Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters. I used lyrics from broken by seether and lyrics to get over it by avril lavigne. So what I like using lyrics in my fics, don't hurt me!
"I choose you," she said opening her eyes staring square into his face, "Jack."
Both men's eyes widened and their jaws dropped. Will's face a mask of shock and horror, Jack's of shock and pleasure.
"Oh, Elizabeth!" Jack exclaimed waving his hand as he started toward her. Before he was able to reach her, they heard the clinking metal of a drawn sword and he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes slid to the side glancing at Will from the corner of his eye feeling the cold steel tip of a blade chilling his neck.
"Take me to Port Royal," Will demanded furiously but with a calm unraised voice, the blade of his sword resting beside Jack's neck.
"You got it," Jack answered pointing a crooked finger at Will, inching slowly away from the cold blade, making his way to the helm. He immediately began barking orders as they changed their course of direction as Will had requested.
Satisfied at being listened to, Will sheathed his sword and glared at Elizabeth. Anger, sorrow, and hatred all shining through his angelic face at once. "How could you do this to me?" he asked, his voice breaking with exhaustion and emotion. "I thought we meant much more to you," he said casting his eyes downward as his voice shook, daring to betray him.
"I'm sorry, Will. I really am," she said quietly. "I thought this would be better for me. I suppose I'm being completely selfish, but you told me to do what I wanted. Everyone kept telling me to follow my heart. So I did. The heart wants what it wants," she defended.
"How?" he yelled, turning steel cold eyes upon her. "How could this possibly be better for you!"
"Will, please! Don't yell at me," she pleaded. "I know that I could never ask you to understand. I just hope that someday eventually you'll be able to forgive me." She then slipped the diamond ring off her delicate finger and placed it in his palm. "Here. I suppose you should take this back," she said, letting her hand linger momentarily on his large open palm.
When she withdrew her hand, he savored the silky smooth touch of her skin against his calloused hand, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he commited everything about the way she looked and felt into his memory. He curled his fingers around the ring squeezing it so tight that his knuckles turned white and his nails dug into his palm. Tears began sliding down his cheeks as he leaned forward to speak into her ear.
"Once we arrive in Port Royal, I never want to see or hear from you again," he whispered. The feel of his breath hot against her ear mixed with the words that entered sent shivers of mixed emotions down her spine. It pained him even more to see her hurt and shudder from his words. It hurt to watch the crystal tears fall from her pain-filled eyes and mar her beautiful face. He knew what he said had sounded awful to her ears but he knew it was the only way he would ever be able to get over her and move on.
With that being said, Will headed to his cabin where he holed up avoiding everyone until they reached their destination. Jack spent his day at the helm sailing for Port Royal and Elizabeth stayed by his side, where they tried unsuccessfully to comfort and console each other.
As the sun set that evening, Jack called Anamaria over to the helm. She rushed over to him nervous from the tension that still hung thick in the air.
"Ana, Elizabeth and I are going to retire to my cabin. I need you to take over. Do not stop until we reach Port Royal. Dock there, we should make it by morning. Awake me when we are there." He grabbed Elizabeth by the elbow guiding her away from the helm. He stopped abruptly turning to face Anamaria before adding, "That's an order."
"Aye," she solemnly replied.
Then Jack casually slipped his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder as she wrapped her arm around his waist clutching his shirt at his side, and he led her to his room. Jack stripped down to only his pants while Elizabeth wore a dressing gown and they climbed under the covers of his bed together. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her close resting his forehead on hers. He gazed straight into her eyes.
"Why did you do it, luv?" he asked.
"Do what? Pick you?" she inquired back
"Mmm hmm," he prompted, drawing back slightly brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
"Well, truthfully, I don't know. Just instincts, sort of. I really want to have an exciting life, Jack. And I know that you can give that to me." She paused feeling her heart race and adrenaline pump through her veins. "And because I love you, Jack." She gazed at him through hopeful eyes, her face showing her anticipation of his reaction.
"I love you, too, luv. You know that," he answered after only a slight hesitation.
'I do now,' she thought to herself, smiling and content just being in his arms.
They lay in a comfortable silence for a while, holding each other and enjoying the moment. They felt relief at not having to hide anymore.
"I do feel slightly guilty," Jack said finally breaking the silence. Seeing the confusion spread on Elizabeth's face as her brows furrowed, Jack feigned a look of shame. "I do have a conscience, you know," he added jokingly. "But seriously, I feel bad about stealing you away," he said absentmindedly twisting a lock of her hair around his blackened finger. "I know he probably wants to kill me right now. I'll feel much more better once we drop him off."
Elizabeth stroked his cheek comforting him. "The worst is over now and we can breathe again. I want to hold you high and steal my pain away," she told him, stealing Will's words. "There's so much left to learn and no one left to fight. I want to hold you high and steal your pain."
Jack leaned into her pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. He was thankful that it was indeed finally over.
When the kiss was broken, the two lovers lay side by side breathless. Jack was the first to speak, "It feels wonderful to not have to hide anymore."
"It does!" she excitedly agreed. "We have all the freedom we could ever want," she continued, her eyes sparkling in her revelation.
"Shall we celebrate?" Jack raised his eyebrows with suggestive question.
"We shall," she answered him with a sultry look through half-lidded eyes. He climbed out of bed leaving the room as Elizabeth had begun to slip out of her gown. She stopped in confusion not knowing where Jack had run off to. He returned carrying a bottle of rum in each hand and Elizabeth slipped the gown back up over shoulders, wincing and rolling her eyes in realization. "Oh, celebrate," she said to herself, rubbing a hand over her face.
"For you, luv," he said, handing off a bottle to her.
She took the bottle from him smiling sarcastically through tight lips.
"Something wrong," he asked before uncorking his bottle and downing half the liquid at once.
She ran a hand through her hair shaking her head at him. She uncorked her own bottle and answered, " I thought by celebrate…" she paused for effect, "you meant something else," she finished, throwing her cork at him at the last word and laughed as it bounced off his forehead.
"We'll get to that," he responded, tipping the bottom of her bottle upward as she brought it to her lips.
"Jack Sparrow! You are trying to get me drunk!" she laughed.
"I am," he answered matter-of-factly. They laughed together and finished off both bottles of rum. Elizabeth feeling both cheeky and very drunk stumbled out of the bed laughing when Jack reached out to steady her. She slipped her dress off her body letting it fall to the floor and kneeled over him savagely grabbing at his pants trying to rid him of their only barrier. He chuckled to himself at her neediness, loving every minute of it and helped her strip his pants off. She climbed on top of him and he quickly whipped her around, reversing their positions and preceded to make sweet passionate love to her.
When they were laying side by side in pure ecstasy, he cradled her in his arms and they fell into a deep peaceful sleep.
Will was in and out of sleep all night, fighting against the churning waves of nausea in his stomach and the ache in his heart. He pulled a pillow over his head pressing it hard onto his ears trying desperately to muffle out the giddy sounds coming from Jack and Elizabeth.
He was able to sleep for only a few hours and packed all of his belongings upon awaking. As soon as the Pearl was docked, Will gathered his bags and immediately left for town saying a quick goodbye in passing to the crew members.
Jack awoke the next morning to Anamaria shaking his shoulder. He squinted, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright morning sunlight.
"We're here. Port Royal."
After he thanked her, she strolled out. He woke Elizabeth up and they both climbed out of bed, stretching and getting dressed. Jack had an uneasy feeling lurking in the pit of his stomach. It was so deep that it was impossible to ignore.
"Would you like to go see your father?" he asked her.
"Oh, yes! It's been such a long time!"
"Off we go then," he waved his hands, ushering her off in front of him.
They left the room and peered into Will's cabin through the open door. Empty. They looked at each other with a knowing glance before continuing on their way. They left the ship and walked across the dock. Jack, still unable to ignore the knots in his stomach, knew what he had to do. They stepped off the dock just as a gorgeous busty young blonde woman walked by. Jack dropped his hold on Elizabeth's hand and stared after the woman with a goofy lusty grin.
"Miss," he called out to her strutting over to her as she turned toward him.
"Jack!" Elizabeth called out to him only to be ignored. She called him a few more times still receiving no response. She stepped closer to him and listened to his words and could not believe him. He was trying to woo this woman right in front of her. She couldn't believe the nerve of him after all that they had just been through. She couldn't believe she actually thought he could change. That he had changed. She was furious thinking of all that she had sacrificed for him only to be left in the dust. She went off in huff to find Will to apologize and try to reconcile.
Jack felt his heart fall to his feet as he watched Elizabeth stomp off. He hated to hurt her but he knew she'd be better off with Will. He realized the woman was still talking to him interested in his offers, drawling on and draping an arm around his waist.
"Never mind," he said waving her off with a hand and walking away back to the Pearl.
Elizabeth went straight to Mr. Brown's blacksmith shop. She figured this is where Will would be. She pushed the heavy door open finding him inside. The usual scene lay before her eyes. Brown asleep in the corner and Will was already hard at work.
"Will, listen. I think I made a mistake about us," she said.
"I thought I told you I didn't want to see you anymore," he said without looking up at her.
"But I've come to apologize. I told Jack I had made the wrong decision and I've come back to be with you. We'll build our life together here," she tried to persuade him.
"Elizabeth, no," he answered dropping the sword he was currently working on. "I meant what I said and I cannot forgive you. It was amazing while it lasted. You know. Slipping down a slide, I did enjoy the ride. Don't know what to decide. You lied to me. You looked me in the eye. It took me by surprise. Now are you gratified? You cried to me." He held up his hand to stop her as she started coming toward him. "Don't turn around. I'm sick and I'm tired of your face. Don't make this worse. You've already gone and got me mad. It's too bad I'm not sad. It's casting over. It's just one of those things. You'll have to get over it."
Then Will picked up the sword he was previously working on and turned his back on her and continued his work. He was thankful when he heard her retreating footsteps quietly leave. He couldn't take her back, but he couldn't keep the hard act up much longer either. His shoulders slumped as the tears fell freely from his eyes.
Outside Elizabeth immediately broke into a fit of hysterical tears. Sobs wracked her entire body. All her strength drained from her body and she collapsed on the steps outside the shop. She cried because she had lost both of the men she loved and screwed her life up completely. She was totally alone and the realization hit her that she may not have any place to go.
"I'm so sorry I screwed everything up so badly for us," she choked through her tears as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, cradling herself and the unborn now fatherless baby growing inside.
A/N: This was the last and final chapter. Let me know what you think. Also I've been cooking up some ideas for a possible sequel. Is anyone interested?