Broken

Realizations And Confessions

A/N: Elizabeth realizes that she has fallen in love with Jack and wants to be more than just his mistress…she wants to be his wife! Feeling a need to clear her conscience Elizabeth waits until dark and heads out on deck to confess her feelings for Jack to Will’s “memory”. Hope the latest chapter doesn’t disappoint… and please don’t by shy…leave a review!!

Sparrowlover: Thanks for your reviews…they are much appreciated…hope u enjoy the latest chapter!

Vyperbites: Lol…glad you’re enjoying the story…hope you like the latest chapter!

It seemed like the day was dragging on with no end in sight. Perhaps it was because Elizabeth had been awake since before dawn. She had spent the whole night tossing and turning as dreams of the day that Will died haunted her in her sleep. She found herself reaching for Jack to calm her racing heart each time she had woken up. The last time she was startled awake from her nightmare it had surprised her when she had cried out for Jack. Jack had been wonderful pulling her into his arms to hold her tight against him. Only after he had held her and rocked her was she able to drift into a light sleep. Elizabeth had fallen asleep with her right cheek pressed firmly against Jack’s broad chest as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The familiar and calming scent of rum mixed with sweat and a hint of the sea had been just what she had needed to relax. But that blissful calm had not lasted nearly as long as she had wanted it to…and all too soon she found herself waking up in a cold panicked sweat as a blood chilling scream tore from her throat. Jack had jumped up grabbing his pistol from underneath his pillow as he looked around the cabin wild eyed looking for the source of the disturbance.

Elizabeth had apologized for waking him and then gotten up to walk out onto the main deck and stare at the star filled night sky. And she had remained there ever since. Her mind wandered from thought to thought aimlessly almost always settling on Jack. It had become quite clear to her that things had changed between them considerably ever since that little episode between them down in the hold a few days ago. Throughout the day Elizabeth had caught herself stealing glances at Jack as he swaggered around the deck giving orders. And every time their eyes would meet that same ridiculously goofy grin would plaster itself onto her face. Jack would smile back at her making her cheeks burn with the dark crimson blush that stained them and then she would quickly look away. This little game of theirs went on for more than half the day much to the annoyance of Barbossa who rolled his eyes every time he caught the two of them staring at each other like lovesick teenagers.

Elizabeth found that more and more her thoughts seemed to stray to Jack. It was strange the way she felt the fluttering sensation in her stomach as if a million butterflies were trapped inside her and flapping their wings all at once as they tried to escape. It happened every time Jack caught her gaze. And then a thought hit her as she leaned back on the stairs that led to the wheel deck. Her eyes widened as her grip on the neck of the bottle of rum she had been holding loosened. It slipped though her fingers to crash onto the deck loudly. The bottle shattered sending pieces of glass skittering across the deck. Her heart leapt into her throat as her tea colored eyes shifted to where Jack now stood in front of her. How had she not noticed what was so painfully obvious to her now? She had fallen in love with Jack Sparrow! Elizabeth tried to swallow finding that her throat had gone painfully dry. She jumped when Jack’s calloused hand touched her knee. His skin felt like it was scorching her even through the fabric of her breeches.

“Lizbeth…are ye alright darling?”

“Y-yes…yes I’m fine.”

“Darling if something’s got ye troubled I want t’ know.”

Glancing back up at him she felt her pulse start to race again. Deciding that she was better off not telling him how she felt just yet she knew she had to think fast to distract him.

“I’m fine Jack…really…I was just thinking about…”

Her voice trailed off when Jack’s dark glittering eyes caught her gaze.

“About him…ye were thinking bout the whelp again?”

“I’m sorry Jack I can’t help it.”

Jack waved his hand as he opened his mouth to speak. That gesture meant that he was getting ready for one of his Sparrabethan monologues that usually left her more confused than she had been before he had started speaking.

“No…it’s not that ye can’t help it…yer perfectly capable of helping it…it’s jus’ that ye won’t help it…an’ there’s a huge difference between cans an’ cants an’ wills an’ wonts…which brings me back t’ me point…the fact being that ye won’t help it means that yer content with how it makes ye feel t’ think bout him…but the knowledge of yer cowardice doesn’t sit well with ye…so therein lies the reason ye pretend that ye can’t help it. Savvy?”

Elizabeth sat there staring at him wide eyed with her mouth hanging open slightly as she tried to untangle the jumbled mess of words that he called logic. Finally giving up she just nodded her head to forego any further discussion. Smiling Jack turned to walk away from her but stopped to glance back at her as he opened his mouth to speak once more.

“See how much easier everything is when ye jus’ listen?”

Nodding once more she plastered on a broad smile as he continued walking away from her. Shaking her head she rolled her eyes at his backwards way of trying to make sense of things. What did he know about how she felt about anything? He didn’t…he had no idea. And for now that was exactly how she intended on keeping things…at least until she was ready to do otherwise. Finally the sun began setting beneath the horizon and everyone had started to head below decks for the evening. Jack was walking across the deck to where she still sat on the wheel deck stairs. He sat down beside her pushing the brim of his worn leather hat up a bit to look at her.

“Ready t’ call it a day love?”

“Not just yet…I just want to sit here a bit longer.”

“All by yer onesie love?”

“Yes…just for a little while I promise.”

“Ye’ve been sitting here all day darling.”

“I know…just give me a bit longer Jack?”

“Alright…if yer not in the cabin in ten minutes m’ coming back out t’ get ye.”

“It’s a deal…ten minutes.”

Nodding he stood up and swaggered over to their cabin to go inside leaving her alone on the deck. Cotton remained at the wheel but he couldn’t talk so it wasn’t like he was going to tell anyone what she aid. Standing up Elizabeth stretched her arms over her head and walked to the very front of the ship to lean over the railing. The sun was quickly disappearing beneath the horizon painting the sky in a dark shade of violet as the first stars began to twinkle like diamonds strewn across a dark velvet blanket. Sighing heavily Elizabeth looked up at the star filled sky as her mind wandered back to thoughts of Will and Jack. She had loved Will…with all her heart…but he was gone and it was time that she got on with her life. Obviously her heart had already chosen to do so since it seemed to belong to Jack now.

“Oh Will…I still miss you everyday that you’re gone…but I have to face the truth that you’re never coming back to me. You’re dead…and I have to let you go now. Something amazing has happened…something that I never dreamed that I would be capable of feeling again when I lost you. I’m in love…with Jack! Oh can you believe it…I never thought I would ever know what it felt like to be in love again!”

The smile that had etched itself onto her pretty face faltered when she thought of her first love. Here she was confessing her love for another man to his memory. Perhaps he was somewhere looking down on her from heaven? What would he think?

“Oh listen to me…telling you about my love for Jack! How horrible of me. Oh Will…I wish that I could tell you that I was sorry for being in love with Jack…but I can’t because he makes me feel alive again. It killed me when I lost you…I was dead inside. And now I realize that I get a second chance to be happy! Don’t you see…I have to take that chance.”

Elizabeth pushed off the railing and turned around to head towards the cabin she had been sharing with Jack. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
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Miles away from where the Black Pearl was sailing in the warm waters of the Caribbean a bone chillingly cold wind was swirling across the deck of the Flying Dutchman as she sailed along the frigid and eerily calm waters of the sea to the underworld. The arctic breeze made the tattered grayish looking sails of the Dutchman dance as it swirled around the ship. Will’s dark eyes looked up into the pale violet sky as he listened to Elizabeth’s voice as it danced on the wind. His heart clenched painfully in his chest as he gripped the railing tightly. His Elizabeth had fallen in love…with Jack? How could she betray his memory like that? It had to be a mistake. Perhaps it was just this strange place playing cruel tricks on him? Whatever the case he knew he could just sit idly by and let Jack have Elizabeth. The problem was that he was dead and bound to the Dutchman. How was he going to get back to the land of the living and keep his precious Elizabeth in love with him? His dark eyes lit up when a solution began to materialize in the his mind. Yes…it was perfect! Calypso could help him…she could bring him back from the dead! And then he could stop the romance between Jack and Elizabeth before it began! Tomorrow he would tell his father of his plan and his need to be free of his debt to the Dutchman. Turning away from the railing he smiled to himself as he thought about being reunited with Elizabeth. Soon enough all would be back as it should be and he could have his happy ending with Elizabeth just like he had always wanted.

A/N: Okay so what do you think of the latest twist in the story? Please read and review…I love any kind of feedback!!