The rum glittered in the bottle Jack was holding.

It wasn't the first time Jack had offered Will rum, and it wouldn't be the last. Will had refused on countless occasions, and he wasn't intending to try it now. Unfortunately, his curiosity was getting the better of him. Furthermore, this time, Jack had brought out the big guns, so to speak. Will's fiancé, Elizabeth, was there with them, her black and red skirt hugged her slender legs.

"Go on, take it. It won't bite." Jack held the sparkling bottle out for Will.

Will almost reached out, but stopped himself just in time. "I'm aware you love it, Jack, but it's not for me."

Elizabeth laughed. "Come on, Will. It's not that bad."

Jack furrowed his brow and glanced at Elizabeth. "You've drunk it, have you?"

"No, but I've had the taste of it on my lips-"

And what lovely lips they are, Will thought.

"-And it was enough to make me never desire it again."

This from the girl who says it isn't that bad, Will thought dryly.

"When?" Jack asked. "And why wasn't I involved?"

"You were. Don't you remember the might I got you drunk on that lone island when Barbossa marooned us?"

"No!"

"And that, dear old Jack, is why you don't know."

Dear old Jack? What exactly had happened between them on that island? Will wondered.

He needed to clear his head.

Much to Elizabeth and Jack's amusement, he unconsciously reached for the tantalizing rum bottle. . .

He lifted it to his lips. . .

A funny look crossed Will's face as he realized what he was drinking.

Rum flew across the sand as he spewed it out of his mouth.

"Utterly vile!!" He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Might be great for you, Sparrow, but I despise it!"

Jack and Elizabeth laughed.

The foul taste of the rum still burned in his mouth.

"Not quite the way I reacted at my first taste, but not so bad either." Jack commented, a grin still on his lips.

Will looked at him, surprised. "Really?"

Jack laughed. "No."

Elizabeth had one hand pressed against her slender stomach and the other squeezed to her mouth. She shook silently, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Elizabeth?" Will placed a caring hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

He took the hand over her mouth in his own, and her sudden laughter danced across the beach. She snorted.

"Oh! I'm . . . so sorry. . . I'm sorry!" Her laughter kept interrupting her words.

She struggled to regain a bit of composure, but couldn't. She snorted into laughter once again.

"It's just so - funny- your face- when you tested it- hilarious!!"

She wrapped her arms around him, still laughing.

He picked her up and spun her around, kissing her until she stopped giggling.

A smile hinted at existence in Jack's soft brown eyes, and another lived on his lips.

"I'll leave you children alone," he whispered.

"Good day, Elizabeth. Enjoy your rum in the future, Will."

Without taking his lips off of his future bride, Will waves good bye to Jack. So did Elizabeth.

Jack turned to go, but thought of one more thing to say. "Invite me to the wedding, and when you two actually do get married, serve up a lot of rum for young William here." He laughed and left.