Hey, sorry about the ungodly delay and leaving you hanging like that! I've just been very busy and all!
Chapter twenty-two: The way I want it
Stinging. Someone was slapping her face, hard. Anamaria opened her eyes to see Gibbs sitting beside her in the sand; his callused face alternating slaps from one cheek to the other, his voice calling her name.
Anamaria sat up and Gibbs smiled grimly at her, blood had stopped flowing from the wound in his leg by a piece of cloth wrapped firmly around it. "How long have I been out?" She asked shakily. Gibbs shrugged and Anamaria searched the beach with her eyes, watching for Will. The beach only held Bill; Elizabeth Christian, the unconscious commodore and Gillette, Gibbs and her and she sighed, leaning back on her good arm.
"Mr. Gibbs, I need your help!" Christian called. Gibbs stood and made his way to Elizabeth and the eldest Turner, who sat beside them in the sand. Blood. There was blood everywhere. Anamaria watched as Gibbs kneeled down next to the pair and ripped off his bandana, handing it to Christian who placed it to Elizabeth's thigh. She grimaced slightly but that was it.
Anamaria's eyes shifted to Jack. He lay on his stomach at the base of the palm tree, it's trunk spattered with blood. Her stomach churned and her eyes filled with tears as she got to her feet slowly and approached the tree and her dead love.
It was impossible, Jack Sparrow, dead? No way, not like this. He was to go down with his ship, fighting the sea and to be remembered forever as a hero, a pirate and a good man. Not killed by one of his best friends.
No, Jack did die a hero. He had saved their lives! She stopped next to him, eyes travelling over the blood soaked ground and suddenly she was on her knees, turning him over and pulling him into her arms. His skin was cold to the touch; his blood flowed over her arms warm and red. She pushed away her queasiness; this was of course not the first time she had seen blood it was just seeing him looking so peaceful...he looked asleep. The only thing was his tanned skin flushed almost white, speckled with blood and a large gash ran down his cheek.
She bowed her head and sank her face into the place between his neck and his shoulder. There she held it, feeling a pulse as if he were alive. He's dead! She thought firmly, dead and never coming back. He was breathing though, she could feel it in his throat and she placed a hand to his stomach. It moved, if only a tiny amount. Pulling her head up she looked into his face.
"Jack!" She screamed, shaking him. "Bill, Gibbs, Liz! Christian!" She turned to look up the beach at her four companions. "He's alive! He's breathing!" Bill, Christian and Gibbs left Elizabeth and ran over, each kneeling on Jack's other side. Gibbs placed a hand on the captain's shoulder. Anamaria smiled and looked up at the older men. He was going to make it after all. She was foolish. How could she have thought anything could kill Jack Sparrow?
Christian placed a hand on Jack's neck, counting under his breath. The beats of his heart! She decided. He was going to make it! Christian looked up grimly. "His wounds are mortal Miss." He said, shaking his head. He lifted Jack's shirt. It was a mess, blood everywhere. "There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry." He sounded it to but Anamaria wasn't going to believe him.
"Come on Jack." She whispered, shaking him slightly. Relief swept through her as he opened his eyes. He looked blankly at her, his eyes dull. "Jack?" She whispered, his eyes moved to her and he smiled weakly.
"Hey luv." He said, his voice going up and down, his breathing raspy. "I seem to be in a little fix, eh?" He winced and moaned in pain as she placed a hand on the wound on his stomach, pressing down to stop to blood flow. Gibbs opened his mouth to say something, probably to tell her it was pointless but Jack beat him to it. "No, darling. It's no good." He took in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes briefly. "I think I'm going to..."
"No, captain." Gibbs said roughly, grabbing his shoulder and squeezing it making Jack open his eyes again. "Yer not going to die, got me?" Jack looked at him and smiled mischievously.
"Any questions you want me to ask the man upstairs Gibbs?" Jack asked mysteriously, an eyebrow quirked. Gibbs didn't smile but watched him grimly.
"Yes, if you do die Jack, tell him to bring you back." Jack smiled blandly.
"That's not a question." He said. His eyes turned to Bill. "Sorry we couldn't have caught up on old times Will, you know how things turn out."
"I'll go get 'Lizabeth." Gibbs cut in. With Christian they got up and moved off up the beach, each looking back as they went.
Bill shook his dark head and smiled sadly. "Ye have nothin' to be sorry for Sparrow. Ye tried and besides, we'll have time later." Jack's smiled faded and he watched his brother sadly.
"Why don't I believe you mate?" Jack asked. Bill sniffed. "I'm sorry for May and..."
"Sush!" Bill hissed. "It's not your fault. You got me? It's not." Jack nodded. Elizabeth had arrived. She managed, with the help of Bill and Gibbs, to kneel down and kiss Jack on the cheek.
"I love you Jack." She sobbed, kissing his forehead, her shoulders shaking. "I don't want you to go."
"And you think I do?" Jack smiled. "Look, Elizabeth..." Elizabeth shook her head and placed a finger on his lips.
"I don't need to hear it." She said, smiling sadly. Jack smiled back.
"If you have a boy, name 'im Jack, okay?" Elizabeth nodded and surpressed another sob. Jack's eyes moved over each of them and rested on Anamaria. The others, taking the hint, left, each knowing that this would be the last time they'd all be together.
He placed a hand on her cheek, only having enough strength to keep it there for a few seconds. "Ana." He whispered. Anamaria's lip trembled. He said her name...
"Yes captain?" She asked. Jack shook his head, eyes closed. Anamaria shook him slightly to make sure he was still with her. "Captain."
"Jack." He said simply. "Jack, I'm not a cap'n anymore, luv." This statement broke her heart and Anamaria placed a finger to his lips.
"You are still the best captain in the Caribbean Jack! Don't you dare forget that." She spoke loudly now, sitting up. How dare he be scared when she was terrified! How dare he lose his faith when hers was long gone! How dare he speak like this when it was so hard for her to speak at all! How dare he give in when she needed him!
"Anamaria, I want you to save Will." He said. "He still is a good kid, just a little confused." Anamaria could believe this was coming from his lips. She made a sound as if to protest but he stopped her. "No, it's not him that killed me. It's the curse Ana; it's always the curse. Please..." Anamaria shook her head, angry tears slipping down her cheeks. "Ana! Promise me!" He said forcefully. Anamaria nodded but Jack still had his eyes closed and didn't see her movements.
"I will." She promised. Jack smiled and nodded. "I will...I will...I will...I promise Jack, I will." Jack didn't say anything. Anamaria ran a hand down his cold cheek. "Jack?" He didn't reply. "Jack?" She shook him but still he didn't respond. "No," She whispered desperately, laying him down in the sand. "No, no, no, no, no, no! Jack Sparrow, open your eyes now!" She checked his pulse, it was slowing. She placed her head on his chest and found his breathing was the same as his heart. Crying she placed her hands on his cheeks and turned his head to face her. Her eyes bored into his, which were still closed. Slowly, his flicked open revealing their chocolate brown. Now was the time to tell him. "Jack, I..."
"I know luv." He whispered so quietly she almost didn't hear. She wouldn't let him get away with saying just that.
"I love you." She finished, "I've always loved you. Every scream, every slap, every curse and threat. I never meant it. I was too afraid I'd fall for you and lose you but I did...Jack." He made a hushing noise, his eyes closing.
"I'm not going anywhere luv." He said simply. His eyes moved to her chest and she looked down to. "I'm there, in your heart, savvy? This is the way I want it." Anamaria screwed up her face, trying not to scream as pain shot through her; not from her broken arm but from the place Jack said he'd always be. She took his hand, closed her eyes and held it to her lips for a second or two then pulled him back into her arms.
"Where you the stranger Jack?" She suddenly asked. "Where you the one who stopped? You helped me?" Jack opened his eyes again. Slowly, he nodded.
Then, under his breath, Jack's voice barely made the word but she still caught it. "North."
"North?" Anamaria asked, leaning down closer. She placed her ear directly over his ear. "What about North Jack?" But Jack didn't answer...and she never would again.
She felt like she was one with him. She felt his last movement, felt his last breath and finally felt his last heart beat. Still she held him long after he'd gone, searching for him in her heart. He'd lied, all that was left was a gaping hole, the place where Jack had been and should be.
Elizabeth sobbed into Christian's arms, Norrington watching her in confusion. "What happened?" He asked, looking around the beach. "Where are the others?"
"Will took off." Bill said quietly, watching Jack and Anamaria. Norrington followed his gaze, is mouth open. "Anamaria's with Jack. It won't be long now."
"Shut up!" Elizabeth cried into Christian's chest, gripping his shirt in tight fists. He rocked back and forth, his chin on the top of her head, trying to calm her. . Jack was going to die because of Will. Will had tried to kill all of them, herself included. The look in his eyes had scarred her. Will hadn't been there at all, it had been someone else...she shivered at the thought and heard Christian's voice in her ear.
"It'll be okay." He said. She could hear the sadness in his voice and knew he felt the same way she did, even though he didn't know Jack as long as she had.
Bill pulled her gently away from Christian and she smiled slightly as she noticed the tear stain on his shoulder. Bill ignored that, however and grabbed her face, shifting it up so he could see her. Elizabeth looked into his weather worn and lined face. He looked just like Will only with deliberate mistakes, how Will would look older.
"Will told me about you." He said quietly, rubbing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "He loves you so much, you're all he ever talked about." He allowed himself to smile; "I see what he was so in love with." Elizabeth's jaw quivered as she remembered something Jack had once said, 'Elizabeth, it would have never worked between us darling. I'm sorry.'
"And I love him, it's just..." She couldn't bring herself to say anymore as Anamaria stepped through the trees. There was blood all down her front and on her face and her arm hung uselessly at her side. When Gibbs moved forward she shook her head and sat down against the tree beside Elizabeth's
Quietly, so they almost didn't hear, she said, "We're going to get that elixir."
Here's to my reviewers and anyone who I forget...I'm sorry. Don't kill me.
Manda Rattray/Darktimes: Thanks for the review and you were so flattering, especially when I opened up my email and read "From a huge fan" that made me smile. I showed my mom to and she's happy because this is what I want to do when I get older so...I'm sorry about your computer. This is the one I guessed, through the clues, which I read. Oh, P.S. I looked for you on the Fan fiction website and I couldn't find you.
xkohleyesx: Hi, thanx for the review! Thanks for following my story, it's personally one of my favorites that I've written so far. I'm writing another one...POTC, actually I only have the idea so far so I hope you'll check out that one when it comes out to. Ana and Jack live happily ever after? You'll have to wait and see.
xImmortalx: Hello Beautifully Immortal and Sirhcevol! How's it going? I'm glad to see you again and...you are tricky with your names! Man, I'm confused now. LOL! Please, stay sucked into the story. Thanks again.
forceflow46: All these questions that I have to answer. I have to admit that I've been reading my story over and over again to find all the loose ends I need to tie up and It's incredible, things from the first chapters I have to redo! My mind is spinning! Bring back the Black Pearl? How would that little bottle do that? I don't wait and find out. Thanx for the review man!
DragonHunter200: Yeah, the vomit thing was really sick and the rest was really graphic. I should have said "For ppl with weak stomachs, beware." Slash slash slash...everyone loves slash! Will I bring him back? An artist never reveals her secret. Groovy? Past much? LOL. It's okay about reviewing, it took me dang to long to write! Say hi to the killer hit kittens. Yeah, well I've been living in Saskatchewan for 16 years... I'm kinda used to low standards to.
Gaze: Good luck with your enviro-club! That's a great idea! Yeah, this is one of my favorite chappies as well, minus Jack's untimely death! I was upset by my decision and I had to sleep on it before I actually did it. I love him so much. Yeah! Someone remembers the reason they're on the island!
PussInBootsAndMonkeyzNamedJack: Don't let your head blow up! Yeah, I was sad about the death to but it was essential, and besides, Jack was sick right? He would have wanted it this way, hence this chapter. It's not Will's fault...take away his headache please...thanx.
padme17: Holy hell? Is that even possible? I'm sorry about your tornness...I didn't mean it I swear!
