Title: Absolute Terms
Disclaimers: I don't own any pirate/ship and I don't wish to.
Genre: AU romance/angst

Rating: nothing you should hide from.
Summary/Set: this is another version of my minific Unconditional, a little longer with slightly different circumstances. How far will Elizabeth go to save Jack this time?

Pairing: Sparrabeth.

Note: English is still not my first language and it will never be, no matter how long I stay in Scotland for.

James Norrington left the house for duty and Elizabeth finished her cup of tea thinking about the conversation they had at the lunch table. Although Cutler was disgraced even post mortally for being such an embarrassment, causing enormous damage for the East India Trading Company and lots of enemies for the navvy, reinstated commodore James Norrington and Elizabeth remained weary and vigilant of any developments that could bring in a new rule or a new commodore. At the moment her and little William were safe under James' generous protection in their home in Port Royal, may the threat be coming from the English or any pirates who may have wished to acquire some leverage just in case they needed to deal with the captain of the Flying Dutchman, all of what security the commodore offered without asking anything in return, out of respect for her father, for old times' sake, he said. Elizabeth on the other hand knew he still loved her, it was obvious from every gesture when he dealt with her, every looking away and blushing she caught sight of. She couldn't do this to him forever, she was always cheating on him with her thoughts, flying far to Will or Jack. But what choice did she have? Go far away incognito, hide? That'd take her so far from those who she loved, and that included James in certain ways, she was fond of him yes, thankful, yes and if not for the unfortunate circumstances of ever meeting Jack she would've been his happy wife by now. She kept making the same decision over and over again, to stay. She sighed, and was about to call for the maid to tidy up when her housemaid burst in anyway, "I'm sorry Mrs. Turner, there's a man here who says he needs your fast help. Rather peculiar, cause he doesn't seem to be in need."

"What man?" Elizabeth asked surprised. She didn't keep contact with many, given the circumstances.

"He says his name's Joshamee Gibbs Ma'am."

Elizabeth jumped up, "show him in, show him in," she waved, then took a few quick steps towards the weary sailor appearing from behind the maid. She hugged him cordially, looking at him fondly, . "What brings you here master Gibbs?"

Gibbs pushed her away quickly, "no, please, don't. You don't wanna get the disease. Don't touch me, stay far back in case I carry it too."

"What's happened, Mr. Gibbs?" Elizabeth asked eyes wide with shock.

"Errrr..." He started, looking around suspiciously, "this is the commodore's house, right?"

"He's not around and besides, you won't know a fairer man and commander than James," she assured him quickly as she wanted to get to the bottom of the problem.

"Aye, I might give you so, but...it's..."

"Me?" She guessed. "Me living here with him. We're friends, but I'd keep the secret, please trust me Mr. Gibbs. Corinna said you were looking for some kind of help?" She tried.

"Well, we need fresh water badly and they'd not let us into port with the disease on board. At first I was thinking of getting some of the crew, grab some and the ol' doctor, but all the hale or even people who were only half dead deserted ship immediately...you know how it is, everybody wants to escape death. I'm afraid I'm the only one who left able to help. But then maybe it'd be better if we weren't chased by the navvy for kidnapping anyway when we don't even have a captain who could give orders..."

"You don't have a cap..." What did that mean? Did he desert as well? "Where's Jack?"

"Been at the helm for five days since people started dying so that I could tend to the sick. I had a suspicion he had it too, but he'd not tell me a thing. We had to reach some port and quick. He collapsed up there when Marty shouted he could see land and been delirious since."

By this time, Elizabeth was hyperventilating herself. She looked back at her maid, "would you watch my son for a little while?"

"You're not gonna go on a contagious ship!" Corinna cried appalled, although she knew it was in vain, her mistress was very stubborn about everything.

Elizabeth looked at Gibbs, she could tell he was really worried about his idolized captain. Nevertheless he shook his head as well, "no, no! I never came here for that! You can't come with us! I was only thinking if you could help load the water into a rowboat, I'll take it out. And if you'd maybe convince the doctor to come out, he won't do it for a pirate, but maybe for the commodore's "acquaintance"?"

Elizabeth thought about this for a minute, then walked up to Gibbs and looked into his eyes, "I owe this to all of you and most of all I owe it to Jack."

"Mrs. Turner..." He started..."I've seen the disease's way, I've seen it many times so far. Jack'll be dead by the morning."

"Then he'll have me as company doing so," she picked her coat up and ran. She was compromising everything, her life, her position, any peaceful upbringing her son might've had in Port Royal. She was back to helping pirates. She knew sooner of later it'd come. It was inevitable, it was her destiny. In any case, did much left to matter if Jack was dead?

Tbc