Broken Faith

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except the odious Henri (I love him though. Sort of.) Nor do I own the song that Jack 'remembers'. It's called 'Mi Mancherai' and it's from the movie 'Il Postino (The Postman).' The version I quote is the one released by Josh Groban on his album 'Closer' and it was pretty much the inspiration for this chapter.

OC/E, J/E, W/E, N/E

Chapter 4

Jack Sparrow sat in his cabin, looking out at the sea. It had been almost 5 years since he had rescued his beloved Pearl from Barbossa, but there were still traces of his presense in the cabin. The ornate curtains and table were gone, but Jack had held onto the silver and such.

'Five years.' He thought. 'Has it really been so long?'

To look at him, an observer would not have thought that a day had passed. His hair still hung in dreadlocks, trinkets woven throughout. He wore the same ragged coat, the same battered hat, the same handkerchief across his forehead. But his eyes had changed. They were darker, as dark as they had been in the first years after the Pearl left him. Yet here he sat on his ship. She was his, no one else's. So why had that suddenly stopped mattering to him?

Jack was humming to himself when Anamaria entered quietly. She took one look at her captain and sighed. Jack turned around at the sound.

"Ye're one sorry sight, Jack."

"Captain, love." He said softly.

"Fine. Captain Jack, ye're a sorry sight."

"Am I?" he did not turn away from the sea.

"What was that tune you were humming?"
"Something I learned from an Italian lass. Met her in London."
"Ye've been to London?"
"I wouldn't have so many hanging offenses if I hadn't." he tried to smile.

"What was the song?" Anamaria turned the conversation back to that.
"Some Italian folk song. She sang it all the time. Taught it to me. Told me she'd hum it when she got lonely, missed her husband."

Anamaria shook her head. "It never mattered if they were married or not, did it?"
"Only once." He said quietly.

"Elizabeth." Anamaria guessed. "I don't know what you see in her."
"Neither do I. But I miss her. God help me, I miss her."
"You must, to invoke God. You never believed in him before."
"Sure I did love. What do you think the sea is?" Jack finally turned to her. Anamaria looked at him with surprise and worry. He was without kohl, something she had never seen before. He was growing thinner, and he seemed less groomed then he usually did, which was something that was hard to achieve.

"You do miss her don't you?" Anamaria said softly.

"Aye."

"How long has it been, Jack."

"Near two years." Jack tried not to look mournful. "I thought I had a chance, Anamaria. I've never loved someone before. My mother left me alone when I was a wee one, alone on the streets of London. I wasn't even supposed to make it. But they clearly didn't know I was Captain Jack Sparrow."
"You weren't then." She reminded him.

"That's true. But I am now."
"I've never known Captain Jack Sparrow to give up on anything. Or anyone. Ten years until you got your Pearl back. Why give up on Elizabeth?"
"Because the Pearl wanted me" Jack came as close to crying as he had in his entire life. Anamaria reached out and took his hand.

"Jack, women are strange creatures. I'm one and I can't figure them out. Maybe, maybe you misunderstood her. Maybe she didn't know what to do. She was always sort of a spiritless thing,..."
"She wasn't!" Jack defended his lady fair, even when she had abandoned him. "Clearly, you've never met her."

"She was on the Interceptor when the Pearl caught us, you'll recall."

"Not her best moment, I'm sure."
"Jack, I'm trying to comfort ye over a lass I never liked. Could ye work with me?"
Jack smiled. "No. That's when things get interesting." Anamaria slapped him on the arm, though not hard. "Should I go back?"
"Do ye want to?"
"Yes."
"So go!" Anamaria shook her head and muttered to herself.

"What was that love?"
"I never thought I would have to make Jack Sparrow's mind up for him."
"Yes well, we all have our low moments. Oh, and love?"

"Aye, I know. It's Captain Jack Sparrow." Anamaria smiled to herself as she walked back onto the deck to change the course. Jack turned back to his window, the image of a lithe, raven haired lass dancing by firelight merging with the image of a thin, honey haired maid. Slowly, the words came back to him:

Mi mancherai mi mancherai

Perche vai via?
Perche l'amore in te se spento?
Perche, perche?
Non cambiera niente lo so

E dentro sento te

Mi mancherai amore mio

Mi gardo e trovo un vento dentro me

E l'allegria, amica mia

Va via con te

A/N: Translation was found at grobania dot com under lyrics. I used a chorus and the last little bit, so if anyone gets lost let me know and I'll put the translation at the beginning of the next chapter.