Miss Anya: I love your reviews! It's always good to read what someone thinks about your writing :-) I'm glad you enjoyed the characterization of Will and Elizabeth. It's difficult at times, but I'm desperately trying to keep everyone in character. This chapter is a long one...ENJOY!!!
Chapter Eight
When Elizabeth woke up the next morning, Jack was already up and shuffling about.
"Good morning Jack," she said, slightly surprised to see him up so early. She had intended to get up and fix breakfast and then wake him up, therefore she was not entirely prepared to see anyone. She had put on a robe, but she had not fixed her hair or makeup.
"Good morning Elizabeth," he said, turning to greet her.
"What's for breakfast?"
"I was thinking pancakes," she said, smiling.
Jack thought about it for a second and then nodded, "Sounds good."
"Well, I'm glad you approve," she said, pulling out ingredients and setting them on the counter.
"Where's Will?" he asked.
"He's getting ready for work. I know he wants to stay here with you, but he can't afford to keep the smithy closed for more than one day. He doesn't get that much business...although, Norrington has talked to him a few times about equipping the Navy."
"Hmmm," Jack pondered.
There was no conversation between them for a moment, only the sounds of breakfast being prepared and then Will came in. He noticed Jack first, "Morning."
"Morning," Jack nodded.
Will walked up behind his wife, a concerned look on his face. "Why aren't you dressed Elizabeth?"
She turned to face him, "I always fix breakfast in my nightgown Will. That way you can get dressed for work."
Will hugged her, "Yes dear, but we don't always have company." He kissed her on top of her head. "Why don't you go get dressed and I'll work on the pancakes."
"Alright," she said, leaving the two men alone.
"It's not that bad. I 'ave seen 'er scantily clad before," Jack said, "remember that night on the island."
Will would rather not remember, but he did.
"I know why you married 'er," Jack said, a small yet somehow dirty smile on his face.
"Jack, is that entirely proper?" Will asked, correcting him.
"Probably not, but then I'm not one to be proper really," Jack said.
"Ahhh," Will said.
"She has a beautiful body," Jack said.
It was Will's turn to blush, "Thank you."
"I bet she's a vixen in bed, isn't she?"
"Jack!"
"Well, is she?" the pirate insisted.
Will hesitated before answering, "There are times when I don't think I know how to live up to her expectations."
Jack smiled to himself, "I'm sure you're just fine."
Will was about to add something else, but Elizabeth reentered the room. He blushed a deep shade of crimson and she shot him an inquisitive look. Fortunately, she didn't ask any questions.
Soon the pancakes were ready. Jack and Will sat down at the table and waited for Elizabeth to serve them. When she had and was seated herself, they all began to eat. Jack was impressed again by how good the food was and complimented Elizabeth.
"Well thank you Jack," she said. "Will taught me everything he knew about cooking when we got married."
"My mother was a very good cook," Will said.
"Your father used to say that," Jack commented.
"Really?" Will asked.
Jack nodded.
It was quiet for a minute and then Elizabeth asked the question she knew that Will wanted answered, but was always afraid to ask, "What was he like?"
"He was a good man," Jack said. "A good sailor. Hard worker. And a good friend," Jack dropped his eyes, staring at his plate.
"But didn't he betray you?" Elizabeth asked.
Jack slowly nodded, "Yes, he did. But I don't think he had a lot to do with the mutiny that night. Even if he had disagreed, he wouldn't have had much of a choice. The whole crew wanted me gone."
Will interrupted, "He could have at least stood up for you or warned you. Let you know what was going on."
"He was a pirate, Will, not a saint. The first person you look out for is yourself. If he had stood up to Barbossa he would have been marooned or killed."
"He was killed."
"Because he was a good man," Jack replied. "Because he felt bad about what they had done. I know Bill was upset about what happened that night."
The conversation at the table died for a moment as the three friends continued to eat. Then Will decided to ask a question he had wanted to know for a very long time.
"Did he ever talk about me?" Will's voice came out just above a whisper.
"Not often, but every now and then, when we were alone, he would mention his son," Jack said. "I think he always felt like he let you down. He wished he could have been there more for you, growing up."
Will nodded.
"He loved you. He wanted to be there, but your mom didn't want him coming around too much, thought he was a bad influence on you."
A tear had formed in the corner of Will's eye, but the boy choked back his tears, "I remember him coming home to visit every once and a while as a child, but then he came home less and less and then not at all."
"That might have had something to do with the curse," Jack commented. "I know he wouldn't have stopped coming to see you for no reason."
Will shrugged his shoulders.
"Well Elizabeth," Jack said, carrying his plate to the counter, "this was a wonderful meal. Thank you."
Elizabeth smiled with pride, "You're welcome Jack."
He felt bad changing the topic, but the conversation had become a heavy one and Jack didn't want that. "So Will, I was thinking of accompanying you to the smithy today."
Will and Elizabeth exchanged a glance before he replied, "Actually, I think Elizabeth had some plans for you today."
"What?" Jack asked.
"You'll see," Elizabeth commented, smiling slightly at him as she brought her and Will's plates to the counter.
Will stood and met Elizabeth at the door.
"Have a good day at work dear. I love you," Elizabeth said, hugging her husband.
"I love you too Elizabeth," he said, kissing her softly on the lips and then turning to leave. "I'll be back before you leave Jack."
"Have a good day William," Jack said, watching his good friend leave the house. He then joined Elizabeth. "Need any help with those?" he asked, gesturing to the dishes.
"No, that's alright. I'll get to them a bit later," she said, pausing to stare at him.
"I don't like that look you're giving me," Jack said.
Elizabeth giggled, "I have a surprise for you."
She left the room and Jack found himself thinking dirty thoughts about what a good surprise could be. He quickly stopped himself. Nothing good would come of those thoughts, he chided himself.
She returned shortly and asked him to follow her. She led him down the small hallway and into a tiny room that was the couple's bathroom. Elizabeth had drawn a warm bath and she was staring expectantly at him.
"Are you going to sponge bathe me?" he asked her before he could stop himself.
Elizabeth laughed, "No, I'm not. Get in and leave your clothes on the chair there. Once you're in the tub just give a shout and I'll come and get your clothes for you. I'm going to wash them today."
"No sponge bath?" he asked, hoping she would change her mind.
"No sponge bath," she replied, shutting the door behind her.
"Damn," he whispered under his breath, beginning to take off his clothing. Once he was in the tub he called for her.
She entered the room and picked up his clothes, trying hard to resist the urge to look at him.
"Elizabeth?" he said, forcing her to look him in the eye.
"Yes?" she responded, unable to stop herself from glancing over his muscular chest and toned arms.
"I need a towel and perhaps something of Will's to wear when I'm done." He was slightly enjoying the discomfort he knew she was feeling.
"Of course," she said, backing out of the doorway. "I'll be right back." She managed to tear her eyes away from him and scolded herself for staring. Will had a nice body as well, muscular and tan, but Jack…Jack's body was an intricate map that told his story. Several thick scars stood out on his tanned flesh, all of which Elizabeth was curious about. She knew he had interesting memories that must have gone with them, but she didn't know how to ask without being inappropriate.
It took her a moment to find something of Will's that Jack could wear, but once she had, she carried it in to Jack. She tapped lightly at the door, but there was no answer. Waiting patiently, she tapped again a little louder.
"Come in," he answered.
She immediately noticed his wet hair. It dripped down his chest, drawing her attention once more to those interesting scars. "Here are some clothes," she offered, setting them on the counter.
"Thanks luv," Jack said. "Did you bring the sponge?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, chucking slightly and turned to go. She spent the next hour carefully washing Jack's clothing. She went through several buckets of water before she could rinse them without the water turning black. Fortunately, she had some experience with washing Will's dirty laundry; otherwise she may have been disgusted by the pirate's filth. However Will had never come home quite this dirty. But that was ok with Elizabeth, despite their past, she actually truly cared for Jack. He was a good friend of Will's and he had proven himself to be a good man.
She was hanging his laundry on the line to dry when she heard him approach her from behind. She had to admit she was impressed by the way he looked.
"The pants are a little tight," he said, pulling at the waistband.
Elizabeth smiled, "Guess Will is thinner than I thought."
"Thank you for taking care of my things," Jack stated. "I think I'm going to head over to the smithy and see if Young Turner needs my help."
"Give me just a minute and I'll fix the two of you lunch," she said, hanging his shirt on the line. "You can carry it with you. Will will be glad not to have to stop working to come home."
"Alright," Jack said, following her back into the couple's bedroom and then through the house to the kitchen. He sat at the table and waited while she fixed the two lunches and then brought them to the table, sitting them in front of Jack.
"There you go," she said.
Jack looked up at her, "Thank you."
"It's no problem at all. I'd do just about anything for Will you know."
"I see," Jack said, joking with her.
"No, I didn't mean it like that Jack," Elizabeth said, realizing her error.
"I know."
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
"It's ok, I know you didn't mean anything by it," Jack wanted to add something, but didn't know if he should.
Elizabeth could tell there was something on his mind and stayed quiet waiting for him.
"Elizabeth," he finally started, "I know things haven't been easy for you and Will since you got married, but you're doing a great job taking care of him. He really loves you and I think you're good for him."
Elizabeth bowed her head.
"The two of you make a sweet couple. I haven't known many people who've been as in love as you are. I just wanted you to know that," Jack said, picking up the lunches as he stood.
"Thank you Jack," she said. "I really am glad you came to visit. It means a lot to Will. And it means a lot to me. He looks up to you a great deal, you know?"
Jack smiled, "I better get this lunch to him."
"See you in a bit," she said, watching him leave.
Jack was glad that Will was alone when he arrived at the smithy. "Elizabeth sent lunch," he said, approaching his friend.
Will smiled, seeing him in his own clothes. "I'm glad to see you're still talking to me."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Jack asked innocently.
"You look nice cleaned up."
"Ahhh, the bath," Jack said. "No worries mate. It's nice to be able to get clean every once in a while. There's only so much the sea can do for you."
Will nodded, "Elizabeth washed your clothes too?"
"Yeah, she was hanging them out to try when I left. They should be ready by the time I leave tonight. In the meantime, I hope you don't mind me borrowing these."
"Not at all."
"They're actually a bit tight," Jack complained. "I think I'm getting old."
"You?" Will asked, "Never."
Jack smiled and the blacksmith put down the blade he was working on to eat with his friend. Elizabeth had fixed them each some bread and cheese along with some cured ham. It was just enough to fill Jack up.
"I didn't know if you would go along with the bath or not," Will confessed. "When Elizabeth asked me about it I told her it was worth a try."
"Oh, so this was Elizabeth's idea?" Jack pondered.
"Yes, she mentioned it last night, right before we went to bed."
"I think she was just interested in giving me a sponge bath," Jack kidded. "But don't worry William, I fought her off. Told her that I couldn't do that to you. That you were a dear friend."
Will started to laugh.
"Well I don't see what's so funny about that," Jack said. "Seems to me you'd be upset that your wife was interested in giving me a bath…me being a pirate and all."
Will shook his head, "Somehow I doubt that if that really happened you would have fought her off. I think it might have been the other way around."
Jack smiled. "Alright, you're right. But you can't blame me for trying."
Will chuckled, "I guess not…She is amazing, isn't she?"
"She treats you very well."
Will nodded, thoughtfully.
"She really loves you. You're a lucky man."
"I know," Will said, he paused, "I just hope I can keep her happy."
Jack remained silent.
"Like you were saying last night, she's not used to living like this, to being poor. What if she decides she doesn't want this life anymore."
"I don't think you 'ave anything to worry about Will," Jack said, reassuringly.
"I don't deserve her. I know that, but what happens when she realizes it?"
"Don't even talk like that," Jack said harshly. "You know it's not true. It's ridiculous for you to even waste your time thinking about it. I won't listen to it."
"Norrington has been by the house a few times," Will said quietly.
"What?" Jack was shocked and slightly angry.
"He comes by about once a month, to check on Elizabeth, he says. She never lets him in, always just speaks to him at the door."
"You should pay him a visit," Jack said. "Tell 'im to stay away from 'er."
Will had been looking at his hands, but at Jack's last comment, his eyes darted up to meet Jack's, "I'm not that type of person Jack."
"Well, I'll pay him a visit," the pirate returned.
"Jack," Will sighed, "I don't want that. I trust Elizabeth. I have to be able to trust her." He was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry I brought this up. I just needed to get it out to someone. I just feel like I'm not good enough for her."
"Elizabeth doesn't think that."
"I know, but if she does…"
Jack cut him off, "She doesn't and she isn't going to. She loves you Will. You can see it in her eyes. You're the only one who means anything to 'er."
Will smiled, "She's everything to me. She's my first and only love. I could never imagine being with anyone else."
Jack nodded, "Well mate, you best be getting back to work." He stood, "What can I do to help?"
Will grinned, "I'm not sure you can Jack."
"Fine then, I'll watch."
Will agreed to that and he and Jack spent several more hours at the smithy before deciding to return to his home for the evening.
Elizabeth had dinner waiting for them when they arrived. Again Jack found himself impressed at how domestically skilled she was. The three friends enjoyed good conversation over dinner and then Jack prepared to leave. He asked them if they would mind him catching a few hours of sleep before he awoke to meet Anamaria and The Black Pearl. They both agreed that would be fine and that they completely understood.
He didn't want to wake them when he got up in the middle of the night to leave so he told them both goodbye before they went to bed.
"Thank you Elizabeth," Jack started, "for the food, the bath…washing my clothes." He gestured to his clean outfit. "For everything, I really appreciate it." Jack reached forward and hugged Elizabeth tightly.
"You're welcome Jack," she said, holding him.
"Take care of William…and that baby."
Elizabeth nodded as they separated and Jack moved to shake Will's hand.
"William, thanks again. Take care of your family."
"I will Jack. Good luck on The Pearl. Take care of yourself and please come visit again."
"Soon," Elizabeth added. "It's been really good to see you again. Don't stay away too long."
Jack smiled. "I'll do my best."
Will released Jack's hand and he and Elizabeth retired to their bedroom. Jack laid down in an attempt to sleep.
As Will laid beside his young wife, he thought of the things Jack had told him earlier. He wanted her to know how much he treasured her, how great his love for her really was.
"Elizabeth?" he asked.
"Yes Will," she answered, rolling over on her side to look at him.
He propped himself up on his elbow, resting his head on his hand to get a better look at her.
"I love you so much," he said.
"I love you too William," she said, wondering why he seemed so anxious.
He kissed her deeply and she returned the kiss. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she received it. As they continued to kiss, he gently stroked her hair and caressed the side of her face.
Pulling away, his eyes searched hers. "I will always do my best for you. You know that, right?"
Elizabeth nodded slowly.
"You mean more to me than anyone or anything and I love you with all my heart," he kissed her, "so much," he added, returning to kiss her again, "always know that."
"I know Will," she said between kisses, "I love you too."
Will's kisses grew more insistent and soon he slowly began to touch her. She was enjoying his hands on her body, but she pulled away briefly when he began trying to undress her.
"Will, are you sure we should? I mean Jack's right down the hall."
"It's ok, we'll be quiet. I want to make love to you," Will said, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb before kissing her again. "Please let me make love to you."
Elizabeth kissed him back hard and soon they were entwined in each other's arms, the bed softly squeaking in the background. As Will made love to his wife, the two held hands and tried to stay as quiet as possible.
"I love you," Will said, watching her face contort in her most intense moment of passion.
"I love you too," she managed, the waves of pleasure rolling over her.
Will came soon after and the two lay in each other's arms as they fell asleep.
When Jack awoke, it was time to leave. He quietly left the house, creeping carefully down the street and out of the town. When he reached the forest, he easily found the rowboat he had left only a couple of days before. As he drug it out to the beach, he was disappointed to find that it was incredibly foggy on the water. What had been an advantage the night he came into the city was now a great disadvantage. He hoped he could find The Pearl on the water once he got out to sea.
Sighing out of frustration, he pushed the small boat out onto the water. He rowed as close as he could remember to the spot where his first mate had dropped him off, but The Black Pearl was nowhere in sight. Looking up at the moon, he knew it was the right time and he felt that he was close to the right place. But where the hell was Anamaria with his ship? Jack didn't know whether he should move to try and find her or stay in his current location. He waited for what seemed an eternity, but still she didn't show up.
He decided he would begin rowing and hope that maybe he caught sight of her. Maybe I'm in the wrong place or maybe Anamaria got tied up and she's running late. If only it wasn't so bloody foggy out here, it shouldn't be this hard to find a ship as large as The Pearl, Jack thought to himself.
He rowed for a long time, but still there was no sign of his ship. He knew he had been at sea for over an hour. Nagging thoughts began to pull at him. What if she isn't coming back? I did steal her ship at one point, what's to keep her from doing the same to me? But I trust her. Jack was having an internal battle. I should never have trusted her. Didn't I learn this lesson years ago?
A/N: Bwahaha...isn't that an evil cliffhanger to leave off at? Maybe if I am feeling nice I will update tomorrow ;-)