It was near sunset now, and the golden rays of the sun shone down on over the island of Port Charles. It wasn't a particularly large island, especially compared to its cousin Jamaica not too far southeast, but it was populated well enough due to it serving as a stopover for ships heading between Port Royal and Havana. Even with a garrison of the King's troops, Port Charles was a sleepy island, and people went about their lives without bother. That being said, there were lush, green forests that isolated the local town from the lighthouse and cottage at the other end, offering privacy in that direction.
The Black Pearl was docked a little ways away from the lighthouse, up against a pier that extended from the sandy beaches just below the rocky cliffside. Up on top of the rolling hills and tall grass that was blowing in the wind, Henry and Carina were walking side-by-side with each other, both wearing new clothing that was in better condition than what they had previously had on. Henry was sporting a light brown jacket, light grey vest, and had his hair fixed neat in a ponytail once more. Carina was wearing a white dress with a flower pattern that she had received from Barbossa (though she didn't bother to ask where he had gotten it), and chose to keep her hair down.
Henry looked around the grassy plains where he had spent his boyhood. It had been quite some time since he had been home after he had joined up with the Royal Navy, a decision his mother was not particularly thrilled about. Nevertheless, he was home now, and he took a moment to reminisce about the days he spent playing here when he was a child, back when he was sheltered from the cruel realities of the world. He stops walking and turns around to view the sea beyond.
He thinks back now to almost ten years ago now, skipping through these fields with his mother following close behind him. The pair of them had stood at the edge of the cliffside, and his mother had wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close. They both stood looking out and watching the sun set over the horizon, waiting in anticipation. As the sun went down they saw a green flash in the distance, and after it had dissipated the Flying Dutchman had come into view, with his father hanging from the rigging and smiling at the sight of his wife and son.
That had been the happiest day of Henry's life.
"We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot," Henry started to sing in a low voice, "Drink up me hearties, yo-ho..."
"What's that?" Carina asked, turning her head towards him.
"Oh," Henry spoke up, "I was just remembering something is all. A song I learned as a boy."
"Oh, I see," Carina replied, and she turned away from Henry again. She didn't want to say anything right now, but she had remembered that that was the song that Jack had taught her while they were on the island. Just the mere thought of her father was enough to make her feel terrible on the inside, but she was able to fight back her urge to fall apart again. No amount of tears was going to bring him back.
Henry, sensing her distress, quickly changed the subject by asking, "How's your arm?"
Carina looked back over towards him while rubbing her right arm subconsciously, saying, "I'm fine. Little more than a scratch, really."
"I just feel terrible about it. I mean, I know I wasn't in control then, but I still feel-" Henry began, but Carina cut him off, saying, "You don't have to apologize, Henry. It wasn't your fault."
They looked at each other for a moment in silence, before they both turned their heads to gaze out into the ocean. Henry had put his hands together and exhaled, and Carina looked towards him again when he heard a slight strain in his breathing.
"Anyway, how's your arm feeling?" Carina asked, watching as Henry let go of his hand and started to flex the fingers in his right hand. It was a little stiff still, but nothing that time couldn't fix.
"Not so bad now, all things considered," Henry replied, "The pain's mostly stopped. Couple more weeks and it'll be good as new."
"It's remarkable how quickly it healed up," Carina commented, and Henry looked down at his forearm while nodding in agreement. The knife wound had caused him pain, but Henry was surprised that it didn't do more damage. Maybe he was just lucky.
Still, Henry couldn't shake this odd feeling he had, like something was amiss. Ever since Salazar had possessed him, he had this weird feeling that he couldn't quite describe. It wasn't anything bad or noticeable per se, but it was just... lingering.
When Carina looked away, Henry pulled back his right pocket, looking down and seeing the jewel he had taken from Poseidon's Tomb still glowing. He hadn't told anybody about it, not even Carina, and he was starting to wonder if he should at some point.
But not today. Today had far more important things going on than Henry's secret. It could wait.
The two of them stood in silence, which after a few moments was becoming a little awkward. They had so much to talk about, but neither would say a word. They just stood there, waiting for the other to break the ice.
"When Salazar took control of me," Henry began, deciding to break the silence, "I saw... things."
"What kinds of things?" Carina asked.
Henry took a deep breath, trying to figure out what he should say to her. There was no way he could possibly describe everything he had seen, and he had seen everything. Not just the brief glimpses of his parents' memories, but he had seen absolutely everything that Salazar had seen in his entire life. His ups, his downs, the suffering, the love... it was like when they had bonded he had somehow given Henry all of his memories, and it was as if he had lead two separate lives. Everything Salazar had felt, Henry had felt too.
"He was suffering, Carina," Henry spoke, "He had been through more pain than any man should have to endure."
He thought back not only to when he had died and was left cursed by the Devil's Triangle, but the memory of his family and never being able to see them again. In a way, Henry sympathized with Salazar, because he knew what it was like to have something keep separated from your loved ones. But not to the extent of which Salazar had suffered, not knowing what had become of his wife and sons.
"The Silent Mary wasn't just the name of his ship," Henry said, taking another deep breath, "I... I think I want to sail for Spain. One day."
Carina placed a hand against Henry's arm, listening to him lament on Salazar. She could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was being sincere about his pain. Carina hated that Spanish bastard with all her heart for the role he played in her father's death, but nevertheless took pity for Henry's sake. Besides, the idea of Salazar's suffering helped ease her conscience about her becoming a murderer.
But if she had the chance, she would do it all again.
Henry looked over towards Carina, who was facing out towards the sea. All at once, that feeling struck him again. Something within him stirred at the sight of her, something that had been present throughout the week he had known her. Now that everything had more or less settled down, with the Trident and Salazar both gone, Henry took a moment to think about what this was. Jack had said that he had the unscratchable itch, and was beginning to wonder if that was true. Carina was intelligent and beautiful, and if it hadn't been for her he would have been dead on multiple occasions.
Damn it, he was smitten with her.
"Hey," Henry spoke up, and Carina turned to face him. Henry doesn't know what compelled him, but he suddenly started to lean forward towards her face.
Before his lips could make contact with hers, Carina raised her hand and smacked Henry's face away from her.
Leaning back and rubbing his left cheek, a stunned Henry asked, "What was that all about?"
"Just checking that it's truly you," Carina replied with a smirk, "that you're not still a ghost."
Henry's confusion turned to amusement. He could now see the playful, deceptive nature of Jack in her, and he found himself wondering why he didn't notice it before.
"It's me," Henry told her with a laugh, and Carina laughed in response.
"Well, then I was-" Carina began, but Henry cut her off and finished with "Wrong. That's a first."
Carina laughed some more, and then she said, "Hey, I accepted the existence of the supernatural, didn't I?"
"I didn't hear you make any apologies for it," Henry smirked.
"Well, I wasn't exactly wrong, just... slightly in error. There's a difference," Carina finished, and Henry laughed again.
Carina studied Henry for a moment, and she realized that there was a certain charm to him that was infectious to her. She hardly had time to notice what with what they had both been dealing with, but now that they had time she could finally see Henry for who he was. He was caring, kind, and brave, noble traits that made him very... desirable. Upon examining her own thoughts, Carina was flustered at what she thought she was feeling. It was clear to her that Henry cared about her, but it wasn't until just now that Carina came to recognize that she might just care about him too.
The two of them started to lean closer to each other, their breath picking up as they drew nearer and their eyes shut. Without wasting another moment, their lips met.
The kiss was passionate, but slow but gentle. Henry placed his left arm on the small of her back, while Carina brought her hand up to the side of his face. In that moment, it felt right to them. Like it was meant to be.
After another few moments of kissing, the two broke away, slowly exhaling as they placed their foreheads against each other.
"Apology accepted," Henry joked, causing Carina to laugh.
"So, we're really doing this, huh?" Carina asked, opening her eyes to look at Henry.
"I guess we are," Henry answered her with a smile, pulling his head back away from hers. They smiled at each other, and then Henry realized what he was missing out on. He had been so caught up in trying away to free his father from his curse for so many years that he scarcely had time to think for himself. Jack was right, he had to live for himself too.
Carina suddenly gave him a half-smirk, and replied, "Indeed, Mr. Turner. Although..."
She paused and placed a hand on his chest.
"... I'm not sure if I am so inclined to initiate a romantic relationship with a eunuch," Carina teased, causing Henry to stammer.
"I- er- what?" Henry asked her, "Who told you that?"
"Ah, so it is true!" Carina had a devilish look upon her face as she said it.
"What? No, I'm not a eunuch!" Henry tried to retort, flabbergasted, to which Carina just laughed at his embarrassment.
"It's nothing to be ashamed with," Carina continued to tease, "You know, in Imperial Rome, eunuchs were among the happiest and most loyal of courtiers..."
"Oh, shut up," Henry laughed, playfully pushing her shoulder. The pair of them stood there just living in the moment with smiles on their faces.
Out of the corner of his eye, Henry thought he saw something, and so he turned his head towards the ocean and he saw a ship sailing into the bay. While Carina turned to face the ship as well, Henry reached inside his jacket and pulled out a spyglass, pointing it in the direction of the newly-arrived ship.
"The Dutchman," Henry remarked, recognizing the ship's unique design. But it looked different, somehow. The sails were no longer adorned with seaweed, but instead were clean and white as the clouds in the sky. The hull looked fully-formed and the wood looked as fresh as it could be.
The curse had been lifted from the haunted ship.
Henry thought he saw movement in the bottom part of his viewing lens, and he moved it down to see what it was. When the object came into focus, Henry's jaw dropped at what he saw.
His father was walking towards them.
The crustaceans that had built up on his face for so many years were now gone, and his naturally handsome features were no longer obscured. He was now walking on land, the first time he had done so for nearly ten years.
Will Turner was finally free.
Henry lowered his spyglass down, letting it drop into the grass by his side. He couldn't believe his eyes. His father was free from his curse, free to live as a mortal man once more.
Henry looked towards Carina with the most excited expression upon his face, to which Carina looked at him with a smile and nudged her head towards his father and said, "Well, go on then."
Henry smiled, and then looked back towards Will. Without another moment's hesitation, Henry stepped forward and walked through the tall grass towards his father.
Will had a look on his face that showed surprise and joy, and it remained that way as he walked closer to his son. Eventually, the two had gotten close enough to each other they stopped in place, staring at the other.
"Henry," Will spoke, his voice less hoarse than it had been before, still not believing what was going on nor that he was in the presence of his son once more. Henry continued to look at him with an overjoyed expression and replied, "Yes, father."
Will looked like he was about to break down in front of his son, and he leaned in and wrapped Henry in a tight embrace.
"My boy... my brave boy..." Will spoke gently, patting Henry's back, "Thank you for never forgetting about me."
"And I never will," Henry told him, his head pressed against his father's shoulder. He had waited so long for this day to come, and now it was finally here. Will was no longer bound to the Dutchman. He could come home.
Will pulled away from the embrace, and he put a hand around Henry's cheek while he surveyed him from top to bottom.
"Let me look at you, son," Will requested, and Henry laughed as he obliged him. Placing his hand on his son's shoulder, Will said, "God, you're all grown up now."
"You're here now," Henry said, "That's all that matters."
Will and Henry laughed for a brief moment, the both of them still amazed that this was happening right now.
"How did you do it?" Will asked, looping his arm around his son's shoulders as he started to walk up the hill. Henry wrapped his arm around his father's shoulders, and then Will continued, "How did you break the curse?"
"Let me tell you a tale," Henry said, still arm-in-arm with his father, "A tale of the greatest treasure known to man."
"That's a tale I want to hear," Will replied with a laugh, and Henry did the same.
As their grip on each other's shoulders loosened, father and son stopped walking when they saw something come into view just at the top of the hill in the direction of the tropical forest.
Her hair was long and golden, her complexion perfect beyond all compare. The years had been kind to an angelic creature like her. She was wearing a beautiful gown that she held up at the front and she rushed quickly up the hill, and she was more radiant in Will's eyes than any sunset ever would be. He had loved her since the day he had been rescued all those years ago, and that love for her was as strong now as it ever had been.
"Elizabeth..." Will lets her name escape from his lips, a gentle whisper as though anything louder would cause his voice to break. He pulled the green bandana off of his forehead, letting the evening wind blow his long, dark hair as he looked upon his wife again.
Elizabeth's lip began to tremble at the sight of her husband, whom she had seen only once in twenty years. She could not believe this was happening. Surely this had to be a beautiful, perfect dream, one that she prayed she did not have to wake up from as she did so many others.
But it was real. Will was free.
Dropping the bandana from his grasp, Will started to walk towards Elizabeth, picking up speed with every step he took towards his beloved. Elizabeth did the same, and she was practically running in the dress she was in towards Will.
"ELIZABETH!" Will shouted excitedly as he sprinted towards his wife, overcome with pure joy at the sight of her.
"WILL!" Elizabeth called out, beaming and showing off her perfect, white teeth as she drew nearer to her long-lost husband.
At long last, Will and Elizabeth stopped rushing towards each other and grabbed each other in a tight embrace. They held onto each other for a long while, trying to make up for all the years that they spent apart. This was the happiest they had ever felt in their whole lives.
"You're back!" Elizabeth exclaimed, trembling at the feeling of her husband's embrace.
"And I'm back for good," Will said, pulling his head back to look at Elizabeth in her soft eyes.
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked him, to which Will pulled away from his wife's embrace and took hold of her hand, placing it over his chest.
"Feel my heart," Will spoke in a low voice, and Elizabeth couldn't believe it when she felt his heart beating inside his chest. Incredulous, she pulled back Will's red shirt to see the scarring over where his heart had been cut out all those years ago. Somehow, his heart was no longer resting inside the Dead Man's Chest but was now beating inside him, proving to her that he was mortal once more.
"It beats for you," Will told her, "It's always been for you."
Elizabeth looked up into Will's eyes in shock, realizing now that he was free from the Dutchman's curse.
"How?" Elizabeth asked, caressing her husband's now-smooth face. Will smiled as he brought a hand up to hold onto the one stroking him.
"Henry," Will answered, "He saved me. Our son saved me, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth's lip started trembling again, and tears welled up in her eyes as her face broke out into a wide smile. She was so proud of her son in that moment, going above and beyond to secure his father's freedom. Now they could be a true family, something they all had wanted from the very beginning.
"I love you, Will Turner," Elizabeth told her husband.
"I love you, Elizabeth Swann," Will answered, and the two leaned in and started kissing each other passionately, wrapping their arms around each other once more.
Henry watched on as his parents were reunited with the biggest smile imaginable. He had been waiting for this day for a long time, but he knew that his mother had been waiting even longer for his father to return. He couldn't even begin to describe how jovial he was feeling at that moment at the mere sight of them being happy after so many years of hardship and separation.
Henry felt an arm being placed on his shoulder, and he turned his head to see Carina standing alongside him.
"Hey," Carina told him, smiling, "Go be with your family now, Mr. Turner."
Henry brought his hand up and patted the back of Carina's palm, smiling at her while he did so. Without another word, Henry looked towards his parents again and started to walk towards them.
"Mother, father," Henry said as he came near them.
Will and Elizabeth broke away from their kiss to see their son coming towards them, and Elizabeth called out, "Henry!"
"Come here, son," Will spoke, holding his arm open ready to pull him into an embrace. Henry accepted, and the Turners were soon consumed in a massive hug, the realization setting in that their family was whole once more and could never be broken.
Carina watched on from the sidelines, happy that Henry had finally reunited his family. She was glad to see them all content to be in each others' loving embrace, and why shouldn't she be? They had been through a lot. They deserved their happy ending.
But at that moment, Carina realized that she would never have this. The smile quickly disappeared from her face, and she couldn't bear the thought that this was something she would never be able to experience ever again.
Having a family.
Her mother and father were now both gone. Her mother had died of illness when she was a teenager, and she had watched as her father sacrificed himself to save her life.
Carina would never get her happy ending. But Henry had gotten his.
She had to look away from the Turners, the sight of their complete and whole family making her feel sick to her stomach. Carina was still happy for Henry; he had gotten everything he always wanted. But now, she had nothing.
She was alone. Again.
Looking back towards the ocean, she saw that the Dutchman had docked itself near the Pearl, and noticed that the crews from both ships were starting to walk up the hill. Barbossa, Gibbs, and Bootstrap Bill were at the front, while the pirates of the Pearl and the newly-liberated Dutchman crew followed behind them.
The Turners broke away from their reunion to see the crews slowly coming up the hills, solemn expressions on all of their faces. Will and Elizabeth were confused as to why they all looked so glum, but Henry knew the truth, and soon they would too.
They had gotten close enough now that Will spoke up and said, "Captain Barbossa."
"Captain Turner," Barbossa replied, his voice solemn as he leaned on his cane and the now-mortal Jack the Monkey rested on his shoulder, "Mrs. Turner."
Barbossa reached up and took his wide-brimmed hat off of his head, holding it over his chest as he continued to look solemnly at the Turner family.
Bootstrap Bill came up alongside, taking his own hat off. He gave a half-smile at the sight of his grandson, and said, "Hello, Henry. Nice to see you again."
"You as well, grandfather," Henry replied, recognizing the solemnity of the moment.
Gibbs came up forward, his usual cheery demeanor replaced with a deep look of sorrow.
"Will, Miss Elizabeth," he remarked, hands held in front of him.
As more pirates came forward and took their hats off, mournful expressions on all their faces, Will and Elizabeth were getting more concerned by the moment with their behavior. What was going on?
But it was then that Will realized that something was terribly wrong.
"Where's Jack?" Will asked, dreading the answer.
None needed to be spoken.
Elizabeth cupped her hands over her mouth. Will stood there looking incredulous at Barbossa, hoping that it had to have been some kind of mistake.
"No..." Will spoke, "No... it's not possible."
"I'm sorry," Barbossa uttered, and Will was shocked beyond belief. There was no way that it could possibly be true. Jack couldn't be gone. He had escaped the clutches of death before, he most certainly could do it again.
"Oh God. Jack..." Will let out a somber voice, his joy of having being reunited with his wife and son crushed by the weight of hearing of what had become of his closest friend.
"There must be something we can do, is there?" Elizabeth worriedly asked Barbossa, "We saved him before, didn't we?"
"Aye, but where he be goin' we cannot go," Barbossa remarked, and with that, Elizabeth buried her head in her husband's shoulder, and Will wrapped his arms around his wife doing his best to console her. Will was still trying to process what had just happened. He still couldn't believe it. Jack Sparrow couldn't be dead.
"He went on his own terms, that he did," Barbossa remarked, placing his hat back atop his head, "A pirate 'till the very end."
With that, the rest of the crews placed their hats atop their heads and started to walk forward. Owing to the solemnity of the occasion, Will and Elizabeth led the pirates up to their cottage so that they could properly mourn.
Henry remained where he was, waiting for everyone to leave before following behind them. Once they all started to walk towards the cottage, Henry saw Carina standing by herself, her head drooped down while facing the direction of the sea.
"Carina," Henry spoke, causing Carina to lift her head and turn around to face him. Henry then extended his hand forward and gently said, "Come on."
Carina, still grieving from the loss, walked towards Henry after a moment of hesitation and took his hand. They then continued to walk hand-in-hand towards the cottage while the sun lowered itself into the endless sea.
Even though the cottage was of modest size, the dining area was large enough to accommodate for the number of men of both the Pearl and the Dutchman's crews. Will and Elizabeth needn't worry about providing for their guests; they had brought plenty of rum from the ships for this.
As day turned into night, the pirates were gathered around the dining room table, drinking and conversing with one another. Some were recounting the events of the battle with the Silent Mary and the Royal Navy, others were reminiscing on their lives as pirates and all the adventures they had been on, and some were just passing the time either with pleasant little conversations or remembrance of the fallen captain.
It seemed as if Jack had an impact in everyone's life at one point or another.
Henry was over with his mother, father, and grandfather, telling them the story of his quest to find the Trident of Poseidon, from the Devil's Triangle to Poseidon's Tomb and everything in-between.
Pintel and Ragetti were having a quiet argument with Murtogg and Mullroy about who performed the most courageously under fire when they were surrounded by British ships.
Marty and Cotton had clinked their cups together and drank down their rum. Cotton's parrot squawked, and Marty refilled Cotton's glass for him. He then raised his cup up to the bird perched on his shoulder, and the parrot dipped its beak inside. Marty and Cotton chuckled at the sight.
Gibbs was sitting by himself in a chair in a corner, drinking out of his flask and looking absolutely miserable. He ran a hand down his face, still not being able to comprehend the loss. He had served by Jack's side dutifully for so many years, and now he was gone just like that. Of all the crew, Gibbs took the loss the hardest. Probably the only person in the cottage right now who felt worse than Gibbs was Carina.
Carina sat towards the end of the table next to Henry, who was adjacent to Will and Elizabeth who were at the end of the table. She looked down at her cup, watching the rum inside rest there undisturbed. She had not touched a drop, because right now she was in such grief that it barely registered to her that the cup lay in front of her. While everyone else either mourned or made merry with the time they had, Carina sat in her chair in dead silence, almost invisible to the gathering around her. She wishes that were true, that she could just disappear and not have to be around anyone right now.
"Ahem," Barbossa cleared his throat, and everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face the aging pirate that was sitting at the other end of the table.
After refilling his cup, Barbossa spoke again and said, "We be gathered here tonight to acknowledge... a really terrible loss."
Barbossa knew that was an understatement.
"Jack Sparrow was a rare sort, uncommon amongst all pirates," Barbossa continued, "While we all sought gold and plunder, Jack always looked ahead to the next adventure up in the distance. He knew, as well as any of us do, what it meant to be a pirate. To be free. But what made him stand out in our lot was the way he used that freedom. He cared not for sacking towns or accruing wealth, but for an idea that extends beyond this cruel, mortal life in which we live in. He always knew that there would be something more to look forward to, something beyond the edges of the map, in which we all hope to achieve."
Barbossa stood himself up, grabbed hold of his cup, and resumed his eulogy.
"He was an eccentric sort too," Barbossa continued, chuckling at the thought, "He was so silver-tongued ye'd swear he kept a Spanish dollar in his mouth."
Many of the pirates laughed at Barbossa's joke, knowing his words to be true. But at the same time, they came to see that they'd never get to hear his witty mannerisms and quips ever again.
"And he was clever to boot," Barbossa pointed out, "I didn't think it was possible to use a single cannon to propel yerself from one ship to another and disable an enemy ship at the same time."
More of the pirates laughed, and even Will had to at that one. He remembered Jack's escape from the HMS Endeavour, watching him fly through the air and fall onto the deck of the Pearl, meanwhile destroying the Endeavour's main mast so they couldn't pursue.
"Aye, yes," Barbossa smiled, remembering all the times Jack would use his wits to get out of sticky situations, "Jack was one of a kind. There'll never be another pirate - nay, another man - like Jack in our lifetimes. Maybe even beyond."
The pirates became quiet once more as Barbossa paused.
"He was a better man than many of us," Barbossa continued, his tone becoming somber once more, "Certainly a better man than I'll ever be. He died still believing in the idea of a pirate living prosperous and free, unshackled from the tethers of the empires of the world."
He looked over towards Carina, who was still staring down at her drink. He couldn't imagine the grief she must be feeling right now.
"He died... protecting what he loved most," Barbossa spoke cryptically. It was enough to get the point across to everyone else, but it was subtly directed at Carina herself. Evidently, his plan worked, for she started to look up towards him with tears in her eyes.
Barbossa raised his cup on high, and he said, "To Captain Jack Sparrow."
Gibbs looked on and was the next to stand. Holding out his flask, he and Barbossa looked towards each other as he said, "Aye. To Captain Jack Sparrow."
Soon after, the pirates gathered around the table began to stand up from their seats, raising their glasses. Will, Elizabeth, Bootstrap Bill, and Henry all stood up with their own cups raised. Everyone was standing except for Carina.
"CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!" the standing crowd chanted loudly, holding out their cups for a brief moment of silence. After they were patient for long enough, everyone standing downed their drinks, and placed their empty cups and glasses upon the table.
As soon as everyone sat back down, they went back to their small talk between each other. As Henry poured himself another cup of rum, he looked over at Carina and saw that she still hadn't touched her drink. Then, suddenly, without any warning, she stood up from her chair, picked up her cup, and walked away from the table. Henry watched as she walked towards the doors leading to the seaside balcony, not knowing what he could do at that moment.
Carina opened the pair of doors that led onto the balcony, and slowly walked towards the railing overlooking the rocky cliffside and the beaches below. To her left was the lighthouse on the property, and there was a brilliant flame alit at the top of the tower. She leaned against the railing, holding her drink in her hands as she observed the black ocean in front of her.
The tears started back up again.
As she stared off into the black nothingness of the night, Carina allowed herself to think. Everything had happened so fast she didn't know how to process any of it. She had gone from being the happiest she had ever been to the worst she had felt in her entire life all in a short span of time.
She had found her father, and now he was gone.
And Carina, for all her brains and schooling, could not understand anything.
When her mother got sick, Carina was afraid of being alone. Her mother was still young, and life had dealt her a terrible hand. But she had assured her daughter that, even in death, she would always be with her, as would her father.
But her father was alive. Somehow, despite being told from childhood that her father died at sea, he was alive. Moreover, he was a notorious pirate. Did her mother know and never told her who he really was? Or did she truly believe he was dead, and did not know that her husband was still alive? And if she didn't know, why had her father left and turned to piracy?
Carina couldn't get the answers to her questions now. Her mother and father were dead, and all she was left with were the memories of who they were.
She was alone.
Raising her cup to her lips, Carina drank the rum in one gulp and then tossed it aside onto the balcony floor. She felt the alcohol burn the back of her throat as she looked bitterly at the sea.
She decided that the universe had a cruel sense of humor. Her father was taken away from her before she was even born, and thus Carina never got to know what a father's love felt like. Growing up, she built this perfect image of Jonathan Smyth in her mind, that he was an infallible, honest sailor who had died in search of the Trident of Poseidon. And then life threw her off course the day Jack Sparrow showed up in her life at absolute random, drunk and pitiful. Carina had hated him to begin with, not being able to stand the sight of him or his ridiculous antics and making no secret about not trusting him.
And then at the very end, just as they started to warm up to each other, she learned he was her father.
That she carried the blood of a pirate.
And he died not too many moments after that.
None of it was fair.
As Carina continued to grieve, Henry looked on as he leaned against the doorframe. Sighing, he decided to go and talk to her to see if he could help, but before he could take a step forward he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder.
Henry craned his neck to see who had touched him, and saw his father standing there, and he asked, "May I?"
"Of course, father," Henry replied, and Will took his hand off his shoulder and started walking towards Carina. Henry thought it was best he give the two of them some privacy, so he went back inside to join his mother and the rest of the gathering.
Will placed his hands on the rail to Carina's right, facing out into the sea while thinking of something to say to her. Truthfully, he was hoping that she would speak first, because Will had no idea what he could say to help console her.
Turning to look at her, Will decided he was at least going to try.
"Hello, Carina," Will said, and Carina faced him, tears still rolling down her face.
Carina remained silent, leaving Will to improvise on what he should say. He had never spoken to her before now.
"You don't know me, and I don't know you either," Will said, deciding on the blunt approach, "So I'm not going to dance around with half-truths and empty phrases to try to cheer you up."
Carina looked confused as to what his intentions were, and Will noticed this, adding, "Please don't take this the wrong way, though. Henry told me about you, how you're a very fact-focused person and how much you value the truth. He also told me about..."
Will paused for a moment.
"... about who Jack was to you," he finished. Swallowing, Will elaborated with, "So, you deserve the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."
"What is the truth, then?" Carina asked him.
Taking a deep breath, Will said, "The first time I had met him, I saw the tip of his sword before I even saw his face. I thought him to be the most immoral person I'd ever met. He lied to me, betrayed me, used me for his own gain - time and time again - and did so with everyone else in his life. He drank more than should be humanly possible, ran up debts with every cutthroat from here to Singapore, and was an absolute pain in my arse. He was, without doubt, the worst pirate I had ever met."
Carina was expecting Will to be honest, but she hadn't anticipated on him being so harsh with her. She turned her head away from the elder Turner, and Will saw that he had went too far. But then again, he hadn't finished yet.
"But..." Will began again, placing his hand upon Carina's shoulder, who in turn slowly moved to meet his gaze, "... he was also, without doubt, the bravest man I have ever known."
Carina was confused at his words, and Will knew she was. But he had to say what he said in that way so she could know he was being sincere with her.
"He saved my life. More than once actually," Will continued, "No matter how many times I found him to be so reprehensible and selfish, he found a way to turn things around and do what was right in the end. I could always count on him to come around when all hope seemed lost, and he came through every time.
"When I was dying, Jack had a chance to make himself live forever. In the time I knew him, it was what he had always wanted. But he sacrificed it to save me, Carina," Will stressed on that point, "I became cursed to the Dutchman only because he saved me from death. Because of him, I'm alive now. Because of him, I can now be with my wife and son."
Will paused for a moment and looked back into the dining room, seeing Henry and Elizabeth holding onto each other and providing comfort. He smiled at the sight of his family, comforted at the truth that his nightmare was now over and he could grow old with those he loved.
Turning back to face Carina, Will said, "I owe your father a debt I will never be able to repay. And I owe you a debt for helping to find the Trident so I could be free. So if you ever need anything from us, anything at all, my door will always be open to you."
Carina was at a loss for words. Just seeing his gratitude for everything her father had done was enough to alleviate some of her pain. She attempted a weak smile, and then said, "Thank you, Captain Turner."
"No," Will said, "Thank you."
Will patted her shoulder gently, and then said, "Your father was a good man, and don't you ever forget that. I just want you to understand that he gave you a chance to be free, just as he did me."
With that, Will took his hand off her shoulder, gave Carina a gentle smile, and walked back into the cottage to join with his wife and son.
As she watched him walk away, Carina reflected on what Will had said to her. That her father had given her a chance to be free.
Free for what?
But then, she thought back to what Jack had told her on the island, about what it meant to be free. Ever since she was a little girl, Carina had been striving for freedom beyond what she was expected to do in life. That's why she wanted to become an astronomer, to be as liberated as the stars in the night sky. She wanted to subvert the social norms so she could live the way she wanted to live.
Jack had given her freedom. It was up to Carina now to decide what she wanted to do with it.
Slowly, Carina reached inside her dress and pulled out Jack's compass, remembering she still had it from when he had given it to her. Using her thumb, she wiped some of the grime on top of the lid, and stared down at the unique device.
This compass pointed to whatever the holder wanted most.
I want to be free.
Holding it carefully in her hands, Carina gently lifted up the lid of the compass and saw the needle pointing in a northeastern direction. Reorienting herself, Carina turned to her right until the needle was pointing North. She looked up, wondering what she would find.
It was pointing at the Black Pearl.
Carina looked at the blackened pirate ship, stunned at what she had just discovered. Her heart's deepest desires were something she didn't know she even wanted. Her breath picked up, realizing what this meant for her.
She wanted to be a pirate.
Carina couldn't believe her own thoughts, but the truth was right before her. All along, she desired freedom, and that freedom was docked at the pier not far from where she was standing now. She remembered the exhilaration she felt piloting the ship, remembering just how natural the smooth wood of the wheel felt between her fingers. She had been terrified at the time, but the adrenaline that was coursing through her veins had been one of the most amazing sensations she had ever felt. She loved adventure and never even realized it, and she found herself eager to be out on the sea once more.
Pirate was in Carina's blood, after all.
She smiled, taking in the sight of the hauntingly beautiful vessel that had belonged to her father. This is how she would honor him. She would follow in his footsteps and continue his legacy by joining the crew of his beloved Pearl.
And it wasn't just for Jack. It was for her. This was what she wanted most.
And Carina was prepared to take it all for everything it was worth.
Jack stood at the bow of the Wicked Wench, looking onto the landmass ahead of him. He recognized this particular spot, having been here once many months ago.
The day he made the choice to do the right thing, and lost everything in the process.
He was still unclean and unshaven, but he had managed to find some clothing that would suffice for the time being. He had a blue bandana wrapped around his forehead, keeping his long, unkempt hair out of his face. He hoped he was remembering the coordinates correctly, because if he couldn't remember where he was going then that proved to him that he was completely mad.
Jack hoped he was mad. That all of this was a bad dream and he would wake up sooner or later. And he'd see Maggie again.
"Captain," a voice spoke up, and Jack looked over his shoulder to see that it was Koehler who addressed him. He had stopped by Tortuga and picked up a modest-sized crew, recognizing that his options were limited and he couldn't go back to the Navy.
Silently, he damned Cutler Beckett's soul to the deepest circle of Hell.
"Draw canvass and let go of the anchor, Mr. Koehler," Jack told him. Koehler then turned to face the rest of the crew and relayed the order, saying "Draw canvass and drop anchor!"
"Aye, aye!" the crew replied, and at once they pulled the sails back and dropped anchor near the shoreline.
"Mr. Twigg," Jack addressed another member of his crew, "Ready a boat. I'm going ashore and I should be back before nightfall."
"Very well, sir," Twigg replied, "If the worst should happen and you're not back, shall we keep to the Code?"
"Code?" Jack asked, confused.
"The Pirate's Code, sir," Twigg answered, giving his captain a funny look.
"Oh, yes... that," Jack replied, thinking on it for a moment. He was still having difficulty adjusting to the fact that this was his life now, "Keep to the Code."
In a few more moments, Jack's boat was ready and he climbed in. His crew lowered him down, and Jack began to row his way inland, moving across the river that flowed into the rainforest. Rowing for a considerable amount of time, Jack stopped when he came across a familiar wooden shack concealed deep within the swamp.
Getting out of the boat, Jack walked over towards the shack, taking a deep breath before he stepped inside.
Opening the door, he saw Tia Dalma sitting at her table, hunched over an assortment of voodoo relics she was studying. At the sound of the door opening, Tia Dalma looked up and saw Jack standing in the doorway.
"Wicked Jack came back," Tia Dalma said, a smile creeping up on her face.
"Tia Dalma," Jack addressed her, keeping his calm this time. At this point, nothing that she could do would surprise him, given everything that had happened.
"What brings you back to my humble abode?" Tia Dalma asked him playfully.
"What has become of the people I liberated?" Jack asked of her.
"They live here, under my care," Tia Dalma answered him, "I must admit, it is nice to have company for a change."
"Good," Jack replied solemnly, facing away from her.
"You do not look too pleased," Tia Dalma stated, observing Jack's mannerisms, "Do you regret what it is you have done?"
"No, I-" Jack began, but the moment he started speaking he realized his words tasted a lie. Of course he regretted it. If he hadn't done what he had done, he could've been home caring for Maggie while she had fever. If he had been home, she need not have died.
"I do," Jack told her sternly, and Tia Dalma looked surprised.
"But... it was the right thing to do was it not?" Tia Dalma asked him, and to Jack's ears it sounded like she was speaking to him like he were a child.
"Yes it was," Jack explained, "And it cost me everything."
"Sometimes, that's what happens to heroes," Tia Dalma told him, getting up out of her chair and slowly walking around her table.
"Well, I'm done being the hero," Jack vowed to her, "Doing what's right has brought me nothing but pain."
Tia Dalma looked down towards the floor and nodded her head, "Yes... yes it has... many a man have felt the way you do, feeling that they have nothing left to live for, not caring what small, fleeting joy that life is...'
Jack thought he heard a trembling in her voice when she said that last bit. In the time he had known her, this was the first time she had seen her uncertain about something.
"You lost someone," Jack said. It wasn't a question.
"Lost indeed..." Tia Dalma lamented, and her mind went back to the sailor she had loved once, who locked his heart away from the world after feeling betrayed by her.
"... but you did not come here to listen to me grovel about the past, did you, Captain Smyth?" Tia Dalma quickly regained her composure and asking of him, "You need something from me."
"My name is not Smyth," Jack answered, "That's the name of a dead man. He died not long after his wife."
"Then who are you, then?" Tia Dalma asked him, to which Jack sighed and replied, "... I don't know."
"Whoever you are now, you need my help, yes?" Tia Dalma guessed.
"I do," Jack answered, "I need to find... no, that's not it... I want... no, no..."
Jack took a deep breath and collected his thoughts.
"I need a locater," Jack requested.
"A locater?" Tia Dalma parroted.
"A locater, yes," Jack repeated, "Something to help me find a place that I can't."
Tia Dalma's face slowly twisted into a wicked grin, and she said, "I have just the thing. Wait here a moment."
She walked past the beads hanging over the doorway which let into her backroom, and started to rifle through an odd assortment of magical items until she found what she was looking for. While she was digging through, she stopped when she came across a leather-bound book with the ruby on the front cover. Something she had retrieved from the bottom of the sea.
The witch smiled as she held Galileo's diary, knowing that Jack didn't know she had the book. Being the sneaky and manipulative being she was, she snapped her fingers, and the book dematerialized from her hands. If her magic was right, it would appear back inside the London household of one Jonathan Smyth, and be in the possession of his still-living wife and their unborn child.
One day he would be back with them. Once he had done everything he was destined to do. It might take decades, but it is what the gods willed would happen. Jack still his part to play in their mysterious, catastrophic plan.
Turning her attention back to the task before her, Tia Dalma finally found what she was looking for. A compass, one that she had been saving for centuries for this very moment.
With the compass in hand, Tia Dalma walked back into the main room of her shack and saw Jack standing there patiently.
"I think..." she dangled the compass from the string looped around it, "... I have what you be looking for."
"What is it?" Jack asked, staring at the peculiar device.
"This compass does not point North, nor will it ever," Tia Dalma explained, "Instead, it will point you towards what you want most in this world."
Jack reached out to take the compass, but Tia Dalma reeled her arm back before he could claim it.
"But..." she continued sharply, "beware, for this compass comes with a price."
"How much, then?" Jack asked, to which Tia Dalma laughed at him, "Nothing so trite as gold is worth what this compass is. It requires... more."
"Which is?" Jack inquired, and Tia Dalma replied, "It will help you to find what it is you want most. Betray it, and it will release what you fear most. But the true cost of this compass is that it will keep you away from that which you love most. That is the price that must be payed."
"Alright then," Jack replied simply, "Doesn't matter to me anyway. What I love most in this world is gone."
Jack reached forward and took the compass, Tia Dalma making no effort to stop him.
"One more thing," Tia Dalma continued, "While it will keep you away from that which you love most, the compass comes with the promise that what you love most will find you. One day."
Jack looked confused, but decided not to argue with what she was saying. Looking at the compass, he knew he could live with the consequences of this. Hell, he had already considered the consequences when he made his deal with Jones to raise his ship from the depths.
"You've shown me great kindness, Tia Dalma," Jack looked up at her, "Thank you."
"Don't," Tia Dalma replied with a grin. Suddenly, without any provocation or warning, she leaned in, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him.
Jack's eyes widened in shock while she continued to kiss him. This was rather unexpected and he didn't know how he should feel right now.
When Tia Dalma broke away, she still had the same wicked grin on her face, to which Jack looked at her awkwardly and said, "Alright, that was weird. I suppose I should be going now. My crew are expecting me back before nightfall."
"Stay," Tia Dalma requested of him, taking his hand in her own. Jack was so utterly confused by what was going on, and he wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable by what she was suggesting.
But then he realized there was nothing stopping him. He was no longer a married man, so this wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't love, because any and all feelings of love died the day that Jonathan Smyth did as well.
"Although..." Jack began, "I could be tempted to stay for perhaps a little while longer..."
"That is what I like to hear," Tia Dalma kept on smiling, which was disconcerting to Jack but he didn't really much care at this point.
"Eh, what the hell?" Jack remarked, and then he leaned in and started to kiss Tia Dalma intensely. It was then that Jack realized this is how he would be living his life from now on. No worries or cares or obligations to anyone or anything. From now on, the only person he would look out for was himself.
A few hours later, after Jack and Tia Dalma both got what they wanted, Jack walked out of the hut clean-shaven and with his mangy hair braided into dreadlocks, deciding to take fashion advice from the witch in whose company he was in. Tia Dalma decided to accompany him back to the Wench, and they rowed their way out towards the point where the river met the sea.
"I suppose this is where we part ways once more, Jack," Tia Dalma remarked.
"Indeed, love," Jack flashed a grin at her, "I'll be back around at one point or another."
"I look forward to it. And I must say," Tia Dalma began, "You have a magnificent vessel there, Captain."
Jack turned around and looked at the Wench, saying, "Yes, she is."
"You know, you should think about giving your ship a new name," Tia Dalma suggested.
"How do you reckon?" Jack asked.
"It should be one that reflects how she looks... maybe add a... a personal touch. Really make her your own," Tia Dalma said.
Jack couldn't help but agree with her. The HMS Wicked Wench was the name of a British trading ship, one which was supposed to be lying at the bottom of the sea. Jack supposed that if he were to move on with his life, he should give her a new name as well.
Turning to face Tia Dalma again, he said, "I'm sure I'll think of something, savvy?"
"Good," Tia Dalma smiled, stepping out of the boat onto the sandy shores of the island.
"Farewell, Jack," she called out to him, "I hope you find what you're looking for."
"As do I," Jack called back to her, "As do I."
Once he had rowed back to the ship and the boat was stored away, Jack made his way to the ship's wheel and opened his newly-acquired compass.
If Tia Dalma was being honest with him, he saw where what he wanted most was.
Closing the compass' lid, Jack turned the wheel hard to port and gave the order to loosen the sails. While sailing towards his desired heading, he gave pause to what Tia Dalma had said, about giving his ship a new name, a personal touch to make it his own.
Jack smiled when he thought up of a perfect name.
The Black Pearl.
After many days aboard his newly-christened ship, Jack had arrived with his crew to the one place he was searching for. It was not recorded on any map, so it was near impossible to find. He had fled from this island when he was a mere lad, and thus couldn't remember how to get back. That's why he needed the compass to find it.
Jack had never expected to find himself returning to Shipwreck Cove.
The name wasn't being illustrative. There had been a pirate city constructed entirely from the wrecks of ships, which were built so high up on top of each other it rivaled the buildings in London.
Finding a free dock, the Pearl pulled into port and dropped anchor. While the crew were working to secure the ship, Jack stepped onto the pier and paid for his docking fee. After dealing with that, Jack turned to face the town so he could begin his search for what - specifically, who - he wanted.
But the moment he did, he saw him standing there. Right at the end of the pier where the landmass of the city began. Standing at his sides were two men, one of which he recognized to be William Turner. Jack was surprised to find him here of all places; he must've turned pirate not long after helping him free those slaves. The other one he didn't recognize.
But the man he was looking for stepped forward, holding his arms crossed in place as he observed Jack.
All at once, Jack's blood began to boil at the mere sight of him. He started to pace forward quickly, and it became clear to the three men before him of his anger. The unfamiliar pirate rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, but the older gentleman at the center put his arm out in front of him, nonverbally warning him to stay his blade.
Jack gritted his teeth. He had made a promise once, one he had vowed to keep. It didn't matter that he was a pirate now, he knew this had to be done.
When he got close enough, Jack drew his pistol from his belt and aimed it at the man's forehead, thumbing back the hammer. The man did not flinch or panic.
"Do nothing, either of you," he told the men at his side, "He's my son."
Jack's anger did not go away as he continued aiming his pistol at his father's skull. He had told himself if he ever saw Edward Teague again, he would take pleasure in shooting him down like the scum he was. He remembered all the neglect he had given him, leaving him alone with while he went out pirating. He despised his barbarity and how it reflected so much on him just because he was a pirate's son. Beckett never trusted him because of his pirate blood, nor did anyone else for the majority of his life. Every setback and hardship he had endured was because of him. He had lost Maggie because of him.
But he couldn't make himself pull the trigger.
"Jacky..." Edward looked sorrowful towards his son, "Oh, Jacky..."
Jack kept telling himself that he needed to do this, but he couldn't find the strength to do it.
Looking into Edward's eyes, Jack realized that he couldn't. He couldn't kill his own father, no matter how terrible of a father he was to him.
He lowered the gun, and Edward remained the same level of calm as he was. Slowly, he stepped forward and wrapped his son in a tight embrace.
"You're home now, Jacky," Edward told him, "Come on now. Mum's been waiting to see you."
Jack remained silent as Edward put his arm over his shoulder and started to lead him inland.
"I believe you remember ol' William Turner there," Edward began telling his son, and Jack looked up to see William following alongside, saying "Hello again, Jack."
"Turned pirate yourself, eh Turner?" Jack remarked, and William said, "Aye, yes. Seeing what Beckett had done to you... I'd had enough of it."
"Funny story how we met, actually," Edward started, "I was going to be lynched by this mob of ne'er-do-wells in Nassau, and then Mr. Turner here shoots the rope before I can be hanged. I think I bought him a cask of ale that night."
"More like bought one and stole the other two," William remarked, and they all laughed.
"Good times. Also," Edward directed his attention to the other man Jack did not know, "I don't believe the two of you have met yet."
"Nay, we have not," the West-Country speaking pirate began, "Hector Barbossa, at your service."
"Pleased to meet you, Hector," Jack said, offering his hand out. Hector took it and they shook.
"I have a feeling the two of us are going to be good friends," Jack remarked.
"Oh, I wouldn't be countin' on that if I were ye," Hector replied.
"Yeah, well, what else is new?" Jack quipped, and the men laughed heartily.
"Come on, boys," Edward spoke, "Let's have ourselves a drink!"
Jack's demeanor quickly became more hopeful. He knew he still had things to work out with his father and with himself, but Jack had already hit rock-bottom, so there was nowhere to go but up from here.
He didn't know what the future would bring, but what he did know is that it was a pirate's life for him now.
Savvy?
Morning had come, and the sun was rising over the horizon. The island of Port Charles had only just become awake, while the inhabitants of the cottage at the isolated end of the island were up and ready depart.
Some of the Dutchman crew assimilated into the crew of the Pearl. Others went off to find their own opportunities in the local town or had sought passage for other ports like Tortuga or Nassau or the like. None of them went back to the Dutchman; they had served long enough.
Barbossa had taken the crew that had remained and began to make preparations to the Pearl so that she was ready to go. The only people remaining on the hillside were the Turner family and Carina, who had changed back into her pirate clothing from before. In addition, she had acquired a new cutlass which now rested in her scabbard, and she was wearing an overcoat that was a faded forest green color, the ends of which were blowing in the breeze coming in from the sea.
Carina exhaled through her nose, watching as the Pearl was being made ready to depart. She was so anxious she felt her knees shaking. But she knew, in her heart, this is what she wanted for herself.
"Hey," Henry had addressed her, coming up to her side, "How're you feeling?"
"I don't know," Carina told him, "and that's the beauty of it."
Her ocean-blue eyes continued to gaze at the ship before her, and Henry saw this.
"Are you sure this is what you want, Carina?" Henry asked her, wanting to know if her mind was right in making this decision.
Carina turned to face him, and she said, "Yes, Henry. I'm sure of it. More than anything, this is what I want."
She reached a hand up to Henry's face, gently stroking his cheek.
"I have to do this," Carina proclaimed, "This isn't for my father. This is for me."
"I'm really going to miss you, Carina," Henry confessed to her. They had only known each other for a short time, but he had grown to care for her more than he imagined he would. Now it was time for them to part ways.
"I'll miss you too," Carina began, "But don't worry. We'll see each other again. One day."
"One day," Henry repeated, raising his hand up to grab her own. They leaned closer to each other kissed once more.
Will had his arm over Elizabeth's shoulder, and the both of them blushed and chuckled at the sight of their son kissing Carina. They attempted to avert their eyes, thinking that continuing to stare would only embarrass Henry.
"Heh," Bootstrap Bill chuckled, coming up closer to Will's side, "It just now occurred to me that your son is in love with Jack's daughter."
Will and Elizabeth's eyes widened at this realization, not once thinking about it like that. Their red cheeks were now a shade of crimson.
"Well, this will end horribly then," Will remarked, causing Elizabeth to laugh.
"You think?" Elizabeth added, and the three Turners laughed.
Henry and Carina's lips parted from each other, and Carina quietly whispered, "Eunuch."
Henry couldn't suppress his giggling fit, and once he'd finished, he said, "Pirate."
Carina smiled at him once more, and then addressed the rest of the Turners, saying, "Thank you all, for everything."
"Our pleasure," Will told her, "You're always welcome here."
Facing Henry again, she said, "Go be with your family now, Henry. I have to be with mine."
She backed away from Henry, her arm sliding down his until only their fingers were touching. Pulling away, she looked onto the entire Turner family, and she said, "Goodbye."
With that, Carina turned around and started walking down the hill towards the Pearl. Henry watched on from on top of the hill as she left them. He hoped that he would see her again soon enough.
Arriving at the dock, Carina saw that preparations were almost finished, and looked on top of the deck to see Barbossa and Gibbs conversing with each other at the helm. Gibbs noticed her out of the corner of his eye, and both he and Barbossa looked to see her coming aboard.
"Here she comes," Gibbs told him, to which Barbossa replied, "Aye."
As Carina stepped onto the Pearl's deck, she saw some of the pirates look upon her as she made her way towards the helm. She would ask Barbossa if she could join the crew under his command. She would earn her keep on this ship, no matter how long it took.
Walking up the stairway to the quarter deck, Barbossa addressed Carina, saying, "Welcome aboard, Ms. Smyth."
"Captain Barbossa," Carina began, standing before the one-legged captain, "I'm ready to join your crew."
But when she said this, Barbossa merely chuckled at her, leaving Carina quite confused.
"What?" Carina asked.
"They're not my crew," Barbossa told her, "I'm not the captain of this ship."
Carina was now very confused.
"But, I thought you were a captain," Carina pressed the matter.
Barbossa sighed, and then said, "I be a captain, that be true, but I'm retiring. I've decided I've had my fill for one life. I'm surprised that I've made it as long as I have. I don't know how much longer I have left anyway."
Carina raised an eyebrow. What was going on?
"Well, if you're not the captain, then who is?" Carina asked.
Barbossa flashed his yellow, scurvy-ridden teeth at her, and Gibbs smiled as well.
It took a moment for Carina to put two and two together, and when she did she felt her heart skip a beat.
"What!?" Carina asked of them, stunned. Had she read this whole thing right?
"You're the captain, Carina," Barbossa gave her a wink.
"But... but..." Carina stammered, "How!?"
"We took a vote before the men," Gibbs answered her, "Since Barbossa's retiring, and I lack the constitution to be captain, that leaves a vacancy of captains present, and the vote was unanimous. They want you."
Carina pondered on what Gibbs had just said. The men wanted her. They wanted her to take command of the ship, to hold responsibility over their lives and livelihoods.
Carina looked out onto the deck of the Pearl, and saw that all eyes were upon her. Some had smiles on their faces, but all of them were looking at her with pride and patience.
But why? What had she done to earn their confidence in her abilities?
Barbossa could seemingly read her mind, for the moment she questioned that he started to say, "They were mightily impressed with how ye handled yerself under fire. You may not have had all the answers, but ye trusted yer instincts and kept us all alive in the endeavor. Yer a natural-born leader, Carina."
Carina turned to face Barbossa, still not believing a word coming out of his mouth. Her? A captain?
"I don't know the first thing about captaining a ship!" Carina protested, believing this whole thing to be ludicrous in her mind. There was no way that she was qualified to command hardened pirates.
"And why do ye think I'm still here?" Barbossa said with a grin, "I may be retiring from being a captain, but that don't mean I'm goin' to miss out on all the action now. At least until you've been trained up and are ready to command a ship on your own."
"You can still back out now if you wish, Carina," Gibbs told her, "You don't have to do this."
Carina considered it for a moment. She had wanted to join the pirate crew, but captain? That was a whole level she didn't think she was prepared for. Despite Barbossa's promises of training, she didn't believe she could do it. It was a responsibility of which she hadn't a clue of understanding. The weight of this role would probably be more than she could possibly handle.
But then again, she thought about it more. She was a quick learner, and she already had great navigational skills what with being an astronomer and all. And they were right about her showing courage under fire, but Carina was sure that had more to do with luck than anything else. Nevertheless, her actions had saved the crew from decimation, and she had managed to put up a hell of a fight against the well-experienced Salazar in single combat.
And then she thought about her father, who had probably captained this ship for most of his life. Placing her hand on the starboard rail, she rubbed her hand across the surface of the blackened ship, feeling the heat from the sun that it had absorbed.
This was his ship, his legacy.
And now it was hers.
Carina had made her decision.
Turning around to face Barbossa, she confidently said, "I'll do it."
Barbossa smiled once more, and then said, "Bend the knee, lass."
Carina did as requested, and she got down on her left knee, placing her palms on the other. Barbossa then drew the Sword of Triton from his scabbared and limped towards her. When he got close enough, Carina held her head down low, and Barbossa held his sword upward.
"Do ye, Carina Smyth, hereby forsake all laws of all empires?" Barbossa began, "Do ye commit to the pirate's life and every fortune, good and bad, the wind blows yer way? Do ye take it upon yerself the duty to protecting the Code of the Brethren, the crew of the Black Pearl, and the freedom of mankind?"
Barbossa paused for a moment.
"Will ye serve as captain of the Black Pearl?" he finished, and awaited her response.
"Sparrow," Carina said.
Barbossa looked down at her, wondering what she meant.
Lifting her head, Carina smiled at him and said, "My name is Sparrow."
Barbossa returned the smile, and replied, "Very well... Captain Sparrow."
Carina held her head down again, and Barbossa tapped her shoulders with the tip of his sword, similar in the fashion to a knighting ceremony.
After christening her the Pearl's new captain, Barbossa sheathed his sword and extended his arm. Carina grabbed it and he pulled her to her feet.
"Thank you," Carina told him, still holding onto his arm.
"Ahem," Gibbs interrupted, and Carina looked towards him to see what he wanted.
"A proper captain needs a hat," Gibbs said, and she saw that he was holding Jack's leather tricorn in his hands. Somehow, it had managed to survive the battle, even if its previous owner had not.
Carina took the hat from Gibbs, and held it in her hands for a moment. Looking upon it for a moment, she felt like she hadn't earned any of this. His compass, his ship, his crew, his title, and now even his hat. She walked on past Barbossa and Gibbs over to the port rail, wondering what to do now.
Seeing this hat again reminded Carina that Jack was gone, never to come back ever again. She missed him like crazy, and she was prepared to give absolutely anything for him to come back.
Lowering the hat so it was out of her field of vision, Carina looked out over the port rail to the sea in an attempt to get her mind together.
She had not accounted for seeing one of the most bizarre things to occur right at that moment.
As Carina looked down into the water, she gasped as she saw what looked like rowboats rowing across. But they weren't on the surface of the water. They were in the surface. The boats were flipped upside down like they were the reflection of actual vessels on the water, only there were none. They all travelled parallel from the direction the Pearl was, and Carina saw what looked like people sitting in these boats.
Carina didn't know if she was hallucinating or what, but she watched as this multitude of boats continued to float off into the direction of the sunrise. What did all this mean?
As she continued to stare down at the boats, Carina noticed a larger boat sailing between them all, one of those dinghies or whatever they were called. She thought nothing of it other than that it was an odd sight among the simple rowboats at first, but her jaw dropped when she saw the figure standing at the top of the mast, holding onto the crow's nest.
It was her father.
He was standing atop of the dinghy, his hand on his hip and looking off into the distance. He had had his hat and coat on, which didn't make sense since the last time Carina saw him he was wearing neither. It was hard to make out precise details because it was a reflection in the water, but Carina could swear he looked much younger than he was.
Jack had looked down onto the bottom of the dinghy, and then swiftly descended down on some rope from the crow's nest. There was a splash from the inside that Carina saw, and she saw him moving from one end of the other inspecting the boat. Sitting down, Jack grabbed onto a bucket and, somehow, dumped water out of it. However, he suddenly stopped doing this, and then he got up quickly to his feet.
Carina could swear that he was looking at her at that very moment.
Jack took his hat off of his head and held it against his chest. As the dinghy continued to pass through the water, Jack gave a salute with his other hand in her direction, and Carina thought she detected the hint of a smile on his face. Jack placed his hat back upon his head, and the dinghy passed on, going forward until the morning light made the image fade away forever.
It was then that Carina realized what this was. These were souls who had died at sea. If the Flying Dutchman was real, that meant that her father was off to Fiddler's Green.
Jack Sparrow's soul was at peace now.
As much as she wanted him back, Carina knew that he would know no more suffering. He had lived his life the best he could, and was now prepared to meet his fate in the afterlife as he drifted beyond.
Beyond.
Carina remembered the last thing her father had said to her, right before he sacrificed himself. He told her to go beyond. She now understood what he had meant.
Carina placed Jack's tricorn upon her head, fitting it into place as she finally accepted who she was. Perhaps this is who she always was.
"Do ye have a destination in mind, Captain Sparrow?" Barbossa asked of her, Jack the Monkey climbing up onto his shoulder, and Carina looked towards the rising sun, knowing what she wanted.
She turned to face Barbossa and Gibbs, and then looked out to all the pirates on the deck. These men were under her command now.
"Gentlemen!" Carina called out to each and every one of them, and their eyes were upon her now, "Let us venture beyond the horizon!"
The crew erupted into cheers, raising their fists and their weapons up on high for their new captain. Their enthusiasm gave Carina confidence, and she felt like she could actually do this.
"SPARROW! SPARROW! SPARROW!" they cheered her, and Carina couldn't help but beam at the sight of it. She looked to Barbossa who gave her a look of encouragement, and Gibbs had placed his hands on the Pearl's wheel.
Looking forward, Carina walked down the port stairway as the crew continued to cheer for her. She walked by, giving grateful glances to all of them. Pintel, Ragetti, Murtogg, Mullroy, Marty, Cotton, and the rest all congratulated her as she strutted towards the bow.
Carina stopped when she got to the foremast, tightly grabbing onto one of the ropes attached at the base of it. She gave the base a swift kick, and she suddenly found herself propelled upwards. Keeping her grip tight, she let go when she had reached the top of the foremast and landed onto the topmost beam of it. Quickly, she grabbed onto some rope near the center beam held in place by block and tackle with her left hand, while simultaneously trying to keep her hat on with her right.
The crew continued to cheer her, and Barbossa drew the Sword of Triton out once more, commanding the ship to loosen the sails and let the wind carry them. After a sudden gust of wind, rocking them all for a second, the Black Pearl was heading out to open sea once more.
Gaining her balance properly, Carina placed her right hand on her hip, standing atop of the Pearl's mast with the wind at her back, looking towards the rising sun.
Will, Elizabeth, Bootstrap, and Henry watched as the Pearl sailed off into the distance, with both pride and sorrow in their hearts as the ship left.
As one chapter closed, another was about to begin.
"Yo-ho! Yo-ho! A pirate's life for me!" the crew began to sing from down below, feeling a shanty was in order for their new captain.
"We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot! Drink up me 'earties, yo-ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot! Drink up me 'earties, yo-ho!"
Carina looked down at her crew from above, grateful that the pirates were so open and welcoming to her. Her whole life, she looked for her place in the world, and now she had finally found it.
"Yo-ho! Yo-ho! A pirate's life for me!"
Carina reached with her free hand towards her belt and pulled out the compass. Opening the lid, she looked down to see what it would tell her.
"We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves! Drink up me 'earties, yo-ho! We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs! Drink up me 'earties, yo-ho!"
Carina looked up from her compass with a smile on her face, facing towards the sunrise.
"Yo-ho, yo-ho," she started to sing along, "A pirate's life for me."
Carina Sparrow closed the lid of her compass, and the Black Pearl continued to sail towards the horizon.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Story and Screenplay by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Based on Walt Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean"
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Director of Photography, Dariusz Wolski
Production Designer, Brian Morris
Edited by Craig Wood & Stephen Rivkin
Visual Effects Supervisor, John Knoll
Music by Hans Zimmer and Geoff Zanelli
Starring
Johnny Depp - Jack Sparrow
Javier Bardem - Armando Salazar
Kaya Scodelario - Carina Smyth
Brenton Thwaites - Henry Turner
Kevin R. McNally - Joshamee Gibbs
Anthony De La Torre - Jonathan Smyth / Young Jack Sparrow
David Wenham - Captain Scarfield
Juan Carlos Vellido - Lieutenant Lezaro
Golshifteh Farahani - Shansa
With
Geoffrey Rush - Hector Barbossa
Naomie Harris - Tia Dalma
Tom Hollander - Cutler Beckett
Stellan Skarsgard - Bootstrap Bill Turner
Keira Knightley - Elizabeth Swann
and Orlando Bloom as Will Turner
Also Starring
Alexandra Daddario - Margaret "Maggie" Smyth
Toby Jones - Stede Bonnet
David Schofield - Ian Mercer
Stephen Graham - Scrum
Lee Arenberg - Pintel
Mackenzie Crook - Ragetti
Giles New - Murtogg
Angus Barrett - Mullroy
David Bailie - Cotton
Martin Klebba - Marty
Bill Skarsgard - Young Bootstrap
Johnny Flynn - Young Barbossa
Hakeem Kae-Kazim - Akinbode
Lewis McGowan - Young Henry
Ken Radley - Pig Kelly
Treva Etienne - Koehler
Michael Berry Jr. - Twigg
Alexander Scheer - Young Edward Teague
Special Appearance by Paul McCartney as Uncle Jack Teague
Walt Disney Pictures Presents
In Association with Jerry Bruckheimer Films
A Gore Verbinski Film
A/N: It's been a long time coming, but the end is finally here. After over 18 months of writing, late nights, setbacks, overthinking, and careful adherence to the heart of the series, it is finally done. My rewrite of the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film is at an end.
I want to thank all of you for taking time out of your lives to read this. I especially want to thank my fans that were with me from the beginning. This story is for all of you, and it is my attempt at rekindling the fire of this franchise that we hold dear.
I want to further thank you for your patience as I try to come out with new chapters. Your constant support is what kept this series going, and I was determined to see it through to the end for you guys.
I want to express my hope that I did all the characters justice, and gave them the satisfactory conclusion that I thought they deserved.
This chapter was meant to close the door on this adventure, but perhaps, just perhaps, there's another one waiting just on the horizon. Yes, you heard it right. A sequel story to this is currently in development, and it will be titled this.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Mists of Time
So, as we reach the end of the road, Jack Sparrow's tale is at an end, and Carina Sparrow's tale is about to begin.
But do not fret just yet at this being the end. While this is the end of this tale, another chapter will await, shedding light on the things to come. And I promise, none of you will believe what I have in store for you.
You best start believing in ghost stories! You're in one!
Thank you all once again, and I look forward to seeing what your thoughts are. I trust we'll all see each other in the near future.
Stay classy, mates! Savvy?
- Spent