.:.morning glory.:.
by: Cecile Li
-Chapter Four: Secrets-
Elizabeth's eyes fluttered as she tried to wake up. She grimaced. It was way too bright, even at the break of dawn. Oh well. She'd have to wake up early if she wanted Jack to do something for her.
Elizabeth bounced cheerfully into Jack's room. "Jack!" She shook him impatiently. "Wake up!"
Jack moaned pathetically and turned away from the over-enthusiastic girl. "Go away…"Elizabeth, instead of going away, narrowed her eyes determinedly. "No way. Wake up!" She received the same reaction as before. "Augh! Don't make me sit on you."
His reaction? "Mummy, 5 more minutes?
Groaning at being called mummy, Elizabeth promptly sat on Jack's still form.
If you had been standing outside of the room at that particular moment, you would have heard two very loud interjections. One a scream, the other a .
"Aiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!" screamed Elizabeth as she saw and felt a cold sharp knife press against the creamy white skin of her neck.
"Quark!" barked Jack, leaping up when sat on, ready with his dagger stuck against his waker's neck.
Elizabeth stopped screaming for a moment to peer at Jack and ask, "What was that? Are you drunk again? Or sick?" She reached a hand out and pressed a hand on his forehead. "Nope, no fever."
Jack looked flustered for a moment, then regained his tough I'm-gonna-gut-you look. "I think the more important question is what are ye doing in my room at the hour!"
She blushed. "I…uh…I was trying to wake you up."
Jack looked at her sternly. "I can tell. But why were ye here? Huh?"
Elizabeth looked uncomfortable. "I…well…I want to learn how to swordfight."
Jack looked flattered. "Why not Will?" Elizabeth looked away. Jack sighed. "You're gonna be married soon. I don't want any wrath from Will." He got up, sheathing his blade.
"I don't want to marry him." Elizabeth stated, her voice low.
"What!" Jack gulped uncertainly, edging away from the girl on his bed. "I thought ye loved each other."
"I do!" Elizabeth insisted fretfully. "I just can't marry him." She gave Jack a puppy-dog look, her big cobalt eyes pleading.
Jack sighed; knowing full well he would regret this. "Very well. Let's go."
Will woke up with a yawn. He smiled contently and went to look for Jack.
Evie had been sleeping happily when a frantic Will came barging uninvited into her room.
"Evie!" He exclaimed worriedly, shaking her hysterically. "Jack's gone! I can't find him!"
Her eyes fluttered sleepily. "Wha…"
"He's gone!"
"Huh…let me sleep…" Evie shifted, pulling her blanket closer to herself.
"He's gone!" Will hectically pranced around the room, wringing his hands nervously.
"Who…?" Evie asked groggily from her bed, eyes closed in sleeping bliss.
"Jack! The captain!"
"So what…" Evie rolled onto her side, her voice extremely unconcerned.
Suddenly, as that thought registered into her brain, she leaped up, her covers falling off her body. "WHAT! JACK'S GONE! WHEN!"
Will, completely taken back by this little outburst, gaped at her shift and managed to sputter, "I…I…" He rapidly turned around, blushing with embarrassment.
Evie sighed in annoyance. "It doesn't matter! We have to find Jack!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him out into the hall. She raced to Jack's room and flung the door open. She saw ruffled clothes and a hastily arranged bad. She spun around, her dark eyes flashing. "Where'd you look?"
"All the rooms, the crow's nest, everywhere!"
"Kitchen?"
"Yes."
"Mess hall?"
"Of course!"
"Deck?"
"Of cou-. Wait. Actually no." Will said, feeling incredibly dumb.
She frowned. "Come on, let's go find Jack."
"Okay, lass, hold a sword like this." demonstrated Jack, gripping his sword.
Elizabeth wiped her brow, positioning her fingers different from Jack.
"No, no, no. Completely wrong." Jack placed his sword on the ground and moved behind Elizabeth. He took her hands and rearranged them.
Elizabeth tensed, her blue eyes blinking uneasily. She inhaled sharply.
"Sorry luv." apologized Jack. "Pirate's hands. Tough." Author Note: I'm terribly sorry for the overuse of this, but I thought it fit pretty well in here. I know how annoying it is to keep finding this in random fics. Again, very sorry.
She nodded dazedly, heart beating abnormally. She turned her head and gasped. Their faces were mere centimeters away.
Evie smiled, leading Will toward the front of the ship.
"Let's spy on him," Evie had said smirkingly a few moments ago. Will himself had smiled and nodded. "See what he does so early."
"I think he's there," Evie said quietly, pointing at the crates. "Behind them."
The two slowly crept toward the crates. Peeking her head around the crates, Evie gasped. She swiveled quickly, walking away. "Bad thoughts…bad thoughts…" She muttered, hoping to forget the scene she just saw.
Will looked at her, puzzled. He started toward the crate, grumbling, "What's so bad—"
Evie's eyelids suddenly flew up and she hurried in front of Will. "No! No, no, no. Do NOT go look."
Will sighed with annoyance. "Why not?"
"Uh…because…that's a good question…but really! Don't go look! What about we forget about the whole thing, huh? Huh?" Evie babbled desperately, eyes darting back and forth, looking for something, someone, anything, so long as it distracted him.
Will looked at her, irritated. "Is Jack there?"
Evie laughed cynically. "Oh, he's definitely there."
Will pushed Evie away and peeped around the crates. His eyes widened in fury. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Rolling his sleeves up, he picked up a sword lying on the crate. He walked toward Jack and Elizabeth, livid with anger.
Evie grabbed his arm. "No, Will." He tone was serious and calm. "What do you think you're going to do? March in and hack Jack into bits? If you do that you have the crew, not to mention me, to answer to. Jack is my captain, and yours too. I owe my loyalty to him whether he is right or not! I'll have to fight you!"
She winced while trying to subdue the fuming Will. Will, finally grasping the delicacy of the situation, stopped trying to pull away from Evie. Evie, who had been pulling him back, suddenly fell, bring Will down with her. Will, bewildered, turned around and crashed on top of her. His sword, which had escaped from his grasp, sliced through the air, coming straight toward Evie.
Will rapidly grabbed Evie and rolled her away. The sword landed, thunking into the deck with a loud TWANG!
Evie tore her eyes away from the vibrating sword and glanced at the heavy body on her. "Will…" She whispered, her hand running over his jaw line.
Will couldn't think. He remembered something, something ancient, something he couldn't quite place. He couldn't think, couldn't do anything. He wanted her to be Arionna, needed her to be Arionna. "Arionna…?" He mumbled numbly, tucking a loose lock of hair back into her braid.
A sliver tear slipped out of her glistening eyes. "I–"
They heard a sword clatter on the ground. Their heads turned to see a stunned Jack and Elizabeth.
"What's going on here!" Jack startled voice said, breaking the dazed silence.
Elizabeth had closed her eyes and moved her face toward Jack's. Their lips were almost touching when suddenly, she heard a loud THUNK! followed by a TWANG!.
Her eyes snapped open. She reluctantly pulled away from Jack as Jack stepped toward the crates behind them, obviously haven heard the noises.
When his eyes realized the scene he dropped his sword, too shocked to speak. He felt Elizabeth rush toward the three, also speechless. He felt her anger at her fiancé, her fear that he would leave her. "What's going on here?" He heard himself say.
Arionna had said she'd resist him. She said the past was too painful to repeat. But where was she now? Underneath Will.
Jack closed his still gaping mouth. What a liar, what a bitch, what a savior.
Will scrambled up, pulling the flustered Evie up as well. She realized she was only in her shift and blushed, ducking her head. "Elizabeth," She called out, her voice a little muffled. "It's not the way it looks. I fell and he fell on top of me."
Elizabeth, clearly not believing her, sent her a scathing glare. "You whore," She spat out venomously, "Why don't you stick to unmarried men?"
Evie flushed angrily at her word and stepped out. Before she even got to open her mouth, Will spoke calmly, "We're not married, Elizabeth."
They all gawked at Will. Jack found his voice first. "B-but, what were ye really doing?"
"Like Evie said." Will replied composedly. He directed his next question at Elizabeth. "Do you want to know why Evie fell?" Elizabeth looked upset and tried to speak but Will cut her off. "She was trying to hold me back. Holding me back from what, you ask? From killing Jack."
Jack looked insulted. "I haven't been that bad to ye, mate."
Evie raised her eyebrows. "What were you doing groping Elizabeth then?"
Elizabeth turned scarlet. "I beg your pardon, Evie! He was not groping me. How scandalous!"
"What's scandalous," Will cut in," Is a woman who is engaged to kiss another man."
By that time, Jack and Elizabeth both looked like a pair of tomatoes; their faces were so red.
"Look, Will," Jack started, his hand running through his dreadlocks, "She wanted me to teach her how to sword fight. I was teaching her how to hold a sword."
Evie saw Jack was earnest, which he wasn't very often, and stepped toward Elizabeth. "I accept your story."
Elizabeth, her face apologetic, and hugged her. "I accept your story too." As she hugged Evie, she whispered ruefully in her ear, "I'm terribly sorry. I hope you'll forgive me."
Smiling, Evie whispered back, "I forgive you."
While the two females hugged, Jack and Will exchanged stiff smiles. Evie sent Jack a teasing grin. She turned toward the group. "I'll be right back. I have to borrow Jack for a minute."
Jack groaned. Not more girly gossip!
"So what happened?" Evie asked eagerly, smirking.
"Don't you know?" Jack replied, exasperated. He opened the door to his room and went in.
Evie followed him, her voice nagging at him. "I only saw you hold Elizabeth, What else did you do?"
Jack spun around so fast, Evie had to take a step back. "I didn't do anything, but I might ask you the same thing, Arionna." He said menacingly.
Her joking grin suddenly vanished and she, slamming the door hard, sent Jack a biting look. "Shut up, Jack. I thought we agreed not to use my name."
"What, Arionna? Afraid I'll give you away? That'll be too late." Jack replied coolly.
Arionna paled visibly. "What do you mean?"
"You gave yourself away." Jack spat out. "Or did you not realize that when you lay beneath William Turner II today?"
"He doesn't know!" Arionna whispered fiercely, her black eyes piercing Jack's.
Jack smiled mockingly. "Did you not notice?" He circled her slowly, like a vulture circles its prey. "He misses Arionna. He wants Arionna. He loves Arionna."
She clinched her fists. "He may love Arionna but Arionna is dead! I'm no longer Arionna. Arionna died the day Will betrayed me."
Jack stepped toward her and tilted her head up. "You must accept who you are, as Arionna Glory, the Princess of the pirates."
Arionna walked away to the tiny window. "I can't. I don't want to be a Glory. I just want to be back with my Ah-pah."
Jack took her hand. "You can't choose your destiny, luv." He kneeled on one knee and kissed her hand. "You have my allegiance, Princess Arionna."
Will tossed and turned restlessly. He couldn't sleep. Finally, he groaned, kicking his covers off, and got out. He walked slowly toward the door to Evie's room. He hesitated, his hand on the doorknob. What is she's sleeping? His common sense told him. I'll just check, He reassured himself. The door creaked open slowly. Will entered her room uncertainly, calling out, "Evie?"
Evie sat up from her bed. "Yes?" Her pretty face twisted into a frown. "What are you doing up so late?"
He offered a nervous smile. "Couldn't sleep. What about you?
She smiled wanly. "Me too." She paused, unsure of what to do. Finally, she pat the space beside her. "Sit here."
He obliged and sat beside her. He felt strangely calm sitting next to her. "So," He said, trying to make conversation, " Well, how'd you get aboard with Jack?"
"He found me in Tortuga." She answered simply.
Will gulped suddenly, eyes popping out. "T-Tortuga?" He edged away from her.
She rolled her eyes with irritation. "Not all women in Tortuga are prostitutes, Will. I'd prefer if you would stop thinking those dirty thoughts." Will had the decency to look embarrassed, thought she could see he didn't believe her. She sighed, muttering, "People these days…
"Well," She began, thinking back, "I came from the Carlot family. I had an old schoolmate, Edward Contez II, son of Duke Edward Contez, a cousin of Prince John of England. He thought he was in love with me so they engaged me to him when I was 19, a year ago. I didn't want to marry, so I told him so, asking for freedom. He finally agreed and arranged for me to be sent to Tortuga with quite a bit of money. He made a story up about me slipping on some rocks and drowning." She stopped briefly. "That's it."
Will looked sympathetic. "That's the same with me."
She glanced skeptically at Will. "You slipped on a rock and drowned?"
Will laughed genuinely. "No," He replied smilingly, "I don't want to marry."
Evie raised her eyebrow doubtfully. "I'm sorry, what'd you say? Because I was under the impression you loved Elizabeth more than anything." She said, her voice with a tint of coldness.
Will turned pale. "It's not that way. I do, but I guess I just…I just don't want to marry her."
"You're playing with her emotions, Will." Evie replied quietly.
Will looked forlorn. "Marriage is supposed to be forever, but I can't stay with her for so long."
She nodded. "I see. Well," She said abruptly, standing up. "You should be telling Elizabeth this. Not me." She indicated at the door. "Good night."
Will nodded, a little surprised at her curtness. "Good night." He backed through the door. When the door slammed shut in front of him, he suddenly realized. Did she just kick me out of her room?