Never Wanted This

Hi!! Wow, I’m blown away so many people like this! Cool!
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get the next chapter out, but school’s been a bitch.

Oh, you’re right, I don’t think I’ve described Varga much, have I? I’ll have to fix that in upcoming chapters... if I can only remember to do it! Getting inside Varga’s head is an interesting idea, although I’m not sure I’d like the view, so we may still end up with a take that’s more slanted towards Will’s POV.

That said, there is actually no Will in this chapter as we now venture outoss oss the ocean to see what is happening to everybody else. LOL this looks to be the only chapter in the whole story that *doesn’t* have Will in it though, so I’m thinking this is turning out to be a very Will-centric story. Um.. Guess that’s either a good thing or a bad thing. I’m hoping it’s a good thing.

Also, this is about the only substantial appearance that Elizabeth will make before the end of the story, which again is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you feel about her I guess.


*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*

CHAPTER FOUR:
*~~*~~*

My excuses lay me down
My emotions make me drown
My endeavor takes blame
At least I have a name...

No one questions you
Even someone set out to do
Now it's nothing...
but dead and gone

Let go...

--Stone Sour

Elizabeth leaned desolately on the rail of the small ship, one hand resting on the small but growing bulge that attested to the new life developing within her. It was almost not noticeable yet if she let the dress hang down loose. They had only found out not very long ago... how Will’s eyes had sparkled!

She choked back a sob. Will... she missed him so much some days she didn’t know how she could go on living. She couldn’t believe they had left him... she could still remember screaming and struggling with the regretful soldiers when she realized they were going to set sail without her husband. She had wanted to be put back ashore herself then, but they wouldn’t allow it. She knew her father did it only because he loved her, but she also knew she had left a large part of herself back in Port Royal and without it she would never again be whole.

No one had wanted to leave without Will, but they understood the sacrifice he had made for them by staying behind to fight and giving them the time to escape.

Two weeks. It had been at least that long now since they left. But it never got any easier. Of course for nearly one of those weeks the ship had been stuck with a broken main mast (the victim of a tropical storm), in the middle of an infernal dead calm, unable to go anywhere. Everyone was growing concerned about supplies if the winds did not pick up or they were not rescued soon. The Intrepid could barely limp along as it was without a main set of sails, but with so little wind, it couldn’t even do that.

Elizabeth’s hand stroked her stomach, the only piece of Will she had been able to carry away with her when her world was destroyed. She wondered if their child would ever know its father, or if Will was already... another tear slid down her cheek.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder. “Elizabeth... do you still hate me then dearest?”

She turned slowly towards her father and shook her head slightly. “I don’t hate you father... I’m sorry I said it. I just... I...” shened ned away again quickly, burying her face in her hands. The normal harmone fluxes accompanying pregnancy did *not* make this any easier.

“I know,” Mr. Swann pulled his daughter close and stroked her back. “I know. I can never tell you how sorry I am dearest.”

Commodore Norington watched Elizabeth cry in her father’s arms from across the deck and had to look away. He wished they could have saved Will as well, even if only for Elizabeth’s sake. Admittedly, it was hard to see her with another man, but they had been so *happy* together that he could bear them no ill feelings. He had always felt as something of an uncle to Elizabeth and he supposed he always would. If he could have traded places with Will, and saved her the heartbreak that she was going through now, he would have. But that was not possible and with a cripple ship stuck as it was in the middle of a flat ocean, there was nothing he could even do to assure *their* survival.

Finally, the wind began to pick up a little and everyone breathed a sigh of relief... until they saw what the new winds were bringing in with them.

The look-out in the crows nest saw them first. “Commodore! A ship off the port bow! Sir, she’s flying pirate colors!” The sailor’s voice was alarmed.

Norington swore under his breath. Exactly what they didn’t need. This little ship and its small crew were no match for any band of cutthroats, event he most inept. Could they really have survived the sack of Port Royal only to perish at the hands of pirates? Quickly he began issuing a rapid fire of commands to his men and the sailors who scrambled to obey. Their only chance was to try to get a volley into the other ship before they got to close... but even that wasn’t really a chance, just a last show of defiance before the inevitable end.

The former Governor Swann held his daughter close as they watched the large ship close in swiftly on them. “Goesereserve us,” he murmured as the crew scurried about them in a flurry of dread-leaden activity.

Suddenly Elizabeth straightened up somewhat in her father’s arms, rubbing away the remnants of tears from her eyes so she could see better. “No, no it’s all right! Commodore Norington, tell the men to stand down!”

“Elizabeth my dear have you gone mad?” her father shook his head.

“No!” Elizabeth gestured to the ship. “Don’t you see? It’s the Pearl! The Black Pearl.” She clied ied when they didn’t seem to understand.

Mr. Swann blinked in surprise. “Are you sure my dear?”

“Well I spent enough time on it, I should know,” Elizabeth nodded quickly. “Quite sure. They won’t hurt us, I promise, don’t provoke them to acting before they know who we are,” she pleaded.

The ship was now close enough for Norington to see that she was right. It was the Black Pearl that was bearing down on them. Of all the rotten luck in the... “Stand down men, do not fire unless fired upon,” he ordered reluctantly. He wasn’t sure which was worse, having their throats slit or possibly becoming indebted to pirates.

Captain Jack Sparrow leaned over the railing of the Black Pearl, considering the crippled little ship they were coming up upon. It didn’t seem as if the vessel even intended to put up a fight. That was good, he didn’t care for people getting hurt when they didn’t have to.

Elizabeth was not frightened when tiratirates came along side, pulling the ship close with grappling hooks and swinging across onto the deck of the Intrepid. Many of them she did not know, and she guessed that Jack must have been busy scaring himself up a bigger crew, but a few she recognized. “Mr. Gibbs!” she called with a smile and the elder man turned with a start.

“Miss Elizabeth!”

With a dramatic flourish a tall, dark-eyed pirate swung on the deck, the mettle bits in his tangled dreadlocks jingling as he landed. “Now then, no need for anyone to panic. We’ll be in and out of your hair before you even know it!” he promised with one of his signature smiles.

“Cap’n!” Mr. Gibbs called from the front of the ship, and Jack turned towards him, but Elizabeth was already hurrying forwards towards the pirate.

“Parlay?” She smiled.

Jack laughed in surprise. He had not expected to see her here. Well this made things a little different. “If you’re wanting to talk to the Captain luv, you’re looking at ‘im,” the pirate bowed low, sweeping off his hat. “But I must say your navy has gone down considerable...” he glanced around at the pathetic state of the Intrepid.

“We were caught in a storm. Jack, the Spanish took Port Royal, we’re all that escaped,” she put the bad news forth at once. Well, she supposed, come to think of it, it wasn’t really bad news to Jack. For a pirate it was a matter of total indifference who owned what, everything fai fair game.

“Did they now? That’s news,” Jack was surprised to say the least. He hadn’t known, but then they hadn’t been in those waters in some time.

Commodore Norington stepped forward stiffly. “Mr. Sparrow, I must insist that-”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Captain, *Captain* Sparrow,” he corrected. Elizabeth he was glad to see again. Norington and the others he could have definitely done without.

“Captain Sparrow,” Norington nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. “I must insist that we be given safe passage and put ashore as soon as possible in the nearest British port of call.”

Jack smiled easily at Norington, an unsettling smile. “Nice to see you again too. Only... seems you be forgetting you’re not talkin’ about your ship and I ain’t one of your little men in uniform, savvy?” he chuckled. “Besides, the Pearl ain’t exactly welcome in local British harbors if ye take my meaning. Your ship’s sound enough if you had somethin’ ta supplement the smaller masts with. We’ll leave ye the gear. Now if Miss Swann wants to come with us however...” he smiled ingratiatingly, kissing the young woman’s hand. “Then the Pearl is yours, luv.” He chuckled. “Or is it Mrs. Turner now for real?” he eyed her figure. It seemed it was a little less slim then the last time he had seen her, in or out of a corset.

This made the pirate think of something and a frown creased his face as he looked around. “But where is dear William?” He did not like the silence that followed his question.

Elizabeth’s eyes shimmered with tears again, even as she tried to deny them. “He didn’t make it out Jack...” she whispered. “The Spanish came on so suddenly, they destroyed the harbor first so no one could get out. They were banging down our doors before we knew what had happened. Will... Will held them off so father and I could escape to Commander Norington’s ship, but he never rejoins. s. H-he ’s still in Port Royal, if he... if he survived.”

Jack’s face darkened a little. That was bad news. He knew the Spanish’s policy concerning political prisoners. To be completely honest he feared Will was already dead, whether he had survived the initial attack or not. He would never have dreamed of telling Elizabeth that however.

“Jack, please, we’ve got to try to help him...” Elizabeth pleaded softly.

“And we must bring news of this to the rest of the islands. Commandante Varga and his bloodthirsty rabble will not be content with this one victory for long, and there is the matters of policy to consider. This has grave ramifications between England and Spain. That is why we must reach safe harbor quickly,” Norington put in.

“Varga is it...” Jack stroked his chin. He knew the name. He knew the man. He took no pleasure from that knowledge.

“Right then,” the pirate captain swung into control of the situation with his usual display of grace. “So what exactly *do* you plan on doing?” he placed one deeply tanned finger against Norington’s crisp white shirtfront. “We take you to a safe harbor so you can tell your sad story. And then what? A month, three months, half a year goes by while word gets back to bonnie old England and the bureaucrats decide what to do and how it affects bloody international treaties and then finally they commission an armada to take Port Royal back. Only by that time the Spanish have entrenched themselves so well you’ll have a real fight on your hands and by the time all’s said and done the island is the only thing you’ll get back, *if* you get it back, because all the people’ll be long dead. Is that how you were figuring to work it?” he inquired with beguilingly little cynicism.

Norington’s jaw flexed but he couldn’t deny the truth behind the pirate’s words. They had little hope that there was *anything* they would be able to do in a very expedient manner.

Elizabeth saw this and her heart sank. “Will will be dead by then,” she whispered.

“Right you are luv,” Jack nodded, his voice still careless, but something in his eyes seemed to suggest he was not as indifferent as he portended. “So, that’s why we’re not going to do it your way, savvy?” he smiled at Norington.

Norington’s lips pursed. “And what would *you* propose be done?” he asked tartly.

Jack grinned. “I was wondering when you’d ask that. Well now if I was ye...” he paused, glancing askance at the Commodore. “Which I’m not, thank the powers, add added quickly. “I wouldn’t wait for someone what took my home to become too comfortable in it. If they destroyed the harbor they’ve shot their own foot off for a while so to speak, but by the time they get the defenses back up they’ll be twice as hard to crack. Ye gotta strike while ye still have the element of surprise.”

Norington sighed loudly. “All veell ell and good Mr... Captain Sparrow, except that they have their ships anchored in the bay as protection, we saw them in the distance on our way out. One would have to fight through all three galleons to get anywhere near the city and by then your element of surprise is gone.”

Jack smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “*If* they tried to stop you. Mind, I don’t suppose they’re about to let an English armada sail right on through... but if it were someone they didn’t suspect... someone dear old Varga knew perhaps... A ship could get right up to the docks with no fuss. And then... if that English fleet were to show up after and engage the ships in the harbor... there’d be no one to protect their defenses in the town, now would there be?”

Norington blinked. He wanted to find a problem with Sparrow’s plan, but he couldn’t. Well, other than that it relied heavily on the aid and trusty-worthiness of pirates, which was a pretty large problem in his book. “Could one ship take the town that completely you think?” he hesitated.

Jack’s grin widened. “The Pearl’s done it afore if I remember right.”

Elizabeth was getting excited. “Yes! Think of it Commodore! The Pearl completely sacked Port Royal all by herself *and* managed to take me away with them with almost no difficulty!”

“They were cursed,” Norington said crisply. As far as he was concerned, they still were, if not in the same way. “And even so... we’ll never get permission for action of that kind! Not soon enough to be of any good at any rate!”

Jack tried to be patient. “Then don’t ask for permission. You’re the Commodore aren’t you? Go scare up a fleet of ships from the surrounding islands! Show a little initiative for once.”

Norington seemed about to say something, but Jack stopped him, placing his hand on the other man’s chest and leaning much closer than Norington liked.

“Look, Commodore, you once told me that you had a duty bigger than personal glory or advancement, and that that was to protect the people who depended on you. Those poor souls in Port Royal is depending on you mate. I know Varga, he’s going to have every noose in the city doing double time, he’s bloodier than the bloodiest Pirate I’ve ever known although he claims to sail for a country. If you want to save any of them you’re gonna have to throw those precious rules of yourn to the wind and take a fhanchances.”

Norington folded his arms. Jack had found the right nerve to strike. “And why should I trust that you will actually help us. How do I know you’re not going to sell us out to Varga and lead us into a trap?”

“You don’t!” Jack’s grin was irritating. “You’ll just have to take the word of a pirate and I know that’ll simply kill you. But I haven’t given you cause to distrust me yet ‘ave I?”

Some part of Norington’s mind had to admit that if they had followed Sparrow’s plan to the letter the last time they had been forced to work together, they would have taken significantly less losses. And anyway, their choices seemed extremely limited.

“And you and your people would do all that... why?” the Commodore’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Well,” Jack got a mercenary glint in his eye. “Not for *nothing* obviously... we gotta live too you know and it does put a considerable lot of risk on the Pearl and yours truly.” Jack put his hand on his chest.

“I should have figured...” Norington muttered disdainfully.

“Oh cheer up mate, ‘twouldn’t be anything you couldn’t afford or you wouldn’t have gotten without us... If you don’t sink the Spanish ships, I want ‘em. And their guns and armory and any loot they have that ain’t been taken from Port Royal. Plus, a bounty, 500 gold pieces for each of me crew what volunteers to participate.”

“Oh I see, and is that *all*,” Norington said sarcastically. “Not“Not quite,” Jack’s grin turned truly delighted. “One last thing. Full immunity in these waters for meself and me crew.”

“WHAT?” Norington spluttered in shock. “Are you mad?!”

“As a hatter!” Jack laughed. “But I reckon it’s only fair. We’re doing the work of soldiers getting you your island back, ‘twouldn’t be right for us to be hunted by the people what we saved, now would it?”

“Immunity is granted by the crown Sparrow, I can’t promise you that,” Noringtonok hok his head.

Jack cocked his head to the side. “Then I’ll just take immunity in *your* waters. Eh?”

The blood veins in Norington’s neck bulged slightly. “Understand Captain Sparrow that if I take your terms and your help and your plan I am very likely placing myself in the hangman’s noose for treason and insubordination. In which case my blind eye to your activity will not do you much good.”

Elizabeth was whispering to her father, obviously pleading with him to support Sparrow’s plan. The former governor looked torn and hesitant, but finally he spoke up.

“Commodore, I cannot promise much, but I do still have some connections in Parliament. I will do my very best to see that any successful action taken here is ratified later before the crown... and if you do take action, you will not take it alone, I will stand my honor and my reputation beside yours. We *do* have a duty to our people that goes beyond the letter of the law,” he said softly.

Norington looked out at the ocean for a few moments. He realized the choice was up to him. Everything in him was against the plan... and yet it seemed perhaps their best hope if they wanted to salvage any survivors from the city they had sworn to protect. A city that was filled with their friends and innocents who depended on them.

“Very well Captain Sparrow. It seems we have no choice but to trust you. Those of your terms which are in my power to grant you shall have, *if* this works. If not we shall all undoubtedly be sharing the same Spanish noose, so it makes little difference.”

“Couldn’t ask more than that,” Jack flashed him a wide ‘that’s settled then’ kind of smile. “We have an accord then! Hoist over the gangplanks ye scurvy scallywags!” he called to his crew. “We’ve got ourselves a load of passengers to come aboard!”

His men hurried to obey his orders and soon the soldiers were being loaded onto the Black Pearl. The pirate crew was distrustful of this at first, but as soon as Jack explained to them the deal that was being struck on their behalf, everyone was in on it to a man. Jack had been much more careful about the crew he picked up this time around, and they were all of them loyal.

Elizabeth stood beside Jack near the front of the ship as she watched the Pearl cut swiftly through the water towards the nearest British Island so that Norington could start ‘scaring up his fleet’ as Jack put it.

“Thank you Jack,” she said quietly, leaning lightly against his arm. At last she felt they rea really doing something! She enjoyed being underway again but the swaying of the ship was making her unsteady in a way it usually did not and she held Jack’s arm for support.

Jack smiled and glanced sideways at where she was leaning against him. “Haven’t had too much rum ‘ave ye luv?” he chuckled.

Elizabeth shook her head with a small laugh. She supposed she ought to be wary of the pirate, but even with him totally drunk and the two of them alone together on a deserted island she had not felt afraid of him. She was a good judge of character and there was something she saw in Sparrow that told her she needen’t fear him... which she hadn’t, even from the first day that they met and he put a gun to her head.

“As you should know Captain Sparrow, I do not drink. Especially not now...” she let her hand rest on her stomach again and Jack’s eyes twinkled.

“Ahhh... you and young Will have been busy I see.” He gently put his hand on her widening girth.

Elizabeth nodded, but her eyes clouded over and began to fill with those blasted tears that she hated. Turning unexpectedly she buried her face in Jack’s shirt as the tears started to come again.

For a moment Jack didn’t quite know what to do, but then he let his arm wrap comfortingly around her shoulders. “There... there don’t cry luv. Don’t cry... won’t be good for your little one, getting yourself all worked up.”

“But will I ever see him again Jack?” she turned reddened, pleading eyes to the pirate Captain, who knew without asking who she was talking about.

Jack’s heart ached. He wanted nothing more than to tell her yes, and tell her everything was going to be all right... but he could not in all conscious do that. A good part of his rational mind (if you could ever call his mind rational) believed that Will was already dead, although the hope that he was not was really the only thing that had propelled the pirate to put his daring and reckless plan out before the Commodore. That, and because he knew that if by some miracle Will *was* still alive, he would not for anything on earth leave him in the hands of someone like Varga for any longer than necessary. None of this would comfort Elizabeth however.

“We’ll do all we can to make it happen luv. And their best is all a body can do. Shh.... I know how much Will loved ye, don’t ever let go of that Elizabeth. It’s rare and precious and they don’t make ‘em like him every day. I promise that if I can, I’ll get ‘em back for ye. Ye have my word on that.”

“I know you will Jack,” she murmured wearily. She was beginning to feel light-headed and dizzy and leaned a little more heavily against him. “Thank you...”

Suddenly her knees gave out and she crumpled to the deck. Jack caught her before she could hit the boards. “Elizabeth? Whoa there luv, what did I tell you about all that crying?” he murmured as he quickly and easily scooped her up in his arms. “Don’t have a corset for me to worry about this time do ye?”

“Will...” she murmured her husband’s name sadly as Sparrow carried her towards his cabin. “Will...” she was not completely conscious and felt hot to Jack’s touch. She had obviously had too much sun on top of too much physical and emotional stress.

Norington, who had been trying to follow Jack’s instructions to stay out of the way of the crew as they were none too fond of military men, saw Jack carrying Elizabeth into his quarters and hurried over double quick. “What do you think you’re-”

“Hold your noise,” Jack rolled his eyes as he gently laid Elizabeth down on his bunk. “The lady ain’t feeling well.” Loosening the neck of her dress he pressed his rough, tanned hand against her flushed cheek. “She’s had a touco muo much stress I wager and should be out of the sun. She can stay in here... Now, now don’t get your dander up,” Jack grinned wryly when Norington started to protest, lifting his hands innocently. “I’ll bunk with me men, satisfied?”

Norington nodded hesitantly. “She should be seen to by a doctor.”

“That she should,” Jack nodded as he covered Elizabeth with a light sheet. “But we’re a little shy on the amenities out here. I’ll have Anna Maria take a look see at her,” he said thoughtfully. “She oughta know about female problems... and *you* Commodore, had best be worrying about how you’re going to get that fleet of yourn together when we get to port... If Will, or anyone is ta be saved, we have no time ta waste.”


TBC…