![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Title: How Things Are
Author: GW Katrina aka![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-userinfo.gif)
icedark_elf
Recipient:kira_k
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Pairing: Jack/Elizabeth/James
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1,375
A/N: Thank you tokemis, artimusdin, and to forgottenlover for the betaing. For ![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
het_challenge
How Things Are
Of the three men who had ever shown true interest in her, Elizabeth Swann would honestly have to believe that William Turner, the one who really was the most common of the bunch, was the one who loved her the most. Oh, there was no denying the feelings that James and Jack both had for her, but William was the one who really made this possible.
She stood on deck, enjoying the sea air and a rare, rare moment of stillness. It was usually far, far too busy on the ship to stand idle like this, but….
The Pearl was anchored, with most of the crew on the shore, enjoying their stay on land. For a moment, Elizabeth felt the urge to be with them, but it quickly brushed away. She could have been, she knew. She was not forbidden dry land. But James had decided to stay on the ship, and so she stay here as well.
Will loved her, but he was a vengeful soul. It was his nature now.
They had found Jack, but not before finding James and discovering he still had the heart of Davy Jones. There had been a merry chase, both from James after Will had stolen the heart, and from Davy Jones himself before Will had finally destroyed it.
They had hoped to trade it for Jack, but eventually it was a life or death thing. She had thought that James was going to kill Will after Jones had gone down, back to the depths of the sea. Thankfully, he still cared enough for her that she had convinced him to stop.
There had been an uncomfortable period of time following that. James and Will had continued to glare at them both, or Will would give her the most forlorn looks. She did not understand why at the time.
She did later, when they found Jack.
There was a price to pay to return him from the kraken. The masterless beast must have a master. The sea must have her captain. There is a price for everything.
Elizabeth did not realize that Will had been planning this.
She did not understand when he had kissed her softly, then took up Tia Dalma’s offer on behalf of the sea. He did not lose his heart, but he lost his home, his land, and his chance to stand at her side.
Will kissed her lips and gave her the sea.
When Will took up the sea’s whispered offer, Elizabeth found herself on the Pearl, restored once more, with the crew who had been on the other ship, with James and with Jack. Will gave her the chance to be free, to ride the waves with the men who loved her, and who she, in honesty, found she had feelings back for.
Will stood before them, still wearing the same clothes that he had worn before, but something about him was different, she could see it in his eyes, in the way he stood.
He would never be her William again.
She remembered what he told her. “I know you love them. I see it in how you look at them, how you move round them.” The eyes were almost violent. “I saw the kiss.”
The kiss. He had seen her kiss Jack. He must have….
“You have all the sea as your freedom. I will give it all to you. As long as you travel with them, they shall never sink, they shall never drown, the sea will never take them. I will not lose you, Elizabeth, not forever, and as long as I can see you on the Pearl’s decks, I know that I will be happy.”
His burning eyes turned to the men he was leaving the woman he loved to. “If she is left behind, and one of you tries to sail without her, I will take you. There is no protection without a price. Elizabeth, I want you to be happy.”
His smile was the last she saw of him, then the great ship that Jones had captained appeared and William was gone, and the ghost ship along with him.
It had been hard at first, realizing what they had had forced on them. But…it was not something Elizabeth was unwilling to take. She had always studied pirates and their ways, for all the trouble it had gotten her into and out of, and Jack had not been far off in his declaration of her as a pirate. She took to the life like a duck to water, for all it destroyed her lady hands and the smoothness of her skin.
Jack said she tasted better this way, with the salt on her lips and the scent of the sea on her.
He had been the first to court her, and the one who had needled James into doing the same. The comments about letting a fine lady such as Elizabeth have no other suitor than Captain Jack Sparrow made James realize that if he didn’t do something, he would lose her a second time to someone he was very sure was unworthy of her.
So they had both taken their time and turns in courting her, and Elizabeth had paid no greater attention to one than the other. She found that James had a wicked streak of humor and a way with words to make even the most innocent of things sound vulgar when he put his mind to it. He had surprised her and Jack both when the man had gotten into a contest over Jack about how even the most innocent of things could be made to sound wrong.
And, Jack, surprisingly, or maybe not so much, could be a gentleman. He was the one who had brought her, not a dress, but a ribbon. Something sleek and shimmering and that she could use to tie her hair back and work. It was still something frivolous, but it was such a sweet gesture that she had felt tears in her eyes.
It took over a year, and she finally found the courage, and the will, to return their overtures. That, and a late night dream, or a real visit, she was never sure of which, from Will. In the dream, or it could have been reality, she was on the deck at night, and Will was standing there.
“The Elizabeth I knew,” he said lightly, “would never have taken this long to take what she wanted. I should know.”
“I never wanted to you to leave, Will.”
That bright grin of his, smile almost blinding in the tan of his face. “I’m not gone. I am everywhere the sea is. She gives me that gift as long as you live.”
Then his lips were against her forehead. “I want you to be happy. It’s why I gave you both of them, you know.”
“William Turner,” her shocked, amused voice drew an even larger smile from him.
“Go on. Take my gift to you.” His grin was teasing. “You, I imagine, would tire them both out.”
Before she could respond to that, she woke, in her bunk, with the morning light streaming in on her.
Dream or not, it was the push she needed. Jack would have welcomed either her or James to his bed, and that she wanted to be there with James as well was just as good as it got for him. James had been a bit more reluctant, but was willing as long as she was there between them.
Elizabeth knew that one day, she and Jack might convince him to change his mind.
But, for now, she enjoyed what she had. Jack on one side of her, James on the other, both their bodies lean and warm and work-hardened against hers, and the smell of the sea. If asked, she would smile and say that she could hear Will’s chuckle on the wind.
She never left either James or Jack on the ship alone, though. It would be far too easy to lose one or the other, and she didn’t know if this would survive that. Nor was she too willing to find out.
This was her life, and Elizabeth thanked William for it ever morning she woke.
Wordcounts:
November so far: 39,753
Nov 12: 1,375
Author: GW Katrina aka
icedark_elfRecipient:
kira_k Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Pairing: Jack/Elizabeth/James
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1,375
A/N: Thank you to
kemis, artimusdin, and to forgottenlover for the betaing. For het_challengeHow Things Are
Of the three men who had ever shown true interest in her, Elizabeth Swann would honestly have to believe that William Turner, the one who really was the most common of the bunch, was the one who loved her the most. Oh, there was no denying the feelings that James and Jack both had for her, but William was the one who really made this possible.
She stood on deck, enjoying the sea air and a rare, rare moment of stillness. It was usually far, far too busy on the ship to stand idle like this, but….
The Pearl was anchored, with most of the crew on the shore, enjoying their stay on land. For a moment, Elizabeth felt the urge to be with them, but it quickly brushed away. She could have been, she knew. She was not forbidden dry land. But James had decided to stay on the ship, and so she stay here as well.
Will loved her, but he was a vengeful soul. It was his nature now.
They had found Jack, but not before finding James and discovering he still had the heart of Davy Jones. There had been a merry chase, both from James after Will had stolen the heart, and from Davy Jones himself before Will had finally destroyed it.
They had hoped to trade it for Jack, but eventually it was a life or death thing. She had thought that James was going to kill Will after Jones had gone down, back to the depths of the sea. Thankfully, he still cared enough for her that she had convinced him to stop.
There had been an uncomfortable period of time following that. James and Will had continued to glare at them both, or Will would give her the most forlorn looks. She did not understand why at the time.
She did later, when they found Jack.
There was a price to pay to return him from the kraken. The masterless beast must have a master. The sea must have her captain. There is a price for everything.
Elizabeth did not realize that Will had been planning this.
She did not understand when he had kissed her softly, then took up Tia Dalma’s offer on behalf of the sea. He did not lose his heart, but he lost his home, his land, and his chance to stand at her side.
Will kissed her lips and gave her the sea.
When Will took up the sea’s whispered offer, Elizabeth found herself on the Pearl, restored once more, with the crew who had been on the other ship, with James and with Jack. Will gave her the chance to be free, to ride the waves with the men who loved her, and who she, in honesty, found she had feelings back for.
Will stood before them, still wearing the same clothes that he had worn before, but something about him was different, she could see it in his eyes, in the way he stood.
He would never be her William again.
She remembered what he told her. “I know you love them. I see it in how you look at them, how you move round them.” The eyes were almost violent. “I saw the kiss.”
The kiss. He had seen her kiss Jack. He must have….
“You have all the sea as your freedom. I will give it all to you. As long as you travel with them, they shall never sink, they shall never drown, the sea will never take them. I will not lose you, Elizabeth, not forever, and as long as I can see you on the Pearl’s decks, I know that I will be happy.”
His burning eyes turned to the men he was leaving the woman he loved to. “If she is left behind, and one of you tries to sail without her, I will take you. There is no protection without a price. Elizabeth, I want you to be happy.”
His smile was the last she saw of him, then the great ship that Jones had captained appeared and William was gone, and the ghost ship along with him.
It had been hard at first, realizing what they had had forced on them. But…it was not something Elizabeth was unwilling to take. She had always studied pirates and their ways, for all the trouble it had gotten her into and out of, and Jack had not been far off in his declaration of her as a pirate. She took to the life like a duck to water, for all it destroyed her lady hands and the smoothness of her skin.
Jack said she tasted better this way, with the salt on her lips and the scent of the sea on her.
He had been the first to court her, and the one who had needled James into doing the same. The comments about letting a fine lady such as Elizabeth have no other suitor than Captain Jack Sparrow made James realize that if he didn’t do something, he would lose her a second time to someone he was very sure was unworthy of her.
So they had both taken their time and turns in courting her, and Elizabeth had paid no greater attention to one than the other. She found that James had a wicked streak of humor and a way with words to make even the most innocent of things sound vulgar when he put his mind to it. He had surprised her and Jack both when the man had gotten into a contest over Jack about how even the most innocent of things could be made to sound wrong.
And, Jack, surprisingly, or maybe not so much, could be a gentleman. He was the one who had brought her, not a dress, but a ribbon. Something sleek and shimmering and that she could use to tie her hair back and work. It was still something frivolous, but it was such a sweet gesture that she had felt tears in her eyes.
It took over a year, and she finally found the courage, and the will, to return their overtures. That, and a late night dream, or a real visit, she was never sure of which, from Will. In the dream, or it could have been reality, she was on the deck at night, and Will was standing there.
“The Elizabeth I knew,” he said lightly, “would never have taken this long to take what she wanted. I should know.”
“I never wanted to you to leave, Will.”
That bright grin of his, smile almost blinding in the tan of his face. “I’m not gone. I am everywhere the sea is. She gives me that gift as long as you live.”
Then his lips were against her forehead. “I want you to be happy. It’s why I gave you both of them, you know.”
“William Turner,” her shocked, amused voice drew an even larger smile from him.
“Go on. Take my gift to you.” His grin was teasing. “You, I imagine, would tire them both out.”
Before she could respond to that, she woke, in her bunk, with the morning light streaming in on her.
Dream or not, it was the push she needed. Jack would have welcomed either her or James to his bed, and that she wanted to be there with James as well was just as good as it got for him. James had been a bit more reluctant, but was willing as long as she was there between them.
Elizabeth knew that one day, she and Jack might convince him to change his mind.
But, for now, she enjoyed what she had. Jack on one side of her, James on the other, both their bodies lean and warm and work-hardened against hers, and the smell of the sea. If asked, she would smile and say that she could hear Will’s chuckle on the wind.
She never left either James or Jack on the ship alone, though. It would be far too easy to lose one or the other, and she didn’t know if this would survive that. Nor was she too willing to find out.
This was her life, and Elizabeth thanked William for it ever morning she woke.
Wordcounts:
November so far: 39,753
Nov 12: 1,375