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Siese - I'm so glad you like and sorry about the grammar errors!

Chapter 8: Everyone Changes; but Love Continues

14 years later…

Lady Shield stepped out of her carriage and smoothed the creases out of her skirt. The door to a large white mansion swung open as she approached.

"This way Lady Shield." The butler said inviting her in. She was glad to be here; at least here she didn't have to wear a smile – here she smiled because she wanted to, although the smile never did quite reach her eyes. She genuinely liked the Turners – they were down to earth.

"Ah there you are - I thought you were not coming." Mrs Turner exclaimed coming out of the parlour to greet her friend."

"Really Elizabeth – now why was it so urgent that I was needed here immediately. Will doesn't have a headache does he?" She jibbed but Elizabeth just waved the comment away and grabbed her friend by the arm and pulled her in the direction of the parlour.

"There's someone I want you to meet." She told her, smiling.

"But…" She got no further as Elizabeth pushed the door open to reveal two men, she recognised one a Will Turner and turned her attention to the other. She did not even need to see his face; no one wore attire like him.

"JACK!" She cried, causing him to turn.

"BETH!" He shouted in disbelief at seeing her standing there. The they ran across the room meeting in the middle; Jack picked up her up and spun her around and kissed her deeply; just like he had done all those years ago.

"What are you doing here?" She asked and for the first time in years she truly smiled.

"I might ask you the same thing?" He replied

"Ah, but I asked first." She countered. Will and Elizabeth looked on in amazement.

"Would you both mind telling us what is going on." Will asked before either could say anymore. Jack looked over at him and changed his hold on Beth's waist so that he stood by her side.

"Yes, how does an infamous pirate know and an Admiral's wife." Elizabeth enquired.

"Wife?" Jack echoed the word, his face draining of happiness as he turned to look at Beth, whose expression mirrored his.

"I'm sorry Jack – a woman can not survive this world unmarried." She told him not meeting his gaze. "You'll always have my heart." She continued, pulling the chain around her neck to reveal a gold ring in the shape of a sparrow. "Can you forgive me?" She asked quietly looking at the ring; avoiding his eyes. Jack looked at her, putting his hand into his pocket and fingered something before he spoke.

"Its too late to ask for my forgiveness…" Jack began, earning a gasp from Elizabeth, lifting up Beth's chin making her meet his gaze. "I gave it to you long before you asked for it." He finished, pulling out a ring and chain from his pocket. Beth grinned and threw her arms about his neck, "I love you Jack."

"I love you too." He responded. Both Will and Elizabeth were confused as well as surprised; not only at what they had said but Jack spoke English!

Will cleared his throat in an attempt to get their attention, "Ill whelp?"

"Jack – an explanation please." Elizabeth replied before Will could respond.

Jack looked down at Beth who nodded, "Alright – ye might wanna sit, this could take a while." Jack, with help from Beth told them of how they met and everything up until the fight on the Pearl.

"… when I returned to the cabin Beth had gone… I think you should take over from here luv." Jack said looking at her: her head resting on his shoulder, her hand still clutched around the ring.

"Well, a naval officer came in through the window as you left and took me down to a row boat below, giving me only just enough time to scribble a note to you. He and another officer then rowed me to the Valiant, where my father greeted me and promptly told me that the commodore aboard wished to marry me." Beth gave the facts quite plainly. "Needless to say I married him, I did not really have a choice in the matter – despite the fact that he is 30 years older than I. It has been a childless marriage. He has now been elevated to the status of admiral and is currently serving on the Valiant." Beth attempted a halfhearted smile. "So how did you manage to get here?" She asked Jack.

"Me? Well I drunk meself into a stupor when ye left, which was when Barbossa happened upon me and being as drunk as I was I let him on me ship as first mate. Then came the mutiny, followed by me spending the next 10 years trying to get me Pearl back. Then came me venture with Elizabeth and Will here – then I came back to see them again." He told this all unceremoniously, which was most unlike him. "But now everything is on an up." He told here smiling down at her.

However, instantly her smile vanished, "I am still married to admiral Shield." She told him quietly.

"And?" He asked, clearly not understanding the problem.

"Meaning that I can not go with you." She replied

Confusion spread across his face. "But why Beth? Ye do love me don't ye?" He asked

"Of course I love you."

"Then what in heaven's name is the problem?" He exclaimed

"Jack, I am a married woman, I can not just leave my husband – you must understand it is not an option for me." She explained

"Why not, ye freewoman aren't ye." Beth did not reply, she just looked up at him – sorrow written clearly across her features.

"Ye really meant what ye said didn't ye." He said at last

"Unfortunately yes – I was not exaggerating."

"Excuse me but what is going on." Elizabeth asked looking for one to the other.

"When I was aboard the Pearl, Jack and I had some interesting discussions on marriage in the upper class, where I gave a very frank description of the women's role – he now understands what I meant." Beth explained this carefully, so as not to express the exact particulars. She then turned back to Jack.

"I love you Jack, I always have done and will to the day I die but I am trapped in marriage to Admiral Shield and so can only give you my heart." She paused for a breath and then said rising for her seat. "And it is because I love you so much that I must ask you not to visit me – you will surely be caught and hanged if you do." She said moving away from him.

"But Beth…"

"I can't let you be hanged because of me."

"Beth there is no point me living if I can't see you."

"You've done well these past years why not continue."

"I continued because I still had the hope that I would see you again but now…" He waved his arm around, unable to define this feeling.

"May be some day you shall but for now let us part – we are both adults and able to face except the harsh realities of this world. Live for the both of us Jack." She told him turning to go out of the door, fearing that if she stayed any longer the tears would pour down her cheeks and her resistance would give way to her heart.

"Beth…" She turned at the sound of her name. "Will you not let me hold you one last time?"

"I can't – if I did, I'm afraid I'd never let go again." She said, as the tears broke free. "Goodbye Jack – I will always love."

Jack watched as his reason for living walked out the door and closed it behind her: he fell to pieces. He slumped down on the sofa and held his head in his hands – not saying a word. Will and Elizabeth came out of their daze and looked at the broken man before them.

"Jack?" They called him but received no reply

"Jack?" They tried again, this time he raised his head to look at them. Elizabeth gasped. He had gone deathly pale, his eyes were empty – it was if their spark had been extinguished.

"I'm so sorry for doing this to you." She said once she had recovered. "I didn't mean this to happen."

"It's not ye're fault luv." Jack told her

"Are you going to be alright – what are you going to do?" Asked Will

"What am I going to do?" Jack echoed his question. "I'm going to do the only thing I can…" He began, straightening himself up. "… Live for the both of us." He said, putting on his trademark grin, adjusting his hat and standing to leave. "Its been good to see you both but now I must be on me way." He told them heading for the door into the garden, and casting a glance back at the door Beth had gone through said, "I won't be back for a while." And with that he was gone.

Will and Elizabeth merely looked at each other, dumbfounded at what had pasted that afternoon.

As she closed the door, she really let the tears fall down her face in a torrent. What am I doing? She asked herself. She could not believe that she was letting him walk away from her; wasn't this what she had dreamed about for 14 years: him coming back and asking her to go away on the Pearl with him. She sunk to her knees, curled up in a ball and cried her heart out.

"Captain?" Anna Maria was shocked to see Jack back aboard the Pearl so soon.

"Aye?" Came the sound reply

"Are ye all finished ere?" She asked wanting to be away as soon as possible – Port Royal was not the most hospitable place for pirates. Jack cast a glance back at the port before answering.

"Aye, I'm finished." He said heavily, so unlike his normal tones.

"Shall we get underway then?" Gibbs asked, a little uncomfortable with Jack's look.

"Aye." Was all Jack said before walking into his cabin, his expression unreadable. Gibbs and Anna Maria exchanged confused looks but knew Jack better than to ask questions at his odd behaviour.

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