Chance Encounter V: Fountain of Youth

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize; I'm just borrowing them with the intention of returning them sometime in the future.

Smithy: Really? I'm a big fan of angst/hurt stories about my favourite characters. Don't worry. Will might not get his loving now, but he's going to get it sometime soon. He and Elizabeth are the most prominent couple in this series, after all.

Chapter 14: Trail of Breadcrumbs

Will flinched as warm water touched open wounds. "I'm sorry," said Elizabeth as she carefully dabbed away the dried blood.

"Don't be," said Will. He reached out to tuck a strand of his wife's hair behind her ear. He had never seen anything as beautiful as her, and he doubted he ever would. Even after all these years, his fascination for her had not faded. "You came for me. If not for you, I would be swinging from a gibbet for the sport of the gulls."

"Don't say that, please," whispered Elizabeth. She dropped the cloth she had been using to clean his wounds and caught his hand in both of hers, stroking the hard calluses and the ridges formed by years of labour.

"If anyone is to be sorry, then it ought to be our dear friends Lord Sparrow and Mr. Mercer," continued Will.

"I promise you, they will be very sorry they ever met us," said Elizabeth. Anna Maria had provided with a few ointments and salves that the one physician on Harbour Island had made up. Apparently, the men needed quite a bit of tending from time to time, not that such information was surprising, considering the sort of 'occupations' they had. She applied the salves to Will's wounds gently, taking care not to cause him more pain. His ribs had been bound with lengths of linen. The physician had said that there were a few fractures, but nothing too serious. Will simply would not be able to lift his arms high for a couple of weeks.

When Elizabeth came to the burn on Will's wrist, she paused. "I know," said Will with a wry smile. "I'm really a pirate now, I guess. Jack will be so proud. I wonder what the king would think? All of his naval officers happen to be outlaws."

"Why will I be proud?" came a voice from the doorway, effectively ruining what romantic ambiance there had been.

"Jack, have you ever heard of the concept of knocking?" asked Elizabeth irritably as she almost dropped a jar of ointment.

"Heard of it," said the pirate. He scratched his chin. "Never really was that keen in executin' it, though. So, tell me, Whelp. Why should I be proud? Oh, that brand, right? Nah. Only bad pirates get branded. Me, I wasn't bad at what I did. I was betrayed; there's a difference."

Elizabeth lobbed a roll of bandages at Jack's head.

Jonathan Beckett suddenly found himself in a very important position as James Sparrow's advisor. He had no official rank or title, of course, but he was now treated with deference by everyone in Port Saint James. In a perverse way, he had to thank Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and the rest of their cohorts, for without them, he would not be here, sipping tea from a fine china cup and telling James Sparrow everything he knew about those pirates. Granted, all his information was second-hand, for it had come from his much more knowledgeable older brother, but it was the best Sparrow could get at the moment.

"So...that was not Eliza," said Sparrow. Was that relief? Who would have thought that James Sparrow would have been afraid of the prospect of facing his own wife?

"Most likely not," said Beckett. He stirred his tea. There wasn't enough sugar. He liked a lot of sugar. Without waiting for an invitation, he dropped another cube into the light brown liquid. Sparrow made no comment. "That was probably Elizabeth Swann-Turner, wife of Will Turner, whom you almost executed, milord."

"Eliza married Turner?" There was unmistakeable disgust in Sparrow's voice.

"In my world, yes," said Beckett. "I think it was a horrid miscalculation on her part, and her father's, of course, for letting her go through with it. She could have been Lady Beckett, or Mrs. Commodore Norrington. However, she chose to marry a penniless blacksmith. I never understood the point of romance in a marriage. Love cannot put food on the table."

"Yes, yes," said Sparrow impatiently. "Enough about that. I don't want to know of your opinions about Turner and Eliza's twisted romance. I want to know about this Jack Sparrow. What is he?"

"To put it very simply, milord," said Beckett, "he's a pirate. The very worst sort."

"He pillages and plunders and rapes and burns?" said Sparrow.

"Oh no," said Beckett. "That's the regular sort of pirate. Jack is much worse than that."

"What sort is he, then?"

"Jack is the sort who never gets caught. And if he does get caught, he always gets out. Never mind that he's dead. Or used to be."

"He used to be dead?" The look on Sparrow's face was priceless. Beckett would have laughed out loud if that had not been a dangerous thing to do.

"He was eaten by the Kraken, and Turner and the others somehow got him back," said Beckett. "I don't know the particulars of that little incident. What I do know is that there was a map that allowed them to do such a thing, and I believe it was that same map that led them to this world."

"Should I even believe in the existences of other worlds?" said Sparrow. He drummed his fingers against the armrest of his ornate chair. His brow was creased in thought.

"Before this, I did not believe in the existence of alternate realities," said Beckett. "My arrival here, however, has forced me to change my views. In the end, it does not matter what you believe, milord. That map holds the key to the Fountain of Youth."

"And Turner has the sextant," whispered James.

"They obviously know that you know of the Fountain," said Beckett. "Otherwise, they would not have ransacked your study."

"Very true, Mr. Beckett. Now, if you would be so helpful as to tell me something that I do not know, such as the location of this pirate lair."

"I do not know the exact location, milord, but if I were you, I would interrogate every outlaw I got my hands on until someone gives me the right information. Is Tortuga still a pirate settlement?"

William's office was filled with bustling activity as all the trusted literate people on the island —which, admittedly, did not amount to a great number— sat there shuffling through all the papers that Jack had gathered. Some were medieval manuscripts; those immediately went to Balian, even though his medieval Latin was just passable. The ancient Greek texts went to Paris. "Jack, these are completely useless," said Will. Being wounded, he got the narrow loveseat. Paper was scattered all around him. He held up a sheet and squinted at it. "These are astronomical charts, I think. Very standard, apart from a few notes which I cannot make out."

"Oh, give it to me," said Jack, reaching over to snatch it out of his friend's hand —quite some feat, since there was hardly enough room in William's study for them to move. However, since this was an operation of utmost secrecy, it wasn't safe to take all this information to somewhere else where there would be more room. "It's me handwritin', after all."

"You know, I wonder why you don't let Eliza Sparrow come and help us," said Balian mildly.

"Eliza Sparrow?" said Elizabeth. "Oh, please, Balian. I know you feel protective, as you do with everyone who seems helpless, but she cannot be trusted. She's Sparrow's wife!"

"Aye, and she doesn't like him much," said Jack. "Heh, maybe I'll ask her a few things tonight. If I find her trustworthy—"

"I don't trust your judgement, Jack," said Elizabeth. "You did hire a mutinous crew, after all. No offence, Captain Barbossa."

Barbossa tipped his hat at Elizabeth. "I be agreein' with ye, Missus Turner," he said. "Jack's judgement cannot be trusted. However, I be thinkin' that she will help us, seein' as she will not be gainin' anythin' by turnin' against us."

"And she still has feelings for young William here," said Jack, not to be outdone.

William coughed and looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. Jack, however, was either unaware or unconcerned. After all, he was not known for being tactful in social situations. In fact, one could say that he delighted in being untactful and making others feel awkward.

"The fact remains," said Legolas, who seemed eager to steer the conversation back to the original point, "that she is unable to get off the island, even if she did have the inclination to betray us, and I do not think she does. Ergo, it would be safe to recruit her to help us sort out this mess." He indicated the paper scattered around them. Most of them were astronomical or astrological charts. There were also a few maps, both old and new, some rare books and many documents written by James Sparrow himself. "Besides, she can probably give us an insight into Sparrow's mind."

"I doubt it," said Elizabeth. "If he wasn't fond of her, then he wouldn't have shared much with her."

"Ah, but she's probably also curious," said Jack, "and she don't seem like the stupid type to me. Well, no more stupid than you, Lizzie."

"Are you calling me stupid?" said Elizabeth dangerously. Will almost choked, whether it was in laughter or in shock, one could not tell. He did, however, have the strangest expression on his face as he watched the proceedings. Of course, it was also possible that he was trying to deal with the pain, even if he had been fed something to make it more bearable.

"Stop puttin' words in me mouth," said Jack, who did not seem to care that he was in a very dangerous situation at the moment. "I just said Eliza's no stupider than you. As to your intelligence, I never gave an indication as to whether I thought you had enough or not, savvy?"

"I think I found a pattern," said Paris suddenly, breaking the tension that was growing in the room. "Most of these texts mention Atlantis at one point or another. I find it awfully odd, as Atlantis is merely a myth."

"So says the man who comes from Troy," said Norrington. "What does it say about Atlantis?"

"Possible locations, what sort of civilization it might have had...just the usual stories, really," said the Trojan prince. "I remember hearing them in passing and dismissing them when I was a boy."

"Do you think the Fountain of Youth has anything to do with Atlantis?" said Will.

"By that, do you mean the fact that they are both mythical and non-existent?" said Norrington.

"Ah, but wot if there is some truth behind the myth of Atlantis?" suggested Jack. The pirate's eyes were gleaming the way they usually did when he was certain that he had a brilliant idea. "Jus' because no one's ever found it doesn't mean it don't exist."

"But you have to admit that this is more outlandish than our usual fare," said Balian. "What next? Perhaps we will have to battle a hydra?"

"Hopefully whatever divinity in the area ignored your suggestion," said Jack, "but think about it. If we can meet our other selves, why would it be impossible to find Atlantis?" He winked. "Now, back on topic. I say we get Lady Sparrow and ask her a couple o' discreet questions."

Eliza found Harbour Island to be rather quaint in a pleasant way. Apart from Elizabeth, few people treated her with open hostility. She had been given a simply furnished room with one bed, a wash stand and a chest of drawers, not that she had anything to put in them, having left in such a hurry. The pirate woman who was always accompanying William, Anna Maria, had found her some spare clothing. It was not the clothing befitting a woman of her status, but she found that she didn't mind the plainness. They were comfortable, if a bit big, and there was no need to wear a corset. As long as they covered her up respectfully, she was not going to complain.

The men had been quite attentive too, always asking her if she needed anything. She supposed that she was a bit of a novelty; the island hardly seemed like a place that would be frequented by properly brought up highborn ladies. So far, she had not seen much of William, but she put that down to him being rather occupied with God knew what. She had thought about asking one of the men about what was going on inside that study, but thought better of it. It was none of her business, unless they chose to tell her, which was also unlikely.

Therefore, she was rather surprised when she answered a knock on her door to find William standing there with Norrington behind him, both looking suitably uncomfortable. "Captain Turner," she said, bowing to him as she would to any other gentleman. Here, he was the governor, almost a king. It was only right. "What a pleasant surprise."

William hastily returned the bow, albeit a bit clumsily. "Miss Eliza," he said. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing me a favour. I mean, us..." He trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

"If it is within my power, then I suppose there is no reason to refuse," said Eliza.

"We need you to answer a few questions about your husband, madam," said Norrington. "That is, if it is no trouble."

"That would depend on what sort of questions you intend to ask," said Eliza, feeling her face growing hot. Her imagination was running rampant. What could they possibly want to know?

"Uh...that would depend on Captain Sparrow's mood," said William. Oh, Lord! Jack Sparrow? Eliza felt the urge to slam the door and barricade it, but she was a guest here and it simply would not do.

"I shall endeavour to answer those questions which I am able to answer," said Elizabeth, "but if Captain Sparrow insists on asking inappropriate questions, then forgive me, but I am afraid I will not be of much help."

"We shall keep that in mind and we will take no offense," said Norrington before his captain could reply.

Jack had to remind himself to stay on topic. This was about James Sparrow's obsession with star charts and Atlantis. It was so easy to stray off-topic. For years, he had relied on this technique to get what he wanted out of others. They mistook his tendency to go off on tangents for a lack of intelligence, which gave him an advantage when it came to dealing with enemies. However, this was not one of those moments when he needed others to undermine his intelligence.

"Yes," Eliza was saying. "James did spend a lot of time looking at the stars. He had a telescope in the bedroom and whenever he was there with me, he was more often than not peering through that telescope and murmuring to himself. He had a map —more like a scrap of map, really— and he would consult it all the time."

"Obviously he was looking for something," said William in a low voice.

"Yes, I suspected too," said Eliza. "But I never knew what it was that he was looking for."

"Did you overhear anything?" asked Paris. "Perhaps a word that sounded odd, a phrase, a name?"

Eliza looked embarrassed for a moment. She hesitated. "I...I once went to his study when he wasn't home," she admitted. Barbossa grinned and tipped his hat at Elizabeth, who raised her eyebrow. It wasn't something they had expected that Eliza Sparrow would have done. Perhaps she had more in common with Elizabeth than they had first thought. "There was a sheet of paper, and there was a very odd phrase on it. 'The stargazer's heart's desire lies upon the surface, illuminating the way.' I thought he was trying to compose poetry."

Jack exchanged glances with Will. Out of everyone in the room, Will knew him best —even if Will did not know him very well at all. However, it wasn't so hard to decipher the first part of that little phrase. It obviously referred to the sextant and the compass. However, the second part...that was a bit cryptic. "The surface of what?" asked Will.

"It's supposed to make sense?" asked Eliza. For a moment, the expression on her face was so similar to the one that Elizabeth usually used when Jack did something that was more incomprehensible than usual that Jack almost spat out his mouthful of rum. Two Elizabeths to give him that criticizing look instead of just one; now that was disturbing.

"I be thinkin' she be deservin' to know the truth," said Barbossa. "Well, a filtered version, I be supposin'."

"Is a filtered truth any better than a lie?" asked Eliza.

Eliza quickly changed her mind. No, she was not in the company of mere pirates; she was in the company of mad pirates. She might have begun to doubt their sanity when they had kidnapped her for seemingly no reason other than the fact they had thought she had needed rescuing, but now her belief in their insanity was confirmed. They believed in the existence of a fountain that could grant eternal life, and not just spiritually. She told them what she thought. Well, more like blurted it out before she could think about what she was saying.

"Believe what you like," Elizabeth had retorted. "The truth is the truth no matter what you believe."

"I thought you didn't believe in it, Lizzie," said Jack. Was it just her, or did Jack Sparrow enjoy riling Elizabeth Swann-Turner? No, it probably wasn't just her. The old pirate called Barbossa was smirking and he seemed to be making a bet with the tall brawny Greek standing to his left. It was almost as if they were so accustomed to this sort of behaviour that no one found it to be particularly alarming or odd anymore. Not even Elizabeth's husband made any move to interfere. Elizabeth gave Jack a withering glare.

"I didn't, Jack," she said. "Now I do. Not because your arguments were particularly convincing, mind you, but because there seems to be enough circumstantial evidence."

"Hah! I convinced you. Just admit it!"

"You've never convinced me before, so I don't see why this time should be any different."

"There's always a first for everythin'."

The discussion might have gone on if Elizabeth had wished to continue with it, but she simply rolled her eyes and then turned her attention back to everyone else. "We're still no closer to discovering the Fountain's location than we were before," she said.

"We need Sparrow's map, and I doubt he'd give it to us willingly," said Norrington.

"Which is why it's great that he's hunting us," said Jack. He looked much too cheerful as he delivered that little piece of information. "Better to have him come to us than to have to find 'im, that's what I say."

"As much sense as that makes," said William wryly, "I would rather they did not find this island."

"Who said he had to find the island?" said Jack. "Honestly, I don't understand how you survived for so long if you're this...naive. We're pirates, savvy, and pirates belong out at sea. So long as he thinks we have the sextant and the compass, he's goin' to come after us."

As it turned out, James Sparrow got a head start on them. The very next morning, they received news that Tortuga had been sacked by the royal navy. Many had been captured and only a few managed to escape. Some, who knew William and had no place else to go, had sailed to Harbour Island, bringing the news. Amongst them was an old sailor called Pete Cotton. Indeed, even Cotton had another self, only this one was probably the opposite of a mute. "I didnae ken why they came," the old man said after he had calmed down sufficiently to stop blabbering non-stop at such a high speed that no one could make out any of the syllables. "Why now? Tortuga's always been 'ere and they ne'er minded us 'til now! They jes' took 'em, the men, the women, the little ones too! Loaded them onto ships by the load, they were!"

"What would Sparrow want with all those people?" asked William.

"Ne'er bothered to find out, Cap'n," said Cotton. "When I 'eard that cannon fire I ran fer me boat as quick as I could and didnae look back. 'twas only after that I found out it was Sparra's doin'! He was flyin' him flag fer all t' see!" The old man had no more to tell them, for he was clearly not the brightest fellow around and he was rather traumatized. He was taken away to the kitchens to be fed a calming brew, leaving the young captain alone with those he trusted the most. He looked at each and every one of them.

"Well?" he said. "Why would Sparrow do that? Why attack Tortuga? It's harmless!"

"We all know that Sparrow has a penchant for persecution and destruction," said Norrington. His eyes were hard and he was gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"Yes, but he's not a madman," said William. "In all my years of dealing with him, not once has he made a decision that was so irrational. Why start now?"

"Maybe Sparra be drivin' the other Sparra over the edge," said Barbossa with a smirk.

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much," said Jack.

"Why take all those people?" asked Balian. "If he wanted to eradicate all pirates, then he would kill them. Why waste food and water and space?"

"I don't understand it either," said Norrington. "But then, I don't claim to understand men like Sparrow." A murmur of assent swept through the gathered men and women. Only Jack remained silent at this moment, although he looked like he had something insightful to say. Will, however, knew that such a look did not always mean a promising result. What Jack thought of as being insightful was sometimes vastly different from the average man's definition. The pirate scratched his wrist and then crossed his arms and leaned on one of the bookshelves in William's increasingly cramped study. Every usable space seemed to have been taken up by paper.

"Say, William, you happen to be rather infamous, right?" he said suddenly.

"The Cap'n is famous, not infamous," said Anna Maria.

"Right, right. It depends on your perspective, but that's beside the point. The point is that if Cotton knows the location of Harbour Island, then chances are that other people might know of the location as well, right?"

"It is possible—" began William, and then the blood drained from his face. "Oh God...I've doomed us all!"

"You?" said Jack, making a face. "Wot's it got to do with you? Stop bein' so egotistical. Not everythin' is your fault, savvy? Now, we don't need to evacuate the whole island; we can't. But we can lure Sparra —the other one— away, savvy?"

"How?" asked Barbossa. "Ye know as well as any of us that Sparra be aimin' to destroy us once an' fer all."

"That's exactly the point!" cried Jack. When no one seemed to understand him, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Sometimes, I've no idea what a genius like me is doing with a bunch of people like you. Look, he wants us. The rest, he could care less about. We just need some bait and a trail of breadcrumbs. That always works a treat."

"What are we using for crumbs?" asked Will. "You're not planning on dumping dead bodies in the ocean again, are you?

"Oh, Whelp, have you learned nuthin' from all those years you've been friends wiv me? I'm disappointed that you would take me for such an unoriginal man!"

A/N: I know this isn't my usual chapter length, but I must stop here as I have choir practise tomorrow morning. Originally I had more, but then I decided that what I had written was not suitable for this chapter so I cut it out. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.