A/N:PLEASE READ

'Ello mateies!! As promised this is prequal to my other fic "Through The Ages"...wait don't run! You don't have to read it in order to understand this fic here's a summary of what you need to know.

Jack and Elizabeth have both drank from the Fountain Of Youth but they haven't met even once after AWE...they don't know the other is alive. And on top of that Will's heart was stabbed so no Will in the story...sorry. Anyways they come close to meeting eachother ten times but never quite meet. Each chapter is one of the ten times they come close to meeting and even though they don't meet(or recognize eachother) it's full of JE goodness.

Anyways I'd like to add something about the timeline. This chapter takes place in modern day New york city and as we go on instead moving towards the future we go back to the past...so the next chapter takes place before this chapter and the one after that takes place before the next chapet and so on and so forth savvy? Good! Now excuse my long A/N and enjoy and review.

Elizabeth was dragged in the club by her best friend Roxy who was as wild as a wolf when it came to any kind of party but this party was different. This was the party of the year. A party to end all parties...not just anyone could get into this party. You had to be either very rich, very pretty, very influencial, very well known or you had to have friends that were all these things.

Roxy had to beg until Elizabeth decided to come along. Some how the fact that it was a masked ball had helped. To Roxy Elizabeth was one weird chick...even though she was her best friend and she knew her very well she still had these certain views of the world.She had certain opinions when it came to everything... especially freedom, curiosity, persuasion and a few other topics. She seemed to be drawn (more than anything else) to the sea and to adventure and she seemed to hate city life even though she lived it.

Not only did she 'live it' but she was in the center of it...she was a part of NewYorks rich and beautiful club. The thin, fashionable girls who lived in huge apartments with a view of Central Park. She seemed to be sick of it but she was part of it wether she liked it or not.

Elizabeth sighed. She couldn't be more glad that she had to wear a mask. She was wearing one everyday anyways...everyone wore one everyday as far as she was concerned.

She took this as something positive. Her chance to be free and do anything she wanted because she'd made sure no one could recognize her tonight. She'd even gone so far as to dye her hair a dark brown color. She wore a cat-like black mask that covered the whole part around her eyes, a little black dress that only covered half of her thighs and she wore gloves with her fingers poking out of the holes in the glove. She was nothing like her usual self and yet she still felt unsure about going to some crazy party the night after Dex had proposed to her.

Dex was her boyfriend...was he still? He'd proposed and she'd said she wasn't ready and he'd said she'd wait for her as long as she wanted him to and she'd...walked out of the restaurant. She shook her head at the memory, she'd drank from the fountain and lived for 200 years for god's sake. She was supposed to be mature and witty and not so emotional.

And now here she was making herself feel better by going to a party she wasn't sure she wanted to be at.

But perhaps a night of freedom, even if the freedom is feigned is better than no freedom at all.

She sighed again as they stepped in the huge club. The club was crowded with girls and boys dancing back to back, the music was so loud she could feel her eardrums vibrating, the whole place was filled with smoke and different colored lights going on around the dance floor. The smoke and lights barely allowed you to see the masked faces.

Elizabeth smiled slightly. This should be interesting.

"Mate, why am I here again?"

Gibbs considered his answer for a second. "Ummm...because there's an open bar. Because you were bored and because you haven't seen the crew for so long."

Captain Jack Sparrow rolled his chocolate brown eyes and took a sip of his rum and coke. He frowned at the taste of the fuzzy soda mixed with his precious rum. What happened to the days when people drank plain rum?

Truth was that Jack really hadn't seen any of the crew except for Gibbs in a year. They always came back together eventually. Sometimes they parted ways for years at a time but they always came back together. Sometimes they would sail on the Pearl and sometimes they would just have a reunion and go about the world and cause some mischeif.

"Oh alright...I s'ppose." he said tiredly. "I saw all of them are you satisfied? I even said hello and everything."

Jack was happy he'd led the crew to the fountain of youth and hadn't decided to live forever alone.The captain had missed each and every one of his crew members but he'd be damned to say so out loud. Never the less he grinned as he watched the masked Murtogg and Mullroy(who'd joined after quiting the EITC) and Pintel and Ragetti dance with a bunch of girls...he grinned even wider as he saw Ragetti pocket something out of a girl's purse. Once a pirate, always a pirate.

Gibbs sighed. "Come on Jack! Hang around for a while...have a drink or two...or three."

"I hardly call these fuzzy watery things drinks but aye mate! Just for your sake I'll stay around." he nodded as he scanned the room. The smoke and lights made it hard to see clearly. He was better off at the bar...he wasn't much for dancing anyways. Although he'd become rather good at it over the years.

A blond girl wearing a blue dress and mask approached him. He could see even with the mask and in the dim lighting of the club that the girl was beautiful. She smiled at him.

"Hey handsom! Can I get you a drink?"

He grinned brightly and held up his half full glass. "Last I checked my glass was still half full..." he said jokingly. He didn't know why but for a second he remembered a certain someone and how that someone would have countered his response: "Depends on you perspective Captain Sparrow! I see it half empty." she would say with a smirk. Then he would grin and answer back wittily and they would engage in another battle of witts. A battle which neither could win. In all his years Jack had never found anyone who was as good as Lizzie in this game. He shook his head and reminded himself not to think of her...he was doing such a good job at it in the last few dacades. Now he would only think of her if something reminded him, not every day like he used to.

"Then why don't I treat you to a dance?" the girl asked slyly.

"I'm afraid I don't dance sweet heart but..." Jack added as he held up a finger. "I can burp loudly after I've had soda...wanna see?" Jack asked pleasantly as if he was asking her to watch him draw flowers and ponies.

"Eeeew! Who are you?" the girl turned and left with a disgusted look.

She didn't hear Jack whispering jokingly as she left. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow...who are you?"

Gibbs laughed and high fived Jack who managed to chuckle back.

"Oh Jack! That's the fifth one you've scared away tonight. Why are you being so nasty tonight when we both know you could get them two at a time if you want to?" Gibbs chuckled.

"Not in the mood tonight mate! Not in the mood at all." Jack said with a smirk as he sat on the bar stool. Gibbs was surprised...since when was Jack ever not in the mood.

"So Joshamee...however did you get us invitations to such a wonderfully delightful little get together?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"Lets just say I have friends." Gibbs said distractedly as he eyed a woman in the crowd.

Jack nodded.

Gibbs grinned as the masked woman smiled at him. "Jack would you mind if I-"

"Not at all mate. Knock yourself dead." he said with a grin and Gibbs took off in the crowd.

Jack sighed. Why was he even here?

He'd actually cleaned up (just a bit) for the night considering the dress code. He'd trimmed his beard, tied back his hair and substituded new modern looking rings instead of his old ones. He looked ridiculous to himself but considering the attention he was getting from the ladies he didn't look as bad as he thought.

He took another sip of his 'drink' and hoped the night got a bit more interesting. If it didn't he might be forced to do something about it...like cause a commotion in the middle of the party or get two girls to have a treesom with him. That was only if things remained boring...

"Seriousely Roxy..." Elizabeth assured her friend. "Go on! Dance! Have a good time. I want to get a drink."

"You'll be ok?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. It's not like we really broke up and I'm in mourning or anything...we're just taking things slow. Now go!"

Roxy nodded and Elizabeth watched her friend's lean figure disappear in the crowd before heading to the bar herself.

There was only one other person sitting there. A man dressed in a suit and yet Elizabeth found it funny how he'd managed to keep to the dress code and still seem out of place. His white wrinkled shirt was untucked, his pants loose and objects hanging from his belt and his jacket instead of being worn was hanging on his shoulders. He had a black hat that was slightly skewed.

She had to smile at that, it was one of those occassions where she was reminded of Jack. She sat a few stools away from him and thought about what to order. She would want nothing more than a good...

"Got any rum darling?" she heard the man scream to the bartender over the loud music. "I mean real rum...with nothing else mixed in."

"Yes sir."

"I'll have one if you'd be so kind miss." the man said with a wave of his hand.

"I'll have the same please." she yelled over to the bartender who nodded. The stranger seemed to be surprised.

"It's not every day you meet a young lady who has a flare for pure spicy alcohol."

She smiled at the man's deep slurred voice. "Ah well! It's not every day one's stuck in a crowded party where people are masking their masks."

The stranger smirked. "How poetic! I should be insulted but quite unfortunately I agree with you. I reckon that's why we're both sitting at the bar when we could be standing else where?"

She nodded as the bartender placed a glass of rum in front of her. The stranger was strangely familiar to her and yet she pushed back the thought of who he reminded her of. She sipped her drink with thirst...she needed it if she was going to enjoy herself at all tonight.

Jack couldn't help but think the girl sitting a few stools away from him was the most beautiful in the room. Even though he couldn't see her clearly and her face was half hid by a mask there was something about her...something that reminded him of her. Was that why he found her interesting? Because she reminded him of her? Just peachy!

When he looked over to her he noticed that her glass was already half empty. He grinned...she was definitely a rum lover and not a rum burner.

He took a swig of his own drink and looked over at her again. "So why are you here?"

"Got dragged here by a friend. You?"

He nodded. "Same here. Are you determined to stay miserable tonight darling?"

She smirked. "Only until the situation demands other wise."

"Than you'll have to stay miserable for a long time." he informed her.

"That was the point."

"Perhaps I can help in changing the situation to demand other wise eh?"

She smiled. "In that case you are my rescuer and I should get you a drink."

He smirked and held up his half full glass of rum. "Still half full luv!"

"I see it half empty." she said teasingly. He felt a chill running down his spine...wasn't that the kind of response he'd expected her to give if she were there? He ordered himself to stop thinking like that...there must be some ladies as witty and beautiful and smart as she was.

"Oh! Who am I kidding? She was one of a kind..." he thought to himslef. Even so he decided that the girl sitting just on the other side of the bar was something special and that he wasn't going to let her get away.

"Half empty is still better than comletely empty is it not?"

"Rightly so." she said and finished off her drink. He did the same.

"Well...in an attempt to change the situation so it demands for you not to be miserable..." he informed her as he stood up and took the jacket off of his shoulder and put it on the stool. "Dance?" he offered with an extended hand. She considered him for a moment and he could sense the hesitation in her features even in the dark.

Elizabeth looked at the man's extended hand. The first thing she noticed was that his fingers were adorned with rings. Not his rings but still lots of rings and she noticed the wobble in his step and sway of his hips and she was tempted to say no to the offer simply because he was reminding her of him more and more by the second. But she took his extended hand...maybe because of the same reason she was tempted to say no.

His fingers were pleasantly rough against her soft skin and he was silent as he led her to the dance floor. The crowd dancing around them forced him to stay closer to her and she found that their bodies were pressing against eachother. They finally stopped in the middle of the dance floor where there was a little room for them to dance.

Now it was time for her to show him all her years of expirience in dancing. She'd danced every dance there was to dance.

As if on cue the Pussycat Dolls' version of "Sway" boomed out of the speaker and before Elizabeth could move the stranger sent her spinning away from him only to pull her back against his chest again. She was surprised at the sudden move but didn't show it. She took his hand and followed his lead in dancing a slightly 'mambo' number. She couldn't help but notice that despite the slight drunken sway of his hips he was just as good a dancer as she. They challenged eachother in a battle of foot moves...each trying to out dance the other. When the music slowed down he dipped her low and pulled her up slowly.

"You're good." she commented as he spun her around.

"Not so bad yourself." he said with a grin. If Elizabeth had looked up at him at that moment she would see the golden caps on his teeth glimmering as the light touched them and she would no doubtedly feel the urge to rip away his mask to look at his face but she didn't see the golden glimmer coming from his teeth. She was too busy focusing on his hands which were now creeping down from her back and moving toward her bare thighs. Normally if someone did that to Elizabeth she would kick them in the crouch and swear at them before walking away but some how she knew that the stranger was harmless. He was like him in this sense too...he too would tease her and call her pet names and make innuendoes but he would never take it too far without her approval. The stranger seemed to be the same way.

"So...you never told me your name."

He smirked. "I can't imagine how names could matter tonight...you can call me Larry if you wish."

"Is your name Larry?" she asked with a laugh, already knowing the answer.

"Oh don't be silly. Of course not." he said with a chuckle.

"I suppose you're right...names don't matter when we aren't ourselves." she agreed. He put his hand under her knee and lifted it and positioned it at his own hip as he dipped her again. She hung to his neck for support as she pulled herself back up.

"On the contarary I'm more myself than I've been in a long time...maybe that's why names don't matter." he said thoughtfully as he picked her up by the waist and spun her around twice. Elizabeth had to agree with him on that, she felt so...free. She held his neck tightly as she landed gracefully.

"Maybe you're right." she agreed as she turned her back to him and sunk low to the floor. He pulled her up by her shoulders and whirled her around to face him. She couldn't help but notice that a few people had now stopped dancing and were looking at them with interest.

"Their watching." she pointed out to him with a smile as she rested her chin on his shoulder. He smelt like some one who had traveled the world, he smelt like rum and spice and exotic lands and...the sea? She breathed in his scent, the smell of everything she'd missed and he smelt like...him.

"Let's give them something to watch,eh luv?" he said with a faint smile as he led her a few steps backwards.

"Indeed." she agreed. She wrapped on leg around his back, he took her hint and dragged her across the dance floor. A few people gasped or cheered. As they came to a stop he lifted her by her waist. She felt a shiver from the touch of his hands and tilted back her head, resting her hands on his shoulders.

They were dancing furiosely now. Like two professional dancers who had choreographed a dance to vent their frustrations. They stepped, kicked, lock stepped, and sautéd and did basically every move there was in the book. And for their finale he dipped her to the side while holding on to her leg as she held on to his shoulders.

A few people who had been watching them whistled or clapped but mostly the dance floor was so crowded that no one payed their hot steamy dance number any attention.She breathed heavily against his neck.

"Wow! You're really good." she said in a whisper.

"I'm only as good as my partner luv." he said with a smirk as he held her by the waist and led her to the balcony. She didn't object but followed willingly as he led her out into the cold December air. He leaned against the short stone wall of the balcony.

"Where'd you learn to dance like tha'?" he asked. If she could barely see his face in the club, she couldn't see his face at all in the cloudy night. She turned his back on him and leaned her back against his chest as he wrapped an arm around her. She felt a bit guilty. Here she was with this stranger when Dex was surely waiting faithfuly for her to decide wether she wanted to marry him or not. But at the touch of his hand all thoughts of everything else fled her mind.

"I should be asking you the very same question." she said and tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder. He brushed his lips against her neck.

The way he whispered teasingly made chills run down her spine."I guess both of us were lucky enough to dance our share of dances in life eh?" he whispered against her skin. She nodded in agreement.

This mystery woman was reminding Jack of her more and more by the second. She couldn't be more like her even if she burned the rum and shackled him right there.A part of him wanted to walk away and save his mind the agony but he couldn't leave...he couldn't move except to trail his lips along the smooth flesh of her neck as she leaned back against him. She let out a soft moan that wouldn't be heard by anyone else over the music but Jack had ears that could hear a ship sway on the waves from a mile away. He heard her, he heard her and the sound made him shiver. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side in pure delight as he kissed her neck and moved up. When he reached her earlobe he finally turned her around to face him. He could barely make out her soft brown eyes from beneath the mask. As much as he wanted to kiss her immediately, he took his time to caress her face with his finger tips, to trace her lips with his fingers, to kiss her jawline and breathe in her scent...the smell of something sweet and yet wild and mysteriouse. She smelt like some one who had been on a thousand adventures. He grinned at that scent.

Finally he took her lips in a kiss. A hungry urgent kiss that demanded everything from her but giving something back at the same time. Damn! She even tasted like her. She tasted like the rum she had drank, a bit of spice and hint of wildness about her but most of all she tasted like her. He felt her shiver under his touch as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with as much passion as he felt himself. He held her delicate waist with one hand and fingered her dark wavy hair with the other. Even when his lungs felt like they would burst he didn't draw back...he didn't want the taste of her to fade from his mouth. He let his hands creep up to her shoulders...his finger tips barely touching her skin. He felt her squirm and shiver again and he couldn't help but grin against her lips. If only...if only he'd had the same effect on her. As a matter of fact he hadn't had a kiss like this since her. Oh he'd had a lot of kisses from different types of women...women who were more expirienced and willing than her, women who were better kissers, women who even loved him deeply and women who he'd had feelings for but none of those kisses had been like hers...save for this one.

The one thing Jack couldn't figure out was...as heaven and hell became the same in their kiss, as he felt the ground moving under his feet, his heart pounding, her heart too pounding against his chest and her delicate hands cupping his face all he could think about was her. As she changed the position of her head all he could think of was her. As she broke away for air with swollen lips and her lipstick smeared all he could think of was her. As he caught his bottom lip between her teeth and breathed heavily all he could think of was her. All he could think about was how she'd kissed him the same way. She looked into his eyes which he was sure were now dark with desire and lust and she smiled slightly as he grinned back. And suddenly her hands were at the edge of his mask moving slowly to remove it from his face and even though he didn't mind...even though he wanted her to see his face all he could think of was her. All images of her. Her. Her. Her.Her.Her. And even more of her.

Finally he couldn't help it anymore. Her name escaped his lips in a whisper. "Lizzie!"

At the name she froze. Her fingers stopped pulling at the mask and she stood completely still. Bloody hell! Now he'd done it...he'd said another woman's name -her name- when he was sharing a romantic moment with a perfectly lovely young lady. There was no chance she would stay another moment.But instead of storming off she said something that was completely unexpected. "How did you know my name?" she whispered with wide eyes.

What? Her name was Elizabeth too? Maybe this was actually her.. maybe she had been reborn in another body. He opened his mouth to answer, to tell her with a cocky grin that they had a few mutual friends that had told him her name or some other crap that she would believe but he sighted Murtogg making way from the middle of the crowd and waving his arms at him frantically. When he reached the balcony he was still flailing his arms. "Come quick!! Joshamee's got in a bit of a trouble...seems like he picked someone pocket and got caught. He ran for it but they know we came with him so they'll surely question us...we have to run." he excalimed. Jack nodded and kissed the lady's hand lightly.

"Darling! I'm afraid I must make a run for it...it was nice meeting you." he said with an elaborate bow as he took his hat off and turned around and ran in a typical Captain Jack Sparrow manner...ran like the Royal Navy was chasing him. "Goodbye Larry!" she shouted after him causing him to chuckle as he ran.

Elizabeth was left confused and amazed. She touched her lips with her finger tips...she could still taste the salt and the rum and...him. Oh how this man had reminded her of him. Maybe it was his soul in another body. She hadn't even gotten to see his face. How did he know her name? Was he one of the people at work who'd recognized her? No! If he was from work she would remember him. Had he heard about her from the PR company she worked at? She was fairly well known in the business but...

She didn't know what to think anymore. She rarely ever thought about her past anymore but on certain occassions things happened that left her no choice but to remember...this was one of them. Maybe he was a god sent angel of all that she loved who had come here to remind her of the reasons she couldn't marry Dex?

She saw Roxy come out into the balcony. Her cheeks flushed from dancing as she straightened her white dress with her hands.

"Lizzie! I saw you kissing that tall dark handsome stranger. What a hunk! I saw you guys dancing...man oh man! Who was he?"

"I haven't the foggiest." she said with a blank expression as she still touched her lips.

"Elizabeth!" Roxy cried. "You were kissing him and you don't even know him?"

"Oh I know him...sorta, I'm just not so sure about his name. Larry perhaps?" Elizabeth said with grin as she remembered the sensation of his lips against hers. Roxy sighed in frustration and Elizabeth laughed.

"So capt'n who was that girl you was with on the balcony?" Murtogg asked as they walked out into the street. They went into the back alley where the rest of the crew were waiting for them at the end. Jack thought about the question. Who was she really?

"A ghost from the past mate. A ghost from the past." he repeated with a far off expression to a very confussed Murtogg who just blinked. He licked his lips and grinned when he tasted her on his tongue. "The most bloody beautiful ghost there is."

What'd you think? Be honest luv but don't fire please...I know that it was a bit awkward because it was modern day and everything but hang with me on this. It'll get far more interesting. Especially after chapter 4 things really start to get thick.

Yes some might think Jack and Lizzie were a bit stupid no to recognize eachother in this chapter but give them some credit...they each thought the other was dead, they had masks and it was pretty dark. And if you really didn't like the plot at least it had JE action right? So please review.