Chapter 21.

Thank you so much for all the reviews, and the my anonymous reviewers who I can't reply to, thank you! Sorry this took me so long. I'll have the next chapter up much faster. I thought it was high time for some humor here...

The Judas kiss. That was what Jack had called it the last time she had given up his secrets. The kiss of the betrayer. How sweet, how infinitely sweet had been the kiss with which she betrayed him the first time! If the ocean itself could kiss, Elizabeth thought, it would kiss like Jack. Alone in a strange cabin of Birmingham's ship, she huddled against the narrow bunk and thought of her son, so close, so terribly close. He should be in her arms now, she should be comforting him when he cried. And yet, her mind kept drifting back to Jack, Jack whom she inexplicably loved, Jack whom she must betray. How many men had flitted in and out of her life, how many times had they vanished, stripping her dreams away until she was bare, hollow, seared into survival? For the sake of her son she would have to betray him yet again, send him away if by unhappy chance he came for her. And then what? Her lips curled. Then await the deepest circle of hell. It was terribly ironic that she had wasted so many precious minutes convincing him that she would never—could never—lie to him again.

She hadn't really expected Jack to stay. In the dark before dawn when she had watched him sleep, she had perhaps tried to remind herself who he was—a pirate, and more importantly Captain Jack Sparrow—fiercely independent, restless, drifting… he wouldn't stay, it would be cruel to ask if of him… rather like clipping the wings of a wild bird. And she had determined she wouldn't. It was enough, she reasoned, to sate herself upon him, revel in the unexpected closeness they shared and the moments he chose to give. Enough to dance with him on the deck of his beloved ship and share his adventures for a time. Enough because she had his child. Enough because she understood his soul.

"He's here!" It was Kit, arrived with knocking, exultant.

"Who?" she said dumbly.

"Who? Why Jack of course, you sweet ninny."

Elizabeth buried her face in her knees, wishing, wishing, aye, ready to sell her soul in only she could wake up out of this nightmare.

"Get up! Birmingham's in the next room with that black eyed babe and every sailor is armed and at attention."

"I'm not going to do it," Elizabeth said, though they both knew her words were hollow.

Kit rushed over and peeked out the door. "He'll find you here soon enough. He thinks he's been very clever, all that swimming and sneaking about. Poor fool! I always warned him not to fall in love."

"Kit, one day, I'm going to put the barrel of a gun down your throat and shoot until there aren't any bullets left," Elizabeth remarked.

"Elizabeth, I always knew you would get to like me in the end." He kept his ear trained to the door. "I'm getting in the cupboard and if I hear anything—I mean anything—that doesn't sound like betraying and arguing I'll come right out and shoot. Is that clear?"

"Rather. Though I doubt you'll fit."

Kit whirled her around and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Now's your chance, darling. Be a good girl, don't forget I can hear every word you utter, and your child is one room away with twenty guards at his side."

"People used to tell me I would have made a fine actress," Elizabeth smiled demurely. Oh she was trembling, her whole body contriving to collapse before it instrumented the betrayal. How she managed to look Kit in the eye (with what she hoped was a deathly glare) was beyond her.

"Yes," Kit said, "An actress or a working woman… same skills required for each."

Elizabeth smirked. "Else I would never have been able to make that fool agreement with you before."

Kit shook his head and climbed into the cupboard, making sure she saw his ready pistol.

Footsteps were heard in the corridor outside. The door slid open stealthily. A shadow appeared across the threshold. Heart pounding, Elizabeth couldn't move, couldn't gather her thoughts. What to do? How to possibly convince him…?

He stepped in. At the first sight of him, Elizabeth knew she wouldn't be able to lie to him to save anyone's life. It was impossible. She had to grind her feet into the floor to keep from throwing herself into his arms. He trusted her—had opened his mysterious depths to her, made himself vulnerable, put himself in danger. Hazarded his heart on a woman who was known to break them. And he was risking ship and freedom to save her now—two things that he needed, lived for. Brash, foolhardy, infuriating man—she loved him so much it hurt.

"Lizzie!" he whispered, crossing the room in the single bound. What a strange love—all rough edges and harsh realities, imperfect words and desire, and that look in his eyes that made the world irrelevant. At once she put her arm out to stop him, and he took a hasty turn around the empty room. "What is it?"

Elizabeth swallowed, fancying she could hear a pistol cock from the cupboard. She stepped back from Jack, positioning herself in front of Kit's hiding place and assuring he couldn't see through the slender crack of the door. Widening her eyes, she pointed behind her with meaning.

Jack looked confused. "No dress in the cupboard, is that it love?"

She shook her head furiously. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Captain Sparrow, I feel I should tell you that it is impolite to enter a room without knocking. You never know what you might be interrupting." She gestured with her head back to the cupboard.

"Interrupting?" he growled. "Was something going on between ye and the furniture, perhaps?"

She cleared her throat, ready at every second for disaster. She mouthed silently, "Kit is in the cupboard!"

Jack squinted and shook his head.

Louder, for Kit's benefit she went on, "What I mean to say, Mr. Sparrow—"

"Captain Sparrow."

"Yes, Captain Sparrow, is that sometimes you find yourself in a position you wouldn't expect—" she made a pointed face, "and you are forced to re-think your priorities."

"What are ye saying, Lizzie?"

She put her face in her hands in frustration. Behind her, there was a creak from the cupboard. Jack caught the noise and stepped closer, looked at her questioningly. She nodded and mouthed again, "Kit!"

"Kit?" he repeated aloud.

She shook her head frantically, as though to say, not out loud!

He got it… and quickly amended, "Ye're in love with Kit?"

"No," she replied, sweat on her forehead, "Though he is extraordinarily handsome." She said this last part loudly and towards the cupboard.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"What I mean to tell you, Captain Sparrow, is that I've decided to become immortal and stay true to Will." And then she winked at him with scalding blatancy.

Jack looked a bit lost. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, "Ye're lying, right?" and she nodded, pointing back to the cupboard and then putting a finger on her lips. He nodded again, beginning to understand the situation. "But Lizzie," he said with overdone emotion, "What about all those promises ye made me? What about telling me ye loved me?"

She almost laughed at the comical expression on his face. But, moistening her lips in a desperate effort to stay focused, she continued, "Didn't you know that a woman will say anything to get what she wants, Jack?"

He slammed his hand down on a table. "Oh damnable, heartless woman!" he bemoaned. And then, as though the action had really hurt him, he spun around and cursed under his breath. Elizabeth pursed her lips and wondered if Kit would buy this. What was that on his shoulder? Beneath his shirt—a bandage of some sort? Oh heaven, what trouble had he gotten into now? Elizabeth's mind ran over the possibilities—Barbossa not wanting to risk a rescue, conflict between the two ships, perhaps? Meanwhile, Jack was inching towards the door, indicating she should follow. She shook her head. He lifted his hands in question.

At that moment, the long wail of an infant was heard close by. Jack paused and listened, his face going white. He looked back to Elizabeth with wide eyes. She nodded in relief, drawing her finger across her throat while indicating the direction of the cry. Jack mouthed "Oh!" A noise was heard in the cupboard, and Elizabeth looked back frantically.

"So ye've betrayed me, is that it?" Jack said, quick as a jester.

"I'm afraid so," Elizabeth spat in return. The baby was crying again. Jack's face lit up, and he pointed to himself, pointed to her, and then twisted his arms like he was rocking a baby. She nodded, breaking out into a wide grin. She pointed to him and back to her again, mouthing, "Our baby!" Jack took a few waltzing steps about the room, clamping one hand over his mouth to keep from saying anything. It took all the self control in him not to seize Elizabeth in a giant hug. He finally stopped at one wall with his ear pressed against it, listening to the crying with a look of humorous joy on his face. Elizabeth cleared her throat, reminding him of their precarious position. Painfully he pulled himself away.

"I can't believe I ever trusted a spoiled, wealthy tart like ye!"

"Did you just call me a tart?" she cried.

"Aye, that I did, Mrs. Turner!"

She clapped her hands together, making a sound like a slap across the face. Jack caught on and moaned, lurching back. "Get out of here, Mr. Sparrow! I'm going to the Fountain of Youth alone, and if you dare follow me…"

"Ye only wish I would!" he shouted. "A man has some pride. I wouldn't go to the Fountain of Youth if it were the last place on earth left to pirates!"

She laughed silently, and then made an effort to pull herself together. "So," she said, wondering why all this pretending merely resulted in them both being louder than usual, "We have established you will not be going to the Fountain of Youth by way of the Port of Augustine?"

"Aye, that's a fact," he replied with zeal. "I'll be pointin' my ship in the opposite direction, which by virtue of bein' opposite, is entirely and completely not where ye'd expect, and not where ye'd not expect either. I never want to see yer miserable face again, woman!"

"Good!" She looked around nervously. "Then get out of here before I call my new friends to blow your ship from the water." He took the hint. He moved toward the door with his unbalanced grace, and then came back, puckering his lips with a mischievous light in his eyes.

She looked back towards the cupboard, took a step towards him, heard a noise, and stopped. She shook her head. Jack gave her a pleading look with his black eyes. She stamped the floor in frustration, but had to content herself with blowing him a silent kiss. He lifted his bejeweled brown hand to his lips and blew one back, mouthing "I love you!"

She mouthed in return, "Keep a weather eye on the horizon…" and then shouted "Good riddance!" He bowed with a flourish, swinging open the door and then slamming it behind him, to great effect.

A few seconds of quiet ensued, interrupted only by the softening cries of Elizabeth's son. She collapsed into a chair, covering her face again as Kit cautiously opened the cupboard door and climbed out. She knew she ought to appear heartbroken, but how could one when one had just been in the presence of Jack Sparrow? Captain Jack Sparrow, that was. And he had blown her a kiss, heard his son cry for the first time. Elizabeth rocked silently in her chair, trying to make her laughter into muffled sobs. Apparently it was working.

"There, there, my dear," Kit said, patting her shoulder lecherously. "You did the right thing."

Birmingham suddenly burst through the door, his steely gray eyes twisted in cynical delight. "Quite a performance. But the show's not over—Charles, you'll want to watch us blow his ship from the water."

"What?!" Elizabeth leaped up from the chair.

"That wasn't quite the bargain," Kit hedged.

"Doesn't matter," Birmingham said. "I don't keep bargains with pirates."

"But you can't!" Elizabeth cried.

"And why not, Pirate King?" Birmingham laced her title with as much mockery as he could muster. Elizabeth shivered and her hands went to her middle, old pain resurfacing in her mind.

Think, Elizabeth, think! "Because if you kill him, you'll never find the treasure of Saint Croix… the water that can turn anything that touches it to gold…"

"I thought it didn't exist," Kit said with a frown.

"Aye, Jack kept it a secret all these long years," Elizabeth said, everything spinning in her mind, knowing she had to sell this to save his life.

"We've got his compass," Birmingham said, unimpressed. "We'll have access to it as soon as we choose."

"Nay!" Elizabeth said, and then slower, "Nay. The compass can't lead you to this treasure, honored Duke. It's off the edge of the map, and out of the compass's reckoning."

"Then how would Jack propose to get there?"

Elizabeth groped for an answer. Her father had been right all those years ago to tell her lying only led to more lying until one day you were caught in your net, unable to wiggle free. "The only way one can," she said, her voice surprisingly natural and steady.

Birmingham's face showed growing impatience. "Yes, and what way is that?"

"By following the map tattooed on his back." She smiled, pleased with her answer, and better pleased to remember Jack's captivating skin and the many inked images there.

Kit chuckled. "So bring him back on board and flay it off."

Elizabeth shot him a venomous look. "Not possible. He alone knows the password."

"The password?"

"Aye, the password!" Elizabeth felt like a cheap market salesman. "The secret words passed down from generations of pirate lords, taught only to one heir, sacred. And without them, you'd never make it through the bronze doors…"

Kit was looking at her, shaking his head, bemused and impressed. He at least knew she was lying through her teeth, but why wasn't he saying anything?

"If we don't kill him now, it's unlikely we'll catch him again," Birmingham said, and Elizabeth noted with utmost relief he seemed genuinely to believe her story. Any legend of water that could turn objects to gold was irresistible to the ambitious.

"Well, of course we still have the compass," Kit put in coolly. "Once we're immortal, we'll have plenty of time to track him down."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at him, but he kept his face straight. What was going on?

"Very well," Birmingham said. "But if we see so much as a black sail on our way to the New River, my patience won't last for any fabled gold water."

"Jolly good," Kit said, clapping his back. "Let's have a drink then, shall we? The air this time of year… you know. My throat is parched."

Birmingham nodded and went out, but Elizabeth grabbed Kit's hand.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "Whose side are you on?"

"At the moment?" he whispered back merrily. "Jack's under the protection of Calypso for the time being. I do love a good killing but I was not about to risk my own neck for it."

Coming soon... is Kit telling the truth? What happened to the Pearl and the Norfolk? And will they EVER get to that Fountain of Youth?!