~Chapter 7: Friends~

James had quickly allowed two sailors to escort Abigail back to his quarters, asking her to stay inside until things were sure of what was going on.

She sat on the bed at first, just waiting and hoping he'd come for her.

Finding that not satisfying, she got up and began to pace back and forth. Yet again, she was not satisfied and felt more worried that something was happening on the island and tried to get her thoughts away from it.

So, only because she wanted to divert her wicked thoughts away, she sat down at James' desk and looked over the many papers and parchments that lay there.

Many were familiar contracts to her, trading company lists and ports all over the world that had links to the same ship: the Black Pearl.

She reached forwards toward a random piece and as she moved it, it was what was underneath that caught her eye.

She reached out and pulled a bounded book towards her, observing how the pages were neatly assorted and tied together with a long piece of ribbon.

She didn't want to mess it up, so carefully shifting the pages just too read the first few pieces of information.

The words 'marriage certificate' got her eye and she stopped dead in her tracks, already satisfied with what she found out.

It was the small hustle and bustle that she heard, a few raised voices and the clacking of boots back and forth, shuffling along the deck which caught her attention and fed her hunger even more. Deciding enough was enough, she ventured out, cautiously peaking out of the door and noticing her escorts were not in sight.

She just stepped out of the room, when another body almost crashed into hers.

"Sorry!" Both voices yelled in sequence and Abigail looked up and steadied her breathing as a taller female gazed down at her.

"Are you al right?" The taller blonde asked, wearing nothing but her under dress and holding a bundle of clothes in her arms.

"Yes...yes I'm fine, you?" Abigail soon realised this woman must be the girl they'd been looking for: Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth!" A familiar voice called from behind Elizabeth and she moved slightly as she turned, allowing Norrington to come into sight, quick in step as he gazed at her and then at Abigail.

"I forgot...the girl...this," he straightened himself and quickly composed himself back to his usual cold stance, "Miss Elizabeth Swann, this is our other passenger, Miss Abigail Gilbert. Her ship was attacked along route in our course and she was the sole survivor. Abigail, Miss Swann is the lady whom we have been looking for."

Both girls cast glances to one another and quickly nodded and smiled, obviously somewhat embarrassed at not only the meeting, but also what appeared to be the attire (Abigail knowing Elizabeth could recognise the dress she wore as one of her old ones).

"Yes well...she is in my cabin...both of you may have my cabin now. Good day." He bowed and walked away, quickly getting out of the awkward silence that settled between the three of them.

"I...I suppose you want to change," Abigail said suddenly, trying to break the tension, "obviously you do. Come on, I can give you a hand with...something."

Elizabeth followed the girl, watching her as she entered the cabin and shut the door behind them.

Another awkward silence filled the room as Elizabeth hurriedly changed, Abigail noting that something was definitely going on.

"We...we're heading back now, are we?" Abigail sat down at the chair by Jamie's desk, avoiding touching anything and sitting her back straight against the chair.

Elizabeth finished buttoning up her shirt before she turned round.

"No...not exactly...it's...complicated." She gazed downwards, that simple glance giving away something to Abigail.

"It's...it's something to do with the Black Pearl...isn't it?" She'd hoped that the black smoke that she'd seen was something to do with the Pearl, a part of her hoping that the wreckage had been used to help Elizabeth.

"Yes...it's a long story." Elizabeth sighed and sat down on the bed, her hands quickly grabbing her hair and pulling it away from her face.

"I...I don't mind listening."

Elizabeth looked up towards the girl and for the first time, they smiled warmly at each other, something secret that only they shared.

And so, Elizabeth explained. She told the story of the crew being ghosts, the curse, the arrival at Isla de Muerta and finally, William Turner and Captain Jack Sparrow.

"And now...I requested for Commodore Norrington to go save Will-Mr Turner and...stop them from whatever they're doing."

Abigail had watched Elizabeth this whole time and took into careful consideration the way Miss Swann reacted every time she said William's name.

"And he's going? To save Will?"

"Yes," Elizabeth smiled before faltering and casting her glance down to the floor again, "under the consideration that it's...a wedding present."

Abigail tried not to gasp, she really did, but the small noise escaped her lips and she quickly had to disguise it with a small cough, hoping Elizabeth didn't notice.

"Then...a congratulations is in order Miss Swann." Abigail looked up towards Elizabeth, her hand balled in a fist as it gripped tightly on the fabric of the dress she wore, dangerously close to ripping it apart in frustration.

"Yes I suppose...I suppose there is." Elizabeth bit her lip and sighed heavily, as if there was a great weight upon her shoulders.

"This...Mr Turner...William...don't think me rude but...he came all that way to save you...he must care about you a lot?"

"You think?!" Elizabeth glanced up quickly at her, smiling before she caught herself and shook the blush off her face, "I mean...well...yes, I suppose he...he must yes."

"Then...begging your pardon...you care about him too, to...ask the commodore," Abigail steadied herself and tested out the way she used James' title so proper, "to go save him?"

Elizabeth just sat there for a while, staring at a spot on the floor, whilst Abigail looked at her, that faint little bubble in her stomach growing bigger the longer the silence went on.

"Yes...I do."

Both girls smiled as they realised something and Elizabeth stood up, quickly going over to the chair and clasping Abigail' hands in her own.

"I do...thank you. I have to go. I have to go warn them, I've not told them the whole story." Elizabeth welcomed the hug that Abigail offered, a fast bond forming between the two girls.

"Yes...good luck." Abigail smiled softly and walked to the centre of the room.

Abigail watched as Elizabeth confidently strode out of the room and just as she exited, she turned halfway in the doorway and left with a pleasant smile towards Abigail, thanking her for her kindness.

As soon as the door closed and Elizabeth' footsteps drifted down the corridor, Abigail let a small smile play on her lips as she felt one thing that she didn't mind feeling at all: hope.