Key To My Desire

-Reconcile-

"Say it if it's worth savin' me" –Nickelback

..:-:..

The crew scattered behind his shadows and as he stepped forward, the clinking of his boots on the wooden deck shattered the stillness that encompassed the ship. His slimy tentacles slithered around his chin and then he cracked another grin.

"The time has finally come for Jack Sparrow to pay up."

Barbossa chuckled as he took his guest towards the prisoner's den. He quickly fumbled with the lock and then the key turned with a constant creak in the rusty metal. The door swung open and the dim light flooded inside. The boots no longer made their mark; instead, the visitor placed his feet gently down the steps. His eyes scanned the room and then he saw William Turner sleeping with his head on his chest. His lips curled into a sneer when he spotted the lovely Ms. Elizabeth Swann next. Barbossa stepped forward and silently pointed towards the wall at the right. Davy Jones swerved his head and his skin gleamed when he saw Jack Sparrow, tightened up against the wall, unaware of the fact that there were two men approaching him. A light snore erupted from his mouth and then Davy Jones stepped closer, letting the breath settle under his nose. He lifted his hand and smirked.

"I've finally got you."

Jack slowly flickered his eyes open, and at the moment he saw who was in front of him, his eyes widened, and his lips parted. Yet he wasn't quick enough to warn Elizabeth, to say anything at all, because just then Davy's hand swept down through air and grabbed his throat. Barbossa's grin faded as he saw the color deepen in Jack's face, and then in an instant, there was a flicker in the air around them, and they were gone. Barbossa took a step back and almost let go of the torch in his hands. He jumped as the chains fell through the air and rattled against one another, the prisoner no longer in his place against the wall.

Elizabeth immediately woke up and turned her head towards her left. She gasped and her face elongated with horror. Her head shook violently as her gaze rushed from the spot where Jack had been to Barbossa, who stood shocked himself. The pounding in her head and the wrenching of her gut ate at her ability to stay strong. She knew that he was gone and it felt like that knowledge was going to consume her. In the other corner, Will had also awoken from his peaceful sleep, and when he saw that Jack was gone, his jaw dropped in disgust. Even though he didn't particularly like Jack, he despised Barbossa and anything he did.

"Jack… you promised…" Elizabeth whispered to herself as she rocked back and forth.

"What did you do to him?" Will snarled and his voice boomed within the small capacity of the room.

"I… I didn't do anything…" Barbossa turned around slowly and looked Will straight in the eye.

"Well then where is he?"

Suddenly, Barbossa cracked a laugh, realizing that the situation he was in had turned into a splendor of good luck.

"Jack Sparrow you ask? I think you're asking the wrong pirate!"

Elizabeth stopped rocking and then looked up daringly. She spoke without wavering her voice, and the stained blood of hatred spilled into the air around her.

"Then whom might we assume to ask?"

Barbossa shifted his gaze towards Elizabeth, and then he looked at her torso, noting that there was no rope that bound her. A flicker of amusement swept into his eyes. His hands circled in the air and then he put them on his hips.

"Why don't you come and say that again, to my face!"

Elizabeth sat back and froze to the pole behind her as if someone had tied her up again. For the first time since he woke up, Will looked over to his fiancé and when he did, his eyebrows furrowed and his skin tightened around his eyes.

"Elizabeth… you're not bound? How is that?"

She tore away from his accusing stare and looked down at her lap. The shinning memories of what she had done once she freed herself came flashing through her eyes.

"I guess the ropes must have fallen while I was asleep."

Will lessened his questioning whirlwind in his mind, but it still swept through every few seconds, still unsure of why it was that he was doing trying to save Jack and not himself.

"Ah… perhaps dearie, but I don't think so."

Barbossa quickly stepped over towards her and pulled her up. Elizabeth winced as he pulled on her wrists. Will's fury overcame him and he lunged as forward as possible.

"Let go of her you filthy pirate!"

"Ha! Is that not what your friend Jack was? Well that doesn't matter anymore. I have completed my bargain and I am free to do whatever I desire. Which reminds me, where's Jack's compass?"

Will had had enough of riddles and games for one night. He leaned back, exhausted from thinking and closed his eyes for a moment. Elizabeth restrained herself from kicking Barbossa to death, so instead she clenched her jaw and looked Barbossa straight in the eye.

"Where is Jack? Tell me and I might tell you where the compass is."

Barbossa let go of Elizabeth, allowing her to adjust to the swaying of the ship. He laughed and then licked his lips, winking at her once. She turned her head away in disgust but then brought her gaze back towards his wrinkled face.

"If the two of you must know, he is under the sea at this very moment."

Suddenly, the ship rocked to one side, causing Elizabeth to fall on top of Barbossa. The waves crashed against the creaking wood and the water seeped into its bearings. Elizabeth scrambled to stand up again as did Barbossa. When he did, he made sure the torch was still lit, and then he took a gun out, pointing it at Elizabeth.

"Oh no, you are not getting away from me this time. You are going to stay right here!"

As soon as the ship settled itself and the gloomy waves receded, Elizabeth acknowledged the information that he had given her. The words choked her throat and she was still unable to breathe. Will hung his head and breathed deeply, trying to figure out Barbossa's riddle. There was no life in her legs, and suddenly, Elizabeth fell to her knees, the wood somehow cushioning her fall.

"He's… dead?"

Her eyes didn't move away from the invisible object she was looking at. If Jack were truly gone, she would go blind out of misery, and deaf out of agony. How could this be happening to her again? The pain numbed her and the air engulfed her in the sea of never-ending sorrow.

"Unfortunately, he isn't. But he might be soon, if Davy has his way with him! Haha!"

Elizabeth's heart pounded inside of her chest as if it were a soldier's drum. She stood up immediately and Will looked up as well.

"Davy Jones? He's with Davy Jones? But how is that possible?"

Elizabeth's jaw dropped in anger, her teeth pointed dangerously towards Barbossa, and then she answered Will's question.

"You made a deal with Davy Jones, that you would find Jack Sparrow and give him his long awaited prize, didn't you? How could you do something like that?"

The temple of her nose quivered as she pursed her lips angrily. Relief carried itself throughout her body, knowing that there was still a chance that she could be with Jack.

"Of course I did that! Do you think that when I was presented with the chance to live, after so many years living yet not, that I would simply refuse Davy Jones's offer to prolong my life? Jack Sparrow can never outsmart me, and now I have finally won, so shut up wench and get back in your position, or would you rather come to the Captain's quarters?"

Barbossa sneered and leaned closer towards Elizabeth. She didn't move for a few seconds and then she spit right into his face. She turned away abruptly and sat down at her seat. Barbossa's grin faded away in a flurry of hand movements to remove the spit that was sliding down his cheek. He snarled and picked the loose rope up from the ground.

"I'm going to make sure that this time you don't escape wench! You can't fool me again!"

Elizabeth gasped as he tied the rope around her torso tightly. It reminded her of when she used to wear a corset, and it also reminded her of how to remove one. Thinking that he had done his job, Barbossa picked up his torch from its holder and left the room.

"Have a fun night you two! The morning sun brings with it the glory of death!"

With the cruel laughter ringing inside of his lungs, Will let a long sigh of air out of them. He turned his head slowly towards Elizabeth who had become as stiff as a statue.

"Elizabeth, we need to save ourselves, there is nothing more we can do to save him. You don't know what it is like to be a prisoner on Davy Jones's ship."

The pleading whisper portrayed all of the anguish Will had felt for the past few days. The last ray of hope came shining through his voice. Hopefully, the experience hadn't changed the feelings Elizabeth had for him.

"Shouldn't we at least try? He's our friend after all and who knows what Davy Jones will do to him! We went to save him before, so why shouldn't we do it again?"

He saw the determination in her eyes, how her arms struggled to set herself free from the burden of being tied up. It was evident that she cared about Jack, but to what extent, Will didn't know.

"Elizabeth, I know that. Can't you ever think about yourself for once? I don't want to think of how I would feel knowing I let something happen to you…"

At that moment, the stem of the flower grew inside of her heart and she couldn't help let the tear fall down her cheek.

"Thank you Will for caring about me, but in order to save ourselves, we have to go to Davy Jones for help. It's the only way. Don't you see? We need to beat him at his game, once and for all, otherwise, there will always be something else driving us into madness and crazy voyages around the world!"

She saw the stubbornness retreat as Will's skin loosened around his eyes. He sighed and leaned his head back.

"All right. We'll try to save Jack, but first, how are we going to get out of here?"

..:-:..

Jack's entire body spread apart, the whirlwind surrounding him trapping him just so that he would barely feel as a whole. When the sensation ceased to pulsate within his heart, he took a deep breath of air and waited for the world around him to turn back into its rightful grace. As he stood up, the stained wooden boards creaked beneath him. It was then that he realized he wasn't on Barbossa's ship anymore; it was then that he turned around reluctantly, knowing that Davy Jones would be smirking behind him.

Sure enough, there he was, with the entire crew of the Flying Dutchman sneered and leaned forward to take a look at the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack winced, showing all of his rotting yellow teeth. The glimmering moonlight bounced off of his metallic coverings and then he hesitantly chuckled.

"What a lovely evening it is! Shall we all gather around the plank for an exhilarating game of fetch the escaping prisoner?"

"There will be no such nonsense on my ship Jack Sparrow! I've waited a long time for this moment, and now you're finally here. You're not going anywhere Jack, and no one is coming to rescue you."

Jack turned his head to the left to see Davy Jones laughing joyously like a little child who had finally received his portion of dinner's deserts. He rubbed together his two wrists, which were freed of the heavy chains that bounded him to the wall where he had last seen Elizabeth. He closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath of air while he lamented over losing the war with Davy Jones. Yet Jack wasn't giving up that easily. He opened his eyes at once and then smiled, his arms protruding out from his sides as if greeting an old friend.

"Davy, dear ol' Davy! How long has it been? Too long I'm afraid, but I guess that you've won fair and square, so here I am, at your service."

Jack bowed gracefully, not letting Davy Jones out of his sight. He stood back up and then Davy encircled him, eyeing Jack closely. The pirate scratched his tentacles and then smirked, as loud cheers accompanied his next statement.

"I'm not going to allow my guard to die, Jack. You are going to be watched among each crew member here and one especially that I'm sure you'll have a squash buckling good time with!"

Jack raised his eyebrow and the corner of his lips in deep consideration.

"That's fair enough. So, who's the one who I am to squander my time with?"

The crowd parted and a small man came hobbling forward, his shoulders overgrown with wild sea life. The dripping sea green mildew came down from his hair and splashed onto the deck. Jack's eyes widened and then he took a step back in retreat.

"Oh yes Sparrow, remember Bootstrap Bill Turner? Remember what the two of you did?"

Jack's eyes fell to the ground as he finally found himself consumed in the showcase's trap. Bootstrap looked from Davy Jones, to Jack, and then back again, completely clueless as to what he was referring to.

"Jack, what does he mean?" Bootstrap asked Jack innocently.

"Go ahead, tell him who was the one who brought about the curse you both share. Why is the imminent life of solitude on this ship for the two of you the fault of you alone Jack?"

He took a deep breath of air and then sighed, looking up at Bootstrap with his lips pursed and his hand at his head, the fingertips pressing on the sides of his forehead.

"I regretfully admit that I was the one who attacked you that night. I'm so sorry, I didn't know that you would…"

"No," he shook his head, "it wasn't you! I was fighting an intruder on the Black Pearl that night, I thought I had killed him, and I knew that you would be sound asleep as I patrolled the deck."

Jack looked away, not being able to meet him in the eye. Davy Jones eerily laughed with the rest of his enslaved crew.

"Look at how trustworthy you are! Fool! Can't you tell that it was Jack Sparrow you fought with, can't you see that on that night, both of you wounded each other so miserably, that I had to save you from the foreseeable death that would have occured? I created that storm, because I knew that I would be rewarded with the pleasure of having the pair of pirates that ruled the seas as my slaves!"

Bootstrap's eyebrows squinted into one another, and then he clambered away into the darkness of the ship. Jack's eyes became round and his mouth parted, his hand traveling forward as if he were trying to stop him somehow. But no words escaped his throat and in the end, he let his arm drop to his side, ultimately defeated.

"That's right Sparrow. You know live with no ally whatsoever. You are doomed to serve me until the day you die."

The echoing laughter boomed inside of Jack's head, reminding him of the day he was almost executed in Port Royal. He sighed and turned away from the group of former pirates. His gaze softened as he looked up to the moon, remembering the fading moments in which he had shared the warmth of his dear Lizzie, and now he wasn't sure if he would ever see her again.

..:-:..

A light flickered in Elizabeth's eyes as an idea sprang to life in her head.

"I've found it! I know how we are going to get out of here!"

Will raised his eyebrow and smiled amusingly.

"Then let's have it."

"Okay, so first I need to loosen this binding."

She sucked her stomach in and the ropes around her torso fell down a bit towards her lap. The air stayed still in her lungs and it seemed that if she stayed that way for any longer, she would explode. Elizabeth pushed herself upwards, the rope digging into her lower abdomen. She winced painfully as she held her breath once more, this time forcing herself through the rope. The more she writhed, the more the rope became loose, just like in a corset. Once she freed herself, she stumbled down onto the ground and inhaled sharply a few times before getting up. Will's eyes glistened as the hope surrounded the air he breathed in. There was a fresh crispness in it when Elizabeth came to him and showed him her bound hands. He quickly untied the ropes and then they dropped noiselessly to the ground. Elizabeth untied the ropes that bounded Will, and as she did this, small puffs of air came out of her mouth and the beads of sweat dropped down her forehead. She untied the last bit of rope and then picked one up.

"Take one and put it around your neck, as if you were going to hang yourself!"

"What? Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad! I thought you said you wanted to free yourself of dim-witted Barbossa's confinement, and that is exactly what we are doing! Hurry up, we don't have too much time on our hands."

Will shook his head and then reluctantly grabbed a rope. They helped each other loop it around their necks and then Will grabbed Elizabeth's shoulders firmly.

"Now what? Are we going to kill ourselves? This is completely irrational Elizabeth, we shouldn't be doing this to save another man's life, let alone a smutty pirate."

A small smirk appeared on her face and then she let it broaden into a full smile.

"Of course we're going to kill ourselves Will. That's the only way that Barbossa will leave us alone, right?"

He finally caught onto her plan and then he smiled as well. Elizabeth's eyes widened as she felt the pressure of his lips on hers. She blinked a few times and then took a deep breath of air as he pulled away.

"Let's go then. I hope your crazy plan works, for both of our sakes."

She smiled half-heartedly as he pulled her hand. They reached the door and Will rammed his shoulder against it a few times until the lock on the other side finally broke free. They raced up the steps and the moonlight shined down on them. Each looked to see if the deck was free from any signs of Barbossa. They nodded to each other in agreement, and then sprinted towards the right side of the ship where the plank stemmed out. Elizabeth looked down into the murky waves below and she swallowed hard. She felt her heartbeat quicken, the anvil in her head began to pound harder and the moment of hesitation almost cost the pair the chance to escape.

"Hold on right there. Are the two of you actually thinking of walking the plank on your own accord? Ha! There will be no such nonsense here! If you are to die, it will be at the call of my perpetual mercilessness! So get back here before I have to shoot you!"

Barbossa pulled out his rifle and aimed it at the pair. Will immediately stood in front of Elizabeth, shielding her unnecessarily. She tugged on the back of his vest and then looked right at Barbossa.

"Go ahead! We're not afraid of you! Why aren't you going to shoot us then? Are you afraid of something?"

He pushed his lower lip against his upper lip and then squinted his eyes angrily. The echo of the sudden trigger of the bullet whizzing by in the air gave Will and Elizabeth just enough time to run off of the plank and pull the ropes up above their heads. The ropes burned against their necks and in the few seconds that the cold air surrounded them, Elizabeth's eyes began to droop and the shadows of a maddened pirate flickered above the plank. She pulled harder on the rope and then took a gasp of bitter air as her body crashed into the icy waves. The water filled her ears and she propelled herself upwards towards the surface. The barely audible frantic scream for help somehow amused the captain staring down at her, and then believing that everything was going to turn out all right, Barbossa left the scene and walked back towards his den yawning.

The scream didn't go unheard though. As Will and Elizabeth became submerged into their watery grave, the words of a dying woman resounded in Davy Jones's ears. Miles away from the ship, he heard her, and his vindictive gaze on Jack became filled with utter incomprehensible elation.

"Looks like there is a woman I need to rescue, or rather, save her from her misery."

The ship sped forward as a hunger driven animal speeds towards its prey. Jack lunged forward at the sudden motion and then gripped onto the ship's edge. His head swished from side to side and then when he finally became used to the speed, he saw that they were approaching a ship, one that seemed to look very familiar to him at that point. As quickly as it had started, the ship slowed down and Jack stumbled once more. The passing clouds spread their shadows onto the dark surface of the sea, creating the illusion that it was a soft spread of undergrowth in a jungle. Davy Jones walked up to Jack and then outstretched his arm so that the palm of his hand reflected the shining waters below.

"So Jack, do you know what happens next?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, creating a single crease in between them.

"No, I seem to have forgotten. Why don't you explain this phenomena you are about to produce?"

Jack cocked his head to the side and even lifted the corners of his mouth in an amused manner. He had no idea who Davy Jones was about to withdraw from their almost certain death.

"Watch closely then."

He scrunched his fingers together and then plucked at the air below him. In a short swift movement, the waves below parted and a lifeless human shot up from the water. Jack watched in shock as she plummeted down onto the deck, soaking and pale as if she were taken out of her grave. He rushed to her side and parted her hair away from her face, fearing that she was already gone.

"Lizzie… oh Lizzie, please wake up love, please wake up…"

An unfamiliar dread swept through Jack. His heart sagged inside of his chest, burdened by the enormous amounts of hopelessness. His black eyes bled with their sorrow, creating two trails of darkness down his cheeks. Suddenly, Elizabeth stirred and coughed up some water. She took a huge breath of air as her head jerked forwards. Jack's previous grief disappeared instantly and he took Elizabeth into his arms.

"Jack! It's you!"

The tremendous bliss in her eyes lit up her face more than the moon could have illuminated the entire earth. They began to kiss each other fiercely, when Elizabeth pulled away and jumped up ecstatically. She shook her head violently and put her hands to her mouth in horror. The icy water dripped down from the messy strands of hair that stuck to her face, the color drained out of her cheeks once more. Her gaze followed the stream of water and all the way up to Davy Jones, whom she had never met before. She dropped to her knees as Jack gripped her shoulders.

"What's wrong Lizzie? You are safe now."

"No," she shook her head again, "I'm safe, but Will isn't! Please, you have to save him! If you didn't, I wouldn't be able to live knowing that I made him commit the definite suicide of drowning ourselves!"

Davy Jones smirked as he scratched his chin. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he pushed his arm forward and repeated the movement he had carried out with his fingers just seconds before. Elizabeth watched as Will's lifeless body came soaring out of the water. He landed on the deck with a thud and then Elizabeth rushed to his side, just like Jack had done when he saw that Elizabeth had been saved from the depths of the water. He stood alone, watching with desolation as his love stroked the hair of another man.

"Wake up Will… wake up!"

She shook him and then his eyes flickered open. He lunged forwards, spewing up water as he did. His hands reached towards his neck where the rope had been before he jumped into the water. Will winced as the scratchiness in his throat began to subside, the fresh air filling his lungs again. He turned towards Elizabeth's happy face and then stroked her cheek.

"We made it. We're alive…"

He brought her closer to him and the two embraced. Jack pursed his lips angrily and then walked up to the unified couple. Elizabeth's jaw dropped and a small yelp extended into the air as Jack forcefully pulled her up. Will took a deep breath of air and then propped himself up so that he was standing again. He watched in tremendous fury as Jack took Elizabeth for himself. Davy Jones folded his arms and then tapped his foot, his mind in profound contemplation.

"Let her go Jack! She's done nothing wrong!"

Elizabeth squirmed uneasily in Jack's embrace and then when she looked up at him, she saw for the first time what must have been extreme jealousy.

"Jack…" she whispered gently.

He looked into her eyes with extraordinary care and then he shook his head, blaming himself for his weakness. His arms loosened around her, and then she stood still among the three men, the most wanted prize of all.

"Since we are all gathered here, I have a most intriguing proposal to make!"

Everyone's heads turned in the direction of the Captain of the Flying Dutchman. Suddenly, Elizabeth almost regretted her decision to come for the help of Davy Jones. Yet how else was she to save Jack?

"Both Ms. Swann and Mr. Turner are now in my debt. I have saved your lives from the perilous death of the seas. So, to cut to the chase, I shall make this offer to you, Elizabeth. I have with me three keys, three keys that open the hearts and the chains that bind them to me."

His tentacles slithered and three keys showed themselves to the prisoners before him. Elizabeth clenched her jaw and flexed her fingers. The pulse of her blood began to spin around her body as if it were going to suffocate her in it.

"One of these keys is what will set you and dear Will free. Another will be the treasure both you and Jack seek. Finally, there is a third key, the one that will bind the three of you in my servitude forever. Your heart will guide you to the key that you want the most, so think wisely before you chose."

The keys disappeared into the chaos of tentacles once more and then Davy walked away. No one dared to move and suddenly, he turned around portraying his readable grin.

"I will give you a moment alone with these two men. When I return, you must be ready to make your decision. Good luck…"

He laughed hauntingly as he walked into the Captain's den. Elizabeth's gaze dropped down to the ground and all she could hear was the propelling waves crashing against the ship. Her breath echoed inside her mind as the thoughts collided with one another. How would she possible choose, what if she chose neither men? She would save them both then, and she could somehow manage to live the rest of her life knowing that she hadn't betrayed either man. Elizabeth looked up and then she began to tremble as both Jack and Will's desperate gaze drove down into her heart like a stake. There was Jack, his lips parted and his eyes dripping sorrow. He had told her that he loved her, and she knew that for a pirate such as Jack to confess that, was nothing short of incredible. Yet right next to him stood Will, whose devotion never ceased, whose jaw neatly stammered as he stood his ground. She closed her eyes and fell to her knees, the tears flowing down her face freely. Somehow, she knew that if she didn't listen to the voice inside of her heart, then she would be betraying herself. Which treachery was worst, she didn't know.


A/N: Are you terribly angry with me because of the month of no updates? I'm so sorry to say this, but it will be at least three more weeks until I update… there is so much going on, and I have other fics to write as well! But I hope that you enjoyed this chapter (obviously it was shorter) but nonetheless, I did the best that I could! Hope to see some reviews! It would be tremendously appreciated:D see you soon then! Thanks so much for reading!

-Monika-