Disclaimer: Don' own pirates of the Caribbean, or the storyline. All I really own are my interpretations of Elizabeth's thoughts and reasoning behind her actions.
Chapter 11
"But we've got to save Will." I said, unable to believe my father wouldn't want to go save Will after all he's done.
"No. You're safe now." My father turned and went to walk over to the commodore, making me spin around to face him. "We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!"
"Then we condemn him to death." I said, hoping the seriousness of my words would get through to them.
"The boy's fate is regrettable, but, then, so was his decision to engage in piracy." My father said, and I stared at him in disbelief. If Will hadn't done that I would have died. So my father was condemning Will because…he saved my life.
"To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me." I said, my voice starting to get a bit shrill, but I didn't care. I couldn't just let Will die.
"If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion. Jack said, coming to stand in front of me. I was extremely annoyed to note that the commodore and my father seemed to pay more attention to what he was saying, then to what I had been saying. "The Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it. The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?"
Commodore Norrington looked down on Jack, then stiffly replied. "By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself."
He then turned to leave. I pushed past Jack and followed him.
"Commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me. As a wedding gift." At my last words Norrington turned around in surprise.
"Elizabeth." My father said, in surprise, which quickly turned to cheer. "Are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?"
The commodore looked at me hopefully and I replied. "I am."
I regretted the words already. But this was a sacrifice I had to make, for Will.
"A wedding! I love weddings…drinks all around!" Jack cried out, and I made a point not to look back at him.
Jack looked at Norrington and held his arms out. "I know. "Clap him in irons," right?"
"Mr. Sparrow," Norrington said, sternly. "You will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearing to Isla de Muerta."
I felt incredible joy at his words. We were going to rescue Will.
"You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase "silent as the grave." Do I make myself clear?" Norrington continued.
"Inescapably clear." Jack replied regretfully.
That night, the night that the guards were going to go rescue Will from Barbossa and his lot of despicable pirates, two guards come over to me and start to take me over to a room, where I was to be locked up. I fought them, not wanting to be locked up, when I could help save Will. Besides, I hadn't told them about the curse.
"Come on, it's for your own safety." One of the guards said, and they dragged me.
"I don't care what the commodore order," I yelled "I have to tell him! The pirates! They're cursed! They cannot be killed!"
The guards released me at the room I was to be locked in.
"Don't worry, miss, he's already informed of that." One of the guards said. "A little mermaid flopped up on deck and told him the whole story."
He then promptly turned and walked out, locking the doors behind him.
"This is Jack Sparrow 's doing!" I yell as I fell against the door in an attempt to escape. I then spun around and leant against the door. Angry at the guard jesting me, and angry at the commodore for feeling it was his right to have me locked up at this moment.
I stood there, moping angrily for a while. I felt completely helpless. Here, Will's life was in danger, and I was trapped in this dreaded little room. I looked up out the window. At least I could see the fights.
Then, an idea came to me. I looked around, and saw a tablecloth and a few other pieces of materials, which are all used for different purposes. I began to knot them together, to form a rope.
I heard a knock on the door, and my father's voice.
"A moment, please. Elizabeth?" I quickly looked in the direction of the door, hoping he wouldn't enter.
"I just want you to know I, uh, I believe you made a very good decision today. Couldn't be more proud of you."
I turned away from the door, assured he wont enter at the moment. I quickly began to knot my rope together, hoping I could escape before he came in.
"But, you know, even a good decision if made for the wrong reasons can be a wrong decision."
I threw the rope out the window and climbed down it, leaving my father talking to himself.
I was relieved to find a rowboat outside my window. That meant I wouldn't get wet swimming around the ship to find one. I got in the boat and began to row towards The Black Pearl, to save the rest of the crew. Then we can all save Will.
I got to the Black Pearl, and quickly looked up, into a cannon hole. I saw two pirates, whom I assumed were the guards of the ship, while the rest went onto the Island. They were busy talking about food. I almost sighed with relief, but managed to stop myself. If I treaded carefully I wouldn't get caught. I quickly climbed up the side of the ship, and looked up onto the deck. It was empty. I climbed over the rail, being careful not to make a noise that would give away my presence. I looked around, then jumped as the monkey fell down in front of me. I felt fearful for a minute, then looked at it in disgust. I threw it over the side of the ship, and looked over to see it splash in the water. I also noticed the two pirates looking down and quickly pulled my head back over before they looked up and saw me.
I ran down the stairs to a space in between two lots of stairs. I found a pile of junk there, and hid behind what looked like a piano. I heard the pirates run past me, then quickly ran down the rest of the stairs to the bottom. I looked around, and heard a voice yell out;
"Miss Elizabeth."
I turned to see the crew all locked in a cage. I went and got the key, and unlocked the cage they were locked in.
I lead the pirates up onto the deck and we all hid.
Barbossa's pirates were on deck, looking around, swords drawn. I saw their white bones, revealed by the moonlight and grimaced. They turned away, and we pushed a rowboat, so it hit them, knocking them overboard.
We all cheered and I went out the front, over to the rowboat.
"All of you with me." I called as I walked over to the rowboat, and started to grab the rope. "Will is in that cave and we must save him. Ready? And heave!" It was when I went to pull the rowboat rope that I realized none of the crew were there helping me.
I turned around slowly, to see the crew all standing there silently.
"Please, I need your help!" I begged. "Come on!"
The reply I got was from Cotton's parrot. "Any port in the storm."
"Cotton 's right," Gibbs said, and I was surprised that he understood what that meant. "We've got the Pearl."
"And what about Jack?" I asked, hoping to strike a cord. "you're just going to leave him?"
"Jack owes us a ship." A pirate, who severely lacked height said.
"And there's the code to consider." Gibbs added.
"The code?" I said in disbelief, unable to believe the code was stopping them. "You're pirates." I said, emphasizing the word 'pirates'. "Hang the code, and hang the rules!"
My words got absolutely no reaction from the crew.
"They're more like guidelines anyway." I said, quoting Barbossa with the hope his words would be listened too.
Unfortunately these pirates didn't share Barbossa's beliefs as I found myself rowing to the Island.
"Bloody pirates." I cursed angrily, having no idea how I'd save Will and Jack on my own.
I walked into the cave to find it in utter chaos. Most of the pirates were gone, probably attacking the Dauntless. I found Barbossa and Jack fighting, both of them turning into skeletons and back in the moonlight. I didn't have time to adjust to the surprise of Jack being cursed, as I saw Will fighting with a pirate. The pirate threw a grenade. Will is thrown down by the force of the air. I saw Will on the ground, with the pirate standing over him, his sword in Will's face.
I looked around, and grabbed a long staff, which was surprisingly heavy.
"I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain." The pirate sneered at Will.
"Do you like pain?" I asked mildly, then hit the pirate in the face with the end of the staff, knocking him to the ground. "Try wearing a corset." I almost spat the words out, meaning every one of them. I then spun around and pointed the end of the staff at Will. He grabbed hold of it and I pulled him up. Our eyes met for a moment, and we both smiled at each other. I then turned around to look at Jack and Barbossa, both fighting in the water, under the moonlight.
"Whose side is Jack on?" I asked confused at his skeleton appearance.
Will shrugged and replied "At the moment?"
I nodded, then spun around and ran towards a group of pirates with my staff. One of them took off a helmet he'd been wearing and grinned at me. I swung the staff and hit him square in the head. I then brought the staff up to block the sword of another pirate that had been swung down upon me.
I pushed the pirate back, then threw the staff to Will, who used it to hit another pirate down. Then we both went to another pirate and Will hit him in the head, while I kicked it. Then we both put our hands of the staff and used out combined strength to skewer the three pirates together. They screamed out in pain, but found themselves stuck.
Will lit a grenade, and shoved it in the stomach of the middle pirate, then we both pushed them undercover, out of the moonlight. The pirate went to remove the grenade, but found his flesh covering it.
"No fair." The pirate said to us, before the three of them exploded. Me and Will both turned to run through the gold hills, away from the explosion. I saw Will in front of me, and I saw he was going towards the box that held the Aztec gold. I saw Jack throw the gold to Will, but then stopped running, as Barbossa thrust his gun up to the side, pointed straight at me.
My eyes met his for a split second, his cold and unmerciful. Then I froze when I heard a gunshot. I looked at Jack whose gun was held out, and had just shot Barbossa in the chest.
I didn't know why Jack did that, but I knew he just saved my life.
Barbossa turns to look at Jack, still leaving his pistol aimed at me.
" Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot." Barbossa told him smugly.
"He didn't waste it." Will's voice rang out, and we all turned to look at him. He dropped the medallion into the chest, and I saw a bloody knife in his other hand.
Barbossa dropped his pistol and opened his jacket, to reveal a white shirt, which was now soaking in blood. He looked at Jack and said something, but spoke too softly for me to hear. He then fell to the ground, and I knew he was dead.
I stood there, quietly looking at the treasure. I couldn't believe all of this was the cause of their troubles. That the gold had been the cause of Barbossa's suffering. I didn't think gold was worth suffering for. Worth dying for. I heard footsteps behind me and turned around to see Will walking over to me.
Our eyes met in that magical way they always did, and I felt a strong amount of love for him. It was at that moment that I realized I loved him. Not just as a friend, but I really loved him. I'd loved him for a long time, I'd just never noticed it before. I saw Will move closer and for a split second I thought he was going to kiss me. Then we heard a bang, and both turned around to see Jack looking through the treasure, and throw some of the gold behind him. As soon as Will turned around the magic was broken, and I cursed myself for being so foolish.
"We should return to the Dauntless." I said quietly.
Will nodded. "Your fiancé will be wanting to know you're safe."
His words were like a blow to my heart. I quickly turned away to hide the tears that were welling n my eyes.
We went back to the rowboat, and I felt sad as I saw how absolutely devastated Jack was upon noticing that the Black Pearl was gone.
"I'm sorry Jack." I said sincerely, hoping to comfort him in some way.
"They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that." His tone was still morbid, despite his words.