Chapter 4
"Do you understand what you're supposed to do, love?" Jack asked.
"I do." The words barely escaped her lips. "But what if he insists?"
"He won't. Now, here's my pistol, be sure to keep it close. Follow the plan and all will be well."
He admires her as she stands wearing the plum coloured dress that Barbossa had first introduced her to, and he thought she looked the part of a Goddess when she wore it. Jack had insisted that she wear it now.
They were anchored offshore and in the distance she could see the shores of Isla Cruces, she climbed into the longboad and started towards it.
After a few minutes, Elizabeth reached the sandy shoreline of the island, she pulled the boat up as far as she could, then began to make her way to the old church where Jack had instructed her to go. As she came into view of it, she saw two figures in the foreground, shovels in of their hands. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the forms immediately. Norrington and Will. Her heart pounding in her ears, she was going entirely on Jack's word now, she prayed he was telling her the truth. Norrington spotted her first and dropped his shovel onto the ground.
"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Swann. Come to visit your latest ex-fiance?"
The words were difficult to execute, but she struggled until they eventually released.
"Captain Sparrow sent me."
"I'm sure he did. Where is the gallant pirate captain, anyway?"
"Offshore. He says he's come to offer you a deal."
Norrington laughs at this. "I knew it! Offer me a deal? It seems to me it should be the other way around, but then again, I don't think I could come up with an offer that would satisfy him. Only a person with no regard for others could achieve that."
Elizabeth looks away, "he says if you're interested, you should meet him onboard the Flying Dutchman."
Norrington, seeing an opportunity, decides to take him up on the offer.
"Maybe I shall, Miss Swann. I'll quite enjoy watching the two of you suffer, each at the other's expense. Quite satisfying indeed."
"Gentlemen! To the boats! We've got a pirate to meet with, but first, I think Lord Beckett would be very interested in watching this first hand."
Norrington and the soldiers left for the longboats which left Elizabeth alone with Will for the first time. He had barely looked at her when she arrived, and even now he stood watching Norrington and his men launch the boats and sail to their waiting ship to collect Lord Beckett.
"Will..." Elizabeth said softly.
"How could you?" Will hissed as he whirled around to face her. "How could you condemn my father like you did? You knew I wanted to save him!" He glared at her, hate burning in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry. I...I thought.."
"Did you, Elizabeth? Did you think?" he snapped. "Yes, you probably did. You and Jack came up with this. Hand over the chest to Beckett and in return secure the freedom of you and Jack in the form of a Letter of Marque. Of course instructing him to stab the heart in order to rid the sea of Davy Jones completely, along with all the doomed souls onboard was an act of brilliance on your part. Selfish brilliance!"
"I simply instructed James to hand over the heart to Beckett in exchange for his freedom and the letters, I didn't tell Beckett to stab it!" Elizabeth retorted.
"Then who did, Elizabeth?"
She only had to think a moment and the answer came to her in a blinding flash.
"Jack! Why would he..." she whispered. Now she had to decide if she was still going to trust him, it took her only a moment to make her decision.
"I'm going to kill him!" Will angrily exclaimed as he started to push past Elizabeth and head for the boats.
'No." she ordered, "you'll do no such thing." She pulled out the pistol that Jack had given her, and aimed it at Will.
He chuckled, "Still protecting him, I see."
"Will, listen to me. You've got to trust Jack...and me. Your father will be free."
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" he scoffed. "Forgive me, if I find your request a bit difficult to accommodate."
"Please Will..."
But Will pushed past Elizabeth and started towards the shore, knife drawn and at the ready. He was furious and Elizabeth could see this, she ran up behind him in a final attempt to stop him. She steps in front of him and he stops dead in his tracks to avoid walking into her.
"You promised! You promised me freedom and now you're going to kill Jack after all the sacrifices we've made? I thought you were a good man?" she said angrily.
"That was before I realized that I was putting my own father in greater jeopardy. You lied, Elizabeth! You betrayed me! You knew the consequences of these actions yet you didn't say a word, and now my father is about to go to a worse place than he is now."
"You've got to trust Jack! You really..." But before she could finish Will interrupted again.
"The only thing I've got to do, is put an end to this madness. Now move out of my way!" he commanded.
"I'm sorry, Will. I'm holding you to your word. I know you're a good man, too." Elizabeth said firmly as she raised Jack's pistol. "I love you!" she says softly as tears fill her eyes. She squeezes the trigger.