Disclaimer: I don't own it. Everything you recognise belongs to Disney. No infringement
is intended and I'm certainly not making any money from this story.
Summary: Jack, Elizabeth and the Pearl, in the aftermath of a storm.
Author's note: Written as a birtday gift for Geekmama, who wanted J/E and a storm.


Flying True

by Hereswith

"Confound it, Jack!" she shouted. "We've ridden it out, haven't we?"

Lightning speared across the blackened horizon, as if to prove her wrong, and after it came
the full-throated roar of the thunder, but it was more distant, now, and the rain had eased to
a drizzle.

"Aye," he confirmed.

"Then let Gibbs take the helm," Elizabeth insisted, "at least for a while."

He grinned, feral and bright, as if he was mad, or drunk. And he had not had enough rum
for it to be the latter, unless it was the storm that had intoxicated him. "Can't, love."

"Why?"

"She won't fly so true without me."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and nearly stomped her foot. "Daft!"

The grin turned into a laugh and he briefly let go of the wheel with one hand, pulling her
close. He was soaked through and probably chilled to the bone, but his breath was quite
warm, and try as she might, she could not keep from trembling.

"Cold, eh?" he asked, with a deep chuckle that did absolutely nothing to calm her nerves.
Bloody pirate. "Put your hand on the wheel, Lizzie."

She scowled, but reached out to take hold of one of the spokes, and he wrapped his own
hand around hers, his rings pressing into her skin.

"Can you feel her?"

She felt nothing except him, and the smooth, dead wood, and she made as if to break free,
but then the wind suddenly shifted, and the waves spat white foam, and the Pearl soared,
all a-quiver and a-flutter and alive. "Yes," Elizabeth said, with a sharp intake of breath.

"Good girl," replied the Captain, his voice a light caress.

And she wasn't entirely sure, in that moment, which of them he was speaking to: her, or
the ship. Or both.