A/N: Woot Woot! Chappie 7! Please, please don't forget to review! Reviews encourage me! :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Just for fun!! No money earned, although lord knows I need dinero…lol!

Chapter 7

Jack stiffened at the sound of her voice. For a few moments he stood facing the bay, reluctant to turn around, it's not possible. Hoping that it was only his imagination playing harsh tricks on him, he turned in the direction of her voice, and sure enough there she was, standing tall, confident and every bit as beautiful as he remembered. Whether he was ready to face her or not it didn't matter because the woman he'd spent the last five years both avoiding and dreaming about stood in front of him as real as the ship beneath his feet.

They both stood, rooted to their places. Both of their faces expressionless, neither showing happiness nor hatred, looking into the eyes of the other, assessing feelings, secretly hoping to catch glimpses of emotions. But their lives of piracy had done an impeccable job in training them for moments like these, setting up stony exteriors that barricaded their intense passions, revealing nothing at all to the other.

But within, Jack could hardly escape the tempest of emotions that Elizabeth's presence had effortlessly invoked. He seriously contemplated running as far away from her as possible. He wanted desperately to get away from this wicked woman that had vexed him so. It was the only thing his stunned mind could think of, but it was a great idea, if it meant that it would put a safe distance between his life and her lips. Until, of course, he remembered that this was his ship and if anyone was going to leave it would be her. About to throw her out he was, when that very familiar feeling, not to mention a very dangerous feeling to have when he was around her, began to creep into his senses…curiosity. And against his better judgment Jack didn't throw her out.

Instead, Jack loosened the tension in his body, swaying into an at ease stance, seeming perfectly comfortable with Elizabeth aboard his ship and like many times before he summoned the carefree attitude and charm that was Captain Jack Sparrow. "Well, well, well if it isn't your highness in all her royal glory!" he exclaimed, breaking the silence, successfully masking any indifference he had by sounding absolutely delighted with her visit, "And to what, may I ask, do I owe this honor?" he mocked a gentlemanly bow, intently holding her gaze.

Elizabeth raised a quizzical brow, "Honor?" she asked smiling skeptically into his penetrating gaze, searching his eyes for a devious glint, a hint of malice that may betray his act of gallentry. It was certainly not the way she expected to be greeted by Jack and felt like it was almost too good to be true. But when a charming smile appeared on his lips it diverted her eyes from his and she couldn't stop her affection-hungry self from indulging in the moment.

Jack rose from the bow, taking a step closer and Elizabeth felt herself hold her breath, "Surely, your highness, if one finds a king, so far away from his kingdom, paying one's humble ship a royal visit, it must be an honor…" he lifted his right hand over his heart and clenched the fabric of his coat, "right?" His smile grew wider, unknowingly brightening the darkness that had consumed her over the years.

Elizabeth caught the tease in his tone, there was not a trace of malice anywhere on his face and he was smiling at her. Relief washed over her. He didn't hate her and that was all that mattered. In fact he was toying with her and oddly it comforted her. His playfulness made Elizabeth feel more at ease. Carrying on the playful momentum, she addressed Jack as a King would a loyal subject, "Not if the King desires not to be treated as such and only wishes to visit as an old friend, Captain Sparrow." Though a smile didn't appear on her lips her eyes beamed with amusement.

Jack's smile did not falter despite the pang of hurt he felt clench his heart at the use of the word friends. He willed himself to take another step towards her, carefully taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss on the back of her hand, allowing his lips to linger against her soft skin for a bit longer than was needed, causing Elizabeth to tremble, "So what you're telling me is that this is not a royal visit?" he asked, meeting her gaze, entrancing her with his enticing smirk.

Elizabeth allowed herself to finally smile, "No Jack," she said, calling him by his first name and dropping the formalities, her tone changing to a more intimate one, as she step closer to him, talking as if to a lover and not some stranger, "it's not," she whispered.

His endearing smile melted her heart and she gasped inwardly when he took yet another step toward her, bringing himself only inches away from her lips. His closeness was too much to bear. She could almost feel the warmth of his body and she hated herself for realizing that she wanted, no, she needed the heat of his touch, the moisture of his lips, the comfort of his arms…protecting her, loving her like he did that stormy night in the Captains cabin of the Crimson Dahlia. Only this time, if he would hold her she would never let go.

Too close! A voice shouted from somewhere inside Jack's mind. He wasn't really sure what he had intended by attempting to seduce Elizabeth but his conscience was right, he was too close and the fact that she was allowing him made him feel like he was the one walking into a trap. The stony wall that he had momentarily dropped rose once again, guarding him from her. Jack's smile faded, his face hardened and his eyes grew cold, so cold that Elizabeth's hands and feet suddenly went numb, as if they had been submerged in ice water. He glared at her and with one word he drained Elizabeth of all color, "Leave."

Elizabeth's dreamy eyes slowly widened, "W-What?" she managed to choke out. Her mind was still trying to register what he had asked of her or rather, hoping that she had heard wrong. Jack hovered closely over her. She could feel the fury of his anger rising. She could see every muscle in his body tense and it dawned on her that Jack was restraining himself. From doing what? she thought.

"Ye should have kept the formalities," he sneered, "because without them your nothing but a bloody murderer!" his eyes were wild with disdain, "Get off my ship!" he spat and turned to leave.

Elizabeth's jaw dropped. Murderer. The word echoed endlessly in her ears. She stood in disbelief. Tears formed in her eyes, desperation and panic attacked her like hungry beasts. She didn't know what to do? What to say? All she knew was that Jack was walking away from her and if she let him go…well she didn't want to think what would happen if she let him go! Sorry, tell him you're sorry her reason returned. Without a second thought she followed and yelled after him, "Jack!..."

He abruptly turned back towards her and she stopped almost running into him, "Wench!" he shouted.

Elizabeth froze. A silent moment hung between them, filled with tension, unspoken words, like a calm before the storm. Jack knew he had crossed the line and so he waited for her rage and after what seemed like an eternity it did come. Her hand shot up and collided with Jack's cheek. He didn't even flinch or rub his cool hand against his flaming cheek. He just concentrated at the black wooden floors next to him, concentrated on his chest heaving in anger, concentrated on suppressing the sting of his burning flesh, concentrated on anything but her. He couldn't look at her for fear of what he would do if he couldn't control his anger.

Instantly Elizabeth regretted striking Jack. She stood frozen, fear consuming her, awaiting Jack's torment of rage, but it never came. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She stepped towards him, a nursing hand reached for his face, but Jack flinched and trapped her wrist in a bone crushing grip before she could even touch him.

A small cry escaped Elizabeth's throat as Jack pulled her roughly towards him, "I could have you lashed for striking the Captain of the ship!" he warned her through gritted teeth, tightening his fingers around her wrist even more.

Elizabeth clenched her teeth in pain under his bruising grip, but it didn't compare to the pain she felt in her heart. He was so close she could feel his angry breaths, warm on her face. She searched his dark eyes and the menace she found in them was the last thing Elizabeth had hoped to see there, "I thought that in the least you had considered me a friend," she said solemnly.

The genuine sadness Jack heard in her voice was enough to dampen his harshness. He threw her wrist out of his hand, "How can I consider the person who betrayed me, who murdered me…a friend?" he said, still managing to hold on to some of the venom in his voice.

Elizabeth lowered her eyes closing them to hold back the tears. She couldn't argue with that. What she had done was unforgivable and all she could do was show how sorry she truly was and not like she had lead him to believe that she wasn't, "Jack, believe me, if I could turn back tim…"

"You can't!" Jack yelled back irately, cutting her off. His face hardened again, it was too much, he needed to get away from there, from her, from confronting a situation he preferred would just stay dead. He knew everything he needed to know. She was not sorry, she never would be, she had made that perfectly clear five years ago and even if now there was even a slightest chance that she might be sorry, it was too late. Five years of tormenting nightmares, of her killing him over and over again, had poisoned her image to him. He couldn't forgive her, he wouldn't forgive her. She didn't deserve his forgiveness. She had rejected it once before, when he had offered her his forgiveness, when he had offered to love her, but she loved the bloody whelp and she chose him. Anything that could have ever been between Elizabeth and him had died that last night he was on Shipwreck Island. She had not felt remorse or guilt for stabbing him in the back, for sending him to his grave. Elizabeth didn't care for him and her being there at that moment was probably only because she was in town and she saw the Pearl and wanted to see it, not to see him…never him.

Before another word was spoken, he shoved bitterly past her and headed for the gang plank but she caught his arm. "But I thought that when you married me…" she gasped suddenly when Jack yanked his arm away from her.

"I needed a ship and a crew!" he yelled, startling Elizabeth, irritated that she would even bring up the fact that they were married, "I did what needed to be done! But that didn't mean that everything was roses between you and I!" He held her gaze for a moment longer and without letting Elizabeth say another word he stepped onto the gangplank and disappeared as he descended it, leaving Elizabeth behind on the Pearl.

Elizabeth moved to follow him but stopped herself at the top of the gang plank. She knew it was no use. Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she watched him walk out of her life. The harm had been done, she had waited too long and now he hated her, he hated her so much and sadly she knew he had every right too.


Jack stormed down the dock, chastising himself for being the one to leave, especially leaving her on his own ship, but he just couldn't stay any longer. He murmured curses to himself as he turned and continued up the dirt road leading to the Faithful Bride. Jack lifted the rum bottle, still in his hand, to his mouth and anticipated the bitter liquid, but then pursed his lips when no rum came out, "Of course!" he shouted angrily through his teeth, "Of Bloody Course!" He roared in frustration as he hurled the bottle and heard it break somewhere off the dirt road. He began to walk faster. He could feel the anger within building up, threatening to explode. Why had she come? Why couldn't she have just stayed away? Why did she insist on making his life so bloody difficult?

Jack burst through the front doors of the Faithful Bride and was immediately met with a body of a man hurling his way. With his fearsome reflexes heightened by his anger he managed to turn quickly and punch the filthy man directly on the nose sending him flying backwards onto a table, taking down three other men with him. A heap of rum, cards, coins and limbs were thrown up into the air. Jack felt a jolt of adrenaline pulse through his body as he saw the attacked men rising from the floor and soon he engaged himself in a brawl. His rage at first being an advantage over the drunken pirates, taking out his frustrations on anyone who would cross his path, but then would prove to be the end of him as he grew tiered. A punch sent Jack stumbling a few steps back and another blow to the face sent him straight through another game of cards. Jack shook his head to clear his vision and out of the corner of his eye he saw the pirate who had hit him already charging towards him. Jack lifted himself up off the floor and was about to thrust his fist into the pirates face when suddenly another man punched the charging pirate and knocked him out. Jack watched the pirate land heavily on the floor and then turned to look at the man who had intervened and saw that it was Gibbs.

"Jack!" seeing that his captain appeared to be in one piece he continued, "what in the devil's pit has gotten into ye?" Gibbs shouted over the loud roar of fighting pirates.

Jack, breathing heavily, wiped blood off his mouth with his sleeve then snatched the bottle Gibbs held in his other hand and simply said, "The rum was gone!" Breathlessly Jack took a large drink then turned away from the rumble of pirates and a confused Gibbs and walked out onto a nearby veranda. A few seconds later Gibbs joined him.

Gibbs stood silently for a moment contemplating what could have upset Jack so much to have started a bar fight, but only one thing kept coming to mind. "Another bad dream Cap'n?"

Jack took another long swig from the bottle and stepped closer to the rail. After a long pause he finally answered, "Worse."

Gibbs furrowed his brows, "Worse?" he repeated.

Jack stood transfixed looking out towards the docks in the distance wondering if Elizabeth had gone, "Aye," he said almost inaudibly, "She's here Mr. Gibbs."

Again Gibbs was left in the dark, "She?" he said out loud, mostly to himself. He scanned his brain, memory, everything and then it dawned, "Oh….she Cap'n?...ye mean Captain Swan?" he asked interestedly.

Jack winced at the use of her name but nodded in response.

Gibbs' face brightened at the news, but then pieced Jack starting a brawl and Jack's foul temper with the news of Elizabeth being there in Tortuga, "So I take it that she isn't going to help us find The Fountain of Youth then?" he concluded.

Jack closed his eyes feeling yet another weight drop on his being. After the initial shock of Elizabeth showing up, things had quickly moved from bad to worse, leaving him no time to even consider asking her for help…which he still had no intentions on doing. "Any news on the girl?" he asked absently, his thoughts were back on the Pearl with Elizabeth. After that slightly-less-than civil confrontation between them it was left certain that Elizabeth would not partake in their journey to find the fountain. Nicolette was his only hope.

"None Cap'n," Gibbs reported uneasily, "seems like the earth has swallowed her whole, along with her secrets."

Jack sharply turned to face Gibbs, his eyes wild, "Then DIG Mr. Gibbs!" he flared, inching towards Gibbs, "Dig every bloody inch of this island! And Search every ship, every port, every shack, every inn, every cave, every barrel, search every bloody SHRUB!! Raise the bloody devil from his firey abyss and have him set Tortuga in flames to smoke her out!! I don't bloody care HOW, JUST FIND HER!!"

Gibbs shuddered with every step he took back. The darkness in Jack's approaching eyes gave him cause to fear for his life should he fail to deliver the girl, an option which was simply, in this case, not an option. There was an uncertain moment after Jack had stopped shouting at him when he didn't know whether to walk away or wait to be dismissed by his captain, but when Jack impatiently yelled for him to go, he didn't miss a beat and was on his way.

Gibbs uttered curses as he absently made his way through the chaotic tavern and out the front doors. The entire island had already been searched and with no luck, but still Jack looked upon his first mate to create a miracle. He quickly made the sign of the cross and initiated a prayer to some higher power for that miracle he so desperately needed, or it would be his life.


Elizabeth carefully descended the plank. After Jack had left she couldn't will herself to leave right away. She stood on the deck, remembering what it was like to sail aboard the Pearl. Remembering everything from the time she first laid eyes on her, when she had been kidnapped from Port Royal by Barbossa's crew, to the time she had said goodbye to Jack before being rowed ashore to Will. She had caressed the rails. She had listened to her old black wood creek as the water beneath her swayed her from side to side. She had inspected to see if there had been any changes made to her appearance, before finally coming face to face with the mainmast. Where she had carried out the worst imaginable crime a person could ever perform, where she had taken the life of a good man. She had knelt before it, praying to it as if it were an alter, begging for forgiveness, for penance. She had cried wholeheartedly, not caring if a crew member saw her, which luckily no one did. Then, finally, when the tears subsided she had pressed a kiss to the mast and forced herself to walk away.

Elizabeth turned to face the Black Pearl once again, tears forming in her eyes, wishing terribly for another adventure aboard her dwelling, another chance with her captain. Tears claimed her cheeks, for she knew she was wishing for something that would never happen. She stood a moment longer admiring The Pearl and all that she represented, when suddenly a fierce hand cupped her mouth from behind and another arm wrapped around her waist, trapping her arms. She tried screaming but her attempts were only muffled by the hand. Frantically she tried to free herself from the strong arms but it was no use. She fiercely kicked the air and the dirt road as she was dragged away.