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Catalina fought against all the negative thoughts and focused on the positive. Despite everything, despite having first run off, he had come back. She did not know if it was for glory, herself, pride, or a change of heart, but she huffed out a relieved laugh when she looked upon him once more. "Jack!"
He looked down at her with a grin. "'Ello, love." He then bent over to collect the gun and then hoisted her up. "I know you've a wonderful shot, however-"
"Take it, Jack." Clinging to his coat, Cata watched wide-eyed and heart racing as he aimed at the net. Will was still hanging from it and as Jack took the shot, he finally freed himself.
The kraken wrapped itself around the hoard of barrels and the blast of a gunshot sounded in Cata's ear. Gripping Jack tighter, she prayed the bullet would hit its mark. An enormous explosion then came from the cargo. Something tugged at her and she fell to the deck. Jack pushed her face into his chest, shielding her the best he could as fiery wooden shards rained down. There was silence and then the sound of the beast retreating to the depths.
Opening her eyes, Cata met Jack's, and a storm of emotion swirled in her chest. "You came back."
"I could never leave something so precious and treasured behind." With an affectionate smile, he pulled out his compass and opened it. The arrow spun for a moment before stopping. It was pointing right at her.
Cata's breath hitched and all fear and doubt vanished. Jack truly and deeply loved her, she was all he wanted.
"This was why I had Elizabeth in charge of this. You vex me, my dear, ever since I met you. Me leaving you only made it worse."
"Oh, Jack . . ." Placing her hands on his cheeks, she brought him closer and leaned her forehead against his. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you."
"You had every right, love." Shutting the compass, he kissed her. It was brief, they were in the middle of a fight and he was captain, but it was enough for Cata. The kiss was sweet and dare she say, new. Never had he kissed her in such a manner; it made her heart swell more.
"Come on," she muttered, pulling away for air. "This isn't over yet."
Standing hand in hand, Cata surveyed the wreckage. She had never witnessed destruction like this first-hand. Most of the crew was dead, lying throughout the ship between pieces of the beast that killed them. Jack squeezed her hand, and sucking in a breath, the two made their way to midship.
"Captain, orders!" Mr Gibbs shouted to Jack.
"Abandon ship," he said, handing the rifle over to his second. "Into the longboat."
"Jack, what of the pearl?"
He paused in his pursuit, and Cata turned to him. "She's only a ship, mate." She saw the sadness in his gaze and knew the vessel meant much to him.
"He's right. We have to head for land," Elizabeth agreed.
"It's a lot of open water," said Pintel.
Ragetti nodded and repeated Pintel. "It's a lot of water."
"We have to try," responded Will. "We can get away as it takes down the Pearl."
"Abandon ship," Gibbs nodded. "Abandon ship or abandon hope." Those that remained moved to the boat, following after him.
Catalina took a step and halted when Jack did not walk alongside her. She glanced over her shoulder and worry overtook her. He dropped her hand and it weakly hung by her side. "Jack, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." He shook his head and gave her a thin smile. "Go to the boat, I'll be with you in a moment, love."
"Alright." She turned to leave but he spoke her name and she stopped once again, brow raised.
"I love you."
"Te amo, amor." With a warm smile, she went to help the men load the longboat. She climbed down the ladder, watching her steps. When she reached the bottom, Ragetti was there to help her keep her footing. She sat and looked back up to find that Will had frozen, something had caught his eye. "Will, is everything alright?"
Snapping from his trance, he glanced at her and continued. Without a word, he sat, staring until Elizabeth finally joined them. "Where's Jack?" he asked her.
"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance," she replied, bitterly.
"Like hell, he had a choice," Cata snapped. In her rage, she made to stand, threatening to tip the boat over, but was stopped. Pintel and Ragetti struggled but eventually held her down, not without getting punched in the process. "Let me go! I just got him back!"
"Go!" Elizabeth shouted to Marty. Without hesitation, the rope was dropped and they began to drift away from the Pearl.
"No. No, no, no, no! Jack!" Tears were now running down her face and the scream she let out was gut-wrenching but no one dared let her go. With Will and Mr Gibbs now holding her, Cata slipped from her bench, collapsing onto the bottom of the boat.
Leagues away, the Kraken resurfaced and slowly brought the ship and its captain down. The only sound was that of Catalina's cries. Soon, the Black Pearl was no more and Jack was gone. Cata would never see the man she loved ever again.
Will let go and Mr Gibbs tucked the young woman into his chest. "It'll be alright, Miss. You'll see him again someday."
"I never got the chance to tell him . . ." she muttered, voice quaking.
"Tell him what?"
"That I forgive him, that I love him more than life itself, and that he would be a wonder father . . ."
Gibbs leaned back and wiped the tears on her cheek away. "Miss Catalina, are you-"
"Yes. It is why I was so angry that he left me, and why I was so eager to have him back."
"I haven't a doubt Jack's spirit will live through them."
Cata huffed out a laugh. "It'd be a miracle if they end up anything like me."
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Hundreds of miles away, Lord Beckett glared at two figures from his chair at his desk. One was a disgraced commodore, the other was his fiancée - the woman who personally threatened Beckett with a pistol all those weeks ago.
"I took the liberty of filling in my name," James told Beckett.
"If you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade. D'you have the compass?"
"Better," Clara voiced. She took a step closer and rested her hand on the lord's desk, leaning over him. Next to her, James dropped an object covered by a rough cloth. Beckett peeled his eyes away from the young woman to examine the parcel closer. "The heart of Davy Jones. May I get married now, your lordship?"
