WAKI 9

Oh yes... The Infamous chapter... The chapter I have not yet had ANYONE read... If it doesn't make any sense, blame that. Also, about halfway through I realized that I had written this same thing four times. Thus, I got the plot moving again. Hopefully it's satisfactory.

Something had to be done.

Will couldn't live like this any more. He hated feeling guilty all the time. He hated seeing Elizabeth and thinking of Jack, and thinking of Jack and seeing Elizabeth. He hated his night mares and his day dreams. He hated how his heart felt every time a ship came into port.

He needed to make a choice.

It was increasingly obvious to him that he loved Jack. At the very least, he lusted for the older man. That really wasn't the issue. If that had been all there was, he wouldn't have been left standing all alone on a beach. It was so much more complicated.

Because he loved Elizabeth. He really did. He looked at her and, in between the waves of guilt, felt all warm and fuzzy and genuinely content. He loved her. Just like he said.

But that wasn't going to be enough to make him happy.

He wanted so desperately to be out at sea. He wanted to feel the waves beneath his feet, the cold sting of the spray on his face. He had fallen in love with the sea during his adventures. The old smithy would never feel right again. He wanted the freedom, wanted the total ecstasy of flying over the open ocean, nothing around him for miles. He wanted to be with Jack.

But he loved Elizabeth too, and he'd already promised to stay with her forever. He'd made his vows to her already, proposed to spend the rest of his life with her. He couldn't go back on them now. And he wanted her to be happy, he really did. So he'd stay. He'd remain in Port Royal, despite the callings of his heart.

But… Would that be enough to make Elizabeth happy? To be married to a man divided… That wasn't fair. She deserved to marry someone who could love her, and only her. Someone who wouldn't awake to dreams of a pirate. He needed to make a resolution, to put Jack behind him, out of his life.

As to how he was to go about that, he had no idea.

Elizabeth had suspected it all along. She had seen the way Will looked at Jack, seen the furtive glances, the many moments when their hands touched just a little too long. She denied it, of course. Not her Will. Never HER Will. He was far too proper to fancy a man, let alone a pirate.

But perhaps… Perhaps he was so very overly polite in order to make up for the complete impropriety of his inner-most soul.

She had to admit, it was a rather romantic notion. Two dashing, handsome men meet at sea, all alone on a big old pirate ship for uncounted months. Will would resist at first, of course, but Jack would have had his way with him eventually. With Jack, it was only a matter of time.

And so, she made Will's decision for him, without even knowing there was one to be made.

"What do you mean, you love him?!?!" Governor Swann gaped, his jaw hitting the top of his lace coat. "He's a man! And you're a man!"

Will flushed and shuffled uncomfortably.

"I'm aware of that, sir. That's why I came to you first, sir. I would very much like to remain with Elizabeth, but… Things need to be resolved."

Governor Swann stood there for a moment, totally in shock. Then, with a sigh, he sunk back onto the sofa.

"Well, Mr. Turner… I suppose there's no way to dissuade you? To convince you this is all some sort of… phase?"

Will shook his head.

"Well, I can't say I'm particularly surprised. Elizabeth was hinting at this, just this morning."

Will blinked. It was his turn to be shocked. He felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. He hadn't wanted Elizabeth to know, not ever. As far as she was concerned, he wanted her to think he was just leaving on a trade mission. Getting into the sailing business. The honest kind.

"She knew?" He swallowed hard.

"Of course I knew. I'm a woman." Elizabeth scoffed. "Women always know everything."

Will almost fell off his chair. He fumbled all over himself, face burning like heated iron.

"Elizabeth, I… I can explain…"

"Oh, shut up." She sighed, flipping a gloved hand in his general direction. "You don't need to explain anything. I know all."

She turned to her father, expertly forming her most angelic expression.

"Daddy, I'd very much like to go with him, if that would be all right with you. It would be a joy to see Jack again, and I do so love the sea."

"But… Elizabeth, I can't just let you run off…" The old man was obviously flustered. He was probably still absorbing what the first bit of shock was. He wasn't ready for more information quite yet. Just what she was planning, Will realized. The little minx.

"But I won't!" Elizabeth exclaimed, grabbing onto his arm for no apparent reason. "I'll be going on a trip with my dear fiancée. That's acceptable, isn't it Daddy?" Her perfect eyebrows rose to the top of her head, her big blue eyes almost, but not quite, tearing up. Gosh, was she good.

"Well…" The governor whined and scratched at his wig.

"Please?" Now there really were tears in her eyes.

"All right." He sighed, smiling his sad little smile. "But no dangerous anything! And no ghost pirates. You know how I hate those." He shuddered, remembering a certain long battle with an undead hand in a drawer.

"Don't worry, Daddy." Elizabeth smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek. "I'll be a good girl."

She walked him out, pulling him along by his arm. He gaped at her, more shocked than he'd been in a long, long time.

"What… was that?" He blinked.

"Well, Will, let me put it this way." Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled. Not the innocent, little girl smile she used with her father. The sultry, woman smile she used whilst she was wearing breeches, so to speak.

"Battling evil pirates from beyond the grave and watching my two best friends fall in love in an awful lot more interesting than needle work and knitting."

Yes, Elizabeth will remain in the story. No, there will be no Elizabeth anyone. Elizabeth is a pervy yaoi fangirl, just like me. That is why I need her. Anamaria is all concerned for Jack's well-being, whilst Elizabeth could care less about any of them. The more angst the better, right? Anyways, she's a catalyst, as well as comic relief. And it will need it. Believe me.

See you next time!

Jiia