Hello again. I know its been a while since the last update (and that's an understatement). But I have felt the need and desire to write stuff again, most of all to finish my long-standing fanfics. This fic is more or less already finished (just deciding where I want to split it into AWE), so I will upload the remaining couple chapters over the next couple weeks just to meter them out. As always, your support and patience is greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy it. This chapter is definitely on the longer side, so hopefully it'll act as a little "I waited for like 1.5 years for an update" reward. I do intend to continue into AWE and have had a lot of that outlined out for a very very long time. It's just a matter of putting it all into an actual story and having the time to do so. Cheers and enjoy!
Chapter Eight
Whatever possessed Jessica to jump from the Flying Dutchman had saved both her and Will's lives. The water in the small channel roared around them as the Flying Dutchman disappeared beneath the surface, diving bow-first below the waves. If they had stayed where they were any longer, they could have drowned. Once again, Tia Dalma's words rang through Jessica's head. Her intuition had led her to more than just the answers about her past, it had saved her life more than once now. There would be time to think on the Obeah woman's words later, Jessica told herself. Right now she was only focused on getting to the island's shore as quickly as possible.
The water in the channel was surprisingly warm, but carried a strong current with it. This wasn't the first time in the past few days Jessica was grateful to be a strong swimmer. The water seemed to fight the two of them as they got closer to the shore. Even when the channel became a shallower reef, waves rolled in every direction. Jessica lifted her head to breathe, only to be met with one of these waves. She inhaled seawater instead of air. The salt water seared her throat, causing her to have a coughing fit. She lost focus and let her legs drop. Instead of feeling rock-hard coral slice into her legs as she expected, she found herself standing in sand. She would have laughed at her good fortune if she hadn't been trying to cough water from her lungs. The water was still almost up to her shoulders, but being able to stand provided her with a much needed reprieve. The rough waters, coupled with the distance, had left her exhausted. She looked up and saw Will was still swimming toward her, though at a much slower pace. He was swimming noticeably slower as she watched. Jessica cursed under her breath and pushed off the sand. She swam as quickly as her body would allow toward Will and grabbed hold of his coat. He was breathing heavily with each stroke, fighting to keep his head above the water. Jessica looped her arm under one of his and, together, they paddled toward shore.
Jessica took barely a single step out of the water before collapsing into the sand. Her arms and legs were trembling, even with no weight to support. Will hadn't even made it all the way to his feet before similarly collapsing. They both laid at the water's edge, breathing heavily from exertion. The afternoon sun beamed down on them, confirming what Jessica already knew: they couldn't stay here long.
"Thanks, Jess," Will muttered after catching his breath.
"Couldn't just let you drown," she replied after a moment of catching her own breath.
She slowly sat up, unstrapping her sword and removing it from its scabbard. She dumped water out of the scabbard before replacing the blade.
"How did you know the Dutchman was going to go under?"
"Dunno…Just had a feeling."
"You've gotten a lot of those lately."
Jessica scoffed. She repeated the water-dumping process for both of her boots before getting to her feet. Her body protested even the slightest movement, but they had to keep going. Will slowly got to his feet, securing his small dagger and the key. Jessica climbed a nearby dune to get a better vantage point. It wasn't much, only a few feet, but it gave her a better perspective of the island. Similar dunes rose and fell across the island, blocking much of her view. Far off in the distance she saw what looked like two people walking toward the center of the island. It looked like they were coming from the direction of roughly where the Pearl was anchored offshore. She also doubted Davy Jones would send only two of his crew to secure the chest. So she acted on her hunch and started to lead Will to the people she hoped were with the Pearl.
The sun was blazing overhead and the heat was unbearable. Jessica would have given anything for fresh water…or a hat. She carefully used her sword to cut a ribbon of cloth from one of her sleeves. Will watched her curiously as she used the shredded piece of her shirt to tie her hair up. Her raven-colored waves were only magnifying the heat at her back and she desperately needed them off of her neck. She hadn't a clue how Jack could bear to have his hair down all the time, it was nearly of the same volume and length as her own. As soon as she tied her hair up, she felt significantly cooler. Will stepped closer to her as they continued to walk inland.
"What happened back there, on the Dutchman? Right before we dove into the water you looked as though you were going to faint."
"I'm not sure. This strange…feeling, I guess…came over me. And then I just felt like I had to get away from the ship. Like something terrible was going to happen if I didn't."
"You've been saying similar things since we escaped the Dutchman the first time."
"Exactly! Like I said then, I've felt this way ever since we were at Tia Dalma's. You felt something back then, too. I remember that look you had after she spoke to you, plain as day. It scared me."
"I don't know what that was. Like you said, it was just a feeling…but it felt so real. I felt like I was going to lose you."
She knew what he was implying with those words and it was more than just physical separation.
"And with everything on the Dutchman, then the kraken…I was certain it would happen. I'm glad I was wrong."
They lapsed into silence as they crossed the island. The white sand seemed to stretch on forever. The island seemed much smaller to Jessica when she'd seen it from the ocean. It could have been the heat, but it also felt as if they had been walking for hours. Despite that, Jessica still felt a sense of relief to have solid ground beneath her feet. No matter how much she usually loved being at sea, solid ground was better on occasion. She was about to tell Will she needed a moment to rest when she heard voices up ahead. The dunes rose slightly from the beach, so she couldn't see anyone, but those were definitely voices. Jessica kept a hand on the hilt of her sword as she and Will climbed atop one of the dunes. Not ten feet in front of them Jack, Elizabeth, and a haggard man Jessica didn't recognize were crouched around a wood chest.
"You actually were telling the truth," the haggard man said to Jack.
"I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised," Jack replied.
"With good reason!" Will said loudly, stepping past Jessica.
All three of them turned to face Will and Jessica. She'd never before seen such an assortment of emotions pass between faces. Jack looked uneasy, while Elizabeth went from shock to joy in only a few seconds.
"Will!" she gasped, running toward him.
Jessica couldn't help but smile at the sheer happiness that came over Will as he embraced Elizabeth.
"You're all right, thank God! I came to find you," Elizabeth said, pulling Will into a kiss.
Jessica then took a good look at the stranger she hadn't recognized before. Her mouth nearly fell open when she realized he wasn't a stranger at all. Take away the fancy, powdered wig and the clean-cut uniform…and it was none other than Commodore Norrington who stood before her. She had heard stories about what became of him after he left his commission, though he was almost unrecognizable. But Jessica could have recognized those intelligent, determined eyes of his anywhere. There was no good reason she could think of for him to be here. She kept her hand on the hilt of her sword, just in case. Jack started fidgeting with his hands, something Jessica knew he did when he was trying to come up with something to say. He caught Jessica's gaze and averted his attention to Will. She was certain she never wanted to punch someone more than she wanted to hit Jack in this moment. She was glad to see him, but part of her wanted to throttle him for what he'd done.
"How did you get here?" Jack finally asked Will.
Will still held onto Elizabeth, but turned to face Jack.
"Sea turtles, mate…a pair of them strapped to my feet," Will said cynically.
"Not so easy, is it?"
"But I do owe you thanks, Jack—"
"You do?"
"After you tricked us on to that ship to square your debt with Jones…"
"What!?" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"What!?" Jack mimicked back at her.
"I was reunited with my father."
Jessica smirked at Jack's momentary loss for words.
"Oh…well, you're welcome then," Jack said.
"Except, Jess also nearly died on that ship. She doesn't owe you any thanks," Will added.
Jessica saw an unfamiliar expression cross Jack's face. It almost reminded her of regret.
"Everything you said to me…every word was a lie!" Elizabeth yelled, rounding on Jack.
"Pretty much," Jack admitted. "Time and tide, love."
While Jack defended himself from Elizabeth's wrath, Jessica watched Will approach the chest in the sand. The larger wooden chest had a smaller, metallic chest sitting on top of it. It was curious, for sure. Without hesitation, Will knelt down in front of the smaller chest and pulled out his father's dagger. He held the key in his other hand.
"Oi! What are you doing?" Jack asked.
"I'm gonna kill Jones," Will said, leaning on the chest.
Jessica heard a sword unsheath, but thought her eyes deceived her when she saw Jack holding his blade at Will's back.
"Jack! What are you—" Jessica started.
"Can't let you do that, William. 'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?"
They stared at one another for a moment before Will slowly stood up. He backed away from the chest and sheathed the dagger.
"If you'd please…the key," Jack said, holding out his hand.
Jessica glared at Jack, on the verge of telling him off, when Will grabbed the sword at Elizabeth's waist and held it at Jack. Elizabeth jumped back and Jessica gripped the hilt of her sword, ready to step in if these two lost their minds.
"I keep the promises I make, Jack. I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."
Jessica saw movement out of the corner of her eye even before she heard the third sword unsheath. Norrington drew his blade on Will, but not before Jessica had hers up as well. She stood at Will's back, facing Norrington. She had expected something from him, not from Jack.
"I can't let you do that either, so sorry," Norrington said toward Will.
He raised an eyebrow at Jessica. She held her ground.
"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually," Jack said, taking a step toward Norrington.
In a split second, Norrington changed the direction of his blade and held it toward Jack. Jessica glanced sideways at Will and nodded. In one fluid motion, she spun behind him and aimed her cutlass at Jack. Will kept his back to her and his blade toward Norrington. Jack left his guard down for a second, before realizing the lock they had one another in, and then raised his own cutlass.
"Jessica, love…do you really want to do this?" Jack asked.
"Do you? You had your chance to tell me the truth. You lied."
"Lord Beckett desires the contents of that chest. I deliver it, I get my life back," Norrington explained.
Jessica let her inner fear show on her face only because she was facing Jack. That could not happen. Beckett could not get his hands on the chest.
"Ah, the dark side of ambition," Jack commented at Norrington.
"Oh I see it as the promise of redemption."
Norrington lunged forward at Will, who parried in time. Jessica turned on her heel and rounded on Norrington as well. She didn't care if Will or Jack got the chest, she just wanted to keep it out of Norrington's hands at all costs. She crossed blades with Norrington, allowing Will to step back. Jessica put weight behind her next attack and made Norrington step back. He lunged forward again, swinging his blade toward Will. Jessica saw Jack coming at Will from the other side, so she stepped out of the way. Will ducked and Jack and Norrington's blades crossed one another. Will ran toward the beach. Jessica ran after him, but had to stop and turn as Norrington caught up to them. She moved to block his second blow and lost her footing in the soft sand. Will stepped in and kept Norrington's blade from slicing into her arm. Jessica stumbled backwards and watched as Jack, not engaged with anyone, took an opportunity to grab the key from Will's hand. Jack started to run toward the shoreline. Norrington kicked Will in the chest, knocking him to the ground, and pursued Jack. Jessica saw, and heard, Elizabeth running up to Will, so she ran after the other two. Jack ran backwards, defending himself from Norrington while still running away.
"Norrington! Give it up!" Jessica yelled, trying to distract him.
Norrington spun to face her, trading blows with Jack as well. Jessica had to admit he was a great swordsman. Somehow he managed to parry both hers and Jack's blows without letting either of them get the upper hand.
"This has nothing to do with you, Sparrow!" Norrington spat at her.
"It has everything to do with me!" Jessica responded.
Their three-way duel brought them to the water's edge. The rising tide made it more difficult to keep her footing, but Jessica was determined to put space between Norrington and Jack.
"Jack! Go!" she yelled, finally able to move between them.
By sheer luck, Norrington's position and subsequent attack left Jessica the opportunity for a near-perfect riposte. Had this been a simpler situation, the surprise on Norrington's face would have made her smile. But there wasn't time for that. Jessica doubled down on her following attack, nearly disarming Norrington.
"I'll keep Beckett from getting that chest, even if it's the last thing I do."
She dared to take her eyes off Norrington for a split second, just to see how far Jack had gotten. Her momentary distraction came with a cost. Norrington recovered faster than she anticipated and was bearing down on her. She repositioned her sword fast enough to keep him from running her through, but it was sloppy form. Norrington's attack threw her off-balance and she fell backwards, entirely prone.
"I'll tell Lord Beckett you said that, after I've given him the chest."
Norrington thrusted his blade toward her torso.
Metal clashed together and Jessica was surprised to find she was no longer staring death in the face. Jack stood over her, blocking Norrington's blade with his own.
"Not a move very becoming of a gentleman, mate," Jack commented, engaging with Norrington.
"What can I say?" Norrington responded, trading blows with Jack. "I picked up a few things from the immoral scum you forced me to live with!"
Jessica still couldn't believe her eyes. Jack had been free to run off with the key, but he'd turned back and saved her. A decision that, as it turned out, cost him. In the heat of dealing out continuous blows, both Norrington and Jack sacrificed their footing in the rising tide. They both fell into the sand. As Jessica was picking herself up, Will ran past her, and grabbed the key from where it had fallen next to Jack.
"Bugger!" Jack exclaimed, slashing at Will and missing.
Norrington got to his feet faster than Jack and re-engaged with Will. Jessica wasn't even able to catch up with them before the three traded a series of heavy blows, movements that left Jack free to grab the key back from Will and take off. Will attempted to chase after him, but was thrown to the ground by Norrington. Norrington kicked sand in Will's face.
"By your leave, Mr. Turner," he taunted, before running after Jack.
Jessica ran toward Will, stopping to help him off the ground. As he took her hand, she could tell he was disappointed.
"Come on, we can still catch them," she said with a grin.
She pulled him to his feet and then continued to pull him along for a few steps as she turned after Jack and Norrington. The other two had already made it to the line of trees at the far end of the beach.
"Whose side are you on?" Will asked her as they ran.
"I'm on the side of preserving the bloody world!"
She didn't care to hide the annoyance in her voice. They made it to the tree line and continued through the overgrown bush.
"You and Jack are behaving like children! If you stopped for even a moment to think, you'd realize you can work something out. I don't care which of you two gets it because if Beckett gets that chest, we're all dead."
The small forest opened into an overgrown clearing. Ahead, Jessica saw crumbling stone buildings that told her people had once lived on this island. The state of the buildings and the numerous grave markers surrounding said buildings told her it had been quite some time ago. She watched as Jack, followed closely by Norrington, ran for the structure that still loosely resembled a church. As Will ran past her she found herself wondering if her words had made any difference. She was entirely focused on the pursuit ahead of her and failed to notice the ground under her own feet. Or rather, the lack of it. Her foot caught in a partially-sunken grave, bringing her to the ground. Instinctively, she tried to catch herself as she fell. Pain exploded in her wrist, shooting up to her elbow. She cursed loudly.
"Jess!" she heard Will call back to her.
"Go! I'll be okay!" she called back through gritted teeth.
She felt lucky not to have snapped her ankle like a twig, but she knew she wouldn't be able to continue fighting well enough. Will and Jack were the only two who could stop Norrington now, if they could put aside their conflict with each other. Jessica slowly got to her feet, cradling her sword arm against her chest.
"That's twice I've been put on the bloody ground today," she grumbled to herself.
Her wrist and forearm throbbed painfully. She didn't think her wrist was broken, but it was badly injured. She'd broken bones before, thankfully this pain was not as intense. It was too painful to even open her hand all the way, she definitely couldn't hold a sword. She picked her cutlass up from the ground with her left hand, settling into the strange feeling.
Suddenly, a bell tolled loudly. Jessica looked up at the crumbled church, its steeple being the source of the tolling. What she saw made her brow furrow with confusion. Will and Norrington were dueling one another on top of the decaying structure. Whatever was possessing them at the moment was beyond her, perhaps a lingering of their feud for Elizabeth. She made her way carefully around the rest of the graveyard, not wanting to ruin another limb. The graveyard was rather…populated…for such a small island. Under different circumstances, she might have been intrigued by this notion. Just when she started to wonder where Jack had gotten to, she saw him approaching Norrington and Will from behind. The fight moved from the church to the adjacent building, which had a large water wheel attached to it. Norrington saw Jack, turned, and disarmed him. Will stood behind Norrington, not stopping him from holding Jack at swordpoint. Jessica could hear Jack talking, but was still too far away to hear what he was saying.
"Enough!" she heard Norrington exclaim loudly.
He swung at Jack, who ducked out of the way in time. Jack slid down the building and, in one of his surprisingly agile feats, flipped off the roof.
Norrington turned on Will with a loud shout of "He's right!", which was about all the explanation Jessica needed. Of course Jack had turned them on each other to get away. Jessica stopped in her tracks, seeing that Jack had the key. He looked at her, taking special interest in how she was holding her sword.
"Are you going to stop me, love?"
"I thought I made my position rather clear."
She didn't move and nodded toward the beach.
"Go…I just want to make sure Norrington doesn't kill Will for whatever you told him."
Jack put the key around his neck and started heading toward the beach.
"And, Jack," Jessica added, making him turn. "Thank you."
Jack grinned, touching the key around his neck, "No, thank you."
Jessica barely turned around before she heard a muffled "oof." Jack had disappeared from view. She heard the distinct sound of snapping wood. She watched in disbelief as Will and Norrington fought atop the decaying waterwheel, which had just torn away from its building. The massive wheel slowly rolled toward Jessica and Jack.
Jessica moved to help Jack out of the open grave he'd fallen in. However, a loud shout from behind her made her turn in place. She brought her sword up as she turned, blocking the swing intended for her head. The coral-man creature from Davy Jones' crew was bearing down on her. His beady, rock-like eyes locked on to her. He appeared to be alone, but Jessica doubted that would be true for long. In no time, more of Davy Jones' crew were bound to turn up. Time was something she didn't have enough of at the moment. While she was capable of it, fighting with her left hand made her movements far too slow. Not to mention, every time she moved, the pain in her right hand worsened. When more of these creatures arrived, she would be easily outmatched. The ground started to shake underneath her. The water wheel rolled behind Jessica, taking Jack, Will, and Norrington with it. She didn't let her focus waver, no matter how chaotic everything around her seemed. The creature swung his blade at her midsection, but missed. With each attack, she retreated a step or two. After a few retreats, she stalled as the creature lunged for her. At the last moment she jumped backwards, over the open grave Jack had fallen in. The creature overstepped in his attack to reach her and tumbled into the grave. Satisfied with the execution of her maneuver, but not about to waste precious time, Jessica bolted in the direction of the water wheel's path.
The forest sloped downward toward the beach, making it that much harder for Jessica to catch up to the rolling wheel. With every footfall, pain shot through her right forearm, no matter how much she tried to stabilize it. She saw Norrington and Will were still fighting atop the wheel. It was an impressive feat of balance and pure stubbornness. She saw Jack running alongside the wheel momentarily before he jumped inside of it. The wheel was picking up speed as the slope got steeper. Jessica heard a sharp twang from behind her. Her attention was immediately drawn from the wheel to the crossbow bolt that embedded into the tree next to her head. Another one of Jones' crew barreled out of the forest toward her, loading another bolt. The seaweed-covered creature raised its crossbow in her direction and fired. Jessica dove to the ground, rolling on her shoulder. The bolt flew off into the trees above her. She came out of her roll closer to the creature, leaving it no room to load the bow again. The move was incredibly painful, but it paid off. The creature fumbled with the bowstring, but was unable to get out of the way before Jessica's blade knocked the weapon from its grasp. Without missing a beat, the creature swung at her with a small rigging knife. She rotated her hand and caught the blade on the guard of her cutlass. The rigging blade slid off the stylized birdwing guard. The vibration jarred her hand, but she held onto her blade firmly. It took her only a small adjustment to slash through the creature's gut. She wasn't sure what she expected, but slicing into the creature was like hacking into a thicket. The blade of her cutlass snagged through the damp seaweed covering the creature. Had her sword not been designed for slicing into thick objects, it likely would have broken. The creature fell at her feet, unmoving. She didn't want to stick around to find out if these creatures could actually die.
As she started to run once more, her body finally forced her to notice how exhausted she truly was. Her left arm was already tiring, not used to engaging in this much swordplay at once. The muscles in her legs were on fire and she was starting to feel as though she couldn't draw enough breath. Those months spent at Port Royal were nothing compared to real, life-or-death combat. Sure, she had trained plenty with Will, but it had been almost a year since she'd been in combat like this. Even longer still since she had been forced to fight with her non-dominant hand. Her body simply wasn't used to it anymore. And with everything the Dutchman had drained from her, she was starting at a disadvantage. When she heard a familiar, guttural shout from behind her, it was hard for her not to imagine the resulting engagement going the wrong way. She easily blocked the broad, overhead swing of the half-man-half-coral creature's blade. It was nothing more than an intimidation attempt.
"Come on, fish brain! Is that the best you can do?" she goaded.
Somehow, she had to get the upper hand. The man-creature hissed at her. He may not have been willing or able to form words, but he certainly understood hers. His attacks were in poor form, but they were strong. Jessica relied on her agile footwork to avoid most of his strikes. Those she couldn't avoid, she was forced to block. Their blades clashed, sending sparks into the underbrush. She had to choose which attacks she blocked because the power behind each attack she parried weakened her arm more.
Even as she dueled the coral creature, Jessica made it a retreating fight. She continued to back up a step wherever she could, hoping that an opportunity to gain the upper hand would present itself. Sweat rolled down her face, luckily missing her eyes. She stepped out of the way of another attack before realizing it was a feint. There was just enough time for her to close the distance between them so her attacker couldn't run her through. He still had plenty of time to throw a fist at her face. Jessica felt like she had headbutted a rock. The creature's sharp, coral-coated knuckles busted her lip and cheek. He grabbed her by her hair and held her tightly. But something drew his attention. Jessica looked out of the corner of her eye and saw another one of the Dutchman's cursed crew running through the forest. It was carrying the chest. The coral creature was distracted by the sight of the chest. She threw all her weight into kicking down at the creature's leg. There was a loud snap and the creature went down on one knee. As he went down, Jessica noticed a small patch of flesh near his neck that wasn't coated in rock-hard coral. She sliced her blade into the creature's neck as he fell. Dark blue, blood-like fluid spilled from the wound and he collapsed. Again, she didn't hesitate before retreating.
Once she was well away from the creature, she finally stopped to catch her breath. Blood flowed openly from the wounds on her cheek and lip, both of which she could feel beginning to swell. Slowly, Jessica caught her breath. Stopping for that long went against every instinct she had, but there was no way she could continue to run again without air. She heard rustling in the distance and gritted her teeth, expecting another fight. Instead, she saw the unmistakable figure of her brother running away, toward the beach. Jack must have not even noticed her. When she walked toward where she spotted him, she understood why. There, on the ground, was the so-called Dead Man's Chest with the key still in the lock. She didn't get the chance to investigate further. Numerous shouts descended from the hill. A large group of Davy Jones' crew was running down the hillside after, what appeared to be, Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti.
"Oh, hell," Jessica muttered to herself, taking off toward the beach as fast as she could run.
She broke through another thin line of palm trees and underbrush to find white sand. The beach opened up before her, the tide having risen significantly. She saw Jack leaning over a dinghy that was now floating in one of the tide pools. Then, she spotted one of Jones' crew running at Jack from behind. He was completely unaware of the danger. She started running toward Jack herself, but the water was up to her knees. She wouldn't be fast enough.
"Jack!" she called out.
Jack looked up and dodged the creature's attack, swinging at it with an oar from the dinghy. Jessica heard splashing from behind her and turned, facing another one of Jones' crew.
"I'm about tired of you gits," she grumbled, blocking the creature's axe with her cutlass.
The rest of Jones' crew broke through the tree line, pursuing Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti. Elizabeth was fighting the creatures off with two swords. Pintel and Ragetti had the chest between them, swinging it at their attackers. Even as she fought, Jessica could see they were outnumbered. Another one of Jones' crew engaged with her as she backed herself toward Jack.
"I hope your little fight was bloody worth it!" she yelled at Jack.
As she turned to dodge an attack, she saw the massive water wheel rolling toward them. It slowed as it hit the rising tide and tumbled sideways. She couldn't tell if Norrington and Will were still on it.
"I believe it was!" Jack remarked, clocking one of her attackers over the head with his oar. "You look bloody awful, what happened?"
"Not the time, Jack!"
They moved back-to-back, fighting off the creatures together. Their fight drew them away from the dinghy, into deeper water. With every blow, Jessica wondered how they were getting out of this one. One of the creatures slammed into her, knocking her into the water. She thought she was done for, until she was hauled up by the back of her shirt. Jack released her and swung his oar over her head.
"Not the time to be taking a swim, darling!"
"It's not?" she responded sarcastically, bringing her sword up to parry one of the creatures.
Jack swung the oar wide, knocking the creatures back a few steps.
"Was this really the opportune time to try fencing with your opposite hand?"
"Is this the opportune time to carry on a conversation?!"
Jessica held her right arm close to her chest as she adjusted her position. Jack looked down at her arm.
"Oh."
"Got any brilliant escape plans?" she asked, backing up to him again.
Jack ducked away from a strike and countered with the oar. Jessica didn't like when he was silent. It meant they were short on options. She parried an attack from the creature with the axe again, and saw that Will was stopping Pintel and Ragetti from taking the dinghy.
"Come on, Turner!" she heard Pintel yell.
She cut down the creature with the axe. It disappeared below the surface.
Jessica took a step toward Jack and blocked a blow aimed for his neck. The move put her between the two remaining creatures engaging them. Jack knocked one back with the oar as Jessica parried the other. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Will holding the chest over the dinghy. All of them, friends and foes alike, were being closed in against the dinghy. She didn't even have time to register what was happening until after Jack swung the oar at Will's head, knocking him out cold.
"Jack, what the hell!" she yelled angrily, blocking another attack.
"Oops," Jack said, unapologetically.
She wanted to say more, but saw Elizabeth notice Will collapsed over the side of the dinghy.
"Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Leave him lie!…Unless you plan on using him to hit something with," Jack said.
They were all backed against the dinghy, facing down enemies double in number.
"We're not getting out of this," Elizabeth commented.
"Not with the chest."
Jessica hadn't even noticed Norrington until he spoke up.
"Into the boat!" Norrington ordered.
He grabbed the chest where it had fallen from Will's hands.
"You're mad!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Don't wait for me," Norrington said.
He took off through the crowd of Jones' crew, fending them off as he ran toward the shore. They saw the chest in his hands and started to follow him, leaving the others at the dinghy alone.
"I…say we respect his final wish!" Jack said.
"Aye!" Pintel agreed.
Jack threw the oar into the boat, Elizabeth tossed her swords in. Jessica helped Elizabeth pull a still-unconscious Will the rest of the way into the boat. Helping with only one arm drew the others' attention to her injuries. She felt their eyes on her as Jack helped her into the dinghy. As soon as she was sitting in the boat, she felt on the verge of passing out again, this time from sheer exhaustion. But she managed to stay conscious. Jack held tightly to his jar filled with dirt and made Pintel and Ragetti row. Jessica finally got a good look at her injured wrist, which was now swollen and bruised. She inhaled sharply in pain as she checked to make sure she could still move her fingers.
"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked.
Jessica looked down at Will, still lying unconscious in the bottom of the boat.
"I will be."
Elizabeth followed her gaze, "Thank you for looking after him, for helping him."
She chuckled, looking up at Jessica. Jessica understood the expression on her face, she'd worn it a few times herself.
"He was determined to save you any way he could, there was no stopping him. I figured you would still want him in one piece when he was done."
"He has no regard for himself when it comes to me," Elizabeth said, brushing a lock of Will's hair out of his face.
Jessica looked up at Jack, who happened to also be looking back at her at the same time.
"No…he doesn't," Jessica said, keeping eye contact with Jack.
Jack looked away and silence lingered in the small dingy the rest of the way to the Black Pearl. Jessica could tell Elizabeth was avoiding any conversation with Jack. She didn't blame her, Jack had lied to Elizabeth just as he had lied to Jessica and Will. Though they arrived at the Pearl quickly, it couldn't have been fast enough for Jessica. She felt nervous, concerned that the Flying Dutchman was still lurking beneath the waves.
As soon as they were all aboard, Jessica followed Jack up to the wheel. Elizabeth stayed behind to be with Will, hoping he would wake soon. No one else was around, as the crew were rapidly preparing the Pearl to sail. Jack still clung to his jar of dirt with one arm, using the other to balance as he ascended the steps to the quarterdeck. Jessica took her opportunity.
"Jack, we have to talk," Jessica stated firmly.
"Can't this wait, love?"
"No. It can't. I already waited longer than I should have."
Jack stopped beside the wheel, finally turning to face her.
"I know there must not have seemed an easy way to tell me what really happened that day. I understand that. But, Jack, I wish I'd found out from you."
She could almost see the wheels turning in his head for a moment. Then he did something that surprised her even more.
"I know. I'm sorry."
Her mouth actually fell open for a brief moment. She thought her hearing was going, perhaps from all the seawater in her ears.
"I made choices, those ones long ago — I knew they would affect me. I never stopped to think if they would affect anyone else. Never dreamed they would affect you," he stopped, scoffing at himself.
"I underestimated Cutler Beckett. Thought I could outsmart him. I never told you the truth because if you knew, you wouldn't have been able to stay away. I knew you would want to be involved. So I never told you, but here you are anyway, right in the bloody middle of it."
"It's not your fault, Jack. I played into his hand too, I—"
"Enough, Jessica!" Jack said firmly.
The resolution in his voice made her stop cold. It wasn't a tone he used often, and never with her.
"It'll never be your fault. Never has been. You were a child. I was supposed to protect you, so I did."
Jessica shook her head slowly, "It never was your fault either. It's always been Beckett's."
"It wasn't Beckett who sent you to the Dutchman, though, was it? What Will said…that really happen?"
"Please, I would have gone with Will either way. Knowing what we were getting into would have been nice, though. It was a damn awful thing to do, but it's behind us. And, yes, being on the Dutchman nearly killed me."
Jack raised an eyebrow, "How's that?"
Jessica shrugged, "Far as Bootstrap knew, something to do with me being 'a living soul touched by death.' That's how he put it anyway. He wasn't sure about much more than that. All I know is every minute I was on that ship, it nearly drained all the energy I had."
"Not very cheery, is he?"
"No," Jessica started to continue, but caught herself. "Wait. Did you know he was on the Flying Dutchman?"
"Died at sea, didn't he?"
She knew there was more to it than that. Jack knew she knew it was more complicated than that. Jessica held eye contact with him until he broke it. That was all she needed to know.
"You didn't send Will aboard the Dutchman just to get the key, did you?"
Jessica looked down at the main deck, where Elizabeth still sat with Will. He still seemed to be out cold. She didn't expect an answer, didn't need it. Her attention wandered to the jar of dirt in Jack's arm. She suspected she was right about why he was carrying it around all of a sudden. He never would have let Norrington take the chest otherwise. Looking out over the Pearl's deck made her continue on her quest to make Jack answer for everything.
"Jack, I've been thinking…"
"Dangerous thing to be doing."
"When we're out of this, I want to sail with you. I've missed the sea. Thinking of all those stories you told me when I was younger made me realize I've only ever seen the Pearl as a prison. I want to experience her freedom. With you… if you'll have me. I want us to be able to be close again. I've missed that."
Jack looked equally concerned and confused.
"Where is this coming from…eh?"
"With everything that happened aboard the Dutchman, it just made me think about what's important to me."
Jack also looked out over the deck of his ship for a long moment. He gave Jessica one of his warm, half-grins.
"'Course you can come, love. Promise. Once we get out of this," he said, strumming the top of his jar of dirt, "we can be thicker than thieves again. We can sail wherever you'd like. As long as it's interesting and has rum."
Jessica smiled in full, laughing, "Doesn't a place have to have rum to be considered interesting?"
"Truer words have never been spoken. Oh, and one more thing."
"Yes?"
"If you're sailing on my ship, I am your captain. You gotta follow my orders."
Jessica gave him a mischievous smile, "Whatever you say, Captain."
"Oi! I mean it."
"Mmhmm."
"My first order is this: take the wheel."
Jack let go of the wheel as he spoke. Jessica stepped forward and grabbed it with her left hand. If they had actually been moving, holding the wheel with one hand would have been much harder.
"Hold her steady, gotta check something before we set off."
She watched Jack walk away, still clinging tightly to his jar of dirt. Once again, she felt a pang of uneasiness with being so content.
In the time that she and Jack had spoken, the Pearl was nearly ready to make sail. As she held the wheel steady, she saw Will was sitting up finally. A moment later, Jack walked back toward the wheel, Gibbs following closely behind him.
"The bright side is: you're back…and made it off free and clear!" Gibbs said.
Jessica flinched as the surface of the ocean next to the Pearl was breached. Seawater sprayed over her as the Flying Dutchman burst up from below. The water stung the open wounds on her face. Shouts of surprise and fear echoed through the crew of the Black Pearl. Jessica paled, feeling physically ill. The crew aboard the Flying Dutchman shouted battlecries at them. On the Dutchman's quarterdeck, Jessica spotted Davy Jones. Her blood ran cold. Everyone on the Pearl's quarterdeck froze, except for Gibbs, who crossed himself.
"Lord on high, deliver us."
Jessica could only watch as Jack stepped in front of Gibbs, facing the Dutchman directly.
"I'll handle this, mate," Jack said.
With his level of confidence, Jessica was sure of what was in that unassuming jar of dirt. The Dutchman was well within grappling range of the Pearl. It would be hard to escape if the cursed, ghost ship decided to fire.
"Oi! Fishface!" Jack taunted toward Davy Jones, holding up the jar. "Lose something, eh? Scungilli!"
Jack hadn't been watching where he was going and tumbled down the quarterdeck stairs. Everyone winced as they watched him fall to the main deck. He popped up a second later, holding the intact jar.
"Got it!"
Jack hugged the jar closer, walking alongside the Pearl's railing.
"Come to negotiate, eh? Have you, you slimy git? Well, guess what I got?"
"I got a jar of dirt. I got a jar of dirt. And guess what's inside it?"Jack sang, prancing across the Pearl's deck with the jar.
Everyone watched in confusion, but Jessica knew what the purpose of Jack's taunting was, even if she had no idea what he was doing. She could tell Jones was watching Jack the entire time. She wondered if he knew what Jack had or if Jack's taunts were going to blow up in his face. It seemed the latter was true, quite literally, as a moment later the Flying Dutchman started to run out her cannons.
"Damn," Jessica muttered.
She motioned for Gibbs to take the wheel, knowing she wouldn't be able to maneuver the Pearl with as much speed as they would need.
"Hard to starboard!" Elizabeth yelled from below.
"Brace up the foreyard!" Will yelled.
Gibbs spun the wheel to starboard as fast as he could. The Pearl's crew scattered again, in a desperate bid to outrun the Dutchman. Jessica felt useless as the Pearl quickly put her rudder to the Dutchman. The entire ship shuddered as the Dutchman started to fire. A cannonball struck the stern railing, sending wood flying. Jessica ducked upon seeing another muzzle flash. A shot flew over her head and took part of the aft sail with it. When she rose, she saw the Dutchman had already turned to starboard and was in pursuit.
"She's on us! She's on us!" she heard a yell that sounded like Pintel.
More cannonballs struck the Pearl, but Jessica was glad to see they were gaining distance. The wind was with them, pulling the Pearl's sails taunt. Then, she saw the gunports on the Dutchman's bow open.
"Oh…no," she said, dropping back to the deck.
The cannonfire intensified as the triple guns were run out, throwing parts of the Pearl into the sea. Jessica looked up and saw Jack push Gibbs away from the wheel, taking it with one hand. His other was still occupied by the jar of dirt. He skillfully and impressively maneuvered the Pearl out of the Dutchman's line of fire. Most of the cannonballs splashed into the ocean.
"Jack, I hope you've got a plan," Jessica commented, standing beside him.
"Working on it!" he replied, keeping his focus ahead.
The Black Pearl continued to gain distance from the Flying Dutchman, living up to her reputation as the fastest ship on the ocean. Jessica watched in amazement as the ghost ship fell behind. She walked back toward Jack, who had yet to look behind him.
"Didn't think I'd trade my soul to raise the Wench exactly as she was, did you?" Jack said, grinning wildly. "It wasn't just her name that I changed."
She had to hand it to him, he always seemed to think ten steps ahead. When he made that deal with Jones, he must have thought this day would come. Outrunning the Dutchman had clearly been on his mind. The Dutchman fired only a few more shots before stopping. She had clearly fallen out of range at this distance. Jessica heard Marty shout, "They're giving up!" and the entire crew roared into cheers. Jack looked satisfied, but she wasn't convinced it was over. That ominous feeling still loomed over her.
"I don't believe Davy Jones is the type to just give up. You must know that, Jack."
"Maybe he had a change of heart, eh?" Jack responded, strumming the top of his jar of dirt.
Jessica was about to press him on that comment until Will stormed up beside Jack.
"My father is on that ship. If we can outrun her, we can take her! We should turn and fight."
As wrong as his statement was, Jessica understood how badly he wanted to save his father. It was the same feeling she had about saving Jack.
"Why fight when you can negotiate? All one needs is the proper leverage."
Jack placed the jar on the Pearl's railing, strumming the top with his fingers. That was the exact moment the entire ship came to a full stop.
Jessica was thrown backwards, already weak on her legs. She would have fallen against the wheel, had Will not caught her first. He helped her to her feet. For a moment, they shared a terrified look of understanding. Jessica saw Jack run down the stairs to the main deck. She watched him sift through the shattered remains of his jar of dirt, finding nothing but dirt. Their only hope had already been lost, she just didn't realize it until this moment. Her stomach dropped. She knew what they were about to face. She stepped backwards, drawing her sword with her left hand.
"We must have hit a reef!" a crew member called from the deck.
A terrible sense of déjà vu washed over Jessica. Her grip tightened on her sword. She saw Elizabeth run to the railing and look over.
"No," Will muttered behind her. "It's not a reef!"
"Get away from the rail!" Will shouted.
He ran over to Elizabeth and pulled her away from the rail.
"What is it?" she asked.
"The kraken!"
Jessica gritted her teeth and approached the quarterdeck's railing, overlooking the deck.
"Get away from the railings! Arm yourselves!" she called out.
"To arms!" Will echoed behind her.
"Load the guns! Defend the mast!" Gibbs commanded.
Jessica wanted to hold out hope that this time would be different. She and Will had been through this before. They knew what to expect. This was the Black Pearl, somehow they would find a way. She followed closely behind Will. Elizabeth was right next to her, looking both confused and afraid. Jessica wanted to reassure her that they would find a way out of this, but her mind was already occupied trying to form a plan.
"It'll attack to starboard, I've seen it before! Run out the guns and hold for my signal!" Will commanded, arming himself.
She admired Will taking command like this, his determination was inspiring. It made her wonder what Jack was doing, however.
"What's in your head?" Jessica asked.
"We have to make a stand, catch it unaware. Then, maybe we stand a chance of escape."
Will turned around, facing her. His expression was resolute.
"We can't beat it, Jess. We have to get away. That thing can tear this ship in two."
She could only nod in response. He was right, after all. In the middle of the ocean they were sitting ducks waiting to be swallowed. Will headed for the hold. Jessica stayed in line with the other armed crew. They all held spears at the ready, including Elizabeth. Jessica had to stick to her cutlass, seeing as a two-handed weapon would be useless to her. As she took up a position near Elizabeth, she heard that unearthly groan come from below the ship. Her pulse spiked, waiting for the inevitable.
The Black Pearl shuddered and creaked as massive tentacles curled over her railings. Jessica, Elizabeth, and the rest of the crew started to steadily back up from the edge of the ship. The line of spears wouldn't keep the kraken at bay, but they would buy them time.
"Will?" Elizabeth called out nervously.
Jessica knew he was waiting for the right moment. That notion didn't make it any easier to watch the kraken's tentacles spill over the Pearl.
"Will?" Elizabeth called again.
Jessica was worried about the timing, if they waited too long the kraken would destroy the ship before they got a chance to fire. The tentacles kept advancing closer.
"Will!" Elizabeth and Jessica both shouted at nearly the same time.
"Fire!" came Will's command from below.
The Pearl's cannons shook the ship, firing almost in unison. The kraken shrieked, its tentacles slamming into the Pearl's deck as it was struck by the broadside. Jessica jumped to the side to avoid being crushed by one of the falling tentacles. The last of the cannons fired, the kraken already beginning to retract its tentacles from the deck. The crew advanced back toward the railing, most cheering as they looked over the side. Jessica remained where she was, knowing that this was far from over. Will emerged from below deck.
"It'll be back," he said as he passed her, pulling Elizabeth away from the railing. "We have to get off the ship."
"There's no boats," Elizabeth said.
Jessica turned and finally saw: Elizabeth was right. As the kraken's tentacles had thrashed the deck, they had destroyed the Pearl's longboats. She felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. Their chances of surviving this were slimming by the second. Had she not been distracted by their dismal odds, she likely would have noticed that one of the longboats was outright missing.
Will paused for a moment, taking in their surroundings. Jessica could see he was thinking of something else. She didn't have to wait long to hear his plan.
"Pull the grates! Get all the gunpowder onto the net in the cargo hold!" he shouted at the crew.
The crew stepped to, taking Will's orders as if they had come from Jack himself. It certainly was a plan that even Jack would have agreed to. Will grabbed a musket from one of the crew and handed it to Elizabeth.
"Whatever you do, don't miss."
Elizabeth took the gun, "But, surely Jes—"
"Jess is injured, she can't shoot," Will explained as Elizabeth's eyes flicked over to Jessica.
Though Elizabeth was a decent shot, on any other day Jessica had more experience. All three of them knew it. They'd all practiced together at Port Royal.
"He's right. Elizabeth, right now you're the best shot we have. Quite literally. But, I'll watch your back," she offered. "I know you can do it."
"As soon as you're clear," Elizabeth promised to Will.
Jessica gave Elizabeth the most reassuring smile she could and followed Will to the stairs of the cargo hold.
"Will!" she called, catching his attention. "Please, be careful."
"You know me," he said, offering her a quick smile.
She didn't smile back as she watched him disappear down the stairs. What they were about to do was going to take an incredible amount of luck. Jessica returned to the deck, securing some of the cargo net ropes to the Pearl's capstan. Her rope tying skills were still intact with only a single hand, one of the few things she still felt she was useful for in this state. Distantly, she wondered where Jack was in all this madness. She wouldn't have blamed him if he were hiding. Had she known what he was doing, her opinion would have changed. She kept a close eye on Elizabeth as she finished tying off the last of the ropes. It was hard for her to even view Elizabeth as a woman coming from wealth and influence anymore. Elizabeth fell in line just like another one of the crew, helping where she could. Jessica was glad to count her as a friend and even more glad to have her as an ally.
The entire ship rocked sideways as it was struck from below. Jessica held onto the capstan to keep from falling over again. A pit formed in her stomach as she darted across the deck for Elizabeth. A moment after she let go, she heard a loud splash. The Black Pearl shook as though she had been struck by a broadside. Jessica heard the sound of snapping wood and screaming coming from the cargo hold. The kraken had returned, and it was angry. She nearly lost her footing from the force that struck the Pearl, but kept running for Elizabeth.
"Heave! Heave like you're being paid for it!" Gibbs ordered.
Jessica made it to Elizabeth's side and readied her sword for any incoming tentacles. As soon as the kraken's tentacles reached above the railing, the crew on deck fired relentlessly. Those without muskets used spears or axes. Elizabeth fired and reloaded quickly. While she was reloading, Jessica fended off a tentacle heading for Elizabeth. She sliced into it with her sword, but didn't manage to sever it. Her reactions were too slow and far weaker with her left hand. The entire deck was consumed in chaos. Tentacles flew everywhere, snatching up crew members or destroying parts of the deck. All around her, people were screaming. It was as though her time on the merchant vessel was playing again before her eyes. The only difference now was that these were not complete strangers in danger before her. It was a ship and a crew she was, for the most part, very familiar with. She saw the cargo net full of flammable barrels being raised. Between fending off a tentacle headed for her, she noticed Will hanging on to the net.
"Clear?" Elizabeth shouted.
"Higher! Higher!" Will shouted back.
If the net full of powder, and likely rum too, ignited too close to the deck it would cause more harm than good. The ship would be consumed with fire faster than they could abandon it.
The kraken's tentacles surged overhead from the quarterdeck, snapping the capstan. Will and the improvised bomb dropped a few feet as the lines snapped away. Another tentacle crushed the portside railing and knocked into the cargo net. With her focus entirely on protecting Elizabeth, Jessica didn't even see one of the tentacles coming for her. She screamed as she was pulled from behind. The tentacle wrapped up her leg and dragged her across the Pearl's deck. Elizabeth was focused on Will and didn't seem to have noticed. Jessica cursed as she tried to grab hold of anything to stop the kraken from pulling her into the water. Flinging her right arm out wide, she was able to grab a pistol that had fallen on the deck. Pain was of no consequence to her at the moment. She rotated onto her back, as the kraken continued to pull her, and fired. The shot struck true, tearing into the tentacle right at the stairs of the quarterdeck. Instead of releasing her, the kraken's tentacle surged up her leg and wrapped around her torso. Jessica screamed in agony as the large tentacle started to constrict around her. Her sides exploded in pain for a short moment before the tentacle went limp. It fell from around her, severed an inch away from her body. She collapsed forward onto the deck, her sword dropping from her hand.
"Miss Jessica!"
She heard her name, but hardly registered it as she tried to push herself off the deck. Every time she inhaled, she felt like her sides were on fire. It reminded her of the time she had been kicked in the ribs by a mule. A hand descended into view and she took it. She was slowly helped to her feet and saw Gibbs standing in front of her. He handed her sword back to her. She nodded, thanking him before turning to see where Elizabeth was. She didn't immediately spot her, but she did see Will trying to cut his leg free from the cargo net.
"Miss Jessica, are you alright?" Gibbs asked.
"I'm fine enough, Gibbs. Where's Elizabeth?" she said, still looking around.
She heard a scream from beside her and looked over to see Elizabeth trying to climb the opposite set of stairs to the quarterdeck. The entire ship lurched sideways as the kraken rammed into it again. Jessica started to climb to the quarterdeck to help guard Elizabeth. When she got to the top, she saw Jack standing right in front of Elizabeth. He picked up the musket from the deck and aimed it. Elizabeth clung onto Jack's leg. Jessica looked back and saw Will was still trying to free himself from the cargo net. Without realizing it, she started to step closer to Jack, but kept her eyes on Will. The kraken's tentacles were wrapping around the massive, makeshift bomb. Will finally cut himself free and dropped to the deck. The barrels were starting to fall out of the net. Jack fired only a second later, striking one of the barrels as it fell.
The entire net full of barrels ignited in a massive explosion. The blast rocked the entire ship and set the kraken's tentacles aflame. Large chunks of its flesh splattered across the deck. Some of the tentacles were completely stripped of their flesh. What was left sank below the surface. Even from the quarterdeck, Jessica felt the heat of the blast. She looked at Jack in awe, not only for the skillful shot, but for the simple fact that he was there. Smoke, flames, bodies, and bits of kraken littered the damaged deck of the Black Pearl. The ship as a whole was heavily damaged. Jessica watched as the few survivors of the Pearl's crew emerged from the debris. Gibbs and Marty were looking over the railing.
"Come on, Jessica."
Jack's voice snapped her mind from the carnage before her.
Together, they walked down from the quarterdeck, toward the rest of the crew. Jessica winced with each step.
"Captain, orders!" Gibbs called up to Jack.
"Abandon ship. Into the longboat," Jack said without hesitation.
Jessica stopped beside Jack, not believing what she heard. She saw the same disbelief cross Gibbs' face.
"Jack! The Pearl…" Gibbs said.
"She's only a ship, mate."
Had she not been standing directly beside him, Jessica doubted she would have heard Jack say that at all. Even though she'd heard it, she still couldn't believe it.
"There are more important things," Jack added, looking directly at Jessica.
She frowned, knowing how incredibly difficult this was for him. But he was right, their lives were more important.
"He's right. We have to head for land," Elizabeth said.
"It's a lot of open water," Pintel said.
"It's a lot of water," echoed Ragetti.
Jessica looked across the water. They weren't wrong. The closest island was far away, a thin line on the horizon. They would be extremely vulnerable in only a longboat.
"We have to try," Will said. "We can get away as it takes down the Pearl."
"Abandon ship. Abandon ship or abandon hope," Gibbs said, moving toward the railing.
The nine of them that were left of the Pearl's crew started to load into the longboat. Jessica stopped, seeing Jack looking out over the Pearl for the last time. He noticed her watching and walked over.
"You're hurt, come on."
He gently led her toward the port railing. Gibbs walked over to help her into the boat, and Jack stopped.
"I just need a moment…right behind you, love," he said.
Jessica nodded and took Gibbs' hand. Jack walked back toward the Pearl's mast. She lost sight of him as she carefully descended into the longboat. Will stayed behind her on the ladder, making sure she didn't fall, before continuing to help Gibbs. It was slow and painful, but she felt a great weight lifted from her when she sat down in the longboat. The crew passed supplies into the boat, mostly weapons. Jessica saw Will freeze for a moment, but thought nothing of it.
"Prepare to cast off! There's no time to lose!" Gibbs called, coming down the ladder.
"Come on, Will, step to!" he shouted when Will didn't move.
Jessica moved over to allow Will room to sit. Something was wrong, his face looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"Will?"
He didn't look over at her and started to stare a hole into the bottom of the longboat. She thought maybe the events of the day had finally caught up with him.
A moment later, Elizabeth came down the side of the Pearl. Will and the others helped her into the longboat. Jessica looked back up at the Black Pearl, expecting Jack to come over next. Elizabeth sat on the other side of Jessica, but there was still no sign of Jack.
"Where's Jack?" Will asked.
There was a touch of venom in his voice that Jessica didn't understand. She forgot about it a moment later when Elizabeth answered.
"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance."
Jessica's entire face went slack and her heart fell into her stomach.
"What?" she breathed.
The rest of the crew looked up at the Pearl, also in disbelief. No one moved.
"Go!" Elizabeth yelled.
"No!" Jessica shouted over her.
She made to climb back up the ladder, but Will grabbed her by her left arm.
"I won't leave him!" she shouted, her eyes locked on to the Pearl's railing.
"Go!" Will echoed to the crew.
"Jess, this is his choice," Will said in a softer tone to her.
"No!" Jessica shouted again, tears starting to fall from her eyes.
She broke free of Will's grasp, and very nearly made it to the ladder. Gibbs was the one who caught her this time. He pushed the longboat away from the Pearl with his other arm. Will grabbed her again, gently pulling her back down into the seat.
"Jack!" she yelled as loudly as she could. "Jack, you promised! You promised! Don't do this! Jack, please!"
Jessica felt as though she was back on the Dutchman, all of her energy drained from her in an instant. She cried heavily between desperate, disbelieving screams of "no." One moment she was fighting against Will, the next she fell against his shoulder, sobbing. She was in too much pain to fight back. Every sob sent a wave of pain through her. Will held her close, letting her bury her face in his shoulder. She felt him put a comforting arm on her back, but she was inconsolable. She felt the longboat moving, but couldn't bear to look up. But, after a time, she did look. The Black Pearl was covered with the kraken's tentacles. As she watched in horror, the stern started to sink into the water. The two most massive tentacles reached above the masts and slowly the Black Pearl was drawn below the ocean's surface. Jessica screamed, not even realizing she could make such a sound. Her breath came in quick bursts as she was overcome with grief. She leaned over the side of the longboat and wretched into the water. Her sides flared in pain. She could no longer control her sobbing, not even if she had wanted to.
"Jess, breathe," Will said to her.
She hardly heard him. All she could do was stare at the disturbance in the ocean's surface where the Black Pearl was moments ago. Her head felt light as she continued to sob, not even registering the pain in her sides that was causing her to take even shorter breaths. Her entire body shook.
"Jessica, breathe!" Will shouted at her.
By the time she realized she wasn't getting enough air, it was too late. She felt her face flush and the world spun around her. She fell limply against Will as her vision was consumed by darkness.