Hey, sorry it took me so long but school sux right now and my new laptop, the one I saved up for so long...crashed and I lost everything. Stupid thing, if I didn't have a 90-day warranty on it I'd break it! Anyway, here it is, the next chapter.
Chapter twenty-four: Back to life
Leaving the pool had been the hardest thing any of them had ever done. Nobody spoke as they made their way around the bend and up a large hill, through thick palm trees and dying shrubs, the song pounding against their ears. Anamaria again led the way but her footsteps were slower, more deliberate. She didn't trust her feet anymore because all they wanted to do was run back to that pool.
She was so confused, so weak. Jack and Nicholas, one she loved just as the other. Nicholas had died years ago; she'd buried him. Jack...she'd left him on the beach. An overwhelming sense of grief wash over her just then and she fell off the path and into the shrubs. Sitting at the base of a tree, she waited for the others to join her. When they had all sat down, she spoke.
"Was that real? What we saw?" Silence. Complete silence. Everyone looked around at each other, wordless. Was it real or had it been a trick of the island, of the spirits wanting more time? "Well?"
"I got to hold my baby." Elizabeth whispered. She was staring at the grass around her as if entranced by it, a small smile coming on to her lips. "It was a girl...she was so beautiful. She had my mother's eyes and Will's..." Her voice broke for a second but she regained it quickly. "She has Will's hair."
"It was my wife." Gillette suddenly added. Everyone smiled to hear that navy attitude dissolve. He sniffed before continuing. "She died in childbirth." He smiled up at Elizabeth. "I also got to hold my child."
"My brother, John." Christian said silently. "He's the reason I became a doctor all those years ago. We were twins, our mother died having us. He got sick one day, when we were fifteen. He died three months later. I still don't know what killed him. It started with a lump...in his neck." Christian rubbed his own neck, as if he thought he'd find something there.
Gibbs sighed and closed his eyes, remembering. Then he looked up the hill. "Is it over there?" He asked, "The bottle?"
Anamaria let her eyes wander then shrugged. Slowly, she pulled herself to her feet and, leaving the others, she made her way up the rest of the hill and came over the crest. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
This island was bigger than she had thought. A lone mountain sat in the distance, to the right of the point directly in front of where she stood...where the bottle was. The mountain was wreathed in mist as the ocean lapped at the shore near its base. A forest of palms ran for miles around. Heaven itself could not be more beautiful then what she saw now.
Heading back, Anamaria kneeled down next to Elizabeth and addressed the others. "It looks like another hours walk at least." They looked at her in disbelief. "It's a lot bigger then it looks."
"Well then." Bill stood up and dusted off his cloths. "We should go." He helped Gibbs to his feet but ignored the two Navy men. When Christian and Elizabeth were up, he joined Anamaria at the front of the group. "They have to be a little ways ahead of us...the others." Anamaria shook her head.
"No." She said, pointing to the sun. "We were in that pool two hours." Bill shook his head in disbelief. "I know, it felt like minutes." Bill scanned the trees that stretched away down the hill.
"Where do you think Will is?" Anamaria looked back at the group quickly to make sure they were all following before answering.
"Standing guard over the North bottle. He...she won't want anyone to get it."
After an hour or so the sun was low on the horizon and the palms around them were growing dark. Anamaria leaned against a tree and looked around through the jungle around them, trying to get her barring. They should be there by now! "I think we took a wrong turn." She looked back at the others. Elizabeth was ashen white by now, her skin prickled in a fine sheen of sweat. She leaned against the doctor as though clinging to a raft in tossing waves. "I want you, Elizabeth, to stay here with Gibbs, Gillette and Christian." She looked over at Norrington and Bill. "You come with me. We'll find them." They nodded.
The trees were getting so dark. Anamaria knew they must have only two or so hours left of light before they would be pitched into total blackness. They walked on into the bush and Norrington was just proposing they go back to the others when Bill held up a hand.
There was talking, just off to their left and light...the light of a fire. It was Marko's crew, Anamaria was sure of it, and they were setting up camp. Looking over at Norrington, Anamaria gestured to them and began slinking along, trying to see.
There was a man ahead. Anamaria stopped and peered around the tree to get a better look. He was taking a piss, letting out a long moan of pleasure and relief. Anamaria waited until he was done and had gone back to the others before addressing Bill and the Commodore.
"They seem pretty confident." She whispered, jerking her thumb at the men around the fire behind her. "They obviously don't think we've come already."
"Or maybe they already have the bottle and are celebrating." Bill pointed out. Anamaria had to admit it was true but she wouldn't let herself nod. Instead she shrugged.
"Stay here, watch them. I'm going to sneak around, see if I can find anything." Before either of the men could protest, Anamaria slipped off into the gathering darkness. The trees were thick and it was hard not to make any sound. She was sure she knew what direction she was going in now, and slipped off around the camp, occasionally looking through the gaps to see the men on the other side.
They were a tough lot, with large muscles and chiseled faces. She wouldn't want to run into them on a cold night in Tortuga, that was true. They seemed like they hadn't seen any action in a while.
They were quiet, talking in hushed voices but that, and the singing, was enough to drowned out her footsteps as she crunched through thick under brush. She was just making her way off into the woods towards the beach when she saw him.
Marko, Fredrick Marko, sitting right there. Anamaria froze and watched him, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword tightly. Would it be worth it to rush in there and...and what? Get killed before she could save Jack? Was she insane?
Leaving behind her murderous impulse, Anamaria turned her back on the group and walked on, another weight weighing down her already leaden stomach.
Grant and Danner pushed their way through the trees, large muscled arms carelessly moving aside branches. Marko had sent out two scouts in all four directions to search for the bottle. That had been ten minutes ago and, after the battle and the long walk they were getting pissed off.
"This is worthless." Danner snapped, picking up a stick and breaking it into small bits. "Why couldn't we just go back?" Grant rolled his eyes.
"We could easily go back and explain to Captain Marko why we didn't find his precious bottle. You'll be flogged for sure." He snapped a branch right off a small tree. "We're going to find this damn thing soon."
"Yeah, right after we find Davy Jones." Danner muttered. "Just shut up and let's find this bottle. Why would some bottle be worth all our lives? Especially with that mad kid on the loose."
"Well, he's gone now." Grant answered, pushing through a particularly dense bit of shrub. "It has to be important, what ever it is...I HATE THIS DAMN SINGING!"
The song, however, was growing louder. Sighing, they continued to push through the trees and suddenly, came into a dimly lit clearing. There, in the middle of the clearing, was a red bottle, filled from bottom to cork in a clear liquid. The singing had died.
"Finally." Danner muttered, staring at the bottle. "That's it." Grant nodded and looked around. They seemed to be alone but he could still feel eyes on him...and a presence. "Let's grab it and go." He made to go forward before Grant through out and arm and caught him in the chest.
"No, you saw what happened to the boy." He growled. "We have to be careful." Starting forward, they move cautiously. A voice began to fill their heads, guiding their footsteps as a tingling came over them.
Suddenly...a dark shadow appeared.
Anamaria heard screams. Unearthly screams just ahead of her. They were male and horrifying. Moving quicker, she broke into a jog and came to the edge of another clearing. There was one man, on the ground, screaming and grabbing his face where ragged flesh fell between his fingers.
Anamaria stood there in horror, watching from the safety of the tree line as Alinasa spun in her borrowed body, fighting with the other man from Marko's crew. As they disappeared into the trees and the clanging swords faded, Anamaria rushed out into the clearing.
The plinth! It was just ahead of her! She jumped over the man on the ground, ignoring his pleading and grabbed the red bottle. There was a slight tingling in her fingers that was moving up her arms and into her neck but she hardly felt it. Going to jump over the fallen pirate a second time, he managed to grab her leg.
Falling, Anamaria's hands slipped off the bottle and it bounced away through the knee-high grass and rolled away. Screaming, she flipped onto her back and began kicking at the pirate holding her ankle tightly. "Let me go!" Anamaria kicked again, at his face. Blood splattered up her leg, hot and red, running in droplets down her skin. But, he'd let go.
Springing up, she ran forward and searched the grass, looking for the bottle. It was hidden! She had to find it because Will was coming back. The swordplay in the woods had stopped...he'd be back any minute.
Now she was getting desperate. Her heart was pounding so hard, it should have been coming out through her chest and her eyes were screwing up in fear. Blindly, she groped through the tall grass for the bottle and her fingers closed over it. Smiling, she jumped to her feet just as Will came through the bushes.
Before he could close the gap between them, Anamaria had reached the trees and ran, flat out. Marko's crew, who had heard the scream, were also coming and they met up with Will in the clearing. Ducking, Anamaria watched as a few of the men rushed past but they were all intent on Will.
Taking off, Anamaria made her way deeper into the woods and back towards the others as screams filled the air behind her. She reached Bill and Norrington just as Will showed up.
There was blood from his forehead to his feet but they all knew it wasn't his. "Do you have the bottle?" Bill asked as they backed away from the young man. Anamaria held it up to show him and Will's eyes widened.
"That's mine." Alinasa said mystically, pointing at it. Those black eyes...they were so chilling. "Give it to me."
"No." Anamaria said coldly, pulling the bottle closer to her chest. Will began making threatening advances towards her. "Make your way back to Elizabeth. Bring her here. Maybe she can talk some sense into him." Bill looked at her uneasily. "Go, take the commodore with you."
Slowly, they inched away and then broke into a run, taking off through the trees with more noise then Anamaria thought was necessary. Looking back at Will, Anamaria shifted her stance and continued to walk backwards. "Okay, explain to me again. Who the bloody hell are you?"
Will's face was blank for a moment and he stopped, staring at Anamaria for a moment before continuing. "Alinasa." The voice said, though Will's lips weren't moving. "Guard for princess Morliana of India."
Anamaria gave out a small short laugh. "Oh yeah?" She cried, flinging out her arms. "Look around you! You're not in India anymore! You're not even in a female body anymore. You are nothing, a spirit! Not even that...your gone, a waste and we want Will Turner back! His wife wants him back...Jack wanted him back."
Will looked up at heard his wife mentioned but it was the mention of Jack that made him fight. He attacked the walls, using his mind to try and move her out of him, to move her away...get himself back in control...back at the wheel.
Anamaria could see the internal struggle inside those black eyes. She continued to play for time. She hoped, prayed, that Bill and the others would be back soon. They had to save her...to come and help her.
"Yes, Will! Jack, he's dead and this," She held up the bottle. "This is the only way to save him." Just then Bill came into the clearing, carrying Elizabeth in his arms, the others following behind. They looked uneasy at the sight of Will.
Bill carefully set Elizabeth down and she moved forward slowly, reaching out her hand towards Will. "Please Will, please..." Tears fell slowly down her face. "Please, come back to..."
"I am not Will." Alinasa said. "I am..."
Elizabeth shook her head. She was so close to him now that, if Will had chose to swing, Elizabeth would have been dead. Instead, Will stood there watching her and Anamaria suddenly realized that there was no way Alinasa was solely in control anymore.
"Will. Please, look at yourself. Look what you've done and who you've hurt." She began to cry hard, her shoulders shaking badly. "Our baby..."
"I AM NOT WILL!" He raised the sword high above her head and was about to bring it down when there was a loud shot that made them all jump. A hole appeared in Will's chest, right beside his heart. He looked down in surprise and then fell backwards, knocking into a tree and sliding down the trunk to sit at the base. Elizabeth screamed and tried to rush forward but Bill grabbed her and pulled her back. Looking back, Anamaria stared at Christian who still had the gun raised and looked completely horrified at what he had done.
"Oh my god...oh my god..." Christian whispered. Gillette came up beside him and placed a hand on his, lowering the gun. Anamaria, however, walked over to the dying man. She stood above him for a while before kicking the sword away and kneeling down.
"Will?" Alinasa laughed harshly. Looking over, Anamaria called to Elizabeth. "Come here. Save your husband." Elizabeth pulled away from Bill and walked stiffly towards them, reaching out and taking the bottle from Anamaria.
Elizabeth couched next to Anamaria and uncorked the bottle, letting her hand hover over his wound. "I want my husband back, whole and healthy." Before she could tip the bottle, though, Will's hand shot out and wrapped around her throat. Choking, Elizabeth struggled, her hand moving enough to allow a few drops fall out of the bottle and drip onto his chest. There was a hissing sound and Will's black eyes rolled back into his head as his body began to convulse violently as his hand dropped from her neck. It seemed to last forever but, in reality, it was only a few seconds.
When Will opened his eyes, they were brown and clear...they were his again. Elizabeth touched his shoulder gently and leaned over him cautiously. "Will?" She whispered. Will stared at her for a moment and the smiled. Reaching up, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her down, meeting her lips with his.
When he pulled away again, Elizabeth began to cry, tears of joy trickling down her face. "Elizabeth? Elizabeth, it's all right. It's all right, please don't cry...please..." He wiped away her tears and sat up, pulling her into his arms. "Shh, it's okay."
He studied the people around him, counting. They could all see he knew what had happened...and who was missing. Looking grim, his eyes moved over to Norrington. "Commodore. What are you doing here?" Norrington walked slowly forward, right behind Christian who was now leaning next to Will, peering into his eyes and checking over his wounds which, mysteriously, were now missing.
"I came to rescue you." He said monotonously. "I got more then I bargained for, however."
"Will." Elizabeth whispered. "Will, it's Jack." Will closed his eyes and grabbed her again, nodding. He took in the scent of her hair and smiled to feel her close to him. "And the baby."
"But now we have this." Anamaria picked up the discarded bottle, holding it up for them to see. "We can bring them back. We can bring them all back."
To my reviewers:
Forceflow46/mmm Thanx for the reviews and all the names, my head is spinning. I'm sorry it took so long, it wouldn't have if I had internet at home and not at school! Anyway, I'm sorry you had to check so often. I hope this makes up for it. Yeah, my principal is a wiener. But he was willing to get a Mohawk for promotion of the school so it's okay, somewhat. Will killed a lot of people, mostly now with this chapter, Marko's crew and Norrington's men along with a lot of the pirates from the other 2 ships.
DragonHunter200: I'm sorry it took so long but I was so busy. I'm sorry if I made you to sad but, no promises, you should be happy sometime, weather I bring Jack back or not. It's okay about the favorite line thingy; I know how hard that would be. Get going on the rum man, I want the rum!
Alteng: Hey, I'm in the process of reading your story, Harry Potter and the Holy Relic of Vecna but I'm only part way into chapter 1 and not able to review yet. It's good so far so look for a review from me in the near future. Yeah, with Norrington and Elizabeth I kinda have the thing where he's keeping his space from her because he doesn't want to step on Will's toes or hurt himself again and I really like Christian. Yeah, I hated Jack's death but it had to happen for the story...you'll see why later. Keep reading and reviewing.
Mr. Nozzers: Hey, how's it going? I wasn't sure that I should have chapter 23, with the spirits and all, I thought it was kinda weird and I was thinking of putting it in the sequel I'm writing to this story but I didn't and I hope it's not to outta the way. Thanx.
Padme17: Most interesting of any you've read? I'm flattered! Truly! How many times do I have to apologies about Jack? Okay, a lot I know...I'm sorry again. It was selfish of me to take him but...I'll make it up to you, I promise!
Gaze: What's wrong with the club? If I was there I'd join. I don't know if everything resolved nicely, it was kinda choppy for me but I'll have to get over it. Maybe I'll re-write the chapter later. I'm sorry about the spelling mistakes but I don't have spell check.
PussInBootsAndMonkeyzNamedJack: I'm sorry it was so sad, I was sad writing it but you'll be happy again, I swear. Not saying that Jack'll come back mind, but he may. Keep that in mind.
Rose Noire le Mort: Why did Anamaria call Nicholas Jack? Well, I think you're talking about the part at the pool. She saw Jack in the water and ran down to him. When she hugged him and pulled away it was Nicholas and not Jack. Jack changed because he was there and then Nick took his place. Sorry.
