comin' with us, mate? Sure would be a difficult voyage for treasure withou' ye." Her accent sounded like a mix of a Cockney/Irish pirate.
But no one in a movie was a Cockney or Irish pirate.
Danielle looked confused.
"What's that from?" she asked. "Is that even from anything?"
"Well, are ye gonna give me an answer, or leave me standin' 'ere all blasted day?" Elsa continued in the same voice.
"I don't know what it's from Jack!" Danielle said exasperated. "What is it?"
"Will," Elsa sighed, taking her friend by the shoulders. "Answer me this one tiny question, savvy?"
Danielle nodded.
"Are you comin' with us? Or not?" She smiled. "We could always use another hand on deck. So...are you in?"
"You with...you?" Danielle stuttered. "For a long time?"
"Well, you never know...It depends on when we find the treasure."
"Treasure?" Danielle asked. "Are you serious?"
"As serious as Jimmy's love for you is!"
Danielle blushed.
"Now what do you say?" she asked, resuming her funny, faux accent.
"I say yes! Totally yes! Let me go pack my stuff!"
"Not before we do one more scene," Elsa said, swaggering of to the helm of the Pearl.
"Oh, no. What now?"
Elsa remained silent, serious, like what she was about to do was a crucial matter in life.
Danielle looked at Elsa curiously, who was running her hand along the wheel, her face loving and content.
She looked up and began humming a familiar tune...
"Da da da da da da da da da da da..." She paused to look at her compass. "And really bad eggs." She smiled and looked at Danielle, her best friend in the whole Caribbean.
Danielle smiled stood beside her best friend in the whole world, and linked their arms.
And together they shouted:

DRINK UP ME 'EARTIES YO-HO

Fin

For now