Epilogue - unedited

Three years later

Elizabeth was, as many other days, receiving Ana María (who was taking care of her ship, The Crimson Swan) in the docks with Henry in her arms when she saw the Storm sliding towards her own place and she lit up.

These past years she had maybe gotten out more times than the last, as Henry was already old enough that Teague didn't mind to look after him for short periods of time but, as stated, it was to be short periods and she was usually back in less than a month, if nothing wrong happened. This was why one of the few things she looked up to were Jack's visits to the island… They weren't visits per se, she knew… She had made a very difficult decision and even harder deal with the governor and the now admiral of Jamaica, being as she had been the late governor's daughter, and this was part of the deal: A ship, every month would visit the island and account that everything was still in order; in other words, the inhabitants of the island were being watched as much as she was. Not counting Jack's ship, James' new one and one that belonged to Theodore Groves were the only ships that could pass the Devil's Throat without getting wrecked and without getting hit with the cannons of the island as they had been approved by her eye and only because Jack had also allowed it so for those to enter the place. As James was once again a Commodore, it didn't present a problem and there were no arguments that the governor could offer for it to be in a different way.

When she finished with Ana María's reports and what she had brought to the island, she went towards the end of the docks to greet Jack as the darkness in the sky started to settle slowly.

As he came down, she smiled a bit. She didn't know if it was just that he had abandoned the pirate life, but he looked more handsome and almost younger, if that could be said: Most of his hair was arranged in a clean ponytail, his hat as captain was obviously from the Navy and the clothes fitted him right… In fact, the only thing that told her that Jack was still a bit of a pirate was the kohl he used to protect his eyes from the Caribbean sun.

"Uncle Jack!" Henry exclaimed, and Elizabeth let go of him so he could run as quick as his legs permitted him towards Jack. Henry, lovely kid that he was, almost threw himself at him and Jack, god bless him for his quick reflexes, grabbed him laughing, as he tickled him a bit.

Elizabeth softened as she approached. 'No wonder Miriam loves him so…' she shook her head.

"Hello Jack." she greeted.

"Lizzie, I see ye're doin' well." he smiled "I brought some good things from Port Royal, little gifts for Henry… And also some papers for ye, warrants of some other pirates."

"No one from here, right?" she asked, a bit concerned.

"Not that I know of. Some of them have been enemies of my father, so I'm not sure he would mind." he shrugged.

"Alright… I guess I'll have to show the warrants to the captains later, then." she nodded to herself and changed the topic "How have you been? Last time you were here with James and you both were arguing."

"We reached an agreement." he answered as he moved Henry, putting him on her side… Though he continued to grip his little hand so the kid wouldn't wander.

"Should I be afraid of that?" she asked, smiling.

"My dearest Elizabeth, why would ye need to be scared?" he asked, though she raised an eyebrow "Alright, fair enough… But no need to be scared… I still want my Pearl and, as ironic as it is, I actually get on well with James."

"I'm just glad you're friends." she smiled a bit as she opened the door to her side of the building and, once inside, she got on her knees to look at her son "Henry, why don't you go down and have dinner with Jìng Yì and Miriam? Jack and I have to talk about some adult stuff."

"That not fair! I wan' uncle Jack too!" he pouted and then exclaimed "New story!"

Jack smirked a bit and winked at Henry "I'll tell ye one tomorrow, what do ye say to that, Henry lad?"

Henry seemed to think but then nodded "Yes." he left the room quickly.

"He's grown quite a lot." Jack stated once Henry wasn't there "Already three years…"

"Right?" she smiled fondly "I'm glad he didn't get too sick last time, though… He gave me quite a scare and it would have been awful, dying of a fever…"

Jack nodded solemnly but, as she looked relieved, he noted at the same time that she was bitter… Jack could understand why, as he knew that the child had been a 'gift' from Calypso and though she still had some power in her hand as Pirate King, as Captain of her own ship, and somehow as a governor of that island, she was still alone in the only thing that mattered to her more, without William at her side.

As many other times, he offered a bottle of rum and they sat together at her table to drink. After all, they shared a similar fate: Their freedom not lost completely, but not having it either, which was rather ironic; this exchange of drinks was nothing new, of course, as they had some sort of agreement between them, a truce where they had slowly but surely recover with more strength their friendship and banter.

That day though, neither of them would be able to explain later how they ended in her bedroom. It was not like they had drunk more than the usual: Jack still knew where he was, who he was with… And it seemed that Elizabeth knew too.

"Jack…" she sighed as he passed a hand to grab her hips.

"Lizzie…" he bit his lip slightly.

He could have stated that maybe he had been possessed, but apparently he was quite lucid as he said:

"Maybe we should stop…" he was able to mention in a whisper, even if he was still gripping her waist.

She sighed, wetting her lips "Do you want to?" she asked, also in a whisper.

"Gods, no… Ye know that, Lizzie, but… Ye told me, when was it? A year and a half ago? Well, ye told me ye needed to be faithful to dear Will." he answered, a bit mocking.

She sighed, tired "I know, Jack… I wanted to… No, I needed it to be, but it just… It doesn't make sense anymore, right? I lost the game before it even started and… It's not fair to you, I know that, and I can't tell you that I don't still love Will to some extent, but I can't go on like this all the time and maybe, just one night I can be free of everything…"

"Just one night…" he repeated.

"If you accept, that is." she interrupted, looking up.

"Lizzie, I may not dress like it anymore, but I'm still a pirate through and through." he smirked and she returned it "Are ye sure, anyway? There will be no turnin' back."

"Jack, if you don't kiss me right now…"

He smiled, leaned her head and kissed her lips slowly, as he unlaced her stays and left it on the chair carefully. She gasped as he separated from her "We should close the door. Unless ye want to give a show."

As if moved by some supernatural force, she grabbed him by the waist-coat, pushed him to the door and turned the key… All the while kissing her way to his neck and chest and Jack groaned, as the coat fell to the floor and he gasped for air and looked straight at her, his eyes almost scorching her and making her gulp.

"Fuck." he muttered to himself.

As they figured some years later, it obviously didn't stop in just one night.

• ──────────── ✾──────────── •

Four more years later

Saint Martin, unknown cave

It hadn't been easy finding this cave and less even finding her. If he had been a different man, he would have found the act almost impossible, but it wasn't like that: He was the most fearsome pirate to ever cross the sea; feared by people and even by his own kin… He never let a thing stop him in his search for whatever he wanted and, right now, he needed confirmation.

"Is this it?" he asked to a man that was at his feet, kneeling in front of him and almost weeping "Answer me!"

"Yes! Yes! Just please… Please don't make me go in…"

"Shut it." And the man closed his mouth in an instant. It was amazing to know how much he was feared, how much power he had. He turned to his first mate "Take him by the arms if needed be and put a boat in the water. We need to go in."

"Of course." she nodded and, despite the man's protests, she dragged him forcefully into a boat that they were starting to prepare to get into the water.

He ordered another two to joined them and he stepped into the boat. As he ordered those two to start roaming, he set his eyes into the cave. The entrance to the cave was covered in vines and ivy that hid part of it, making it seem as if they were creating a curtain… Once they stepped in, they were greeted by an almost complete darkness… The only light coming from what it looked like the end of the cave, which started to get clearer as they neared it: On a piece of a ground of rocks, there were hundreds of candles of the deepest red color, giving the place an even sinister aura.

He didn't care for that, contrary to what his crew seemed to feel… The bravest one was his first mate, who tried to keep her face as blank and expressionless as possible, but the appearance of a figure in the dark didn't seem to help.

"I hope you know that an audience with me is usually paid in blood, Edward Teach." she said as he stepped into the rocks, letting his men to tie the boat.

"I'm aware of your prices, witch. And I can pay. But, will you give me the answers I search?" he asked.

"It depends more of the questions you ask." she smirked at that "But please, seat." They did as she told them while she took from a place a low table she put in the middle "What do you wish to know?" she asked as she sat, cross legged.

"My quartermaster sees things before they happen and he has foreseen my death. I want to know how much of that is true and if using a certain fountain would avoid it." he stated.

She inclined her head as she arranged her cards at her disposal, opening three of them "Destiny, Edward Teach, isn't something written in stone, though I guess that yours seems to have woven to your soul like a parasite… You have the worst set of cards I have seen: Knight of Swords, the Tower and Ten of Swords… Someone will come to crumble your universe and everything will be lost by then."

"So it's true, then? I have to meet my death at the hands of a one legged man…" he sighed, as if tired.

"You see, Blackbeard, you yourself created that destiny with your actions and so it's almost as clear as a day… Hypothetically, using the fountain of youth, as you seem so keen to try on, would avoid your immediate demise, but not forever." she spoke slowly and her eyes gazed into him "The fountain needs a sacrifice, almost as much as I do… It needs another person, for you would be stealing the years of this one."

"... I see. And how could I get to the Fountain without much trouble?" he asked, eager to know.

She smiled knowingly "How much do you know of Jack Sparrow?"

This time, it was the first mate who reacted "Him?! Why would we need him?!" she almost shouted.

"Angelica, dear, keep your emotions in check." he interrupted quickly and then turned to the witch "What of him? He's nothing more than a privateer for Port Royal right now, is he not?"

"Jack Sparrow" she said slowly, a smile tugging at her lips "has a map to the Fountain and even without that, he has an object which would guide him without any trouble towards it. A compass given by the goddess Calypso."

Edward Teach leaned onto the table, his force and his own magic pouring from his veins "Show me where to find him and you'll get your blood, witch."

She snorted at that, but raised a hand towards one of her little cells and clutched a hand into a rat. She pulled out a little knife from one side and drove it into the creature, despite its horrifying screams and its wringing. As her hands were covered in blood, she spoke something in an ancient language no one present was able to understand, but they sensed the energy from the cave changing and a chill ran through their bodies, as if something had stolen their warmth. When the witch opened her eyes, all red, almost all of them distanced themselves from her presence.

Suddenly, she spoke "For you to capture him, you'll have to travel to Nassau before the second full moon leaves the sky… If you manage that, you'll have him."

"Good." he spoke and he rose from his seat, followed by Angelica and his other two men of his crew. The man he had dragged, as if sensing his end, begged him once more but he ignored him. With great pleasure, he kicked the man towards the witch and smirked "There you have, your blood. Will it be enough?"

The witch eyed him carefully, but rose to her feet too. She looked briefly at the man that had been dropped towards her and analyzed him. She then nodded.

"Yes, Edward Teach. His blood will be enough for the information I just gave to you. Good luck."

This one smiled and turned to his crew "Back to the ship!"

"No! NO! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! DON'T KILL-!"

Only the sound of a knife being driven into a body was heard.

• ──────────── ✾──────────── •

Shipwreck Island, near the harbor

Even though the sun had risen with barely a cloud in sight, the weather wasn't hot that day and the workers were almost happily doing their jobs as they tied their boats or ships to the docks, stowed provisions and unloaded goods to the ground, mingling around the docks and from time to time stopping to talk with one another.

At the end of the harbor, in an office, there was a old man that looked tired and a young woman, with her dirty blond hair tied in a braid that fell into one of her shoulders, almost covering the bird tattoo that she had there.

"Did we capture some worthy prices today?" she asked.

"Not many, my King. Mostly French and Spanish merchants… Some can be arranged to be sold again, but a few chests are not legal to be sold, particularly a whole chest filled with dangerous drugs."

"Alright. Nothing that can be done in that sense, I guess… Prepare quarter of the chests that can be used to be sent to Port Royal and another quarter to be sent to the rest of the English islands, both to sell… Tell Jìng Yì to look at the chests with drugs and to take out the most dangerous ones that could be deadly, the ones that aren't we could sell to Nassau and Tortuga if we're lucky."

"Yes, my King." he hurried off.

"I see that things are going alright… Despite everything." a voice said from the door with a little smirk as he watched the man leave "If anyone would have told me that a bunch of buccaneers would be listenin' to a former society lady givin' orders, I would have laughed."

She smiled at that "I think anyone would have laughed at a woman just ordering men around." she pointed out, but sighed a bit "Please, tell me that you've not come here to tell me that they've got in trouble again."

He laughed at that "Not more than the usual, lass, don't worry about it. I've left them playin' in the beach on the careful watch of Mr. Gibbs."

"They'll kill him." she snorted.

He hummed at that "Your lovely husband has written that he'll come in April to see ye… Along with a few of the Navy and that nasty governor."

She lifted her eyes from the table filled with papers "Is he? Well, we'll have to prepare a bit of a welcome. Tell to the most rebellious of our captains to take that month off; they can have whatever treasures they find during that time. Ah, and tell Tai Huang to meet me tomorrow so we can finish before my husband and the rest of Port Royal's Navy appear here."

He smirked "Aye, lass. I'll send word for that." He was leaving the office when she called him once more "Anything more?" he said, almost amused.

"Is… Is he coming too? You know…"

Teague smiled fondly a bit "Yes, lass. He is."

She let out a breath "Good. It would be great to see him too."

"I'm sure." he commented.

• ──────────── ✾──────────── •

Elizabeth had decided to put on a blue dress, almost as clear as the color of the sky, and had arranged her usual braid into what seemed like a complicated hairstyle which wasn't as difficult as it looked. Along with her and standing tall was Teague, almost the cleanest she had seen him in years and his clothes of a deep red color.

"There!" her son exclaimed excitedly.

He was right, of course. A ship she recognized as the Nereid's Storm was approaching the docks of the city… There weren't many pirates around, but the few that were there turned to look at the ship to point at it.

When the ship had finally moored and was being tied to one of the masts, Elizabeth slowly went near it, followed by the rest that was behind her. The first person that went down the plank was Governor Trelawny followed by two soldiers at his side. His clothes screamed power but Elizabeth had been a governor's daughter long enough to plaster a smile into her face gracefully and she had been (and was still) a King to the pirates for enough time to learn on keeping an invisible knife in her hand at all times.

They greeted each other gracefully and, as many other meetings with him, Elizabeth thanked her father for instilling those dreadful lessons into her.

Thankfully, two men stepped out of the plank and she smiled for real this time, as she watched Teague greeting the governor.

Before she could almost greet the nearest of the two, a little figure rushed in speed.

"Daddy!" she screamed, gleefully.

This one grunted when the little girl threw herself into his arms and Elizabeth was grateful that he caught her in time "Goodness sake, lass! One of these days, ye'll kill me. Why do ye weight so much? Did yer mama tried to eat ye for Christmas?"

Elizabeth shook her head with a sigh, but a fond smile was on her lips "Hello, Jack. Sophia, get down, you're going to strangle your father." And then she turned to hug the other man at his side "James…" she smiled and he did too as he hugged her "I missed you."

This one almost snorted "You… Missing me? That would be new." And he looked down "Hello there, Henry."

"... Hi…" he greeted, shuffling his feet and he doubted before speaking again "Are you staying longer this time?"

James nodded at that "Yes, Henry. I can stay longer this time."

"That's good." Elizabeth commented as she hooked her arm into his "He's been asking non-stop to learn how to fight with a sword and with all my work in this island, I barely had the time to do it myself."

"Dearest, I thought we had spoken of the education of our lovely son and to not teach him barbaric techniques." James spoke in a teasing tone.

"Did we? How careless of me!" she smiled, playing along as they marched towards her office. Since the governor seemed entertained with Teague and Jack was speaking with Sophia and Henry, she got closer to him "What is it this time? He usually doesn't come here… He sends word for me to go to Port Royal from time to time, but he has never made a suggestion of coming to the island since we did this agreement, James."

James sighed, as he caressed her hand into his "Remember the Fountain of Youth?" he asked. She turned to him, wide-eyed and he nodded "He wants to find it to deliver it to the King of England… He has managed to unravel that damned brown book and he knows now the location to the chalices. He just needs the location to the Fountain and he knows you have that map."

"Is he serious? He wants to try to convince me to give it up?" she hissed through her teeth.

He shrugged "Or for you to go and lead the expedition. I don't think he cares either way, he just wants to please the king as much as possible… Since there hasn't been a lot of success in finding the rest of the pirate lords to bend them to his will or destroy them, he's set on trying to gain some sort of power."

Elizabeth almost flared at that "I hate that man." She swallowed and tried to keep herself calm "If I have to choose, I prefer to go on the expedition… I won't have another chance to do so and I need those waters for myself, James."

"I know that, Elizabeth. Believe me I would do whatever I could to ensure that you're happy." he interrupted quickly "But if you come, not matter that we would use your ship, you're only power would be being our guide… You know you can't be Captain with men from the Navy."

"Well, then, we can assign Jack as the captain, can't we, dear?" she shrugged.

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that." James drawled.

Before he could speak again, a figure stepped into their vision "Mama…"

"Yes, Sophia? What is it?" she looked down, fondly.

"Daddy says he wants to take Henry and I to see a shipwreck… Can we go?" she asked softly.

Elizabeth raised her eyes towards Jack, who winked at her "They'll be fine." he told her, as if sensing her worry.

She turned to her daughter "All right. But you have to come back home before dinner time, deal?"

"Deal, mama!" she smiled and turned around, taking Henry with one of her hands "Come on, Henry!"

"You better be careful, Jack!" she shouted at him "I mean it!"

"Of course, governor." he replied cheekily and with both her children, he disappeared with them.

Elizabeth sighed, dreadfully, but turned to James. "So… The Fountain of Youth, then?"

"Apparently."

• ──────────── ✾──────────── •

The sea was moving violently, a wave taking from a high place the corpses in full view that had been hanging for months there.

The sea was furious, fighting against itself from what it seemed, but deep in the waters, it was more than that.

A god, older and powerful than many, carefully held the bones in his watery hands, his powers gleaming, staring in cold fury. He managed to control himself. He was immortal. He had time. Destiny could be changed yet.

"You'll live once again, my dear Charles Vane… When the south star appears in a place where it doesn't belong… That will be your time. Your time to get my powers on my command and to give me the sea back to me. Don't you worry. Everything… will be alright. I'll get my prize."