Chapter 4: Day is Done

When the day is done
Down to earth then sinks the sun
Along with everything that was lost and won
When the day is done.

When the day is done
Hope so much your race will be all run
Then you find you jumped the gun
Have to go back where you began
When the day is done.

When the night is cold
Some get by but some get old
Just to show life's not made of gold
When the night is cold.

When the bird has flown
You got no-one to call your own
You got no place to call your home
When the bird has flown.

Day is Done by Norah Jones

Humming, cheering crowds filled the decks of ships, the streets of the town and the shores of the beach below. The town was receiving a visitor of grand proportion and Elizabeth was certain she had never seen the place in such an uproar. She hurried into the main hall to find Teague tossing on his coat while the other guests fled the house and ran towards the shores. Pushing her way through the front door in front of the older man, she saw the skies slowly begin to glitter themselves with the coming stars, grays and blues enraptured over the fortress. And down along the coast, just drawing into the port was a ship, a grand, demonic vessel.

A ship with black sails.

Moments later she turned to greet Teague who had taken a stance beside her at the top of the hill, proudly glancing out to the ship's arrival. And even though he didn't smile, Elizabeth felt he was happy to see Jack again, happy to have him home at day's end for once. "Imagine that eh Lizzie? The Black Pearl come t' visit…" She curled her arm into his and stood against his grand form calmly, seeing him as her own father in some strange way now, he knew this and adored her just the same. "I guess Captain Jack Sparrow missed home." Humored by her remark, they laughed together, knowing this to be far from true, but still amused by such an idea. Children scattered near the port, yelling and cheering for the man who had become their silent hero over the years. Jack pulled the ship in, tying her off, finishing the last bit of work to be done and then stepped down from the deck and into port, greeting everyone warmly, proudly. Kids tugged at his coat pockets searching for jewels, women embraced him with kisses and promises of good food and company, and men, fellow past friends of his, begged for stories of his adventures since last they had seen him. Elizabeth, still clinging to Teague was thoroughly amused by a scene she had never in her wildest dreams pictured. Jack the folk hero among his people, it was beautiful, poetic.

Feeling Elizabeth's grip tighten around his upper arm, Teague sensed she was even more nervous to see Jack again than he was. Something greatly unfinished had occurred between them over the years, he could sense this too in the way she held on for dearest life. He had never been sure of whether it was love being returned to his son, but he was absolutely certain of Jack's motives towards the young girl, it was hard not to understand the look in his son's eyes. It had been the same mesmerizing glance Teague himself had owned up to for a good twenty years.

Jack, followed closely by Gibbs, Marty, Cotton, Pintel, Ragetti and a few newer crew members, struggled up the hill to where he recognized his father standing with a dainty figure pinned to him. The woman it appeared was wearing men's pants and a coat to ward from the cold, but it wasn't until he was mere feet away that he knew who he was looking into the eyes of. His heart had literally fallen from his chest and was now churning in the salty depths of his gut, trying desperately to leave him for all good sense. His breath, staggering thankfully from the long walk uphill was met with the raspy choking of her beauty's impression upon his eyes. Lost, contorted even in this moment, he approached them casually, as if nothing was out of place and all was as he had expected it to be. Lizzie tied cleverly to his father's arm, waiting for him. 'If only fantasy could imitate life', he thought.

"Ah Jack, come fer a stay ave' ye lad?"

"Seems to be the hope." He replied to his father, grinning strangely from Teague's eyes to Elizabeth's and then darting back to his father.

"Well it is an odd happening, but o' course we can make room fer the lot of ye."

"Thanks Teague." Jack stood solemnly before the pair of them, as if waiting for random conversation to be made. When nothing came, he inched towards his father, gripping him awkwardly around the shoulder and pulling him in for a split of a second, an embrace of some sort. Elizabeth tried to hide a smirk at the scene, moving aside to allow comfortable breathing room for the less than affectionate duet. She hoped Jack would acknowledge her, sooner than not. Of course, her hopes were not disappointed, as Jack pulled back from his father to allow breeze distance, he turned his eyes directly down to hers. The world stopped instantly, as each of them peered through the other, certain they saw a flicker of interest. "Your majesty." Jack concluded, taking her hand into his and bowing nearer her waist, amusingly. Trying to hold back a laugh Elizabeth stood proud, as if half expecting him to make such a scene, while her face fell to embarrassment at the snickering crowds surrounding them. Pulling her hand away she waited for Jack to stand at a height just above her own before returning a gesture of welcome. "Welcome home Jack, I am in such high spirits as to see that not much has changed in your demeanor."

"Oh dear, I feel quite the same as t' ye."

Nothing was spoken, Teague stood to the side of their glaring showdown in apprehension of who was to make the final stab, and he feared it would be Lizzie. Jack watched her, waiting for her to respond, as he knew only she could conclude such a wordy battle appropriately. Jack had every faith in her, no matter how fast his stomach was tumbling from within.

"Well…"

'Come on Lizzie, bring it forth. Hit me with your finest vex.' Silently rooting her on, he was sure it was to come, in a matter of seconds she would simply…

"I believe I'll return to sleep now that you have found comfort in the soil again. Goodnight Mr. Sparrow. Teague." Nodding to each of the men, they returned the gesture with grins and bows of their necks in her grace. Elizabeth turned to fall back towards the front step of the Sparrow home, being halted in her tracks at the sound of his voice again.

"Oh an' King Turner?" She hated what it sounded like, hearing him refer to her as Will's other half, the sting of jealously that lingered unnoticed in the back of his throat. But she spun on her heels to meet his inquiry nonetheless.

"Yes?"

"It's Captain, remember? Captain Sparrow." The wicked glitter of his gold teeth in the light of nearby lanterns and torches was sinful to some extent, the way he questioned her memory of him, the way he looked to her as if they were the only two inhabitants on the island. Elizabeth was perplexed by the feelings she was trying to hold back, but she said nothing, only lightly smiled back and pushed her way into the door of the house.

Once inside, she fell back against the rough wood, hearing the cheers and dawning conversation of the Shipwreck dwellers and crew. Part of her regretted not joining in the festivities, and the other part of her had no choice. Her life was a lost cause that not even Jack Sparrow could fix. Nothing could be done but to drown in her own loneliness, she owed both Will and Jack that much.

More up very soon :)