An Eye for an Eye, A Kiss for a Kiss

Hey everyone! I'd like to thank you all for all the sweet reviews:)

This is the FINAL CHAPTER !!! I hope I didn't disappoint you :P Let me know in your review! Of course, anonymous reviews are welcome as well^^


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CHAPTER 17 "A Dream That Came True"


Looking at the black sails in the distance Elizabeth felt her heart skip beats. Gusts of icy cold wind ruffled her long hair as she watched the troubled waves crash at her feet. Pictures of her and Jack flashed in front of her tear filled eyes, reminding her of the moments they had shared and only increasing her pain. She wept recalling the face of a stranger who had saved her from drowning, and two carefree maroons dancing to pirate songs on the rum runners' island. Then burning the rum, and stabbing Jack's back for the first time. Jack shooting Barbossa to save her despite what she had done to him. Their reunion in Tortuga, and forgetting about Will after mere hours spent in Jack's company. The compass, which she preferred to call spoiled since it had stubbornly kept on pointing to the irresistible pirate. The kiss, the shackles, the Kraken...

"Jack !!!" she screamed her lungs out as if he could hear her voice miles away. Her head was spinning and before she realized, she fell on the wet sand. To her dismay, she remained concious although she wished to faint, to fall asleep and escape the reality that was turning out to be the worst nightmare.

"Are you alright, Lizzie?" asked a concerned voice above her.

Afraid to open her eyes, she guessed what the hallucination would look like. She did it anyway.

"No!" she exclaimed shutting her eyes back. "I don't want to lose my sanity! You are gone!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You abandoned me! You are dead for me! Do you understand?!" she yelled frantically to appariton's shocked face. It was dripping with water like Jack's face the day they had met for the first time.

"Gone?" he asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

She punched him hard in response. Surprising as it was, her feast didn't go through the drenched halluciation, but hit its hard chest, eliciting a loud "Auch!" from it instead.

"What was that bloody for?" he winced.

"For leaving me here and sailing away on the Pearl!" she answered him trembling from shock and cold. Her clumsy attempts to stand up failed.

"Dear Lord, I lost Jack, I lost everything. Please, don't let me lose my senses..." she whispered to herself as her eyes closed again.

"If I didn't know that there was no single drop of rum on this island, I would have thought that you've had some." he lifted her, trying to shake her awake. "What nonsense is that about leaving you behind, eh? The Pearl is not bloody leaving. It's approaching!" he yelled.

She blinked. "I...I had a dream..." she shivered, still too puzzled to tell if it was reality or dellusion. "I saw the black sails sinking into the distance. And your fresh footprints leading to the sea. You were... gone." she mumbled under her breath.

"There is a difference between a dream and reality, Lizzie!"

"No! I woke up only to see my nightmare coming true! You were gone!!!"

"Technically, I was. To look for some oysters, luv." He raised his shirt, that looked more like a dripping bag half full with mussels. "I spotted the Pearl while you were still asleep and decided to pick up some oysters to let you enjoy the delicacy aboard the Pearl."

"You did?" asked Lizzie, taken aback.

"Aye. That's why you saw my footprints disappearing in the sea. From there I paddled along the shore to collect as much of them as I could. On me way back I heard you scream my name."

"So you are not..." she trailed off, glancing at the majestic vessel now looking slightly bigger than before.

"A lil' bit of trust wouldn't hurt, luv," he answered, hurt by her accusations.

"It's just...everything happened so fast. The damaged palm tree, the fight, the dream, you... gone! I thought it was all over!"

"We are far from over, Lizzie. As for fights, they happen in every relationship. They would come like scary storms with gusty winds and infernal thunders and yet clear the air and make it all the easier to breathe."

"I regret saying those terrible things to you last night. Especially those concerning Will..." she admitted dropping her gaze.

"I'm also taking me words back, Lizzie. Except for those concerning Will."

He noticed a small smile on her unusually pale face and embraced her tightly. He was wet and cold but she didn't mind. Listening to his quickened heartbeat, she finally believed that he was there with her and for her. Suddenly her legs gave in, and she would have fallen down if he didn't hold her so firmly.

"Are you feeling sick, luv?"

"A little dizzy. Maybe I took too much..."

"Too much of what?"

"The mixture you keep in the pocket of your coat."

"You... took it?" he frowned. "What if it were a poison?!"

"Just a pinch?"

Jack shook his head. "A pinch would have knocked you out."

"It did..."

Jack sighed ."That concoction is for inhaling, not for swallowing. No wonder you're staggering like a drunk sailor."

She opened her mouth to protest but Jack closed it with a kiss before Lizzie could make a sound. She found herself melting into his embrace, the fire of his kiss warming her cold, numb body and bringing it back to life.

"Can you see the bow?" He turned her around and embraced her from behind.

She nodded with a blissful smile, savouring the kisses that Jack was planting on her neck.

"I thought Gibbs was supposed to pick us up at sunset?"

"The weather is getting quite nasty, as you can see. This must have prompted him to come earlier."

"I'll be so happy to get out of here and get aboard the Pearl..."

"No worries, luv. It's just a matter of minutes and you will forget about this place. Now let me go and pick some fruits for you."

"It's not that, Jack... I love our island."

"We will come here again, won't we?" she heard him ask from the distance.

"Yes..." she answered absently watching the Pearl's bow aiming at their island.

"For the honeymoon, eh?" added Jack, turning around and heading for the bush.

"What did he say?" She spun round, pursuing him on her wobbly legs.

"Jack? Wait!!!"


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Mr. Gibbs was looking for a sign of life through his telescope. "Mother's love!" he sighed with relief.

"And they sailed happily ever after," he concluded with a smile.


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The celebrations after the victorious battle were taking place on all the pirate ships and also on the Flying Dutchman. After all, it was not everyday that an EITC fleet was defeated, a sea goddess released and Davy Jones sent to the Locker. To Elizabeth, who celebrated her engagement to Jack as soon as she boarded the Pearl, it was a second pirate party within just a few days. She enjoyed it with a mug of rum in her hand, listening to pirate shanties played by her future in law, Captain Teague. She knew that the Dutchman would disappear at sunset and wondered about Will's whereabouts. She wanted to wish him all the best for his new life before he would be gone for the next ten years. Was it that they had no chance to talk since there was so much happening in the last few days or was he avoiding her? Lowering her rum on the dining table, she stood up in search for Jack and found him standing alone at the starboard, gazing at the shoreline of the Shipwreck Cove through his telescope.

"May I ask what's that interesting, Jack?" she approached him smiling seductively.

"Oh," he turned around, startled. "It's nothing, really... Just sand, and rocks...and sand-" his hands gesturing lively.

"May I have a look?"

"No," he answered, hiding the device behind his back in a suspiciously abrupt manner.

"You're mean!" exclaimed Lizzie, crossing her arms on her chest.

"It's... not something for your eyes, luv."

She squinted.

"Meaning, high noon sun may blind you." he added after getting her questioning look.

"But not you?"

"My eyes got used to the blazing sun over the decades of sailing. And, of course, they are not painted black for no reason."

She always assumed it was to attract ladies. "Actually, I came to ask you about Will. Where is he? "

"Why are you asking?" his eyes widened.

"I just thought I'd say goodbye to him before he's gone."

"William is not aboard. He went ashore to say goodbye to Pintel and Ragetti."

"Why didn't he celebrate with us? They could have said their goodbyes here aboard the Pearl."

"Apparently, dear William preferred to be alone with his mates."

"Beg pardon?"

"It's the romantic scenery of the beach that makes the difference, I guess..." he twitched his nose.

Elizabeth opened her mouth agape, looked at the shore and back at Jack who folded his telescope and pocketed it.

"I think I need some rum," she said in an odd voice.

"Aye, rum's always good!" grinned Jack. "Why don't you follow me to the galley, eh?"

She took another look at the beach and flinched, before descending down the staircase and disappearing with Jack below deck.


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Surrounded by the sea of scents and colors, Jack found the variety maddeningly unhelpful. The legendary Captain, often forced to make life-saving decisions in a matter of seconds, now couldn't make up his mind as to which flowers would be best for his bride's bouquet.

"Jack Sparra..." he heard a familiar female voice, unable to spot its owner.

"Tia Dalma?" he jumped to his feet, swirling around. "Where are you?!"

"Right in front of ye, witty Jack," she snorted. Indeed, he could now sense her presence and feel her fingers playing with his goatee.

"What are you doing here?" asked Jack as soon as her features became visible, making his eyes widen at the sight. She looked stunningly beautiful, he had to give her that. Ever since the day she had regained her freedom, her mesmerizing eyes glistened, pearl white teeth contrasting with her shimmering dark skin. Calypso looked so dazzling in her adopted human shapes that once imprisoned her godly being that if he was not in love with Lizzie...

"How 'bout ye?" her sensual voice interrupted his train of thought . "What iz dat an infamous pirate such as yerself seekz in a flower garden?"

"It happens to be my aunt's garden, darlin' , and I'm here only because she allowed me to steal any flowers I wish, for me beautiful bride."

"Ahhh, and dat's why ye've been sitting here, savouring flowery scents for over half an hour? Haha! Jack Sparrow doesn't know what flowerz he wants!"

"Oh, shut it Tia. I'm a man so my experience with flowers is rather limited."

"Why didn't you ask your auntie for help?"

"She's busy with 'Lizbeth and the wedding dress. Would you mind helping your good ol' friend? You are a woman, after all."

"A woman, aye. But I have more experience with seaweed than flowerz." she smiled widely.

"Well, I doubt that seaweed would do. Actually, I find white lilies more appropriate; a symbol of innocence and... they go with a wedding dress, right?"

"Why didn't ye pick dem, den?"

"Maybe because I'm not convinced at all that lilies are a good idea and I want Lizzie's bouquet to be perfect. Sadly, I have no idea what flowers she likes." he took off his hat, and sighed resignedly. "She was so melancholic this morning that believe me, I don't want to worsen things up with wrong flowers. It's our wedding day, for heavens sake! She is getting married to none other but Captain Jack Sparrow and she should be beaming with joy and happiness!"

"Did ye ask what made her dat sad?"

"Honestly, I was afraid to ask fearing that she was having second thoughts. But I did ask her in the end, just before she followed my auntie to her tailor's shop. She said that she was thinking about her father. It pained her deeply that he wouldn't be there to lead her to the altar..."

"Poor thing..."

"Poor me. I have no flowers and no time left either. I should be on me way to the church with a bouquet in me hand and yet here I am, discussing seaweed with Calypso! "

"Oh, don't be whiny, Jackie. Ye can easily tell by yerself what flowerz yer beloved prefers."

"If I could, I guess I wouldn't be sitting here empty-handed, would I?"

"You can find it out all by yerself, trust me. Just close yer eyez and think of her... Can ye see her, Jack?"

"Yes..." he smiled naughtily.

"Now... Tell me, what kind of woman Elizabeth is. What is she like..."

"Beautiful, hot-tempered, passionate, sensual, seducive, addictive..."

"Anything more? Maybe less positive?" she cocked her head.

"She's unpredictable and... she can cause pain."

"And make a man's heart bleed." she nodded, seeing a soulmate in his bride.

"Now, what has that to do with flowers, Tia?" he opened his eyes, running out of patience.

"Do as I say, and close yer eyez shut!" ordered Calypso. " Think of her again... If ye were to compare Elizabeth to a flower, which one would it be?"

"She would be... a rose. A dark, wine-red rose with the sweetest scent. And thorns."

"Congratulations, Jack. Ye've got your flowerz." Tia Dalma outstretched her slender arms toward impressive rose bushes and Jack stared at the

flowers flying into her hands: crimson roses, green ivy clad and several tiny ones which he couldn't even name.

"So, we've got the flowerz." she said, dropping the aromatic blossom on the bench.

"Now, I need..." To Jack's shock, the goddess was untying his sash and he decided that she had moved too far. She wouldn't get her "payment" this time.

"Tia, darlin', there will be no needing here!" he stated flatly, as her surprised eyes met his stern gaze.

"I need a piece of your sash. Or do you want the thorns to hurt your bride's palms?!"

"Oh..." he muttered under his breath. Ashamed and blushing, Jack untied the silky fabric and cut off a generous piece with his sword.

Wrapping the rose stems with the smooth material, Calypso giggled, seeing how deeply embarrassed he was.

"Here ye are" She handed him the amazing bouquet. "There is something more dat I want to give ye. Ye have one wish, Jack. My wedding gift."

"Any wish?" he squinted his eyes in suspicion.

"Yeez, now that I got me powerz back, I'm able to fulfill any wish. I'm listening Jackie, we do not have much time."

He had hundreds of them. Getting rid of Barbossa, having the Pearl all for himself and getting the water of eternal youth, topping the list. That was it! He would demand immortality for him and Lizzie! No... Did he have the right to decide for her? Would she wish to live forever, in the first place? What would his bride choose...

"I can't believe ye have no wishes, Jack."

"Oh, I do have. The problem is, there are more than just one."

"Ask me what ye want most. And leave the rest for the goldfish." she chuckled.

"Me thinks, I've made up me mind..." he smirked, cocking his head.


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"We are late!" gasped Elizabeth, hastily climbing the last stairs that led to the church.

"Only a little. He will wait, my dear." comforted her Miss Brandy, nearly getting out of her breath.

Lizzie found Jack's aunt very likable right from the first time they met to work on her wedding dress. The charming middle age lady with youthful looks who had been growing up with her older brothers, twins Captain Teague and Father Keagan, was a talented tailor, a great soprano and a poet. She had offered to sing her own compositions during the marriage ceremony and the young bride welcomed the suggestion with enthusiasm.

"Finally!" exhaled Elizabeth when they got to the iron gate that stood open, waiting for them.

"Good morning, !" she smiled widely when the unusually elegant Joshamee came into view.

"Morning, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Brandy," he bowed.

Jack had asked him to lead her to the altar, and she couldn't have been happier about his choice. Still, for a moment she felt a twinge of regret in her heart as she imagined her father walking her into the church like he did in her dream. Seeing the wonderful bouquet of wine-red roses, she shook off the memories and smiled wholeheartedly. "My favourite flowers..." she whispered in delight, accepting the bunch from Gibbs' hands and taking in the sweet scent.

"I shall see you at the altar, Lizzie!" said Brandy and disappeared behind the inner church door.

"Shall we?" suggested Lizzie, offering Mr. Gibbs her hand.

"Miss Elizabeth, there is something that Jack asked me to show you before we go in. It's right there, behind the door to the side chapel." he pointed to his right.

"I shall check my wedding gift afterwards. Let us waste no time. I'm so ready to be married!" she exclaimed.

"With all due respect, Miss," Gibbs blocked her way. "Jack insisted you should take a look at it before we enter the church."

"Alright..." she sighed slightly annoyed. "If he thinks that seeing it before the ceremony would make me more happy-"

"Aye, that'd be exactly what he said." nodded Gibbs with an enigmatic smile on his face.

She rolled her eyes and pushed the door to the Chapel of the Holy Trinity open. Dark and tiny, it only accommodated three rows of benches at the feet of a modest altar illuminated by three burning candles. She noticed a shadow of a person kneeling down and backed away. It wasn't her intention to interrupt someone's prayer. To her dismay, Mr. Gibbs cleared his throat exceptionally loud before she could close the door shut and the shadow turned around. She froze dropping her bouquet, her widened eyes glued to the silhouette that stood up and headed toward her.

"Father?" she asked almost inaudibly, recognizing the familiar, noble features.

"It's me, child," he answered in a trembling voice.

"No, you are just a ghost..." she shook her head, taking one step backwards. "Why did you come? Why are you haunting me? You are not making it any easier for me to deal with the loss and grief, appearing here on my wedding day! I wished so hard to forget about you, remove that ever present pain from my heart, just for today!" she broke into tears, breathing heavily.

Mr. Gibbs who stood right behind her, opened his mouth wishing to explain it all to the shocked bride but found himself at a loss for words. He picked the bouquet from the floor and lay it on a bench. Deciding that they should be left alone, he slipped out of the chapel unnoticed.

"Elizabeth..." the man moved closer to Lizzie, who kept on staring at him as if he was a phantom.

"Can a ghost touch you?" he asked softly, wiping away tears from her cheeks.

"Father!" she gasped.

"Come to me, my child..."

Without hesitation, his daughter threw hersef into his arms, still not comprehending why her father was among the living, but she did not care to ponder it. Their reunion was surreal and she wasn't eager to ask questions. All she wanted was to be with her father again and revel in the moment, afraid that he may be gone as soon as she would discover that it was just another dream.

"I couldn't be happier to be brought back to life on a special day like this."

Her hands cupped his face lovingly and their eyes locked. "I don't understand... I saw you in the Locker. Calypso said there was no way to bring you back!"

"There was no way, since her powers didn't reach there. Now that she's free-"

"She did this?!"

"As you can see, I'm here alive and kicking," he smiled and his glassy eyes glimmered with emotions. "The only memory left from the Locker is the one of Lord Beckett claiming that my daughter's bravery didn't bring any good since killing him condemned me to his company forever. The very moment he had said that, Calypso appeared in front of us, offerring me new life. I will never forget his face when he saw me disappear... But I think we shouldn't keep the groom waiting. We will have plenty of time to talk later. Now, will I have the pleasure of leading my daughter to the altar?" asked the governor and handed his daughter the flowers.

"Of course," she smiled nervously. "But... there is something you need to know before we go in." She bit her lower lip and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yes?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "The groom... the man whom I love... and who loves me..."

"Oh, I know he does," he assured her with a bright smile.

"You don't understand, father! I'm not marrying Will." She looked him boldly in the eye.

"I know that as well. The whole Locker knows him as the new Captain of the Flying Dutchman."

"I'm marrying Jack. The infamous pirate." She dropped her gaze.

"You have my blessing , Elizabeth."

"I... do?" she blinked in astonishment.

"Why wouldn't I bless you and the man whom I owe my life?"

"Not Calypso? " The revelations were getting too much, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Calypso offered him one wish, as a wedding gift, and he asked her to bring me back. The very Jack Sparrow whom I once sentenced to death."

"He's a good man. I always knew that..." she said deeply touched. "Better than I gave him credit for..." she thought.

"My little daughter marrying a pirate..." governor Swann shook his head "I can't say that I wasn't surprised when he informed me about it, but I guess deep inside, I knew all along that you would end up this way..."

"Only because I loved singing that pirate song as a child?" she smiled through her tears.

"Because I saw that free spirit in you. That strong will and bravery, hunger for adventure. I will never forget the night I saw you dancing with your friends around the bonfire on the beach, singing pirate songs which were forbidden at home."

"You... saw me?"

"I did. I remember it as if it was yesterday."

"How is that possible? Name the traitor who reported it to you," she winced.

"I discovered it myself, child. One night, I had received an important message and had to travel at the instant, meaning I would have been spending a week away from home. I assumed you would be asleep but nonetheless, I decided to go into your room to say goodbye to you even if that meant waking you up. To my shock, I didn't find you there. As I was about to call the guards, fearing you've been abducted, I noticed a tiny paper ball on your bed, with a message inside."9 pm on the fishermen beach." I went there alone, guessing who you were meeting with. Boiling with anger, I was practicing my speech aloud while walking there, thinking of all possible punishments. As I was approaching my destination, I could hear you singing and laughing with the group of servants' kids who I'd forbidden you to play with. And as I stood there hidden in the bush, watching you and them dancing together, I realized I'd never seen you that happy. It was then I understood that you needed your freedom and your friends. I left the beach forgetting about my anger and punishment, actually arriving back home with a smile on my face. From that day on, a certain trustworthy servant was ordered to keep an eye on you to always make sure you would safely return home from your secret escapades."

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew?!" she asked him accusingly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I decided it was for the better. As long as you kept your meetings secret, nobody from our social circles would know what my daughter was doing in her spare time. Needless to add, keeping James Norrington unaware was my priority," he chuckled.

"Oh, father... You knew all about me and the kids playing pirates in the orchard, and sword fighting on the beach...No, I just can't believe it! "

"And that you were feeding a certain elderly lady in exchange for knitting," he winked.

She giggled. "And that I used to go to taverns in disguise to meet real sailors and drink rum."

"You did?" he asked stupefied. "Elizabeth!" he shook his head in indignation.

She smiled sheepishly in reply. "I shall tell you about it later. I think it's time for you to bring me to the altar. Otherwise, poor Jack may start thinking that I changed my mind."

"Taverns?" he wrinkled his forhead, still unable to believe it.

She pouted innocently.


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Elizabeth was deeply touched, experiencing a massive deja vu, witnessing her dream become reality. She heard Brandy's captivating "Ave Maria", an angelic voice that went under her skin. And then the bells ringing in joyous announcement, her father walking her slowly to the altar, happiness and pride written on his face. Recognizing the place from her dreams , she spotted familiar mermaids with wide spread feathery wings and huge candle holders made of steering wheels. Reaching her destination at Jack's side, she smiled at her father when he pressed a kiss to her temple giving the couple his blessing.

"Take good care of her." he whispered to Jack who smiled, nodding in reply. He looked stunningly handsome in his new clothes tailored by his aunt. Only his hat, belts and effects were not new.

"I can't believe that it's happening. What if this is just a dream?" she whispered.

"If it were a dream Lizzie, we would have been elsewhere, preferably in our cabin, stark naked and doing sinful things," he whispered, squinting .

Suppressing a giggle, she blushed, satisfied with his answer. It sounded too Jack not to be true.

"Elizabeth Rose Swann..."

"Rose." smirked Jack.

"...do you take Jack Sparrow-"

"Captain!" corrected the groom, sending Father Keagan an offended look. Of course, he was used to ignorant people who tended to forget about his title, but his own uncle?

Mr. Gibbs who was Jack's best man and Miss Brandy, the maid of honour, looked at each other and rolled their eyes, as did everybody else.

"Do you take Captain Jack Sparrow as your husband ?" asked slightly affronted Father Keagan, emphasizing the word Captain.

"I do." nodded Elizabeth. Her knuckles were getting white as she was clutching the bouquet that was shivering as much as her hands. She believed that the entire gathering must have noticed how she had trembled from excitement.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, do you take Elizabeth Rose Swann as your wife?"

"Aye, I do."

"Holy Mermaid, I didn't see it coming..." Captain Teague confessed to the man standing next to him, as they looked at the beautiful couple exchange golden rings.

"There are two of us." snuffled governor Swann, handing him a handkerchief.

"Hereby, I pronounce you man and wife. You may now-" Father Keagan cut off, noticing how fiercely the newly wedded were kissing, earning a wild applause from the crowd.

"...continue kissing," he finished a bit embarrassed and closed his book.

~~ The End ~~
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An Epilogue is coming up in January! So stay tuned, mateys :) I know it's too soon, but since it's unlikely that I would update before January 2010,

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU !!!

Hugs,

addictedtojack