One-shot: For Love is as Strong as Death

[honorat]

By Honorat
Rated: PG
Pairing: Will/Elizabeth
Warning: DMC SPOILERS
Disclaimer: I owe Disney my soul.

Summary: This is a moment in the movie that I have never heard discussed, so I thought I would attempt to write it and provoke a discussion. Elizabeth’s POV. 600 words. Thanks to geek_mama_2 for betaing this.

* * * * *

She had expected to be married to Will by now, not killing him.

But now he is bound to a far darker mistress, chained by the choices of love and responsibility, trapped by remorseless rope to a bride of sky-flung explosion. And she will consummate that union herself. Hers will be the hand that pulls the trigger.

The fire that has always flowed under the surface of his skin, that has always kindled an answering blaze in her own blood, will burn against the sky in an inferno of annihilation. He will be all the light in her life for one last time before their world ends.

Whatever you do, don’t miss, he has commanded her. As soon as you’re clear, she has told him. But he will never be clear, now. And though the heat of a grief yet to come sears her heart, the barrel of the rifle is steady. She will not miss, because she must not.

The slender hollow cylinder of steel tracks the wild gyrations of the net that is Will’s prison and his shroud. The fair day—and how dare the day be fair—recedes from her sight. The cracking, thundering destruction of the leviathan’s embrace cannot reach her ears. The smell of hot metal and gunpowder fills her nostrils.

And she remembers.

Hazy golden mornings. Azure sea. The first unfamiliar feel of well-oiled mahogany against her shoulder. Scents of sweat and molten steel, so different from powder and pomander. Warm, callused hands, so strange and yet so right upon her own, guiding her fingers on the barrel and the firing mechanism. A game for the sheltered child she had been. Deadly earnest for the young lad who’d seen what fate could serve to a woman defenseless. Even then Will had sought to protect her by making her strong.

Now she has need of more strength than she possesses to pull a single trigger one last time. To send the shot that will touch off the conflagration of Will’s funeral pyre. The shot that will widow her before she has been a wife. That will end her life as surely as it does his.

Her eyes, in which tears must not blur her sight, are filled only with Will—his dark hair that she will never again thread through with her fingers, the pulse on his arched neck that she will never again taste beating against her tongue, his chest against which she will never press to feel the twin pounding of their hearts.

He is hanging now, a sacrifice, an offering to appease the wrath of the sea.

She is surrounded by death, but this is the one that matters. All her choices, all her chances, are gone now. For the sake of life, for the chance it will give the others, one man must die. And she must be his murderer.

“Elizabeth!” he cries. “Shoot! Shoot now!”

His final words to her.

I love you Will. I will always love you.

She prays this will not be in vain. She prays she will follow him soon. And her finger tightens on the trigger.

* * * * *

Comments

[rocketwizzard.livejournal.com]

Wow.

There isn't much else to say, really. Just... wow. ♥

[schmoo999.livejournal.com]

I never thought of that scene in this context. Elizabeth does love Will, deeply, and has feelings for Jack too...and to be pushed into almost killing the one..I wonder how much it lead to the kiss and betraying the other?

[startactician.livejournal.com]

Lovely imagery, yes.

(But you've got spoilery things in the description itself. Might want to fix that.)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I figured since this moment was in the trailer, most people would have seen it. I don't state the outcome of that grab. Do you still think I should try to say something else? I'm having trouble thinking of what!

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the "wow"! I'm glad you liked this. I thought the canon couple should get a little time in the midst of all the lovely J/E being written.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Yes, for all that the scenes between Elizabeth and Jack show that she is attracted to him, she does love and has loved Will almost all her life. Jack runs away, and Will is on that pile of explosives telling her to kill him to save them all. Which one would you admire most? I don't think Elizabeth asks of Jack anything she wouldn't have done herself. Thank you for commenting.

[schmoo999.livejournal.com]

:) Though I think Elizabeth needs Jack and Will both to be happy....

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Actually, she will never be happy as long as she needs either of them in order to be so. Relationships only work between people who don't blame the other for their unhappiness. When she can stand alone, then she can be happy with either of them. (IMHO having been happily married to the love of my life for 14 years)And both Will and Jack are the sorts to let her stand rather than pushing her into cotton wool and setting her on a shelf. I think that's what I'm waiting for in Elizabeth's character--for her to find her own place to stand, not as any man's lover, but as her own person with her own goals and her own talents.

[schmoo999.livejournal.com]

I think that's what I'm waiting for in Elizabeth's character--for her to find her own place to stand

I am hoping that they go that path with Elizabeth's character...but sometimes I just don't have that kind of faith in Disney. Though she is imo a strong woman in a tale full of men and hopefully it can continue in the last movie. If not there is always fanfiction.

Anyway coming from also being married to the love of my life almost 14 years (next month) you are right in that she needs to stand alone, I think what I meant or trying to mean..or explain? lol. Not that she needs but loves them both to want them in her life..or she is connected in such a way to Jack it will never be severed which could down the line become love despite the life long love she holds for Will.

She has loads of potential. :)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

The real wild card is Jack. It's hard to tell how much of his relationship with Elizabeth is just the "I will shag any available female and honey you're available". He says they are alike, and that is true enough to make me believe that the kiss/shackle is highly symbolic. I can't see Jack being tied down. If two people are too much alike, one of them is uneccessary! Much of the time he just looked like a man who'd been too long without pleasurable company. And then there were the times such as when he said "All evidence to the contrary" and later "Pirate" when I wondered if there wasn't more to it for him. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

[startactician.livejournal.com]

I've seen people posting the descriptions themselves under cuts. It's a thought.

[miraba.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. I don't usually care for Will/Elizabeth, but this was quite lovely. You've taken a short moment and made it emotionally resonant.

[pseudoblu.livejournal.com]

This is exactly the kind of fic I'm hoping to see more of. I think I remember a bit of hesitation in the movie, so I can totally imagine this flashing through her mind in that second. It's such a hard decision, but to have finally made the choice to shoot and have it ripped away suddenly must have been horrible too. My favorite part is the flashback, just because I love that Will's protecting her by making her strong. Lovely lovely. Thank you. :)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I very much like Will and Elizabeth, because they are so different. But the movies are structured so that they spend most of their time separated. All their together times have to be read between the lines and interpreted by what they say and do. Elizabeth spends far more time with Jack in both movies. But I tend to write canon-fic because I like to see how it would work. I'm glad you liked this. Everyone jumps to the moment Elizabeth kills Jack, but forgets that she almost killed Will. Thank you for commenting.

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I never thought that either of them saw it as her definitely killing him - I always see it that Will was always going to cut himself free.

That said, beautifully written as always.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Will never did cut himself free. The kraken broke the net. Will knew he wasn't going to make it free when he shouted for Elizabeth to shoot. The timing is quite clear on that. He's still stuck in that net long afterwards while Jack is aiming.

Thanks for your comments.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I thought it was time to balance out the lovely J/E fics with some canon pairing. It took me several times through the movie to notice what a poignant scene that is. Will, caught up in the net in the attack, his leg trapped, is determined to set off that explosion at the opportune moment. He tells Elizabeth to shoot, even though he knows he won't get away, and she has to make that choice to do so. You can see that she is going to just before she is seized by that tentacle. I'm glad you liked that flashback, because this is why I've always liked this pairing. Will may try to save Elizabeth, but he never tries to keep her safe. He merely backs her up in a fight. He taught her sword fighting, and I'm assuming shooting as well, and it had to be when they were children, because she already knows how on the Interceptor. It seems to me that Will doesn't ever treat Elizabeth as fragile or incapable. And that's what I like about this pairing. I'm glad you enjoyed this. You're welcome! And thank you for your kind words.

[jaded-skys.livejournal.com]

*flails* Ahhh~! Beautiful piece! It's true how overlooked that scene is and how everything is written about that kiss. I wouldn't even begin to think of what it would feel like to have to pull the trigger. I adore Will/Elizabeth, so it's always a treat to see some of it thrown in with the masses of J/E around now.

[thekestrel.livejournal.com]

Will's life hanging - literally in the balance. then Jack's life, and his ship for her's, Will and the crew. Hummmm.... Life puts us in the pit more often in the cherry bowl. This isn't strictly about killing off a love. It's about a leaders tough, and remorseless choices. Do you let one man die, or kill off the one man, for the sake of the rest? Your brother, father, lover, child, or even mother, sister, ect... for the same hard reason. I think that this is Elizabeth's tipping point. where she goes from sheltered girl, to a leader of men or women. It's why Jack is so proud of her. He knows the cost of that choice. He's had to make it himself, countless times. Not for his own skin - not often any way, but for his ship, his crew. Jack knows that the price of true freedom is written not with coin, but in blood. Your own and others. I think Elizabeth's father is going to be shocked to his back teeth, by the daughter he will be getting back. And Cutler Beckett - he's going to be singing soprano! *evil snicker*

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Yay! Another Will/Elizabeth fan! I do enjoy good J/E fic as well, but I'm betting W/E is going to carry the day. So I like to explore the complexities of that relationship. The more often I saw that movie, the more that moment seemed important to me. Will has asked Elizabeth to kill him to save the ship and the crew. Would she have done it? She does aim, so she has to be considering it. Thank you for commenting.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Yes, Elizabeth is being put through the moral and emotional wringer in this one. Two men she loves, though I think it's in different ways. Two life and death decisions. She has to find in herself the strength to make the difficult choices. I think you're right that this is a pivotal moment for Elizabeth, and one that Jack recognizes. I wonder if Governor Swann will get back his daughter, or if she has just flown the nest for good. But certainly Beckett has just made his most dangerous enemy. Jack tends to cut and run when he can, but I think Elizabeth will be harder to shake. Thank you so much for the comments.

[outinthestorm.livejournal.com]

That is one gorgeous piece of fic.
Damn! I want your writing abilities!

[honorat.livejournal.com]

*blush* Thank you so very much for your kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed this.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

First off, I liked your story. But you already know how I love anything you write that involves Will. *G*

Second, I had interpreted her aiming the gun as *tracking* the barrels, waiting for the right moment when Will would be free. I saw Jack pretty much the same way - I notice neither of them fired while Will was riding the barrels (yes, Elizabeth was yanked away before she could've at any rate), and it seemed Jack made an effort to wait, especially. I also thought it was extremely interesting that of all the people on board, he handed HER the gun. He must be confident of her aiming abilities.

[sylvanelfqueen.livejournal.com]

This was absolutely amazing! I never thought of all that had to be going through her head standing there, aiming a gun at the man she loves. The imagery was beautiful and it flowed so well. I love it!

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

But I think he didn't mean to get stuck - that was a mistake. He planned to cut himself free all the time, I reckon, after attracting the kraken's attention.

Guess we'll have to wait for the DVD commentary to find out what the filmmakers thought!

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Beautifully done. Especially like the flashback with Will teaching her to shoot. This
Even then Will had sought to protect her by making her strong.
is such a marvelous line. I love what lies behind it - that Will has never sought to make her into something she's not, to wrap her up and put her on some shelf, he's always understood and accepted her for what she is and encouraged her strength.

When watching it, I wasn't sure she was ready to pull the trigger when Will was still caught, but it certainly looked as if she was trying to convince herself to do it to save the rest of them so I am perfectly willing to accept your observations. Yet another thing to add to my (rapidly growing) list of bits to examine very carefully when the DVD is available. *g*

[honorat.livejournal.com]

It certainly had to have crossed her mind that Will was not getting away from this one, and that if his plans were going to work, she was going to have to do something terrible. I'm glad you liked it. Thank you so much for reviewing.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

First of all, I LOVE that icon :D !!!!! And I'm delighted that you like my Will stories. He's getting short shrift with all the Jack/Elizabeth going on now.

Originally, Will's plan was not to be stuck on those barrels. There was a particularly messy moment where he accidentally ended up trapped on them. Elizabeth was certainly waiting until he was clear, and then when he was caught, waiting until he was free, but it had got to the place where Will did not believe he was going to make it loose in time for the explosion to do any good. He did ask her to shoot while he was still caught and would be for some time. So the thought had to cross her head, whether she could have brought herself to do it is a matter of interpretation.

Elizabeth was a mean hand with the rifle even in PotC1, so I figure Will taught her, and while the sword was his metier, the rifle was hers. I think he picked the best woman for the job, and one he could count on, the rest being pirates, and Will having a regression in his opinion of pirates at the moment.

Thank you for commenting.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I don't think Will planned to get stuck at all. That was the reason for the exchange. "Don't miss" and "As soon as you're clear", but there was some kraken action that caught his leg in the net as it was being lifted. Will certainly decides he's not getting loose in time and yells at her to fire when it will kill him. Whether she'd do it is, I suppose a matter of interpretation.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Especially like the flashback with Will teaching her to shoot.
That event was the subject of the first drabble I ever wrote. Even in PotC1, it seemed to me that Will would have taught Elizabeth.

I love what lies behind it - that Will has never sought to make her into something she's not, to wrap her up and put her on some shelf, he's always understood and accepted her for what she is and encouraged her strength.
This is what has always made me like Will/Elizabeth. Will never has wanted Elizabeth to stay safely out of the action. On the battle on the Interceptor, they coordinate the fight, and it is Will who ends up belowdecks. In the caves, they fight side by side. Apparently Will believes Elizabeth to be completely capable of taking care of herself in a fight. Since I can't imagine any other man in her acquaintance teaching her those things, I've always imagined that Will would have done so after seeing what Barbossa's crew did to women on that fated ship. Thank you Gore for that parasol that let us know there were women on that ship. Will knows what happens to women who can't defend themselves.

I'll be interested to see if the commentary discusses that scene. Elizabeth certainly never said a word about "No way!" or even calling out Will's name, which she normally does. She just aimed and tracked those barrells. Whether she could have brought herself to fire is a matter of interpretation, but she knew Will didn't believe he could get free, and she still ran for that gun.

[delle.livejournal.com]

She is surrounded by death, but this is the one that matters. All her choices, all her chances, are gone now. For the sake of life, for the chance it will give the others, one man must die. And she must be his murderer.

What a beautiful draw between this scene (and you're absolutely right, now I can't wait for my 2nd viewing to watch this scene closer) and the one with Jack. Your language is gorgeous too.

I'm a HUGE W/E girl, so it's so nice to find someone with the same vision, even though J/E is being done so well! I agree with you that Elizabeth will end up with Will at the end, however I'm most interested in seeing how they resolve Will's belief in his betrayal by J/E. I love angry!Will; I wish they'd let him out more.

I also wonder how Will, who still prides himself on his honesty and honor, is going to react to Elizabeth taking the 'pirate's route' by chaining Jack to the Pearl. I do believe Jack was going to stay, I also understand Elizabeth's motivation in making certain he does... but how is Will going to react to her actions? Should be interesting...

May I friend you?

[bohemianbeauty.livejournal.com]

this is beautiful; thanks for the Will/Liz love. i need it right now :)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for commenting. It's good to meet another Will/Liz fan in this sea of new J/E ones. I love good J/E as well, but I don't for a minute think it will be canon. So I prefer to explore what will make Will and Elizabeth work. I hope the writers would give the two of them more time together in the 3rd movie so we can see their relationship at work.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm always glad to meet another W/E fan. I'd be honoured if you friended me. The more the merrier.

What a beautiful draw between this scene and the one with Jack.
It has struck me that Elizabeth has to face the possibility that she will have to kill two men she loves. I don't believe her love for Jack is the same as her love for Will, and certainly by the end she no longer trusts Jack as she has done from the beginning. Will hasn't ever let Elizabeth down. It will be interesting to see what would happen if he ever did.

Will's response to seeing Elizabeth kiss Jack was so intriguing in DMC and will be even more so in PotC3. I can't wait to see where that goes. It was almost as if Will was trying to pull a Norrington at the end there--if Jack is now the polar star to Elizabeth's heart, Will seems to want to help her gain her heart's desire. He doesn't realize how much of her grief is guilt. I wonder if Will will find out what Elizabeth did and who will tell him. Will should be a fascinating character in the next movie.

Thank you for commenting.

[bohemianbeauty.livejournal.com]

i was too in-awe of your analyzation of the scene (i.e. why didn't i ever see it that way before?!) to leave a decent comment but I really liked it. i used to toy with the idea of J/E back when Pirates was fresh (the island scene did it, of course) but since the whole incident of the second film, I find myself wanting the comfort of Will/Liz. The pair spends so much time apart throughout the films that we really don't know what makes their relationship work so well, other than what we pick up. i'd love to see them on same ends. The 3rd script has been leaked onto the net, but I was too timid to want to read much further than I already spoilt myself with.

hey

[(Anonymous)]

if you dont mind where can i find the third movie's tid bits.

Also, this is one of the most eloquently written stories in this community. I heart Will/liz.

Re: hey

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I think the leaked first part of the 3rd script has been pulled from the net, but there are spoilers from it at wherestherum.com.

I'm glad you enjoyed this story. I like Will and Liz, too. Thank you.

[mamazano.livejournal.com]

Well, I am certainly behind on my comments, having just discovered this. But I had to tell you how amazing this was, that I had never really thought of this scene in that light.

I have always been a Will/Elizabeth believer, and now that I have seen all three movies, I can go back to some of these older fictions and enjoy them even more so.

Will has always had confidence in Elizabeth's abilities and they fight together as a team through all three films. The bond between them, even tested as it was by her attraction to Jack, was what mattered in the end. That absolute trust, was shaken deeply but once it is restored - watch out!

Thank you for giving this couple a beautiful confirmation of their love.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

It's always lovely to receive comments on long-posted fics. Thank you so much for taking the time. I'm glad to have added something new to how you viewed this moment in the movie. It struck me that Will was asking Elizabeth to shoot him, and she was not instantly dropping the gun and shouting "No!" at him. So I had fun exploring what might have been going through her mind.

It's good to hear from another W/E fan. They really are meant for each other. I wish I had the time to write more post-AWE W/E fic. I'm glad you enjoyed this.

[theaquamarine.livejournal.com]

Well, I had a whole comment about the awesomeness of Willabeth in response to your fic, and then I decided to hit the back button accidentally and erase it all! Grrr. But I shall try again!

Anyway, I was so happy to find a Willabeth fic in the context of DMC! (Mostly you only find J/E for the second movie.) But the movie was so wonderfully angsty, so deliciously intense and heartbreaking on the Willabeth end as well, and I was happy to see you explore it!

And what an awesome parallel you've drawn here between the two scenes where Elizabeth had the opportunity to take the lives of the two men closest to her (one in the romantic sense, the other not). In the first, Elizabeth hesitates, waiting, seeing if there is a chance for Will, not wanting or willing to pull the trigger, and she is interrupted (is it cliche of me to say by fate?). However, in the other scene, she willingly and deliberately sacrifices Jack to save the others. Such a contrast between what she is willing to do in a complex and complicated situation, where there is no perfect solution. Very, very nice job exposing this!

And, of course, HUZZAH FOR WILLABETH LOVE ! :)

Cheers on a beautiful fic!