We're nearing the end of our story. There will be either 2 or 3 chapters left and then an epilogue, so don't leave just yet. Hope you enjoy this one. x

By the time Elizabeth woke up, it was early morning and daylight was streaming in through the bamboo blinds that hung across the window. She raised her arms above her head and stretched, blinking her eyes open with a smile as memories from the night before flooded back into her mind. She remembered the way Jack had kissed her and how alive he had made her feel. She rolled over onto her side, ready to show Jack her appreciation. But he wasn't there.

Elizabeth gasped, and she found her hand wandering to the empty place on the bed, as if to check that her mind wasn't playing a trick on her. But there was still no one there; Jack was gone. Why would he have- Then it dawned on her exactly what had happened, and as soon as the idea entered her brain she knew that she was thinking the truth. Jack had gone to find Davy Jones. Alarm bells rang in Elizabeth's head and she jumped out of bed to check on Arianna.

A sigh of relief escaped her as she saw that her daughter was still in her cot, but rather than snoozing as she usually did in the morning she was standing on wobbly legs, holding onto the edge of the crib. Picking her up into her arms, Elizabeth began to soothe her by bouncing her gently up and down.

"D-" Elizabeth heard the sound from the baby in her arms, and her eyes widened. She held Arianna out in front of her.

"What? Go on, baby." Elizabeth encouraged her. "What were you saying?"

Arianna smiled, gurgling as she tried to form her first word.

"D- Daddy!" she giggled with glee, bringing a tear to Elizabeth's eye and the blonde woman couldn't be sure whether it was from happiness or regret that Jack wasn't there with them.

Gibbs looked up in uncertainty at his Captain, who was stood by the helm, anxiously biting his fingernails. He was looking in the direction of the horizon, but not really at it. It were as if her were in a trance. He hadn't been the same since they'd left Shipwreck Cove. It was to be expected really; Jack didn't know whether he would ever see Elizabeth or Arianna again, but Gibbs couldn't hide his unease any longer.

"Jack." He called up from the deck, but the Captain's gaze didn't waver. Gibbs sighed and climbed the stairs up to the helm. "Jack!" the louder yell from his first mate brought Jack back to reality.

"What?" He asked irritably, subconsciously choosing to stop chewing his nails and begin on the inside of his cheek. He didn't have time for Gibbs' worrying. He had to concentrate on finding a way to make sure that both Arianna and Elizabeth were safe. But, seeing the look of concern in the older man's eyes, he relented and waited to see what Gibbs had to say.

"Jack, where exactly do we be headed?"

"Nowhere, everywhere. We need to find the Dutchman. We need to find Jones." Jack replied in a glassy tone. It was the truth. There was no telling where Jones would be; they would just have to wait like sitting ducks until the great ship rose from the depths as Jack knew it would, sooner or later.

Gibbs looked as if he wanted to say something else, but thought better of it and nodded. Deciding to leave Jack to his thoughts, he made his way back down to the deck to help out with the rest of the crew.

Elizabeth let out a muted scream as she left the Cove to look at the docks with Arianna, held by Teague, close behind her. There was not a single ship tied up outside the Cove. Only a few dinghies and a rundown fishing boat that she doubted would make it out of the bay. Jack had certainly planned this well, she had to admit. He'd left her with no way to get to him. She turned back to Teague, her mouth hanging open in exasperation.

She needed to help Jack. The more she'd thought about him being out there on his own, the more she began to worry. Of course, he had Gibbs and his crew there with him. But he didn't have his family. The realization hit her that she might never see him again, and she was suddenly fighting to keep the tears from falling. But they fell anyway. There was no way she was going to let him fight out there on his own. Even if she tried to look at the situation with optimism, she still knew that his chances of success were dismal. For one, Jack didn't have the one hundred souls, so the only way to know that Jones would be out of their lives would be to kill him. But would Jack be able to stab the heart? Did she even want him to? She didn't know if it would be worse for him to be dead, or for him to live a life bound to the Flying Dutchman. He would only be allowed to shore for one day every ten years, and even then only a handful of day would be spent with his family, then he would be left to sail the seas alone for eternity. Would Jack really tie himself to that?

He was near; Jack could sense it. It was almost as if he could smell the decaying sea creatures that clung to the skin of Jones' crew like a plague. He could feel the peeling paint of the Dutchman's rails and he could even see, in the corner of his mind, the sickening smirk plastered across Jones' slimy face.

There was a slight rumble from beneath the waves, and Gibbs turned his head to look up at the Captain. Jack's mouth set in a grim smile.

"They're here."

Sure enough, a second later the seas gave way to the ghost ship as it rose from beneath the waves. Water spilled out its sides and the point of the bow was threateningly close to the Pearl as is drew up alongside the darker ship.

Jack's eyes quickly scanned the deck of the Dutchman, until his gaze landed on Davy Jones himself, making his way forward to the rail. He sneered at Jack and took a casually took a puff of his pipe, as if this were no more than a minor squabble.

"Sparrow," he yelled over, "do ye come with the souls as agreed?"

Jack swallowed; worried about the consequences his answer could have on Arianna if he failed. But his voice did not expose his true feelings. Instead it rang clear as he gave his answer.

"No."

"Well then, once we're through with this lot we'll be taking a little trip to Shipwreck Cove." Jones cackled to his crew, receiving cheers in response as he turned his eyes back to Jack. "I may not be able to walk on land for near ten years, but that doesn't mean my crew can't. You're a dead man Sparrow, and soon your wife and bairn will be too."

Elizabeth was sat in her room, motionless but for the slight movement of her chest as she breathed. She had put Arianna to sleep a few hours before and she was glad at least, that her child didn't really understand everything that was going on. There was no way that Elizabeth could sleep, not when she was worrying for Jack's safety. He could be dead already, she thought in dread.

Heavy footsteps roused her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Teague run into the room, a grin on his old face and a glint in his eye.

"I've found you a way out."