Authors Note: OK. I apologize for the delay. This is by far the longest chapter I've written (3,017 words). Be patient with me. The flashbacks are in italics, and the real time is in regular font.

Chapter 13: I Do

I smoothed the white cotton skirt, not meeting anyone's eyes. Surrounded by the low ceiling and stone walls, my stomach started knotting itself into a huge ball of worry.

The flashbacks started again, repeating the mantra of memories:

I turned away from Michael, my mind in turmoil. All I knew was that I needed to explain to him the one thing that I had never brought up. My promise.

I left the house quickly, not walking, but not running either. I went down the cliff path, going to my favorite boulder. For a stone, it was comforting.

Michael followed, a few steps behind me. "Calypso!" He shouted. "Why are you running?"

I turned and faced him, tears streaming down my cheeks. My features were contorted in sorrow and agony. I realized with a jolt I couldn't run away from my problems anymore. There were people that needed me, and I kept running away—letting them down.

"You don't understand. I can't marry you!"

Mother smiled. "You look stunning. Just a little more excitement may be what you're missing."

I smirked, and then hugged her. My tall, supple frame fit neatly around the contours of her skinny, wane bones. She was nearly 55, and her grey hair swirled softly around her shoulders. She shivered in my arms.

"What? Why?" Michael was stricken; I could see it in his posture.

"I've made promises. I can't break a promise, you know that better then anyone else." I closed my eyes, waiting for an answer. It was a long time in coming.

"What aren't you telling me?" His arms folded around me, his chin resting on my head. I leaned into him, crying. "Calypso?"

I met his eyes. "It's a long story, one that would take all night to explain."

"I'll stay. I always will, as long as you want me with you."

I sighed, wiping my tears away with the heel of my hand. "This whole thing started about 200 years ago, when a sea goddess ruled the oceans, and she preyed on sailors and pirates alike."

Elizabeth Turner smiled up at me, her brown eyes alight with more then enough excitement for the both of us. "My baby girl, all grown up. Getting married."

I shook my head. "I'm not leaving you. You won't be alone."

"I'm not worried about that." Her eyes betrayed a sorrow too deep to belong to any mere mortal.

"His name was Davey Jones, hers was Calypso. He was a Pirate Lord, she the goddess. They loved each other dearly for a time, but all things must pass, and he began to fear her. He convinced his fellow Pirate Lords to capture and bind Calypso to human form, and in doing so, transfer the dominion of the sea from her to the Pirate Lords. And they did so. They bound her in her bones. Of course, Calypso was angry."

"You are named after this goddess?" Michael interrupted me.

"Yes, I am." I stared out at the sunset, wondering if Father was watching the same sun disappear into the waves.

"Calypso hated Davey Jones for his betrayal, but loved him still, so she condemned him. She made it so he could only come onto dry land once every ten years, and he had to ferry the souls of those who died at sea to the other side. This was too much for the mortal Davey Jones, but he stayed at sea for ten years, ferrying souls to the other side. But when he returned to land, to meet up with Calypso again, she was not there."

"Are you ready?" Mother asked, once again straightening my dress so it lay flat.

I shook my head, but smiled bravely. She cupped my cheek, looking deeply into my black eyes. "You remind me of your father," she whispered. "I wish he were here, to see you like this."

I nodded. "I do too. I miss him."

"Overcome with grief, Davey Jones literally ripped out his heart and waited for death to take him to the place he had visited thousands of times before. But death would not come for Davey Jones. Calypso found him, lying on the floor, near death, and she worked to save his life. And she did, to an extent. He became a heartless immortal, and he hated Calypso for it. He took his still beating heart and locked it in a chest. When Calypso saw he was leaving her, alone, an immortal in a mortal's body, she cursed his heart. Davey Jones still had the ferry the souls of the dead, and he still could not come on land. And now, if anyone destroyed Davey Jones' still beating heart, Davey Jones would die, and the stabber would have to take his place."

"Calypso? What does this have anything to do with you can't marry me? Michael interrupted. His green eyes bored deep into mine, and I imagined he could see my soul through my black eyes.

"Everything." I whispered, watching the sunset. "Everything."

The light of noon streamed through the windows, and the light summer breeze swirled dust motes and a dance that would last forever.

My brother met me outside the doors to the church center, a small smile on his face. "Calypso."

"Jack." We had become very formal with each other. I knew, deep down, he still cared for me, but his wife, Angelica was not my biggest fan. She had turned her three children against me, and they barely knew me.

He had grown a beard and mustache since the last time we had really seen and talked to each other. I had seen him a few months ago, when I had asked him to walk me down the aisle.

"Ready?" He flashed a grin I recognized; one he had given me many times before. "Are you nervous?"

I nodded to both questions, though the last wasn't true. I wasn't nervous. I was relived beyond imagining.

"With Calypso trapped in human form, the Pirate Lords and those they commanded ruled the seas, pillaging and murdering wherever they went. There was one Pirate Lord in particular named Captain Jack Sparrow that played a major role in this story of mine. He captained a ship called the Black Pearl, and she inspired fear wherever she went. But his mutinous first mate, Hector Barbossa, left Captain Jack Sparrow on a deserted beach and took the Pearl. For 10 years, Captain Jack Sparrow went looking for the Pearl, and Barbossa. Long story short, Jack met my parents and killed Barbossa. Jack was sentenced to hang, but my father freed him. My parents were to be married."

A few tears escaped me, and Michael held me tighter against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat, strong under my ear.

Jack offered me his arm, and I took it, meeting his hazel eyes. I was just a few inches shorter then him, something that made him chuckle, because neither of our parents were very tall.

Facing the large wooden doors, I was struck with a thought: I may be breaking a childhood promise, one that was made with the eagerness to please, but I was making a new on as a woman, to someone I knew better then myself.

The doors swung open as the organ began to play quietly in the background.

"They would have been married, but a man named Lord Beckett arrested them before the ceremony. They were charged with aiding a pirate in escaping the law. But Beckett offered my father a deal to save my mothers life, and once again, Father had to find Jack Sparrow. Beckett wanted Jack Sparrow's magical compass, which could lead you to wherever or whatever you wanted most."

Michael laughed. "You're joking."

I shook my head. "It's the truth. Why would I make this up? If you ask Mother, she'll tell you the same story. May I continue?"

He nodded, and kissed the top of my head again. I smiled slightly, and sat down in the dry sand. He followed suit, hugging me tighter, if that was even possible. It felt like he needed something to hold onto, while I told him history that seemed like a child's tale.

"He found Jack Sparrow, but Jack needed help finding a key to a chest. Father agreed to help Jack find this key, in exchange for the compass. They went to find a fortuneteller named Tia Dalma, who knew where the key was and where the chest was that went with it. She told them that the key was on the Flying Dutchman, Davey Jones' ship."

"The key went to Davey Jones' chest? With his heart in it?" Michael looked repulsed, like he was going to vomit.

"Yes. But all will be revealed in a few moments."

Jack took a hesitant step forward, and I followed, my white slippers peeking out from underneath my white, floor-length skirt. I kept my eyes forward, ignoring the smiling faces of the town. There was only one face I wanted, needed to see.

Any wedding was a publicly announced event, and anyone came. The town was small, and even if we lived on the outskirts of town, we still were known by everyone. So everyone was there in their finest, as they were with any other wedding day. To them, it was all just a show—a reason to get dressed up.

I kept walking slowly, too slowly, my eyes locked with his. He smiled, and I could not help but smile back. I think, despite me feeling he would leave me because of what I had said; he wouldn't have left, no matter what I said. If I said I was dying, or pregnant, or in love with another man, or any of them, he would be all right with that. That should tell you the level at which he loved me.

It felt good to be loved.

"My father went to the Flying Dutchman in search of Jack Sparrow's key, only to find that Davey Jones had it concealed underneath his tentacles."

"Tentacles?"

"Yes. Davey Jones had not completed the task given to him by Calypso in over 50 years. He and his crew had started to become more sea creature then human. They had tentacles, barnacles, shark heads. You name it, it grew on them. Eventually, the crew started to grow into the ship. They … became … the ship." I shook my head, shivering. The idea did not appeal to me in the least.

"Sounds … interesting." He grimaced. I nodded, understanding.

"So my father befriended one of the crew members, a man named Bootstrap Bill, who incidentally was my grandfather. My father stole the key from Davey Jones with the help of Bootstrap Bill Turner, and went back to Jack Sparrow. However, he promised his newfound father he would come back for him, and free him. But the only way to free him was to stab the heart."

Jack freed my tight grip on his arm and squeezed it gently. "It'll be alright. Just love, and be loved. Go with the surety that Mother and I love you dearly, and if Father were here, he would tell you the same thing. He would be proud of you," he whispered, smiling.

I would have to remember to talk to him later. It seemed so odd, that he would mention Father now, of all other times he could say something about him. Jack hated Father with a passion greater then the hatred between Satan and God. Why bring that up now?

Jack handed me off to Michael, as tradition stated, and sat down a few rows behind me. The feel of Michael's rough, farming hands gave me the feeling that I was coming home. And in a way, I was.

"In a large amount of distrust and backstabbing, Jack Sparrow and the Pearl get eaten by the Kraken after being shackled to the mast by my Mother … and then she felt guilty about it. They went to Tia Dalma, who incidentally was Calypso herself, in human form. Calypso had raised Barbossa from the dead, who lead what was left of Sparrow's crew, Father, Mother, and Calypso to the land of the dead."

"The land of the dead?" Michael look behind him, at my cliff-side cottage. "Your mother went to the land of the dead?"

I nodded, grinning. "I know. It's hard to comprehend that she actually did it." My diminutive mother, now aged, was quite a traveler when she was younger.

"Michael, son of James, do you take Calypso, daughter of Elizabeth, as your wife? Do you promise to love her and keep her safe from harm? Do you promise to stay with her, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, and to cherish her always?" the priest asked, his blue eyes icy and challenging, as if he expected Michael to quail at what was being asked. I laughed internally, giddy.

This was almost over.

"I do, with all my body, heart, and soul, I do so promise." Michael whispered, meeting my eyes in triumph.

"The song was sung, and the Brethren Court of the Pirate Lords were summoned to convene at Shipwreck Cove. They were to decide whether to free Calypso, and so win her appreciation in the coming battle against the British armada and the Flying Dutchman. The Brits had stolen Davey Jones' heart, and by doing so, took control of the Dutchman. Of course, the British wanted to get rid of pirates."

"What song?" Michael asked.

I smiled. "It's something Jack taught me, who learned it from Mother. It's a pirate song, one not sung lightly. If sung by a pirate about to be hanged, it is heard throughout the seas."

Michael looked impressed. "Interesting." I nodded, grinning again.

"Calypso, daughter of Elizabeth, do you take Michael, son of James, as your husband? Do you promise to love him and keep him from harm? Do you promise to stay with her, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, and to cherish him always?"

Again, the priest looked challenging, but he had been that way throughout the entire ceremony. I got the feeling that he didn't want to be here.

I smiled, gazing into Michael's water-filled eyes.

"Barbossa as his fleet of pirates fought bravely. Captain Jack Sparrow went after Davey Jones in search of the chest and the key, which had fallen into Davey Jones' hands, or rather, claws. Sparrow wanted to become the next captain of the Dutchman, and in doing so, gain immortality. My father went to help Jack, although he wanted to free my grandfather, who was still on the Dutchman. But Davey Jones stabbed my father through the heart, and began to laugh."

That scene was on of my worst nightmares. My father, who had fought so bravely just moments before, was dying.

"But Captain Jack Sparrow took my father's hand and stabbed the heart of Davey Jones."

I squeezed Michael's hands. "I do, wherever our paths take us, I promise." I whispered, my heart in my throat. Whatever happened next, we would face it together.

We still had two years before my father came. I had time, no. We had time, and right now, it seemed like we had forever.

"Then be one, and rejoice in what God has given you." The priest drawled, looking bored. The hilarious part in this whole affair was that I wasn't Christian, and yet I had just been married in a Christian ceremony. I wanted to laugh, but Michael silenced my laughter with a swift but passionate kiss.

"Captain Sparrow's actions made my father the Captain of the Flying Dutchman, and he had to take the duties that Davey Jones had neglected. Which is why, Michael, why I can't possibly marry you."

"What does that have anything to do with you? That was a long tale, and very interesting, but I don't understand." Michael frowned, his black eyebrows furrowing with confusion.

"Michael, you know I do not break my promises." I whispered slowly. "Last time I saw my father, almost 9 years ago, I promised I would go with him. As part of his crew on the Dutchman."

"Ahhh …" Michael sighed, and was silent for the longest moments of my life, but it was in actuality a short while. "I understand now. This promise you made when you were young … it is holding you back from what I know you want most."

His smile was hesitant, like he wasn't sure of my reaction. I nodded glumly, and settled against his shoulder as the sun disappeared over the horizon.

"Calypso. Is it possible that you could be released from this promise?"

I glanced up at him, now the confused one. "Released?"

"Released. You don't have to break any promises, and we can be together. I'm sure your father would understand."

"I … I would have to think about that." I murmured slowly.

The gathering applauded, smiling, as his lips touched mine. The memories of that night faded as I forgot to breathe. This was what I wanted, to be with him for the rest of my life. I was no longer just myself, a loner waiting for her father to take her away. I was myself and Michael—we were no longer separate, but one being, with only one conscience thought.

Our happiness.

I had done what I had most feared, and had not run away from it. There, now, in the small church with its blank stone walls, I was happy, and I was free.

I just wished Father was here. He would have made this day the best day in all of my life.

Authors Note: My next chapters will defiantly not be as long. This took me forever to write (it seems), so please please please REVIEW!