Don't Blink [Open!]

[Elizabeth Swann]

The sounds of Elizabeth's boots echoed on the wooden floor of the empty pirate's hall. The steady thumping was a mask for the desire to leave this place behind, despite Will's adamant requests. He had told her not to go anywhere and to most certainly not go off trying to find him, but that wasn't what she wanted. Something inside of her ached for the feel of her fiancee's arms - a man that should be her husband, by all accounts. Not for the first time, she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't plucked that piece of Aztec Gold from around his neck so many years ago. She'd be a lady of society still, if she hadn't hung herself. Married to a commodore, then an admiral - now dead, for all she knew. The rumor that James Norrington walked again hadn't yet reached her ears.

She felt guilty for James's death on the Dutchman. The memory was fresh enough in her mind that Elizabeth's hands tightened into fists as she tried to get better control of her own stomach. He should have come with them, though pirate life never would have truly suited him. He was happy with his rules and his order - she was not. Nevertheless, he had proved to be a good man in the end. It was a pity it took the end to reveal that side of him. Her mouth twitched upward in memory of the expression on his face when he heard that Will wanted her hand instead. Life married to a blacksmith instead of a commodore - it wasn't what her father had expected, to say the least.

Thinking of her made her hurt further. Her father shouldn't have died. Bubbling hatred burned in the pit of her stomach as her jaw tightened. They hadn't seen eye-to-eye, but that didn't stop her from loving him like any daughter would. Not for the first time, she was grateful Beckett rotted at the bottom of the ocean in his broken wooden tomb. Scowling, she spit on the floor. May he stay there forever, or she'd chain him there herself. Bastard.

Leaning up against the window, she stared out over the ocean as the sun crept lower in the sky. Every night Elizabeth came here to watch the sun set in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a green light flashing through the sky. She had stood here months now and never seen it. Did Will ever think of sailing to Shipwreck Cove and looking for her? Part of her wished he wasn't so bound by his own honor. Part of her wanted him to break those ancient magical rules and come to her and never leave her. But it was not to be. Will was a good man. He would never. It was best he had the job and not her. Perhaps it was her punishment for straying so far away from the mold society placed her in.

Her eyes fixated on the horizon now, watching the golden globe sink deeper and deeper. Come back, Will, she thought, unable to help the selfish prayer. Come back to me. Her shoulders tensed, fingers digging into the wood of the windowsill. The sun hovered above the water, tantalizing in its golden-rayed glory before it touched the rippling waves. Elizabeth hadn't blinked for fear that she'd miss it. But as the sun sank into the ocean, there was nothing to miss.

When it finally disappeared, Elizabeth turned away, unable to look at the empty ocean again. "He loves me, he loves me not," She muttered quietly to herself, reciting an old childish phrase out of bitter habit. She didn't mean it - she knew he would come back. She just didn't think he'd really wait ten years. Her head leaned back against the wooden wall, and her eyes shut as the familiar feeling of restless depression settled again on her shoulders like a well-fitting coat. Will.

[barbossa]

Some unfinished business, as well as the need for fresh supplies, had brought the Black Pearl to Shipwreck Cove. The Cove was always a good place to get lost in when being pursued. But on those rare occasions for a pirate when pursuit was not a concern, Shipwreck Cove could feel a bit oppressive. Sure it was supplied like a fortress and could be defended against almost anything but a well-defended fortress could also feel much like a prison.

Barbossa had just left the Cutlass Tavern and he was eager to get back on the water with wind in the sails. And that’s exactly what Hector would have done if he were the captain of his own ship. But alas, he was bound like a ball and chain to Sparrow…who was probably off at the Drunken Lady doing all sorts of things TO some drunken ladies. Wind in the sails would have to wait just a bit longer.

But even thoughts of Sparrow as his co-captain could not crush Barbossa's fine spirits this evening. He had recently concluded some business at the tavern, striking a deal with one of his "suppliers" who worked out of the Cove. With all the plunder that the old pirate had taken over his many years in the business, there was one item that never seemed to be in great abundance - excellent Scotch whisky.

But his contact in Shipwreck Cove always seemed to have some on hand – for the right price. The right price this time had been a number of casks of rum that had been spirited away from beneath Jack's very nose the night before, along with some other choice items from the hold of the Pearl. A trusted member of the crew was now transporting the large crate of whisky to the ship – minus a bottle for himself as well as the bottle that was tucked into a pocket of Barbossa's coat.

Instead of returning to the ship, Barbossa headed toward Pirate Hall for a ritual of his own. What better way to acknowledge and pay respect to the ghosts of piracy past but to lift a toast in the great Hall itself with the finest drink around?

At this late hour the Pirate Hall appeared completely deserted, the dim light of the setting sun barely shining through the loosely timbered walls and ceiling. He stood at the end of the long council table, eyes sweeping the vast chamber as he pried the cork from the bottle. A movement off to the side caught his attention. He quickly realized he was not alone when a figure, still deep in shadow, materialized out of the darkness.

Barbossa quickly drew his pistol, cocked it and growled out, "Show yerself."

((I'm a little slow in writing so please be patient with me. ^_^))

[Elizabeth Swann]

No worries at all! Take your time - I don't mind waiting one bit (:

Elizabeth leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the hurt that gripped her chest. It wasn't fair of Will to make her miss him this much. Immediately she berated herself for thinking that way - there was nothing she could do about it now, and there was no sense in whining or complaining. Still, she wished Will would visit her. It wasn't fair to be left so alone, even though he couldn't visit her on land. She would gladly sail the ocean for him, but he didn't want that. It was dangerous, he had told her. There were men in the East India Trading Company and the British Navy who knew of Elizabeth Swann. She was not to put herself in any danger.

But it appeared it was not to be that way. As she leaned against the wall, she heard footsteps approaching from the outside. She froze in the shadows, not moving as a pirate wandered into the hall, a bottle of rum in his hands. She resisted the urge to snort. How typical of men. Her eyes adjusted to the difference in light and found the profile a familiar one. Hector Barbossa, in port for the evening and by the looks of it, he intended to enjoy it. Elizabeth was half surprised he didn't have a whore on each of his arms. It almost seemed unlike him. He took the cork out of his bottle, and she shifted her weight to her other foot. It was that he saw.

Elizabeth's eyes traced the end of the pistol pointed at her before she raised her eyes to Barbossa's. "Isn't this a familiar sight," Her voice was tinged with amusement and just a hint of suggestion as she stepped out of the darkness so he could see her better. "It's not the first time you've pointed your gun at me, now is it?" She stepped toward him, unconcerned with his weapon - by now, she doubted Hector Barbossa would shoot her and if he did, then chances were she'd die quickly. It would be a sooner reunion than Will intended, but she would be grateful for it. Perhaps her recklessness was that part of Elizabeth that salivated for adventure.

A cheeky smirk had settled onto her mouth as she paused in front of him. "It's been a long time, Captain Barbossa." Her dark eyes settled on his, waiting for his reaction. "What brings you and the Pearl back to Shipwreck Cove? The last I heard, you'd made port in Tortuga." That was Elizabeth - always having to know things that were meant to stay secret. In a moment, she'd interrogate him about Will, and about the goings on of the navy. For now, her sharp gaze fixed itself on him as she waited for him to speak.

[barbossa]

The other person shifted out of the shadows and turned more toward the dim light that filtered in through the holes in the ceiling. Just as Barbossa was beginning to realize who it was, she spoke and he slowly lowered his pistol. Elizabeth.

Barbossa merely chuckled at her reminder of their past. “Well….if it isn’t th’ Pirate King.” His voice was thick with sarcasm but his eyes danced with amusement. As she made her way closer he shoved the pistol back in his belt and then made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the entire empty room. “Are ye here t’ rein o’er yer serfs yer majesty?”

And then she was down to business, bluntly asking what was on her mind. He took a long drink from the bottle as he considered her questions, the whisky burning a pleasant trail down his throat and then pooled with a warm heat in his belly. It occurred to him that she must still be quite naïve if she thought he would simply answer all her questions just because she asked them.

Although his eyes still shone with amusement there was an edge to his voice when he finally answered her, “Ye can find Sparrow yerself if ye be interested in wha’ goes on wit’ the Pearl. If I remember correctly….’twas Jack who be wrapped ‘bout yer little finger. I’m sure ye can bind him t’ somethin’ substantial and force th’ information ye desire.”

[Elizabeth Swann]

"Well….if it isn’t th’ Pirate King. Are ye here t’ rein o’er yer serfs yer majesty?” Elizabeth smirked, though part of her was uncertain as to whether or not Barbossa was mocking her. It would certainly be unlike him to show respect toward anyone who didn't serve his own interests, much less her - she still remembered being stolen away from her home in the governor's palace that fateful night Barbossa and the Black Pearl invaded Port Tortuga. If it weren't for the man standing before her, she might have been married to James Norrington and still strapped into a tightly-laced corset at that. Just the thought of it made her chest ache. It would seem she owed a lot to Hector Barbossa - maybe.

"What I'm here for is my business alone, Captain," She quipped in reply, though her eyes flashed with a quick amusement. Shipwreck was her home until Will came for again, though it would take many a year before the two lovers were to be reunited and even then, it would only be for a day. Sometimes she wondered if he would age while she was trapped here. It wouldn't surprise her. The thought bothered her - would he want her, if she grew old while he remained young forever? Was there some sort of magic that could keep her young forever too? Three years ago, she wouldn't have believed such a thing existed. Now, she would believe anything.

She waited while Barbossa helped himself to his rum, though she couldn't resist rolling her eyes inwardly. Pirates, she thought to herself, watching as he had his fill before straightening to speak to her again. It was so like him to do things on his own time. “Ye can find Sparrow yerself if ye be interested in wha’ goes on wit’ the Pearl. If I remember correctly….’twas Jack who be wrapped ‘bout yer little finger. I’m sure ye can bind him t’ somethin’ substantial and force th’ information ye desire.” That made her flush, though she had no reason to - her heart belonged to Will, she reminded herself. For a moment, her mind flashed back to the heated kiss she'd used to bind Jack to the mast of the Pearl. Guilt flooded her stomach, and she forced the memory away again.

"Ah, but I'm asking you, aren't I? I'd rather here it straight from the Devil himself." Her eyes watched Captain Barbossa, trailing over the man's face as she waited for his reply. Even now she was surprised they were still alone - the man always seemed to have his fair share of company, whether it was his crew or wenches from a nearby tavern. "Where have you been these past few months, Barbossa, and what sort of trouble have you gotten into?" She wanted to hear about the Navy's movements and the actions of the East India Trading Company - she wanted to hear real news. It frustrated her to know that Barbossa might tease her until he gave it to her.