Delightful Contempt

A/N: Okay this is going to be the final chapter of the story. Will realizes that the longer he holds on to hope of getting Elizabeth back the more danger he is putting her life in. He finally chooses to let her go for good and he drops in to pay a visit to Jack to let him know that he is accepting that she is with Jack now. Please read and review!!

Will sat staring at the silver band that Elizabeth had once worn on her finger giving herself to him. But that time was gone and it almost seemed as if it had never even really happened at all. Now it only seemed like some distant dream that he used to have. Now she was with Jack and they had a family together and Will didn’t seem to have a place in their happy little lives. A frown stretched across his face as he thought about the way his life had turned out. He had lost everything when Davy Jones had run him through that cold day on the Dutchman. He had lost his life and the one woman that he would ever truly love. Shaking his head he gave a dry chuckle as he thought back to the time when he and Jack had been friends and they had teamed up to find the key to Davy Jones’s chest.

The day that he had met the voodoo witch Tia Dalma had truly been the beginning of the end of his life as he knew it. If only he had known what he knew now. But how could he have known that the crazy swamp dwelling witch was really a pawn of the sea goddess Calypso? Tia Dalma had spouted off some nonsense about him having a “touch of destiny” about him and he had simply shrugged it off as some foolishness of hers. If only he had taken her words seriously…maybe he could have changed his destiny and then he might not have lost the woman he loved. Turning the band around the tip of his index finger on his left hand Will stared down at it. If he had never gone along with Jack’s ridiculous plan he wouldn’t be here now. He would be alive and married to Elizabeth…and they would probably have at least a child or two of their own. Tears stung his dark eyes the longer her memory lingered in his mind.

Closing his eyes he felt two tears as they leaked out from between his thick lashes to trickle down his face. They slid over his cheeks until they reached his chin where they dangled for a moment before falling to land on the map that was sprawled across the table in front of him. Looking down he frowned when he saw the two little damp spots where the tears had landed. They had landed right on the island of Lemuria. Sighing heavily he let the silver band slip from his index finger where it fell to land on the island of Lemuria as well. He knew what had to be done…but he just didn’t want to have to do it. But he knew all too well just what Calypso was capable of. And she had made her intentions quite clear to him. If he kept his promise to stay by her side then she wouldn’t do anything to harm Elizabeth or her children.

At first he had only made the promise to the witch just to indulge her. He had really never had any real intention to honor the promise he had made until she had made the promise to get rid of Elizabeth if he chose to go back on his promise. That had changed everything for him and he knew that he had to be true to his word…if only for the sake of keeping Elizabeth and her children safe from whatever harm the witch might be planning on doing to them. He loved Elizabeth enough to give up his desire to have another chance with her. All that mattered to him was that she was safe and happy…and if keeping her safe and happy meant watching her live her life with Jack then that was just something he would have to live with. But one thing he couldn’t live with was knowing that his own selfish desire to be with Elizabeth again was what killed her. That was just too much for him to live with.

Pushing himself out of the chair he walked over to the full length mirror that stood in the corner of his cabin. Standing in front of it he stared at his reflection for a moment as he considered what needed to be done. Will knew what he had to do and what he was ultimately giving up…but he knew that it was the only way to keep the woman he loved with all his heart safe. With one last sad glance back at the wedding band that he had wanted to give to Elizabeth Will stepped through the mirror. Gray blue mist began swirling around his body as he traveled through the portal linking the underworld to the world of the living. His feet finally came to rest on solid ground and the swirling gray blue mist began to dissipate quickly. Looking around Will immediately recognized the well worn deck of the Black Pearl. A small smile swept across his face and it was gone just as quickly as it had came.

He wasn’t here to reminisce about the memories that he had made. No…he was here to finally say goodbye to the one woman who would always hold his heart and to tell Jack that he was finally going to let go of any hopes that Elizabeth was ever going to come back to him. A little girl’s laughter caught his attention making his dark eyes shift towards the captain’s cabin. A small smile stretched across his face when he saw the little girl running out of the cabin clutching Jack’s old brown leather tricorne hat tightly to her chest as she ran. She had the same tawny colored hair as Elizabeth but her eyes were the color of coffee…the same as Jack’s. She ran as quickly as her little legs would carry her until she caught sight of him standing there in front of her. The little girl couldn’t have been more than three years old and her dark brown eyes widened as she skidded to a stop in front of Will. Her bottom lip started to tremble as she stared up at the stranger who just stared at her with a crooked grin on his face.

After a moment of nearly deafening silence the little girl let loose a loud scream making Will flinch at the shrillness of it. He reached down to touch her shoulder to try and tell her that he didn’t mean her any harm but that just seemed to make her scream even louder still.

“DADDY!!!!!”

At hearing his daughter Amelia’s cries out on deck Jack quickly stood up from the chair he had been sitting in making it fall to the floor noisily. He rushed out of his and Elizabeth’s cabin only to stop short in his tracks just outside the door when he saw Will standing there with his daughter. Snapping out of his stupor Jack raced over to Amelia and scooped her up into his arms cradling her to his chest tightly as he glared at Will. He whispered to her soothingly to get her to stop crying.

“Shhh Amelia…Daddy’s here love. It’s alright…now then dry up those tears savvy?”

Amelia nodded as she wiped her face with the back of her chubby little hand before placing his hat on his head pushing it down over his eyes. Smiling Jack fixed his hat so that he could see before placing a quick kiss on Amelia’s cheek and setting her back down on her own two little feet.

“Now then…that’s better. Run along an’ see if yer Mum needs any help with yer little brother.”

Amelia nodded quickly flashing her Daddy a broad smile before waving as she darted off towards the cabin quickly. Jack watched her until she was gone slamming the door behind her. Turning back around he faced Will the smile that he had been wearing quickly melting into a scowl.

“Now…what the hell do ye want?”

“Is that any way to greet a friend Jack?”

“No…but yer not my friend William. Why are ye here? Elizabeth doesn’t want t’ see ye mate…she’s moved on.”

“I know Jack…believe me…I know.”

“If ye know then why are ye here?”

“I came to see you.”

“Me? What could ye possibly want with me?”

“I came to say goodbye Jack…and to tell you that I’m letting go of Elizabeth for good this time.”

“Oh? An’ jus’ what brought on this act of…charity?”

“I love her Jack…I only want her to be happy…and as much as I hate to say it…she’s happy with you.”

“Elizabeth is happy William…I have made sure of that. But what made ye finally see that there’s no room for ye in her life?”

“Calypso put things into perspective for me…she made me realize that if I truly love Elizabeth then I will let her go.”

“Perspective…that’s what yer calling it eh?”

“It’s a nicer way of putting it.”

“In other words…she threatened Elizabeth didn’t she?”

“She did…but that’s why I’m here. I came to tell you that you have nothing to worry about.”

“Is that so William?”

“Yes…just because I lost her…it doesn’t mean that you have to lose her too.”

“How very noble of ye.”

“I’m being serious Jack…this is the last you will see of me…I’m giving her up for her safety and happiness.”

Will stuck out his hand towards Jack to show him that he meant what he had promised. Jack eyed Will’s outstretched hand warily. After a moment Jack decided that Will was telling the truth and he extended his hand as well. The two men shook hands briefly before Jack pulled away.

“Thank ye William…thank ye for loving her enough t’ let her go.”

“Don’t thank me Jack…you would have done the same thing.”

“I’d like t’ think so mate…but I’m much more selfish than ye ever were. Now then…I think our business is finished…kindly get off my ship.”

Will chuckled at Jack’s bluntness towards him but nodded as he turned around to see the gray blue swirling mist had materialized behind him once again. With a heavy sigh Will stepped back into the swirling mist and let it take him back through the portal and back to the Dutchman. Will stepped back through the mirror and into his cabin. He tensed when he saw Calypso laying stretched across his bed.

“So you’re back?”

“Yes.”

“I take it you went to see your precious Elizabeth?”

“No…I went to see Jack.”

“What did you want with Jack? To tell him that I threatened his little wife?”

“No…I told him that I was letting Elizabeth go…for good.”

“Did you mean it?”

“Of course I meant it…she means more to me than my own life. I couldn’t live with myself if any harm ever came to her or her children because of me.”

“So then it’s true…you gave up your foolish idea to get out of serving me?”

“Yes Calypso…it’s true…you win. I gave up the love of my life to keep you from hurting her.”

Calypso smiled as she stood up and crossed the room to stand in front of Will. Draping her arms around his neck she stood on her tip toes to brush her lips against his softly. Will turned his head sharply to avoid kissing her. He gently pushed Calypso away from him.

“Don’t.”

“But you said…”

“I know what I said…and I meant it. I just want to be alone for a little while.”

“Of course…you want to mourn the loss of your precious little Elizabeth…I’ll allow it…for now. And then when I return…you belong to me…forever William.”

“Yes…forever.”

Calypso disappeared in a thin veil of blue gray mist leaving him alone in his cabin. Will lay down on his bed on his stomach. Pressing his cheek into his pillow softly he let his eyes slip closed. A vision of Elizabeth’s face quickly began to materialize in his mind. He smiled as he watched a smile start to spread across her beautiful face. He had done the right thing…he had saved the woman he loved. It didn’t matter that he would never get the chance to hold her or tell her that he loved her again…he would be happy knowing that she would be alive to watch her children grow up. Elizabeth’s happiness would keep him from breaking his promise to Calypso and he decided that he could even learn to live with the destiny that had been chosen for him long before he had even known it.

A/N: Okay that was the end…I hope that you all liked it and that it wasn’t disappointing!! Please read and review and let me know what you think of the ending!!