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"𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐓," bella said, looking around at the mess. none of it felt real.
"aye," gibbs agreed. "captain, orders!"
"abandon ship," jack replied emotionlessly. "into the longboat." he put the rifle down. bella stared at him in shock.
"jack . . . the pearl," gibbs spoke.
"she's only a ship, mate," jack responded softly.
"he's right, we have to head for land," elizabeth broke in.
"it's a lot of open water," pintel noted.
"it's a lot of water," said ragetti.
"we'll have to try it," will nodded. "we can get away as it takes down the pearl."
"aye, abandon ship. abandon ship or abandon hope," gibbs added, turning around to help load some supplies into the longboat.
bella stared around her, not processing anything properly. her mind was racing.
this was the same ship her father had once sailed on. she loved the pearl with her whole heart, along with its current captain.
in one day, the world was suddenly so different. however cruel the kraken was, its master would stop at nothing for jack to be killed.
slowly, her thoughts came to one conclusion.
she could never have him.
her eyes finally raised to the pirate she admired. jack was wandering around what was left of the pearl, saying his silent goodbye.
bella followed him until they were the only ones on the deck.
"thank you, jack," she said quietly.
jack turned around. "we're not free yet, love," his reply came. jack's sad eyes engulfed her, but she stepped towards him anyway.
"you came back," she murmured, taking his hand lightly. "i knew you were a good man since the moment i met you."
jack looked back at her, wordless. bella studied his countenance before longingly closing the space between them.
she crashed her lips against his in a kiss unlike anything they had felt before. driven backward to the mast by her contact, jack kissed her back with just as much energy.
bella found her place in his embrace, in the warmth of his lips against hers. not only did the fierceness of his touch electrify her, but she knew she had found her place inside his soul. she could've stayed forever, but the world can be cruel.
behind jack, there was an audible clink.
bella could barely meet his eyes, but she forced herself to.
"it's after you, not the pearl," she whispered against his lips. "it doesn't want the crew. we can never have each other, don't you see? it has to be this way."
jack looked at her with passion, fate settling into his stare.
"i'd rather give you a proper goodbye than have you ripped from me at any moment," bella whispered.
she blinked back tears as she searched his eyes. those bewitching brown eyes that had never once let her down.
"i'll be in love with you forever," she breathed. pausing, bella glanced across jack's face. "but it seems that hearts were made to be broken."
his gaze didn't move. expression full of admiration and desire, he ran his hand along her arm. "pirate."
bella almost smiled.
". . . i'm sorry."
she turned from him, unable to look back as she guarded her tears from falling.
bella hastened into the longboat. she was already full of regret. she refused to look back at the man she loved; the man she had just left to die.
"where's jack?" will asked her in a quiet voice.
"he—he decided to stay behind to give us a chance," bella lied, eyes glazing over. the crew looked up and hesitated to cast off. ". . . go!!" she exclaimed.
she couldn't bear this feeling, this sinking guilt.
they rowed away from the black pearl. bella stared at her feet.
the crew floated in the water and watched in mourning as the kraken took down the pearl in a tight embrace.
bella glanced up at the crew briefly as tears pricked her eyes. her breathing became strained and her vision blurred. already driven to madness by the hole of grief and shame in her heart, she leapt out of the boat without a second thought in a feeble attempt to get to jack.
"no! no!" she choked as the cold water splashed around her. "i won't leave you! jack!"
she felt will jump in after her and drag her back to the boat against her kicks and struggles.
still held by him, bella finally let the tears escape from her eyes. they ran in rivers down her face as she sobbed.
"no . . . jack . . ." will wrapped his arms around her tightly as she cried into his shoulder, empty and desolate.
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