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Chapter 2: The Truth

That Night…

Elizabeth had waited for her father and all the servants to turn in for the evening before she chanced getting out of bed. If anyone had heard her, they might follow and she would lead them straight to Jack. She carefully got out of bed, trying not to make a sound. She looked out of her window and admired the moon. She could not see anyone down below her window, or on any of the grounds for that matter. "I wonder if Jack is down there now?" she whispered to herself. She decided now was as good a time as any to go and meet with Jack. She crept from her bedroom and walked silently down the hall to the staircase. She grasped the railing firmly, and took each step with every precaution. One noise and she would have to go straight to bed and wait for whomever she had awoken to fall back asleep.

Meanwhile…

I climbed my way over the back gate that led into the Swann garden. I hid in the shadows until I heard Elizabeth come from around the corner and whisper my name. "Jack? Where are you, Jack?" she was wearing only her bed clothes and the lack of material let my eyes wander over her slender frame. I had only seen her this way twice before. The first time when I saved her from drowning and when we had been marooned on the rum runner's island. She was so beautiful in the moonlight. I stepped out from the shadows as she drew closer to me. "Right here love." She smiled as I was flooded in the moonlight and embraced me in a hug. "She smells delicious." I thought to myself as I held her in my arms. She leaned back slightly, keeping a hold of my forearms. "So, do we talk here?" she asked looking around the garden. "No, love. We talk away from here." I stated smiling. She looked at me, puzzled. "Right, follow me." I led her to the back gate and helped her over and then managed to get myself over and out of the garden.

"Jack, where are we going?" Elizabeth was following me through the woods that lay behind the Governor's mansion. "Why, this way of course." I said motioning to the darkness in front of me. I could tell that Elizabeth had never been into these woods before now. "Probably because those of 'higher class' don't frolic in the woods." I smirked, thinking about a younger Elizabeth playing and frolicking in these woods. Elizabeth brought me back to reality, "I mean what is this way?" I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around. Elizabeth stopped, staring at me. "This way," I said motioning in the direction we were walking "is freedom. That way," I finished, pointing towards Port Royal, "is not." I turned with a smile and continued walking.

I could tell Elizabeth was completely baffled. We walked on until we came to a steep slope. "Right. Careful, love. This may be a bit tricky." I took her hand in mine and helped her down to the water's edge. "Jack, where are we?" "Why Miss Swann," I said pretending to be confused. "Don't you recognize Port Royal when you see it?" I motioned to all of the land behind her. "I have never seen this part of Port Royal before." She glanced around. "Aye. Not a lot of people come here I am guessing." I walked a few feet and found a crate I had stashed in a thick bush. I pulled it out, pulled out two bottles of rum, and sat down in the sand.

Elizabeth walked over and sat elegantly on the crate. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight. I held out a bottle of rum and she took it as I took a big swig from my own. "Jack, a lady doesn't drink rum." She smiled at me. "Well love, you drank it before and you still act proper." I smirked at her. She sighed and uncorked the bottle and took a sip. "There you go!" I took another swig from the bottle. "Jack." There was a stern tone to her voice. "Aye?" "You said you would explain to me why you came to say goodbye." I drank more rum. "Ah, right." I leaned back against a tree that was behind me. "You see, Elizabeth. There is adventure to be had. Freedom to experience love. I am useless without the sea." She looked at me, clearly not believing a word that came out of my mouth. "I thought it best to come say goodbye, and then be off where I am to do the most good for meself." She scoffed at me and got up to leave.

"WAIT!" I practically yelled it at her. She stopped and turned around. "Why Jack? So you can tell me more lies?" I stood up. "I do not know why you won't tell me the truth but I know that what you are telling me is lies. You are hiding something, and I will not be lied to." She thrust the rum bottle at me and started walking away from me towards the mansion. "If I tell you the truth you won't believe it either." I stated, thinking she was out of earshot. She stopped, and turned around. "Try me." And she crossed her arms.

I walked over to her, and handed her back the bottle of rum. "Drink up. Not appropriate to waste good rum dear." I smiled at her as she took the bottle from me and took a big sip of it. "Elizabeth." I paused. "I… cannot…" I struggled to find the right words. "Watch you… get married…" She looked confused. "Why not Jack?" I turned away from her, thinking that not looking at her might actually be easier. "Because. I don't want to watch that. No more than you want to watch me hanged." I heard her walk towards me. "Why would I getting married be such a terrible sight?" I turned to face her and she was staring up at me, tears welling in her eyes. "Elizabeth." I breathed, and grabbed her and hugged her to my chest.

We stood like that for what seemed like hours. I listened to her breathing, smelled her hair, and pressed my lips against the top of her head. I couldn't stand seeing her sad. "Elizabeth." I cupped her chin and lifted it upwards so she would look me in the eyes. "Captain Jack Sparrow does not like to lose his treasure." She gaped at me, eyes wide. "When I find meself a treasure that I prize and covet, I tend to not let it out of my possession." Her lips trembled. "I wonder what it tastes like." I tried to concentrate on something other than her lips. "You, Miss Swann, will become another man's treasure in a matter of days. I do not wish to watch as my treasure is taken by another, savvy?" My face was serious so I knew that she would know I was serious, because this was serious. "Jack…" her body began to tremble. "Are you telling the truth?" I smiled down at her. "Every word love."