CHAPTER 1
"So!" She chased after him. "Is there any truth to the other stories?"
"Truth?" Jack's expression hardened. He lifted his right sleeve revealing the large P scar on his arm, then lifted his other sleeve, revealing a bunch of scars. Elizabeth took a step back. There was truth to the other stories. She shouldn't have judged him so quickly.
He moved the collar of his shirt, showing her the bullet wounds on his chest. Her eyes widened.
"No truth at all."
Elizabeth felt guilty. Just because one of the stories she heard wasn't true, doesn't mean that the rest of them weren't. She watched as Jack sat down in the sand, picking up one of the bottles of rum. Even though she was worried about Will's fate, and hated being stranded on an island, not knowing if she would get off, she had to admit, although she wouldn't admit it out loud, that it was rather exciting. Elizabeth always dreamed of adventure ever since she was a little girl. She had always wanted to meet a pirate and sail on a pirate's ship. And the waters were beautiful. They were a gorgeous blue.
"We'll have about a month, maybe more," Jack told her looking out at the sea. "Keep a weather eye open for passing ships and our chances are fair."
He took a swig of the rum. He hated being trapped here again. Hated seeing his beloved Pearl leaving him behind in the hands of that no good scallywag, Barbossa.
"What about Will? We have to do something."
Jack put the cap back on the bottle and rolled it towards her feet.
"You're absolutely right."
He picked up the other bottle and held it out in a toast.
"Here's luck to you, Will Turner," and with that, he took a drink.
Elizabeth bent down and picked up the bottle Jack rolled over to her. She never drank rum in her life, but wondered what it tasted like. She sat down next to Jack and sighed.
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho."
She took a drink of the brown liquid and cringed as it burned down her throat. Jack looked at her, confused.
"What was that, Elizabeth?"
"It's Miss Swann."
Jack held up his hands in mock apology. Elizabeth sighed. She decided she might as well have a conversation with the pirate. There was nothing else to do anyway.
"Nothing. It's a song I learned as a child when I thought it would be exciting to meet a pirate."
"Let's hear it."
"No."
"Come on, we've got the time," Jack said, impatiently. "Let's have it!"
"No! I would have to have a lot more to drink."
Jack gave her a smirk and asked "How much more?" before taking a drink himself. She shook her head. The man was so infurritating! Then again, he did save her life--- twice. Once from drowning, and once from being killed by one of Barbossa's men. He even admitted that he didn't plan on trading Will for the Pearl, that he had a plan. Still, she didn't like that he called Will stupid. He did risk his life to save theirs, after all. Will had been a good friend of hers since they pulled him out of the water eight years ago. Still, she could never get him to call her Elizabeth. Why, she didn't know.
"Jack..."
He looked at her.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For saving me in Port Royal from drowning. I hate corsets."
Jack shrugged his shoulders. He didn't need her thanks. He was just doing what he felt was right. But he was a pirate. Since when do pirates do the right thing?
"And thank you for helping me out during the battle."
Again, Jack shrugged. There was a pause. Elizabeth wanted to have a conversation with him, but he didn't seem in the mood. She had already walked around the island to see if maybe there would be another way off somehow, but there wasn't.
"You hungry?" Jack asked her.
She looked at him. "Yes, I'm starving. I haven't eaten since--- since I was kidnapped. Well, Barbossa did give me food but I didn't eat much. I thought it was poisoned until he told me about the curse."
"Well---" Jack stood up. He held out his hand to Elizabeth. She took it and stood up. He motioned for her to follow him. Where was he taking her? Probably to get more rum.
She watched as Jack went to the cache and opened the door and went back down. A couple of minutes later, he came back up with a small box.
"What's that?"
"Food."
They took it back to the beach and opened it. Inside, was fish, apples, bananas, and some bread.
"Thank the Lord for the rumrunners, eh?"
Elizabeth nodded. Jack took the knife out of his pocket and started to cut the fish. He handed her some and took some for himself.
"Apple of banana?"
"Banana," she said, taking a bite of fish. "After seeing Barbossa and his obession with apples, I'm not really in the mood for them."
He chuckled. "I agree. Though, he can't eat 'em 'cause he's cursed. Bloody git."
Elizabeth smiled. The first time she smiled since being kidnapped.
After eating, it was starting to get dark. Jack and Elizabeth burned some sticks that they gathered up on the island and started a bonfire. Elizabeth had a plan. She knew that Jack would probably get upset but it was the only option she could think of. As soon as Jack fell asleep, she would go back to the cache, and collect all the food and rum, and start a large fire, so the Royal Navy would rescue them. Jack could lead them to Isla De Muerta, and Will would be rescued and Jack could get his ship back! She had hope. Once she managed to relax a little bit, she decided to teach Jack the song. They danced around, bottle of rum in hands and sang around the campfire. "REALLY BAD EGGS!" Jack shouted, causing her to laugh harder. He fell to the ground and pulled her with him. She was actually having fun.
"Once I get the Pearl back, I'll teach it to the crew and we'll sing it all the time."
"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Main."
Jack's eyes widened.
"Not just the Spanish Main, luv. The entire ocean. The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a haul and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship really is, what the Black Pearl really is, is freedom."
Elizabeth liked the sound of that. She would love to have freedom. No more corsets or fancy dresses. Dress the way she wants, and go wherever she wants. That sounded like a wonderful life. She snuggled close to Jack.
"Jack, it must be terrible for you being trapped on this island."
"Oh, it is. But the company is infintely better than last time, I think," he said putting an arm around her shoulder.
She started to feel uncomfortable. No man besides her father, ever held her like that.
"And the scenery has improved..."
She moved away from him.
"Mr. Sparrow, I'm not entirely sure I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk," she said in a teasing voice.
"I know exactly what you mean, luv."
He curled his mustache. Elizabeth held out her bottle of rum.
"To freedom."
"To the Black Pearl," Jack toasted her.
She rolled her eyes as Jack guzzled his rum until he passed out. She looked at the fire, to Jack and back again. She knew Jack would have a fit when she burned the rum, but he would have to get over it. She was starting to like Jack. Not as a friend, not as a brother, but as a... No, stop, she told herself. He was a pirate. Her father was the Governor of Port Royal! It was obvious Will fancied her, and Commodore Norrington proposed to her. What would they say if she broke both of their hearts and went with Jack? What would her father say? He would be horrified, no doubt. Still, she was capable of making her own decisions. James Norrington was a fine man, and she cared for him deeply, but she didn't love him. He was more like an older brother than a love interest. And Will. Her best friend. He had turned to piracy to save her. He was very brave. James and Will were both men that many women would be happy with. Jack could have as many women as he wanted as well. Why in the world would he choose the daughter of a Governor? He would choose a female pirate, like that Ana Maria. It was probably just a small crush she had on Jack, because she finally met a pirate. A pirate who wasn't all bad, a pirate who saved her not once, but twice, and came with Will to help rescue her even though he came to also get his ship back. The ship that rightfully belonged to him. Jack would probably not want to have anything to do with her after she burned the rum. Well, she figured she better get started and gather up the rest of the supplies from the cache. No doubt Jack would be sore when he awoke.
