A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Omg Wednesday, the 19th, was International Talk Like a Pirate Day!! I tried to celebrate at school with my friends, but I kind of just ended up giggling and saying "savvy" a lot!

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC.

She smiled at him dreamily and he let her head move a little more to the side, resting on his arm, so that her hair fell back directly into the sunlight and shone dazzlingly bright.

"Lizzie darling," he whispered, "you've really no idea what could be happening on the Dutchman right now."

She did not say anything, but the sound of that ship made her want to tell him to not say it, so that perhaps she could forget... She turned her face away. She did not want to believe him, she desperately wanted to slap him for even daring to mention that, but there was that something in his voice... so real, so alluring, it was torture not to give in. She shut her eyes, torn between her morals and emotions.

At last she spoke, her voice hesitant and small, drifting and needing something to hold on to.

"You don't... honestly think he would...?"

"Nothing is ever certain in our world, luv," he said gently, pulling on the black ribbon of her braid, noticing the colors becoming lighter near the tips and much darker closer to her head. The ribbon untied and dropped to the floor, and he ran his fingers through her sun-lightened hair, smooth as silk yet still dry from the ocean winds, until he had freed all the strands from the braid, and waves upon waves of copper and gold cascaded down his arm.

"But he's--he... wouldn't forget..." Tears of frustration leaked out of her eyes again.

Jack brushed them away with his fingertips and held Elizabeth close.

"Before he left," she whispered, "he told me... his heart... had always belonged to me."

"And," she continued, her voice even softer, "he asked me--to--to keep it safe for him. But there was nowhere to put it... So I brought the Chest along, but--but it's not safe now either, and I promised him... And I wish I hadn't brought it, it's so--it's so--" she stopped and tried to think.

"It's so--heavy..." she said. Come on, Elizabeth, that's the least of your worries, and you know you're only making something up.

Jack smiled.

"Not a heavy thing to carry, I imagine. Just heavy to have with you, aye?"

Heavy on your heart, he was going to say, but held his tongue. She needs time, he told himself, and contented himself with stroking her gorgeous hair.

Elizabeth stood leaning on Jack for a few silent moments longer, then suddenly stood up, realizing the position she was in.

"I just--I just wanted to say I'm sorry." She looked him in the eye and they looked like two deep endless wells... She brushed away the thought that had come, suddenly, without warning, into her mind. What was I thinking?! He's been through an entire world, while I was in England, in Port Royal, he knows so much more, has met so many more people... There would be nothing that would--and he's taking me to Will, why would he... he is a pirate, but he is a good man. She repeated the last sentence in her mind, the compass incident completely forgotten, and broke out of her thoughts.

"And I wanted to tell you you're forgiven," said Jack.

The days were getting much colder.

When the crew members weren't working (and working a lot harder, to stay warm), they were either belowdecks wearing everything they owned or huddled on deck with steaming mugs of a strange potion concocted by the cook, the latter being the less likely as the air stung and the water that was becoming more violent splashed onto deck in the form of icy droplets.

Elizabeth was the only one remotely enjoying the cold, and it was only because she was constantly telling herself that with each chilly wind that hit her face, she was getting closer to the frozen ocean, closer to the waterfall, closer to World's End... closer to Will. She spent the days helping the crew, though Jack told her that being a woman and a guest aboard his "temporary ship," she didn't have to. Yet she did, because she wanted feel the certain pleasure of being a pirate again.

"Lizzie, darling," said Jack, walking toward her one cold starry night. She had a woolen blanket wrapped around her shoulders as a shawl and she was leaning against the railing staring at the waves, looking wistful.

She turned and gave him a small forced smile.

"I--" she stopped. He wouldn't want to be bored with her troubles. "What are you doing here, Jack?"

"Well," said Jack, pretending to be offended, "being captain of this ship I thought I'd be allowed to be anywhere on my ship."

"Oh," said Elizabeth, feeling thick-headed. "Right." She had for some reason avoided talking to Jack lately, and still felt the brush of awkwardness when he called her darling, or love.

It's probably that way with all women.

"You look troubled," he said. "Again."

She turned away.

"I'm fine."

"I'm finding that quite difficult to believe, luv," said Jack with a smirk.

"You've always been one to contradict fact, Jack."

"Really? You were troubled the first time, weren't you dearie? And I'm thinking you're contradicting fact now."

She shook her head.

"Jack, please."

"Curiosity," whispered Jack, forcing her to acknowledge the truth of his past words, "You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do, because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. One day, you won't be able to resist..."

"Stop it, Jack."

She sighed.

"All right," she whispered. "I just... I'm doing everything wrong. I should be able to wait, I can't imagine anything going right this way. It's going to be a disaster. I should be waiting, instead of this... but I can't--I won't--"

"Nobody's making you go back to that island, luv." He took her hand and drew her closer.

She surprised herself by not resisting him, closed her eyes. The way his hand caressed her face... how she had missed someone doing that to her, only somehow with Jack it felt... ten times lighter... ten times more wonderful... She let herself be lost in the feeling.

"But... afterwards... I will have to wait, still..." she whispered, and feeling unafraid now, in his arms, as if he could solve all her problems...

I shouldn't be doing this.

But she could still remember what she had said herself.

Seeing as you are a good man, I know that you would never put me in a position that would compromise my honor.

Trust him, Elizabeth.

She trusted him. Hadn't she said that the first day? And the feel of his arms around her, she could not resist...

Jack's lips brushed her face gently, and he smiled to himself. Lizzie was coming over to him, he knew she wouldn't be able to stay with the whelp for long.

As he was telling himself this, the ship was moving slowly, silently past an iceberg.