The pirate merely smiled holding Max by the arm and looked into her eyes. If looks could kill, Barbossa was a dead man standing. Shaking his head, having his fill of fun for now, he gave her a shove and she stumbled towards Jack.
As she stood a foot from Jack, she spun around to give Barbossa one last harsh look, but found herself facing the blade of his sword. It seemed to happen in slow motion as she watched the tip of the gleaming steel pierce her skin, driving right through her ribs and out through her back, inches away from Jack▓s own torso.
Max stared down at the blade her hands shaking as she brought them up to the hand but couldn▓t bring herself to touch it. As she stared in disbelief at the hole in her stomach where the blade disappeared, Jack was behind her, doing the same thing. A bloodied blade faced him, protruding from the other side of his wife which he surely knew to be dead. It was a more than fatal wound.
Barbossa could almost smirk at their faces, giving the blade a sickening turn, the sound of flesh being cut seemed to echo across the silent ship. Max whimpered as the blade turned, tears coming to her eyes, blood spilling across her shirt staining it with a dark crimson color.
Jack was shocked, he couldn▓t move, he couldn▓t think, the only thing he could do was watch as the blade backed away from him towards Max again as Barbossa drew it back towards him, wiping the blood off with the tail of his coat.
Max grabbed the place where the sword had been seconds before, she tried not to think of the pain that would soon flood to her again, perhaps it was gone┘she was too far gone. She guessed only a few minutes remained of her life, she would die at sea as her father had feared. James Norrington her father. As Max stumbled back trying to stay upright as long as she could, Jack caught her. With a shaky hand, Max reached up to her neck and pulled at the tiny heart locket that she wore.
With the little strength she had, as Jack lay her back on the deck of the ship, she broke the chain and pressed it to his hand. She couldn▓t find the words to speak but knew that Jack would know what to do┘call him. Surely he would come soon┘but she wanted it to be on her terms, not death▓s.
Jack squeezed the locket in his hand but he didn▓t have to call, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder before he had even found the strength in himself to say anything. He knew that it had to be Norrington., who else would care enough to offer condolences.
James, he knew all too well what Jack was feeling and wished that he could take the pain away, he had gone through the experience of losing his own wife, Max▓s mother due to pirates. He knelt down beside Jack, afraid to touch his daughter for the duty he was cursed to do. Afraid that if he took her hand, he would all too soon have to take her soul. He wanted these last moments of her to be with Jack, he would have time with her on the journey to the other world. Picking up the small child, Rune, he stepped back but stayed in sight for reassurance.
Rune began to cry as eh didn▓t understand why the mood had all of a sudden turned so depressing, why his mother would not take him in her arms and cradle him to sleep. James did his best to calm the child but knew that it was no good┘he was a stranger to this child, his grandson, and he wanted his mother.
Max weakly smiled to Jack as she fought to keep her eyes open, she felt a thin line of blood run out the side of her mouth, the wound but have hit her lung as well. She moved her fingers as she tried to keep the feeling in her hand, the feeling of Jack▓s hand in hers. More tears came to her eyes and ran down her cheek to mix with the spilt blood that she lay in.
Jack brushed a strand of hair from her face close to tears himself. Afraid of death, he tried every possible way to outrun it, but it seemed to meet up with him no matter where he hid. This time, it wasn▓t him that would be going to the other side.
Max moved her lips in an attempt to speak, a faint whisper came out of her mouth along with another stream of blood. Jack leaned closer to her to hear what she said. It was such a faint, weak voice, he closed his eyes and listened with all he had.
▒He▓s just like you┘▓ where the last broken words that Jack Sparrow was able to hear. He wasn▓t entirely sure who she meant but had no chance to ask as he hand fell limp in his and he knew that she was gone. He could only guess that she had meant his son┘but how could he be sure┘was she even aware of what she had said?
With a jagged breath feeling the hand on his shoulder again, Jack reluctantly stood up. His eyes closed for a while trying to take it all in, to hold back the tears. He was a pirate, he didn▓t cry┘but he was also a good man┘and had been defeated by death once again┘this time in a different way. If he could go back he would gladly take it himself but knew there was nothing that he could do now but to continue to live his crazy life.
Jack knew from experience that there was a life beyond death, he only hoped that it was better for her than it had ever been for himself. James pulled his son-in-law into a one armed hug before letting him go. Her had a duty to do, and perhaps it was best to leave Jack to his thoughts., but not on this ship┘not with that man.
Jack took Rune in his own arms, he couldn▓t see what James saw, the light that floated down to the dark sea to await transportation to the other side. The crying child became slightly calmer being in the hands of his father┘but still could not understand why they were leaving his mother behind. Why these strangers were all around him, why they were moving his mother and why she would not answer his cries.
Once on the other ship, James spoke to Jack, breaking the silence by a whisper. ⌠He▓s a great child, Jack. He▓s got the best qualities of his mother┘I can tell┘and of course his father▓s. He▓s more like you that you realize┘in fact, one could say┘▓he▓s just like you.▓■ James tapped the man on the back before returning to the helm of his own ship.
Jack couldn▓t help but to half smile at how he had said the exact words that Max had told him. It let him know that she was in good hands, even if they weren▓t his┘and that she would be seen safely to where she was going. ▒He▓s just like you.▓ he repeated in his mind looking at the child he held in his arms. So he would be.