Author's Note: Well, this is my first attempt at a modern Will and Elizabeth fiction. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Pirates is owned by Disney and Buena Vista, I only own the characters that are unrecognizable.


Prologue:

At the age of fifteen Elizabeth Swann was a young and ambitious girl, about to enter into her second year at the private high school of Manhattan. She had light brown, with extreme highlights of blonde running through, just-below-shoulder length hair. Her eyes were deep brown and her skin was pale and clear. She was tall and thin, and lived in a small home with her father, the governor of New York, in Brooklyn. In other words she was the envy of every girl, and on the mind of every guy. But this, however was where her numerous problems began. Being on the mind of every guy came with it complications in the darker and more mysterious parts of the idea. She had had so many secret relationships that they ate her alive and ended up in bad breakups.This was just how it was with her. Her mother had died bringing her into the world and her father, not wanting her to end up in the same fate kept her sheltered. This neither helped nor destroyed Elizabeth, but caused her to be the little rebel that she was. She was quick with wit and had a sharp tounge about her. Her spirit was like her mothers, as her father constantly told her.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth had never been as close to her father as she was at the present, if you could call the present 'close'. The first five years of her life she was shunned by her father, raised by her maid, Victoria. Her father finally realized the eccentricity of his actions and stopped his mad behavior. But still kept he sheltered her, sending her to private schools in the city with an escort to and from. He also would not allow her to have a boyfriend unless he had met the boy and approved him. But this didn't matterto her, guys weren;t what she was after, they only made great friends in her eyes.It still pained her father to look at her at times, but he stuck through it, being the troubled man that he was.

Elizabeth was different from him, though. She longed to follow her dreams, to be a model. She wanted to travel the world and at the same time be known. She also enjoyed writting stories and hoped to publish books of inspiration. But her father kept her from all that and tonight was the last straw for her. Life was becoming unbearable for her.

As she pulled abackpackfrom under her bed she began to consider new locations. She didn't care how far that she had to walk, she would get out of here! Quickly she began piling clothes into the backpack.When she was done she found her wallet and pulled out the money that she had been saving up for a time like this. She had saved ever since she realized that she wanted to get away. She had $561.34. It was perfect. She pulled off her sleep shorts and put on a pair of faded jeans, a tight-fitting green teeshirt and black converse, she then stuffed the money in her front pocket, to avoid pick-pocketers.Over the teeshirt she put on a back, zipup jacket, and swept her hair up into a small bun on the back of her neck.

She then used the classical movie escape out the window with her sheets tied together, and tied to the window, then she shimmied down with her siutcase on her shoulder and began running down the concrete street. She bought a train ticket to the city on the Grand Central and sat in the last car.

As the train rumbled through the tunnels she couldn't help but feel excited.

Thirty minutes passed until the train screeched to a halt atthe main center located between Park avenue and 42nd street in Manhattanand she grabbed her bag and stepped off the train.

She took the stairs two at a time up to the Grand Central Terminaland then went out the revolving doors and into the chilled summer night air of Manhattan.

She knew exactly where she was going to go and took off running having visited her location many times. She could feel eyes follow her but she continued to run down Park Avenue. She turned onto East 42nd Avenue and went further down to West 42nd knowingthat the person she was looking for would be in Bryant Park, he always was. Quickly she checked her watch,it was 10:49, the park closed at 11:00, she still had time. Quickly she found the West gate and hurried into the park.

'Where was he?'

There was no one around. He normally hung around at the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial fountain.

Frantically she looked around. He had to be here.

Before Elizabeth knew what hit her she was attacked from behind. Someone grabbed her and she screamed. The person placed a hand over her mouth and began dragging her into the bushes. Frantically she kicked, the person's arm around her waist.

'Oh God.' She thought. 'Not now!'

No matter what she did, she couldn't free herself. She should have remembered the pepper spray that she had been given by her body guard.

Everything was blurring around her as she fought with her life.

"Elizabeth?" She heard someone shout, but she couldn't see who.

A few more moments of struggling and she felt herself wrenched from her attacker's grasp. She fell to the cool green and lush lawn, breathing deeply.

She could hear people fighting behind her and shouting. Finally it was silent and she felt someone grab her from behind.This caused her to scream again.

"Shh... it's me! I'm not going to hurt you. Are you all right?" The person was holding a flashlight.

She was helped to her feet and she turned around. "I'm fine." She answered, starring at the tall boy that had saved her. "Thanks Will." She grinned. She couldn't see hisdark brown eyes in the darkness, but she knew that even though he was tough, they held deep consern for her.

"What are you doing over in this part of town this late?" He asked.

"I'm running away." She answered.

"Again?" He ran a hand through his dark, touseled brown hair.

"Yes. I'm going to be a model. I just need a ride to the airport."

Will sighed. "And me, being your best friendis supposed to give you that ride?"

"That's why I've come."

He looked at her skeptically and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Which ariport do you need to get to?"

"La Guardia Airport."

"Are you coming back?"

"I don't plan on it."

He chuckled. "Of course not."

He turned on his heel and she picked up her bag and followed him.

They walked a little ways and he came up to his dirt bike which was parked on the side of the grovel path. "Here." He handed herhis helmet and took her bag from her, strapping it to the back of the bike. He then got on and she did the same, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Thanks Will." She squeezed him. "You're the best friend."

"That's what I'm told." He then reved the engine. "Hold on!" He pushed the bike right-side up and they took off.

They took the Queensboro Bridge into Queens and continued to the Northern Blvd. and up to the airport.

"I'm coming in with you!" Will shouted as they pulled up to the parking deck.

Elizabeth couldn't argue, she couldn't even believe that she was leaving.

Will parked the bike in a motorcycle space and unstrapped her bag from the back of the bike. He lifted it over his shoulder and, placing the helmet back on his bike, she followed him.

"Will." She said as she caught up to him.

"Hm?"

"Thanks." She threw her arms around him again and he hugged her back.

"Enough hugs."

She laughed as they walked into the airport, the automatic doors opening for them.

"Where are you going?"

"LA." She answered simply.

He nodded. "Of course."

They walked up to a desk where they could purchase tickets and the bird-like woman behind the desk looked at them skeptically.

"Hello." Elizabeth greeted, she had lied through her teeth before and she knew how to work her charm on this old woman. "I'm Elizabeth Swann, Governor Swann's daughter. My father wanted me to visit my diseased aunt in LA, but he couldn't come with me to buy the ticket or see me off, so I am here to buy a ticket for the next flight to LA." She smiled and the woman looked taken aback.

"Um... yes, Miss. Swann. The next flight is at 12:01 am.Will that be sufficient for you."

Elizabeth hammed her act up and pretended to think for a moment. "Yes, that would be fine." She answered and Will tried hard not to laugh.

The woman began typing on her computer. "Your father must have sent you with something... an ID, perhaps?" The woman stated, adjusting her narrow spectacles onto the edge of her nose and staring down at Elizabeth.

"Of course." Elizabeth answered sweetly. She dug into her pocket, finding her father's ID that she had stolen earlier.

Will didn't bother to hide his amazement.

Elizabeth placed the ID on the counter and the woman examined it for a long moment until she finally was satisfied that it was genuine. She then continued typing into her computer and Elizabeth waited, slightly tapping her foot.

The woman finally cleared her throat and showed Elizabeth the ticket. "What form of payment will this be in?"

Elizabeth smiled again and pulled out another card that she had swiped from her father. It was one of his many credit cards. "American Express." Elizabeth answered, handing the card over.

The woman smiled, slid the card through the card swipe and once she was satisfied that it had gone through she handed the card back to Elizabeth."You'll be flying Frontier, dear, enjoy your flight." She handed Elizabeth the ticket, who took it gratefully with another fake smile and she andWill walked away from the desk.

"Wow." Will whispered. "That was awesome."

Elizabeth smiled. "That was nothing." She answered.

They walked on and came to security.

"I guess I can't go with you any further." Will commented.

Elizabeth bit her lower lip and turned around to face him."Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck.

"Promise to write?" He asked.

"Will, I can't." She answered. "If I don't want to get caught by my father. But I promise that wherever my travels take me, if I come back toNew York, I'll look you up. You're the best friend in the world." She began to cry. "Thank you so so much! You have no idea what this means to me."

He squeezed her tightly. "I know."

They stood there for a bit and finally pulled away. "I guess I'd better go." Elizabeth wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"Yeah." Will handed her her bag.

"Thanks." She took a step backward and then turned around, walking towards the security.

'Just tell her!' Will thought. 'Elizabeth, I really like you, it's not that hard. You love her! Come on, she's leaving!'

Elizabeth turned around once at the gate and waved. He waved back. 'You're an ass.'

She then turned back around and continued walking.

"Elizabeth!" He shouted.

But she didn't hear him. 'You're too late.'


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