Author's Note: Chapter 2 is up! This is just the beginning, but there will be much more action than this. But I needed Jack to be awake for all of this to happen. It may be a little bit confusing, so let me explain. Sleeping Beauty, the fairy tale has the princess condemned to die, but she fell into deep sleep, but with the kiss from her prince/beloved whatever you want to call him she was restored life. Kind of like that, you could say that Jack was awakened by the kiss of rum, if you will... I was trying to be creative. Well, enjoy, please tell me what you all think of it!
Chapter 2
Sleeping Beauty
Elizabeth sat limply beside Jack Sparrow, still unable to recover from his ordeal with the Kraken. Whatever had happened to him had left him unable to gain consciousness, leaving a frightened Elizabeth in his wake. She stared at the man that she loved, hoping, praying that it wasn't too late. What would happen to her if he didn't make it through? What would she do if he died? Surely she would have to live with the guilt of having killed him. Surely she will have to face life without the one she loved most. Her heart was interpreted by the compass that Jack had left in her possession. Even now, when she checked almost daily, it pointed directly at Jack. It was her heart's desire.
Another tonic had been fed to him in hopes that it would arouse him from his "deep slumber." However, like all of the other's, it seemed to have no effect. She took a casket that lay nearby and smelled it's contents. Rum. She remembered how much Jack had loved his rum. She fed him a few drops. Wherever he was, he would be missing his rum.
Jack stirred slightly in his sleep, mumbling something. She had gotten used to his movements, but she still jerked back into reality when he did move, in hopes that maybe he would open his eyes and smile at her in that special way of his. However, like all the other times, it was just a false alarm. But wait, what was this? He muttered something in his sleep.
"Elizabeth," his voice said, loud and clear as day.
She was alert and tense.
"Elizabeth," Jack said again, a bit louder this time.
"Jack," she grasped his hand tightly in her's. "Jack, I'm here. Can you hear me?" she searched frantically for any sign of awakening.
His murmurs became indecipherable as his speech became slurred and silence filled the room again. Elizabeth felt anger and disappointment run through her entire body. She SO wanted to hear his voice tell her stories of his adventures and to call her "luv" again.
"Jack! Damn it! Why won't you wake up? You've survived every other ordeal in your life, why can't you survive this one? You've slept for four weeks straight! That's enough!" letting go of his hand and standing up, shouting in fury and anguish.
"Sorry luv, it's been a quite tiring ordeal getting out of the Kraken's stomach," although Jack's eyes remained closed, he spoke with that same tone and it certainly didn't seem like a dream.
Elizabeth limply kneeled on the ground near Jack's head. "Jack?" she whispered, all of her anger gone.
"Yes luv, it's me in the flesh," his black eyelashes fluttered open to reveal his deep, rich brown eyes that glinted with amusement. He sat up for the first time in weeks and strectched before he looked down at Elizabeth with what seemed to be the beginning of his trademark grin. "That's quite some anger you've got bottled up inside you," he chuckled slightly, still watching Elizabeth's speechlessness and her blank expression, her mouth slightly open.
"Oh come now. Captain Jack Sparrow is good looking, but to stare at me like that openly is intimidating. Makes me blush," he added playfully.
None of his silly antics made her exasperated anymore. Just to have him talking again was enough for her to be thankful. "Oh Jack," she embraced him something fierce.
Jack was surprisingly serious about the whole thing and put his arms around her as well and spoke softly. "Elizabeth. It's alright,"
His kind tone just brought the tears faster than anything else. "Jack, I thought that you would never wake up again. I thought I have killed you for sure," she sobbed into his chest. "I never meant for you to end up as good as dead for a month! I wanted you to survive through this like you survived all of the other things in your life! I just... I just wanted..." she drifted off.
The two stayed like this for a moment, Elizabeth's sobs receding. She buried her head into his chest, breathing in his so familiar scent of rum, the sea, and spices of some distant country that he had gone to.
"There, doesn't that feel much better?" Jack asked. "If you ask me, the best medicine for feeling so glum is a bottle of rum," he had broken the moment.
Elizabeth finally pulled away from him, giving him a look that soon gave way to laughter that truly sounded genuine. "You and your rum. God, nothing can ever keep you two apart,"
"You're right. Now, where is the rest of that rum you fed me?" he asked. But before he got an answer out of her, Tia opened the cabin door and came in to see Jack and Elizabeth.
"Ah, Jack. You've finally awaken. How was your slumber?" she asked, her lips curving into a smile.
"Refreshing, yet, somewhat unfulfilling," he frowned. "There was no rum,"
Tia cackled softly. "Ah, yes, Jack Sparrow and his rum. But it seems that the sea and drink are not the only things in his heart," she smiled widely as she finished mysteriously.
Jack stared at her, his expression not giving away his feelings. "You're right. I enjoy the company of women as well," he added, with a smile.
Tia didn't seem fluctuated by his bluntness. She merely widened her smile and looked knowingly at Jack. "I see into your soul. I see your deepest desires," she looked straight into Jack's eyes as if expecting to see something there.
This did not intimidate Jack at all. He merely answered in his ordinary way. "Well, at this point, my deepest desire is to get out of this cabin and perhaps see the world and feel a ship rocking underneath my feet again," he smiled.
Elizabeth's face was furiously red and she had leapt out of Jack's touch the second that Tia had entered the cabin. She was standing off in the corner , fidgeting slightly, wondering what exactly she was going to do. Tia and Jack continued to talk a bit about this and that and in a sudden movement, Elizabeth ran towards the door and threw it open, running towards the other slightly larger cabin where the rest of the crew was staying at. She caught sight of Will as he was walking towards his cabin.
"WILL!" she shouted at him, still running towards him, her hair flying behind her.
"Elizabeth?" he said, curious as to why she was running towards him so urgently.
When she reached him, panting, she told him the good news. "Jack," she breathed in bursts.
Will's expression instantly changed to one of concern. "What about him?"
Elizabeth smiled widely, showing relief and happiness in every inch of her face. "He's awake. He's alive!" she laughed even though she was short of breath.
Mr. Gibbs had just come out of the cabin. "What's goin' on out 'ere?" he said, somehwat irritated.
"Jack's awake!" Elizabeth fairly shouted in happiness.
Mr. Gibbs's expression became light. "Really?" he went back into the cabin and yelled. "Captain's awake! He's awake!"
All of them started to rush out of the cabin in joy. Cotton's croak of, "He's awake, he's awake!" could be heard over the racket of thudding feet and the movement of all those men.
Elizabeth stood beaming brightly at the lot of them, her whole being fairly glowing in happiness. She looked at Will for a second, her expression questioning. Will had accepted that she loved Jack, and he smiled back almost genuinely and gestured for her to go. Her embarrassment from a few minutes ago completely forgotten she rushed to the cabin, wondering how Jack was reacting to all of those men crowded into the one little cabin. She lingered by the window, looking in at the truly happy faces of those pirates. Despite their appearance, they had been misinterpreted all throughout time. They were the most kind-hearted people in the world. Their loyalty to their Captain truly showed that they were truly devoted people, despite all other contradictions.
She ran to find a bottle of rum to celebrate.
Meanwhile, Will held back, wanting to talk to Jack at a later time, when there were alone. And when he had finished putting his thoughts together.
Within the bustling cabin, Ragetti acted as though it was his duty to feed his Captain some of his mother's remedy that he had remembered. He came back with a bowl of it. Apparently he had made it himself.
"She used to say that it would cure any ailment, she did," he said, nodding and trying to feed the Captain some of it.
Jack made a face at it and pushed away the bowl. "What exactly do you take me for? I just survived the Kraken, I don't need anything else that will test my ability to live! I may be Captain Jack Sparrow but there's just only so much I can take!" he fairly roared at Ragetti.
"Captain, this would make ye feel fit in no time, if you'd just take a bit of it..." he shoved forth a spoonful of it towards Jack's face.
"I said no and I mean no!"
Elizabeth returned with her prize for Jack and knocked upon his door.
Carefully evading Ragetti's spoon that was pushed forth towards his face he called out. "Come in!"
Elizabeth walked in with a smile upon her face and some of the color coming back into her cheeks. "Captain! I've brought you some..." she drifted off at the sight of Raggetti trying to feed Jack. "Oh," she said faintly, a mischievious glint coming back into her eye. "I've come at a bad time. I'm sorry, Ragetti, Jack. I'll be back later," she smiled and curtsied slightly before retreating.
"No! Stop! Elizabeth," Jack smoothly stood up from his bed and made his way towards Elizabeth while Ragetti followed him with his eyes, the spoon still in his hand.
Elizabeth turned around and hid the bottle of rum behind her. "Yes?" she asked with a cock of her head.
"It's been such a while since we were able to talk," he smiled, his gold teeth glinting.
She looked into his eyes with a straight face. "Yes, so it would seem," she answered patiently.
"Why don't you stay awhile and chat, you know, to catch up a bit," he gestured towards a chair at a small round table.
"Jack," she said, her voice sounded as if she were speaking to a younger child.
He raised his eyebrows and looked intently at her, awaiting her response. "Jack. My main concern is that you return to your normal health and the only way that I can do that is by leaving you in peace to rest. So, when you are better, we shall have a wonderful conversation. But until then, you will stay here and," Elizabeth looked over at Ragetti who was holding his bowl and spoon. "Oh look, Ragetti was kind enough to make you some broth. I suggest you take some of that," in a swift movement, she had walked to the door and opened it, and was already on the other side of it, sticking her head out into the cabin. "Oh, and um, do be careful and don't do anything rash," she added before closing the door.
Jack stared at the brown door for a moment. "Now what is that supposed to mean?"
"Um, Captain," Ragetti said again. "Ms. Elizabeth wanted you to take some of this," he had gotten up from the stool and was slowly making his way towards Jack, spoon in his outstretched hand.
Jack's face was struck with the same look of disgust and terror again.
Elizabeth walked out of the cabin with a smile playing on her lips and a laugh rose out of her. She just couldn't help it. Like the fairy tales she had been read, there was a happy ending to the tremor. Things were all alright now. Jack was back.
