Jonathan, Tammy and Lizzie emerged from the Main Street theater, walking slowly in deference to Lizzie's advancing pregnancy. Jonathan was carrying a bucket of popcorn, from which he continued to eat.
"That was awesome!" Jonathan exclaimed. "I loved that fight on the wheel, and the big monster at the end."
"Yeah, it was cool," Tammy agreed. "Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom – can't go wrong there." They took seats at CO2, Jonathan pulling out Tammy's chair for her.
"They could have made it a little shorter," Lizzie complained, shifting uncomfortably. "I had to get up to use the restroom twice!"
"Tell me about it," Jonathan agreed. "You stepped on my feet both times."
"Well blame your daughter, not me," Lizzie drawled sourly. "She doesn't like long movies."
"Awwh, poor little mama," Jonathan teased. He stood up. "How 'bout I go get you ladies some post-movie ice cream – will that make things better?"
"Yes please," Lizzie agreed, smiling sweetly.
"You know what flavor I want!" Tammy added. Jonathan rolled his eyes.
"Chocolate, of course," he replied. "What a sweet tooth! Not to mention the sweet rest of you…" He kissed Tammy twice quickly and left to get the ice cream, laughing as Tammy took a swipe at his backside as he departed.
Lizzie, looking slightly uncomfortable, quickly spoke up. "So, what was your favorite part of the movie?"
"Oh, the kiss at the end, definitely," Tammy smiled, her eyes sparkling. "It was so passionate! You could see that she just couldn't resist Jack any longer…"
Lizzie frowned. "But poor Will," she objected. "I felt so sorry for him. He spent the whole movie risking his life for Elizabeth and she goes off and kisses another guy!"
"I know," Tammy agreed. "But some things are just – uncontrollable." She sighed, her eyes drifting over Lizzie's shoulder to Jonathan, at the counter getting ice cream. "Sometimes you meet someone, and they're the most amazing person you've ever met, and they wake something up in you…Elizabeth had the perfect life, but Jack…gave her more. He made her feel alive. That's irresistible!"
Lizzie sniffed. "But Will was there for her. He fought for her, he protected her…" Unconsciously, she rubbed her pregnant belly. "When someone stands by you like that when no one else will, and understands you, and commits to be there for you no matter how hard…that's the most important thing." Suddenly she smiled. "Besides, he's played by Orlando Bloom, come on!"
Tammy grinned. "Hey, Johnny Depp's hot too! I guess we both like them tall, dark and handsome, huh?" Both girls laughed.
Jonathan appeared, carrying three ice cream cones. "What's so funny?" he asked, sitting down and handing one cone to Lizzie and the other to Tammy.
"Sssh, don't tell," Tammy ordered Lizzie, who nodded. "Who was your favorite character in the movie?" she asked Jonathan, licking her ice cream in between words. "If you had to pick one, who would you choose?"
Jonathan took several licks of his ice cream cone thoughtfully. "Well, Jack is cool, and funny, but he gets everything screwed up," he observed. "Will's got that whole super good guy thing going, and he's the only one who you can really count on…but he doesn't have as many funny lines." Jonathan took a few more licks. "I'd have to say…Elizabeth!"
Lizzie and Tammy look taken aback. "Oh, because she's the hot girl?" Tammy asked sarcastically. Lizzie sniffed. "As if that matters. Men are SO shallow."
Jonathan laughed. "Ha! First of all, it's not because she's a hot chick." He grinned. "Well, it's not all because she's a hot chick. But look at what she does – no one thinks she can get what she wants, but she goes for it anyway, and she doesn't let anything stop her. And in the end, she's the one who'll get to decide between Jack and Will, right? So that means she's in charge. She's the real pirate in the movie, too. Kiss one guy, leave him to die, and go off with the other one? Nice work if you can get it."
The girls rolled their eyes. "And second of all," Jonathan continued. "If you can pick Jack because of Johnny Depp," he said, pointing at Tammy, "and you can pick Will because of Orlando Bloom," now he pointed at Lizzie. Both girls looked abashed. "Then I can pick the hot pirate chick if I want. Fair's fair, after all."
"As long as you don't expect me to dress like a pirate," Tammy warned teasingly. Jonathan put his arm around her. "Those clothes would not suit you at all," he quoted, in his very best Captain Jack voice, as she giggled. "It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in our room."
"Ooh, I love it when you play Captain Jack," Tammy teased. He kissed the side of her neck as she laughed.
Lizzie looked away, licking at her ice cream. "Well, I'm still holding out for Will," she muttered to herself, as Jonathan and Tammy continued to kiss. "There's always the third movie, after all." She grinned suddenly. "Different versions, same story…and all are true."
"What's that, Lizzie?" Jonathan asked, looking up. Tammy's eyes followed his, although she remained in his arms, leading against him.
Lizzie smiled. "Oh, nothing." She started eating her ice cream. "Just remembering how much I like pirates. 'Take what you can, give nothing back!' and all that."
"Words to live by," Jonathan agreed. "I just hope the next one doesn't suck."
Lizzie shrugged. "Things will work out as they're meant to work out," she replied, her eyes very green. She laughed. "And you never do know what the next part of the story will bring!"
