I realized I forgot to post an author's note in the first chapter… Thanks to everyone who has already followed and favorited and reviewed this story! This is my first ever Sparrabeth story. Honestly, I've been indifferent about this couple for a while, but I wanted a challenge, so I decided to write a story about them. I do love Willabeth as well, so there will be no bashing of that couple here. I'm just having fun because I have a crap ton of stories on my computer that I've never posted. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

I don't own Pirates.

Chapter Two

Jack awoke to a scrumptious smell. He sat up, frowning. Morning light streamed through the windows. Flakes of snow were crystallized on the panels of the windows. Jack got up, shivering. He entered the kitchen. Elizabeth was cooking, humming as she stirred some sort of batter. "Morning, love," Jack said.

Elizabeth jumped and wheeled around. She smiled. "Good morning," she chirped.

Jack shivered. "Where do you keep the firewood?"

"Out in the courtyard." said Elizabeth, turning her attention back to her cooking.

Jack opened the door that Elizabeth had indicated to. He shuffled outside into the cold. His boots crunched against the snow. Elizabeth's house surrounded a little courtyard. Jack could see that Elizabeth had grown some flowers, which were now covered in snow. He found a rack up against the wall of the house. He scooped up some wood from the rack and carried it back into the house. He closed the door behind him and entered the sitting room. He threw the planks of wood into the hearth. "'Lizabeth, do you have any parchment that I can use to coax the fire?" he called. Elizabeth entered the room. She opened a cabinet next to the hearth. She handed Jack some pieces of parchment. Jack looked at the paper she had given him. It was an old newspaper article, talking about the war with Beckett.

"I kept up with everyone," Elizabeth murmured.

Jack looked at her. "Why didn't you stay on the Pearl?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth but no words came out. "I should make sure it's not burning…" She left the room. Jack sighed. He ripped the article into several pieces. He crumbled up the pieces into little balls. He positioned the spheres in different places in the pile of wood. He grabbed the matchbox and lit a match. He lit the little balls of paper. He ran the lit match over the wood, trying to catch it on fire. He huffed and sat down. He watched the paper burn, catching the wood on fire. Soon, there was a roaring fire in the hearth. He glanced in the direction of the kitchen, where he could hear the sizzling of something being cooked. Why was Elizabeth so distant from him? Her time away from the pirates had trampled her. She was no longer fiery and sharp. She seemed so lonely and hurt. Jack could tell she missed her husband. Well, ex-husband. Jack had received two letters from Will. One he was allowed to show Elizabeth. The other had been kept for Jack's eyes only. Jack pulled the letter out of his pocket.

Jack,

I must ask a favor of you. I don't know if we are even friends still or not. I am worried about Elizabeth. She has moved to a small village called Richardson, Scotland. I know that she is lonely, and she's still hurting about her father's (and my) death. I am sure that you care about her too. If not… send me word and I'll find someone else.

I know she trusts you. If you don't trust her anymore because of what she did, I understand. But I need you to check on her. Make sure that she is safe and not alone. I have annulled our marriage, for I want her to have happiness. Waiting for me to return is no way to live. If she finds that happiness with you… Know that you have my blessing, Jack. As a friend, as I hope we still are.

Thank you,

Will

Jack huffed and tossed the letter into the fire. He had cared for Elizabeth, yes. But their relationship was now strained. He wasn't sure how to cope with Elizabeth's depression. But he couldn't leave her here, not anymore. He knew where she was. And he would visit her. He wouldn't leave her here, to her solitude, to her miserable life. He couldn't. "Jack? Breakfast!" called Elizabeth. Jack entered the kitchen. Even now, just after a few hours of being together, Elizabeth looked a million times happier. Jack examined her. Her hair had grown longer. It now swayed around her, touching her waist lightly. She beamed at Jack and handed him a plate of crepes and fruit. Jack grinned. Elizabeth sat across from him at the table. She cut her crepe with precision, smiling with delight as she ate the delicious food.

"So, we'll send word to Tai Huang, and then we'll come up with a plan." Jack said.

"We can use the Empress to track down the Pearl. Tai Huang is loyal to me; he and his crew will help us." said Elizabeth.

"That junk won't catch the Pearl." Jack retorted.

"Then let's go to Shipwreck Cove and I can request a ship." said Elizabeth simply.

Jack opened his mouth to argue, but found he had none. "Right. Well, we'll do that."

Elizabeth smirked and got to her feet, picking up her plate. Jack handed over his empty plate. Elizabeth carried it to the kitchen. She placed the plates on the counter. "I'll clean them later," she muttered. "I have a message to write."

"Erm, how are we going to contact Tai? There's not exactly a pirate postal service here in town." said Jack.

Elizabeth looked amused. "I have my ways," she said, her eyes twinkling. She left the room and returned with a bird cage. The bird within was a colorful messenger pigeon. Elizabeth inscribed a message and placed it in the bird's leg pouch. "Find Tai Huang," she whispered. She stepped outside and released the bird into the frosty air. Jack watched her. Elizabeth stayed outside for a few moments before returning. Jack watched Elizabeth's face, flushed from the cold, spread into a smile. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

Jack dressed into warmer clothes and stepped outside with Elizabeth. She looked elegant in an emerald skirt and brown vest. She wore a wool cloak over her shoulders and fur cap around her head. Her long tresses fell to her waist. She skipped through the gathering piles of snow. Her eyes were bright with a happiness that Jack had not seen in a long time. He realized that he had missed Elizabeth's smile. There was a lot about her that he had missed. He had missed their friendship. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't really understand their relationship. He didn't know a lot about her, except that she would do whatever it took get what she wanted, she was brave and she yearned for adventure. And apparently she likes snow, he thought in amusement, watching Elizabeth kick around the snow like a child. She laughed and looked at Jack. He smiled at her. He had never forgotten her beauty, but in that moment, she looked more beautiful than he had remembered. Instantly, he felt uncomfortable for thinking such a thing. Not because he was ashamed of admiring beauty, no. He was uncomfortable because he wasn't sure what Elizabeth meant to him. Were they friends? Were they enemies? Were they merely chess pieces in each other's games? Was Elizabeth someone he could trust? He wanted to say yes, but he also wanted Elizabeth to prove that he could trust her.

"So, what have you been doing these past few months?" Elizabeth asked, twirling around.

Jack smirked. "Contemplating whether or not I want to find the Fountain of Youth."

Elizabeth's face fell. "What's holding you back?"

Jack frowned. He wasn't sure he wanted to answer that. "Not sure, love."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "I don't think immortality is all that it is gloried to be."

Jack lifted his chin pensively. "What makes you say that?"

"If you're living forever, there's no… Adventure, I guess. Death isn't a threat, so there's no excitement. And everyone you love… They'll die, but you'll continue living. Sounds like a curse in disguised as a blessing." Elizabeth replied.

Jack worked his jaw. "Some might say that about you."

Hurt flashed in Elizabeth's eyes. Jack didn't take his words back. He didn't even regret them. "I suppose I deserve that," Elizabeth muttered, looking down.

Jack was suddenly angry with her. "Can I trust you?" he demanded. "Or are you going to betray me again, the first chance you get?"

Elizabeth looked up. "Jack… I had no choice…"

"Did you, now? Maybe I came back to stay, love. But you never gave me the chance to make that decision." Jack snapped.

Elizabeth flinched. "I-I'm sorry…"

Jack clenched his jaw. "You know why I came back, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Jack wanted to let out any pent-up anger he had with her. "The compass," he seethed. "It pointed to the ship. It pointed to you, to the others. I wanted to come back and fight with all of you. I wanted to make sure all of you –my friends –were safe. And then you…" Jack trailed off, boiling with rage. "And then you kissed me. That was the worst part of the betrayal, Elizabeth. Because I thought… I thought…" Jack cut himself off.

Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears. "Will thought I loved you, too," she muttered. Jack was surprised that a flash of hurt clogged up his throat. He swallowed the lump. Elizabeth looked up. "I did care for you, Jack," she confessed. "I still do."

Jack shook his head. "I don't know I can trust you, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth's eyes blazed. "Then why come here?" she demanded. Jack opened his mouth to reply, but found he didn't have a comeback. "Why come check on me? Why not leave me to my lonely, miserable life?"

Jack stared at her coldly. Elizabeth's glare was fiery. "Because I… I care about you, Elizabeth. Despite what you did."

Elizabeth softened. She breathed a watery, humorless laugh. "I'll prove that you can trust me, Jack. I want us to be friends, again."

"How can I trust you again?" Jack asked, somewhat desperately.

Elizabeth smiled through her tears. "With time."