A/N- I hope you all enjoy this chapter as it is quite a long one! Thank you for all the kind feedback and I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks.

Chapter 35

Her shaking hands grasped hold of the beautiful blade. It was as though it was the pinnacle of a blacksmiths achievement and as she twisted it against the palm of her hands, she realised she would never hear its story. Perhaps like the world would never know her own. For a girl who wished to live a life of adventure she could not complain, although she had never anticipated falling so madly in love. But perhaps, she thought, love was the greatest adventure of all. Yet this was not a love story she had read from her fairy tales, this was more of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Flashbacks of her days onboard the Silent Mary when they were all once alive flashed behind her eyes. Of course, there had been times when she had not been one hundred percent happy on the ship but they were nothing compared to the memories of sword fighting and love. But those days were long gone. Those images were replaced with the empty years of her life, the waiting and the agonising hope that she had been holding onto. The desperation she had felt at wanting to find the infamous Captain Salazar and here she was, finally with the one she loved and once again it was all going to disappear.

She never wished to feel that way again and as she twirled the delicate blade between her ivory fingers, she felt a lone tear trickle down her flushed face. A wisp of her hair tickled her cheek and she slowly curled it around her ear. Although everything seemed hopeless, she felt her hand drop the blade which fell from her lap to the damp wood with a soft thud. The memories of the past, the happy ones overwhelmed her mind and with all her strength she pushed through the lonely recollection of the past.

No. She had never given up before and she would be damned if she was to give up now. If she had to, she would throw herself overboard and find Armando herself. Standing up on shaky yet determined legs, Constance grabbed the dagger hurriedly and approached the doors which blocked her escape. She took a deep breath and with the dagger in her hand, she plunged it forward into the decaying wood and using all her strength she attempted to dislodge the lock. The wood groaned under the pressure and splinters began to litter the floor. The Silent Mary was fighting back but her desperation was a force in itself to be reckoned with.

She would rather die with her Captain at the bottom of the ocean than on her own. But she was determined to have that as only a possibility and not a definite result.

The door, much to her shock, creaked loudly and then with a forceful kick from herself, it opened but before she could celebrate, it suddenly smacked back again, becoming locked with a taunting click. Giving a scream of frustration, Constance threw the dagger into the door, its blade becoming locked into the wood, and walked away angrily. She ran her hand through her hair and looked around the cabin desperately. It was then that she stopped dead in her tracks as she realised that there was a large crack in the side, where the window once was. She wanted to hit herself for not seeing it sooner but put it down to being stressed and not thinking clearly.

Approaching the hole cautiously, Constance snapped out of the thoughts as she reminded herself that there was a limited amount of time for her to act. Her arm was almost numb now from the pain and she was relieved to some extent that she had one less thing to feel as her current emotional despair was far more painful that the psychical injury she had obtained.

The hole was big enough for her petite frame and with a deep breath, she grabbed the Captain's chair and used it to climb up and out of the hole. Constance had very little experience of climbing before but due to the severity of her situation, any anxiety concerning such a task was immediately replaced with a fighting desire to live and help Armando.

The cold night air hit her face as she finally escaped the cabin which she had once loved. Yet, as she climbed out, her eyes immediately made contact with the water which was smashing against the ship in a rather violent fashion and she realised how high up she was. A sudden noise caught her attention and she had to stop herself from letting go of the ship when a skeletal looking bird squawked at her from her left. She had never paid much attention to the birds that circled the Silent Mary before and she was right not to. They were almost as frightful as the sharks but thankfully had considerably less teeth.

Shooing the blasted thing away, she watched as it flew up, causing as much noise as possible and as she watched it, she wanted to roll her eyes at how far she had to climb up. Slowly, she moved her body into position and made her way up the ship. She had to bite her lip from the sudden pain of her arm as she jumped to grab hold of a piece of wood which had been protruding outwards as though it was a step. She was thankful for once that the Silent Mary had been on the receiving end of such harsh treatment as it was easier than she thought to climb. Especially as there was a number of gaps in the wood and a large amount of fractured planks which could be used easily as steps. The ship reminded her of a large pin cushion.

It was not too long until she was near the top and as she looked up she saw three dead birds looking down at her, all with inquisitive looks upon their faces. One was cocking its head at her, in a way that she though ironically looked like Captain Salazar but she pushed that thought away. The birds did not stare long as abruptly they dispersed with loud screeches and began to circle elsewhere. Thankful that the horrid creatures had disappeared, Constance continued to climb upwards.

As she reached the top, her hand slipped and she gave a cry as she dangled off. She had unfortunately let go of her good arm and was now holding her whole body weight with her injured arm. She clenched her teeth and attempted to grab hold of the ledge but she couldn't create enough momentum to get herself up. Suddenly she began to have trouble breathing as it was beginning to dawn on her that she was hanging onto the ledge for her life and that there was a likely chance of her drowning if she was to fall.

Her fingers very slowly began to slip and one by one they began to lose contact with the damp wood. Yet as she let go, a hand suddenly shot down from above her and grabbed her arm tightly. Blinking rapidly, she could not believe her eyes.

"Lieutenant!". She cried as she was helped up. The Lieutenant didn't reply but pulled her up roughly, so much so that she ended up falling face first onto the deck. She pushed herself up onto her knees and looked up at the disgruntled ghost. Her knees ached from the impact and she attempted to get up with a little difficulty.

"What on earth were you doing?" He snapped quietly and Constance gawped at him.

"But…I thought you…you were all…". Constance stuttered, utterly confused. She had been under the impression that they had all been at the bottom of the sea but as she was staring wide eyed at Lesaro she was now questioning everything.

"We were given other orders". Lesaro growled at her and he pulled her up by her shirt causing her to squeak quietly. "You will go back into the cabin".

"I don't understand". She whispered back at him, unsure as to why they were even whispering.

"The Captain-" Lesaro began but was cut off by a hollow voice from down the ship.

"The Captain wishes for Constance to listen to what she has been told".

Constance turned her head and it was as though time had stopped. There, walking towards them was the Captain. His eyes were almost alight with emotion and she watched as he used his cane to drag himself up the stairs. He was rather stunning to behold, with his oil like hair twisting and turning around his head as though he was like a mythical gorgon. His expression was one of utter frustration and his lips were tight as though he was clenching his jaw. When he reached them, Constance did not what came over herself, but threw her arms around his waist, the fear of him being at the bottom of the ocean and gone forever still ingrained in her mind.

She felt the dead Captain stiffen in response to her touch. He passed his cane to Lesaro who took it obediently and she was felt his arms pull her away so that she could see his dark eyes. Eyes that looked as though a storm was swirling within them.

"You have no idea…". Captain Salazar began to rant, the black liquid spitting across her pale face. But his harsh words were cut off when the ship rocked suddenly. With a cry of alarm, Constance nearly fell but was steadied by Armando who grabbed her quickly. He then grabbed onto the wheel with herself pressed against his side. She observed his expression and was content to see his eyes flicker over her as though he was checking she was fine. But his eyes snapped back to the water and she watched as he cocked his head almost like the dead birds did.

"What is happening Captain? "Lieutenant Lesaro asked as he steadied himself. Captain Salazar observed the parted sea and the crew watched as the Black Pearl began to sail closer to the edge. There was another burst of energy which shot from out of the parted sea once again and this time the Silent Mary jolted, causing waves around the ship to crash harshly against the wood.

Constance wondered what on earth was going on and remained holding onto Armando.

"Armando-" She began but stopped when she watched Lesaro suddenly cough and lean onto the side of ship. Letting go of the Captain, Constance ran to the Lieutenant and touched his shoulder, worried that he was hurt. She had no idea how on earth a ghost could be in pain but she was still concerned for his wellbeing. As she tried to turn him towards herself she let out a sharp gasp as he appeared to be human. The cracks that had once laced his face almost like spider webs were gone and Constance stepped back as he straightened up. The Lieutenant began to run his hand across his face and he released a burst of laughter.

Whipping her head around, Constance watched as the whole crew were becoming human once more. Officer Moss and Officer Santos were gleefully touching their chests and hugging one another. With her mouth wide open, she turned to where Captain Salazar had been and saw him on his knees.

Running over to him, she threw herself onto the floor, not caring about her own aching knees and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She watched as his snake like hair which had floated around his head in such an entrancing fashion began to lower itself until it was touching his back. Crawling around, Constance made eye contact with two dark eyes which were wide and alert. Raising his head, Armando peered at her and the cracks that graced his face slowly disappeared. Constance watched as the black liquid which had dripped from his mouth turned to smoke in a mesmerising fashion and very gently she placed her small hand on his cheek that had once been consumed by the darkness and decay of the curse. His eyes fluttered at her touch and for the first time since being reunited with the stubborn Spaniard, Constance could feel the warmth of his skin against her own.

Cupping his face with her other hand, Constance felt her eyes tear up.

"You are alive. The curse has been broken". She whispered tearfully and for the first time she watched a large grin emerge on the Captain's face. Before she could say anything else, she felt two arms roughly grab her waist and she was pulled into a firm embrace. Her lips were met by his own warmer ones and she moaned into the kiss. Around them she could hear cheers and for a brief moment she felt as though she was in a fairy tale. She expected someone to say 'and they lived happily ever after', a thought that made her smile into the kiss.

Armando was the first to break the kiss and she watched as he panted, not used to being out of breath. She chuckled at him and as she looked away, she noticed the crew were all watching them with smiles painted across their lips.

"I think you are wanted Captain". She murmured and Armando smirked, before standing up. Constance subtly offered her his hand so that he did not fall and Constance observed as he gestured for his Lieutenant to pass him his cane and she wondered if the limp he had gained was the only souvenir he had got from his hellish experience.

Suddenly the Silent Mary began to creak and groan around them much to everyone's shock. Very slowly, smoke filled the ship and Constance felt Armando quickly grab her hand tightly, before pulling her closely to him once more. She heard a few shouts of confusion through the smoke but almost as quickly as it had appeared, it then disappeared. And in the smokes wake, stood the Silent Mary in all its former glory. The ship was as beautiful as Constance could remember and she watched as Captain Salazar blinked rapidly as though he had something in his eye. She squeezed his hand as though to snap him out of his thoughts and he gave her a small smile. The crew were all in awe of the ship being reformed to its once pristine and imposing presence and soon enough the crew were all laughing joyfully once more.

Walking forwards, Salazar raised his hand to the crew and they all roared and clapped at their Captain. Armando laughed at their response and Constance wished she could hear him laugh all the time as it was music to her ears. She felt as though everything was a little surreal and as Armando began to talk she moved her head to look at the sea and she felt her eyes widen.

The sea was closing in on itself and she watched as the Black Pearl was rather dangerously on the edge. The celebrations around her seemed to slow down in her mind as she furrowed her brow. Looking frantically around the ship, she realised to her horror that Henry was nowhere to be seen and she hurriedly approached Lesaro. She grabbed the telescope out of his coat before he could even speak and as she pulled the telescope to its full size, she gasped at what she could see.

The crew of the Black Pearl were frantically rotating a device connected to the anchor and Constance shut the telescope harshly with an audible click.

"Lesaro! Where is Henry? And when you said that you were given other orders regarding going to the bottom of the ocean, what were they?" Constance hissed. She was overjoyed that the Silent Mary crew were now alive but she wondered at what cost.

"Magda!" Shouted the Lieutenant suddenly and his voice caught the attention of the crew. Constance watched in wonder and confusion as Armando began to bark orders at his men and the ship began to sail towards the parted sea, almost parallel to the Black Pearl. As they began to move, Constance asked Lesaro what was happening and was shocked at his tale.

Apparently, Officer Magda had argued with the Captain that it was better for one of the crew to go down and seek out the trident and return if it was safe than them all to lose their lives. Armando had been enraged at this suggestion but Magda had used Constance against the Captain saying that he had something to live for. Very reluctantly, the Captain had agreed but under the pretence that the crew would join him if he returned with good news. Magda had then been able to possess the body of Henry and went down to the tomb of Poseidon.

As Constance listened, she felt her eyes become fixated on Armando. Despite being given the chance to kill Jack Sparrow, he had stayed for her benefit. Considering the strength of the curse and how it had corrupted his once debatably perfect morals, she was taken back at how much strength it had taken him. But her thoughts were broken by the horrifying idea that Magda was now trapped at the bottom of the ocean.

His last words rang in her head. "I will make sure it will be ok".

She had no idea that he was willing to sacrifice himself for their happiness and she slowly approached Captain Salazar who was holding onto the wheel. He had a determined look in his dark eyes and Constance silently prayed he was thinking about saving his crew member rather than having a second chance at killing Jack.

After all, perhaps the curse had left more than just a limp.