Elizabeth stared at the large expanse of sea under the black sky. She wasn't sure why she planted herself there in the very same spot like clockwork every night since Will left for the past three months. It was as if she subconsciously thought doing so could bring Will back to her, or anyone from her former crew for that matter. Elizabeth was forever changed from her time spent at sea. She wasn't sure why she ever thought she could easily return to a life on land, now a stranger in her own forgotten erstwhile way of life.
She felt shattering grief spread from her heart, constricting her lungs. She shut her eyes tight and clasped a hand over her mouth and let the nightly ritual wash over her. Elizabeth fell into the familiar pastime easily. She curled up into herself, ignoring the rusting of the bushes as she focused on trying to remain as restrained as possible through the tears.
"Think if you cry enough you'll form an eighth sea you can sail upon?"
Elizabeth started at the voice and looked up. Recognizing the man that stood before her in an instant, her heart leapt just before she did.
"Jack!"
Elizabeth rose to her feet and threw her arms around him, her smile falling when he untangled her arms from him near-instantly.
"Before all that, I need answers, missy." Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "What's all this?" he gestured to her standing tearful before him and she brushed the back of her hand along her check then resigned to her familiar seat in the sand.
"Isn't it obvious?" Elizabeth looked to Jack with a furrowed brow, aware once more of her grief. "I miss Will," she spoke between a fresh wave of cries, wiping away tears and wishing she could wipe away how young her voice sounded as well, too honest, too helpless.
"And what else?" he prompted, and the question made her face flush some which she ignored.
"I miss sailing," Elizabeth added, playing with her hands in her lap, turning over words in her mind. She was sure to choose her words from here on out carefully. "I miss… all of you. All of you and all of our journeys, like sailing among the stars."
"Sailing among the stars?" Jack echoed.
Elizabeth took a shaking breath, remembering he wasn't with them then. "Yes. When we were off saving you from the Locker. We sailed among the stars. A complicated yet wonderful memory."
A thoughtful look washed over Jack's face as he watched her scrub away at more tears. Jack sat down next to her and leaned in close to her ear nearly in the same motion.
"There are stars in the sea too, you know," he whispered.
"I know of star fish, Jack."
"Not star fish, Swann," he countered, a smile pulling at his lips as he nudged her shoulder with his own. He pointed downward. "At the bottom of the ocean. Stars."
Elizabeth looked to Jack incredulously then scrunched up her nose, shaking her head, her tears momentarily forgotten as she spoke through a smile, "You're teasing. Well, you won't make a fool of me."
"No, you do a fine show of that on your own." Jack ignored Elizabeth's gaping mouth at the insult. "There is a balance to the world, Lizzie. Stars in the sky, stars in the sea. It's only sensible." He looked to Elizabeth expectantly, as if the simple explanation was enough to convince her. "Don't believe me?"
"Jack," Elizabeth started, her eyebrows shooting up at his complete seriousness, "that's ridiculous."
"You've witnessed matters of similar brilliance and strangeness."
Elizabeth pulled her knees closer to her chest and looked up at the stars. She wished to sail through the sky again, still not close enough to touch the stars but closer than on the ground.
"I suppose you're right." She turned to look at Jack again, tucking hair away from her eyes. "Sea stars," she whispered, wondering what the sight might look like, "they're sure to be beautiful."
"Breathtakingly so. I was going to save this for dire times but a crying Lizzie seems to fit the bill." Jack stood then fished into his pocket, his hands clasped around an object. "Elizabeth, want to see the sea stars with me?"
"Oh, yes, I'd love to, Jack," she replied sarcastically.
Jack grabbed Elizabeth by the hand then up to her feet and started trekking towards the longboat in a rushed pace.
"Where are you taking me?"
"You said you wanted to see the stars."
"As a joke!" Elizabeth said, exasperated, forcing her hand from Jack's grasp. "They can't be real."
Jack took her by the arms just before his boat. "Stop with that or it won't work," he muttered the instruction. "Do you believe I know the ways of the sea, Swann? Do you believe Tia Dalma—Calypso—made one last trade with me before her soul joined with water one again? Do you still believe in wondrous things?"
"I," Elizabeth swallowed down her words, wavering under Jack's intense gaze. "In all those things, yes. Yes, I do."
"Well then, we're set."
Jack helped Elizabeth onto the boat and pushed it out to sea then boarded himself. Elizabeth toyed with the ribbon of her dress tied in a bow at the center of her chest as she looked out to the open water.
"We won't go too far, will we?" she asked, her mind thinking of Will's heart stowed away in her room.
"No, dearie, just far enough."
Elizabeth peered up into the dark sky, hoping she wouldn't be put in grave danger as tended to happen to her when Jack was around. She didn't have the fight for that now. She needed rest. She needed time alone still, to heal.
"Alright," Jack said a stretch of silence and sea later. He turned and took Elizabeth's hand, opening her closed fist before dropping a sphere into her palm.
Elizabeth blinked at the marble, a mix of white and teal, like the pattern of thinned-out sea foam on the waters that meet the shoreline. She peered up to Jack who looked entirely genuine in his beliefs still.
"Think this is one of the ones you lost?" she murmured, tilting her head to the side.
"Funny, Swann," he replied flatly before closing her palm for her, both of his hands wrapped around hers. Jack closed his eyes. "You have to will us there."
"Why do I have to—?"
"I've done it once before. I can't again. That's the way of it, the way of the world." He peeked one eye open. "Well, go on then."
"Jack, I don't think I can—"
"Elizabeth." His voice sounded stern, almost like a parent, and she stared at him for a moment, shocked, before fluttering her eyes shut.
"Oh, marble, oh, marble," she started in a mumble.
"Oi, none of that. If you must talk, talk to the Sea."
"Oh, Sea," Elizabeth started instead, sighing out the words.
She paused then blinked her eyes open. Jack still had his shut, clearly believing this would work. Elizabeth looked upon her old friend—They were friends, weren't they?—and studied Jack more intently. He looked every bit the same, and yet, months apart from each other, she marveled upon him like a lost relic standing before her. If whatever she held in her palm held true power, would really take her to see stars at the bottom of the ocean, and he was allowing her to use it in her desperation, well, she reasoned Jack must care about her somewhat.
"Oh, Sea," she started again, genuine hope in her whisper. "Take us to escapism. Take us to a life outside of our own. Take us," she allowed her eyes to fall shut again, "to you."
"Now melt."
"What?"
Jack wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and she opened her eyes, looking up to him. She let out a short scream when she felt her legs sink through the ship. Elizabeth leaned forward into Jack, her arms scrambling around his middle. She pressed her face into his chest and clutched onto him tighter. She couldn't move her legs or her waist, the parts of her already submerged. It was too late to go back now.
Elizabeth looked down at the floorboards of the boat, so near now and took a gasping breath, unsure how much air she would need. She frowned some when Jack did the opposite, exhaling. It was a sigh of relief, the kind of sigh at a forgotten memory, at reuniting with someone dear again.
Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the last bit to hurt, but it didn't hurt at all. She was fully in the ocean through the floorboards of the boat and was breathing easily. She looked to Jack who gave her a closed-mouth smile. She looked around, noticing they were enclosed, safe, in a sphere that was a mixture of designs, like sea foam, like—
They were resting within the very object he dropped into her palm moments before. She looked to Jack in disbelief and he laughed in reply. Only, he didn't, because she couldn't hear a thing.
The sphere emitted a soft white glow. Elizabeth stepped forward, pressing her hands against it. She blinked in pure wonder. She felt safe. What a wonderful, foreign feeling.
She felt a grip on her hand and, instinctively, her mouth dropped open in a silent yelp when she was tugged down. Jack, sitting cross-legged once more, had pulled her down to sit next to him. Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest at the rudeness. He could have asked. But then again, he actually couldn't have, could he?
Elizabeth turned her head and Jack was shaking his head at her, still softly smiling, then fixed his gaze back out at the sea.
Elizabeth was moon-eyed again, gazing upon the fish in the calm waters. She leaned into Jack's side some, testing if he would push her away. When he didn't, she sunk further into his shoulder before thinking, the hell with it, and nestled in close. She rested her head in his lap like she would when she was a little girl with her father by the fireplace as he would tell her a story before bed. She noticed Jack start, his hands fluttering overhead for a moment, unsure where to land. One hand found his knee and the other gently smoothed along Elizabeth's hair.
Wrapped up in the ocean, she felt utter bliss, utter peace, until sudden panic set in. Her heart started racing for a moment, wondering if they would see terrible sea beasts or dead bodies lost at sea or—
Seemingly sensing her panic, Elizabeth felt Jack's hand settle atop her own at her waist for a moment, his thumb smoothing over the back of her hand before returning to her hair. She willed the Sea to show them goodness and goodness alone. She couldn't take anything other than that right now.
The lower they fell, gliding to ocean floor, the more the sphere glowed, needing to project more light in the blackness. Elizabeth thought she imagined it at first, but she felt gentle rhythmic vibrations. Elizabeth's hands scattered across the floor of the sphere as she worked to sit upright when a mermaid swam by, all hair tangled with sea plants and shimmering reflective black scales. Singing, singing is what she had felt. Her head whipped around to face Jack, mouth gaping. Jack tipped her chin up closed then tilted her face back towards the ocean. Elizabeth watched on, her hands framing her face in disbelief, as more sea people swam by, teams and teams of them—men, women, and ones she couldn't decipher was which, not that it mattered. She gazed upon them, beautiful bodies bathed in brilliance and strangeness, a collection of welcomed differences, and all singing. Even if she could speak now, she would be speechless.
Elizabeth reached a hand forward and Jack pulled it back, slowly shaking his head. She leaned into his side again and watched longingly as the last of the crew swam on, two sea people with long, dark flowing hair with a little one between them, its hair stark white. Her heart warmed but ached at the same time watching the last figure of the group swim into the abyss. Elizabeth's sense of longing intensified with the last image. What a wonderful, foreign feeling, she thought for the second time that night, to have a family. Her hand drew to her chest, toying absentmindedly at the ribbon resting at her heart.
Her hand instinctively lifted to her eye but she paused, realizing her tears would just shed into more water.
Elizabeth reached for Jack's hands when the easy gliding of the sphere was disrupted by a suctioning pull. She looked to him and near-instantaneously Jack wrapped her in tight and close. Elizabeth screamed out of habit at the sudden jolt then drop. Her fingers dug into Jack's arms and she felt like the fall was never-ending, a much less pleasing descent, an almost painful pressure surrounding her until they finally landed and Jack had to steady her by the shoulders to stop her from falling forward into him.
Elizabeth blinked her eyes open and stood in an instant.
The sea stars. Jack told the truth.
She clapped her hands together, unable to help her excitement, not caring if she looked girlish. When she turned in a circle to meet Jack's eyes he was grinning, seemingly living through her first-time joy. He took her by the hand and started walking forward in a steady tread. The sphere circled around them yet propelled them forward. Elizabeth started off on a slow pace too, leaning her head back as she walked.
She felt a chill of wonderment roll through her body and more phantom tears roll down her cheeks. It was the most beautiful sight she ever saw. Sea stars were every bit as arresting as sky stars but the added element of the water waving and spiraling about them, smearing the glow like little paint strokes was like nothing else Elizabeth ever experienced.
Elizabeth turned into Jack. She took both of his hands and placed them at her waist. She pointed up and his eyes colored with understanding. Elizabeth raised her arms above her head and her mouth parted in inaudible laughter, but she was sure she would have sounded every bit like her youngest self, like a little girl, as that is the incarnation of herself that she felt like lifted up by Jack. He turned her slowly, circling and then dipping her, a steadying hand at her back. She laughed harder out of habit, her hands fluttering to her face from the joy bubbling in her stomach, unable to contain her excitement.
Jack lowered Elizabeth to the ground when the moment felt appropriate, her chest brushing against his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. She lowered her feet from pointed toes, allowing the soles of her feet to touch the sphere once again, flat. So many childhood dreams in a matter of moments, she realized, feeling every bit like the dancers she would see at the ballet.
She lowered her hands to her side and took a step back, looking to Jack who shared this moment with her, although he didn't have to. Maybe it was the sea stars, breathtaking and inspiring, or maybe it was believing in taking the opportunity of fleeting moments, but Elizabeth reached forward, smoothing out Jack's collar with her thumbs only to pull him forward by it.
Elizabeth melded their lips together and felt Jack's mouth open in surprise. She took this opportunity to open the kiss further, pressing into him and Jack shuffled back, his hands splaying against the sphere. She let herself tumble forward, laying on top of him now, her legs parted on either side of him. She continued to kiss him searchingly, deeper and deeper, as if wondering how far she could go, trying to find that unexpected jolt that would bring wonder like the sudden pull to the ocean.
And there it was—Elizabeth laughed inaudibly, but it felt high and fluttering in her throat as she was rolled onto her back. She blinked her eyes open up at Jack, some of his hair falling over either shoulder. Elizabeth reached up to toy with a talisman charm fashioned at the end of one of his twisted locks of hair then refocused her eyes on him, suddenly breathless. Above her—kind eyes and wistful smile, backlit by the stars—Jack made Elizabeth breathless all over again.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him desperately, and she sucked in a gasping breath when she felt a hand slink up her leg, brushing against her inner-thigh, the other toying with the ribbon at the front of her dress.
Elizabeth hummed against Jack's mouth, reaching for both wrists. She felt him pause, but she only pulled both hands further into their curiosity, encouraging him.
A different kind of silent laugh entirely escaped from Elizabeth's lips as she felt fingers dip into her warmth, curling in and the other hand smoothing over her chest then the back of it tickling over her throat, an unspoken comfort. Jack kissed at her neck and she pulled him in closer, sure this was a dream, a wonderful dream. Only, her body's reaction felt so real. More real than any dream she had ever known.
She released herself into the act, figment or not. The both of them pulled at then pushed away clothing and Elizabeth allowed herself everything—tangling up with Jack, leaning up into him seemingly endlessly, save for when she blinked her eyes a moment to long and was suddenly over top of him, disoriented and ever-spiraling in a safe haven—an altogether new kind of dance. And when she released herself once more in a shuddering exhale, she blinked her eyes open and found herself standing back on the boat.
"Was it real?" she asked suddenly, not allowing a breath's time to pass before the question, her voice sounding unfamiliar after parting with it for so long.
"That's for you to say, love," Jack replied, his next words shocking her cold. "I didn't go with you."
"Yes, you did! You were there!" Elizabeth hit at Jack's chest playfully but when he silently shook his head, she looked away. She opened her palms, studying them helplessly. The sphere was nowhere to be found in all of its brilliance and strangeness. "I was certain you were there," Elizabeth said in a whisper, staring at the dark, open sea. She felt the familiar tightening of her chest followed by her throat.
"It was your escapism, Lizzie. All I could do was bestow my gift and," Jack paused and she turned to see him shrugging, "wait."
"Wait," Elizabeth echoed then kneeled to the floor of the boat. She peered over the edge, seeing her own messy reflection gazing up at her, wide-eyed and unsure. She reached forward, sweeping a hand across the water gently, longing for the sea stars and, admittedly, Jack's arms again. "I want to go back," she whispered. She turned to Jack and stood suddenly, grasping his arms with desperation. "Please, take me back."
"It's a one-time go, Swann. That's why I couldn't—"
"Take me back! Please, please. I'll do anything." Elizabeth's hands fluttered from his arms to his chest to his face. "Jack, I am begging you."
"The bottom of the ocean is no place for dwelling, Swann. It's an escape, not a life."
Elizabeth relaxed at Jack's words, finding an unintended truth in them.
"Maybe I don't want life," Elizabeth whispered, a shaking confession, then turned to stare back into the sea.
In a rush, she made for it, longing for the water to fill her ears and dull her senses, longing to melt into the ocean once more. But Jack's arms were around her before she had the chance, pulling her fully into the boat before she could fully jump over the edge. His arms held her tightly as she screamed and cried out, kicking and hitting against him. Jack pulled Elizabeth down to the floor of the boat and in close. Elizabeth let herself fall into Jack's chest and ride out the range of her cries. At first, she was surprised at herself, all shaking head and hysteric gasps, then angry with Jack, all fists at his chest and accusatory nonsensical sentences, then she accepted reality in time, her breathing regulating and living in the silence of long crocodile tears. Once Elizabeth felt as if nothing more than a silent weight against Jack, he steadied her upright and looked into her eyes, appearing troubled by her reaction. Elizabeth glanced away, humiliated and sick with her own actions until Jack hooked a finger under her chin. He offered an attempt a smile but it didn't meet his eyes which were still swimming with concern and uneasiness.
"What did you experience that was so great you lost all your senses, Swann?" Jack asked, his eyes searching. "Behaving something different, you were. Entirely un-Elizabeth-like."
Elizabeth blinked her eyes closed and she took a calming breath to stop herself from crying again. She wasn't sure she even had tears left at this point, finally ran dry. Jack was right again. She had behaved entirely un-Elizabeth-like, executing behavior lead by emotion and drastic decisions instead of logic and reasoning. Elizabeth opened her eyes and offered a performative smile of her own.
"Just," she paused, "the sea stars, Jack. You were right." A single tear fell from her eye as she nodded along with her words while gazing upon him. Elizabeth gave Jack a teary smile and her broken laughter danced in their shared silence. He returned her smile fully, none the wiser of the true beauty she witnessed on the ocean floor. Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat as she wiped another tear and spoke through an empty, gasping laugh. "Breathtakingly beautiful."
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Jack and buried her face in his neck. She held him close and, more importantly, in one place, not ever wanting to move from Jack's arms, not ever wanting to look over the boat's edge. She feared, if she did, the only reflection she would find would be her own, one more weight she couldn't bear.
