Drowning

Chapter 2:

A/N: Things are going to get ugly, Elizabeth’s attitude is going to take a very dark turn on her way to Tortuga. She’s desperate for something but she hasn’t quite figured out what she’s desperate for. Please read and review!!!!

The Dauntless rocked gently back and forth as it cut it’s path through the ocean in the direction of Tortuga. Elizabeth sat at the table staring blankly down at the nautical charts that lay sprawled across it. She wasn’t really looking at anything in particular and yet she found it bordering on impossible to look away from the map. Her chocolate brown eyes seemed fixated on the port of Tortuga. The soft creaking sound of the cabin door opening startled her out of her trance. She forced a bland smile at James as he entered the cabin with a tray of food on it. “Hungry?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well you have to eat Elizabeth.”

“Do I have a choice?”

Mocking her words with a warm smile he set the tray down on the table. “Not really, no.”

“Then let’s get this over with.”

James sat down to join Elizabeth at the table as he put the bowl of thick looking chowder in front of her first. He frowned a bit when he watched as she picked up the spoon and began stirring the chowder clearly disinterested in eating. “You know I’m not going anywhere until you eat. So you might as well start eating Elizabeth.”

“Fine.” She took a couple of rather unladylike spoonfuls of the chowder and forced them into her mouth and down her throat. Tossing him a false smile before wiping her mouth with her napkin she cleared her throat to reply. “Happy?”

“No but it’s a start I suppose.”

“Do you intend on being this bossy the whole way to Tortuga?”

“Yes if it keeps you from killing yourself.”

She rolled her eyes at him and spoke in a sarcastic tone. “Oh for Christ’s sake James a couple of days without eating is hardly killing myself!” Not really wanting to argue anymore with her he allowed the rest of the meal to be eaten in silence. Once Elizabeth was finished she excused herself from the table without even saying a word and headed for the main deck. James merely shook his head as he cleaned up from their less than pleasant meal. Elizabeth made her way to the rear of the ship and leaned over the railing to look down at the dark sapphire blue water. Her mind wandered everywhere from missing her father to where William might be this very moment and then thoughts of Jack began creeping into her jumbled mess of a mind.

Elizabeth simply allowed her mind to focus on the comical pirate that had come to be one of her closest friends in the years that she had known him. He seemed to be the only salvation that she was able to grasp ever since her father had been murdered. Her mind drifted back to the day that her life first became entwined with Jack Sparrow’s. She had fallen off the stone parapet that overlooked the harbor in Port Royal because the corset she had been wearing had cut off her oxygen. The last thing she had remembered flashing through her brain when she was careening towards the Caribbean sea was that she was certain she wouldn’t survive the fall let alone trying to swim in that hellish contraption called a corset. She supposed that she had fainted before she hit the water because she couldn’t remember the moment of impact for the life of her. The next thing Elizabeth could remember was being dragged onto the pier and Jack ripping off her corset to leave her in her drenched white taffeta under dress.

He had been her savior for a brief moment before Norrington and the Royal Navy showed up to arrest him. Then in a split second he had hauled her to her feet and had his shackled wrists around her neck using her as a shield. Jack had turned into well….a pirate quicker than she had been able to blink. Smiling just a little when the memory of the night they had spent marooned on the Rum runner’s island flickered in her mind. Now that was a night that she would gladly go back to if she could. Jack had been wonderful, he had told her marvelous stories and they had danced around the fire. Why he had even been quite the gentleman the entire time they had been alone together on that island. Somewhere in the darkest furthest corner of her mind Elizabeth wished that Jack hadn’t been such a gentleman and that he had been more of the scoundrel that she had secretly hoped he might be. Elizabeth felt her cheeks burn from the slight blush that stained them as she thought about what it might be like to be with Jack.

Oh her lips had tasted his once and it had been wonderful. Well at least up until she shackled him to the main mast of the Pearl and allowed the Kraken to devour him and send him to Davy Jones’ locker. No Elizabeth didn’t imagine what he would taste like if they kissed because that she already knew. She found herself wondering what it would be like to be loved by Jack Sparrow, to know the kind of things he would do to her in bed. Elizabeth grinned broadly to herself as she imagined all the wonderfully inappropriate places that Jack would allow his hands to roam on her body if she were to give him such an opportunity. “You know there was a time when I would have given my own life to have you think such obviously lustful thoughts about me.”

“Oh….James, I uh….didn’t realize you were here.”

“How could you? You were so preoccupied with thoughts of….dare I say his name?”

“I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

“Oh come on Elizabeth, you don’t have to be dishonest with me. I know that Sparrow is the one who elicits such bold and inappropriate thoughts from you.”

“James what makes you think that I was thinking about Jack?”

“Elizabeth his name is practically begging to sound from your lips.”

She glared up at him before forcing her eyes back out to sea. “Who or what I think about is none of your business Commodore. Now if I may have some privacy? I’m sure that there are more pressing matters than what I’m thinking about that need your attention.”

“Elizabeth-

“And what would Annette think if she knew you were so fascinated by what I’m thinking about?” With a sharp turn on his heels he made a hasty retreat towards the helm of the ship. “Goodnight Commodore.”

“Goodnight Miss Swann.” She frowned at his response. It had been so cold and formal, like they didn’t know one another in the least. Perhaps it was for the best. He had nothing she wanted and there was nothing that she was willing to give him. So it was a good thing indeed that he had found Annette Moore. Elizabeth looked up at the darkening evening sky. A few stars had started to twinkle and the moon was shining brightly above her. Glancing down at her chest her eyes caught sight of the cross that hung from her neck. The moonlight glinted softly off the silver cross making her breath catch in her throat. Her father had given that cross to her when he returned on one of his many trips to England. In fact it was the last thing that he would ever give to her before he ended up on the wrong end of a hangman’s noose.

She gently placed her hand over her heart and felt the coolness of the silver cross against her skin. Her brown eyes watered and for a moment she almost allowed the tears to escape the depths of her eyes that had become their prison. Then her beautiful face twisted into a hard scowl as she let her hand fall back to the ship’s railing. Elizabeth glanced up at the sky her eyes cold and her face molded into a stony expression. Her mind began racing with thoughts that normally she wouldn’t have ever dared to entertain. “Damn you! You’re supposed to be my salvation! How could you let my father be murdered?” She was sorely tempted to rip the cross from her neck and fling it as far as she could out to sea. The only thing holding her back from doing such a wretched thing was that it would forever remind her of her father now. Sighing in defeat she turned and headed back towards the cabin that she was to share with Norrington until they reached their destination.

Elizabeth padded quietly into the cabin that was dimly lit by an oil lamp and made her way over to the bed. She sank down onto it and kicked off her worn leather boots. Laying down on her side with her back facing Norrington’s cot so that she wouldn’t be forced into conversation with him she pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and forced her eyes to close. She knew she wasn’t going to sleep but she would refuse to open her eyes and beg for any sort of comforting conversation from the Commodore. What did it matter that he had wanted to marry her at one time? It didn’t and she had no desire to pour her heart out to him or anyone else for that matter. Elizabeth drifted in and out of an uneasy sleep up until the early hours right before dawn.

She had dreamt about her father and every horrible dream ended exactly the same. Her eyes would snap open right as the executioner pulled the lever and let the trap door beneath her father’s feet drop cinching the rope tightly around his neck. He had made an awful choking sound as the oxygen was abruptly cut off from the rope. Elizabeth had remembered wanting to scream out for them to cut the rope and save her father but her voice had lodged in her throat. Not even a single whimper had been able to escape the huge lump that had formed at the back of her throat. Her eyes had darted from her father’s panic stricken face to that of Lord Beckett’s only to see a smug grin plastered on his pompous face. How she had wanted to claw out his eyes as he stood there grinning at her like the coldhearted bastard that he was. Elizabeth shifted onto her back in her bed and tried to close her eyes again. A few minutes of laying there and she sat up in defeat. Kicking back the blanket she stepped out of bed not even bothering to put her boots back on.

James looked up from his cot and watched as Elizabeth left the cabin for the main deck. Knowing it would do no good to follow her he simply closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Elizabeth walked to the front of the ship this time and looked out over the railing. Dawn would be upon them in a matter of moments, the sky was a pale lavender with a touch of gray as the sun was getting ready to rise above the horizon. Staring down at the now calm blue green ocean she tried to think of anything to get the terrible nightmares of her father’s execution out of her head. She seemed to stand in that same spot for hours not even bothering to acknowledge the crew making themselves busy around her. A couple of them had tried to make polite conversation with her but she had just mumbled a few incoherent words and waved them away dismissively with a flick of her hand. She didn’t have the time or the energy to be bothered with anything that anyone might have to say to her. Norrington soon came out of the cabin and made his way to the ship’s wheel where Lt. Smyth was steering.

“Good morning Commodore.”

“Good morning Lt. Smyth. Tell me, how is she?”

“Miss Swann hasn’t moved from that spot ever since she came out right before dawn sir. It’s right unsettling to the crew the way she refuses to speak to anyone.”

“Indeed. Well Miss Swann has gone through quite a rough time it seems, so we best just leave her alone if that’s what she wishes.”

Lt. Smyth nodded and went on about his way as the Commodore took over steering the ship for him. Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder and frowned when she had caught Norrington and Lt. Smyth staring at her and talking. No doubt they had been talking about her. Turning her attention back to the sea she looked down at her hands. She touched the finger that she used to wear the engagement ring that William had given to her softly. Then clenching her hand into a fist she pounded it onto the ship’s railing angrily. No she would not start to think about him! He had abandoned her and so she would abandon all thoughts of him as well. Wishing that the day would just hurry up and end she turned away from the railing and walked back towards the cabin. Norrington watched as she disappeared back below deck. In the cabin Elizabeth walked over to the far side of the room where a large bookshelf filled with books stood. Glancing at them she came across a large brown leather book that read Aqua de Vida in bold black letters across the spine. Curious about what it was she grabbed the book and headed back above deck.

Finding a quiet place at the rear of the ship she sank down onto the warm wood of the deck and opened the book. Inside the cover was a map and in the center was a fountain that read Aqua de Vida. Near the fountain were the countries of Cuba and another she had heard next to nothing about. It was called La Florida. Wrinkling her nose a bit as she said the name to herself a few times her eyes widened when she remembered where she had heard it before. Of course, Jack had told her a tale of this magic fountain that was rumored to have the power to make a person immortal. What had he called it again? Oh yes, the fountain of youth. It was yet another fabled treasure that the pirate wanted to locate. Turning the page she began to read about the magical fountain and it’s immensely coveted powers of immortality. A few hours went by and James came looking for her. Finding her curled up on the deck her back propped against a barrel he smiled to himself. She was so immersed in whatever she was reading that she didn’t even notice him standing over her.

“Elizabeth?”

“Oh….James.” She clasped the open book to her chest tightly as if he would take it from her.

“Find something good to read?”

“Oh…well….um it’s nothing really.”

“Nothing? Well it must be something, I stood here for five minutes before you took notice of me. And I had to speak then to get you to notice me. What are you reading?”

She held up the book for James to read the cover. He snorted when he read it causing her to glare up at him sharply.

“Oh Elizabeth, tell me you don’t actually believe that rubbish?”

“And if I do?”

“It’s nothing more than a pirate’s fairytale.” Seeing her eyes lower as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink he chuckled. “Of course, that’s why you find it so enthralling. I’m sure your dear Mr. Sparrow told you quite a marvelous tale about the fountain.”

“That’s Captain Sparrow! And yes Jack did tell me about the Aqua de Vida.”

“It’s a ridiculous story Elizabeth.”

“Is it? That’s what you said about Davy Jones and The Flying Dutchman.” She grinned when she saw him frown at her mention of the now dead pirate and his ghostly ship that William now commanded. “Did you want something Commodore?”

“Yes. I was wondering if you were hungry?”

“No but I know that I don’t have a choice in the matter.” She allowed him to help her up and they went to the cabin for lunch. Elizabeth hurried down her lunch and scampered back out onto the deck to return to her spot to read again. Norrington had merely shook his head and let her go on about her business. She was becoming increasingly uninterested in socializing with anyone. The fact that she had not shed a single tear since they had left for Tortuga was also unsettling to him. Last night he had expected her to shatter into a million pieces like the most delicate glass. When she had not he figured that it would surely happen the next morning. But half the day had passed and still she had shown no signs of being on the verge of collapsing into a sobbing mess. Elizabeth spent the rest of the afternoon at the back of the ship reading the ridiculous book about the Aqua de Vida. Once the sun began to set she got up and headed back towards the cabin.

Norrington was waiting for her there with their dinner set out on the table. Placing the book on the small table beside her bed she joined him. Tonight they were having swordfish that the crew had caught. James poured Elizabeth a glass of red wine and she sipped it slowly. They ate in silence mostly because she had no desire for conversation and partly because he had no idea what to say to her. Finally clearing his throat to break the maddening silence she looked up at him. “What?”

“Elizabeth, the crew is becoming quite unnerved from your behavior.”

“My behavior? What have I done?”

“It’s your refusal to speak to anyone and your lack of emotion. For God’s sake Elizabeth you haven’t cried not once about your father’s death.”

“Don’t!” She yelled at him and then took a large gulp of wine.

“Elizabeth it’s not healthy to hide your grief.”

“I said….DON”T!!!” Pushing her chair back hard from the table she stood up glaring at him icily. “I don’t want to talk about this!” Finishing her glass of wine she grabbed what was left of the bottle and stormed out of the cabin. Sighing James remained at the table to quietly finish his meal.

Elizabeth stormed to the helm of the ship bottle of red wine clasped tightly in her right hand. The few men that were on deck made no attempt to speak to the young woman as she marched to the front of the ship. Sinking down to her knees on the deck she lifted the bottle to her lips and turned it up gulping the wine quickly. After taking a few more long pulls of the wine she was feeling rather warm. Laying flat on her back on the warm wooden deck she stared up at the star filled night sky. It was like a black velvet blanket had been spread out and someone had spilled a handful of diamonds across it. She hummed the silly pirate song that Jack had taught her in a slightly off key tone. When she slurred a few of the words her laughter began to bubble up in her throat until it poured out of her mouth echoing across the ship loudly. “We’re rascals, scoundrels, villains and knaves! Drink up me hearties, yo ho!”

Sitting up Elizabeth giggled as she nearly fell back. She grabbed the bottle of wine and turned it up to her lips to finish what was left of it. Giving a small whimper of annoyance when only a small sip dribbled into her throat she set the now empty bottle back down. Laying back down she began singing the pirate song once again in her drunken off key tone. “ We’re devils and black sheep…really bad eggs! Drink up me hearties, yo ho!!” A hiccup escaped her throat causing her to burst into a fit of giggles again. “DRINK UP ME HEARTIES, YO HO!!!” Elizabeth’s laughter bubbled up inside her throat and spilled out once more ringing out across the ship’s deck merrily. A young soldier that had just been relieved of his duty in the crow’s nest approached her cautiously.

“Begging your pardon Miss, are you alright?” Pushing herself to her knees she quickly grabbed the empty bottle and smashed it against the deck. Elizabeth held out the jagged glass edges toward the young man waving it dangerously.

“Stay the hell away from me!”

“Miss I wasn’t going to hurt you. You’re drunk and I was only trying to help.”

“Well help yourself and get the bloody hell away from me or I’ll stick you with this broken bottle!” Nodding the young man hurried away from Elizabeth and headed for the Commodore’s cabin. Knocking frantically on it he waited for the Commodore to answer. Norrington finally opened the door and looked at him sleepily.

“What is it soldier?”

“It’s Miss Swann Commodore, she’s gone mad!”

“Mad?”

“Yes sir! She nearly tried to cut me open with a broken bottle!”

“Thank you. I’ll take care of Elizabeth.” Nodding he watched as the Commodore took off in the direction of where he had left Elizabeth. Norrington soon found a drunk Elizabeth laying flat on her back singing that ridiculously annoying pirate song at the top of her lungs. He quietly tiptoed over to where she lay and grabbed the broken wine bottle. Tossing it overboard quickly he reached down and grabbed Elizabeth underneath her arms hauling her to her feet roughly.

“Hey! Get your filthy hands off me!”

“Stop it right this instant Elizabeth Swann! This behavior is unacceptable!”

“LET GO!!!”

“If you don’t be quiet I’m putting you in the brig!” The mention of the brig silenced the drunk young woman immediately. “Now then, that’s better. Now come one let’s get you to bed. You’re drunk.”

Norrington dragged Elizabeth back into the cabin they shared and dumped her onto the bed. She reached up and grabbed his white taffeta shirt and dragged him down on top of her roughly. “Elizabeth!”

“You’ve always wanted me James, well now’s your chance.” Leaning up she whispered in his ear breathily. “Take me.” He felt her press her hips against his suggestively. James grabbed Elizabeth’s arms and pushed up creating some distance between them.

“That’s enough Elizabeth! I’m engaged to Annette now.”

“So?”

“So go to bed and sleep it off.” He stood up and strode over to his cot. Giving a groan of frustration she turned onto her side.

“Jack would have done it.” She muttered softly. James pretended not to hear what she had said and forced himself to sleep. The next morning Elizabeth felt awful from all the wine she had drank so she didn’t even bother to leave the cabin. Instead she had chose to stay inside and finish reading the book about the Aqua de Vida. As evening was approaching James entered the cabin with their dinner. The two ate in silence until they had finished.

“We should make port in Tortuga within the next hour.”

“Good.”

“About last night….”

“If you’re expecting an apology you’re going to be sorely disappointed.”

“Elizabeth this isn’t who you are. Just allow yourself to feel your loss and start the process of healing.”

“I’ll do it whenever I bloody well please! Leave now, I want to be alone.”

“As you wish.” Norrington left her alone in the cabin and took the wheel of the ship for the remainder of the journey to Tortuga. Just as he had promised they arrived in Tortuga within an hour. Turning the Dauntless into the harbor he smiled when he noticed all the pirates that littered the piers starting to scatter like the rats they were. They made port and securely dropped anchor before he went inside to fetch Elizabeth. She joined him on the main deck and glanced at the ships that were in the harbor. When she saw the tattered black sails of the Black Pearl her eyes lit up. “I take it you found his ship?”

“Yes I see the Pearl.” Running back inside she grabbed her leather boots and slipped them on hastily. Norrington watched as she wasted no time running off the Dauntless and down the pier towards Jack’s ship. Sighing heavily he watched her scurry up the side of the Pearl and climb onto the deck.

“Well I suppose now we can head back to Port Royal.”

Elizabeth looked up and saw Cotton in the crow’s nest. She called up to him. “Cotton!”

“Who goes there?”

“Cotton it’s me Elizabeth Swann!”

“Elizabeth!”

“Where’s Jack?”

“In his cabin Miss. Should be sleeping I reckon.”

“Thank you Cotton.” He nodded and watched her run over to Jack’s cabin door. She stood in front of it staring at it as if it were going to swing open on it’s own accord. Suddenly she felt the stinging of tears burning her eyes and the beginning of a large lump forming in the back of her throat. Not now! Oh God not now! She blinked desperately trying to force the tears back to wherever it was she had been keeping them. But this time they just weren’t going to be dismissed. Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip trying to keep her tears in check. Suddenly the door to Jack’s cabin swung open and she was standing face to face with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Just the sight of his face elicited a small whimper from the back of her throat. He tilted his head to look at her curiously before grinning at her impishly. “Lizzie!”

And that was all it took, the sound of his voice signaled the demise of her resolve. She let out a pathetic sounding wail and collapsed into his arms. Jack stared down at the young woman in shock not really knowing what to do for her. The huge sobs escaping her throat were making her entire body tremble against his broad chest. Not really knowing how to help her he simply pulled her into his cabin and shut the door. In all the time he had known the girl he had never heard such a terrible cry fall from her lips. She sat there leaning against him sobbing into his shirt clutching at his shoulders desperately for what seemed like an eternity. When she finally managed to quiet her sobbing she looked up at him her brown eyes red and puffy. Still even with little rivulets of tears streaming down her cheeks she looked lovely. “Oh…Jack!”

“What’s the matter love?”

“I got your shirt all wet.” He chuckled at her as he looked down at his shirt to see the large wet spot from where her tears had soaked into the material.

“It’s quite alright pet, jus’ a shirt, totally fixable. Savvy?” She nodded as she watched him remove his shirt and toss it onto the back of the chair swiftly. “See there? All better eh?” She swallowed hard as she looked at his perfectly sculpted bronzed skin. “Now what say you an’ I myself an’ you….us have a drink?” Elizabeth nodded and watched as Jack opened the door to his small closet where he kept his stash of rum.

“If I had known ye were coming I would’ve cleaned up. But I guess there’s no need really, being that ye already know me habits an’ all. Ah yes….the rum! Here we go, a bottle for ye an’ one for me.” A puzzled look swept across his handsome features as he seemed to notice that he had just rhymed his words. “Anyhow…uh I was jus’ thinking t’ meself….Jack ye need t’ visit dear old Lizzie!” He turned back around and handed her the rum and finally noticed the black dress she was wearing.

“What’s with the black dress? Ye look bloody awful love. Did somebody die?”

“Jack….can we not talk about dying?”

“Sure love….me personally I never liked that subject much anyway. What might ye want t’ talk about? Ye know we could jus’ skip the talking altogether an’ do something a little less boring?”

“Jack.”

“Jus’ kidding Lizzie…unless ye want t’ an’ then in that case I’d be totally serious. But only if ye want t’ which I’m getting the feeling that ye don’t. So never mind.”

“Just drink with me Jack.”

“I can do that love. Anything else?”

“Tell me one of your stories.” The two leaned back against the headboard as they stretched out on his bed and began drinking their rum. Jack began telling one of his many outrageous stories and Elizabeth held onto him as if he were going to disappear at any given moment. She decided that tonight she simply wanted to get drunk and let Jack entertain her. Then in the morning she would tell him why she had really come all the way to Tortuga looking for him.