bringmethatnpc | (no subject)

(no subject)

The Black Pearl sails on through the endless seas of the Locker, its main deck a regular bustle of crew labouring under the command of two captains, both determined to stake their claim on the vessel.

The crew themselves are active and enthusiastic, spurned by the thrill of rescue and the need to learn a ship few of them have sailed on before. It's only below decks, in the hold, that any peace can be found, away from the ready ears of pirates.

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Will retreated down here under the pretense of stowing unneeded rope. Then he stayed down under the pretense of checking on the powder stores. Now he's beginning to wonder how he can explain why he's been down here so long.

And he still doesn't know how to talk to Elizabeth.

He's worked it out, of course, mostly. He thinks he knows why she was kissing him; understands what a distraction it would be; he understands that what he thought was mourning the man she loved was remorse for a friend she murdered, and above all he knows why she had to do it.

But he can't stop feeling so angry. It's a relief, after nearly a year of mournful resignation.

It's not that Elizabeth is hiding, exactly. She's not; if she wanted to hide, she would find a much better spot to do so than the stairs to the main deck. Sitting tall and proud, hands clasped together above her knees, she is illuminated by the light from above and perfectly visible should anyone come looking.

There's little surprise on her face when she turns her head and sees that Will is nearby, hovering in the shadows; somehow she knew he'd be the first to seek her out. She is painfully aware that he's the most deserving of an explanation.

Their eyes meet, Elizabeth's expression guarded. Quickly looking away, she goes back to contemplating the darkened wood before her.

It's not that she's hiding. She simply feels too numb to move.

Elizabeth looks away, so Will immediately looks away as well, eyes dropping to the deck below him.

"You left Jack to the Kraken."

To save her life. To save his life. It's as good an opening as he's got, right now.

For a moment, Elizabeth doesn't even acknowledge that he's spoken. She doesn't agree, nor does she offer any excuse.

"He's rescued now," she says, "it's done with."

Her voice is even and almost too calm.

That's all she has to say? No explanation, no apology, not even an acknowledgment that he's right?

Part of him still wants to tell him that he understands, that he'd have done the same thing - he's been trying to kill Jack since the day he met him.

Of course, death by sword-point isn't quite the same as chaining someone up and letting them be taken to Hell...

...and not even telling your fiancé.

Will turns away, lest he give way to his sense of betrayal.

He turns away, and Elizabeth inwardly recoils at the shock and the pain. She'd almost convinced herself that everything really would be fine when they rescued Jack, and this blatant evidence that it is not jerks her out of her own self-pity, forcing her to deal with this sooner than she would have liked.

"Will, I had no choice," she insists, hastily rising from the stairs to stand behind him.

He knows. He knows that was the only option, and it's infuriating because she just doesn't seem to get why he's angry.

He addresses a point on the inside of the hull.

"You chose not to tell me."

No, she doesn't fully grasp why he's angry. She'd expected some disappointment, a certain amount of discomfort, but not this. Can't he see that she wanted to save his life as well?

"I couldn't!" she bursts out, incredulous and slightly indignant, and it even sounds childish to her own ears. There's a pause while she sets her mouth in a thin line and has a brief internal debate, then, "It wasn't your burden to bear."

It's sincere, with an underlying stubborn edge.

Will turns back to her now, trying to work out why she'd say that. And try and he might, he can't keep out of his voice how much she's offended him.

No one, not even Barbossa, who would have killed her; not even Norrington, who tried to steal her from him; not even Jack or Davy Jones has ever made him feel so helplessly pain struck.

"You told Tonks."

Elizabeth stares back at him, dark eyes huge and hurt.

"I had no choice," she says again, though this time it's far less convincing. She gives her head a quick shake. "I had to tell her. If she was going to assist us by using her magic on the door, she needed to know why she was taking the risk. She needed to know what was at stake."

Unapologetic, she lifts her chin and struggles not to betray her own uncertainty.

Almost cautiously, Will steps towards her, eyes serching her face in quick, rapid jerks.

"And I didn't?"

Unconsciously leaning forward like she's pushed by a gentle breeze and it's as natural as breathing to sway toward Will, Elizabeth opens her mouth to say something and shuts it again. Catching herself, she straightens.

"Would it have changed anything?" She raises an eyebrow. "You didn't come here to rescue Jack. You came to rescue the Pearl."

"It would have changed things between us," Will tells her. "A year, and you wouldn't share with me."

Wounded, she hardly waits for him to finish before objecting.

"We were trapped, and what would it have gained? It would only have upset you."

"And I wasn't upset already?"

He hasn't moved, so close he can smell her, just waiting, hopelessly, for a reaction.

"I just didn't know why I was. I thought..."

He can't put it into words. Can't say that he lived for a year thinking she had betrayed him. Besides, he's spoken too much.

She starts to take a step, to close at least the physical distance between them, and searches his eyes. Telling him would have changed things; for the worse, she feels. But now that it's over and done, she's no longer keeping it from him, and that's all that was...

Her eyes widen and her lips part in astonishment as realization sets in.

"You thought I loved him," she guesses, unable to hide a hint of accusation.

Instead of moving closer, she turns away.

No.

Will closes his hands on her arms before she can turn. They're going to talk about this if he has to make her stay.

He steps forward, pushing her back until she's brought up against one of the walls partitioning the hold.

Elizabeth hadn't intended to go far -- just a few short paces away while she considered this new revelation -- and surprise registers on her face.

This is Will.

He's only stopped her from leaving and pushed her against a wall, but she's never considered that he might do even that.

And the parallels between this and the way she backed Jack into the mast don't escape her attention. Her eyes dance over Will's face, and she briefly entertains the notion that he might kiss her.

He's has surprised as she is, to be honest. Never has he had so little control over his own actions, never has he felt so wounded by someone he trusted.

And now he knows he's gone further than he should have, but she betrayed him.

"If you make your choices alone, how can I trust you?"

The answer is so obvious that it cuts like a well-sharpened knife, and Elizabeth holds her breath, wanting to rail at him, wanting the only reply she can give not to be true, and wonders if this spells the end.

(Pirate)

"You can't," she manages, voice quiet and honest and just short of breaking.

Unable to bear whatever he might say in response, and, if she's honest with herself, not wanting to deal with what this might mean, she breaks away from him and scurries up the stairs.

Will jerks his arm up to let her leave, worried that he'll do something he'll regret if he tries to make her stay.

He just wanted to talk this out. He'd intended to share his own secret, so they could work things out. They were supposed to get better when they rescued Jack.

He rests his hands against the wall as she goes, and wonders how he managed to mess it up so spectacularly. But he's not going to give up on her.

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