The Fine Line Between Legends And Lies

Chapter 3:

A/N: Well Elizabeth has gotten herself into a fine mess now hasn’t she? Thanks for the reviews!! Okay I’m going to fast forward a bit so the dilemma at the Isla De Muerta will have already been taken care of. They are on their way back to Port Royal, with Jack in custody set to be hanged for his life of piracy. Hope you continue to enjoy this story!

Elizabeth and Will had not spoken since the day he had found out that she and Jack had made love on the island. Part of her ached from the distance that had become a way of life between her and Will. But the other part of her, a greater part, realized that she wasn’t sorry for what had happened between herself and Jack Sparrow. It mattered not to her that he was a pirate and was deemed as a criminal. She found herself starting to think about the pirate more and more as they made their way back to Port Royal. Just days earlier Jack had fought alongside Will to break the curse of the Aztec gold and kill Hector Barbossa. And now the said pirate was no longer portrayed as an ally but as a threat. It had saddened Elizabeth to watch her captain placed in the brig like he was nothing more than an animal.

Wait, had she just called him her captain? Where had that come from? It wasn’t as if she and Jack had pledged themselves to one another after they had lain together. So she had no right to stake any claim upon the pirate and think of his as belonging to her. It had left Will feeling somewhat miffed when he found out that Elizabeth had requested the duty of bringing Jack Sparrow his meals. Elizabeth glanced around quickly to see if Will was anywhere around before she descended below deck to take the meal of water and hard tack to Jack. When she didn’t find him lurking anywhere about she walked hurriedly down to the damp brig where Jack was being held. “Jack?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you awake?”

“Well being that I responded t’ yer calling of my name I would guess it t’ be a safe bet t’ say that I am in fact awake.” She smiled at his riddle of a response. Elizabeth found it quite charming the way that he could use his words in such a creative fashion.

“I brought your lunch Jack.”

“Ah more stale hard tack and water I would guess?”

“Yes, the same as always I’m afraid. Jack, if there was anything that I could do to get you out of here, you know I would. You do believe that don’t you?”

“Of course love, I know ye weren’t the one who ordered me locked up.” His soft smile at her served to calm her fears that he might think she had betrayed him in any way. Then when she realized that Jack was actually smiling at her instead of his usual trademark smirk she couldn’t help but flash him a broad smile of her own. Elizabeth handed Jack the plate of hard tack and the tin cup filled with water to Jack through the bars. The brief brushing of his calloused hands over hers as he took the plate and cup from her sent shivers down Elizabeth’s spine.

He watched with a small grin as she took a seat on the wooden stool that was just across from his cell. Jack didn’t dare admit to anyone that he had come to greatly enjoy the young woman’s company. Her soft voice broke his train of thought. “Jack?”

“Yes love?”

“I’m sorry that Will ordered you to be locked up. He’s letting Commodore Norrington take you back to Port Royal with us.”

“It’s alright love, I don’t blame ye for any of this. Don’t ye worry bout ol’ Jack, everything will be fine, savvy?”

“But Jack, they’ll see you hanged for sure!”

“Ah ye underestimate me darling.”

“I don’t see how you’re going to get out of this at all Jack.”

“Captain Jack Sparrow always finds a way out love. Of that ye can be certain.” Elizabeth smiled weakly at his attempt to make her stop worrying about him. “How have ye been feeling love?”

“Okay I guess.”

“Yer an awful liar pet.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Ye look bloody awful love, no offense.”

“None taken.”

“Yer pale….er than normal. Have ye been eating?”

“When I can.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that I eat when my stomach doesn’t feel like it’s turning circles inside of me.”

Jack looked up from his less than appetizing meal with wide coffee colored eyes. “Elizabeth?”

“Yes Jack?”

“Have ye bled since we……ye know?”

“Jack I don’t think that’s entirely appropriate for you to be asking me.”

“I’m sorry love, but I really need t’ know. So I’ll ask again, have ye had yer monthly?”

She sat silent for a moment as she pondered his question. Her brown eyes widened a bit when she realized that she had not bled since they had lain together. “Now that you mention it, no I haven’t bled.”

“Shouldn’t ye have had it by now love?”

“Um…..let’s see….the last time I had it was five and half weeks ago. Oh my God.”

“Not good….it’s never good when God is mentioned. Tell me ye mentioned God cause ye have something good t’ say?”

“Jack, I’m…..well if my numbers are right I’m a week and a half past due for my monthly….as you called it.”

“Yer what?”

“A week and a half late.”

“Bugger, that’s not good at all love.”

“Jack I can’t be a week and a half late! Do you realize what that means?”

“It means we’re in an awful lot of trouble darling.” Suddenly the realization of Jack’s pending execution hit her making her sit bolt upright in her seat. “Elizabeth?”

“I have to go!” Jack looked at her puzzled as she snatched the now empty plate and cup from him before hurrying up the stairs. Feeling rather uneasy with the news of Elizabeth’s lack of visitation from her monthly he padded over to the bunk and flopped down on it unceremoniously.

Talking to himself Jack looked up at the ceiling of the brig. “That’s just bloody fantastic! Should’ve known that this would happen. Now what the hell am I going t’ do with the girl?” As if expecting an answer he gave a frustrated groan when that answer failed to come. Elizabeth quickly dropped the plate and cup off in the galley for the cook to clean it and put it away. Then she scurried above decks towards the back of the ship. She clutched the railing tightly as she leaned over to get a better look at sea. Inhaling deeply she could smell the salt and practically taste it in the back of her throat from the spray that floated up to her from the rolling waves.

The very idea that she might in fact be pregnant with Jack Sparrow’s child was beginning to make her feel quite ill. Her head ached and it felt as if her stomach had resumed turning circles. She was hot all over, it was like her skin was on fire. Looking up at the sky she felt the burn of tears starting to sting her eyes. ‘Oh great, now I’m going to cry like a little girl! A lot of good that will do you Elizabeth!’ Still the tears came anyway, running down her cheeks in little rivers hot against her skin. The faint sound of footsteps behind her made her quickly wipe the tears from her face. Turning around to address whoever had come to check on her she plastered on her best fake smile. When she came face to face with Will her smile faded immediately. “Oh Will.”

“Expecting someone else?”

“N-no. What can I do for you?”

He noticed that her cheeks were red and her eyes were watery. She had been crying right before he had approached her. “You’ve been crying.” He said it more like a statement rather than as a question.

“Yes, but it’s nothing.”

“I’ve never known you to cry about nothing Elizabeth. Are you crying for Jack Sparrow? Or perhaps you’re crying because you regret your rash decision to lay with him?”

Will’s condescending tone suddenly made her very angry. How dare he assume to know what she was feeling? “Not that it’s any of your business Will, but no I’m not crying out of regret. I do not regret the time that Jack and I spent together.”

“The time that you and Jack spent together? Really Elizabeth, it doesn’t cover up what it really is by wording it delicately.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You didn’t spend time with Jack, you let him take you to bed like a whore.”

Before she could stop herself her hand reached out and placed a slap across his cheek that echoed across the deck. Immediately her hand came up to cover her mouth and she looked at him with wide brown eyes. “Will, I’m sorry…..I shouldn’t have…..” She trailed off not really knowing what else to say.

“I expected nothing less from you. So I see you’re protecting him now? For what reason does that scoundrel pirate deserve such obvious acts of affection from you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on Elizabeth, you protect him as if……that’s it!”

“What?”

“You have feelings for that bastard! You really do care for him! Are you in love with him?”

“Will I….it’s not….Jack has just been good to me that’s all.”

“Good to you? How so? By taking your virginity? How is that being good to you Elizabeth? Face it, he’s nothing more than a scoundrel, a pirate. And yet you look at him as if he himself hung the very moon.”

“I do nothing of the sort! Jack and I….we just have gotten very close from our time together on the island.”

“No there’s something more to it Elizabeth. You’ve changed, there’s something different about you.”

“Different how? I’m exactly the same as when we got stuck on the island, save for losing my virginity.”

“It’s sad because you actually believe that. No something in you has undoubtedly changed. I wonder if it has anything to do with your unholy union with Jack Sparrow?”

Her eyes widened in fear as the thought of Will finding out about the possibility of her being pregnant with Jack’s child arose. “You’re being ridiculous Will.”

“Am I? Ridiculous or not I’m keeping an eye on you.” Having said that he left her alone at the railing again. Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh. The knowledge of Will’s intent to keep a close watch over her made her stomach feel as if it were twisting itself into a knot. The next few days passed quite uneasily as Will kept his promise and stayed close to her at all times watching everything she did. He had watched as she had made a quick dash to the side of the ship to vomit. That had been happening at least three times a day since she had realized that she was late on her monthly.

Hardly anything looked appetizing to her and it was becoming increasingly annoying. As of recently Elizabeth had noticed that her breasts were getting quite sensitive and it had begun to hurt when she would wrap the strip of fabric around her chest to bind them. These were all signs that had been anything but encouraging to the young woman. If she was right then she was definitely pregnant with Jack Sparrow’s child. They soon made it to Port Royal and the Dauntless was anchored safely into the harbor. Elizabeth hurried down to the brig to have a quiet moment with Jack before they took him to the prison. Standing so close to the cell that her face was pressing between the bars she looked up at Jack with wide brown eyes that were glistening with tears.

“What’s the matter love?”

“Jack, I’m afraid that our situation has worsened.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, it seems that I might in fact be pregnant.”

“Are ye certain Lizzie?”

“Not entirely. But I’ve thrown up at least three times a day every single day for the last few days. I can hardly eat anything, and just a bad smell is enough to make me ill. And my breasts.”

“What about them love?”

“They hurt Jack.”

“Oh, bugger, that’s not sounding good love.”

“I know. Once I get off the Dauntless I’m going to see Lady Marie Terese.”

“Lady Marie Terese? Who is that?”

“She’s an old woman who has the sight as some call it, a clairvoyant of sorts you might say.”

“Ah a witch.”

“Not a witch Jack, she’s going to help me.”

“If ye say so love.”

“They’re taking you to the prison directly from the ship. I’ll come to visit you as soon as I know anything.”

“Alright love, jus’ be careful savvy?”

“I will. Jack are you worried about me?”

“Maybe jus’ a bit love, but that’s not a very piratey thing so let’s not mention it t’ anyone.”

“That’s sweet. Oh no, I wouldn’t dream of letting that slip.”

“Yer a doll Lizzie.” Before turning to leave Elizabeth looked at Jack as if deciding something. Then to his surprise she leaned in closer through the bars and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “What was that for love?”

“I’m not sure yet, but when I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.” Flashing him a broad smile she then left him alone to prepare to exit the ship. She knew that she would have to be quick about getting off the ship if she wanted to head directly over to Lady Marie Terese’s small little cottage at the edge of town.

A/N: Well I’m sure everyone knew that a pregnancy was in the works for Elizabeth and Jack! Let me know what you think so far!!