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Temptation: The Drifting
Love lives on hope, and dies when hope is dead; It is a flame which sinks for lack of fuel.
– Pierre Corneille
When you depart from me sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave.
– William Shakespeare in Much Ado About Nothing, Act i, Sc.1
Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken…to love is to be vulnerable.
– C. S. Lewis
"Mum?" The young voice persisted. "Mum, are you listening?"
Her head snapped up. "Yes, Liam?"
"Mum," The dark eyes held accusation. "I've been trying to tell you something!"
She blinked. "I'm sorry Liam. I just…have a lot on my mind." She looked away, towards the sea. "Why don't you go play in the sand? Just don't go near the waters; the tide is rising."
"You always say that whenever you don't want to listen." He drew nearer and took one of her hands in his. "Thinking 'bout Da?"
Elizabeth glanced sharply at him. How had he known? Then again, it was such thoughts that consumed her every day. "Yes."
"When will he come back?"
"In four years, Liam." The words tasted bitter in her mouth. "Not sooner or later," she added.
"I wish it could be sooner." Liam dropped down on the sand next to the large stone his mother sat on. "I'll be…eight when he comes back!"
"Nine," She corrected him. "You would be nine."
He shrugged, not caring too much. "I wish it could be sooner."
Her breath caught in her throat; it hurt to swallow. "He can't," she replied softly, "Or else he would die." She hated Davy Jones for what he did. A part of her even put the blame on Jack Sparrow for getting them into this entire predicament.
If only Jack didn't have the habit of slipping his leash and running.
If only he didn't always dump his troubles on others.
But the other part of her rebelled. Jack, at least, had thought to save her husband.
If only Will hadn't been so honorable. Elizabeth clenched her hands into fist on her lap. Will never did break his promises. His word was like a deed written on parchment and sealed with wax.
It was the only reason why she agreed to this, because Will had promised.
But the torment of waiting! The days passed liked years, the minutes and hours unbearably long. During the first few years, it had been easier. Raising Liam from infant, to toddler, to the child he now was had taken up most of her time. Now that Liam was five and had started school, she found herself left with more time, which she didn't want. The time alone in the house, the silence, and the fact she had no companions made everything harder to bear. The townspeople shied away from her; she was both glad and annoyed by this.
Pulling her knees up to her chest, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around them, watching her young son drawing in the sand with a finger. Her eyes stung, both from the tears and the winds that blew into her face. She wished that the days would pass by faster.
"Will…" she whispered. The gales snatched away the single word, carrying it away. "I miss you so."
There was no reply; only the sounds of the waves beating against the shore and the strident cry of a gull wheeling above, uncaring of her pain.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
A few months later…
Her fingers traced the patterns of the chest. Rust, stains, scratches, and other signs of abuse decorated it; witness to the fact it had been through much. The hand passed down the top, and rested on the lock, stroking it lightly.
Elizabeth rested her ear against the top of the chest, the sounds comforting as much as they were disconcerting. Her other hand drifted to her neck, seeking for the key.
She had not opened this chest for a long time now, not since the day Liam had insisted to see it. The briefest of smiles crept onto her face as she thought back to that day. Liam was very much like her; headstrong, lively, and full of curiosity. But there was also much his father; the dark, steady eyes, and smile, and the serious way he sometimes carried himself.
She sighed, drawing the key out spinning it in her hand. Dare she open it now? Inhaling deeply, she inserted the key, and turned. The locking mechanism sprung open, and she gently tipped the cover up, revealing the single thing it held.
Will's heart lay there, beating. She did not touch it; the thought made her stomach turn. Swallowing such thoughts, she gazed at it mutely. Davy Jones knew what he was doing; to kill him only enslaved another. It had agonized Will until the very end, until he had no choice.
Elizabeth could not bear to look at it longer; a minute more and she would be in tears. Closing the lid, she locked it securely and slid the key back under her undershirt. She gripped the chest in both hands, trying to picture Will's face as she had been doing so for the past few years.
It was blurred; she could remember his hair, the shape of his face, and his eyes…
But nothing more.
"No," the word slipped out, unbidden. She pressed her palms to her eyes. "I mustn't forget…mustn't." But she was, and this frightened her. "No!"
How was it that the face of the one most dear to her could be forgotten? Elizabeth bit down on her lip. "No," she whispered again. The palms of her hands were wet. She realized she was crying. Dropping her hands to her lap, she sniffed and bent her head. "Please," she said, not sure to whom she was speaking to. "Don't—" her voice snapped. "Don't take him away from me!" Her shoulders hitched as she cursed herself. "You have to remember his face, Elizabeth!"
But she couldn't.
Somewhere, a door slammed, and she jerked. Liam was home. Rubbing her face quickly with the back of her hand, she stood, taking a deep breath. God help her; she couldn't let her son see her like this.
"Mum?" the voice called out. "Mum, where are you?"
"In here," she replied, turning away from her bedroom door and bending down, trying to appear busy.
A head peeked around the corner. "I'm hungry," Liam announced.
"There's bread on the table." she said, reaching to pick up a book, not looking up as she did.
"All right." He turned to leave, and then stopped. "Mum?"
"Yes?" she tried to keep the impatience out of her voice.
"What's a bastard?"
She froze for a moment before whirling around. She covered her mouth when she took in his disheveled appearance. "Liam, did you get into a fight today?"
He shifted uncomfortably on his feet and looked down. His hair slid down, covering the bruises on his face. His clothing was torn and covered with dust and dirt.
"William, look at me." Elizabeth knelt down in front of him and gently tipped his chin up. He had a bruise on one cheek, a split lip, and a black eye. She battled the feeling of anger inside her. How dare they treat him like this?
"I didn't mean to, Mum," the boy softly said. "But I couldn't help it today!" Tears were forming in his eyes.
"Were they teasing you?" She smoothed his tousled locks with one hand.
"A little," he admitted, "They called me a-a bastard." His voice grew softer. "They were making fun of you. They said that-that you were…" he hesitated.
"Said what about me?" Elizabeth could hardly believe her voice was still steady.
He choked out the word. "Witch," his breathing quickened. "Then I got mad at them."
"How many were there?"
"Four," he rubbed his eyes with a fist. "I tried my best, Mum, but they just laughed at me."
Elizabeth didn't know how to answer. It pained her greatly to see her child hurting like this, and the thought that people had insulted her made her furious.
Frustration boiled over, and tears began again. She wrapped her arms around Liam. "You did well," she murmured into his ear. "I don't why people say these things about us, but they're wrong, Liam, terribly wrong." His tear-stained face mirrored hers. "Understand, William, your father was—is—a gentleman, honorable and respectable. He didn't put on airs to impress me, but was only himself." Her voice softened. "He would be proud to know what sort of son he will meet."
"That's not what they say," He rested his chin on her shoulder. "They say that pirates are opposite—dirty scoundrels that steal and kill each other."
"Some are," she admitted, "But not your father. Or me." She straightened up a little. "Do you know why I married him?"
"Because you loved him."
"Yes, well, that was one reason," She managed a smile. "The other was because he was a pirate."
"I thought he was a blacksmith."
The candid statement made her laugh, just a little. "He was both," she replied. "But no matter what he was, he was only man I could ever love and could ever marry. And he gave me you, Liam." Her eyes were clearer now. "Don't listen to what the people say. They don't know our past. They're just gossipers, nothing more."
Liam's hand found hers. "I wish he would come back soon. I hate waiting." His voice was hoarse. "Why did Davy Jones have to cut out his heart in the first place?"
The Question. Elizabeth sought for the right words. "Because his love wasn't strong enough," she finally replied. "He was tired of waiting."
As she was tired.
Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to press away the disturbing thoughts.
In the beginning, she couldn't understand Jones' predicament. He was just another monster, another tyrannical pirate captian. But now that this decision had been forced upon her, she could understand his infidelity.
"Love…a dreadful bond," he had taunted in her face. "And yet, so easily severed."
How very true. With each passing day, she was losing more and more of Will.
"Mum?" Liam's voice brought her back to the present. "I'm still hungry."
She released him and kissed the top of his head. "Let me first see your face, and then you can eat."
"I'll be fine."
"No, you won't." She gripped his shoulder, preventing him from moving. "If we put ice on those bruises right now, they will fade faster."
"It doesn't hurt much," Liam told her. "The others fared worse. I think I broke someone's arm."
Mentally, Elizabeth reminded herself not to teach her son anything more about fighting until he was little bit older. "Indeed?" was all she said.
He nodded, eyes once more sparkling. "They'll be sorry next time." He said stoutly. "You'll be, Mum."
I have no doubt; you're too stubborn to let a fight go. She thought as she went out the room in search of ice. When she returned, Elizabeth paused before the door.
Liam was quietly singing "A Pirate's Life for Me."
The song brought back memories, memories of the fateful day she and Will had met.
"…We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle and even highjack…"
Elizabeth leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and sighing. That had been the song on her lips when she had seen Will, unconscious, drifting by on a broken door off of a ship.
"…We kindle and char and in flame and ignite.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
We burn up the city, we're really a fright.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho…"
She had fallen instantly in love with those dark eyes. For several years, that love had been hidden. After they had reached Port Royal, she had seen little of him, for she was the daughter of a governor, and he was the apprentice to a blacksmith. Yet, she had not forgotten him, nor he forgotten she. Her hand crept back to the locket. "It's always belonged to you," Will had said to her on that last day. "Will you keep it safe?"
She had said yes.
But why did that promise have to be so hard to keep? Fate was cruel, keeping them apart like this. He had entrusted this to her. Why was it so hard? She loved him, so intensely that it hard. But the time of anticipation was wearing down on her. Maybe she wasn't trying hard enough to remember. She rubbed her forehead; the entire thing grated on her nerves.
"…We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me."
Liam's voice died away as he finished the last stanza. Gone, like her husband. She couldn't even remember his voice now, the voice that whispered endearments to her and comforted her on their last day together.
"I don't know how much more I can bear, Will," The cold sharp metal of the key dug into her palm. "I'm losing you. I don't want to, but I am."
Will would come back. He would! She would prove them wrong. All of them.
Her husband trusted and loved her, even after witnessing her kiss with Jack. Could she break their bond now? The vows, so hurriedly spoken during the maelstrom, were not in vain.
No, she had to be strong.
For Will.
Liam.
And herself.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, forcing a smile onto her face for her son.
Little did she know that in a few days, her faith, already teetering on the edge, would be tested, and her limits stretched.
TBC…
Notes:
"A Pirate's Life for Me" in its entirety—
A Pirate's Life for Me
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We pillage and plunder, we rifle and loot.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
-
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle and even highjack.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
-
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We kindle and char and in flame and ignite.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
We burn up the city, we're really a fright.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
-
We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villains and knaves.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
-
We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
A/N: Story has now become five chapters. I underestimated the length.
Thanks for reading!