Chapter 38

After four hours Sarah and Mari had Elizabeth ready, Mari had made a few trips back to Jack's cabin to 'borrow' a few things. Now Elizabeth was dressed in a beautiful moon white dress, with white roses made of silk, framing the bottom and middle. Her hair was pinned up in an elegant braided bun with wavy hair falling from it and down to her back, and a few framing her face. She had white heels on, and the veil and train were of silk. Mari was digging in her drawer. She pulled out a heavy oak box. She turned to Elizabeth.

"This is my wedding gift to you, I made it myself and it has my favorite jewel on it, so I hope you like it." Mari said her voice quiet and calm.

Quite the reverse of her normal shouts aboard the Pearl. As she shouted to the crew and other things, or more recently telling Will to 'get his ass down from the topsail'. She opened the box and tied the necklace she had made earlier, around Elizabeth's neck. It had brightly colored shells all around it, and in the dead center was the pearl Jack had found. Elizabeth looked in a cracked mirror, she was speechless. She turned to Mari, her she couldn't speak. Mari hung her head and turned away.

"Sorry, I figured you would like it."

"I don't like it Mari, I love it!" Elizabeth cried then flung her arms around Mari. Then dragged Sarah into it too.

"Thank you, thank you both. This will definitely be the best wedding of the two."

The watch bell rang, signaling the wedding. Elizabeth covered her face with the silk veil and walked out, flanked by Mari and Sarah, it looked rather odd. Mari in her cropped, light tunic and heavy pants. Sarah in a bright yellow dress and white gloves and boots. Then of course Elizabeth in her white gown and necklace. Will just stared at her, speechless. Jack had been dressed up too. Will had managed to actually get him into a uniform. Nobody is still sure how, and would probably get hurt or blasted if they asked. Mari and Sarah fell to the sides as Elizabeth stood beside Will.

The 'I do's' had been said, and it was now the after party. Sarah had taken Jack aside; Mari had quickly bowed out and retreated to the crow's nest, with Orion, and surprisingly, the monkey. She had a feeling her feelings about Jack wouldn't matter after today. But the worst of her grudge was over, although she would always have a streak of jealousy when she saw them together. Unbidden and unstoppable, tears rolled down her face, silently. Her animal companions tried vainly to cheer her up, but nothing worked. She couldn't stop crying, she tried, and even had bit herself ad pinched herself trying to stop them. But nothing worked. She had a bad feeling in her gut and her heart ached, ached as though it was being ripped out and crushed while it was still a part of her. She curled up and shooed Orion and the monkey away. She curled up against the pain, willing it to go away; to go away or kill her, end her life.

"Just kill me, kill me instead of this pain." Mari muttered, clenching her teeth and fist against the pain. It was intense and getting worse. She grabbed her dagger from her boots. She turned it to face her. The next jolt of pain would be her last; her reflexes would send the dagger into her heart. The pain shot through her body, worse this time than any other before it. She felt her hand move, and felt it hit something, but she still felt pain, she was still alive. She opened her eyes, and saw a boot not even two inches from her face, and a hand right in front of her heart, blocking the dagger.

"You mind getting the dagger out of my hand love? It does hurt you know." Jack said. Mari sat bolt up right and removed the dagger quickly.

"Jack, why did you do that? And where did you come from? I thought you were with Sarah." Mari asked, looking at Jack, as he sat down next to her.

"Funny thing about that, she told me an interesting story, then Orion and the monkey began going insane over me. I blasted the monkey and followed Orion. He led me up here, and just in time I dare say. You're reflexes would have killed you. I think you should work on them personally." Jack said. Mari looked away.

"It would have been better if they had killed me. It would have kept you form getting hurt and it would have ended this pain." Mari said. But even as she said this, the pain had stopped, and her heart was as relaxed as her body and mind was. The same as it had always been as she got nearer to Jack lately.

"Well I don't think so, and neither does John's new wife, you just missed the second wedding aboard this ship. That's not good luck you know."

"John's new…" Mari's voice trailed off as she realized what had happened.

"So what did Sarah tell you?" Mari asked.

"I'll tell you if you answer a question at the end." Jack said.

"Sure, just answer my question first." Mari said.