-Refusal-
"It always hurts when the fear inside of you is finally acknowledged."
..::-::..
"Elizabeth…"
She looked up, completely distraught, and her eyes rimmed in a paralyzing shade of red. Jack realized how difficult it must have been for her to choose between the two of them. He knew that Lizzie wanted to be with him, but there was something else nagging inside of her head that wouldn't allow her to ditch William on the ship. This made him cringe and he brushed his moustache as he thought. Will stepped forward and helped her stand up. The rocking of the ship made her stumble but she caught herself on Will's arm. An eerie silence resounded between the three of them, creating the illusion that time had stood still for a moment. Elizabeth parted her lips in order to talk, but she didn't get anything out.
"Elizabeth," Will said again, "just go to Davy Jones and pick the right key. We need to get off of this cursed ship! Jack is fine, so let him be. For once, please think of yourself!"
Jack dropped his jaw in shocked anger and he folded his arms after pursing his lips together. Elizabeth turned her head towards Jack and she let her eyes sink inside of her skull.
"Lizzie, do not listen to him! Do whatever you want to… whatever you want to…"
Instantly, her own voice echoed inside of her head. When asked why she had kissed Jack, she told him that she had wanted to do it. She closed her eyes and pushed away from Will. He narrowed his eyes and then walked up to her again.
"Please do not do this! I cannot think with the two of you commanding my choice!"
Hearing this, Will lost it. He threw his hands in the air and then turned towards Jack.
"What the bloody hell did you do to her? The choice is clear, yet she is not sure! How could you have influenced her like this? Elizabeth, what has happened… why do you care so much about a pirate?"
She didn't answer him and it frustrated Will even more. She let her arms hang down from her shoulders lifelessly and she looked away from the two of them.
"This is unbelievable! I might as well go drown myself, shouldn't I Elizabeth? There is no reason for me to stay and hinder your decision!"
"Will, do not be so foolish. How could you be so selfish? Do you think this is easy for me? I cannot just condemn Jack to a life of utter misery! I am not that kind of person."
Her head turned a little to the left so that Jack's eyes came into her view. She felt the hairs on her body stand as a shiver dwindled up her spine. Suddenly, her chest rose and she let out an interrupted laugh. Jack saw the cruel irony spread in the pale color of her skin as she stood up. Her unworldly laugh died out and then she walked away from the two of them. Her arm brushed Jack's, and for a solid moment, Jack felt connected to her. Then when she walked away towards the railing, his body went numb because the thought of her rejection began to seep through his solid blood.
"This is all of your fault Jack. Why are you making Elizabeth grieve over this decision? Is there not any amount of honor left in your bones to tell her to let us leave without you? We would have never crossed paths if it were not for your ill hearted crew kidnapping Elizabeth in the first place. Do you not you see that you have caused her pain from the beginning? Her life has changed from moment to moment, and she has never had a slice of happiness at sea nor while combating with deadly creatures."
Jack's gaze stayed focused on Lizzie's back while William spoke to him. His tactic had changed, Will's voice was only a mere whisper against Jack's ear, but nonetheless, he felt as if Will's words slid through the air, into his head and into his heart. As he watched her, Jack saw the hunched shoulders barely keeping still, and her arms drooping to her sides as she placed her frail fingers on the soggy wood. Jack looked down at the ground and nodded.
"You are right… it is all… my fault…"
Jack turned his eyes towards Will and he stood back a bit as he saw the true haunted torture deep inside of Jack's hollow black eyes. There was something that was hidden inside of the pirate, as much as when he looked into Elizabeth's eyes. The realization finally occurred to Will, and for a moment, he let his jaw drop in confounding shock. Will's eyes grew and then shrank; fear passed through his mind like an incoming rush of ocean waves. He clenched his fists; Will would still fight for Elizabeth if she truly cared about both of them.
"Yes… now go… and tell her that…"
Jack held Will's gaze for a moment longer, and then gradually began to approach Elizabeth. Will heard the receding echoes of footsteps and then he turned away. He took a sharp breath of air as Jack touched Elizabeth's shoulder just slightly. She faced the pirate and immediately shook her head. Will couldn't take the pounding in his chest, the reddening humiliation that was bottling up inside of his face. He walked away, his steps containing the thunder of sorrow during a storm.
"Jack, I need to think… please do not say anything to try and persuade me."
Her face was angled in shattering proportions of the loss of her playful beauty. Round dark circles encompassed her eyes and he sighed with pain.
"I will not say anything but this. You do not have to think about your decision any longer, because I will not allow you to go through this accumulating pain. It is better that you leave here with Will so that you can live a proper life. There is no reason for you to worry about me, you do not have to do that anymore, Elizabeth."
She let the soft tears slide down her face as the wind sliced at her face and froze them in their place. Elizabeth heard the loss of compassion in his voice and yet there was a hidden bit of sorrow in it. Jack let his arm drop from her shoulder and he looked away from her emotion stricken face and towards the caressing sea.
"Jack… I thought you loved me… why would you tell me to forget you completely? Do you honestly believe I can do that?"
He looked up and she saw that the grief that overwhelmed his heart as he had said those statements. It made his face drawn out and loose instead of striking and sleek. Suddenly, he scrunched his nose and waved his hands in front of her face dramatically.
"Thought? Oh Lizzie, you are indeed so cruel! As for your assumption, maybe you are right, perhaps I was disillusioned into thinking that I should have even said those lousy things to you! I'm a pirate, and you dearie, have done nothing but reprimand me from that state of being! Did you think I could be civilized?"
Elizabeth's eyes gathered new life and she bellowed out her chest in a deep breath of air. He mimicked her example and both saw the gleaming whites of their eyes glow in the darkness around them.
"So are you implying that I have done something to delay your undertaking as a pirate? If I do recall Mr. Sparrow, you were the one who called myself a pirate to say the least! Your world has condemned me to the sorrow, which I can no longer allow myself to suffer. I think I know what decision to make now. You have influenced me far greater than the likings of a parrot, so congratulate yourself before you come begging to my knees!"
She stormed away from him, leaving Jack in a warping fury. He swayed back a bit and then stretched his arms out to steady himself. Jack looked from side to side swiftly and then aimed his gaze towards her diminishing figure.
"How dare she… I never… Bugger! What have I done?"
He rolled his eyes and then looked down at his feet, his boots blended with the mossy wooden deck and then he observed his knees. Jack wouldn't necessarily mind it if perhaps he would go beg her for forgiveness, but it might have been too late already. He was convinced that he should sacrifice himself for her, but that sacrifice would eat him up more than the Kraken ever could.
..::-::..
Will was absolutely mortified. The color in his body had drained away and his heart wouldn't stop beating at the thought that Elizabeth might decide to leave Will here on the ship because she wanted to be with Jack. He sat down on a crate and let the musty green air well up inside of his chest. A swarm of darkness entered his head as he closed his eyes, accompanying the piercing alertness of the intake. Yet suddenly his consciousness told him that someone was standing beside him. Will opened his eyes and through the moonlight, he saw the figure of a drooping old man covered in yellow tinted skin and algae. He dripped the slimy form of water onto Will's boots, but he didn't mind it.
"Father?"
"Yes William, it is I again. It is so good to see you."
He stood up immediately and found a rejoicing sparkle in his eyes.
"I have not forgotten my promise father. I am going to get you off of this ship if it is the last thing I do."
Bill Turner looked down and shook his head, smiling.
"Dear boy, you have the will of your father, but I am old and I do not have a life anymore. I have been through enough to just simply be as I am."
Will gripped his father's forearm and clenched his jaw.
"I cannot let you do this to yourself. You deserve a real life in the real world, with me."
Silence bounced in between the two of them as the wind started to pick up its speed, whistling in their ears. Will let go of his father and Bill looked into his son's eyes with renewed warmth.
"I am glad you are here, but you should think of yourself. I heard that Elizabeth, your fiancé, is here as well. For the time being, I should meet my future daughter-in-law."
Will's happiness faded instantly, as he looked to the side with a gripping hatred brewing inside of him once more.
"What is the matter William?"
"Elizabeth might not be your future daughter-in-law father, because for some fanatical reason, she might choose to save neither one of our lives."
"What? Why is that?"
"Jack Sparrow. Those two words are the only reason why."
Bill's curiosity began to fume and his expression related to that of his son's. Their accumulated anger caused the wind to resound in their chest instead of outside their bodies. The darkness seeped into their eyes and the vengeance for what Jack had done to them both was beginning to weigh heavily in their hearts.
"That abominable being has no right to ruin my life just as he ruined yours, William. We have to do something, we have to convince Elizabeth to-"
Will turned eagerly towards his father's gaze and his eyebrows narrowed dangerously.
"What do you mean, he ruined your life?"
Bill gave a small chuckle, short and crisp so that it wasn't laughter at all.
"Would you like to know what my story is? Sit down son… It began on one stormy night long ago. Captain Jack Sparrow had lost his title as captain of the Black Pearl that night, and I was guarding the ship from a surprise attack on Jack. When I saw a man hiding and darting around like a mad fish, I was certain that it was someone due to murder Jack. I attacked this man and we battled each other for what seemed like the entire night. We were so caught up in our duties to save ourselves that we did not see the railing. Both of us fell into the water and we drowned. That is, we did not because of Davy Jones. He saved our lives and I never knew what became of the other man. This night, I have found out that it was Jack I fought with, Jack who bewitched me into this miserable life I now own. I always heard of Jack making a deal with Davy Jones, but I never knew it was he who I owed this cursed fate to."
Will clenched his fist and slammed it into a crate.
"That blasted pirate! I will avenge you father, for you and myself, for the shattered lives he has bestowed upon us!"
Bill suddenly realized the fury he had unleashed within his son and he regretted mentioning anything. Will had already walked away to search for Jack, but to his surprise, there was a large group of disfigured creatures huddling around him.
"Do any of you know where the despicable excuse of a human being, Jack Sparrow, is?"
All of them laughed as another group shoved a man into the circle. Jack stumbled freely and then caught himself, his chest horizontal to the ground and his hair dangling like a bunch of ropes. Will took Jack's hesitation and expanded his chest as he made his way towards the pirate.
"You are going to pay Jack, for everything you have done!"
The crowd cheered as Will punched Jack in the stomach. He grabbed his abdomen as his eyes bulged and then retreated as the pain crawled up his spine. His knees made contact to the wood and then his head gently laid itself so that Jack was in a cradled position. The creatures around them were supporting Will and jabbing their fists into the air. Will looked down onto Jack foully, his mouth twisted upside down and nothing but hatred gleaming darkly from his eyes. Jack let out a small gasp of breath as the pain melted away for the moment.
"Is there a reason for which you believe you can get away with anything Jack? Well I believe it in the contrary. You will get what is coming to you Jack. I will avenge my father and the life you condemned him to!"
Jack was struggling on the floor, trying to rid his mind of the swirling masses of panic that had arisen in his head, everything pounding into his ears so that the voices mixed together. His body was now telling him that it could no longer defend itself. He hadn't eaten properly, and he hadn't slept well at all. There was so much a pirate could do before nature turned on him. Suddenly, through the chaos ensuing in his mind, he heard a soft bell resound. Her voice cleared everything of its spiky path and he felt the relief begin to flow through his limbs.
Just as Will was about to kick Jack in the side, Elizabeth shoved her way through the gathered crowd and knelt beside Jack. She looked up at Will with round eyes and a desperate plea rippled into the air.
"Will, I beg of you, please do not do this! I cannot let you hurt him!"
He parted the right side of his mouth and shook his head slightly while crossing his arms.
"So this is it? This is what you chose? You are going to chose him over me?"
"No! That is not it! Will, please, just listen to me!"
She was holding onto Jack's arms, cradling him in her lap like a child.
"Why should I Elizabeth? Every word that you speak is a lie. I cannot believe that I have been duped like a blind idiot this whole time."
They stared at each other, as intently as ever, trying to figure out the other's thoughts, however Elizabeth was no ill brained person, and she knew that Will had figured out more or less her feelings towards Jack. The crowd hadn't moved an inch. Every one of them stood silently watching the drama unfold itself. They hadn't had this kind of entertainment for a long time. The icy wind sliced through the circle, and Davy Jones's crew retreated as their Captain walked slowly towards the people in the middle of the action.
"It is time."
Elizabeth's back arched and she let go of Jack as every hair in her body stood on its end. Inside of her spine she felt three consecutive jerks and then her muscles contracted and pushed her upwards into a standing position. Her eyes looked around wildly, from Will to his father, to Jack still struggling on the floor. The thunderous echoes within her chest grew louder until her heartbeat pulsed inside of her ears. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, only cold darkness flowed in. Then, all of a sudden, her body began to burn, the heat gathered and when she looked at her hands, she saw them turn orange, then bright yellow in hue. She exuded great effort in turning around towards Davy Jones. Her eyes widened when she saw him smirking, yet the sight in front of him was more dreadful than she could have imagined.
There were three keys, each aflame and changing color constantly. One minute they were all blood red, and then the fire would turn into a blinding array of yellow light, which subsided into a stale orange flame.
"See this Miss Swann? These are the keys to your desires. The moment has come for you to choose only one. You know the choices, now decide."
Elizabeth shielded her eyes from the flames that dangled in the air. Her heart raced faster than before and her thoughts immediately turned to the dilemma, which she needed to resolve. The moment had come. There was no more waiting, no more chances to think. She had to feel what she wanted in her heart. She twisted around again so that she wouldn't have to see the keys, yet it didn't matter, because the fire reflected in both Will's and Jack's eyes. Elizabeth felt the hot tears prick her eyes and she let out painful sobs as the silence mingled with occasional sparks of fire behind her.
"Do it now!"
The sobs ended abruptly as the left key started to glide towards her back, flaming a bright yellow as it did. Suddenly, it stopped and then reverted back to its original place. Davy Jones smirked as he watched the next key come forward, this one alight with deadly red flames. However, just as its precedent, the key flowed back towards the Captain. Jack was now sitting up fully, the pain gone as he saw the torment Elizabeth was going through. Will's hard expression softened as his mind kneeled before the awesome power of the supernatural binding Davy Jones had chosen for Elizabeth. Finally, the third and last key came towards Elizabeth's back. Its flame changed into the calm steady roar of an orange sunset and the seconds wasted away gradually before it made the choice clear.
Elizabeth cried out in astonishing pain as the burning key touched her back and began to dissolve itself within her. Davy Jones laughed with conviction as Will and Jack both lunged forward to help her. Elizabeth's hair waved around violently and her body stood unmoved, her eyes helplessly staring out towards the cool ocean of water that could save her from the wrenching agony that burned within her. The creatures held both lovers back and they watched and cringed as the key melted into her heart. The flame vanished, the other two keys disappeared, and then she fell to the ground.
"The choice has been made. I will let her tell you once she wakes up. Hmm… perhaps I should do this more often. It is rather entertaining!"
Davy Jones bellowed once more as the laugh diminished. The door to his quarters slammed shut, and the crowd dispersed, somewhat saddened by the young maiden's burden. Will's father shook his head in disappointment as Will raced towards her.
"Elizabeth? Elizabeth! Please wake up!"
Her head moved from side to side limply as he cradled it in his hands. Jack winced as he pulled himself up from the floor and then cautiously took each step towards his beloved Lizzie. Once he made it, he collapsed, his legs too weak to carry onward. Will snapped his head to his left and then snarled at him.
"Get the bloody hell away from her! You savage beast! Do you now see the misery and pain you have caused her?"
Jack narrowed his eyes and his mouth twitched.
"That is enough. I have taken every single word that has come out of your filthy mouth and I have starved it inside myself. I have only contained my deep fury for the sake of the woman in your arms, but I must now dignify myself and say that you are the cause of all of her troubles! If it were not for you, she would never have had to make the obligated decision of being honorable and not letting your pride suffer! She was explicably wonderful towards you just because she regards you so highly!"
Will let the distance between himself and Jack widen at the shock of his pompous accusation. The rage inside of his soul began to grow once more. Suddenly, in the time span of just those few moments in which he had let his guard down, he saw that Jack had taken her hand in his and was now caressing Elizabeth's cheek. He slapped Jack's hand away from her and his eyes burned into Jack's face.
"I said get the bloody hell away from her!"
A huge gasp came from the woman lying next to them and each had already forgotten their fury.
"Elizabeth!"
"Lizzie!"
Her eyelids fluttered briefly as she adjusted herself to the new warmth inside of her heart. She raised her arm and rubbed her chest gently. Will raised her up carefully and Jack took her hands gently into his. She shifted her head so that her eyes met Jack's and then Will's. Elizabeth looked down and didn't speak a word.
"Are you all right?"
"Did it… hurt?"
She smiled lightly at Jack's comment. He knew the suffering it had caused her, but he always knew how to make any situation a little less serious. They helped her stand up and she closed her eyes momentarily. Then, after regaining her composure, she opened them again and saw the sight of both Will and Jack standing before her; the man who was her first love, and the one whose love occupied her heart to its brim. She had made the right choice.
"My choice…"
The two men raised their eyes anxiously as they looked at her with anticipation, each hoping that she had chosen the correct person to have their lives saved.
"…my choice was that no one gets left behind… I am sorry… but it was the only way…"
Elizabeth's bright smile shined with sorrow and her neck tilted her head forwards. The decision froze them into place and no one blinked. The chilly wind punched them all in their faces and Elizabeth's hair frantically scurried around her face until she could see them again. This time, her view was a portrayal of the amount of hurt she had caused everyone. Jack stood hunched and dazed at the prospect of spending his life on the ship. Will on the other hand was much more menacing. His eyes were larger than they should have been and his hair stuck out as if he was a savage beast ready to kill her. Will's heart grew bitter with each second that he looked upon her, the loving beauty and murderer of his life.
"How… how could you? Have I been completely blind? Was Jack right? He was! You were right friend! You were absolutely right! Elizabeth only has high regards for me… my feelings were never returned, only simmered by the humiliating lies that she bestowed onto me! But why is that Jack? Why did it happen?"
He was ranting madly and looking from Jack to Elizabeth with a cold stare.
"No, I will not let this happen to me! Elizabeth, you are going to go back to Davy Jones and tell him that you made the wrong choice! Tell him that you want to be with only me, and that you want to be off of this ship once and for all!"
The heartbroken smile faded on Elizabeth's face as it elongated itself, her cheeks raised high and the color of her flesh burdened with warmth. Her eyes gleamed in the night but the tears didn't come.
"I am sorry Will… I cannot do that for you."
"What? No. You have been filled with nonsense! Jack, undo whatever you have done to her at once!"
Jack came back from his haunting state of mind as he accepted his fate. He turned his head towards her, and she desperately gazed at him for some kind of understanding. His footsteps repeated in an unvarying rhythm as he reached her. Will stood a few feet away, smiling insanely as he awaited the ending of this disastrous and irrevocable journey. Jack lifted his arms and put his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders. Silence greeted her as his eyes bore into her own, telling her all of the words that could have spilled out of his mouth at that moment. But instead of saying anything, Jack pressed his lips against hers and pulled her closer towards him. She gasped for breath as the long awaited taste filled her mouth, of evaporated rum, of a thousand years worth of senses sizzling inside of their kiss. She wrapped her arms around his main frame and intertwined her fingers into his sturdy hair. The warmth inside of her heart swelled and Elizabeth arched her back as Jack settled his hands at her hips.
Will's jaw dropped and he couldn't move. This was not the action he had had in his mind. This was not supposed to happen. Jack was supposed to tell her to forget about the pirate, and yet as the moments passed, and as the two didn't separate, his insanity failed him. The conscious awareness of reality seeped into the back of his head and swarmed its way through his body until he was kneeling on his knees.
Jack kissed her lips gently once more, his moustache scratching her nose lightly. She looked at him, and awaited his answer.
"As long as you are mine, and as long as there is some decent rum on this forsaken ship, then by all means my life is complete."
The light sparked into her eyes and she hugged him more fiercely, letting her head rest next to his neck.
"Thank you Jack… I love you so much… thank you…"
She let the blissful tears spill down her face as he caressed her. Bootstrap Bill put a hand on his son's shoulder and helped him stand up. The strength had left his legs and he needed to lean on his father for support. His eyes gazed upon the united couple before him and the tears began to form, blurring his vision. Elizabeth saw him and left Jack momentarily. She slowly walked up to him and then she hid her happiness. Her voice was quiet and afraid, soft as the wind and he could barely hear her.
"I could not leave you behind Will. Living and knowing that you were still a slave to Davy Jones would eat me up inside. Please understand."
He let the tear slide down his face freely and he stared at her with dignity, not backing down and letting his emotions overwhelm him.
"I do not know if I can do that because I do not understand why it is that you had to lie to me the entire time. Why did you make up excuses… why did you even let me embrace you if your heart was not mine?"
"Will… how could I do that to you? I was your betrothed… and I betrayed you. I did not have the capacity to own up to my behavior. There must not be a reason then for you to forgive me. I should not have asked that of you."
She bowed her head gently and was about to turn away when she felt his hand grip her arm. Elizabeth looked back and he strengthened his hold of her. Will's eyebrows raised and he barely spoke his mind.
"Are… are you… happy with him?"
They stood still for a minute or two before she answered him.
"Yes, I believe I am."
"Why?"
She smiled and let the moon above shine down on her as she recounted the feelings inside of her.
"I should have known it all along. Ever since I could remember, I was entranced by the prospect of pirates and the adventures that followed. When I first met Jack, I was not so sure that my interests were wise, yet the second time around, I felt myself become alive. Will, I did love you, it was not imaginary nor was it false. However, my heart was not as content as it should have been. I know that there is someone out there who is the perfect match for your soul, but it is not me."
He allowed himself to smile just a bit. Will let go of her arm and it fell to her side. Jack approached them cautiously and then spread his hands apart through the air.
"Shall we let a by gone become a by gone?"
Elizabeth laughed brightly as she turned towards Jack.
"What on earth do you mean Jack? That is absurd! Who speaks like that?"
"I do dearie, and if you have a concern with that, you might as well go up to Davy Jones and have it up with him."
Will glanced at his father, who stood silently throughout the whole encounter, and then at his feet. Elizabeth smirked as the calming ocean gave her an idea.
"Speaking of the Captain, would everyone love to hear my proposed idea of escape?"
Each man looked at her incredulously, especially Bootstrap.
"Dear girl, I have been enslaved on this ship for longer than I can remember. How do you suppose that after being here less than a night that there is any way you escape that which has been melted into your heart?"
She rubbed her chest once again recalling the burning flame that had not long ago encased itself inside of her heart.
"Oh, not to worry. A woman is much more knowledgeable than you might assume. All right then, this is what we are going to do…"
A/N: Surprised? Angry? Sad? It was one heck of a chapter huh? I hope you all liked it, and again I apologize sincerely for the wait… school is taking over my life! But just so you know, there are two more chapters (which I have thought of) and then it will be the end of this fic… I know, it's very sad, but all great things must come to an end eventually. Anyways, I don't know why, but I've been receiving less reviews than previously… I hope I'm not doing something wrong… cuz if I am, please tell me! I always want to improve :) Okay then, I'll leave it at this, and wish you a great day! Thanks for reading! Review if you so please:D
-Monika-