Never Wanted This

Well, here we are *sniff* the last chapter. Thank you all so much
to everyone who reviewed! And just so you know, this isn't meant to
imply that everything is all wrapped up or finished, it's just the
hopeful beginning to what I am sure will be a long and still
difficult recovery, but it is meant to shhat hat eventually, he
*will* recover. No pun intended.

Thanks again,

~~EmmaElf

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

CHAPTER TEN:
*~~*~~*


You always come to me
I won't be used, but...
I - can't fight you anymore
I know I'll open up the door...
--Stone Sour

When they arrived back on the Black Pearl where Elizabeth was still awaiting them, she threw herself into Will’s arms and hugged him first. THEN scolded he and Jack for drinking and (apparently) brawling.

“Really Jack! I thought you were going to go look for him, not get him drunk and injured!” she fussed, although she didn’t really mean it, so glad was she to see Will again.

“See?” Jack spread his hands helplessly, turning to Will. “I *told* you it’d be my fault.”

Will laughed. “It’s not Jack’s fault Liz,” he shook his head, fondly using her nickname. Powers but it did his heart good to see her smiling at him like this.

“I don’t really care Will, I’m just so glad to have you back.” Elizabeth pulled him close and just held onto him tightly for a few minutes. She knew everything was going to be all right when after his initial hesitation, Will wrapped his arms around her and his body seemed to relax a little.

Will let his cheek rest against the top of Elizabeth’s head. He didn’t realize how very desperately he had missed her presence, her warmth, the scent of her hair. A few silent tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Jack took this as his cue to bow out, leaving the young couple alone to begin helping each other heal.

When she finally saw the bloody bandage on Will’s wrist, Elizabeth immediately set herself to work tending and properly dressing the wound. It was familiar in a nice sort of way, being on a ship, tending the other’s hand... only it was her tending Will this time.

“Elizabeth?” Will said quietly. “I... I’m sorry I ran away.” He sighed. “I was feeling so confused and afraid... afraid more than anything of losing your love and your respect. Forgive me if I hurt you.”

“Oh Will...” Elizabeth knotted the bandage and tucked it under, her voice a little thick with emotion. “You remember when we were aboard the Interceptor, after you rescued me?” she asked.

Will smiled slightly and nodded. Yes, he remembered.

“I wanted so desperately for you to kiss me,” she admitted with a small blush. “But you were always such a gentleman with me. I was thinking about it recently when... when I thought you were dead. I don’t think I’ve ever said thank you, or I’m sorry. I think I liked you ever since we were children, and I was such a little brat sometimes, I always wanted you to feel the same, I always wanted you to show it and not be so respectful... I think I even got you in trouble once or twice and I really didn’t mean to. But when I thought I’d lost you, I realized how very hard it must have been for you, to love me and yet respect me enough to keep your distance, even if I didn’t want you to. I promised myself that if I ever saw you alive again I would tell you, and I would never take you for granted, ever...” her eyes had filled with tears that now slid down her cheeks, wetting the fresh bandage she had just applied. She was so relieved that Will was not dead.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry I was impatient with you when we were young, I won’t be that way now, I promise. I know you’ve been hurt... I just want to help, I don’t care how long it takes. I don’t care about anything, just so I have you back.” She looked away.

Will brushed her cheek softly with his uninjured hand, tilting her head back up. “I have always loved you Elizabeth, and I always will.” There were tears in his eyes as well. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I... I’m just so... I feel as if I’ve betrayed you, betrayed *us*. I’m the one who’s sorry. Can you ever forgive me? Both for that and for not trusting your love for me?”

Elizabeth pulled Will close, hugging him tightly. “Will there is nothing to forgive on either count. I love you. And somehow, we will all get through this. I promise.”

Will nodded against her hair. Yes, now he was truly beginning to believe they would. He wanted to do something... he was half afraid though. He wanted to kiss Elizabeth, but he was afraid that when he did he would think of Varga and remember all the horrible, twisted abuse.

~~Can ye find it in ye to give this old life one more chance, or can ye not?”~~ The inner voice prodded him. Strange that his conscience should have Jack’s voice...

“Do you still want me to?” Will asked softly with a hint of a smile as he pulled back to gaze into Elizabeth’s eyes.

“Want you to what?” she asked quizzically. She didn’t understand, but she liked the smile.

“Kiss you,” he said softly, hesitantly.

Her smile brightened brilliantly and in answer she simply leaned forward, kissing him instead.

For an instant Will’s whole body tensed... but then he realized he feared for nothing as Elizabeth’s soft lips pressed to his gently, parting and inviting him it. What he feared was not there. In that moment there was only he and Elizabeth. Nothing in the past, nothing in the future. Just that moment. And it was perfect.

Jack, who was too unabashed to consider himself a peeping tom, leaned against the railing, watching through the porthole as the young couple in his cabin kissed passionately.

Will was going to be all right. It would take time, it would be a long road, but the young man had chosen to stick it through and Jack knew Will was one determined cuss, he’d not fail once he set his mind to something. Besides... Jack’s eyes strayed to Elizabeth. He had good help.

“What are *you* grinning at Captain Sparrow?” Norington’s voice made Jack turn around. The Commodore was standing across the deck from him, looking as out of place amid the shifting ebb and flow of scruffy pirates going about their jobs as a body could.

“You, Commodore,” Jack swung lightly down over the rail of the bridge, swaggering towards the officer. “You on the Black Pearl. I swear we could make a good pirate out of you yet.”

“I’d rather die,” Norington remarked quite calmly.

Jack laughed heartily and slapped the man on the back. “Well, you know, I just meant if the whole deal with explaining these little shenanigans to the crown don’t work out. We could always find a place for ye.”

Will and Elizabeth had come out of the cabin and were now leaning on the railing from where Jack had just recently departed.

“Why Commodore, I think that’s a marvelous idea!” Elizabeth laughed lightly. “You would make quite a dashing pirate really.”

Norington rolled his eyes at all of them. “You are *all* mad.”

Jack, Will and Elizabeth laughed. The sun was shining down on a new day for Port Royal... and for all of them.


THE END