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Ship in a Bottle	By : EvilE Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > Het - Male/Female > Jack/Elizabeth Views: 4205 -:- 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
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Chapter 21: Buried Treasure

Just after two in the morning, Will was gathering a length of line between his hands, binding it into a coil so that it could be kept out of the way. He could see the black outline of the island in the distance, which they'd reached several hours before. He felt an odd sensation, as though he were being watched. At first he ignored it, but finally lowered his hands and glanced behind him, toward the aft deck.

A silhouette. Dark hair, blowing loose in the breeze. White sleeves, reflecting the moonlight. He felt a sharp twinge in his midsection. Lady E.

And though she was probably thirty feet away, it was as though a magnet were pulling him toward her. He dropped the coil of rope on the deck. Her head turned. She had been watching him, he was sure. And her silhouette turned and began to walk, slowly, toward him. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

When he opened them, she was standing in front of him. “I've had a thought, boy.”

“Yes?”

“I don't care to wait until dawn for our little enterprise. Gather your things. We're going ashore.”

“We won't be able to find anything in the dark.”

“We'll take a lantern.”

Will tried to think of another reason to delay, but nothing came easily to mind. She took his silence for acquiescence, and turned to call Briggs to her.

“Yes, Cap'n?”

“Ready a boat. And fetch a spade, and a lantern.”

“Aye.”

Lady E turned back to Will, and smiled one of her mysterious smiles. Will felt his lungs constrict.

It took a short while to ready the boat, and as he was climbing down, he was already calculating the time he needed to kill. They would reach the island by three. That left at least two, if not three hours, till dawn and the arrival of the Pearl. How on earth was he going to stall for that long? After he settled himself in the boat, he saw she was climbing down, and while her form, from the rear, was admirable on its own, he also noted she had strapped a pistol to her belt. And she carried a sword, together with her two daggers.
He had his sword, also. And yet he suddenly felt underdressed.

She sat gracefully in the boat.

“Ready, Captain?” Will asked, grasping the oars.

“Aye. I think it fair to inform you that I've told Briggs that should I not return before dawn, they're to storm the island. So don't even consider trying anything foolish. Even if you got past me - which you won't - you'd never get off of the island alive.”

“Oh, but my lady, whatever makes you think I'd want to deceive you?” he said with exaggerated chivalry, sarcasm dripping from every word. He continued to row, forcefully, while she smiled.

She sat facing him as the boat moved across the open water, and he couldn't help noticing she seemed hypnotized by his large, rhythmic motions as he rowed. An idea began to take shape at the edges of his mind, an idea that had the potential to save him...but it was too risky. She was a dangerous woman, armed, and smart. He wouldn't be able to fool her for long.

He felt pain on his back and realized the rowing must have opened his wounds again. He stopped for a moment, flexing his shoulders.

“Keep rowing, boy.”

“All right, give me a moment.”

“Oh, is the poor boy's back hurting? Maybe he should keep his mouth shut next time,” she purred. Then her tone became firm. “Row!”

He rowed.

In less than half an hour, they arrived at the island, and he jumped out to pull the boat ashore. She got out on the other side, helped him drag it up, and he reached in for the lantern while she grabbed the shovel. She took large, sweeping strides up the dark beach, and Will trudged behind, still desperately thinking of how he could delay her.

Despair seemed to crowd in from all sides, like the black of the night around them. It was the moment of truth. There was no treasure. He was out of lies, out of excuses, and out of time. It might come down to a simple fight, he surmised, feeling for his sword. She'd probably cut him down and slit his throat, but at least he'd have given it a shot. He thought of all those who would miss him... Elizabeth... he wanted nothing more than to get back to her, to survive the night, even though he'd voluntarily thrown himself into this peril, because of Jack.

Jack. Oh, if he were here right now, wouldn't that be something? Will's lip curled in frustration. Like to see him fight the evil pirate wench. What on earth would Jack do with her, anyway?

And then that idea presented itself again, like a shadow waving at the edges of his vision...yes... Jack probably would do that. But Will knew he wasn't Jack, didn't possess what Jack had, that allure, that mystique, that capacity to deceive so naturally... he wasn't the same kind of pirate Jack was.

Was he?

And he thought about Lady E, knew she was greedy for gold, but perhaps she was greedy for other things, too... like pleasure. But to stage this, to enact this seduction, now, in the middle of the night on an island, when he had promised this woman buried treasure... it was outside the realm of anything he'd ever done. It would require all the skill he had. Not to mention stamina... he had to keep her busy for over two hours... without stopping long enough to let her think.

It was stupid. He knew it was stupid. But it was the only idea he had, and it just might save his life. All of their lives. He didn't know how many of Jack's crew she could take out with those daggers before going down, but he'd be willing to bet it was a lot. So he had to risk it, didn't her? He had to be brave enough to try. He could see her walking up the beach, stepping up and over a dune, heading for the line of trees.

He shook his head, dropping his chin to his chest. Well, let the games begin. After all, he was Will Turner, and stupid bravery was his fortè.

He marched resolutely after her up the dark, silent beach.

When he caught up with her, she was walking along the trees. He spied a large boulder to their left. “Captain, stop. I have to get our bearings and figure out which way to go.”

“You mean we're not going the right way? Why didn't you say something before?”

“You were racing off on your own! It's hardly my-“ and he let go of the lantern near the rock when he gestured with his whole arm. As it lifted into the air, he prayed, Please, let it break.

The glass shattered on the rock, and the oil dripped out of the lantern onto the sand.

Lady E stared in disbelief, and then she turned her gaze to Will's face. “You idiot.”

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” he said at once, crouching to pick at the pieces. “Maybe I can-“

“Oh, leave it! It's no use to us now.” She shoved her fingers through her hair impatiently. “Christ, I can't see a bloody thing in this dark.”

Will found her eyes with his, and then rose slowly from his crouch. “I can still see... how beautiful you are,” he said slowly, in what he hoped was a manly, appealing tone.

She blinked at him. “Well, is my radiant beauty going to find us the treasure?”

“Ah... for that, I think I'll need a bit of light. Let me find a piece of wood and I'll try to make us a torch.” He stepped into the trees and searched for a branch he could snap off. He gathered a few others, as well. “Here we are.”

He coated one of the sticks in the oil and though it took him a few tries to gain a spark with the crude materials at his disposal, he finally succeeded and the stick lit.

“Now... I've never been here before, and I need to try to match what's here with the description I heard from those two old pirates. You sit down, and I'll take a look around and come right back? Here-“ He splashed some of the oil over the other sticks he'd collected. “I'll even make a little fire, and that way I can see where you are. You just relax, and I'll be back, all right?”

She narrowed her eyes. “I don't like that idea at all. You're going after the treasure alone, aren't you?” He saw her hand lift to the back of her belt, knew she was grasping a dagger.

He smiled at her. “Oh, honestly, even if I wanted to, you're sitting within sight of the boat. I can't simply disappear. We're on an island, remember? I won't be long, I promise.” He finished lighting the wood, and then withdrew a flask from the leather satchel he carried. “Here.” He tossed it to her, and she caught it with a question in her eyes. “Have a drink while I'm gone.”

And he walked around her and continued down the beach, pretending to look thoughtfully up at the trees and along the coast.

When he glanced back he saw she had seated herself by the fire, and was holding her hands out to warm them, despite the mild temperature of the night, before lifting the flask to her lips. He smiled to himself. Part one of his plan had been accomplished.

He walked a ways down the beach, out of sight, and then cut into the trees. Before long he found himself out of them again, and he realized he stood at a harbor on the other side of the island. In the distance... he wasn't sure, as all he had to see was the moonlight... but he thought he could see the vague outline of the Elizabeth. One of the reasons he'd wanted to build a fire was to send smoke into the air... he hoped against hope that someone on the ship would see it, would realize they were already there and set out for land. But he didn't think it terribly likely. Until dawn, at least, he was on his own.

He circled back around toward the fire from the other side, so it would appear he had traversed a great distance. He gathered more small branches and logs among the trees to sustain the fire, and emerged with his arms full. When she heard his footsteps approach, she unfolded her legs and stared up at him. “Where have you been? You must have been gone an hour!”

He dropped the wood and looked down at her, examining her eyes in the firelight. He noted her sword lay beside in the sand. “Not at all, perhaps half.” He flopped down in the sand beside her. “Were you ready to come after me? Afraid I'd given you the slip?”

“Don't play with me, boy,” she said, shifting her weight and facing him, still seated. “Did you find it?”

“I think I've got the right spot. It's back in the trees.”

“Well, all right. Let's go then.” She reached out for the shovel, but he laid a hand on her bare arm, where her sleeve had inched up. She looked pointedly down at his tanned, roughened hand on the fair skin of her forearm.

“Captain, I've just run a few miles. I need to breathe for a spell. The treasure will be there in a few moments, or an hour for that matter. Hand me that drink.”

He watched as she frowned at him, more at his authoritative tone, he imagined, but there was no turning back now. She did then hand him the flask, and he weighed it in his hands. Much less full than before. She'd had a good deal of it, which was very good for him. He lifted it to his lips and drank.

“What's in there, anyway?” she asked, watching him drink. “I've never tasted it before. If it's ale, it's awfully bitter. And strong.”

Will paused in the act of drinking, considering how to respond, remembering Jack's comments about the lack of rum in Mary's world. “It's like ale. A special kind they have where I come from.” He picked up some of the wood and added it to the fire, and the flames licked at the logs eagerly.

“Hmmm,” she replied, eyeing the flask.

He held it out to her innocently. “Would you like more...Captain?”

She did not reply, but took the flask from his fingers and took a long drink before passing it back. When he raised it to his lips again, he was suddenly struck by the thought that her lips had just been there, and he closed his eyes as the image of kissing her flashed in his mind like lightning on the horizon.

He opened his eyes, lowered the flask and closed it, and he saw she was watching him, intently, her kohl-rimmed eyes bright with the rum and the firelight. He began to think that this wasn't such a bad plan after all... in fact, it was working much better than he expected. He sensed she was about to suggest they get up again, and go hunt the treasure, but he also sensed that behind her shrewdness and apparent desire for riches, there was something else. Perhaps a certain level of... curiosity. He sought to seize upon the latter before she went back to the former.

“Captain, I do have one small question for you that's been bothering me.”

“What's that, boy?”

“Your name. Your real name. And I don't believe for a minute that you were named 'evil'.”

She regarded him, the flames of the fire reflected in her dark irises. “You may address me as Lady E. Or 'captain'.”

“Oh, come on. It'll be our secret, like the treasure. Look around here, there's no one to tell.”

She lowered her lids and turned away from him, facing the fire. “I've left that name behind, a long time ago.”

“Is that so? What was it?”

“There's no simple answer. It's a part of me that's dead, now.” She looked into the flames, but Will had the feeling she wasn't seeing them. After a short pause she continued. “My father had a mind to sell me off in a respectable society marriage. I wanted none of it. So I ran away and stowed myself aboard a pirate ship.”

Will inched himself marginally closer on the sand, hoping she didn't notice. “Oh? And how did you go from nameless girl, the stowaway, to Captain Lady E?”

She turned her eyes back to him, and he saw they were slightly wider than before. “I destroyed absolutely everything and everyone who stood in my way.”

Will saw the truth in those blazing dark eyes, and he felt a shudder course through him. But it drew him even closer to her, like a moth to a flame. Her tone spoke of crimes, yes, perhaps murder, perhaps betrayal and maiming and a host of others... but it also spoke of loneliness. Of a woman whose price for freedom was total isolation from others. Now that was something he could use to his advantage, enormously. He reached out and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “And broke a few hearts, too, along the way, I'd imagine.”

She did not answer, only stared. The constantly flickering firelight cast shadows on her face, alternately light and dark. Will found he couldn't look away, and at the same time told himself it was his wife's face, his wife's body... he imagined for a second that it was her, and to his surprise it wasn't nearly as interesting as the thought that Lady E was looking at him with intent fascination. He was a little afraid, after all, she was reputed to be the most brutal pirate in the entire Caribbean, and he was alone with her by this fire. Who know what she was thinking? Was she about to insist they go after the treasure again, and seal his fate?

“Won't you tell me your name? Your other name?” He lowered his voice to a satiny plea. “I promise never to say it unless I'm-“

He was suddenly knocked backward to the sand, and the wind rushed out of his lungs as her body fell on top of him. He was immediately more afraid, as he scrambled to figure out how he'd offended her, what had gone wrong with the plan, and then he felt the warm, soft touch of her lips against his. She was kissing him.

She had kissed him, of her own free will. He was kissing Lady E.
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Ship in a Bottle