Pirates of the Caribbean: Shadows of Destiny

1. 'Part of the crew, part of the ship.'

There Jack stood holding the heart of Davy Jones, unsure if he should stab it himself, or save Will from death by letting him stab the heart. The weight of the decision hung heavy in the salty ocean air, and the creaking sounds of the ship seemed to echo the tension.

Both Jack's fate and Will's tangled with the beating heart in Jack's hand, but seeing how miserable Elizabeth was, the choice was made rather quickly. He wanted to save Will.

On his way to get Will to stab the heart, he was met with Bootstrap, who, in the chaos of the battle, accidentally stabbed the heart while fighting Jack, making him have to become the Captain of the Flying Dutchman.

Jack's eyes widen as he realizes this means Will is.. gone.

Having to leave The Flying Dutchman now, since Davy Jones got defeated, was not how Jack actually had imagined it.

Jack walks over to Elizabeth to tell her "We have to go, Elizabeth," with a soft tone, this really made his heart ache. Not only did he just lose a friend, but seeing how sorrowfull Elizabeth is, made it even worse.

"We can't just leave him here," Elizabeth exclaims with a broken tone. Jack grabs her hand and takes her along with them; he had no other choice than to leave Will's deceased body there.

Once back on the Black Pearl, Elizabeth releases herself from Jack's grip and runs towards the stairs. She sits down to progress everything that just happened.

"She's been sitting there for hours by now," Gibbs tells Jack.

Jack squints his eyes, observing Elizabeth lost in her thoughts. "Well, she's got a right to mourn, doesn't she? We've been through quite a bit today, savvy?"

Barbossa walks towards the conversation. "Aye, the sea cares not for the titles of wife or widow. It giveth and taketh away."

Both Gibbs and Jack give him a confused look. Barbossa rolls his eyes.

"A wife one minute, a widow the other," Barbossa repeats.

All of them look back at Elizabeth, who's still staring into the distance.

Barbossa continues, his voice carrying layers of sea-salty wisdom. "Life can be a fickle thing, Captain Sparrow. A moment's joy can quickly turn to grief."

"Maybe ya should say somethin' to her," Gibbs starts. Jack gives him a weird look and then walks away acting like he didn't hear what he said. Gibbs looks confused as Jack walks away.

Later that night, when the crew had settled back into their duties on the Black Pearl, Jack found himself on the deck, staring at the light reflecting on the ocean under the moonlight. Enjoying the creaking sounds of the ship, and the waves of the ocean.

As he stood there, Gibbs approached him again, more insistent this time. "Captain, you can't just run away from it. She needs somethin'."

Jack looked at Gibbs with his thinking look, "What can I say, Gibbs? Words won't bring back the deceased."

Gibbs, unfazed, responded, "Aye, but they can offer serenity, Captain. Maybe, that's all she needs right now."

Jack gives him a skeptical look, but Gibbs continued, "She's lost her love, Jack. The least you can do is acknowledge her misery."

Jack thought about Gibbs' words for a moment, realizing there was some truth in them he wouldn't be able to deny. And with a reserved nod, he decided to approach Elizabeth.

As Jack neared her, Elizabeth looked up, her eyes reflecting the amount of sorrow that is kept in her heart. Jack sat next to her, in the quiet of the night, where only the sound of the sea can be heard, Jack spoke gently, "Losing someone.. eh, it's like a wound that quite never heals."

Elizabeth gives him an apathetic look, "It's your fault, Jack," she says annoyed but broken.

Jack's gaze softened, trying to understand the depth of her pain. He takes a deep breath before responding, "Lizzie,.. I ain't one for apologies, but..," he sighs before finishing his sentence, "I'm genuinely sorry for what happened to Will. I would change his fate, if only I could."

Elizabeth remains silent for a moment. "And you're sure there isn't anything we can do?" She asks.

Jack looks down. "No, there's nothing," he tells her. Since the only person who would've been able to do such thing, Tia Dalma, also isn't among them anymore.

Elizabeth takes a big sigh as she puts her head in her hands, covering her face.

Jack hesitates for a moment before placing a comforting hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.

This makes Elizabeth's mask break, putting her face on his chest to hide the fact she's crying.

Jack lets her lean against him, offering a form of support. The night air is filled with the sounds of the ship and the soft breeze of the sea. He now understands the weight of her loss.

Elizabeth's tears get absorbed by the fabric of Jack's coat. Despite the unpleasant feeling of wet fabric against his chest, Jack tolerates it for the sake of Elizabeth's comfort.