Chapter 9: Fears over come
"So that's it. We are all going to fight?" said Helen to Hector as they gout out of ship wreck cove. It was soon evident in the way that she was acting the decision they had come too was not the one she had been hoping for but he had known that was going to be the case.
"Yer we are." He said to her. That was what the pirate King had decided so they would follow her to battle. He had to do what his king had commanded him too and so did she.
He looked at Helen. He knew that had not been what she had wanted to hear.
Helen let out the biggest sigh he thought he had ever heard come out of her and turn way from him. She was simply so frustrated with her life at that moment.
As every one else went over to the Pearl too get ready he watched as she headed over to as small piece of the island and sit down. She wasn't happy and he knew it.
This was not the Helen he had fallen for all these years ago. She was still there. He just had to remind her of it.
"Where's yer spirit?" he said as he went over to her.
"What do you want from me?" she said asking the question him the question she had been thinking ever since she had been saved.
"I thought that we had both made it clear what we wanted from each other last night." He muttered in a bored fashion.
"That's so you. When we are together in bed that's fine by you isn't it? But the minute we need to talk-"
"What I don't listen? Yer can't say that I didn't listen to you that night when I saved you." He said to her.
"And of course have to be grateful to you for that now don't I?" she asked knowing that she was. He had always been her hero and still was, not that she'd ever tell him that.
"No I don't want you to be grateful."
"Then what do you want from me?"
"Your love Helen. That's the only thing I have ever asked for."
She turned to him and he knew what had said really hit home for her. She was trembling with – nerves?
"I know you do not want to fight. But I can't get you away from here. It is the only way my sweet." he told her.
Tears of absolute fear streamed on to her cheeks and she hated herself. All; she ever did was cry these days and she was sick of it.
But this time there was some one there to comfort her. Hector, had always been so embarrassed if he had ever seen her cry and felt uncomfortable but this time was different. He didn't know why.
Going over to her he embraced her even more fiercely than he had when they had been reunited, allowing her to bury herself within him. She had been so afraid. She was so afraid.
"I just want my babies." She said to him. She thought it as odd. All those years when she had been with the twins, she had never appreciated them because she had been missing him to much. Now it was the other way round.
Clinging to him for a moment of weakness she bawled her eyes out. She and the kids had such a bond. She hadn't known it till now.
As her head and her heart came back to her reality she tried to pull away but he would not allow her.
He wanted to be there for her and she knew it. But she was not used to being so open with him. She wasn't even used to him again yet, not properly. She'd never spoken to him about things that had matter to her before. She had always rather shut him off from her and then go back top him when she was a laugh again. But maybe they were meant to be older and wiser now and learn from there old mistakes. There had been so many and she knew a lot of them had been her fault. If she could go back and change it then she would. But she couldn't.
"I am so sorry." She said as she begun to wipe her eyes.
"Its ok." He told her. "I think you needed that." He told her.
"Maybe, but you didn't, and you're the one who did save me. I am grateful Hector. You know I am. It's just…"
"Hector and Jane are always on your mind?" He asked
"Yeah they are." She nodded with a sad smile.
"Well I know how that is ." ever since he had been told about them his mind bad been going back to the, quite a lot. Not as much she her. But in a way it was worse for him. at least she knew what they looked like, the sounds of there voices. He fooled himself he wasn't bothered… but it'd be nice to know he thought to himself. To know his own flesh and blood the way Helen did.
"I don't want ter make yer fight. But it is the only way to get back to them for you, and for me."
"I know it is." He said to him. "But I can't fight. I don't know how to handle a sword even when Seo Fang came on to the ship I was terrified." She admitted to him, hating herself for it. She must look so weak to him at that moment, she thought.
"Do you trust me?" he asked her serious for once.
She nodded. In her heart of hearts she knew she did.
"Then will you prove it to me?"
"Of course I will, if you think I have to." She nodded. She felt in that moment as if she might do anything for him.
"Then come with me." He said and offered her his hand to take which she did willingly.
They walked for a while, her having no idea what he had in mind and when the two of them had come to a very private part of the island they stopped.
"What's in your head?" she asked.
"It be a hot night 'un it?" he asked and she nodded.
"I wanna cool down." He said to her as he begun to take off his clothes till he was just down to his breeches.
She followed his lead when he looked at her challengingly till she was just in her petite coat.
"Come on then," he said as he took her hand and went to the waters edge, she backed off.
"I am not going in there." she said to him.
"But this be the only way yer going to over come yer fears love." He told her. "Come on. Face it." he told her.
"I don't think I can." She said as she looked fearfully at the water.
He walked around her till he was standing behind her and he put his strong arms round her with the deepest passion she had ever felt.
"We have never been all about love darlin'. Lust yes. Flirting yes. But we always used love lightly when we told each other that we did love one 'nother. Now I needs you ter prove yer word is true." He told her.
It is…. She thought to herself. "I am so scared." She whispered to him with a look of disbelief on her face. Why was he doing this to her she thought?
"I know yer are. But I am here. I am not going ter let any thing bad happen ter yer. Trust me Helen. I am not going to be letting yer go." He said as he kissed her neck, their bare skin touching. "Get in the water."
After so many years of running from her fear she didn't know if this was the right way to confront it. But if she had to do it, there wasn't time for it to be any other way. And so looking back at Hector she nodded, kissed his cheek and dipped her toe in the water.
At first she recoiled turning back in to her lovers arms, her fear so acute that it was as if it was burning through every piece of her shattered with tiredness body. She could feel Hector was with her though, he had kept his word, his hands ever so gently on her hips. He was not going to let her go it alone. They were going to do it together.
Putting her entire foot in for a moment she let it rest before following with the other, and she could hear Hector talking to her from behind, muttering words of encouragement and comfort to her but she was so fearful that she could not make them out.
"Please don't make do this my love." She said but he didn't move, staying firmly behind her before applying a little pressure to her making her go further in to the pool.
She knew he was not going to relent now. It was sink or swim time. Not only for her, but for them. If she could not do this, then she didn't know if there was going to be a them and she so wanted them to be.
She had tried living with out him. It was not nice. In fact it just didn't work. Every day they had been apart her heart had been broken. She didn't want to go back to that.
Shutting her eyes she let him guide her and she recalled the words he had said to her just minutes before.
He would not let her go. He had no intention of letting her die. He had saved her, he wanted her and before she knew it she was waist deep in water and he was still holding her.
Leaning back in to him she shut her eyes and let him take her further out. There they were, together in the water holding each other close, shut away from the world, her fear literally being washed away.
Trembling, she turned in his arms to face him. she had done it. She was in the sea again. And the longer she was there with him the smaller her fears seemed.
Leaning in to hid she grazed her lips against his. Finally she shut the gap between them and lay her head on his shoulder as he held her.
He felt so proud of what she had done. Normally he would have thought she'd be fighting and punching and kicking him but she was doing it, she was doing as she had been told for once because she knew it was the right thing.
It was the only way they could be together.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered to him.
"What for?" he asked gently.
"Every thing. For Jack, for hurting you. Its the last thing wanted to do. I love you." She said and he nodded.
"I know you do. I know now. Stop talking." He said and she nodded and went back to hugging him.
He was right, what they were doing said every thing that had to be. They were together in a world of quiet in that moment.
Leaning in to him as he held her she felt so safe. Safer than she had in years. Yet she was in the water. it was so odd. She didn't think she'd ever feel safe there. But she did.
Kissing her neck Hector smiled. He had done it. He had proved to her that the water was nothing to fear and he knew it.
She turned in to his kisses till there lips connected. And that night was like no other. Like no other would be again…
Helen awoke on the pearl. She didn't remember how she got there. As she looked back on the previous nights events she sighed in happiness. Every thing she had ever needed she had found in her darlings arms. There was going to be a tomorrow for them. She knew it in her heart.
She could feel her hair was still wet. From sea water. It didn't scare any more.
The stand that they were going to be making today did. But if she had over come the water, maybe she could over come every thing else.
It was then as she sat up in bed Hector came back in.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Do I look ready?"
"no." he shook his head smiling as he recognized the tone and the sarcasm of the Helen of the past.
"But I do feel as if the world is there for the taking. Grab it with me." she asked.
"Always my sweet." He said as he went to the bed and kissed her forehead, running his hand down her hair.
"Thank you for last night. It was so perfect."
"I am glad you thought so."
"Didn't you?" she asked quizzically.
"Of course I did. Made I think us both be seeing each other differently." He told her.
"Yeah well it made me see we have a real chance at a future together." She said to him.
"Do we." he asked.
"If yer want one."
"How so?"
"Because if we get through today and we survive then ok, if it is still want you want then I am going to come to sea with you." she said. She had no reason not to. She knew the children would love to be with there papa and she wanted to be with him too. When they were apart it was as if she was in hell.
They were the words he had been longing to hear. For so many years. They were going to be together at last.
"Thank you." He muttered to her. That had been the only news he had wanted for so long. Picking up her hand he kissed it. If only he could take her right there and then he would. But there was no time.
"Any time my love." She said to him. "Well if we are going to make this final stand then I am going to have to get ready for It." she said and he nodded.
Indeed she would.
Getting up she saw where he had laid out clothes for her.
They were unfamiliar but she was determined not to let that faze her. And so for the first time ever she put on breeches. It was so odd not to be in a dress.
Barbossa had to say he didn't like her looking so – manly?
"As Jack says – it should be a dress or nothing."
"I agree. When we get out of this you shall have to buy me plenty of dresses."
"And I am sure I shall." Said Hector.
"I shall make it compulsory. " she said to him smirking.
"I am glad." he nodded.
"Sarcasm my love?"
"Never my sweet."
And so it was time for the pirates to make there last stand.
There had always been pirates sailing the Caribbean oceans and if they had any thing to do with it, there always would be.