"What are you talking about? Where has this come from?" Will was staring at his wife, dumbfounded. He was amazed that she could still completely take him by surprise.
"It's been in my mind since we reached Tortuga to tell you the truth," Elizabeth admitted, "But I thought we shouldn't discuss it, until… well, in case things didn't work out this way, or in case you ended up desperate to return to Port Royale."
"But leaving everything?" Will questioned, "What about your father?"
"When I married you I knew you had pirate blood in your veins. I knew that deep inside that was who you are. I made my choice in life, and it was you Will. Not the Smithy, not Port Royale, but you." Will scratched the back of his head, an amazed grin on his face,
"You are incredible," He sighed,
"Would you have married me otherwise?"
"You're sure about this?"
"I have never been more sure about anything in my life." Elizabeth assured him. "This is my life now Will. How can I go back to Port Royale after such an amazing adventure. After meeting such amazing people?"
"By having the sense to stay safe?" Will offered, "By not making enemies like Savannah Flint?"
"By sitting in a house my whole life. I can be myself here, and so can you. We don't have to worry about other people's opinions of us, of our lives, or our friends." Will grinned,
"You're going to turn pirate." He accused, "the daughter of a Governor as well."
"I'm the wife of a pirate." She objected, "How could you expect anything less?" Will shook his head and kissed his wife, knowing that for once in his life, everything made sense. He knew where he was, he knew who he was, and he had the one thing he had wanted his whole life. A home, friends and a family, all in the same place. Elizabeth pulled away briefly,
"That," She said, "And I like wearing trousers."
That night, Jack lay wide awake in his cabin, fully aware that Rosaline was probably doing the same in the cabin directly below him.
He lay lost in his thoughts for a long while, subconsciously listening to the sounds of his ship. Then suddenly, his subconscious alerted him to a sound that was not normally there this time of night. The sound of a jolly boat splashing down onto the water's surface. He sat up quickly, and stuck his head out of his window, but he couldn't see anything. He headed out on deck immediately, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
They were anchored near to a group of Islands called the Leeward islands. Jack could just make them out in the distance. He stood out on deck and lowered his hand from his sword.
"I knew you would have heard that." Savannah stood opposite him, close to where the jolly boat had splashed,
"Where're y' goin' Savannah?" Jack asked her, wistfully. Savannah pointed over her shoulder,
"See that over there? That's Barbuda. And just beyond it Antigua. Both export to Europe, and have ships importing goods from Europe."
"But where are y' goin'?"
"To see my daughter." Savannah told him, this time there were no lies, no deception, not even a hint of secrecy. "and I tell you now, I will not say where. It's something I should have done long ago." Jack sighed,
"Ye know perfectly well I would have dropped y' there meself." He said, "Y' didn't have t' try and disappear without any one knowing again. People do care about you Flint, even though you might think they don't." Savannah hauled a bag over board and heard a satisfying bang as it hit the deck of her little boat.
"I know they do." She said, leaning on the rails, and pulling her brown leather coat around her bare shoulders. "I have betrayed this crew, and I am leaving. I have no doubt I will repay the debt one day, but I cannot, and will not be on the same ship as William Turner."
"Rosaline's goin' back t' England." Jack said quietly. Savannah gasped,
"Did you fight?"
"No." Jack shrugged, "Though it would have been easier if we had. Our lives are to different."
"That's bullshit." Savannah said bluntly. "You are both foolish."
"Maybe." Jack admitted, "But some people would say that blindly rowing off to Antigua was foolish." Savannah had loaded her boat, and turned to Jack.
"Jack Sparrow." She said, seriously, "You are what I would consider a friend to me. But a friend to me, is not what it seems to be to every one else. I follow the code too closely, I know. I play my cards so close to my chest that I become blind to them myself. I love Joseph, and I love Elena. That is the only love I know. Unlike you, who love your friends, and your ship, I have never known that. Despite the way I look at humanity; inferior, a waste of time and space, too emotional for their own good, I have forgotten one very important thing. I am human. I am only human, and I can actually make mistakes. I can feel pain, I can feel remorse, and though I spend most of my time hiding it, I'm really just as emotional as the rest. I need to pull myself together Jack, so I can love you as a friend, and treat you the way you deserve. I am leaving for Europe."
"Any idea when you'll pop up again?" Jack asked, knowing the answer. Savannah smiled,
"None at all." She admitted, "I think the time has come for Elena to get her sea legs. Travel somewhere other than another school."
"You could always introduce her to the delights of Tortuga," Jack suggested. Savannah seemed to almost choke on thin air,
"My daughter is not setting foot in Tortuga even a day before she reaches fifteen." Savannah stated hurriedly, "She's ten years old, not twenty."
"But she is your daughter." Jack teased. Savannah did not smile,
"Captain Sparrow, I'd hate to leave on bad terms," She warned, but even in the dim light of the moon, Jack could see her sarcastic expression.
"Then leave on good ones, if y' have t' go." He offered her his hand. Savannah took it and shook it firmly. Then she leant in and kissed his cheek. Jack still held her hand when she pulled away. "Take care of yerself," He said, "An' that lass o' yours. She'll make a fine pirate one day." He let go of her hand and she nodded, and turned to the railing, swinging her leg over. She paused, and turned back to Jack, one foot still on deck,
"Jack… when it comes down to it… listen to Ana Maria." She swung the other leg over and landed lightly in the boat. Jack stuck his head over the side,
"You cryptic wench!" He yelled, still smiling, "I'll have you for this!"
"You can only dream Jack Sparrow, you can only dream." Savannah faded into the darkness of the ocean around the ship, and after a while, Jack could only hear the faint splash of her oars on the surface of the water as she rowed off into the distance.
Almost a week passed, and the weather did not hit one bad patch. The wind kept up, and the Pearl made excellent time on it's way to England.
Every one had noticed Savannah's disappearance, and when Jack told them she'd left, they all were expecting the news. Bill had said nothing, but Jack knew he was relieved that she was gone.
None on board said anything remotely negative about Savannah after that, but there wasn't a man aboard who wished she was still there.
Will and his father had made up for lost time over the years since they had last seen each other. Bill told his son every last detail of his adventures on the Pearl, good and bad. Elizabeth too, had gotten to know her father in law, and found him just as charming as her husband, although perhaps a little bit rougher around the edges.
In fact, the only two people who had not been enjoying the last week onboard had been Rosaline, and the Captain himself. They hadn't avoided each other, hadn't argued. They had only spent time in each other's company, savouring their time together.
Although the wager no longer held fast, Jack had not won it. He and Rosaline were very close, and had spent a great deal of time with each other, but they had not slept together, except in the literal sense. Jack knew of Rosaline's experience in that particular area, and although it was what he wanted, and probably what she wanted too, he had not wanted to spoil their last few days together by stirring bad memories.
One day, after the crew had eaten breakfast, Jack had called Rosaline out on deck. She had joined him, not knowing what it was about, but as soon as she could see the horizon, her heart sank. England.
"We're going to be there by noon," Jack said quietly, leant on the railing. Rosaline put out her hand to steady herself, and Jack grabbed it. "This is it luv."