A/N: Thanks for all of the lovely reviews!! Thanks to the incredibly gifted Florencia7, my lovely Beta, for the suggestions and support.

Disclaimer: Don't own Jack, Elizabeth, etc. Disney does, and I am happily borrowing them for my own entertainment.

xxx – Twelve – xxx

Elizabeth woke the next morning after a very long and restless night. Rubbing her eyes and stretching on her small bed in her cabin, she realized she hadn't slept more than a few hours. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that it was still early, the sun was barely peeking in the tiny window across the room.

Brother…

She closed her eyes again. "Why can't I get that word out of my head??" She turned on her side and slid her hands beneath her head, trying to shut out the sound of her own thoughts. The more that word repeated in her head, the more a nagging, uneasy feeling traveled down to her stomach.

Will.

"It's not possible. My feelings for Will have only grown over the years. They have not changed!! I have loved Will Turner for as long as I can remember!"

Like a brother. Brother. Sibling. Friend.

Will?

Elizabeth tried to picture Will's face, thinking that just the memory of his features would shake these new and disturbing thoughts from her consciousness…but all she could see was the outlined of his face, his wavy dark brown hair, and the tilt of his head. His features were unclear, almost as if they were fading each time she thought about him, and the realization frightened her. She rolled onto her back and threw her arm across her face, sighing. She so desperately wanted to carry him close in her thoughts…his sweet smile always made her feel happy and content.

Secure and comfortable.

"But passionate? Do I need passion? Is it supposed to be that way between a husband and wife? Passion has nothing to do with love, and passion is for the less respectable women of society. I don't need passion! I am perfectly happy with how Will makes me feel."

Much to her surprise and dismay, a certain pirate Captain's face floated into her consciousness; and though she fought it, she couldn't help it. Her closed eyes began traveling up the dark dreadlocks, sweeping across to his deep brown eyes full of mischief and passion. She felt her body tense as she remembered their last kiss out in the darkness of the corridor. Before she could stop herself, she was reliving that kiss, feeling his soft and demanding lips overpowering hers, demanding she return his kiss. And she did. More than once. She felt herself grow warm and she lightly touched her cheeks, testing them for their betrayal of her thoughts.

Throwing the thin blanket off her body, she rose quickly from the bed and changed from the long linen shirt that she'd had to sleep in since joining the crew of the Black Pearl, having neglected to bring nightclothes, and quickly donned a pair of breeches, a shirt and her boots. She ran her fingers through her hair, wishing desperately for her brush that was probably still sitting on her nightstand at home, and left the cabin.

She found him on deck, talking with Marty, standing on the starboard side and occasionally letting his attention drift to the water's surface. He looked so confident and determined. She loved that about him. When Marty saw her, he abruptly turned and occupied himself with a glance up at the crow's nest before heading to the bow of the ship. Elizabeth reached out, and without a word she pulled Will into her arms.

His hands slid around her waist, as naturally as they had so many times in the past. She wrapped her fingers in his thick brown hair, quickly guiding his mouth down to hers. His familiar lips met hers, gently kissing her good morning, while she coaxed more from him. She kissed him hard, seeking the passion and response she knew she would feel while kissing her beloved fiancée. Feeling a bit daring, she opened her mouth and tentatively ran her tongue across his lips. Will froze, almost imperceptibly, before letting out a quiet moan and deepening the kiss. "This is the first time we've kissed like this," Elizabeth thought. And to her horror, her mind wandered away from the moment again…and directly to her many kisses with Jack.

She shut her eyes tighter, trying to fight the images crowding her brain. She kissed Will back, still searching for the passion she knew she could feel for Will, but the cold morning sea air made her shiver, dampening any fire in her kisses, and she pulled away. Will mistook the shiver for desire, and pulled her back toward him. She automatically raised her arms to push against him.

"It's no use. It's just too cold out here on deck," she thought, wondering if she should try again below deck. Her arms were still pressed against Will's chest, keeping him at arm's length.

A pair of voices grew louder at the railing next to them and Elizabeth turned to see Jack and Mister Gibbs studying a small chart, though Jack kept glancing at her when Gibbs' attention was on the torn parchment. Jack wore his long coat this morning, obviously feeling the unusually cool sea breeze, and his dark eyes were shaded by the brim of his black leather hat. He stood near the railing, swaying slightly against the gentle rocking motion of the deck, while his confident stance as he spoke with Gibbs reassured everyone that the Captain of the ship was in truly in command. Jack was a vibrant presence wherever he went, something that still amazed her, and something that she seemed to notice much too often lately. She was aware that her attention was straying away from Will again.

Elizabeth dropped her gaze, but not before noticing that Jack had an unusual expression on his face. One corner of his mouth was twisted up in a small smirk, but it seemed to be disguising something else that she saw in his eyes.

" Why does Jack look angry? No, it can't be…he actually looks jealous!" Elizabeth continued to look away, instead staring off into the distance, just over Will's right shoulder. "Impossible. My imagination is being affected by all this time in the sun! I'm sure Jack Sparrow has never been jealous of anything. And what right would he have to any sort of opinion about my relationship with Will anyway?"

"I think yer right, Jack…uh, Cap'n," Gibbs ignored Will and Elizabeth and gazed across the deck toward a distant piece of land. "We best prepare to make shore, that be yer orders?"

"Aye," Jack took the chart from Gibbs and started toward the helm.

"Can you name the port now, Jack?" Will asked impatiently.

Jack stopped walking, his back to Will and Elizabeth. He rolled his eyes and glanced over his shoulder. "Son, I thought I warned ye about using that tone in front of me men." Jack turned to face them. "Naturally, if a pirate is seekin' to find another pirate, the natural place to look for said pirate is in a place where ye be finding pirates."

"Tortuga." Will sighed loudly. "Again." Both Will and Elizabeth saw the island off the port side, still far in the distance.

Jack ignored Will and purposefully strode up the steps and resumed command of the helm. He glanced down at the couple on the main deck, his eyes narrowing in thought.

A moment later, Gibbs followed Jack, with Elizabeth and Will trailing behind. "Who ye be sendin' ashore, Jack?" Gibbs asked, glancing meaningfully at Will.

"I'll be goin' ashore with Mister Pintel, Mister Ragetti, and Miss Swann."

Elizabeth turned to glare at him. The fire in her brown eyes had returned.

"I'm staying on board with Will."

"No, yer not. Ye said more than once that ye wanted off at the next port."

"But not Tortuga!! That's hardly a place for…well, I wish to stay on board, that's all."

"No."

Will looked at Jack suspiciously. "Why not, Jack?"

"Mister Turner, if I leave ye on me ship while I'm on shore, there isn't much preventin' ye from plottin' an' executin' yer own little mutiny an' stealin' me ship," She's so damned beautiful when she's angry like that, I ought to take her in me arms right in front of the whelp.

Jack continued. "Contrary to that, if yer future wife is not on me ship when ye consider stealing what is not rightfully yers, I'm bettin' ye'll not drift far from shore."

"And what if she refuses to go with you?" Will stood with his arms crossed.

"Then we shall all stay aboard me ship, an' ye nye be closer to findin' yer captive father, would ye?"

Elizabeth turned to Will. "I'll be fine, I'll go. Maybe with the four of us making inquiries, we can find someone who knows how or where to find the Flying Dutchman. Perhaps we will have our answers much sooner," she looked meaningfully at Will, "and then we…I…will return to the Black Pearl before much time has passed."

"But Tortuga? Elizabeth, that is no place for you." Will's voice took on a slightly whiny tone which made the strange new pit in her stomach more noticeable. She tried to ignore it.

"I was there alone, before, and I was fine. You weren't there to protect me and I survived quite nicely."

Jack had turned back to focus on the ship's wheel. "Luv, he's very rarely anywhere in the vicinity of protectin' ye."

"I…" Will started, but Jack was standing between them, a hand resting gently on each of their shoulders.

"Good. Then it's settled. Eliza…uh, Miss Swann," Jack grinned at Elizabeth, flashing gold teeth in her direction, "and I will depart for Tortuga as soon as we make anchor, with the other two," Jack pointed lazily in the general direction of Pintel and Ragetti who were standing below on the main deck. "Them. Bugger. What are their names again? Well, no matter."

Will backed away, his brow wrinkled. "I still don't like this, Jack."

Jack pointedly ignored him and turned to Elizabeth. "Off with you, go to yer cabin and pack yer things. We'll be anchored off Tortuga within the hour. Possibly sooner."

"Pack? Why do I need to pack anything, Jack?" Elizabeth noticed that Jack's hand was still on her shoulder but she hadn't removed it. And she hadn't stepped aside, either.

"Because, dearie, it is very likely that the four of us will need to find rooms for the night, unless we happen to be lucky enough to meet a former or even current crewmen of the Flying Dutchman the moment we step ashore. As I recall, the Dutchman doesn't have many former crew members, so that greatly reduces our odds."

Will stepped forward and put his arm around Elizabeth, pulling her from Jack's reach. "I won't allow it. You can all return to the ship tonight if you are unsuccessful."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Ye givin' the Cap'n orders again, eunuch?"

Elizabeth looked from Will to Jack, her patience dissolving.

"Enough! Who bloody cares how we go about this? I am through with the both of you! I'm going to pack, in case we are delayed in town," she turned on her heel and stomped toward the stairs, noisily descending them, her boots striking the steps in anger. As soon as she had disappeared in a blur of tossed golden hair, Jack grabbed Will's arm tightly and steered him toward the railing at the helm.

"If ye want me to assist ye in finding yer cursed father, ye best be followin' me orders, Mister Turner. Ye seem to ferget yer place, and exactly who be captain of this ship."

"And you seem to be forgetting who Elizabeth is betrothed to, don't you, Jack?"

Jack looked at him, not quite successfully masking the surprise on his face. "Your fiancee has nothing to do with this, Mister Turner."

Will leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Oh, I think she has a lot to do with this, Captain Sparrow. You see, I don't trust you. My lack of trust in you is quite deserved, and quite reasonable, I assure you."

"Ah, yes. Seein' as I am a Pirate, many men don't trust me. Seein' as Iassisted ye, as it were, in rescuing yer fair lass, one would assume ye'd show a lil' more respect, Mister Turner. If ye have trust enough that I can help ye save yer hopelessly ship bound father, ye best be trustin' me methods of achieving said savin', savvy?"

Will clenched his teeth as he turned away from Jack and fixed his eyes on the mast, his gaze settling on the shackles; bringing that previously forgiven kiss back into the forefront of his thoughts, gnawing at the depths of his heart.

"Jack, I need your assistance, but after what happened I don't believe I'll ever fully trust you. Especially when it comes to things concerning my fiancee." Will refused to look in Jack's direction, instead keeping his focus on the mast, as a reminder not to let his guard down.

Jack's eyes shifted, then squinted as a look of guilt crossed his face – a look that went unnoticed as Will continued to stare toward the bow. "What do you mean, what happened?" But he had a feeling he knew exactly what Will meant.

"Oh, I think you know, Captain Sparrow. That ki…"

"Cap'n!!" Pintel raced up the steps to the helm, a look of excitement on his face.

"Mister Pintel, what is it?"

"We're here. Tortuga being the here."

Jack looked to the port side. "That is quite obvious, Mister Pintel. Fetch Mister Gibbs, and once we are anchored, make ready the longboat."

Pintel scurried off. Jack tipped his hat, "Mister Turner, perhaps ye should fetch yer lass. Unless ye would like me to do that for ye." He strolled away, thinking about his next visit to Tortuga.

xxxxxx