Cordelia, Daughter of the Sea

Chapter
33

“You’re
not cursed, are you?”

Two nights
passed…the third found Cordelia in her bed, sleeping soundly for the first time
since being separated from Jack. Well,
perhaps soundly is not the correct word; she was in a deep sleep, but her mind
swirled with images of Jack, both alive and dead. Her body didn’t move, but her mind refuto sto slow down.

A storm hit Port
Royal that night. Rain pounded the
buildings and streets and lightning seared the sky. Soaked to the skin, covered in mud, and ears ringing from the
sounds of the storm, Jack trudged through the town and made his way to the
Turner household.

Knowing that the
weather would drown out any knocking, Jack began to throw stones at the window
he knew to be Will and Elizabeth’s. It
took a few tries, but eventually Will went to the window and looked out.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He couldn’t see anything clearly through the
heavy sheets of rain, but the outline of a person was evident.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Instinctively, Will grabbed a sword and went
downstairs, planning on somehow confronting whoever decided to disturb his
sleep. Will opened the front door and
his jaw dropped. He blinked a few
times, convinced that he was seeing things.

“’Ello t’ ye too,
eunuch,” Jack said, his voice emotionless.
Will’s mouth moved, but no words came out. “Name’s Jack Sparrow, Captain Jack Sparrow, remember?”

“Jack,” Will’s
voice was soft. “Jack, how are
you…here?”

pt'>“Long story,
mate…well, actually, s’rather short, but complicated. Can I come in?”

“Oh?” Will said,
only now realizing that Jack was still out in the rain.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Of course.” Will stepped aside and let Jack pass – he didn’t walk any further
than the very inside of the foyer due to his sloppy state.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> By this time, Elizabeth had come downstairs
to investigate and stood wide-eyed and unmoving at the sight of Jack.

“’Ello wife of
eunuch,” Jack said with a crooked smile.

“Oh my God…”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Elizabeth walked closer to him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “You’re not cursed are you?”

“Ne’er thought
that’d be the reaction,” Jack said, “but no, I don’t think so.”

“Jack, what’s
going on?” Will asked. “Why aren’t you dead?”

“Would ye rather
I be?”

Will shook his
head. “No, no, that’s not what I
meant. Was everything a mistake?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Were Gibbs and Anamaria mistaken?”

“No,” Jack said
softly. “I…I told ‘em t’ tell ye, to
tell…’ow is she?” Elizabeth’s hand
swung out hitting Jack hard across the face.
“I deserve worse than that.”

“How could you do
this to her?” Elizabeth said in a
shouted whisper. “She’s a mess,
Jack! Not eating, not wanting to
talk…this is the first night that I’ve looked in on her that she’s even been asleep.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> You’ve killed part of her!”

Jack’s eyes
welled with tears. “Why d’ye think I’m
here? As much as I wan’ t’ stay away,
t’ let ‘er ‘ave a real life…I can’ do it.
If she can forgive me, I swear t’ do everythin’ I can t’ make up…”

“Make up?”
Elizabeth said. “Jack, you have her
thinking you’re dead! Have you lost
your…”

“Elizabeth, calm
down,” Will said, interrupting her.
Will found an odd tone creeping into his voice.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Jack, I refuse to let you near Cordelia
until you explain why you did all of this.”

“Fair ‘nuff,”
Jack said. He explained everything that
had happened from the time he and Cordelia had left their house and set sail on
The Pearl. The fight, the scars,
the blissfully falling in love…and Ahriman.
Jack filled in the gaps that Cordelia left. He told them about his guilt for not trusting Cordelia and his
guilt about letting her go. By the end
of his tale, Elizabeth was in tears and Will was unable to believe that the man
before him was the same Jack Sparrow that always told him to try not to do
anything “stupid.” “So, am I worthy of
seein’ ‘er?”

Will nodded.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “You obviously didn’t mean to hurt her,
Jack…but you know that she’s going to have a hard time with this.”

“Will,” Elizabeth
said, “we can’t let him see her.”

Jack looked wounded.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Why bloody not?”

“You may not
actually be dead, but you certainly look – and smell – the part.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> You’re not going near her until we get you
cleaned up.”

Jack sniffed
himself, sticking out his tongue. “Bath
then?”

“Bath,” Elizabeth
smiled. She immediately had a bath
drawn for him and made Will go with him to be sure that he didn’t miss any
layers of filth. Will rolled his eyes
and followed Jack to his bath.

Roughly an hour
later, Jack and Will found Elizabeth in the kitchen. Will had managed to gather some clothing that was not only clean,
but fit Jack as if they were his own.
Jack smiled as he looked at Elizabeth.

“Better?”

Elizabeth
chuckled. “So, that’s what you look
like under all the dirt. You’re…well,
you’re…”

“Handsome?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Dashing?
Unbelievably…”

“Not bad.”

“Not bad?”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Jack looked at Will.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Wha’ ‘ave ye done t’ ‘er, Will?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She doesn’ even know a hands…”

“Jack,” Will
interrupted, “you’re stalling.”

Jack’s demeanor
changed drastically. “Aye, tha’ I am,
Will. T’ be honest, I’m scared out o’ me
mind.”

Elizabeth started
to walk away. “Well, then you can be on
your way and we’ll try to find her a nice naval officer to…”

“Not funny,
lass.” Jack took a deep breath.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “All right, I’m goin’ up.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> If I come back down these stairs with two
red cheeks, ye’ll know things didn’ go well.
If I don’ come back down…” He
smiled as he left the room. “…then
she’s forgiven me,” he softly called back to them.