Hello! I wanted to thank everyone that has commented recently. Not sure why the site isn't showing me them but I wanted to say thanks so much since I can't reply like I normally do.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 9
The Black Pearl was moving steady across the sea as it moved towards its latest destination. Jack was on the upper deck, checking their heading and discussing with the group where they would be heading. It hadn't taken long after getting back to the ship before he and Barbossa began their bickering. Having had enough excitement for one day, Lena had excused herself to her cabin.
She had hardly noticed when she had begun to think of it as her own room and not just Jack's room that she happened to share with him. But nonetheless, sometime over the last year, she had truly come to view the Pearl as her home. Being back here should have been comforting, yet it didn't seem to ease her nerves as she tried to relax after their run in with the East India Trading Company.
Lena could only hope that getting her thoughts out in her journal might help. Pulling it out, she sat down at the desk, pushing aside some of the clutter Jack had left on it. Yet, as she stared at the journal, she hardly knew what to do from that point.
The page looked back at her, almost daunting as it became clear that she was stuck.
July… 1729
Was it even July still? The more she thought about it, it very easily could have been August. They had been stuck in the locker for days. But had it actually been so many days in the real world?
Eyes on the page, the world around her left focus.
The date. That was all she needed. What was the date? Then again, should it really matter that much? She knew she shouldn't care but couldn't get past the date! It was a silly thing. She knew that. So why was it suddenly so important?
She should have found it funny, feeling so desperate that she was starting to wish she had asked while aboard the Endeavour. As she stared at her journal, the tightness in her chest just seemed to build, one second at a time. A tightness that she hadn't even noticed growing. No matter how hard she thought, she didn't know what to write.
Gripping her quill tightly, she almost feared she would break it before she tossed it aside and she slammed back in the chair. The quick movement left her lightheaded as she sharply moved. With a push away from the desk, she finally had some space, but the motion sent the ink tipping over, splattering across the desk and the edges of some maps she hadn't moved completely off the desk.
"No, no, no!" She cried as she jumped up, knocking the chair over as she did. With a quick sprint across the room, she searched for something to use as a rag, desperate to clean up what she could despite the stain it was certain to leave. With the first thing she could find in hand, she soaked up what she could, frantically trying to clean up the desk. It seemed to only make it worse however as she tried to lift the ink from the table and the back of her journal. As she reached the maps, she didn't even know where to start. It was clear it was a hopeless case. And when Jack saw it… Why did this have to happen right now?
Lena backed up, stumbling with her steps as she looked over the remains of the mess. Nothing was helping. Everything she did made a bigger mess. Frustrated, she tossed the rag down and spun around as if she could make it disappear by not looking. Frantically, she swept her eyes over the room, looking for something to help. What she saw instead was the ink streaked across her hands. Covered in spots, her palms were decorated in ink without her even realizing. Without thinking, she began wiping them on her breechers, running them over and over, leaving black streaks over the brown material as she removed what she could. Yet another useless effort. With a cry, she slid down to the ground, her back against the tipped chair as she continued trying to rub off the ink. One swipe after the other, everything became less clear as her eyes burned. She just wanted it off.
Suddenly another pair of hands grabbed hers as they stopped her movements. With a jerk, she pushed back, sliding the chair as she went as she struggled to breathe, fighting through her tears, trying to will them to stop. She could barely hear over the beating of her heart. Still, she should have heard someone entering the room.
"Lena, love."
Bleary eyed, Lena focused on the sound of her name. She had something to focus on. Something to help calm her, ground her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and gripped tightly to the hands in front of her.
With each breath, she could finally get more air. But as she opened her eyes, the tears seemed to start back up instantly. With a hitch in her breath, she said, "I'm sorry, Jack."
"What, for a little ink? Who's worried about that?" Jack asked with a light laugh as he watched her carefully.
"No. The maps!"
"Maps are fine. Still can read 'em. Not to mention I have others that I can use in a pinch." As he finished his words, he grinned, though it was short lived as Lena's face crumpled despite his words.
With nothing to say, Lena pulled her hands away from Jack as she curled in on herself and wrapped her arms around her knees.
She heard Jack shift and he disappeared from in front of her. Sitting by herself, she half expected him to leave her alone. However, he proved her wrong when he sat down in front of her, a wet cloth in hand as he reached for her own. Without saying a word, Jack gave attention to her hands, wiping the ink off before he settled down beside her.
With her hands mostly clear, she felt him pull her close, letting her rest against him as she sat partially in his lap. And that's where she stayed, quietly sorting through her emotions as Jack waited. Periodically, she felt his hand rest on her head, slide down her arm, and rest on her back. Each movement was even more calming than the last as they sat together. She had never thought of him as patient and steady, but as she came to a calm, she could think of nothing else to describe him as.
She would have been content to sit in the silence forever, wrapped in his comfortable arms.
"Care to share what got you so upset?" Jack asked quietly as pulled away just far enough to look down at her.
Lena had to admit she didn't even know where to start with that. The question just brought her back to the date, which she hardly wanted to mention to him.
She softly shook her head after thinking it over. She needed time first. "In a little bit?" Though she had meant it as a statement, as she spoke quietly against him, her doubts seemed to sneak up, turning it into a question.
"Let's get some rest then. Sun's already set. We can talk in the morning."
Surprised by his words, Lena watched him in confusion before she shifted to look behind him, finally noticing just how dark the cabin was. The window towards the back indeed was dark as night.
Jack kissed the top of her head, lingering there for a moment before he pulled them both up to stand. No one said a word as they both got ready before they laid down in bed. As Lena settled down, she pulled herself closer to Jack, comforted by his presence as she drifted to sleep.
The warmth under the blankets was almost impossible to step out of when Lena woke up the following morning. Based on the brightness of the cabin, she had a feeling she had been sleeping for quite a while. The sun was shining through the room, already claiming its place high in the sky.
She could hear Jack speaking just outside the door. Mumbled words could be heard as he spoke to Gibbs, followed by the occasional order shouted out across the deck. With a guess, she was assuming that is probably what finally woke her up if she had managed to sleep through Jack getting up and getting dressed all without even noticing.
As she finished getting dressed, Jack walked into the room. His eyes instantly spotted her as she pulled her jacket on over her top. Her usual blue blouse seemed to have been spared from the ink, but she had to settle for her less than favorite bottoms as she eyed the disaster that her pair from last night had become. Then again, it certainly wasn't the first time she had ruined her clothes and still made use of them. There wasn't much need for a clean-cut appearance when running with pirates.
"Look who's finally awake," Jack smirked as he looked her over.
Lena shrugged as she gave him a small smile in return. "Couldn't sleep forever."
Now that she was fully alert, she couldn't help as her eyes slid over some of the mess that remained. The desk was cleared off, a pile of stuff now scattered across the table on the other side of the room. The stain of the ink was clear on the right side of the surface, scrubbed into a dark tint in the wood.
Jack slung his arm around her as he spun her towards the door. "Ready to join us on deck?"
The question caught her off guard. Lena couldn't understand how he was ignoring everything from last night. Did he really have no interest in talking about the mess she made merely hours ago?
As Jack gave a slight push towards the door, Lena planted her feet, stopping both of their steps. She glanced up at Jack then sheepishly. "Actually… Can we stay here for a while?"
"Sure," Jack agreed and walked over to the bed, leaning back on his hands as he waited for her to join him.
"I'm sorry about last night," she muttered as she sank down beside him. "I don't know what happened."
Jack hummed to himself before speaking again. "Wouldn't have had anything to do with seeing your father, would it?"
Lena fiddled with her fingers as she thought it over. In a way that might have been part of the problem. Then again, there had just been so many problems in the last couple months. But things were getting better now so why was she so emotional?
"Most likely… to some degree," Lena confessed, trying to think through her words. Then it hit her. "I'm afraid. I thought for sure that was the last time I would see the Pearl. The last time I would have this freedom… The last time I would see you. He intends for me to hang."
She couldn't bare to look at Jack, keeping her eyes glued to her hands instead as she continued. "I love this life but my own father wants me dead." She swallowed passed the lump growing in her throat as tears formed in her eyes. "How am I supposed to react to that?"
"You have all the family you could possibly need here. The Rear-Admiral is not your family, Lena." Jack whispered to her, letting the words sink in.
Lena sighed as she pulled back, wiping her eyes. "I know, but telling my heart to give up on years of wanting that is difficult."
"What did he ever do for you?" Jack countered, ready to convince her of whatever was needed.
She knew what he was asking for. And she had nothing to give. At least not since she was young. She could still remember a time when the entire family had been together, before he had made such a name for himself. It was long ago though. So long that she wasn't sure it was true. Before her mother had fallen ill. Before her father lived on ships more than at home. Back when he paid attention to his daughter rather than throwing money at her like that solved all their problems.
"Blood does not mean he is family, otherwise he wouldn't have laid his hands on you." Jack traced his hand over her cheek, causing them both to remember when they had first had the privilege of seeing him all together.
Lena placed her hand over his, letting it linger there before she pulled both their hands away. "I know… It hardly matters now anyway. As I said, he wants me dead."
"That won't be happening, love," Jack said as he leaned over to look at her. "I recall making this promise to you sometime before. Do you remember when I said I would keep you safe?"
"Yes." Unable to look away from him, she looked into his brown eyes reluctantly. "And then you died," she whispered.
He sighed and pulled her in tightly. "Like I said before, I'm not going anywhere and neither are you."
She had heard the words before but she had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time she needed to hear them. Holding him tightly, she buried her face against his neck, trying to keep the tears at bay. "But there are so many things that can happen. You can't promise that. Davy Jones, the East India Company, my father, or any number of other things. How do we fight all that?"
"By doing what we need to to come out on top," Jack said vaguely in a tone she had long since connected to him having a plan.
Lena studied him as she pulled away, wiping her eyes dry. "What are you planning?"
"Let's just say… Beckett and I came to an understanding before we left."
She sucked in a breath, alarmed by what that could mean. Jack seemed to know she would start throwing questions at him and he continued before she could even begin to ask.
"I am guaranteeing that we will come out on the winning side no matter which side wins. Everything that you fear will no longer be a problem."
"I know you, Jack. Whatever your end goal is couldn't be so simple. Again, what are you planning?"
Jack suddenly slid off the bed and knelt in front of her, resting his hands on her knees. The seriousness in his eyes was worrisome. Whatever he meant to say, Lena only hoped that it was something she could stand beside him through. By now, she knew first hand how far he would go to reach his goal and how many people he was willing to betray to get it. "The Flying Dutchman needs a captain."
Lena felt her heart drop. "You plan on taking his place…"
"The Immortal Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain of the Flying Dutchman. Just imagine it." The smile on his face said it all. This was something he was set on and she wasn't sure if he had actually considered what that would mean for them together. A life tied to the sea, unable to step foot on land, and bound to outlive her. She would grow old… he would stay the same.
Her next words were eerily calm as she spoke. "And is that when you drop me off at a safe port town?"
"Course not," Jack laughed as if the idea was absurd. "You'll be right by my side." He paused before he spoke again, lowering his voice. "There is more than one way to become immortal. You can be right by my side. Immortal."
"You're out of your mind. I.. I can't be immortal," she stuttered, floored by the suggestion. She should have seen it coming though. It all made sense now, all the comments she's heard him say, all hinting towards him gaining immortality. But for herself? Why would she have ever considered such a thing? Yet Jack had this entire image of their future painted.
He had their future planned… As if he actually wanted to spend it with her. Lena could feel her heart racing as the pieces fell into place. What he had said before about trying to be committed to her. Committed to them.
But could she commit to that life?
Slowly, she finally answered. "I don't know, Jack." As disappointment washed over his face, she quickly continued rushing through her words. "I don't know if that's a life I would actually want but I know I want to stay by your side. I love you and I'll follow you as far as we end up. And when we finally know how far that is… maybe we will both be pleasantly surprised."
They may not know what the future would bring for them but she wasn't going to worry about that now. Lena knew she could trust in Jack and no matter what happens, she knew she had a spot by his side.
The grin that lit up Jack's face as he laughed was enough to tell her things were okay. And the words that followed said even more. "Trusting me to the end regardless of the plan. That is exactly why I love you."
A/N: Woo! We finally made it to this point... Which was not my intention when starting this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this emotional rollercoaster. I get so nervous when I'm writing serious moments between Jack and Lena so let me know if it seemed to fit and no one is too out of character.
We are also getting closer to the end and I am debating on continuing Lena and Jack's adventure even further. Let me know if you would be interested in more! Not sure if it would be something original or continuing the other movies, but it could be something!
Until next time!
