"Commodore, may I speak with you?" I spoke confidently, attempting to catch Norrington's attention as I crossed the deck of the Dauntless to stand in front of him. Everyone turned to face me, surprise obvious on their faces. Jack looked thoroughly confused, his lip upturning in a grimace at the very prospect.
Norrington turned to me with a courteous smile and a nod, "of course Miss Swann, follow me," he replied. He then led the way to his private office onboard the ship and gestured for me to enter first, before closing the door behind us.
"What can I do for you Miss Swann?" He sat at his desk, offering me the adjacent seat.
"I wanted to thank you for coming to our rescue, it was very intuitive of you to find us in such a short amount of time," I spoke smoothly, taking a seat. He seemed to be taken aback at this, a proud and slightly smug smile forming on his face.
"Well Miss Swann, it is my duty to protect the nobility within Port Royal of course," he said with honour; his words said one thing but the smug look on his face said another.
"Oh come on James, I thought we would be past titles and formality by now," I smiled sweetly.
"Well- well yes, Lillian" he stuttered, clearly flustered.
"James, what is going to become of Captain Sparrow?" I inquired, trying to sound nonchalant.
"He will face the gallows, once we return to Port Royal." My stomach dropped and I felt my face pale.
"Say he was to be pardoned, what would that require?" I asked, trying to sound a little sultry, using my feminine ways to change his mind. His head shot up to me with a bewildered expression. "In theory," I added, shrugging lightly.
"Well he would need formal notation of pardon, a letter of marque, drafted and signed by a senior member of the Navy or an equivalent party," he said, still eyeing me closely.
"Such as yourself?" I prompt, gently rolling a strand of hair between my fingers.
"Well yes but Lillian you cannot be suggesting..." he cut himself off towards the end, clearly shocked.
"James, you and I have known each other for quite some time haven't we," I paused, waiting for him to nod which came a moment later, "If I could guarantee that Captain Jack Sparrow never set foot in Port Royal again, nor any of his crew, could we make an accord that he is to be pardoned?"
He seems flustered for a moment, silent, as he thought over the proposal.
"Lillian, how do I put this correctly," he paused, "you are a woman of both integrity and honour, but you have little understanding of the intricacies of naval workings and are naive in your efforts. The word of Jack Sparrow is hardly trustworthy and I would not sacrifice the safety of our nation, nor my reputation, on the word of a filthy pirate." His tone was cold and stern. "Now if that is all," he gestured towards the door.
I paused a moment, trying not to sound eager in my reply.
"What if I could offer some collateral in the deal?" This peaked his interest for a moment, I could tell.
"I have no desire for gold or silver," he said.
"Not all treasure is gold or silver Commodore." I had to bite back a smile at my words, knowing that the Commodore would be extremely upset to find the advice came from a pirate.
"Go on," he said, obviously curious now.
"James, I'll be frank. Elizabeth's heart belongs to another and we both know that she is headstrong. Although I cannot speak for her, I'm aware that she has not yet offered you an answer regarding your proposal," he looked down at this.
"My counter offer, is that should Elizabeth reject your proposal, I would offer my hand in marriage on the terms that Captain Sparrow will be pardoned and will not be pursued by the navy or any equivalent party, provided that he and his crew remain away from Port Royal." My hands were clammy and my stomach churned as I spoke the words. "My other term, is that we return to the isle to rescue William and ensure his safety, for Elizabeth."
"Lillian, I-"
"You said yourself that I am a woman of integrity and honour. We both know that my uncle's post as Governor was a factor in your proposal. After all, marrying the governor's daughter would be a very honourable and beneficial notion, why so should the outcome be different for his ward? You of course remember my father," I smiled sweetly, despite the pounding of my heart and sickly stomach.
The Commodore was silent for a moment, thinking about the options.
"And should Elizabeth accept my proposal?" He asked, his brow furrowed as he contemplated his options.
"The offer still stands Commodore," my stomach clenched at this, "you would of course have the privilege of choice. I only ask that you do not speak of this to anyone until we return to Port Royal, to save face for all of us." My words were steady and sickeningly sweet.
"Lillian, why would you do this for a pirate?" He asked, the distaste lingering.
"Commodore... James, I understand that Captain Sparrow is a pirate and may have committed wrongs that you and I couldn't fathom, but I request his pardon regardless. I cannot watch a man, pirate or not, who has saved both mine and Elizabeth's life, die at the hands of your men." I replied, my emotions clinging to each word.
"You are indeed an extraordinary woman Lillian," he stated looking up at me. "Very well Miss Swann, I accept your terms and proposal. Once Elizabeth has made her choice, I will then make mine." He looked up at me with an expression I couldn't place, a smile tugging at his lips. I smiled sweetly, nodding gently as I rose and walked to the door.
"Thank you James," I muttered, quickly exiting. Once I had closed the door I ran as quickly as I could to my cabin, sobs threatening to spill out of me.
Luckily, Elizabeth was nowhere to be found when I reached the cabin and I collapsed to the floor holding myself, tears streaming down my face as I sobbed quietly.
I wasn't sure why I was crying so hard, but the sobs kept coming regardless. The only thing I could think about was Jack, the thought of Jack finding out about this made me sick. I knew I was falling for him. I had denied it for as long as possible but there was no denying it now. Sure I was attracted to him, it started off simple with a curiosity in me trying to understand the complex and intuiting character he was, but over the time we had spent together and from what Elizabeth had said at the beach, I now knew it to be true.
I couldn't escape the irony of the situation; only weeks prior to this I'd have been thrilled at the prospect of taking James Norrington as a husband. I knew I could never be completely happy with that life, but it was the best I could have hoped for in my previous life, until I met Jack that was. Jack had given me freedom, given me a whole new perspective and way of life. I'd grown to care for the man in some ways, he inspired me and intrigued me and I couldn't help but feel the unease in my stomach as I sat crying upon the floor.
I lay on the floor sobbing as I replayed the conversation in my head. I knew it was the only way Jack could flee safely and that was the priority for me, no matter the cost.
I heard footsteps down the corridor getting closer to the cabin.
"Lillian, are you there?" It was my uncle.
"Just a moment!" I shouted, quickly wiping my face and trying to compose myself. I opened the door to him and he gave me a bright smile which quickly faltered.
"Lillian are you alright?"
"Yes uncle just fine, my apologies it has been a frightful journey," I lied.
"That's very understandable my dear, perhaps you would like to join us on deck, perhaps get some fresh air?" His note was light and understanding but I saw through it, understanding his desire to get me to socialise.
"Of course uncle," I nodded, walking past him and onto the deck.
"Elizabeth why must you try me. I have already said no. We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!" My uncle blazed as Elizabeth started shouting at him the moment we appeared on deck.
I could feel Jack's eyes on me, the heat of his gaze made my skin tingle but I couldn't look at him, not now. I knew my eyes would be a little red and puffy from my tears, but I pushed the thought away and carried on as if nothing was wrong.
"You're willing to condemn him to death?" She exclaimed, becoming irate with his stubbornness.
He frowned for a moment, "The boy's fate is regrettable, but then, so is his decision to engage in piracy," my stomach flipped upon hearing this. Clearly my uncle had assumed I was taken alongside Elizabeth.
"To rescue me, to prevent anything from happening to me, to either of us!" She exclaimed, dragging me into her argument.
"If I may be so bold as to inject my personal opinion," Jack spoke out. Hearing his voice made the churning of my stomach increase tenfold and I couldn't escape the feeling of guilt that plagued me.
"The Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle, it's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it," he continued, now facing Norrington. "The Black Pearl, the last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate, how can you pass that up?" He breathed. I knew by now that tone of voice meant that he had a plan.
"By remembering I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself," He declared.
"Commodore," Elizabeth pleaded, "I beg you, please, do this for me, as a wedding gift," my heart pounded now, knowing the decision would be made.
"Elizabeth, are you accepting the commodore's proposal?" My uncle spoke, his hopeful tone clear within his voice.
"I am," She nodded, sounding unsure of herself.
I felt Norrington's gaze wash over me, as if he was trying to gage my reaction to Elizabeth's words. I didn't look up at him or anyone else, I merely stated forwards blankly until the pirate captain standing off to the side began to speak up.
"A wedding?" Jack's eyes lit up, "I love weddings, drinks all around!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands around. "I know, clap him in irons, right?" He added, amusedly as he turned to Norrington. I couldn't help the chuckle that erupted from me. Despite how I was feeling internally, Jack seemed to cut right through it with his antics. His eyes snapped to me and I managed to catch a glimpse of his smirk before I promptly averted my eyes.
"Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearing to the Isla de Muerta. Then you will spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave,'" Norrington spat, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Inescapably clear," He confirmed with a small fake smile.
"Jack," I breathed out as he was led away by the men in uniform, the urge to protect him causing my little outburst. Thankfully no one heard my little slip and I focused back in on the conversation with Norrington, waiting tensely to hear his decision.
"I am humbled and honored you chose to accept," James spoke, his back straightening, "however," he paused and my heart pounded so loud I could hardly hear Norrington over the thumps.
"I fear I must decline your acceptance and withdraw my previous offer. My sincerest apologies Governor, Elizabeth," he nodded to each of them, casting a knowing glance my way before walking off to join his men. I felt like I was going to be sick. I breathed deeply as my uncle and Elizabeth stood there, faces locked in shock at the Commodore's actions.
—
Hours later, I walked back onto deck feeling completely out of place in a cabin below. The sun had long since set and the sky was now almost pitch blank, barely illuminated by a moon covered in clouds and mist. I held my arms around myself trying to fight the chill in the air as I walked across the quiet deck, my dress offering no protection to the current climate.
As I looked across to the port-side, I saw Jack standing alone, looking out towards the sea. I felt a tinge of guilt at seeing him look so deeply fixated on the sea, knowing that our return to port royal was inevitable and Jack's freedom would no doubt be taken away, despite the 'bargain' I had made with the Commodore. I wasn't entirely convinced that Norrington would uphold his end of the bargain and offer Jack parole.
"Still waiting for the opportune moment?" I asked, smiling over at Jack when his head whipped around to see me standing behind him. His smirk only widened at he looked at me walking towards him, towards the rail of the ship.
"Always love," he said with a smirk as we both looked out into the vast expanse of sea surrounding us.
I was stood about a metre away from him and it occurred to me that it was probably the furthest distance we'd stood apart in weeks. I tried to maintain my dignity and be respectful aboard a ship with many men of seemingly high values, but I secretly longed for the little touches Jack would give. The distance between us felt awfully symbolic and I battled with myself to close the gap.
Both of us were quiet for another moment and I thought carefully on what to say next. I felt that there was so much I had to say to him, so much to thank him for and overall to admit that I wasn't ready for him to go anywhere yet and yet nothing of that nature would come to me, so I settled for something more practical.
"You didn't tell him about the curse," I observed. Jack turned to me slightly with a raised brow and a teasing look in his eyes.
"I noticed neither did you, or your cousin for that matter," Jack chimed back, "for the same reason, I imagine."
"Norrington wouldn't have risked it, especially not for Will," I muttered.
"You could have gotten him drunk," Jack snarked. When I looked up at him, his eyes were shining with a look I couldn't place and he was smiling in a twisted way.
"You're a smart man Jack," I said, inching closer to him ever so slightly with a burning gaze. He paused a moment, his features softening as he gazed back at me. "But I played no part in that." His eyes twitched slightly as he looked over at me, clearly realising I was telling the truth. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't do whatever is necessary."
"Peas in a pod, darling," he replied, gesturing between us with his finger as he finally bridged the gap and stood beside me. I smiled up at him as his hand hovered a moment, as if he was fighting the urge to reach out and touch me as he usually would. I immediately pulled back as the figure of Norrington approached us from behind Jack.
He tossed Jack's compass back over to him and gazed between us, "with me, Sparrow."
Jack gazed at me a moment before he turned away and stride off towards the helm. I felt Norrington's gaze upon me but I continued to look at the figure of Jack walking away. Norrington then turned on his heel and followed Jack to the helm, leaving me alone on deck once again.
—
I did my best to avoid both Norrington and Jack for the remainder of the journey back to the island. I remained in my cabin alone thinking about my decisions; It was for the best, and I wouldn't have to deal with the outcry until we were back home and Jack was free. Norrington would of course know I'd deceived him the moment I went missing from the dauntless but I'd already come this far, I would deal with the consequences as and when.
My mind raced, half of me set on the idea and half of me doubtful of the reasons I was doing this. We needed to save Will, no question. But why did I also feel the need to save Jack? Norrington had already been lenient on him before for my sake, and for Elizabeth's. Would Jack risk his life for me once this was over and my true plan had transpired.
Elizabeth interrupted my moping and over thinking by walking in unannounced, throwing herself down on the bed. "What are you doing?" She frowned, obviously confused by my current efforts.
"I'm tying the sheets together, I'm going to get Will and help Jack," I said, my hands continuing to tie knots just as Mr Gibbs had showed me a few days prior.
"Wonderful!" Elizabeth beamed, "What can I do?"
"Keep an eye out for Norrington and his men, if he catches us they'll be no other way out," I said, hoping to get her to agree. She nodded eagerly and leapt from the bed and back out of the cabin.
Within ten minutes she had returned, carried along by two men and Gillette who proceeded to shove her into the cabin, "don't worry miss," Gillette taunted, "he's already informed of that, a little mermaid flopped up on the deck and told him the whole story," he teased, slamming the doors once he had finished, locking us in.
"You told him about the curse?" I asked, my voice shaky. I hadn't planned on that. Jack hadn't planned on that.
"He wouldn't listen," she shrugged, sitting down on the bed. Well that's one blessing, I thought, lest we need any less leverage than what we already had.
"Done!" I said, pulling on the ropes to test them, they seemed strong. "We left the boat just off the port side, if we drop the sheets from here I should be able to get to it from this window."
"I'm coming with you," she declared. I turned to face her but didn't argue, instead I nodded and walked over to the drawers by the side of the room.
"What are you doing?" She questioned.
"I can't bare to be in this dress any longer, I'm looking for some- aha!" I pulled the trousers out from the drawer, along with a white shirt that sat beneath it, clearly a spare for the crew.
"Do you have a knife?" She shook her head and began rifling through the drawers. She quickly found one and help it up triumphantly.
"Cut the laces for me," I said, needing to be freed from the dress quickly. She grabbed the knife and sliced through the strings, allowing me to step out of the heavy dress, finally.
I slipped on the shirt and trousers, thankful that they fit ok. The shirt was much too large and the trousers were a little snug on the widest point of my hips but they would do, much more practical than the dress.
Elizabeth had been given clothing almost as soon as we stepped onboard, a mismatch of spare naval uniform.
"They've dropped anchor?" I asked, earning a 'yes' from Elizabeth, "then we need to go."
I shimmied down the makeshift rope first, with much greater ease in the trousers, and landed in the boat safely, waiting for Elizabeth. It took her a few moments to climb down but she successfully made it to the boat with good time to spare.
"Now what?" Elizabeth asked, clearly relying on me to formulate a plan.
"We're going to need backup," I said, beginning to row towards the pearl, which I had spotted not too far away. She smiled widely nodding, clearly agreeing with my plan. We rowed in silence, Elizabeth keeping watch as I focused on the pearl.
I knew Barbossa wouldn't be so stupid as to leave the ship unmanned and so we climbed delicately aboard, careful not to be spotted.
Elizabeth saw them first, through the canon holes in the side of the ship: two members of the crew playing some sort of game and drinking in the crews quarters below deck.
We continued climbing, silently, and managed to climb over onto the deck. Just as we turned to run down to the holds, the monkey appeared in front of us ready to screech, which would no doubt act as Barbossa's alarm. Elizabeth quickly grabbed the monkey and threw him overboard before he could make another sound.
Suspecting the crew had heard the splash, we quickly ran down below deck, slipping into the storage hull as we heard the two crew members running onto the top deck having indeed heard the commotion.
We paused for a moment, ensuring they had gone, before descending the stairs down to the brig.
Familiar faces greeted us as we entered the brig. "Lily, Elizabeth!" Mr. Gibbs beamed as we came into view.
I grinned, happy to see them. Elizabeth was less than pleased but went along with it anyway.
I rushed forward, using the trick that Will had also used when springing Jack from his cell. Luckily the hinges were much of the same and the door fell open with a loud bang. Elizabeth looked on in amazement at my trick as the men piled out of the cell.
"Mr Gibbs, I need to speak with you, alone."
—
"All of you with us!" Elizabeth shouted, both of us reaching to hoist the boat into the water. When no help came, Elizabeth spun around to face them with an incredulous look on her face.
"Please," she urged, "we need your help, come on!" Still no one moved, each of the crew members turning their heads to Mr Gibbs who stood stoic.
"Port in the storm," Cotton's parrot screeched. It was a dialect I still couldn't translate, but I had a rough idea what that meant.
"Cotton's right, we've got the Pearl," Mr Gibbs spoke, moving towards us.
"What about Jack?" I asked, my voice crackling.
"He still owes me a boat remember," Annamarie spoke out, her demeanour unfazed.
"And there's the code to consider," Mr Gibbs added.
"The code? They're more like guidelines anyway!" Elizabeth shouted but it was no use, the pirates were never going to help us.
——
"I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain!" The undead pirate called out, just as we caught sight of Will upon re-entering the cave. It hadn't taken us long to row back onto the isle and locate the men.
"You like pain?" Elizabeth spat out, raising the staff she was holding and hitting the pirate around the back of the head, making the pirate sink to the ground. "Try wearing a corset."
Elizabeth quickly grabbed Will off the ground, extending her hand to him before the two embraced.
I picked up a sword from the ground, ensuring I was armed, before looking around in search of Jack.
That's when I saw it. He was locked in a fight with Barbossa, both of them now skeletons in the moonlight. He had a medallion. Had he had it all along?
"Will, you need to get to the chest and sacrifice your blood!" I shouted, not loud enough for anyone other than the two lovers to hear me before running off, cutting down the undead pirates who stood between me and the chest. Jack needed to sacrifice his blood now too, not just Will.
I finally made it to the ledge near the chest, cutting down a few more skeleton pirates who appeared behind me, attempting to keep me away from the chest.
I turned around quickly when an explosion occurred back near Will and Elizabeth.
The noise from the explosion threw Barbossa and Jack off just long enough for them to stop fighting and turn to where the noise had come from. Jack's gaze immediately washed over me, spotting me up on the ledge, his eyes wide.
As I held his gaze briefly, I made a motion of cutting my hand, hoping he would understand my signal. I then turned my attention towards Will, praying he would get here in time. Turning back to Jack, I saw him slice his hand, clearly where he held the medallion, before swiping at Barbossa a few times, throwing him off balance.
It all happened in slow motion.
Jack threw the now-bloodied coin through the air to Will who caught it instantly.
Barbossa then pulled out his pistol, aiming it directly at me, without even looking. I froze, knowing there would be no escape from the shot in my position.
A shot rang out and I flinched instinctively, preparing myself for the searing pain I imagined would come. I realised a moment later that I hadn't been hit and opened my eyes wide in shock, trying to find what had been hit instead.
When I turned to Jack, I could see his pistol was pointed directly at Barbossa's chest and his eyes looked stone cold, all emotion drained from his face.
He'd finally used the shot exactly how he'd intended.
"Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot," Barbossa grinned. Jack remained unfazed, glaring at the older man with an icy stare.
"He didn't waste it," Will replied, causing Barbossa's head to shoot around to look at him. Will then outstretched his hand and the last remaining bloodied medallions dropped into the chest; the curse had been lifted. Each man had atoned.
Barbossa dropped his sword, pulling open his overcoat to revel a bullet wound now pouring with blood. "I feel...cold," he said, void of all emotion. His limp body fell harshly to the ground, cold and dead, with a resounding thud. The apple he held in his hand rolling away from him, falling out of his grasp as the last semblance of life escaped his body. Barbossa was dead.
We all stayed frozen for a moment, silent, shocked. Elizabeth then ran to Will, both of them embracing each other tightly as they were reunited, safe again.
I stood there, still frozen, unsure what to do. My heart wanted me to run up to Jack in celebration but I knew I couldn't and so I settled for staring at the gilded treasure below my feet.
"That's an interesting look on you love," I heard the raspy voice behind me, a smirk tugging at my lips already just from the sound. I turned to see him smirking at me, now covered in golden delights, a large crown gracing his head. I laughed, deep belly laughed at the sight, finally allowing myself to feel what I knew I felt. He laughed too, reaching to place a smaller crown he held in his hand on my head, chuckling at the sight.
"Don't think the clothes match the crown darlin'," he said, still smirking. My heart leapt at his new name for me.
"They might not be my favourite look for me," I frowned looking down at the boy-ish, ill-fitting clothes.
"Mine neither," he rasped. I shot my head up so quickly that the crown fell off my head. Once again we chuckled and Jack stepped closer to me.
"You came back," he stated, grabbing a hold of my hand, watching it as they both entwined. It took a minute for me to reply, not sure what to say, I decided to use the humour route.
"There'd be no living with her if not," I said, using his own words from earlier. He huffed out a laugh, his eyes crinkling at the sides slightly as he nodded, still focused on our hands.
"Jack you're still bleeding," I said worriedly, breaking apart our hands momentarily. I untucked the shirt from my trousers and ripped it along the seams trying to rip out a strip.
I then grabbed Jack's bloody hand and wrapped the fabric around the wound, tying it in a small knot. He said nothing as I did this, just continued staring.
"You'd be a valuable part of me crew Lily," he said as if from nowhere, showing that's what he was thinking. "Sure I can't tempt yer?"
"Lily," I heard from beside me, Will. I dropped Jack's hand as Will stepped up and embraced me for a brief moment before I quickly stepped back.
"Good to have you back with us Will," I said smiling.
"We should get back Lily," Elizabeth spoke, moving to stand beside me. I breathed deeply and nodded.
Looking up at Jack, he seemed to be battling something within himself but quickly dropped to the floor, scooping up more gold, before walking past us.
"Now if you'd be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you could drop me at my ship," Jack swaggered onwards, carrying as much treasure as he could in his arms.
When we got to the shoreline, it was clear that the pearl was no longer there.
"I'm sorry Jack," I said, touching his shoulder as I had the first time.
"They've done what's right by them, can't expect more than that love," He sighed. I could tell he was completed stricken by it, all of his usual mannerisms completely gone as he sat beside me in the boat as Will began to row, the dauntless becoming larger with each stroke.
My stomach dropped, knowing what was waiting for me there.