A/N:Thank you, dear reviewers! And I'm afraid that this is the penultimate chapter... :( Sorry for the wait, my Internet went weird...
Spoiler: Oh, dear...
Disclaimer: Alas, not today, not tomorrow, but one day, I shall own PotC. Or not.
I grasped the handles of the helm. The rain was pounding on the wood now, and the wind was so strong I was surprised I didn't get carried away with it.
I could feel the power of the helm coursing through my hands, the feeling that I could do anything with the ship, that my life and everyone else's depended on my every move.
And it felt amazing... Standing there, turning the helm, with rain lashing at my face and the wind biting my hands, I was bonded with the sea. I was the sea, and I was the sky, and the wind and the rain, and I was the water that soaked my own skin... and I felt the glory of being a captain, the beauty and the wicked power...
But it was as difficult as it was thrilling. My arms weren't strong enough to keep holding on. The ship was tilted on its side, and I fought to keep it steady as every muscle in my body complained. The sound of the swordfighting on deck was defeaning, and I was glad there weren't enough people to try to attack me at the moment.
I felt a relief beyond description as I saw the familiar figure swinging through the rain.
"Jack!" I cried. "Help!"
He was coming across the deck. Just hold on a little longer... But I couldn't, it was too much, too hard... My hands slipped from the helm, and I didn't know what was happening.
The wheel spun backwards, and I heard the boom of cannons and guns as the Black Pearl was tossed on the waves, the mast hitting the other ship's mast once in the violent movement.
No! In the distraction the Pearl had been blown almost to pieces, though I saw more and more redcoats' bodies being tossed overboard the other ship.
"Oh, no, Jack, I've ruined the Pearl!" I cried. "Jack, what've I done?"
"Don't worry about it. They've just about taken the other ship," said Jack, shielding me from the flying debris as he tried to control the helm. He was trying to comfort me at the same time, but I could detect the disappointment he tried to hide.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. There was nothing I could do, nothing that could lessen the terrible guilt I felt.
"A ship would never be as important as you, love!" shouted Jack through the noise.
There was a terrible, loud sound of snapping wood.
"Not good!" he said hastily, and I heard the crack of the mast breaking. I turned to see it falling toward me, and Jack held my hand with a rope ready.
"Hold on, darling," he whispered. I wrapped my arms around his waist, his strong movements only slightly comforting. In a second he had sliced through the thick rope. We rose into the air, my arms sore and weary but holding on to him... all I had, all that was left... I looked down at the wreck of the Black Pearl as the mast plunged into the pile of broken wood on the storm-touched water. I buried my face in Jack's chest and let the tears flow. There was no point in holding them back, no point in wishing, no point telling myself everything would be fine. It was all a lie, all a made-up fantasy to hide from the storm, every last bit shattered.
It came from nowhere, it flashed through out of the air and buried itself in his chest. I felt as he let go of the rope with a jolt, just as we were about to land on a large piece of wood by the East India Trading Company's ship.
"No," I whispered, choked by the tears. "No. No!" It couldn't be. I refused to believe it, as the tears poured down my face and blurred my vision. I saw someone coming from the ship to help me on board, a few men carrying Jack to the captain's cabin. I stumbled after them, wrenched the dagger from the wound. So close to his heart... it belongs to me... There were towels and buckets of fresh water, and as I mechanically cleansed it I told myself again that it would be all right, that Captain Jack Sparrow couldn't possibly... that he would wake up soon... I could barely see through my tears, and I didn't know if I was lying to myself again.
"Jack," I whispered, laying a kiss on his lips, shaking my head helplessly and trying to speak. "Jack, I'm so sorry. Please... wake up. I'm sorry. Jack, please. Jack!"
I shook him by the shoulders, laid my ear to his chest desperately, all the while talking faster and faster.
"Jack, don't! No! Don't go. Jack, wake up! Wake up! Jack! Jack, I'm sorry, please wake up! Jack! JACK!"
He opened his eyes a little, and I his lips move.
"Lizzie..."
"Yes, I'm right here! Look at me, you're all right, you'll be fine! Jack!"
He closed his eyes again.
"No." I shook my head frantically. "No! Jack, no! No!"
It felt like the entire world was crashing down on me, and everything I had ever hoped for was ruined. I couldn't stand, I felt myself falling, my mouth open and moving but unable to make any sound. I was trying to breathe, but I couldn't, my lungs constricted. I couldn't think, couldn't comprehend what was happening, only knowing one thing before the world turned black.
I've lost everything...