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Deliverance	By : Bluemidget57 Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > Het - Male/Female > Jack/Elizabeth Views: 7843 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Deliverance
- 2-Elizabeth
- 3-will
- 4-Sand
- 5-Pearl
- 6-Journey
- 7-Cave
- 8-Ritual
- 9-Calypso
- 10-Return
- 11-Awake
- 12-Asleep
- 13-Reunion
- 14-Avoidance
- 15-Cabin
- 16-Jones
- 17-Tattoo
- 18-Irrevocable
- 13
- 14
- 15
Avoidance

Jack Sparrow was not one to avoid uncomfortable situations.
All right - that was actually a great big honking lie. Jack was the King of avoidance; if he could wriggle out of something with wit and trickery, then off he went. Oh, he put on a pretty good show if his back was against the wall, and the only remaining option was full-on confrontation, because even he could be philosophical when the odds were so clearly stacked against him - but he really, really preferred not to let things get that far.
And this was exactly why he preferred the cautious approach to life. It justified his whole position on being careful and waiting for a golden opportunity, and was the current reason he was brooding in his cabin. Or not brooding - because he was Captain Jack Sparrow, and he did not brood. He plotted, he schemed and he manipulated; and he had known that his strategy for confronting Elizabeth was not completely formulated, which was why everything had gone so pear-shaped when Barbossa threw them in each other�s way before Jack was ready.
Although to be frank, nowhere in his calculations had he made provision for the pronouncement Barbossa had sprung on him, and he could have waited for the oceans to dry up before he was presented with an opportune moment to deal with what he had just discovered.
Of course, his hasty retreat to mull over this shocking new development had been effectively curtailed by Gibbs, who blocked his way down to the lower decks by the simple expediency of filling up the entry with his body. Jack had found himself being frog-marched back towards the happy couple by his first mate, who was entirely too excited at the fact that they were both finally awake.
Finding Will and Elizabeth engaged in a revolting lip-lock only moments after he had turned his back proved positively too much for Jack. Determined to regroup, he had staggered sideways, which aroused no comment as it was quite in keeping with his usual mode of progress, and surreptitiously dislodged a cannonball from it�s site beneath one of the starboard guns. Gibbs had yelped as it toppled from the rack onto the deck with a loud thud, and gathered speed as it rolled towards him, far too close to his feet for comfort. Taking advantage of his first mate�s distraction, Jack bent to replace the ammunition, and while Gibbs was examining his toes, he slipped back out of sight to regain some perspective.
That day set the tone for the following week.
To Elizabeth it seemed that Jack became a wraith, a ghost on his own ship - slipping in and out of his cabin to consult with Gibbs, argue with Barbossa, trade stories with Ragetti, and of course to collect more rum. Everyone had an encounter to relate; even Will had received instructions once or twice. But he was always mysteriously back in his cabin the moment she discovered he had emerged. At least when he had been asleep, she knew exactly where to find him
Despite her urgency to pin Jack down into a conversation, she was still reluctant to reveal her crime to the rest of the crew and so far had resisted the temptation to enlist anyone else�s help to distract her watchdog Will or keep Jack still for a moment, although on several occasions she was dearly tempted to simply plead with Gibbs to find Will a task which would 0ccupy him at the very top of the rigging for an hour or two.
Barbossa, although he knew of her actions, she didn�t trust any further than she could have thrown him; his temper had grown more and more jovial corresponding with her own aggravation and Jack�s absence - he was actually smiling at Jack now, big jovial grins - which was positively creepy, and even Jack looked suspicious - on the increasingly infrequent occasion that Elizabeth managed to catch a distant glimpse of their elusive Captain after one of Barbossa�s unnatural smirks was directed his way.
But as the hours and the miles passed, the native crew members growing less nervous and relaxing somewhat with the increasing proximity to their homeland, Elizabeth was beginning to think she might have to revise that decision.
Her mounting frustration at Jack and Will grew until she became positively snappy, and eventually even Barbossa, who had never before sailed on a ship with a woman who had freedom to roam the decks, began to question the wisdom of his meddling.
From being quiet, withdrawn and penitent on the outward voyage, since her confrontation with Jack, Elizabeth had become irritable, emotional and prone to fly into a tirade of long - and to the crew, largely incomprehensible - words, at the slightest provocation. Only Jack, the object of her vexation, was able to conveniently avoid exposure to it. He locked himself in his cabin for long periods of time, and could be seen through the murky windows either side of the door, bent over the map table consulting his charts and muttering to himself about Tia Dalma.
The crew was almost as alarmed by their speculation about what Jack could potentially be plotting now, as they were with their fear of saying something seemingly innocuous, which would unintentionally let loose the volatile Miss Elizabeth�s currently not-too-stable temper.
Finally, even Will had endured about as much as he could of Elizabeth�s moodiness and a niggling sense of responsibility began to weigh on him every time one of the crew winced or ducked out of sight when she approached; and notwithstanding his earlier relish, now even Barbossa seemed to be only moderately enjoying himself Despite the insecurity which still abounded within him, Will determined he had to sort the problem out.
Leaving Elizabeth embroiled in one of the frequent theological disputes which Pintel and Ragetti seemed to create a dozen times a day, he searched for and finally cornered Jack in the hold, as their Captain was selecting another bottle of rum, and told him flatly to stop hiding and let Elizabeth apologise to him. Jack�s eyes slid slightly away from Will�s, but he sounded as jovial and regretful as he usually did when he replied.
�No need for that, mate. She�s not sorry; told me so herself when she did the deed, and nor should she be. Did what was necessary for herself, and you and the rest of my men. Can�t fault her for that. Would�ve done the same meself - practically did, actually -�
�Elizabeth is sorry,� Will growled at him. �Sometimes you have to forgive people even if you don�t think they deserve it - because they need it. She won�t be able to get past this and forgive herself if she doesn�t hear the words from you, so even if you don�t see the need, Elizabeth does. You have to show the appearance of it, so that we can move on with our lives!�
�Well, then - of course, consider it done,� Jack agreed obligingly, obviously eager to get rid of Will. �The very next time I see your good lady, I shall endeavour to hear what she has to say.� He turned away from Will and moved deeper into the darkness of the storeroom, but when Will did not immediately exit the door Jack spun around and shooed him away. Will, deciding that this was the best he could achieve for today, did as he was bid.
Jack meanwhile, retreated to the corner of the rum store where he had last encountered Bootstrap Bill, what now seemed like years ago, and perched himself on the same barrel he had used on that occasion. He opened his bottle and took a fortifying swig. �Been keeping abreast of developments?� He asked conversationally, starting up the one-sided dialogue as if the intervening months had never occurred, and he had merely stepped away to refill his drink.
�Got your Captain off my back finally, but everything else is pretty much buggered up beyond all recovery. Hope you appreciated my efforts in regard to your whelp; tried to do right by him where I failed you. Doubt if he appreciates just what a sacrifice I�ve made for him, though. That�s the trouble with behaving like a good man - kind of tarnishes the image to go around announcing your selfless acts to those persons who are benefiting from them.� Jack took another drink. �I hope he manages to get you free of Jones� clutches, but I�m not entirely convinced he�s thought about the implications of the curse, or all that time you�ve spent underseas. Freeing you from Jones might just finish you off entirely. Mind you, being dead didn�t seem so bad - didn�t last too long either, really.� Jack paused thoughtfully, tipping his head to one side as he contemplated the spot where Bill Turner had delivered Jones� warning and mark to him previously.
�Just make sure he knows what you want, mate. That�s a right hotheaded boy you bred. Charges headlong into a situation without any kind of a plan to get out of it. Tried to give him a primer on the subtle art of negotiation and making sure you were well-situated with some useful leverage, but I don�t imagine any of it stuck�..Just thought I should let you know, is all�� Jack tipped his hat to the empty space where Bootstrap had previously dripped, and stood up. �Good luck to you, Bill Turner,� he said softly. �Hope we�ll meet again someday on this side or the other, but regretfully I shall be unable to join your son and his lady on their journey to find you.� He smiled wryly. �Best be off now and bestow my necessary pardon upon said lady, so she can join her husband in his noble quest with an easy conscience.�
Jack cast a last glance around the storeroom, and made his way slowly back upwards to the main deck. If the thing needed doing, it had best be done quickly and get it over with; any delay would just allow the hurt to fester and grow. Make the break clean and swift, the sooner to be mended.
It was not that Jack had never indulged in a dalliance with married ladies; he was after all a pirate - of course he had. In many ways Jack had usually preferred the wedded women - they were generally eager for the excitement of a furtive intrigue with a pirate, yet had few expectations beyond the current moment. Jack�s charmingly expressed regrets and sorrowful dark eyes generally left them sighing at the inevitable parting, yet thankful for the memories to treasure.
But something about the idea of interfering with Will and Elizabeth�s marriage made Jack uncomfortable despite his belief that they were an ill-matched pair. He had been quite at ease continuing to insinuate his way into their relationship whilst it still lacked the formality of legal vows, for really that was tantamount to saving them from themselves! Elizabeth would run rings around William in less than a year; he was far too besotted to assert himself in the face of her far more formidable personality. And Will would leach away all her spirit and fire with his suffocating devotion, and Elizabeth being conscious of what a good man he really was, would be unable to ever let him know how unhappy this life made her - and consequently wither away inside.
However, it seemed that some hereto deeply buried vein of decency had wormed it�s way back to the surface, and reminded him that Bootstrap Bill had been a close friend and ally, led adrift from his son by Jack�s design, intentional or not; that said son had put his own life on the line - and not necessarily always voluntarily - for Jack, on more than one occasion, and thus he found himself frustratingly, painfully unable to take another thing away from the idealistic young man.
It might be judicious to take a moment at this point to examine the incredibly flimsy and insubstantial evidence which led the normally astute Captain to form such a remarkably erroneous conclusion about the continuing momentum of Will and Elizabeth�s relationship, when there was in fact very little of substance to explain it other than the recency of his other-worldly experience, an ocean�s depth of misdirection from a man Jack would never trust again, and a fantasy of projected desires from a suitor who was fighting tooth and nail to hang on to an illusion. And of course, the fact that all this misleading circumstantial evidence was being assimilated through a pleasantly numbing haze of medicinal rum, should not be discounted as a contributing factor.
However, there can be no denying that had Jack been functioning at his usual capacity, the cocktail of insinuation, misdirection and implication would never have succeeded in deceiving him for a minute, let alone convincing him completely that Will and Elizabeth had allowed Hector Barbossa to unite them in matrimony.
But his defenses were battered, his shocking revelation in the desert place had left him feeling vulnerable and in truth rather dismayed that he could actually harbour feelings so inappropriate for a person who had been so willing to sacrifice his life, even though conversely it was that very action which made him want her more than ever. Despite his admiration for her ruthless ability to get the job - both of them - done, ultimately he was still sufficiently hurt by her actions, that elements of doubt in his ability to read her character had dented his usual confidence just sufficiently for the intimations to appear plausible.
Arriving on deck, he scanned for his quarry, and found that the complete cast of characters appeared to be in attendance for the final act of this Greek tragedy. Gibbs was at the wheel, and judging by the tense set of everyone�s shoulders it appeared that Elizabeth had just finished one of her impromptu rages. Jack had not been so removed from the occurrences on board by his self-imposed isolation in the Great Cabin that he was unaware of Elizabeth�s precariously balanced temper. In fact, he had found some vindictive pleasure in the fact that Will had gotten himself shackled - and in the most permanent sense of the word - to such an evil tempered harpy. It tasted like retribution, and Jack kept congratulating himself on his narrow escape.
He might have wished however, that this confrontation which he had promised Will could have been a little less public; but maybe it was also for the better in that the exposure might restrain them both from declaring things which once spoken aloud could not be unsaid.
Jack couldn�t but be aware of the suddenly grateful expressions which painted the faces of his crew as he crossed the deck towards Elizabeth, who was currently glaring at Ragetti - apparently the latest recipient of her wrath. He acknowledged the irony of his crew�s relief that he had finally emerged to take this latest threat in hand - but they were mostly simple men, and the subtle complexities which had created the current situation were far beyond the comprehension of all but Barbossa, really - so it was hardly surprising that they had the utmost faith in his ability to smooth over the troubled waters and restore peace to the Pearl. He was their Captain, and this was his job.
From the helm, Will who was talking quietly to Gibbs gave him an encouraging smile and tilted his head pointedly in Elizabeth�s direction. She was still planted in Ragetti�s way, hands on hips, balanced on the balls of her feet as if poised to pounce, and was unaware of his approach.
�Lizzie, love!� He began, gliding up softly behind her, quieter than any man decorated with so many trinkets had any right to be. �It�s come to my attention that you�re a mite annoyed with old Jack. And so everyone on board is suffering in my stead. It would seem that in the best interests of my crew, you and I need to reach an accord.�
Shocked into temporary silence, it was several long moments before Elizabeth found herself able to turn and face him. True, she had been a little short of temper lately, but really there was a great deal of justification for her distraction; most of it wrapped up in the person standing in front of her now. But she honestly hadn�t thought herself so unbearable that the crew might feel the need to petition Jack for an intervention. However, the relieved expression on Ragetti�s face as her attention was drawn away from him was duplicated on every countenance she glimpsed as she swung to face Jack, and a whole new layer of guilt settled on her heart.
And then there was Jack; no matter how much she had chafed at his evasiveness, she suddenly realised that she was nowhere near ready to face him now that he was standing right in front of her. All colour drained from her cheeks, leaving her as pale as a ghost and then rushed back ferociously as it finally penetrated her addled mind that he was standing right in front of her!

Jack had found another bandana somewhere in his cabin to replace the one shredded during his�.. absence - not quite as faded as that one, and the brighter red made his beads and trinkets seem shinier also. The days on deck since his rescue had quickly restored his tan, and those unfathomable dark eyes were once more outlined with kohl; Elizabeth stared at him, unable to find any words - content for the moment to simply look. He was still talking, that much she gathered - not quite sure what about, and now that her attention was drawn to his mouth and she could think of a hundred - a thousand better uses for it than to be complaining about her husband�s insistence that they take a moment to clear the air��Wait! What?

�What? My what?� She demanded clearly, suddenly focusing intently on his circumlocutory monologue. �Jack! Be quiet!� She snapped, and was vaguely conscious of Ragetti and each crew member within hearing distance trying to melt away into the rigging and become invisible. Apparently the Captain was not going to fare any better than they, and each considered it diplomatic to be as far away as possible when she exploded.
�Captain Sparrow, you will tell me why you are under the misapprehension that I am currently in possession of a husband, of all things?� She enunciated clearly in a low but dangerous tone of voice. �We have been at sea for near to three months - since the day we lost you to the Kraken; where exactly do you imagine I might have found myself a parson in the middle of the bleeding ocean?� She finished in an escalating pitch of fury, her hands clenching and unclenching into fists by her sides.
Jack�s razor sharp mind suddenly seemed to be emerging from a long sleep, and a plethora of apparently unrelated facts began to coalesce into a nasty, manipulative design in his head. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he studied the enraged female in front of him, but unwilling to fall into the trap of making assumptions once again, he spelt out clearly and explicitly what he was asking. �So what you are saying to me is that you have not joined in holy matrimony, one to the other with William Turner? That would be the truth of it, then?�
�No, I have not! And I don�t know where you think I could have found the time nor the means when all I - we have done since you�sank, has been chase around the Seven Seas, searching for you!� Elizabeth retorted bitterly, and Jack might have said more but a derisive snort from behind made him swing around and he caught sight of Hector Barbossa stomping off below decks.
Elizabeth followed the direction of his suddenly narrowed eyes, and immediately knew who had planted the notion in Jack�s head. Unsurprisingly, discovering that he had fallen prey to Barbossa�s beguilements once more, did not lessen her annoyance with Jack in the least; rather it inflamed her wrath. That Jack could allow himself to be misled by that man again, was just more than she could bear; to believe Barbossa when she had truly thought Jack knew her, understood her well enough to know she could never conceive of participating in such an act. Angry tears welled up in her eyes, and she spat at him, �I thought better of you than that, Jack -� but was alarmed into silence by the grim expression on his face as he turned back to her. Nothing more than a squeak escaped her mouth as he grabbed hold of her wrist and tugged her unceremoniously after him into the Great Cabin, locking the door behind them.
Will frowned down from the wheel; he had decided it would be best if he didn�t intervene directly, but instead maintained a judicial eye on the meeting from nearby. Unfortunately, the billowing wind and the sudden scrambling of booted feet rushing to vacate the area at the first sign of Elizabeth�s rising displeasure, made it impossible to hear what Jack had said to set her off, but clearly it was not good. Barbossa, who was standing within earshot of them on the main deck, puckered his face up as if he had been forcefully fed a whole bushel of lemons, and stormed off. Will exchanged a worried glance with Gibbs who shrugged his shoulders as if to say, damned if I know - and was just about to set off down the steps when Jack suddenly grabbed hold of Elizabeth�s wrist and dragged her stumbling behind him into his cabin, his ferocious expression having lost all trace of it�s normal geniality.
Alarm swamped Will. This had been his idea. He had told Jack to talk to Elizabeth, and apparently he had once again misjudged the situation drastically. �Oh God - he�s going to kill her -� he gasped in alarm, horrifying images of Jack extracting a grisly retribution for his own untimely demise from Elizabeth�s beautiful, soft skin rose up to torment him while his feet remained oddly frozen to the deck, unable to carry him after them.
�What?� Gibbs asked, confused. �Of course he isn�t. They�ll probably just yell at each other a bit, have a drop of rum, and everyone will be friends again. Don�t fret yourself about Jack and Miss Elizabeth, Will. They understand how it is - you�ll have your lass back in a while, and none the worse for wear. They just need to blow off a bit of steam, and then we can all get on.�
Somehow, instead of easing Will�s fears, Gibbs� words served only to make him more agitated. He finally uprooted himself from his shocked pose, and bounded down the steps; a moment later Gibbs could hear him pounding to no avail on the cabin door below.

***************
This chapter is slightly shorter, but it was the natural break. I am sorry it has been a while; if you visit my LiveJournal you will know that I had a little bit of surgery which while not serious, was in a spot sufficiently awkward to make sitting at the computer uncomfortable. That is healing nicely now, so things should look up.

Tell me if you enjoyed this - there�s some good stuff coming in the next chapter!

Thanks a million times to everyone who has reviewed and continues to do so. Just next month now�
- 13
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Deliverance