I wanted to forgive…
As soon as Gibbs was out of earshot, Elizabeth flung herself in Will's arms.
He nearly fell over at the suddenness of it. "Wasn't expecting that one." He murmured, placing a chaste kiss on her temple.
She was surprised to see that he accepted her embrace amicably enough. Tears ran freely down her face. "I'm so glad you're all right."
His grip tightened on her.
"And…a-and I'm sorry, Will. I'm so so so sorry…I never meant to hurt you."
"I know that, Elizabeth…and I forgive you."
She glanced up sharply. "You do? That easily?"
"You forget that I love you."
She winced and pulled back a bit. Her eyes caught the scar on his chest and she traced her finger across it. "I never deceived you…before…that kiss…it really was a…"
"Don't take back your original answer. It was a trick and a deception…for not only Jack, but yourself. You made one vital mistake though…the same one Davy Jones made time and again…and look how he turned out! You denied your heart. If you do one thing for me, Elizabeth…Never deny your heart."
Her eyes trailed to his own heart, sitting in the sand near his feet.
"And don't worry. I'm burying that here. Not asking you to keep it…that would be asking too much of you."
"And I could give you too little…" Elizabeth murmured.
He nodded. "Regrettably…yes…but I understand now…Calypso whispered it to me. There is much more to me than either of us could have known. Destiny..."
She looked to the horizon where the Black Pearl rested at anchor…and further out…The Flying Dutchman. "And destiny for me as well. There." She pointed to the beautiful ship with black sails.
"Yes." They smiled at each other for a long time and then he turned to the chest. "Now…would you mind helping an old friend bury his heart?"
"It would be my pleasure." She replied, her smile widening.
They laughed and spoke of old memories as they worked. They spoke of dreams they had of children and the pretend game of pirates they played. Elizabeth had always wanted to be Captain Sparrow during those games and would become livid and refuse to talk to him for weeks when he told her she couldn't because she was a girl. They even spoke of the time he stopped calling her Elizabeth and went to calling her Miss Swann after her father had told him it wasn't proper.
When the sun dropped low in the sky, he built a bonfire and…she told him of another, very similar night…months ago when she unknowingly fell in love with the man behind the legend she had loved as a girl. She taught him the pirate song so that it could live on as a memory of Captain Sparrow…forever and ever.
They stayed up the entire night talking and forgiving. She cried when the sky grew brighter and he embraced her. He asked if she and Jack would be there when he returned to land. She promised that she would try.
"That's all I'd ever ask of you." He murmured.
Elizabeth walked him to the shore and embraced him tight. "I'll miss you." She whispered through her tears.
"And I you." He replied with a kind smile. "Keep a weather eye on the horizon."
And then…he was gone…She watched until the Flying Dutchman disappeared with a green flash.
JEJEJEJEJE
At dawn, she did find Gibbs waiting for her next to the longboat at the end of the beach.
The older man saw the look on her face and knew it for what it was instantly. Everyone except Jack it seemed knew she hadn't come to the island to prepare to wait for Will. She was saying goodbye. "He couldn't leave the Pearl…doesn't trust Barbossa."
"Of course." She replied disappointedly.
JEJEJEJEJE
Once on deck, she resisted the urge to rush into his arms. It was uncertain how that would go after the way the events transpired between them and she wanted to take it easy until she found out what he was thinking…which would be a feat in and of itself. At this time, his face was a closed book.
Barbossa had immediately started the crew underway towards Shipwreck Cove, but Jack stayed in the spot she had left him in.
"Ah. Back from your 'visit' already?" He asked when she moved up next to him.
"It's dawn." She reminded him.
"So it is." He murmured, glancing around wearily.
"Jack…"
"Not right now, Elizabeth. 'M exhausted."
She watched him walk into his cabin and promptly went to James. "Did he sleep at all?"
"No. And from the looks of things…neither did you."
"We weren't…doing what you were implying. I've only done that with one man and it certainly wasn't William." She glanced at the cabin door.
James' eyes widened and then he laughed aloud. "Why, you little tart."
"I'm not a tart, I'm in love with him, you ninny."
He snorted. "Then go tell him so."
"Maybe I will." She lifted her chin and went straight for Jack's cabin.
She lost her momentum when he didn't answer her knock and she opened the door to total darkness. He had drawn Barbossa's ugly velvet curtains he had never gotten around to getting rid of…they weren't tasteful, but they effectively blocked out the sun, keeping the cabin a bit cooler.
A rustling noise from the adjoining room caught her attention. The door was half ajar…and after peering in only revealed his boots at the foot of the bed, she pushed through and walked straight into the room. Only to find Captain Sparrow peeling his mildly damp shirt off.
He had started on the ties to his trousers and making her heart rate increase tenfold when he chose that moment to look up and find her examining the front of his trousers with avid interest.
"Oh! I-I'm sorry!" She muttered backing up and running from the room.
"Elizabeth!" He called.
Something strangled in his tone made her stop halfway through the day cabin. When she turned, he was leaning against the doorjamb wearing only his trousers half-undone and leaving very little to the imagination. The view damn near took her breath away. God, she wanted to be his again…every day for the rest of their lives…
"What did you need?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.
She stammered uncertainly. "I…" love you…"Shipwreck Cove…I want to go there."
His eyes took on that dark cast again and she cringed inwardly at herself. Is that the best you can do? How about you want to share his bed or something?
"Consider it done. We'll be there tomorrow." He turned to go back to his room.
"Jack!" She blurted. "I…are there bathhouses there?"
His left eyebrow raised. "Aye."
She nodded and left the room.
JEJEJEJE
"That was pathetic!" She exclaimed as soon as she went up to James. "I told him I wanted to disembark and asked him about bathhouses."
"Real smooth, dear." He chuckled. "You would have been better off bedding him again."