It had been three weeks since the incident on the Flying Dutchman, three weeks since she'd seen Will. She missed him so much, her heart felt like a cannon ball in her chest. She didn't go near the water anymore in fear of drowning from the weight of it. Most of her days were spent roaming listlessly around the island where she last saw him. Her favorite spot was the spot where Will left her, a rocky beach made private by the cliffs that nearly surrounded it. A lot of her time was spent staring off the cliffs that surrounded the island, sometimes thinking of jumping. Most of her nights, especially in the last week, were spent bawling her eyes out until she passed out from the emotional exhaustion. She lost any desire she might have once had for finery, good food, and pleasurable company. Jack was the only person that she could want to see but she hadn't seen him since the incident either.

This day was much like any other. Elizabeth woke up a few hours after dawn. She put on a ratty red dress. At least, it could be called a red dress because red was the majority color on it. In actuality, it was impossible to tell what the original color was because of all the patches used to repair it. She ate her breakfast—a slice of stale bread and a glass of dirty tasting water. She pulled on her worn leather boots that were left over from her pirating days and set out on her usual walk around the island.

It was around midday and she was half way around the island when she saw a ship approaching. She knew it couldn't be Will, that he wouldn't be back for 49 weeks and nine years, yet her heart clamored in her chest with excitement anyway. 'What if it is him,' asked one part of her brain. 'What if he figured out a way to get off?" However, she knew it wouldn't be true. Davy Jones had been on that ship for who knows how long and he couldn't find any way to free him, and Calypso was in love with him. No, she knew it wasn't Will. Still, she was happily surprised and surprisingly happy when she saw Jack in a dinghy heading for shore. Her hand stretched up and waved on its own will and her voice somehow managed to bellow out a happy greeting.

"Ahoy, Jack!"

"Hello, Elizabeth." His voice sounded as though it were full of uncontainable laughter, as if he couldn't believe she was being so childlike.

"It's so good to see you. I haven't seen anyone since…" Her voice trailed off as her mind drifted back to memories, happy and sad, but both brought sharp pangs to her chest.

"I know. That's why I came, love! I knew you wouldn't be able to resist throwing yourself at me." An impish grin flashed on his face and, once again, she felt happy. It felt oh so good to feel happy again. With Jack around, she was somehow able to forget the noxious weight in her chest. As soon as the dinghy reached the shore and Jack stepped out, Elizabeth rushed up to him and almost knocked him over with an embrace. She held on tightly, burying her face in his jacket, while tears quietly streamed out of the corners of her eyes.

"You know, that 'throwing yourself at me' thing was just a joke. If this is some sort of offer, I'm going to have to refuse. Will would kill me if he found out." He said it jokingly but she knew that his last two statements were serious. He put his arms around her, gave her a squeeze, but immediately let her go, as though she were a burning coal in his arms. She slowly released him and backed up a few steps to give them some breathing room. The smile had left his face, and he was peering into her eyes.

"Are you alright?" His concern for her was obvious, as was his pain for causing her troubles.

"As much as I can be… And much better now that you are here." she said smiling. "Let's not stand here anymore. We have a lot to catch up on, or at least I have a lot to catch up on the great adventures by the amazing Captain Jack Sparrow." She held out her arm and he took it, gesturing for her to lead the way. "I must ask, what have you been up to?"

"Well, as you may already know, I stole a map from Barbossa. The one you, Will, and the crew used to rescue me from the Locker? I think it also leads to…" Elizabeth could no longer distinguish the words; they all ran together to make a strange guttural buzzing noise. Her attention was brought elsewhere. In a matter of seconds, she had slight nausea, which quickly progressed to such severe nausea that she thought vomiting would be a relief. She opened her mouth to speak, to vomit, to do anything, but the nausea made it impossible. She belatedly realized that she had stopped walking and that, once again, Jack was looking at her with concern.

"What's wrong? Elizabeth? Are you ok?" Her relief of being able to actually hear what he was saying surprised her. Again, she tried to speak.

"It's just my stomach." She somehow managed to gasp out the words, but as soon as the last word left her lips, Jack swept her up into his arms and began carrying her.

"Which way to your house? And how far?" She pointed in front of them, indicating that it was straight ahead, hidden behind the rolling hills that often reminded her of the ocean. She wasn't able to articulate an answer, but he figured it wasn't far. The most important thing on his mind was to get her somewhere where she could lie down. 'That's what I'm supposed to do… right?' he wondered.

After fifteen minutes of trying to navigate the strangely disorientating hills, Jack finally found her house. If you could call it that. He looked down at her and was glad when he discovered she was unconscious; he didn't want her to see the look of disgust on his face. It was a pity that someone who had once lived in a grand mansion should now live in this pitiful place.

Her home was more like a cottage than a house. Even from the outside you could tell it only consisted of two small rooms. Ivy was climbing the walls but not in the cute way that it can; it seemed as though the ivy was malicious and attempting to tear down the walls. There was only one window and one of the panes of glass was broken.

He pushed the door open with his shoulder, noting that he didn't have to turn the knob to do so. Could it be locked? He shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. He'd worry about that later. The front room seemed to be a kitchen as well as a living room, dining room, and parlor. It was all very shabby. There was a low, wobbly table that he supposed was used for dining. It was accompanied by one small fragile wooden chair. The only other furniture in the room was a torn up cushioned chair and an abused rug in front of the fireplace. He was surprised that there was even a fireplace. He didn't remember seeing a chimney.

Jack carried Elizabeth into the other room that was separated from this one by just a sheet tacked over an open doorway. Inside this room was a small bed that looked better suited for a child than a full grown woman, a washstand, and a faded and scratched dresser. He carefully set her down on the bed, sat down beside it, and patiently waited for her to regain consciousness. He didn't wait long. In a minute or so, she was back with the world. He was immediately at her side.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am now. I'm not sure what just happened. I was listening to you, and then all of a sudden I was nauseous. I'm sorry to have interrupted your story. Do go on."

He laughed sarcastically. "You just mysteriously felt sick and now you want me to go on with my story? I've never before thought of you as an imbecile, but now I am having second thoughts."

"I felt sick. I'm not anymore. I don't see why this is a problem. Will you just tell me your story?"

He got the sense that she didn't want to talk about what had just happened because she would probably be lead into a discussion about the poor state of her affairs, and who wants to hear from someone else how their life is in a downward spiral? So he went on with his story if only to distract her from her own life.

"Well, as I said, I stole the map from Barbossa. I was fiddling around with it because it's such an unusual thing, and I think I've discovered another destination in it!" He paused for effect; it worked. Her unbridled excitement was sparkling in her eyes. "The Fountain of Youth. I thought that'd be interesting to you… and perhaps appealing." The answer to that was clearly written in her face. Yes, it was appealing to her. She wanted eternity to spend with Will; that way, the ten years of waiting wouldn't seem quite so long or so bad. She felt like she was about to burst with emotion. Excitement, nervousness, and anticipation were bubbling up inside of her, forcing their way out as a laugh that more resembled a cackle.

"When are you setting out?"