As they were getting ready to set sail in the afternoon, the crew was surprised to see the doors to Jack's cabin open, and to see William and Elizabeth emerge, smiling and embracing each other. Jack peered down from the helm and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He blinked at them, astonished.
"Here now! Wot th' hell are ye doin'? Ye needs rest, William! Not good!" he scampered down the steps, fluttering his hands at the couple, and trying to turn them back into the cabin. William calmed the captain down, as Bill emerged from the cabin, nodding wisely at Jack. "I'm much better, Jack! I wanted to come out and get some sun, is all."
"But..." Jack was quite flustered. He looked at Elizabeth, appealingly.
"Jack." William looked at him earnestly, as Elizabeth smiled, "... do you understand what it feels like to feel one's heart beating in one's chest... when it hasn't been?" Jack stared at him, then his eyes softened as he realized what the young man was saying. William put a hand on his friend's scrawny shoulder. "I wish to feel the sun on my face. To smell the salt air. To taste rum on my tongue, and taste my wife's kisses. To feel the ship as she is tossed upon the sea. To laugh with my best friend. It makes the heart beat faster and wilder, and stronger. Do you know how it feels to not feel one's heart beating...?"
William ran his hand carefully over his heavily bandaged chest. His eyes had such pain in them... such emotion... such sadness... that Jack could only stare at William for a long moment. He thought about what it must have been like for William, as these were the things that Jack loved... and he also knew how it felt, to not have a beating heart. He looked up at the young man's face, and said, "Aye... I know a little bit... but I was in another place, altogether..." Jack squeezed his eyes shut, and William simply patted his shoulder. Jack opened his owl-like eyes, and shook himself all over, like a dog shaking water from itself.
He frowned deeply at the pair, and pouted a little. "... jus' don't tire yerself out, whelp..." Jack mumbled as he went back up to the helm, waving his hands in irritation. "We have important things t' attend to in a bit..." William smiled at the captain as Jack muttered to himself. He and Elizabeth then slowly made their way to a table and chairs that had been set up on the deck for rounds of Liar's Dice. They settled in to sun themselves, and smile at the activities and the bustling around them... not to mention the smiles, handshakes and comaraderie.
As the sun was beginning to hang lower in the sky, Jack suddenly stood at the front of the quarterdeck and bellowed as loudly as his swollen jaw would allow, "ALL HANDS ON DECK! EVERYONE GATHER 'ROUND... I HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT T' MAKE." The crew all gathered around and William and Elizabeth turned from where they had been seated all afternoon. "Our guests of honor, Mr. and Mrs. William Turner the Second, are to be takin' place in a little ceremony," Jack winked at Bill, who winked back,"... or two..." he turned back to his audience, "... tha' will take place immediately upon me an' Bill... uh..comin' down th' steps." Jack looked around, and for lack of anything better to say.
Jack swayed down the steps with Bill close behind, and they both approached the young Turners, who both had wondering looks upon their faces. They looked at each other, as the crew gathered around. Jack nodded to Mr. Ragetti, who disappeared below momentarily, giggling with anticipation. William went to stand up, but Jack leaned down and said, "It's not necessary yet, lad... stay seated... please." He placed his fingertips gingerly upon William's shoulders and ever so delicately pushed him back into this chair.
To everyone's surprise, Mr. Ragetti reappeared with the chest in his hands. It was locked, and he set it upon the table between Elizabeth and William, who stared at it momentarily, then they both turned questioning eyes back to the captain. His eyes got a faraway look for a moment, and he then spoke, eloquently.
"As ye all know so very well, this chest is th' Dead Man's Chest. It was used by those who captained th' Flying Dutchman, when a livin' heart was required t' keep th' ship t' serve its purpose. It was used for th' wrong purposes, for a long, long time. Th' ship became a dreaded ghost ship, takin' th' souls o' those who were afraid o' death, an' forcin' 'em t' serve in order t' not go forward t' their fates..." Jack paused. He was afraid of death... permanently scarred, mentally, by his own death and restoration...he was capable of dying, again... he felt his hands starting to clench...he closed his eyes, and swallowed hard... control... don't let the Locker flood yer mind, Jack... control..who let all of those other Jacks in here?...control... Bill grasped his shoulder, and Jack opened his eyes, again. "...whew..." He swallowed hard one more time, and then continued.
"This chest became a symbol o' servitude... o' captivity... o' the loss of freedom." Jack looked up at Bill, sadly, "...it became th' symbol o' th' loss o' love..." Bill's eyes clouded over. Jack turned to a somber William and Elizabeth, who had reached for each other's hands, and now had their fingers entwined tightly at Jack's words. Jack took deep breath, and brightened a bit, and said, "... well, we are all gathered here t' celebrate th' end o' all o' th' aforementioned..." He then smiled down at the couple and nodded to Bill, whose eyes brightened as he unlocked the chest. The young couple's eyes widened as Bill opened the chest and reached inside.
Jack looked at William and Elizabeth happily, and much to everyone's amazement, Bill's hands carefully and slowly lifted from the chest... the tiny, beautiful and dainty little snow white crab. Everyone gasped and murmered in apprecation of something so lovely. Bill smiled widely, as the entire crew looked on in awe... they had not seen the wee creature before, and were completely delighted.
Bill placed it on the table between William and Elizabeth, and it moved its tiny legs to propel itself forward toward them. It paused, looking up at them with its black eyes, and with it's claws, it laid a tiny package down upon the table, tied beautifully with red string and sea shells... as they all watched in fascination, Bill placed his hands down upon the table, and the lovely little creature of the sea slowly made its way into his palms, and he delicately, almost lovingly, placed it back into the chest, and closed it.
Jack looked at his friends sitting in front of him, and said quietly, "Calypso has requested the return o' th' chest, so we shall commend this chest an' her little messenger back to her... back t' the sea from whence they came... but first... " he smiled, "... I should like t' have ye stand, please..." Elizabeth looked at Will, and wondered what Jack was doing... she got up, and came around the table and helped William to his feet. They both looked at Jack, not understanding...
Jack straightened his hat upon his head, cleared his throat, and looked up at William, trying to look down his nose at him. William snickered. He then looked at Elizabeth, who stared at him incredulously, then he said, dismissively, "Well, go ahead... open it." he pointed a finger, in a disjointed fashion, at the lovely little gift upon the table. The Turners picked it up together, and carefully unwrapped it together... they both gasped, as inside, made of gold from the hinge of the Dead Man's Chest that had affected their lives so profoundly...
... were two gleaming, golden wedding bands, beautifully engraved with ocean waves... sparkling and lovely.
Jack watched them for a moment, as the couple were on the verge of becoming overwhelmed. He then said, quietly, "I know tha' Barbossa married th' two o' ye during th' Battle o' th' Maelstrom, but I was wondrin' if I could do ye th' honor o' presentin ye wif rings? It was one last request we made o' Calypso in lettin' me have one o' th' hinges... an' Bill made th' rings...Bill can do a plethora o' wondrous things... yer gonna miss tha' part, whelp, havin' extra powers... an' I never got t' marry anyone as th' captain o' me ship...but I can at least present ye wif rings, savvy?" Jack's voice trailed off hopefully, his head tipped to the side, his hands stopped in midair, as he wondered if the couple was going to say anything.
The Turners were speechless... and they both looked at their friend and William's proud father, who would have to soon take leave with the Dutchman... William finally found his voice. "We would be honored, Captain Sparrow..."
"Awright then... take th' ring, Izzy... awww, don't cry!... there, there... that's th' lass..." Jack patted Elizabeth's hand and said, "Alright, 'William, here is me ring for ye'... repeat it, Izzy..." Elizabeth giggled through tears of happiness, and repeated, "... William, here is me ring for ye..." She laughed out loud as she placed the beautiful ring upon William's left hand, her eyes sparkling up at him.
"Now!" Jack continued brightly. "William! Say 'Izzy, I have a ring for ye, as well, savvy?" William started to laugh, as he took Elizabeth's hand and said, with great enthusiasm, "Izzy! I have a ring for ye, as well, savvy?" And he slowly, lovingly, slipped it upon her finger.
And as Jack took each of his friends' hands and placed them together, he leaned back and yelled, "... by th' power invested in me as th' captain o' me own ship, The Black Pearl, I now pronounces ye husband an' wife wif rings! Top that one, Hector! Drinks all around!!!"
He waved his arms with a great flourish, as the crew whooped with glee... the Turners, however, looked a bit sad, as their captain turned and said, "Oh, yes, there's plenty t' drink for all o' you, too...an' peanuts!"... to no one. No one was there... although Jack's momentarily vacant eyes told them that he thought that there was. William and Elizabeth looked at each other... they had quietly talked of staying on the Pearl with Jack... they weren't sure that they could leave him, now...
The crew broke out the rum and drinks were raised all around, but not for long... as the Pearl was to get under way immediately, in deference to the wishes of the Turners... they had a deep desire to put this island and its memories behind them, with the help of their friends. And as the Pearl's sails began to fill with the evening winds to take to the China Sea by night, William, Elizabeth, Bill and Jack quietly and reverently gathered at the ship's railing, all holding the chest within their hands... as they all put their hands on of each other's on the lid of the beautiful chest, together, they looked into each other's eyes ... there was no need for words... they stood together as a family... and as a family, they carefully and slowly let the chest slip over the side of the Black Pearl, and watched, together, as it splashed into the water and slipped softly into the dark oblivion of the depths... back to the sea, from whence it had come... forever into the waiting hand of Calypso...
To be continued...