A Love That Flows

21:

"It's the second time I've watched that man sail away with my ship." Jack tells us, as I sit in my corner, alone.

He grabs my hand and helps me up, as we take a walk around the island.

"You were marooned on this island before. We can escape the same way." Bethie begins.

"To what point and purpose, young missy? The Black Pearl is gone. Unless you have a lot of sails hidden underneath that bodice, unlikely, young Mr. Turner will be dead long before we reach him." He tells Bethie, knocking on the tree next to us, as I sit on the ground waiting for them.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow. You vanished under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau port without a shot. Are you the pirate I've read about or not?" Elizabeth questions.

"Bethie, stop. There's no point. Look around, even if we did get off the island, where would we go? There's no one around. No boats, this is just one island in the middle of the sea that possibly no one knows of. We're stuck here. William's dead. Deal with it!" I snap.

"Anna-" She begins.

"I'm sorry, I know it was harsh, but it's the truth." I whisper, wrapping my arms around my knees, and resting my head on them.

"Last time, I was here a grand total of three days. All right? Last time, the rumrunners used this island as a cache. They came but and I was able to barter passage off. From the looks of things, They've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that." Jack tells us, breaking into a hidden cellar, and grabbing bottles of rum.

"So that's it, then? That's the secret, grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days lying on a beach drinking rum." Elizabeth questions.

"Welcome to the Caribbean, love." he tells my sister, handing her a bottle of rum.

That evening, I lay with my head on a log, covered in Jack's jacket, my thoughts in 1,000 different places all together.

Jack and Elizabeth dance around the bon fire, singing some old pirate diddy. Jack falls next to me, and wraps his hand around my head, letting me lay my head on his chest, like the first night we shared a bed.

"When I get the Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time. Me, Anna-marie, and the crew, really bad eggs!" Jack shouts, drunkenly.

"You will be the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Main." Elizabeth tells him, flirtatiously.

"Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire world! Wherever we want to go, we go. Wherever Anna-marie wants to go, she'll go, and I'll go with her! That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and hull and deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is, is freedom. It's a home for me. Hopefully, for Anna-marie and for her baby. If she'll have me." Jack tells Elizabeth, thinking I'm asleep.

"Jack, it must be really terrible for you to love Anna, but to be sure if she loves you in return." Elizabeth tells him.

"I don't love Anna. I do care for her, deeply, but love? No." He tells her.

"It must've been horrible being on this island alone." She tells him.

"Ah, yes, but the company is infinitely better than last time. And the scenery has definitely improved." He says, his hand clutching mine. 

He leans over, and presses a long, sweet, loving kiss to the top of my forehead. He then drinks the rest of the rum, until he collapses next to me.