Chapter 3

I know what I want, I know what I want, I know what I want!" shouted Jack exasperated at his compass. It refused to point anywhere else but on deck. They had been sailing around without a heading for the longest time now and they seemed to be going nowhere fast. But the only direction the arrow was pointing was at Elizabeth.

Jack reached out for his rum and chugged down the rest of the bottle. Why did he care? Why couldn't he let her go? She had made her decision, that she didn't want him. He should be done with the girl! But he wasn't. What about my decision! he screamed inwardly. Don't I have a say in the matter? He slammed the rum bottle on the table, and walked aimlessly around the room, trying to find something to get her off his mind.

Turner does. Of course bloody Will does. He does anything he wants and the bonnie lass lets him get away with it. Unlike me. I leave The Pearl behind for five minutes, and then come back and the whole battles gone to pot! Before I know it I'm strapped to a mast, waiting for a beastie to gobble me up.

Jack couldn't stand himself. What had that damn woman done to him?Captain Jack Sparrow jealous of a eunuch? It's not possible!

Jack shoved open his trunk and threw the charts that he had stolen them from Barbossa's cabin down on his desk. He had just begun to examine them when suddenly he heard some commotion out on deck, and thought he'd better be safe and check to see that it was not another mutiny.

Will was standing with his back to her, staring at the starry night through his cabin window. He loved to see the stars reflect on the water on a cloudless night. There was something strange about the water tonight though. It didn't seem as though it was merely the stars reflection on the water he saw, but the stars themselves.

"It's a beautiful night." Elizabeth said timidly, drawing Will attention away from the scenic view outside.

"Yes it is." Will's voice was very distant.

He must hate me.

Why hadn't she told him? She should have told him before. What was there to be afraid of at the time?

Oh, yes. His reaction.

Well, no use now. I guess that ship has sailed.

"Will, I'm so sorry," pleaded Elizabeth desperately. She knew Will had expected her to share everything with him once they got engaged. Engaged. She had almost married Will. He would now be her husband if their wedding had not been interrupted. A sudden chill ran through her. Does she not what marry him anymore?

"I had no other choice…"

Will looked at Elizabeth, almost glaring at her with the intensity of his gaze.

"You choose not to tell me." He retorted bitterly

"It was my burden to bear."

Will had no words. Why didn't she trust him? Was there something he had not been seeing for the past few months? Had there truly been more to the kiss like he had suspected?

"I did bear it. I just didn't know what it was." Will confessed.

Elizabeth was shocked. He had seen the kiss. He knew. He knew that she had betrayed him. Then why hadn't he said something? Why hadn't he been furious with her and insisted that she told him the truth immediately after she had gotten into the longboat. Why had he even gone along with them to worlds end?

Because he loves me. And because he thought I loved….

"You thought I loved him." She uttered in disbelief. Her stomach fluttered nervously. How could he think that? Will was her fiancé. Of course she loved him... in a way.

No. She couldn't lie to herself any longer. Not anymore. She had been lying to herself ever since the kiss. A nagging twinge of guilt stirred inside her as she began to think about how much damage she had already done. Surely she couldn't hurt another man in her life like she had injured the other? But deep in her heart, she new it could not go on much longer.

Elizabeth couldn't just stand there pretending to feel something she didn't. She had to tell Will. She had to let him know that something had changed. She had changed. She was no longer the young, naïve, Governor's daughter that she had once been and she no longer desired the same things. And somewhere along the line, what she had felt for him just, stopped. But how?

Elizabeth turned quickly, attempting to flee the room, not knowing what to do, when a strong arm grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the center of the room.

"If you make your choices alone, how can I trust you? Will demanded, not letting go of her arm.

Choices. Her choices. She had made so many unwisely. She had been mistaken about her feelings for Will, and become engaged to him… She had made an unwise bargain with a pirate causing her to get kidnapped… And she had killed the man she truly loved.

"You can't." she admitted simply, rushing up the stairs away from Will and her old feelings for him. She was a pirate after all. She could not be trusted. Elizabeth smirked inwardly thinking of how Jack would have reacted to her years ago."So you came over to my side after all."

She had to find Jack.

Will hurried up the stairs after Elizabeth.

While running up the steps two by two after her, hundreds of questions flooded into his head. Why couldn't he trust her? What had he done wrong and how could he make it up to her?

Why was his fiance being so secretive?

All his questions had come to a halt though when he arrived on deck and heard Elizabeth cry out a certain pirate captain's name. He watched heart-broken as she dashed right past him to the pirate without even giving him a second thought.

Jack upon leaving his cabin and not being thrown into the brig had decided that it could not possibly be a mutiny. That's what had happened last time. If it was, they would have be waiting for him to unlock his door and venture out, catching him unawares. Curiosity continued to page him, however, so Jack decided to go on deck, even if it meant that he might have to take the helm.

So what if he was a tad bit drunk! He had steered The Pearl drunk loads of times.

Stepping out on deck, Jack saw the most peculiar sight. Instead of the normal rowdy crew of pirates, everyone was deathly silent. They were standing along the edges of the ship. Most were leaning over the railing, and seemed to be very interested in the eerily still water.

Sauntering to the railing, Jack peered over the edge, squinting with confusion and suspicion. In the water, were boats and boats of people, all of them looking pale and lifeless. He didn't need to ask who they were or why they were there. They were in the land of the dead.

They were souls that had died at sea.

Losing some of his color himself, he backed away and went to take the wheel from Barbossa. Just the thought of death made him lose his appetite.

"My turn, Hector," Jack said arrogantly when he arrived at the helm. How darn the yeasty cod beast steer me ship.

Barbossa gritted his teeth together "Ah, I see ye 'ave finally decided to tend to yer captainly duties. After all I'm only a lowly chartsman." Barbossa bellowed, forcing hate in every syllable. If not for the Brethren Court, he probably would have shot Jack then and there.

"Glad to know ye know yer place." retorted Jack, pushing Barbossa's buttons. Jack found it rather amusing when Hector was angry. Jack moved to stand next to wheel, and smirked seeing Barbossa's knuckles turn white from clutching the spokes. "Now if you'd be so kind." Jack flicked his hands towards the wheel, with a sly look in his eyes.

"Fine." Barbossa huffed and let go of the wheel and barged off. He had much more important things to examine in his cabin.

Normally, The wheel being released would have caused the ship to make an abrupt turn, but Jack had been faster than it. He caught the wheel before the Pearl wavered even an inch.

Jack took his place at the wheel and looked up at the sky. It was stunning. Above him, the sky was speckled with little stars everywhere, casting a dim glow on the rigging and the sails. If not for the fact that they were in The Locker, it would've been a perfect night. Or at least it would've been if she were here beside him.

"Jack!" The voice of his thoughts shrieked.

No…it can't be

He then heard the light pounding of her footsteps on the stairs coming up to the helm. Before he knew it he was face to face with his murderess again.

"Jack.." Elizabeth smiled affectionately at him. She loved to see him on his Pearl. A captain belongs t the helm of a ship and Jack was no exception.

"Elizabeth.." This can't be happening.

"Jack…I..I need to talk to you" nervously glancing around, noticing all the people. "In private." She added. She couldn't very well express her feeling in front of the whole crew! Especially Will. That would break his heart.

"Ah…well you see I'm," Jack tried to control himself. Don't be so eager. She killed you last time remember?

"Jack…Please," said Elizabeth, almost begging, her eyes still glistening slightly. Self-conscience of the fact, she slide her hands into her pocket, fidgeting with the ring with her thumb.

"Alright come on," said Jack softly, giving in. Gently guiding her down the steps to the main deck, Jack couldn't control himself from placing his hand on her lower back.

He continued to rest his hand there as he began to steer her towards the stairs to talk when she stopped and ran over to the railing in disbelief. Something had caught her eye.

"It's my Father. We've made it back" She exclaimed happily. "Father! Over here! Father! Look over Here!" She continued to shout enthusiastically, but Weatherby Swann refused to turn his head.

"Elizabeth," Jack crooned, trying to say what had to be said in the most comforting way possible. "We're not back."

Elizabeth shifted her eyes between Jack and her father. "No…No. Father!" she screamed, refusing to believe that Jack was telling the truth. Her father couldn't be...

"Elizabeth? Are you dead?" Her father questioned sadly from the longboat.

"No. No." Elizabeth responded almost inaudibly.

"I think I am." The elder man struggled, squinting up at her.

"No you can't be!" Elizabeth cried, trembling.

"Grab the line!" She climbed up on the railing and tossed a rope to him. "Come back with us. The line, grab the line!" sobbed Elizabeth desperately.

"I'm so proud of you Elizabeth. I'm give your love to your mother shall I." He managed to say before he drifted from view.

"No! No! Father!" Elizabeth screamed, trying to call him back to him, running towards the bow.

"She must not leave the ship!" She heard someone yell.

Then all the sudden a pair of arms restrained her and pulled her toward a strong chest. She looked up, searching for familiar, dark brown eyes, but instead met honey colored ones. Will. Maybe Jack really didn't care after all. Perhaps he wanted her to fe the pain.

All she wanted was to seek comfort in his arms, but Jack was nowhere to be seen. He must have fled when he had the chance.

Just a moment ago she was going to tell him about her true feelings for him. Now she doubted that she ever would.

Jack strolled into his cabin and threw his hat on his desk. He had to leave. He couldn't bear to see her in pain. Lizzie. My Lizzie suffering. She's not yours mate. He couldn't stand to see a woman cry. He could kill a man in cold blood, and face a bloody Kraken, but when it came to weeping women, he was a goner. Why couldn't they all just be happy all the time? Well her father just died what did you expect? Little Miss Sunshine? No. Of course he didn't. He understood her situation completely. His mum had died when he was very young and he had never been the same since. Of course she was upset. Who wouldn't be after they lost both of the parents?

He just couldn't just stand there as another man comforted her and held her in there arms. He wanted to comfort her. For once he wanted to be the hero, the knight in bloody shining armor. He wanted to make her smile and erase all the gloomy thoughts from her mind. But that wouldn't happen and quite probably never would. Not in his lifetime.

She's spoken for, mate. Likely would be married now if it wasn't for you.

That's all there was to it. She didn't want him or need him rather. She didn't even seem to want to even talk to him what urgent matter had she wanted to talk about just a moment ago?