Reflection Chapter Two – The Truth and The Promise
Author's Note: Muhahaha! Chapter Two is here without delay! Thank you to all who are reading it! …If anyone is… checks hits counter. Shrugs Eh. Better than nothing.
Well, as always, please read and review!
--Captain Bloody Morgan Vane--
Jack shifted in the sand and tilted his head to one side, in thought.
"It's all I've ever had. It's the only thing that ever seemed to have meaning to me."
Elizabeth looked at Jack, who was still staring out to sea. She reached over, her hand cradling the side of his face, and she turned his head to face her.
"What about your parents?"
"My mother was a wench, my father was a merchant sailor," Jack said, shrugging his shoulders a bit, "My dad was never home, and mum was always 'busy'. I had to raise my little sister and brother all by myself."
"You had a little sister and brother?"
"Yeah. My little brother got Scarlet Fever when he was nine. He died within months; and after my mother died, my sister ran away from home."
Elizabeth put her head on Jack's shoulder and sighed.
"I'm so sorry."
Jack shrugged his shoulders again and put his arm around Elizabeth, pulling her close. Elizabeth didn't flinch; she merely sank closer into his warmth.
"That was one of the reasons I became a pirate. I wanted to explore and find my sister. She was all I had at the time."
"Jack," Elizabeth said, "do you think we'll get off this island?"
"Do you want the truth?"
Elizabeth nodded and Jack looked down at Elizabeth.
"I'm not sure. It's always possible, but I don't think that we'll be off this island within the next two days."
"What about Will?"
Jack reached across Elizabeth for the rum bottle buried in the sand. He pulled the cork out and raised the bottle in the air.
"Here's to you, Will Turner."
Jack raised the bottom of the bottle to the sky, taking a long swig. Elizabeth took it from Jack's grasp and took a swig for herself. She put the bottle back in the sand and yawned loudly. Jack tried to hold back a laugh, but to no avail.
"Stop making fun of me, Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth said, punching Jack playfully in the shoulder. Jack pulled Elizabeth closer, so their faces were almost dangerously close.
"Elizabeth, promise me something."
"What is it, Jack?"
"That you come with me. On the Pearl, I mean. Will, too. Come with me where ever I go."
Elizabeth stared into Jack's eyes and reached up to cradle his face in her hands. With a gentle smile, Elizabeth replied, "I'll never leave your side."
She pulled his face close and kissed him softly on the lips, but with a hint of passion. Jack hesitated for a moment, and then pulled away from Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, I can't."
"You just did, Jack."
"What about Will?"
Elizabeth paused, and then stared down at the sand. She looked up at Jack, her eyes filled with both innocence and guilt.
"I'm…sorry."
With a comforting smile, Jack kissed Elizabeth on the forehead and stood.
"Get some sleep. You look tired, Elizabeth."
"What about you?"
"Me? I'll be fine," Jack said with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. He walked away from the fire and Elizabeth, down towards the shoreline. He sat and stared up at the moon, giant in the sky. His tired eyes focused out to sea, his mind wandering. His eyelids slowly closed, and Jack Sparrow fell backwards into the sand.
Elizabeth awoke just before sunrise. She sat up and looked around.
"So it wasn't just a dream…."
She stood and looked around for Jack, spotting him a number of feet away, out like a light. She started to take a step, but tripped over a rum bottle in the sand. She stumbled forward for a beat, then picking up the bottle, threw it into the fire out of frustration. She smiled proudly until there was a minor explosion from within the fire. Elizabeth flinched and covered her head. After a moment, she stood, staring at the fire and thinking. A coy smile spread across her face and she walked towards Jack's little hatch of supplies.
After an hour or so of lugging crates and barrels to the fire, Elizabeth began to toss the crates into the fire one by one. With each explosion of the alcohol, more smoke rose from the fire. Elizabeth only stopped once to take a few steps back and see how high the smoke rose. She continued tediously her work; but little did she know the other island inhabitant was waking from his slumber….
Jack was deep into a dream where he was alone on the deck of his ship, standing at the helm with his hands upon the wheel. He was muttering "A Pirate's Life for Me". He had a cheeky grin across his face until he randomly started to smell smoke.
Jack's eyes fluttered open and he stood, blinking the sleep from his kohl-lined eyes. He stared at the fire for a moment, the gears in his head a bit slow. His eyes grew wide and he screamed at Elizabeth. He ran towards the fire, flailing his arms madly.
"What—what are you doing! You've burnt all of the food, the shade…THE RUM!"
"Yes, the rum," Elizabeth defiantly replied, wiping some soot from her face.
"Why's the rum gone!"
"One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels; two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is looking for me. Do you think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it!"
"But," Jack stuttered, "Why's the rum gone?"
"Just wait, Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth said, flopping down into the sand, "Give it one hour, maybe two, and you will see white sails on that horizon."
Jack stared at Elizabeth in complete shock. He reached for his pistol and held it safely in his grasp. He hesitated for a moment, then put the pistol away and stormed off.
"Must have been terrible for you, Jack. Must have been terrible—WELL IT BLOODY IS NOW!" Jack yelled at the top of his lungs. Infuriated, he tried to get as far away from Elizabeth as possible. He stopped at the top of a sand dune to stare out to sea. The H.M.S. Dauntless was lowering a rowboat full of soldiers into the waters. They were headed towards the island. Jack let out a sigh of defeat.
"There will be no living with her after this."