"Elizabeth. It's almost time."
Heavy half-lidded eyes lift from the jagged scar set upon his chest to his almost ghostly pale features illuminated by the last flickering vestiges of the fire.
"So soon?" With a furrowed brow she turns to the rocky mouth of the cavern and the sun's slow but sure descent upon the weathered sediment. "But it hardly feels as if any time has passed at all."
Will remains silent, too silent for her liking. Her fingers toying absently in the soft sand beneath her fingertips as she waits for him to gather the courage to speak again.
"Is this what it will be like then, I wonder? The years we spend apart seemingly an eternity while the moments we spend together slip away faster than sand through a sieve?"
"The alternative was by far a worse fate to bear," He murmurs with a somewhat pointed glance, "A decade seems barely anything in comparison."
"Ten years," She lets her eyes drink their fill of his form while she can. Her lips trembling in despair though she will not let the tears fall, not now, "Oh Will, how shall I ever bear it alone?"
"You've an armada of unruly pirates to keep tabs on, Elizabeth," He offers her a soft smile as he glances over his shoulder, "Between their incessant bickering and a certain Captain's penchant for drunken buffoonery you'll certainly have your hands full."
"The Pearl's no doubt long gone by now," She mused with a wistful shake of her head, gaze darting to the cavern opening beyond before they return to him, "Indeed I think you and I should meet far sooner than I might ever find myself in the company of Jack Sparrow again."
"I think you'll find him no more capable of leaving you behind than I would wish to be." Will scoffs, a resigned sort of acceptance in his tone.
"Such an unlikely acquaintance now I think on it," Her head tilts just so as she ponders their relationship, "The three of us have indeed used each other to our own ends more than once. Yet despite everything, my murdering him included, he remains by far the truest friend I have ever known."
"A fact it took me a good long while to come to terms with believe me," Will admits, "But now I find myself never gladder for it under the circumstances."
"How so?" Her eyes follow him curiously as he moves about, his brow raising somewhat obviously as he pulls his shirt over his head.
"He's in love with you, Elizabeth."
She lets loose a rather indelicate snort. "In lust, perhaps once upon a time."
"I'm serious." Will pauses, breeches in hand to frown down at her as she rolls her eyes, mouth opening to voice an objection only to fall silent as she recalls the events that until now had been too painful or complicated to process.
Will's lifeless form lain upon the deck of the Dutchman as she begged him not to leave her.
Jack's resolve as he'd thrust the remnants of his sword into Will's limp fist and plunged it deep into the heart of Davy Jones.
Her despair as he'd dragged her away as the crew cut out her husband's heart and they'd watched the Dutchman surrender to the briny deep.
The way his chin rest upon her crown to whisper words of apology as she'd cried and screamed into his chest.
The way he'd kept her afloat until the Pearl could retrieve them because she hadn't the strength nor the will in those moments to do it herself.
The sudden joy that had blossomed across his face that mirrored her own as the Dutchman resurfaced with Will at the helm and side by side, they'd taken down the Endeavour.
…it would never have worked out between us…
…keep tellin' yeself that darlin'…
A deep-seated ache much like she'd experienced upon abandoning him to the Kraken suddenly settles in her heart and her eyes fall shut.
"It seems I owe Jack a great deal more than just an apology." She whispers.
"If it's forgiveness you seek, I think you'll find you already have it," Will offered softly, "He made you King after all."
"It suited his purpose at the time, nothing more."
"For one who sees the man behind the façade, despite his wishes otherwise, you can be quite obtuse when it comes to the blatantly obvious," Will scoffed, "No wonder you two bicker so, it must drive him mad."
She scowls as he moves to crouch before her, "Now is not the time for us to discuss other men with whom I've a penchant to quarrel with like a long-suffering spouse."
"No indeed, this is the only time we have to do it, which is precisely the reason I brought Jack up to begin with."
She chortles somewhat incredulously, "What on Earth does Jack have to do with-"
"Because you're in love with him too."
For a moment, she simply sits in shock, "Excuse me?"
"There's no point in denying it," His sigh is far beyond weary, "And time is far too short for us to bicker over what we both know to be true."
"I am not in love with Captain Sparrow…" She bit out, "I married you. I chose you!"
"I know you did," He assured her softly, hesitantly, "But I also know Jack's compass never lies."
"So what?" She scoffs, pulling on her vest and stomping about to find her boots, "You're basing your assumptions on a broken trinket now?"
"You know as well as I it's far from broken," He scowls back at her, "You may have chosen me, but you love him too, Elizabeth."
"This discussion is over."
"I want you to go to him."
"You what?" She gapes, her jacket slipping from her fingers as she stares somewhat incredulously at him.
"Please, just hear me out," Ever so gently he approached to gently grasp her hand, "You are my wife and I your husband, a vow till death do us part."
"Yes, I know," She sneers and jerks away, "I was there if you'd recall-"
"I'm not alive, nor will I ever be again!" He snapped, the hard facts of the matter suddenly hitting home as she stills in realisation, her face pained as he continues, "I will always love and protect you with everything I am, never doubt that even for a second, but there are things now beyond me to give you."
"What are you talking ab-?"
"A home, Elizabeth. A family," He sighed, "I cannot-"
"How little you know me these days husband-mine that you'd assume what I want in this life is to be bred and keep house." She uttered with a disappointed shake of her head, "I'm a pirate, Will, my place is on the sea with those of my brethren."
"Precisely," He murmured quietly, "Which is why I propose an accord."
"An accord?" She scoffed incredulously.
"Ten years with Jack for every one day with me." He bid, ignoring her snort.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Do we have an agreement?"
"We most certainly do not," She growled, "After all you do realise your proposition essentially equates me to nothing more than a- a trollop to be passed around!"
"Sharing yourself with two men whom love you more than life itself does not equate you to any such thing," He snapped, "Of the two of us you have always been the far more open-minded Elizabeth, or shall I have Jack persuade you himself-"
He made for the cave mouth and she gaped in shock, "You didn't-"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, of course I didn't," Will scoffed, "Admittedly though while you slept I went to summon the Pearl back so you might not be alone once I've left but I needn't have worried, he'd barely made it round the point before he came back to find you."
"Of course he did, he's a good man," She seethed, "Can you say the same about yourself?"
"I'm trying to be, believe me Elizabeth, I am," He pleaded, "I have no wish to part in such a way and I know I've been beyond selfish in the past, but I just want you to be happy."
She seemed taken back by that, though her face belied nothing. The fact she remained quiet however speaking volumes Will knew only all too well.
"Is that truly so much to ask for?" He queried softly, "That you do that for me?"
Her lip curled as if she might object but thinking better of it instead offers a small shrug of her shoulders.
"No, I suppose not."
Take what you can, give nothing back.
Except now she'd have everything she'd ever wanted wouldn't she? She'd take what she could and give everything she was back to the two men she adored most in this world and the next?
The idea certainly had merit. And the appeal…well she couldn't deny that either.
The man stood before her appeared more than adamant she embrace the offer presented her, the other…well…that was something else entirely. She'd never pegged Captain Jack Sparrow as a man with a penchant to want to share his things despite the frequency with which his beloved ship tended to fall into another's hands.
"Suppose I were to agree to this arrangement," She finally acquiesced, "The terms of which however being my own, save for whatever be relevant to you and enacted in my own time and in a manner in which I see fit should the circumstances prove your assumptions accurate."
He nodded, "Agreed."
"Very well then Captain Turner," She lifted her chin, ignoring his proffered hand when he offered it out to instead grasp at his shirt collar and proceed to devour his mouth before she pulled back with a somewhat half-hearted glare, "I accept."
-:-:-:-:-
Later that night she sits cross-legged upon the quarterdeck, the tears that had marred her cheeks now long since dried in the wind. Jack in his element at the helm, a bottle of rum in his hand and an oddly contented smirk upon his lips as he tilts a glance her way.
"See somethin' ye like, luv?"
She blinks, returning to herself somewhat as her eyes drift from their intent perusal of his rings that glisten hypnotically under the lamp light to greet his endlessly dark and mirthful gaze.
He was teasing she knew, a distraction from the pain that despite her earlier tears at Will's departure had steadily eased with just his presence alone. Not that she planned on enlightening him to that fact of course. At least not yet at any rate.
"Perhaps." She smirked as his fell away, his brow furrowing animatedly at the clearly unexpected retort though whether it be in confusion or concern she couldn't quite tell.
"Oh." He muttered somewhat intrigued though decidedly hesitant, the usually loquacious Captain quiet for a time before he shook himself off and shrugged seemingly satisfied with her answer and returned his attention to the wheel and his rum.
"Where are we heading, Jack?" She inquired, not really caring as to their destination but rather needing to hear the reassuring sound of his voice.
"Your kingdom of course, Your Grace," He offered with a small tip of his head and a flourish of hand, "Unless it be another port ye had in mind?"
"I don't think I'm quite ready to live up to your Father's expectations as King just yet," She mused, resting her head back against the woodgrain to observe the somewhat surprised raise of his brow, "What? Thought I'd missed that?"
He shrugged in an effort to appear unfazed, "Most people do."
"Most pirates, you mean?" She rolled her eyes pointedly, "Please, I'm neither blind nor drunk - a relatively new concept to most our brethren I'm sure - but honestly anyone with half a brain could see the resemblance. The clothes, the hair, the swagger - the charm-"
"Urgh, nope ye can stop righ' there," He interjected loudly, attempting to block his ears with his fingers, "I don't wanna hear it-"
"What's wrong Jack," Elizabeth teased as she took a long swig from her own bottle, "Jealous?"
She almost snorted her rum at the laugh his somewhat rather disturbed gape elicits.
"Relax Captain," She chuckled, eyeing the length of him appreciatively as he stood at the helm still quite in shock, "I didn't walk his plank if that's what you're worried about."
Narrowing his gaze Jack suddenly straightened and in two strides reached her to pluck the rum bottle from her lips and bellow for his first mate.
"Mister Gibbs it would appear it's time for Mrs Turner to retire for the evenin'-"
"That's Captain Swann, thank you very much," Elizabeth corrected primly, snatching back her drink as she drags herself to her feet before him, "And Mister Gibbs is already comatose in the galley, so if you don't mind I'll be seeing myself to bed where and when I'm good and bloody ready."
"Look now, what's got into you, Lizzie-girl?"
"It's my wedding night, Jack," She leant into him with a wicked smirk, "What do you think?"
"I think ye've had quite enough of that."
"Hardly seems fair you get to have all the fun," She retorts with a pout and moves the bottle out of reach before taking another swig, "What's wrong, Jack? Worried I'll make a fool of myself and proposition the crew?"
"You'll do nothin' o' the sort, my girl, so help me."
"Am I though?" She queries softly, "Your girl, that is?"
"What?"
"Do you love me, Jack?"
She notes with great intrigue the fact he doesn't instantly recoil at the question, but rather heaves a long-suffering sigh and returns to the helm. What's left of the bottle he's confiscated disappearing effortlessly in one mouthful. Elizabeth watching the movements of his throat with a slowly developing hunger that begs satiation as he attempts to prolong the seemingly inevitable admission.
"What am I to you, Jack?" She muses curiously, "Friend? Foe? Something more? Something less?"
"What do you want from me, Bess?" His reply is soft and resigned.
"If I were to say, everything. What would you think of me?"
"Far be it from me to deny you anything," He quips, though the teasing air he's affronted doesn't quite reach his eyes, "Much to the disapproval of your dearly departed husband-"
"This isn't about Will, this about us, Jack." She replies shortly, "And I want the truth. Please, I beg it of you. I deserve that much after everything we've been through."
"And I say again. When have I ever denied you anything?" He offers with a lop-sided smirk, "Though if it's honesty you want of me, then truth be known there are far better things in this world to do with ye time than waste it on self-serving cretins such as meself."
"Jack that's not true-"
"Let me finish, Bess. And mind you, and it might jus' be the rum talking," He continues, oddly stoic, "But as far as what my blackened, no good heart appears to want most in this world. Well, see for yourself."
He produces the compass in his hand as she meanders towards him. Her eyes leaving his surprisingly honest yet wary gaze to stare down at the device firmly at rest, pointed sure and true.
"Will was right."
"About a great many things, apparently." He agrees quietly.
"You've spoken then?"
"Briefly, aye."
"You know I still meant what I said that day," She tells him as she steps closer still, "I'm not sorry I kissed you. Glad of it, in fact. And I know you'll never forgive me for all I've done to slight you Jack, but you should know that I- I lo-"
"I know ye do, Bess," He acknowledges with a small nod. Long fingers gently brushing a strand of windswept gold from her cheek, "Only fair after all init?"
She chuckles at that, her breath rushing through her parched lips in relief.
"What a pair we make, hmmm," She sighs, "The both of us seemingly unable to admit aloud what the entire world is apparently already only more than aware of."
"We're pirates, love," He offers somewhat in consolation, "To admit such a thing is dangerous for all involved. So, we take what we can. Give nothing back."
"And will you?" She wonders, "Take everything that I am, that is?"
He smirks and tucks her tightly against his side as he steers them toward the horizon.
"Anytime, anywhere Bess. I'm yours."