A/N: What else was I supposed to write after seeing the movie a second time? Not to mention, seeing it again has given this story a completely different direction. If any of my readers happen to live in the Savannah area, not only am I completely jealous, but a famous ghost story will supply a major storyline not long from now. Unfortunately, this new idea has given this story an ending in sight, but pretty far off still. I'm going to estimate it having 20 chapters altogether, which happens to be short for me. Also, if there's any other characters besides the ones I've written so far that you would like to see, let me know. I happen to like the five or so that I've included, and I don't really feel any more are necessary, but let me know if you feel differently. I sincerely hope I don't lose any readers over this new plot direction introduced in this post, since it is so overly used, but I'm hoping that I use it in a different direction than most would. I think that's everything for the time being, so just let me know if you're reading, what you want and what you definitely don't want. Thanks.
Tiny twinkling stars filled the night sky and let their small amount of light wash over the Flying Dutchman, illuminating its surface and bringing its lone crewmember on the deck into view. His elbows were planted firmly on the railing as he gazed longingly up at that same bright sky, wondering if miles away the one he loved so dearly was seeing those same small stars. His sadness was evident in the forlorn look of his eyes, missing the shine they normally held, and every so often he would sigh aloud, the only sound filling the evening air. His crew had retired to their quarters hours earlier, and he was the only one left awake, keeping watch on the deck only a few minutes longer before he too would resort to his bedroom for the night. He would be with her, if only in his dreams for the few short hours before dawn, and he would be at peace for himself. But for now, he was left with the company his thoughts provided.
It had been a lonely four months and seventeen days since he had last seen Elizabeth, and the days, weeks, months, and years spread out before him seemed to stretch out forever, ending long after the horizon that was so far off in distance. His last sentence aboard the ship had been punctuated by visits from Jack, but he had yet to see his old friend in the past three months, 12 weeks, 90 days, or however you chose to look at it. He hadn't come providing comic relief from the dark state of Will's life as captain of the Dutchman, nor did he come with an update on how Elizabeth was doing. He could clearly remember the way Jack would always hesitate before telling him that Elizabeth was doing just fine in a slightly less straightforward manner, not admitting aloud the hell she was going through alone, but giving what he hoped would be enough solace for Will. But Will ached for her with that same intensity, and Jack's attempts always fell short.
Gazing up at the sky once more, he was again shocked by its pure beauty, how clear it was despite the rain that had seemed to stretch on for weeks until now. He looked back down to the surface of the water to see the same reflection, the same image yet different in it's own way, and he wondered what Elizabeth was doing beneath this same night sky. Maybe she was fast asleep, finding the smallest amount of comfort in her dreams, like he did most nights, the one tiny aspect of his life that kept him going even when he was this discouraged. Maybe she was awake, staring up at the same blanket of lights that he was at this moment, and the thought was calming, as if it may just be the truth. Wherever she was, this sky, this time, this moment connected her to him, and it was things like this that made it all worth it, despite the fact that so many more months would pass before he would take in her beauty again.
He closed his eyes as he listened to the gentle waves hit the side of the ship below him, trying to recall her face from his memories, any memory of her would suffice. He could see the way her lips parted just slightly while she slept, the way her eyelids fluttered while she dreamt, of what he did not know. He could feel her skin against the tips of his fingertips, taste her on his lips, take in the sweet scent of her hair if he tried hard enough, but still, it was not enough. He had been wrong when he told his father that the price he was paying depended solely on that one day every ten years he was given. No matter how memorable the day, how cherished it was, it was the steepest price to pay. And when he was honest with himself, at times like these when he was alone except for the company the sea provided him, he wondered if it was really worth paying still.
His private consul was interrupted then as slow, steady footsteps filled the quiet twilight that surrounded him, cutting into the alleviation of his thoughts and stopping just as suddenly. He knew it wasn't a crewmember, he would have announced his presence long before this point in time, and while a plundering pirate would sometimes have the bravery to board the ship without an invitation, it wasn't a commonplace. He didn't bother to turn around as he spoke softly, yet his voice seemed much to loud for the serenity that had befallen the ship in these late hours between dusk and dawn. "If you are here on the ship, I must assume that you do fear death, but I must warn you, consenting to serving upon my ship means that you will be here for one hundred years in entirety."
"I don't know if I should comply with such a concord, seeing as I myself am not dead. Not to mention, three Turners seems like an awful lot for one ship…" The voice behind him evanished as he spun around to face the source, but he knew before he even met her sparkling amber colored eyes, he could recognize that voice anywhere. Elizabeth was there right before his eyes, her teeth grazing her bottom lip, her face slightly pale under the glow of the full moon above. She was dressed much more unsparingly than before, wearing a gown he was sure hid many other layers below its skirt, and her hair was partially pinned up, tiny strands having escaped to frame her angelic face. He stood there as if his feet were glued to the wooden planks supporting them, his shock evident on her face, and he watched as a small smile graced her own lips, her voice soft and melodic, just the way he remembered it. "It's me, Will. I'm here, you're not dreaming. This, all of this, is really happening."
He watched as she took a step closer to him, as if closing the distance between them would make this fact more real to him and less like he was lost in a fog, and he found himself still at a loss for words. "But… how? Why? If it was this easy for me to see you, why did you not come sooner?" She stopped a few feet in front of him, a long enough distance that his fingertips would have just grazed her arm had he tried to touch her, and her laughter filled the evening air just the way he remembered.
"Oh, Will, it was not easy to come here at all. I couldn't have done it had I not been helped by Barbossa and Jack." She watched as confusion clouded his features again, only fueling her own merriment as she wrapped her arms loosely around her neck. She leaned in closer so he could feel her light breath on the side of his neck, he could take in her familiar scent, he could feel the way she shook through the fabric of her dress when he rested his hands on her waist despite the confident face she had put on for him. But before her lips could even skim his own, the loud and unruly voices of two of the other pirates aboard the ship resounded in the night atmosphere, much too loud and rowdy for the moment they had been sharing. Elizabeth too seemed to change in this moment as her hands dropped away from his neck to rest on his on both of her sides. Her voice was now an unsteady whisper, her smile having dissipated into the misty air. "I spoke with Jack, like you requested I do, and … Well, I was hoping we could talk alone."
Will didn't hesitate for a second as he nodded surely in response, lacing his fingers through hers and marveling at the way that their hands fit so perfectly together for just a moment before leading her to the door that led to the lower deck of the vessel, and then down the staircase into his own quarters. The room seemed even more cramped with the two of them occupying it, but before he had a chance to apologize for the accommodations he had to offer her, the wind had picked up again and the ship moaned and rocked with it. Her small hands clamped tightly around his arm, and when he stole a glance in her direction, he saw that all the color had drained completely from her face. His voice was soft and soothing as he led her over to the tiny bed, helping her to sit on its edge. "Maybe it would be best if you rested for a moment. You surely have been through a lot to get here, you must be tired by now."
His kindness was perceived by her, there was no doubt about that, but when she looked back at him, her tear filled eyes pleaded with him. "Will… I want to discuss this now… Too many nights just like this have passed already, and I fear that if we wait any longer, the chance we have now may be lost forever." He nodded as he knelt to rest in front of her, silently urging her to go on if she chose to do so. She took a deep breath, looking back down to the hand that he had rested tenderly on her knee for comfort. "I want you to agree to accompany Jack. I want you to join him on his journey to the Fountain of Youth."
Her confession was nothing less than shocking to him, but he hid it well as he nodded once again, never letting his eyes stray from her. He permitted the silence of the room to have its way as he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek, gently rubbing it with the pad of his thumb, as he spoke. "What caused you to change your mind, Elizabeth?"
Her gaze dropped from his in that instant, falling to rest on the pale yellow color of her gown, and she pulled her hand that had been resting in his away, rubbing the soft fabric of her dress between her thumb and forefinger as she sat there silently. Will started to think that she wasn't going to tell him what was on her mind at all now, but she surprised him when she finally met his face again, a few tears running their course down her cheeks. Her voice broke when she tried to speak to him, so she stopped again, and she spoke in a tone barely above a whisper once she trusted herself to talk again. "I'm pregnant, Will."
Three words, that's all her statement had been, only four syllables in length. Yet, in that moment, with her here beside him, it literally changed everything from that moment on, he couldn't go back to the dreary life aboard the ship, and she couldn't go back to her lavish life on land after such a strong revelation. He stood to his feet as he walked to the opposite wall before turning around to face her again. His hand shook just noticeably as he ran it through his hair, his eyes focused on a spot on the ceiling for a minute too long before joining hers again. '"A baby? You're going to have a baby?"
Elizabeth shook her head as she stood up from the bed, appearing to have her confidence restored for the time being as she crossed the short distance of the room and turned around so her back was to him. She motioned for him to untie the back of her gown as she spoke, and when he moved to do so, he felt the heat radiating from her skin despite the way she shook, and he left what he hoped was a reassuring kiss on the spot between the nape of her neck and the fair skin of her shoulder. "No, Will, we are going to have a baby. I apologize for not having relayed this news to you sooner, but there wasn't any way to get to you before now. I left with Captain Barbossa and Jack two months ago, but the storms have been blowing us off course, and it wasn't until now that we caught up to the Dutchman."
Hearing the nervous tone to her voice, he merely nodded in response, not even knowing what to say to her. Regret, disappoint, lamentation, happiness. They all affected him in their own ways as he slowly slid the heavy dress from her tiny body, watching the way the material pooled at her feet, leaving her in a sheer white cotton dress, similar to the one she had worn when he had last seen her on the beach. As she slowly turned to face him again, her hand rested at her abdomen where there was a barely visible bump, and he was surprised by how noticeable the fact that she was with child was already, even if it had been four months and seventeen days to be exact. It was her turn to lead him now as she pulled him with her to sit on his small bed, the two of them together filling its surface almost completely while just sitting upon it. Her voice was calm when she spoke, and her hand moved to take his, tracing the lines on her palm that she knew by heart. "Jack told me that Cascada would be able to restore your mortality, and she is forever sentenced to guard the Fountain of Youth. The map will lead us to the fountain, and she can bring you back to life after the heart is stabbed. Your father can remain here as captain in your absence, and no one will know the difference. I didn't mean what I said before, this plan of Jack's will work. And then we'll be together."
He could see the way she bit her lip again like a small child cowering in fear when her voice broke off, but he didn't say anything. He didn't trust his voice in those few short moments after he had listened to her plan to get him off the ship forever because he had found the one flaw, the huge flaw that had somehow been overlooked by all three of the people who cared enough to journey this far. He knew for a fact now that neither Jack nor Barbossa knew that he was going to be a father either, her dress with all of its many layers would hide the evidence, even if it was not perceptible to anyone who did not know. She had taken the precautions, ensuring that he would be the first to know, and now he was about to bring this hope, this dream of hers crashing down. His heart broke for her when he finally looked in her direction again, his eyes staying even with hers. "Elizabeth… There's no one to stab my heart. There's no one to take my place here on the Dutchman."
He watched as her vision clouded with her tears again, and she shook her head feverishly from side to side. "No… no, that can't be… We had figured everything out… It was going to work… We were… We were going to save you from this ship… We were… We were…" Her voice broke off as the finality of his statement hit her in all of its entirety, and she collapsed in tears, her thin body folding into his already waiting arms. Her hollow sobs shook her entire body and reverberated against his hollow chest as he rested his chin on the top of her chest, letting her cry to him. He let her express the sorrow that they both felt so strongly because he feared if he didn't, he would become this broken as well.
"Listen to me, Elizabeth." He spoke with a stability and confidence he didn't know he still possessed as her tears continued to soak the material of his shirt against his chest, as he continued to rub her back in a soothing matter. "You will be fine. You will return to the land, you will have Jack and Barbossa near for when you cannot bear to be alone, and in a few short months, you'll have our child. You'll always have me, no matter how far away I may be, and you'll be able to see me again in a few more years. But you cannot admit defeat like this, I will not let you."
Instead of agreeing with him and letting her tears subside, Elizabeth shook her head stubbornly against his chest, not bothering to look back up at him even for a short minute. Will knew that she was exhausted, traumatized, and upset, and he was not going to get anywhere talking to her right now. He pulled her over to rest in his lap as he pulled her shoes off after removing his own, then pulled the pins from her hair and let it fall over her shoulders in waves. He held her close to him as he laid down on the bed, pulling her to rest against his chest once again, both of them laying on their sides, and he wrapped his arms around her so tightly that he knew no matter how much she tossed and turned, she would still wake up in this same warm embrace.
He was not going to forget her, he was not going to let her be alone. He was not going leave her crying and upset like this, and he was going to do everything in his part not to let her down. He would permit her to stay on the ship for a few more days, two at the most he made himself promise now while she finally let sleep overcome her. He would try to contact Jack in that time without her knowing to make sure that there was no other way around this predicament they had been thrust into. And he would savor every moment that he had with her and their unborn child, storing it away for nights like this when she wouldn't be resting in his arms, when he wouldn't feel her breathing beside him. He would remember the small moments like this in case they never came for them again.