You don't have to review to this story, just read. In fact, I ask you not to review, because this wasn't written for you.
I wrote it as a begging of forgiveness from a person whom I hurt and though I will never have the courage to send it to her with a plea of absolution, I send it here. Maybe she will see it and know it is me.
AND TELL NO LIES
He always told her that they owed their lives to Jack. And she always smiled, remembering better times, and said nothing. Because there was nothing that could be said for the man to praise him even more. Not that he was holy or something. God, no. but he risked his life to save them both.
And for that Will would always be grateful.
When their son was born and Will suggested that he would be called Jack, she smiled again. That charming smile of hers that made him forget to breathe for a moment, and silenced. Because she didn't have to ask after which Jack he was naming their son, and it was obvious she agreed with him. Because even if most did not see Jack Sparrow as a hero, even if others would some day forget him, they could not. They owed him too much.
He missed him, though. And even if Elizabeth didn't say anything, he suspected that she missed him, too.
He once asked her that, and complained why he didn't come back to visit them. But she only smiled her annoying, hearth-breaking smile, and said nothing.
It was the first time he lost control over his anger while with her and trashed a plate. He asked her how often she saw Jack, how long she betrayed him, and shouted at her to confess that she loved Jack.
She didn't answer.
She never made a voice when Jack's name was being heard.
Later he said he was sorry and she confessed that she did love Jack, in a way. But not like she loved him.
They didn't speak about it ever since but they both remembered, he was sure of that. The shreds of the plate were never thrown away.
When she had a birthday he thought he saw a ship in the horizon, but Jack never came. Maybe the pirate saw that the navy was patrolling and decided it was a bad idea to come visiting. Maybe it was another ship, even, since no one seemed to pay attention.
So Will was happy- Jack was safe.
For now.
Even at Will's birthday the pirate didn't come. He tried to lie to himself that it didn't matter. That Jack was probably busy, off commandeering something. And that one day he would come back to them. Because they were friends. Will felt it, and his hunches never lied.
But the years passed and there was still no sign from Jack, so Will started to wonder if they've really been friends with Jack all along, or was it just another lie.
When he asked Elizabeth she put her hand smoothly over his shoulder and with a trace of panic in her voice she said that of course they were Jack's friends, and that he should know that.
But Will wasn't so sure anymore.
When young Jack was old enough, Will happened to stumble while Elizabeth told him how she and Will came to be together "and your father came into many taverns looking for someone who would help to find me..."
"No, Elizabeth" he came into the child's room, appalled. "I didn't have to look, Jack told me where to go"
"You're right. Jack was there, too" she said sadly, 2 huge tears rolling down her cheeks.
"What's the matter, Elizabeth? Jack had been a good friend to us"
"Yes, honey. Jack had been" she answered like an echo, emotionless, and left the room.
When she came back to the bed that night they both ignored what happened and made love hastily. She was a bit wilder than regularly but he didn't say a thing. He loved her, that was what important.
When Young Jack turned 10, Will decided to build him a boat that he could play at in the river and win many ship competitions. Because it would be named the Black pearl. It would be the fastest ship in the Caribbeans.
When he gave the ship to his son, Young Jack hugged him and told him that he loved him, and Will felt his heart turning warming and melting in his chest.
"How will we name it, Father?" his son asked and Will could practically hear the capital F in the sentence. He wasn't just a father, he was The Father. The best.
"How about the Black pearl?" he asked and ruffled his son's hair.
"The ship that took mom and then you saved her?" his son's eyes were so big and trusting.
"Me and Jack Sparrow, aye." He said, pride filing his voice.
"But mom says it was just you" the lad's eyes turned moistly, his hearty smile disappearing. Will felt his own smile flatting as well. How dare she?
"Why didn't you tell our son about Jack?" he shouted when she came to his workshop to bring him food.
That was their second fight. About Jack, again.
"Why would I?" she asked, fire emitting from her eyes. He couldn't find anything to say- anything but to stare at her open mouthed.
She said she was sorry but she wouldn't continue to lie like that, and then she broke down with tears and ran away.
He ran after her till they reached a small stall in a lovely garden so they sat there, silencing.
"I can't do it anymore, I'm sorry" she sobbed, tears running down her cheeks freely, destroying carelessly her eternal beauty.
He took a handkerchief form his pocket and had it down her cheeks, cleaning them. Then he spent half an hours just sitting beside her, making soothing voices and having his fingers stroking gently her graying locks of hair.
"Can't do what?" he asked when she finally calmed down, continuing to stroke her hair and cheeks lovingly.
She pulled back and said harshly "Jack. I can't continue doing it. To lie. I can't. I'm sorry, honey"
"What about him?" he asked, starting to feel anger bubbling inside him again, walls being built on the rocky ground of the suspicions that there was something between the two dearest people of his life.
"I can't keep pretending for you, Will. The game is over, you understand? Over!"
Her angry tears flooded again while Will had to struggle with himself not to wipe them clean. She would only pull away again.
"Which game?"
"This game! You see- it's over the top already! When you first said Jack this and Jack that I agreed to go with it. God knows I've had my share of weird fantasies, but to continue doing it for so long? This is destroying me, Will. This is destroying this family. And you know what frightens me the most? I think you actually believe in this Jack thing!"
"Of course I believe in him, Liz. He saved us!" he exclaimed harshly.
"You see?" she raved manically. "THIS scares me. I need you to stop with this game. Please."
"But… I don't understand!"
"Listen to me, baby," She came closer to him and spoke really slowly as if he was a child she was afraid would miss even one word from what she was saying " I need you to end this, ok? I need you to tell me that you know that Jack isn't a real person. Alright?"
"But... I can't say that! He risked being hanged on the gallows for us, Elizabeth! How can you forget?"
"For heaven's sake, William! HE didn't risk anything. YOU were almost hanged. Do you remember? I placed myself between you and Norrington so he wouldn't kill you!"
"No! This wasn't what happened. How can you twist everything so much?"
"I need you to listen to me carefully, William. Because as long this was just between the two of us, it was ok, but Jack is staring to be confused and it's not good for him to believe in fictional hero. He needs to know the truth, William. You need to tell him the truth!"
"This is what I'm doing!" he roared, ignoring the passengers or the flying birds. Anything but her- and her so hurtful lies.
"No! You fill his head with stories about this Jack Sparrow! God, William, this- man has a past now! You tell Jack of how HE got the brand, Will. The BRAND!"
"Why wouldn't I? Jack told me what happened. I thought our son has the right to know what happened to him."
"Him? Our son has the right to know about what happened to his FATHER, Will! That his father lay unconscious for TWO WEEKS because of this bloody brand. That you almost DIED! This is what he deserves to know!"
And with these last angry words she jumped from the stool and forced his sleeve up his shoulder.
Confused, Will could do nothing but to blink furiously at the red P that was engraved on his skin while a green tattoo adored his forearm with a picture of a flying sparrow.
-
Sometimes a hero is nothing but a mass hallucination. - Anon.