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Savarna	By : BrethlessM Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > Het - Male/Female > Jack/Elizabeth Views: 5383 -:- 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
A/N: Hello everybody! Good to see you again! I started painting my room today, and stayed up extra late to make sure I finished this chapter for you all. I hope you like it, and I'll come back and correct any errors as soon as I get the chance. The next chapter will come out next week, and I'm hoping to keep up my once a week postings even after school starts, because it doesn't look like I'm going to finish this by then. (Woo-hoo! Longer story!) Anywho - hope to hear from you all, and I'll see you again next week! - Kimberlee
Chapter Eight

Jack realized he had to put Elizabeth down in order to row the longboat back to his father�s ship. He stood staring dumbly at the small vessel for a moment, begrudging the need to release the warm body curled tightly against his chest, but at last he lay her on the bottom of the boat with her head resting in William�s lap. Elizabeth�s good right hand grasped tightly to her son�s knee as Jack shoved the longboat into deeper water and then climbed in, taking up the oars and setting to.

Jack�s eyes met William�s, whose were large and frightened. Not sure what to do, he began stroking his mother�s hair as she murmured softly, begging him to stop crying, that everything was all right. Elizabeth�s eyes were open, but focused on nothing and no one. Her left hand she cradled awkwardly against her stomach, and as it had grown more swollen and bruised in just the short time since he�d first noticed it, Jack realized that it was a recent injury.

He felt sick to his stomach, but he couldn�t look away. Jack frantically searched with his mind�s eye, struggling to recall every detail of the brief glimpse he�d had of Elizabeth�s prison. It had been different than his own, that was certain. He�d been free to roam the barren island, although he�d chosen to remain aboard his beloved ship more often than not. Elizabeth had been locked into a cage � something he realized spoke volumes about the woman�s mind. There had been a post running up through the center of it and as he remembered that, he also recalled seeing a flash of dull metal � handcuffs. His nausea increased as he made the logical jump to its significance.

So the state of Elizabeth�s wrist meant that she had struggled free � a thought that filled him with as much admiration as guilt. If only they�d gotten here sooner�. Jack increased the speed of his rowing, eager to get Elizabeth safely on board the Savarna so that he could take a closer look at the damage she�d done.

William continued stroking his mother�s head, softly singing some of the pirate songs she�d taught him. She had begun to calm down, but her grip on his leg had not softened, as though she were afraid to let go. That was all right by him � he didn�t want to let her go either.

She looked exactly as she had the last time he�d seen her in Port Royal. William supposed she didn�t need to eat while she was dead, but she didn�t appear to be starving. The only difference he could see, besides her clothing and the injury to her hand, was the haunted expression on her face and the vacant look in her eyes. Jack had warned him that they couldn�t predict what state she would be in when they found her, but somehow William hadn�t expected his mother to seem quite so� lost� and afraid.

He stole another look as Jack, and wasn�t comforted by the man�s pallor and obvious concern. Their eyes met again, but neither said a word, and soon the cheers of their crewmates could be heard above them � they�d reached the ship.

Jack reattached the longboat to the ropes and pulleys, and insisted that they be pulled up in it, rather than climbing up the ladder. No one argued, and thought it was a slow, jerky ride, they were soon even with the deck. Jack passed William across the gap to Ina and then handed Elizabeth carefully to his father before leaping over himself.

Captain Teague was trying not to look uncomfortable when Elizabeth buried her face into his neck and shot an almost apologetic glance to Jack, who managed not to look resentful. He made a move to take her from him, but stopped when he heard Teague�s intake of breath at the sight of her hand.

Teague furrowed his brow. �The lady will take my cabin,� he said in a low growl.

�No,� Jack said stubbornly, �Elizabeth will be better off in mine.�

�It�s courtesy, and the code says-�

�Forgive me, Captain, but in this matter, I don�t give a flying bloody fig what the code has to say. Elizabeth�s staying in my cabin, and-�

No one saw the movement but everyone stepped back the moment they realized that the barrel of Teague�s pistol was now pressed firmly against Jack�s forehead. The old man hadn�t even jostled the woman in his arms.

Jack was the only one not startled by the action. He held his ground with typical obstinacy, eyes flashing an angry black at his father. The men stared at each other, neither one about to back down until William stepped forward and tugged softly at Captain Teague�s coat.

�Please, Captain� let her stay with us. I want to be with her, and then you�ll still have a place to sleep.�

Teague didn�t look at William but acknowledged his presence with a non-committal grunt. His expression didn�t betray his thoughts one way or another, and he may still have held his ground if Elizabeth hadn�t called out for Jack at that very moment.

Jack stepped around his father�s pointed gun and eased Elizabeth from the captain�s grasp. His expression was soft again, as though he hadn�t just been in danger of losing his life. �I�m here, love,� Jack said quietly. �You�re all right now.� To Captain Teague he said, �She needs her hand seen to. We can finish this later if you still care to beleaguer it.�

Teague shook his head, but Jack didn�t see. He headed in the direction of his cabin, and William followed after giving the old pirate a shy smile. Tucking his pistol away at his waist, Captain Teague barked orders for the crew to get back to work, and everyone jumped to obey. Alone again, he didn�t bother to hide the knowing smile as he thought about Jack�s behavior. It reminded him of himself from a long, long time ago.
*******************************************

Upon closer examination, there was no question that the hand was broken, but Jack had figured that would be the case. The real question was whether or not he�d need to set the bone before it began to heal. With a sigh, he decided that he would. Without hesitation, he spread out Elizabeth�s fingers as much as he could and then grasped the base of the broken thumb in one hand and the remainder of her palm in the other. A quick jerk, and the bones were aligned again, but Elizabeth�s eyes flew open and she gasped loudly in response.

Breathing heavily as she struggled against the pain, Elizabeth�s eyes settled on Jack. �Jack,� she said. �You stopped fighting.�

Thinking she was referring to the pissing match with his father, Jack said, �Old man just likes to be right, �s all. No harm in it.�

Elizabeth closed her eyes and frowned. �Ignored William� he was crying and you two ignored him, kept fighting,� she muttered. �And don�t insult my husband, Captain Sparrow.�

Jack was bewildered until another piece or two of the puzzle settled into place. He looked sadly at William who was sitting at his mother�s feet. His heart clenched as he realized that she still didn�t understand. �Love,� he said gently. �Elizabeth � you�ve been in the Locker, darling.�

Elizabeth�s eyes opened slowly, and she looked at Jack for a moment, unblinking. Her eyes slid across to William, and when she saw him, a sudden tear slid down her cheek as time and reality returned to her.

Jack stood and busied himself with finding a clean bit of cloth to bind Elizabeth�s hand with in order to give her a moment of privacy with her tears. He heard William move up to settle into his mother�s arms, and Jack ignored the twinge of jealousy that rose in him, unbidden. It was only right that it be William, and not Jack, who comforted her at this moment.

�Will!� It was the fear in Elizabeth�s voice that caused Jack to spin around in alarm, just as much as the name. �Where is Will?�

Jack felt a little cold. �You saved his soul,� he told her in an oddly steady voice. �Your death lifted the curse, and released him from his servitude with the Flying Dutchman. Do you remember?�

Elizabeth nodded slowly. �Yes, but� where is he now?� she asked.

Jack frowned. He realized he hadn�t really thought about what had happened to Will after Elizabeth had freed him. �I�m not certain � we�ve not seen him,� Jack admitted. �What you did worked as you intended. The Dutchman sank beneath the waves and vanished, along with your body. Tia verified that he was beyond her grasp,� he said. �It was my belief that he died.�

�Tia� Calypso,� Elizabeth said. �She was behind all of it. She tried to trick Will into believing� and then he saw - � she cut herself off and a pained expression crossed her face.

Feeling as though he�d been punched in the stomach, Jack nodded. �Yes, the old witch didn�t feel inclined to live up to her end of the bargain,� he said. �But you saw to it that she didn�t succeed, didn�t you?�

There was pain in Elizabeth�s eyes. �But Will� he�s dead?�

Jack couldn�t look her in the face. �I think so, love.�

All three of them were quiet and William sat up from where he lay against his mother, looking between the two adults.

Elizabeth�s eyes were downcast, staring into her lap. �Did you happen to get his heart?� she asked quietly.

Jack had been lost in his thoughts and didn�t understand the question at first. �His what now?�

�His heart,� Elizabeth said sharply, but then her voice softened, as though she�d thought better of it. �His heart� it was in its chest at the house. Did you think to collect it before leaving Port Royal?�

Another realization � she didn�t know. How could she? �Port Royal�s gone, love,� Jack told her gently. �An earthquake destroyed most of the city when you gave yourself to the waves � it�s likely underwater by now.�

Elizabeth stared at him, disbelieving. When he didn�t give her the expected punch line, her drawn face became even paler and she looked at William in shocked agony. �Oh God� William� oh God, I�m so sorry.� She pulled him close, rocking him in her arms. �I ruined everything,� she whispered.

Jack didn�t know how to reply. Nothing he said could take away the pain she must be feeling right now. He stood quietly and left Elizabeth and William alone together. He needed to think, and the boy would be able to do much more to help her than Jack could just now.

Walking to the railing about halfway down the length of the ship bearing his mother�s name, Jack grasped the railing with both hands, staring out into the distance. The sun was high above them now, and it was still hours until nightfall. Well he remembered the method for getting back from the Locker, as it had been he who had figured it out the last time. Souls could only return from the Locker at sunset, but sunset in this world would equate with sunrise in their own. Just before the sun sank below the horizon later that evening, they would need to capsize the Savarna, and with the green flash, the would re-emerge into the world of the living at dawn.

And then what? He couldn�t help but wonder. In all this time, Jack hadn�t once considered the possibility that Elizabeth and William would not remain with him on the Pearl. It was only now, in the face of her return and obvious suffering, that he felt uncertain.

It was not a comfortable position. Jack was not a man used to an uncertainty of emotions. In any other precarious situation, he might have been content to observe events and plan as he went. For once, Jack found himself erring on the side of caution, and he didn�t particularly like it.

Ina�s appearance at his side drew Jack from his reverie, and he managed a smile that didn�t reach his eyes.

�How is she?� she asked.

�Lucid,� Jack said. �She remembers what happened now. I left her and William to sort themselves out.�

Ina was watching him carefully. �It must be difficult for her� she saved her husband�s soul, only to lose his life.� She had heard all about the phenomenal Captain Swann from nearly every member of the crew on the Black Pearl, and was smart enough to make assumptions about what they hadn�t told her. �At least she has you on her side,� she observed.

Jack laughed without humor and avoided Ina�s gaze. �I�m not sure she�d consider that a point in her favor right now, dearie.� Looking at his hand, Jack realized he still had the clean bandana he�d intend to use as a bandage for Elizabeth. He unwrapped the cloth and handed it to Ina before she could speak. �Do us a favor and go check in on the lady, would you? Her hand needs seeing to.�

Ina stared at him with an unreadable expression, but then nodded, giving him a strange smile. Jack watched her go and sighed at his own cowardice. Looking around to see if anyone was close enough to have observed the conversation, Jack realized that the nearest person to him was his father. The Captain was looking in his direction with a face that dared Jack not to heed its unspoken summons.

Jack frowned. For once, avoiding talking to his father was the last thing he felt like doing.
*************************************

Elizabeth had stopped crying, but she continued holding William tightly in her arms, ignoring the dull throb burning in her left hand. She was afraid � truly, for perhaps the first time � that if she let go of her son, he would simply disappear. Realizing now that she had been living in the unreality of her mind for some time, Elizabeth couldn�t be sure that this was really happening.

Was she really holding her son � or was it just a trick intended to torture her further? Had Jack actually come for her � or had she just wanted him to come so badly that she�d manifested this vision of it happening? She felt a sob rise in her throat, and William�s arms tightened around her shoulders. When she inhaled a steadying breath, the familiar scent of him made her push him gently away from her so that she could look carefully at his face.

Lifting a shaky hand to William�s cheek, Elizabeth whispered, �Are you real?� Tears ran down his face, landing on Elizabeth�s hands. William was crying, but not the desperate sobs from her hell. These were the real tears of a little boy � her son.

�It�s really me,� William told her. �You�re here with me and Jack � we found you.�

�William� I�m so sorry I left you � I don�t know how I could have- �

�No, Mother,� William interrupted quickly. �You would never have let Father suffer for eternity if there was a way to stop it. What else could you have done after he left like that?�

Her face darkened. �Did Jack tell you � do you know why your Father left?�

William shook his head. �Uncle Jack never told me anything about it, but I guess�� He looked down at his hands. �I sent you after Uncle Jack� and Father must have seen you together and��

Elizabeth felt tears in her own eyes again. She clasped William�s face between her hands and met his eyes. �It�s not your fault,� she told him. �Your father saw me kissing Jack � that�s why he left. He thought I was being unfaithful, and all I wanted to do was say good-bye - � She couldn�t go on. Pressing the back of her hand against her mouth, she took a few deep breaths. �But he saw, and I think he saw more than that � things I can�t even think about.�

William didn�t understand what she meant, but before he could ask, the door opened, and Elizabeth turned her face to the wall to hide her tears.

But it wasn�t Jack. �Sorry,� Ina smiled gently at William. �I thought someone should take a look at your mother�s hand.� Elizabeth had turned in surprise at the unexpectedly female voice, and Ina nodded her head in an almost formal greeting. �I�m Latoniaina,� she said. �Call me Ina.�

�Elizabeth,� she introduced herself in a dazed voice. �Pleased to meet you.�

Ina took Jack�s chair beside the bed and took Elizabeth�s left hand in hers to examine it. She grunted to herself as if confirming something in her mind.

�Uncle Jack set the bones � I saw him do it,� William told her helpfully. �He was going to wrap it up but he must have forgot.�

Ina glanced at him. �He did not forget, he asked me to help.� Producing the bandana Jack had given her, Ina laid it out in front of her on the bed. �We must clean up the blood first before I wrap it.� She rose and filled the basin with clean water from the pitcher, and found William�s towel hanging to dry on a wall hook.

Returning to the bed, Ina began scrubbing carefully but vigorously at the blood and other fluids encrusting Elizabeth�s hand and forearm. She ignored the slight hiss of pain from her patient, but Elizabeth did not pull away, and soon Ina was done.

Wrapping the bandana around Elizabeth�s newly cleaned hand, she asked softly, �do you know where you are?�

Elizabeth shivered. �The Locker,� she said. �On board the�� confused, she looked around. �No� this isn�t the Black Pearl.�

Ina shook her head in confirmation. �You�re aboard the Savarna, Captain Teague�s ship.�

�Captain Teague � Jack�s father?� Elizabeth asked in surprise. �Are you a member of his crew then?�

�No,� Ina smiled softly as she finished a tight knot in the binding. �I began sailing with Mpanjaka � or Jack, I suppose � only a few weeks ago. We were friends as children.�

�Really?� Elizabeth had never imagined Jack as a child, and she found she couldn�t picture it. In some ways, he was still like a child. She suddenly realized that there was quite a lot she didn�t know about Jack�s past, and it made her feel suddenly dizzy. �You haven�t seen him in all this time?� she asked.

�We found her on Madagascar,� William said. �In Jack�s village. They were supposed to be married once,� he laughed softly in remembrance of their first conversation after discovering her aboard the Pearl.

�Oh.� That was something she could never imagine � Jack getting married. But she supposed if it would be to anyone, it would have to be to someone like Ina; tall, strong, somewhat like Anamaria, but lighter skinned and more exotic looking. There was a quiet possession about her too. She lacked the kind of anger that Elizabeth had so often seen just beneath the surface in so many pirates.

Ina grinned at William, seeming not to notice Elizabeth�s thoughtful silence. �Yes, once,� she said. �A long time ago, when a match between the chief�s daughter and a god meant prosperity and peace.�

�A chief�s daughter and a what?� Elizabeth stared at Ina before turning to her son.

�Jack�s a god,� William explained. �Or not really � he turned it down. But his mother was a goddess. This ship was named after her.�

Elizabeth lay back on the bunk�s pillow, not sure what to say. She might have said it was all ridiculously impossible, if she hadn�t lived the life she had. Still� Jack, a god?

Perhaps sensing how overwhelmed Elizabeth was, Ina stood to leave. �Rest now. Take your time recovering, and we�ll take care of the rest.�

Feeling as though she were in a position of weakness, Elizabeth tried to sit up again. Something about Ina made her uncomfortable. �I�ll be fine, just as soon as I�ve found something more comfortable to wear,� she said, trying to sound more in control than she felt.

Ina frowned very slightly, but quickly changed it to a smile. �I�ll see what I can do.�

�That won�t be necessary.� Elizabeth couldn�t explain what had put her on edge with the woman, but she was suddenly eager for her to leave. Forcing herself to ignore her exhaustion, she swung her legs onto the floor and refused to close her eyes when the room spun. Smiling in the way she remembered from her years as the governor�s daughter, she said, �Thank you for your kindness.�

Ina nodded and finally left. Elizabeth sighed with relief, and noticed William watching her with concern. �I�m all right,� she said softly. �I just need to get out of this torture device.�

William felt even more worried for a moment, until he realized his mother was referring to the strange dress she was wearing. He stood and helped her to her feet.

�Unlace me?� she asked.

Standing on the bed, William began untying the lacing at the back of his mother�s dress. He wanted to ask her why she hadn�t asked Ina to help, but she spoke before he could.

�William,� she asked quietly, turning around to face him. �Are you all right? I mean� Jack�s treated you well?�

Nodding, William said �It�s been bad, for both of us, but Uncle Jack�s been,� he stopped, thinking how to say it. �He�s been better than my own father. I love him.�

Elizabeth saw the truth in her son�s face, and she found that she couldn�t think about how that made her feel right now. It was all too much. To be rescued, to see her son and Jack, to learn that her husband was dead and to find out so many other things in so very little time � she needed more of it in which to consider things. As of right now, she wasn�t even sure what to do once they were free of the Locker.

Pushing everything else aside, Elizabeth focused on the two things that were the most pressing. The first was Will. Jack believed that he was dead, and without his soul bound to the Flying Dutchman or a heart in his chest, it seemed reasonable. Somehow though, she didn�t feel right letting it go at that, without knowing for sure. After all they had been through � after having sacrificed her life for his freedom, she couldn�t quite accept that he was just� gone.

Still, with Port Royal destroyed, her only link to her husband had disappeared beneath the waves. She had no home, and while this gave her the kind of freedom she�d always longed for, she still felt the enormity of its loss.

And then, of course, there was Jack. Any thoughts of freedom were inextricably bound to him, but the moment his face filled her head, she felt an overwhelming anxiety. All at once, Elizabeth knew that she had to see him � before anything else, she had to talk to him and hear what his thoughts were on the situation they were in.

It was suddenly immensely important, and she quickly struggled out of the corseted dress and ran to Jack�s trunk in the corner. It didn�t take her long to find a pair of trousers, a white shirt and a vest, and she pulled these on, choosing to remain barefoot until a suitable pair of boots could be found.
William watched his mother dress in silence, and seeing her in pirate garb for the first time made him feel better than he had in many months. She turned to him and smiled, a long lost glint in her eyes that he had never seen, and he realized that this was the real Elizabeth standing before him. His chest swelled with pride, and he stood on the floor, removing his hat to give her a sweeping bow.
He held out his arm to her, and Elizabeth took it. A thin sheen of sweat had risen to cover her face, but she ignored it, licking her lips nervously. Following William as he led her out of the cabin, she was glad to see that all traces of land had vanished from view. Better yet, the sun was very low in the sky, meaning her treasured freedom was closer still.
Searching eagerly for Jack, she found him on the stern deck. Captain Teague was at the helm, and he touched the brim of his hat in deference to her when she appeared. Jack himself stood off to one side, talking quietly with Ina. All at once, Elizabeth stopped, feeling uncertain again, but all thought fled her brain when he suddenly turned his eyes on her.
Jack had once said that men�s clothing did not suit her � that it should be a dress or nothing � but that comment did not correspond with the look he was giving her now. His eyes were wide, and his mouth opened slightly, before pursing in appraisal. He swallowed thickly, a muscle ticking at the corner of one eye, and then a crooked smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
He came down the steps to greet her, and took both her hands in his, holding them up at chest level. He looked fondly at his bandana covering her injury, and the pad of his thumb caressed the bare knuckles above the cloth. Jack met Elizabeth�s eyes, and said softly, �Hello, love.�
�Jack,� Elizabeth breathed in reply. She had questions for him, millions of questions, but she couldn�t remember a single one. If she still had doubts that she was really here with him, they were gone now, for no hell-vision would ever feel so peaceful as that very moment.
�Jack,� Ina called, drawing both his and Elizabeth�s attention. �It�s time.�
Jack cleared his throat. �Right,� he said. With a last lingering look at Elizabeth, he turned to shout to the crew, �All right, you dogs. It�s time to go home. Everyone understand what needs to happen? Good! Make sure anything that�s tied down is cut loose, and be ready when I give the signal.�
The scant crew sprang into action, including William. Elizabeth watched her son begin helping Marty free some of the cannons, and she suddenly felt the need to lie down again. It was all still too much to take in.
Jack was at her elbow, and his grip on her arm made Elizabeth realize he�d noticed her abrupt spell of fragility. �You all right?� he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he looked around. �Listen, love � I don�t want you wearing yourself out, and I don�t want you to argue with me on this, savvy?� He pulled her over to the nearest mast, and began winding a coil of rope lying beside it around her and the wooden pole.
�Jack!� Elizabeth protested, but even she could see it was no use. He gave her a steely look, and she was astonished to see only a hint of amusement in his eyes. �Don�t pretend you�re not enjoying this,� she said dryly.
Jack grinned as he finished the final know, and then looked up at her face through his eyelashes. �Not yet,� he said, and Elizabeth felt the heat rise in her face.
�What about William?� she asked quickly.
�He�ll be all right,� Jack assured her. �He�s a strong lad, and he�s proved himself time and again already. Trust me,� he added, seeing the uncertainty on her face. �I�ll not lose him.�
�Jackie!� Captain Teague called from the helm. �Best get started.�
Rolling his eyes for Elizabeth�s benefit, Jack walked away and called out, �All right then, all hands to starboard � you know what to do!�
They were far fewer than the crew who had brought the Pearl back from the Locker the last time, but it didn�t seem to matter on the smaller Savarna. Slowly, as the crew ran back and forth from one rail to the other, the Brigantine began to list heavily on either side. Elizabeth kept her eyes trained on William, and was relieved to see that he was indeed keeping up with the rest of the crew.
The ship was soon listing so heavily that for a moment it seemed only sheer will was keeping it from capsizing. The sun kept sinking lower, but still she wouldn�t turn. At last, Captain Teague shouted something Elizabeth didn�t understand, and all at once the Savarna was on her side, and still rolling.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, just seconds before they were submerged, and she wondered how long it would be before the sun finally set. She searched for William again, and found him just beside Jack, who was looking in her direction. The water glowed green for a quick second, and then seemed to rush up to greet them at a frightening pace. Just when she felt the ocean floor would smash into them, the ship broke the surface of the water, right side up once more.
Exhaling what little air remained in her lungs, Elizabeth breathed deeply, looking over the crew to make sure everyone was all right. No one had been lost, and for a moment they all lay on the decks, gasping and choking. Finally, Teague made his way back to the helm, and William ran over to untie her, followed by Jack.
�Welcome back,� he said, and Elizabeth didn�t miss the hint of pride in his voice that he had successfully rescued her. He finished untying the ropes around her, and she smiled at him in response.
�Yes, Captain Swann, welcome back.�
The voice froze the blood in Elizabeth�s veins, and she stared past Jack as both he and William spun around to stand protectively between her and the goddess Calypso.
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