A/N: Thank you very much for all the reviews!

Disclaimer: Disney owns Jack, Elizabeth, the Black Pearl... (Although I own the black pearl lol)

Chapter 36

The Black Pearl seemed to be merely floating on the surface of water, if it could even be called the surface... It sailed very slowly through the veils of waterfalls surrounding her, and Elizabeth, as everybody else (except for Jack maybe, who were busy scrutinizing the chains around his wrists), gazed at the sight in awe.

Elizabeth shuddered finally realizing what it actually meant that they were in the ocean. It meant that there was no easy way out, but it also meant that it was the most beautiful place she has ever been to.

"What will we do now, Jack?", she asked quietly, reluctantly tearing her eyes off the waterfalls, and looking at Jack.

"We watch the spectacle", replied Jack with a smirk.

The Governor raised his eyebrows, exchanging glances with Elizabeth, who quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed. She did not want her father to get a wrong impression that the only procedure that Jack was always willing to follow was waiting or watching or seeing what will happen or catching an opportune moment while waiting or watching or seeing what will happen...

"I am watching the spectacle right now", she snapped under her breath. "I want to know what will we do."

Jack shot her a quizzical look.

"Firstly, luv, these pretty water walls are not the spectacle I was talking about", he explained patiently with a half-grin, "and secondly, leave doing to me. It's my ship, my crew, my trouble", Jack looked at Elizabeth thoughtfully, "well, and you are actually, in fact, also mine, so-"

"Jack!", broke in Elizabeth frustratedly, regretting greatly that she was shackled, and could not slap him."I thought I have something to say in-"

"You're always most welcome to express your lovely opinion, luv", cut her off Jack in a barely audible whisper, trying to sound serious. He should quit it, really. He ought to quit irritating her, but somehow he liked it. He liked the fire in her eyes ignited by his randomly annoying comments. He also liked seeing this fire fading or changing into a different kind of fire... Unfortunately, in the current circumstances, the irritation stage was the only one available, so he at least wanted to enjoy that one.

"I would express my opinion better if my hands were not shackled", she whispered angrily, and looked away.

"I'm sure you would, Lizzie", smirked Jack, and when Elizabeth turned to him to snap back, he quickly brushed his lips against hers.

Nobody even noticed it, as all the soldiers as well as the Governor were still mesmerized by what was around them.

"Trust me on this one, luv", whispered Jack, gazing at her with this strange admiration which was always giving her shivers.

"I trust you on everything", replied Elizabeth softly. "As you might have noticed."

"I have noticed", said Jack with a smile, and these were the last words that they managed to exchange before the ship came to a stop in front of a huge waterfall, which parted miraculously, revealing the tall, turquoise door. The door opened slowly, and behind it there was a beautiful, large room looking as if it was made out of glass. The walls and the floor glimmered in the distance.

Elizabeth stared at it in amazement, but the sight was scattered by the sudden appearance of Lord Cutler Beckett.

"I shall remove these shackles as it would look... not very appropriate in the Poseidon Palace, I believe, however... if any of you should try do something... unreasonable", he paused staring at Jack, Elizabeth and Governor Swann intently. "It would result in highly undesirable turn of events", he concluded with a small smile.

The soldier who was removing Jack's shackles blinked upon noticing, that his shackles were already... opened. He looked up at Jack curiously, but Jack was at the moment looking away disinterestedly with the most innocent expression on his face.

Once their hands were free, the three of them followed Beckett to the end of the ship, and then across the ramp, until they reached the low, decorative steps leading to the short hallway, and eventually to the grand, brightly lit room.

"Why is he taking us with him?", Elizabeth whispered to Jack, forgetting about her fairly recent oath to slap Jack as soon as she would have her hands unshackled.

"I guess he likes to have the audience for his spectacles", answered Jack, taking Elizabeth by the hand.

She squeezed his hand, receiving a half-smirk from Jack, but then she remembered about their little argument.

"I'm still upset", she said defensively, looking straight ahead, but displaying no intention to pull her hand away.

"Of course", answered Jack in a very serious tone of voice.

Elizabeth shot him a hard look, but then noticed the surroundings and sighed:

"It's so beautiful...", she said looking at the floor, which was made out of glass, through which they could see the ocean. Water was flawing quietly under the glass squares on the floor, on the walls, and above the glass ceiling.

The Governor looked around, stunned. He walked silently next to Elizabeth and Jack for some time, before he finally decided to ask:

"We are not really in the ocean, are we?", he inquired with a smile, as if he already knew that it could not possibly be true.

Something in the way they looked at him, however, told him that he was wrong.

Behind yet another door, guarded by four strangely looking creatures reminding Elizabeth of Dave Jones' crew members, was a large, round-shaped room. Here as well the floor, the walls, and the ceiling were transparent, evoking all the possible emotions accompanying the emerging sense of astounding understanding that this place was indeed located inside the sea.

In the middle of the room, on a gold throne sat a tall, well-built, elderly man. He was sitting with his head propped on his hand, in his other hand he held a long, dark-blue trident. The man looked bored. Very bored.

On the right side of the throne, stood an extremely thin man, who looked quite ordinary, except for his seaweed hair, and his fingernails, which looked more like seashells. He was holding a roll of green paper, which he began to unfurl, when Beckett, Jack, Elizabeth, and Governor Swann entered the room.

The elder man looked up at them as they came, Beckett bowed politely, receiving, however, no reaction from the god of the sea. Poseidon turned his head, and looked at the man with the roll of paper.

"And who are those...", he waived his hand, as if looking for a right word.

The man with seaweed hair looked up at Poseidon, and said in a low voice:

"The black pearl."

Poseidon rolled his eyes. The seaweed-haired man smiled, and pulled a sea horse out of his pocket. He shook it lightly, and to everybody's surprise, began writing something on the green paper with it.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack, but he just sent her a small smile.

"I brought the Black Pearl", said Beckett resolutely, breaking the silence.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes, and sighed. "Where is it?", he asked in a tired tone of voice.

"Outside", replied Beckett plainly, slightly surprised by Poseidon's manner. He expected the god of the sea to display more dignity, and solemnity, while he seemed rather exhausted, and not entirely serious.

Poseidon, and his seaweed-haired secretary exchanged glances. "Outside", repeated Poseidon turning his gaze to Beckett, and eying him suspiciously. Then he shifted his eyes to look at Jack, then at Elizabeth, and finally at the Governor.

"Yes, outside", nodded Beckett, feeling less and less comfortable.

"Let me guess", started Poseidon, swaying his trident from side to side in a playful gesture.

Elizabeth noticed a smile flickering across the secretary's face. Beckett stared at Poseidon intently. Jack looked around the room, and the Governor struggled to comprehend the fact that he was in the sea. He did not even tried to guess who was the man with the trident.

"Let me guess", repeated Poseidon with a sigh. "It is a ship, right?"

Beckett blinked. "Yes. The Black Pearl. The ship", he said flatly.

Poseidon closed his eyes, and sighed heavily.

In the awkward silence Elizabeth could hear the ocean around them.

"One more time somebody brings me that ship, and I swear I will take it", said Poseidon in a half-angry, but at the same time half-amused tone of voice.

The secretary laughed briefly.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack, who looked as if he was having equally good time. Her anxiety slightly faded. Beckett stared at Poseidon, baffled.

The god of the sea looked around the room indifferently. Elizabeth lifted her hand, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When she looked up, she noticed Poseidon watching her intently.

"Are you all... together?", he asked with sudden interest, waving his hand at them.

"No", very quickly, and unexpectedly answered Jack, attracting the general attention. Even the secretary stopped taking notes with the sea horse, and looked at Jack. "We are together", explained Jack, pulling Elizabeth towards him, and patting the Governor lightly on the shoulder, although he retracted his hand quickly, seeing the Governor's rather surprised facial expression. "He is separate", concluded Jack pointing at Beckett.

Poseidon looked at Beckett, who just smirked slightly at Jack's pointless, in his opinion, commentary.

"I see", said Poseidon. The secretary raised his eyebrows.

"We have been taken hostage", added Elizabeth through her teeth, shooting a disgusted look at Beckett.

"I do not think that it is the subject of this meeting", said Beckett calmly.

"And what is the subject of this meeting?", asked Poseidon, smiling slightly for the first time during this conversation.

"The Black Pearl", answered Beckett, staring at Poseidon searchingly. He felt that something was wrong, but he did not know what could possibly be wrong. He had everything meticulously planned. Nothing could go wrong. "I brought you the Black Pearl to exchange it for the five hund-"

Poseidon burst out laughing cutting him off. "Whoever invented that story couldn't possibly predict its enormous success", he said smilingly.

Beckett stood motionlessly, suddenly turning very pale.

There was a moment of silence. Poseidon stopped laughing, and the smile disappeared from his face. When he looked again at Beckett, his cobalt eyes were serious and cold.

"I think I've had enough of this nonsense for today" , he said in a low, but firm tone of voice.