I do hope everyone has/had a Happy Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day! I'll be one of those single ladies sitting at home in fuzzy pants with a tub of ice cream and watching a romantic comedy. It sounds quite appealing, yes? Well anyways, I had to post this special chapter today of all days (or at least near to the day). PLUS, there are officially ten chapters to this story. DOUBLE SPECIAL! I just hope it doesn't sound dry to anyone...Whatever! Enjoy this special little treat!

Reviews are even lovelier when they shadow Valentine's Day ;)

~MisticLight

~.~.~.~.

Apparently the first part of our new adventure was to visit an unknown island of some sort. That is to say, Will and I hadn't a clue as to where it's located. All we were told was that we would be 'traveling upriver' to a place that Gibbs regretted and made Jack's demeanor suddenly became wary. Their reactions only gave me cause to feel apprehensive about the whole thing. Was it really in our best interest to go?

However, I had no say. I was constantly pushed aside, and my ideas quickly dismissed. I was even shunned from doing any labor! I'm not exactly protesting about not working, I just don't want to be some useless passenger aboard the Black Pearl. Feeling useless was the reasoning for me leaning against the railing of the Pearl. At least here I could watch the ocean in the late afternoon sun without getting in anybody's way.

The faint mumbling of Jack and Will could be heard on my left. I could hear their heated discussion upon the quarterdeck all the way over here! I wasn't able make out any of the words, so I was left to assume what they are actually discussing. The thing is, I already know it's about Elizabeth.

I mean, who else could it be? She's been the only thing occupying Will's mind as of late. All he wants is to save his beloved, and Jack extending the days until he next sees her has only angered Will. Even now as I steal a look at the two confident men, a glint of anger can be seen lurking behind Will's brown eyes. It's an unusual emotion for him to possess, and it doesn't quite fit his personality.

Oh Elizabeth…My sympathetic mind wondered as I once again face the calm ocean. It must be horrible having to be locked up in a damp cell while Will, Jack, and I are out here sailing across the Caribbean.

We had just started the sparks of what could be a potential friendship when I was suddenly pulled away from our shared cell to speak with Beckett. But why me? Sometimes I wonder think Elizabeth should be standing here instead of me. She is the one betrothed to Will as I sort of am to Whitaker.

Am I truly though? I have been out of contact with him for months now. With the exception of that man in Tortuga…

The similarities between that scrummy man and the officer were astounding. Their hair matched perfectly, and the jaw line was strikingly equivalent to one another. The most surprising of them all was the eye color. Not only did the shade match, but the same emotions the twinkled in Whitaker's eyes were mirrored in that drunkard's eyes. Except his eyes were far more clouded than Whitaker's have ever been. The turmoil that man must have experienced reflected off of those eyes and into my soul. Just thinking about it gave me shivers.

Could that man really be my long-lost Whitaker?

Nonsense! The last place Whitaker would want to be is Tortuga. It was probably just my mind playing tricks on me after a long day of misguided searching for Jack Sparrow. And yet I still find myself wondering…not just about the probability of that mysterious man turning out to be Whitaker, but of Whitaker finally returning to me.

If that day ever did come, I don't know what I'd do with myself. There are definitely feelings floating between the two of us, even if they have been buried under months of no contact. Would I be willing to allow those emotions to come back, knowing they will never be as strong as they once were? And what of Will? Yes, I've already established that he has Elizabeth, but I can't help but wonder what his views would be.

Instinctively my eyes sought out Will, who was still speaking with Jack. His face was tensed over with a new concern Jack must have given to him and his fingers danced over the hilt of his new sword. Just by watching this action made my eyes drift over to the handle of my new sword. It was more worn than the one I lost at that cannibalistic island, but it was definitely better than yielding no blade at all. Plus I never have been one to use a pistol.

As I gazed, a sudden uneasiness made itself known inside me. It wasn't a reaction to my fright of pistols, so what on earth could it possibly be?

Determined to solve this little mystery, I lifted my eyes and scanned them across the deck. All the pirates were doing their assigned chores, and none paid any attention to the off-limits woman standing by the railing. I was so ignored that the only thing to react to me was the brightly colored parrot pleasantly perched atop of Mr. Cotton's shoulders. He squawked at me as my eyes glided over him and onto the next set of pirates.

It just so happened that Will and Jack were the next to enter my line of vision, and both were intently staring at me. I bit my lip when they, having noticed my stare, straightened up and proceeded to walk towards me. I hastily turned back around so I wouldn't have to face them. Well this can't be good…

I could hear their boots rapidly pound down upon the wooden steps of the ship, and the creaks of the main deck when they reached the planks below. Each step became more audible than the last, and I found myself sweating because of it. What have I done wrong? I ran a nervous hand through my tangled mess of brown hair. Was I actually needed? Did I not hear a job assignment? I would certainly get a beating if I hadn't followed the orders of, as Jack puts it, 'my captain'. That would certainly result in disaster.

After inhaling a large amount of air, I spun around to face my superiors. Hopefully the proud face I wore wouldn't falter under the nervous drumming in my head.

"Evelyn, we need to talk." Jack sternly said, waving his finger awfully close in my face. Will stood off to the side with his arms crossed and an impossible face to read. I winced away from the two of them, my thoughts filling with every possible action I did that could have been taken wrongly. Nonetheless, I nodded for the Captain to continue on.

"There is a serious matter at hand, one that needs to be dealt with straightaway!" By now the pirate was pacing back and forth in front of me. His hands fiddled about with the air as he did so. "There could be grave, grave consequences in store for all involved if this is not taken care of." Jack suddenly stopped and placed himself a few inches from my face. I held my ground, but couldn't prevent the gulp from making its way down my throat. His cold stare was too intimidating for me. "The question I am about to ask you is of the utmost importance and needs to be answered honestly and truthfully. Understand?"

I searched Jack's face for any kind of solace, and, finding none, brought more nerves to build. "Y-yes?"

Jack held my gaze for a long, tense time before Will petulantly pulled Jack back by the shoulders. "You're frightening her." He sharply said in Jack's ear, only allowing an unkempt smile to spread across the rouge's face. Will shook his head and apologetically nodded my way. "We only wished to know the last time you wielded a sword. If we must engage in combat, I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Relief instantly washed over my face and I felt the tension literally break apart in the air. Jack couldn't control the laughter from bellowing out of his throat; my sudden change of emotion was too much for him to handle. Luckily, I had learned to tune out his arrogance and remained unfazed throughout the entirety of his laughter.

"You have to admit I carried that out rather well!" He choked out through his amusement. I simply rolled my eyes and leaned back on my left leg, waiting for him to settle down. "Come on, love. Where be your sense of humor?"

"Now is not the time for such games, Jack Sparrow." I crossly said, throwing a glare at him as well.

"Nonsense! The game's only half the fun!" Jack chirped, clamping his hands together. "But that should be discussed at a later time. For now, just answer dear William's question."

"The last time I properly handled a blade…" I trailed off into thought as memories of the past few months literally flew through my brain.

Obviously I used my blade against the cursed skeleton pirates, and that was many months ago. There were a few times after that in which I would go into the blacksmith's shop and Will trained me under the sleeping eye of Mr. Brown. However Will had been far more concerned with teaching Elizabeth the basics of swordplay so I was thrust into the spot of second importance.

"It's been quite a few months." I explained, bashfully glancing towards Will. "Other priorities came up."

Will shamefully hung his head, fully knowing why I was so untrained at the current moment. Jack, on the other hand, took no notice of our exchange and began mumbling to himself. "Oh no, that won't do at all!" He spun on his heels to face Will. "Step to, William! And bring forth your sword! You must retrain Evelyn at all costs."

Will did as he was told and unsheathed his sword, but he still lent a curious eye towards Jack. "I thought you said there wouldn't be any danger."

"Not even I know when danger will come. Besides, would I lie to you?" He asked of Will, who remained quiet. The pirate pouted at him before inclining his head towards me. My impassive face only brought another pout. He diverted his attention back to Will, this time with a much more aggressive expression. "Fine then."

"Oh Jack. Concerned for my wellbeing, are we?" I giggled, producing my sword in the process. Jack shook his head, but even those dreadlocks of his couldn't hide the smile on his face. With a determined grin I confidently turned to face Will. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Will nodded and analyzed my stance. His brows furrowed together and a frown crossed his face. "Evelyn, do you even remember how you're supposed to stand?"

Embarrassed, I looked down at my crooked blade and straightened it up with a sheepish smile. How could I forget this?

"Good." Will stated, snapping my head up once more. "Now if I come at you like so…" He advanced forward, slowly angling his sword down towards my right leg. In response I brought my own sword down and easily blocked the attack. "Very good."

Will took back his blade and swiftly swung it towards my head, pausing it just before it reached my neck. I looked to him with wide eyes, but his hard face didn't change. He was concerned, that was easy to tell, but there was also something else etched into his face: fear.

"Evelyn, you must keep a high guard. Never use a low one! You strike down like this." I nodded in response as demonstrated what I was supposed to do. The memories of my previous lessons were slowly starting to come back.

"Right, high guard." I lifted my sword higher in the air. "I remember you teaching me that before."

"I hope so because I can't have you getting killed." Will quickly responded, keeping the same stern look on his face. The serious tone in his voice frightened me, and I couldn't even look him in the eye without a shudder crawling down my spine.

I didn't grace him with a response. I simply waited for him to attack me again, which he did after a moment's hesitation. The swing he leisurely gave this time was towards my stomach. Rather than stepping away, I flicked my sword down and parried it away. Then I lunged at Will, who easily blocked my advance.

"Ah, aggressive." Jack remarked from the sidelines. "It's a key tool to becoming a pirate! We just have to work on the second bit: not playing by the rules."

I narrowed my eyes towards Jack, "And I'm not about to lower myself into doing something dishonorable, so don't get your hopes up."

"Keep telling yourself that." Jack winked at me as I shook my head. Stupid knave.

I turned my attentions back to Will, nodding at him to strike me again. He did so with a slow advance to my shoulder, to which I blocked. This time as Will removed his sword; there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. However, this quickly turned into a frown once Jack stepped in between the pair of us. His sword was drawn and his feet silently paced because of the dance of a duel.

Without warning he lashed at my head. I quickly ducked and swiped at his feet, but he only chuckled at my meek attempts and kicked my weapon out of the way. As I scrambled to retrieve it, a very upset Will shouted out at the pirate. "What on earth do you think you are doing?"

"Dearest William," I heard Jack say once I finally grasped my weapon. I spun back around, ready to strike, but Jack was hanging back by Will with his sword firmly resting against upon his shoulder. "Although I admire your determination to retrain young Evelyn, I must point out that slow movements will get us nowhere." He pointed his sword in my direction, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Besides, I find the best way of remembering is to just go at it."

Jack charged at me before a protest could rise out of Will's throat. A duel quickly ensued between us, one that stalled the work of the surrounding crew. I felt exposed to them, but this didn't faze Jack at all. He continued to jab at me with quick movements and constant jabs. Although the weight of the duel was beginning to tire me out, I found my muscles starting to remember the finer details of sword fighting: when to dodge an onslaught and when to strike, when to parry a powerful swing and when to fuel off of a weak one.

I was becoming stronger, more aggressive even. The small crowd of crew members helped boost my confidence with their obnoxious cheers every time I made a successful pass at Jack. The rouge pirate caught on to my sudden poise and a mischievous gleam came into his eyes.

Ignoring this warning, I took a defiant swing to his thigh. Jack smoothly blocked my attack, but then swung the hilt around. It pounded against the upper portion of my arm, forcing me to whimper as I backed away from him.

"The blade isn't the only part of a sword, love." The pirate coolly said despite the daggers I shot at him with my eyes.

Anger spread from the throbbing of my arm to the remainder of my body, reaching its maximum height when it bubbled in my ears. With an aggravated battle cry I charged at Jack, although he suspected as much and was fully prepared for me. We exchanged a few slices with each other when he suddenly swung himself up onto the railing of the Pearl. I stared after him in a heated wonderment.

"Well come on, I haven't got all day!"

Again I found a scowl placing itself onto my face, and I proceeded to climb after him. However, I was quickly pulled down by a somewhat frantic Will.

"Evelyn, no!" I tried to release his hold on my arm, but my struggling only prompted him to hold on tighter. "This is far too dangerous, especially for you."

"She must learn her footing, William. Standing on a beam is the perfect way to enforce balance." Jack called from his position on the railing, but Will and I simply ignored him. In unison we looked over the edge of the ship to the waters below. When we faced each other once more, Will's face was twisted with worry.

"Will, I know I can do this." My voice still held an undertone of resentment towards Jack, and because of this Will still held concern behind his eyes. I released a sigh to calm myself down before sliding my hand across the railing and onto Will's hand. "Please."

I know Will shouldn't be the deciding factor of what I could and could not do, but his approval would mean everything. He has some sort of hold on me, one that I can't quite explain….gazing into his face now I can't help but wonder if Will experiences the same strange feeling I have.

After what felt like an eternity, when in all actually it was a few tense seconds, Will nodded his head. I giddily smiled at him and scrambled onto the railing before anything else could be said on the matter. When I stood upright on the narrow wood, I had to spread my arms out so I wouldn't fall.

"Not as easy as it looks is it, darling?" Jack chuckled as I continued my balancing dance. I once again shot a death glare towards my pirate friend, but kept myself focused on my footing. Once balanced, I decided my next move would be to pretend I was still struggling. This allowed for me to have a hidden advantage, especially since Jack was becoming more agitated by the second. "This is taking bloody forever. If only-"

I unexpectedly swung at the pirate's head and he was barely able to escape the sting of my blade. When his head popped into my vision once again, a impish smile was planted across his face. "Clever girl."

With a beam of my own, our swords clashed again. I did better than what I expected of fighting on a small beam. Well, when we stayed in one place. It's when Jack moved that a problem arose. My shaky feet were not used to such narrow grounding, and I found my foot slipping off every once in a while. Somehow I was able to stay balanced. It was a good thing too because falling into the ocean wasn't exactly what I wanted to do today.

Despite my ability to constantly regain my balance, one cannot simply get away with every mistake they make. I was straightening myself up after Jack dodged one of my swings, when he suddenly decided to take a threatening step towards me. I backed away from him in order to allow a more comfortable spacing between us, but my foot slipped off of the railings side.

Amongst the childish cheers of the crew, I wobbled back and upon my still intact foot. I could tell straight away that I wouldn't be able to recover this time, so I leaned in more towards the deck so as to land on its hard surface rather than the daunting ocean.

When I was finally pulled towards the main deck, I stuck my left foot out so as not to crash to the ground. The entire weight of my body suddenly being forced onto my scrawny legs didn't exactly serve them justice, but I didn't really care. As long as I'm not seen as clumsy by the crew, I'd take a throbbing pain to the knees any day.

As soon as I was securely planted onto the Pearl's floorboards, I griped my sword and prepared to fight with Jack at his advantageous higher level. Before I could do anything, however, a small slap of pain suddenly erupted onto my right hand. My sword instantly clattered to the floor while something cool made its appearance at the base of my neck.

It appears as though Jack has won this time around.

The pirates cheered and whistled their congratulations as their captain hopped off the railing. I just rolled my eyes at him and pushed his sword away. I wasn't expecting a victory against him, but then again I also hadn't imagined our dueling lesson transforming into an actual duel. The whole thing was rather annoying.

Jack proudly walked away with the rest of the his crew, but not before shouting me one last word of advice at me, "Always go for the weak spot, love. You're a sure win if ye can accomplish that."

I shook my head after the pirate and bent down to retrieve my sword. He knew I wouldn't be able to last long on that railing, and I'm sure he was expecting balance to be an issue. Sure I fell off in the end, but never once did I completely collide with the floor. That has to say something about my balance, doesn't it?

Sighing, I picked up my blade and stared into its reflective surface. A sweaty figured stared back at me, and she did not appear flattering in the least! Her brown hair stuck to the sides of my flushed face, and I've never seen such a tired expression clouding those blue eyes before. I couldn't help but crinkle my nose at what I saw. "You look positively revolting."

"I can honestly tell you that everyone else looks much worse." Will lightly commented, trying to lift my spirits.

"Thanks." I flatly responded with a half smile. "If you've come over to tell me I did well despite my loss, you can save it." There was a small pause as my words sunk in, and that's when I realized the tone in which I had used. My eyes widened and I hurriedly rushed over to him. "Oh, Will, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to sound…that is to say…um…"

My cheeks grew hot from embarrassment, especially when Will began to chuckle. I looked down at my boots without even glancing into his eyes.

"Actually, I came over to see if you'd like to duel with me now. I'm fairer than what Jack will ever be."

"Yes!" I quickly responded, nearly cutting him off with my excitement. The embarrassment effortlessly came back, and I had to force out a cough to distract Will from seeing my cheeks flash red…again. "That is to say, I'd most definitely appreciate it if you would. Just promise to move faster. Jack did have a point when he said you were moving awfully slow."

"I figured as much, especially since you seem to be remembering more, now that you've had some combat practice." Will beamed down at me, replacing my embarrassment with an abundance of butterflies.

"Thank you very much." I nervously said, biting my lip. "Could we maybe also practice on the forecastle deck? I don't want to draw the attentions of crew members this time."

They may have been fueling my energy, but they were also quite the distraction! Every single motion had a sound effect to it, and every failure a murmur of whispers. I didn't want to be judged anymore than what I already have been for losing a duel with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Will gazed up at the forecastle and, seeing no one, nodded towards me. We hurried up the steps towards the higher deck opposite the wheel, becoming more excited with what we saw. The space above was much quieter and could barely be seen by any of the pirates. It was the prefect place to practice without causing much of a distraction.

"Ready?" Will asked, preparing his sword.

I took out that of my own and smirked up at him. "Prepare yourself, William Turner. I can promise you that I will be a greater threat this time around."

"I'd like to see you try." Will joked, backing himself up with a chuckle. His simple laughter lightened my heart and I held no resentment as I charged at him. We were engaged in combat, both with our swords and our laughter.

~.~.~.~.

We parried back and forth until the beginnings of evening hinted the sky. With each swing of the sword, I became stronger. My movements were now quicker and my attacks more bold. There was no doubt that I had remembered all my training and improved as a swordsman in general. I enhanced so much that I was even able to beat Will a few times! Although I couldn't help but wonder if he had just let me win to boost my confidence. It was a sweet gesture, and I silently thanked Will for that.

Our current duel had been going on for some time now, and it took us all over the forecastle deck. The only space we hadn't been to was the foremast, which was centered in the middle of this raised deck.

With a quick peek over my shoulder, I led Will towards the circular wood. My back rammed into it just as Will raised his sword to swing at my head. As he brought his arm down, I took the opportunity to duck down a little and slide onto the opposite side. My back remained locked with the wood, just as my ears stayed opened. Closing my eyes, I listened intently for any sort of motion so as to be ready for whichever side Will chose to strike on next. That moment came when I heard a stirring to my right.

I snapped my eyes open and dashed over to that side, "Ah-ha!" I exclaimed…to an empty space. Lowering my sword, I crept forward to peer around the mast only to find an equally bare deck. I backed away from the spot with an amazed expression. Where have you gone off to?

"Got you!" A male voice bellowed at my left. I squealed and jumped into the amongst the laughter of William Turner. However, the jump had thrust me backwards a little too far and I knew it would only be moments until I crashed onto the deck. I reached my hand out to try and stop myself, but the only thing I could find was Will's arm. So as I came fell, so did he.

We crashed onto the forecastle deck in unison, keeping our separate pains to ourselves. There was a silence between us for a few moments that broke once a giggle toppling out of me.

"I can't believe I fell for that! And to take you down with me? I can't even-" I couldn't finish the sentence; I was so consumed with laughter. To top it off, Will was now laughing alongside me.

I turned to give him an apology as soon as my laughter died, but just looking at him brought more giggles on my behalf. I just couldn't contain it! His wild eyes shined with happiness and his brown hair was even more tangled than mine was. Just as Will had said before, we all looked a mess here aboard the Black Pearl. I just hadn't noticed until I was a few inches from someone's face!

We were ridiculous, the pair of us, and yet I liked it. My foolish mistakes lifted the worries off of Will, just as his smiles had a tendency to calm me down. For now everything was peaceful, and there wasn't anything else that could make this moment more perfect.

Well, there was one thing.

My giggles had finally stopped, so now Will and I were left to happily gaze at each other under the embrace of a serene silence. In a sudden, unexplainable instant our lips locked onto the other. My heart has never before beat faster than when we forced ourselves closer to one another. I gripped the collar of his shirt, and his hand laced through my hair. All the longing, pain, joy, gratitude, and frustration we've felt since our first encounter was thrown into that one passionate kiss. No sensation could ever compare to the emotions rushing through my head, and for the first time I felt a sense of belonging. I just wanted to melt into Will's arms and never leave.

But even the greatest of joys has their limitations.

Just as suddenly as we kissed, it was over. We broke apart and quickly removed our eyes from the others face to the sky. The only sound to be heard was the panting of our own breaths, a sign that both of us had forgotten to breathe under the loveliness of that kiss. I snuck numerous glances at Will, but once our eyes caught I decided it would be best not to look over anymore. This was when Will decided to leave.

He slowly raised himself into a sitting position, stared at me for a long time, and silently walked off. I remained still until I was sure Will was elsewhere, that's when I allowed myself to move. Just as Will had done, I slowly pulled myself to my feet. I took a deep breath as I ran a shaky hand through my hair, although it didn't feel nearly as special as when Will had done it.

I kissed Will.

The secret desire I forced behind locked doors had actually happened. I should be overwhelmed with joy right now! And yet, I wasn't. I would be a liar to say I wasn't thrilled, but I still felt wrong with how it happened. I just felt….oh hell; I don't know how I feel.

I shut my eyes and rubbed my temples in the hopes of relieving this confusion, but froze once the unmistakable sound of footsteps resounded in my ears. I slowly opened my eyes to see none other that Captain Jack Sparrow walking towards me. He wasn't wearing his usual witty expression, so it was impossible to read his face as he approached.

"Interesting." He mumbled, rubbing his chin. My blood froze under his analytical eyes and my hands instantly snapped to my sides; he didn't see, did he see?

Nonetheless, color rose in my cheeks the longer he stared at me. I could see something was piecing together in his brain, but to tell you what exactly it was wouldn't be possible. Whatever it was, it certainly can't be good. "Very interesting indeed."