A/N: Thank you for all the reviews!
Disclaimer: Disney owns PotC.
Will
I stood frozen to the floor with shock at the man who had descended the stairs in Tia Dalma's hut, living, breathing, before me. I had seen him die and here he was…
But I did not focus on him for long. My thoughts were on Elizabeth. I refused to believe still that she had been taken by the kraken.
My Elizabeth. My darling. My fiancée. Captured. Dead. Gone.
No. I would find her. I would save her. And I would be sure Jack knew not to touch her.
Jack. I gritted my teeth.
How could she kiss him like that?!
For a moment I let myself believe that Jack had forced her, but only a child could think of it. It hadn't been forced, it had been voluntary. And she had done it with such passion...
And she had wanted to stay behind for a while, with Jack...
I wanted to kill him.
I turned my attention back to Barbossa, eating the apple with relish, then glanced at Tia Dalma. She was smiling ever so faintly. Of course. A witch. She brought him back.
"When do we set out?" I asked.
"We'd be needing some charts that are in the hands of Sao Feng," said Barbossa.
"Sao Feng?"
"Pirate Lord of the South China Sea," he replied, stroking his monkey. "He's in Singapore."
Singapore. I had only heard that once, mentioned in passing by a merchant in Port Royal, and it had sounded like somewhere infinitely far away, untouchable, unreachable. No. Not unreachable. We have to get there, to get the charts, to save Elizabeth! I paused in my thoughts, and grudgingly admitted to myself, And Jack. I really only needed the Pearl, come to think of it. To save my father.
"So we sail… to Singapore?"
"Aye," said Barbossa. "Then we sail t' the end of the world, and fetch my ship."
My ship, soon, I thought.
Elizabeth
I climbed down from the crow's nest and went belowdecks. The hold, rum cellar, cabins were all intact. The entire ship was in perfect condition to sail--on an endless desert island with no wind. It was too unbearably hot to stay below so I sat on deck, sawing at a piece of wood for nearly the entire day. My mind was dulled by the heat and still silence, but I tried to think.
Bloody Jack.
I couldn't believe I was blaming Jack for this. I had been the one to distract him, I had chained him to the mast, I had been prepared to kill him. But he had ruined my carefully constructed plan.
What could he possibly mean by taking me along too? It wasn't being of any benefit of him! What can I do here for him? The ship was bound not to budge an inch where it was lodged; we would never make it out of here. Perhaps he just wanted revenge... A life for a life, simply to show me I couldn't get away with trying to kill Captain Jack Sparrow. I rolled my eyes angrily at the thought. Or perhaps... he wanted me here.
I told myself not to be stupid. We had never, as I remembered, gotten along well. I had been the aristocrat and he the lowly despicable pirate.
"You will come to my side, luv."
I opened my mouth to say something to myself but stopped in the middle of contemplating it.
He... yes, he liked me, I knew that. I didn't know in what way, probably seeing me as a Tortuga wench or something of that sort. (I shied disgustedly from that thought) But whatever it was, what better time could he make me "come to his side", could he... try to seduce me when we were completely alone on his ship, in the middle of absolutely nowhere, where we would most likely be for at least too long to count?
I closed my eyes. I'm looking at it far too logically, I thought wildly, looking for a reason this couldn't be true.
And so I sat on deck for the day in the smothering heat, unwillingly half-convinced that Jack had killed me because he wanted me in Hell with him. Because he wanted me with him in Hell. Because he wanted me. With him. (in Hell)
By nightfall I couldn't bear it any longer. I couldn't bear anything any longer. I burst into Jack's cabin rudely.
"We have to get out."
"I beg you propose a method, as I have none," Jack said calmly.
I thought for a moment.
"Neither have I."
"Ah, that makes two of us. See, we are very alike."
I rolled my eyes.
"We can think of something."
"Of course!" said Jack, mock-cheerful. "I'd love to have you help me think of an idea, especially since your last plan, if I remember correctly, proved quite beneficial to both of us!"
I opened my mouth and closed it again. I had imagined, for some strange reason, that during the time we remained silent that entire day, there had been an unspoken truce that neither of us would mention that… And now his words stung like a whiplash across my face and my cheeks burned with guilt.
"It—it was the only way we could get out alive—"
"I didn't abandon any of you," Jack pointed out, "and you thanked me… with that…"
"But that's your duty as captain!" I exclaimed. Why is he torturing me?! I knew I shouldn't have killed him, but he was here purposefully telling me, making me guilty, making it hurt.
"Generally crew members obey and respect their cap—"
"Stop!" I cried. "Stop—please." To my surprise he ceased talking as I sat down in a chair, everything that was happening, that had happened, swirling around me. I shook my head dizzily and felt something wet on my face.
Why are you crying?
But I knew. Because I'd done something terrible, horrific, unthinkable. And only know I'd seen the result. We'd be here forever, and I with the guilt forever reminding me…
You're so damn stupid, I cursed myself. Always acting first and never thinking of what might happen, never thinking of the consequences…!
Jack watched me wipe my eyes with the tip of my sleeve.
"I just want to get out," I sobbed. "I want to be with Will again. We were supposed to be married! We would be living together now, in Port Royal, and nothing like this would ever have happened if… Maybe we should have just let you be hanged," I muttered.
"I beg your pardon?"
I closed my eyes, shaking my head furiously. No, no, no, I did not say that. As if I hadn't harmed him enough. Again, Elizabeth, there you are again jumping headlong into something without a single thought!
"No, forget I said that," I whispered, opening your eyes. "I just want to get out. There has to be some way."
"Aye, there is, luv."
I was briefly surprised he could still call me 'luv,' but he said there was a way?
"What way?" I asked tentatively.
"Go to sleep and dream that you escape."
I frowned desperately.
"Jack—"
"All right, there is possibly another way but I will only tell you if you agree to be slightly... ah, friendlier."
I blinked. "What?"
"Let's put it like this--we both know you've deceived me so you'll be following me orders, and you'll be helping me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Our world will be at conflict, I trust you to be aiding my cause."
"Your cause? Do you mean anything that would make you rich or something?"
Jack smirked. "Lizzie dear, welcome to the world of pirates. I'd thought you must have gotten used to it by now."
"Oh, I have," I muttered. I've become one.
"You haven't agreed yet," hinted Jack.
"No, I haven't," I said. "What's going to happen to me if I do?"
"Oh, various things," said Jack vaguely.
I couldn't help smiling faintly at this.
"I'll give you an answer in the morning."
"Going to have your little dream about escaping then?"
"Yes," I said shortly. "Goodnight."
I found a soft bolt of cloth to use as a pillow from belowdecks and laid it on deck. It was far too suffocating in the cabins, so I lay down under the stars.
It was a while before I was comfortable enough to fall asleep, but when I woke up I found myself lying on deck with Jack asleep by my side, and my face snuggled in his chest.
