A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone!! So sorry for the long wait. Just know that I've not abandoned this story. Only six more chapters until the end!

By the way, it would make me very, very happy to try and get over six hundred reviews at the end of this story. That would be...more than amazing, it really would. Just my little wish, I suppose, for the ending of my Pirates writing career. lol

Disclaimer: I'll never own the fandom.

Chapter 38:

"I have an idea." Elizabeth said after about seven minutes of intense thinking, her face brightening and scattering the frown that had been there before. "Pretty simple, nothing like what Jack would come up with, I'm sure, but it will have to do." Not all people could be as smart as her husband, but she supposed he'd be proud of her for thinking up this idea....hopefully. As long as it worked they would buy time, and that would help the Pearl to catch up with them and get her back.

Her heart ached at thinking about him. She'd lost track of how long they had been separated, but that didn't matter. Half a day or so and she already missed him, yearned to be safe in his arms. It felt like, if she was near him, nothing could harm her or the baby she was carrying. His baby. The thought of that still baffled her, left her feeling dizzy and warm, so warm... It was him, a piece of him that was developing inside her more and more each day, that would always be a part of her somehow. Through all they had been with, it made her relieved to know that if he lost her or she lost him...they would forever have a bit of each other to cling onto.

"Anything is better than nothing, Elizabeth." Lester reassured her after a while, his uneasiness about the kiss she'd shared with Barbossa having faded after a while of thinking, which is what he'd been doing...and not very helpfully. Still, he knew he could trust her. Jack cared for her more than anyone else, he could tell, and he knew that such a man wouldn't just fall for a random woman. Captain Sparrow really loved her, and so that meant she was a very special woman...she could be trusted. That was the conclusion he'd come to, anyways, until he saw otherwise.

"Yes, I suppose." With that she got up and went over to the door, hesitating for a moment before she threw it open and went out on deck, looking around frantically. Lester blinked and followed, not sure what she was doing. Was it a good idea to put attention on herself? Then again, he began to understand what he goal was. Get the suspicion off her, get the crew to think he'd simply passed out on her. If they were lucky enough, they might just think it had to do with his recent change into being immortal, a delayed side effect. He smiled a little and kept out of the way, watching over her as he knew Jack would want him to.

Elizabeth ran over and snagged the first crew member she came across, her breathing uneven. His eyes moved to her and at first they narrowed, but then he saw how pale her face was, how she was even trembling a little, and how she stumbled over her words in her haste. "Slow down an' start o'er. What's the problem, lass?" he asked, grabbing her shoulders to steady her.

"Barbossa! I don't know what happened! We were....we were eating and then the next thing I knew he sort of...fainted! Slumped over. I tried to get him to respond, but he didn't! Help, you have to help!" She made a few gestures with her hands without even realizing it, and then tugged at his sleeve, motioning to the Captain's Quarters. "With haste! H-he might be dying!" That was all he needed, and without any more prompting he ran off to where Barbossa was, calling to a few others to come with him. Elizabeth went and sat down on the stairs, then smiled a little to herself. It had been easier than she excepted... "You got rid of the wine, right?" she asked softly, having a feeling that Lester was sitting beside her.

"Aye. Made him drink a bit more, though. Thankfully that wine is rather strong and the drug was odorless...if they check for poison they'll never find any traces of it."

"Good." Elizabeth leaned back against the stairs and shut her eyes, going to relax a bit more. Once they realized that there was something wrong with him, they'd stop in the nearest port. That would bide them enough time for Jack to get there, or so she hoped. If Barbossa began to stir before he was supposed to, they could always give him some more drugs if they needed to...unless someone caught them. That or he realized what they were doing and stopped them...but she wouldn't think about that yet.

There was silence for a while between the two, and then she got up, feeling restless and anxious. Content to pace along the desk, she briefly looked out at the waters, hoping, though she knew it was a bit unlikely, to see black sails on the horizon. How long of a head start had they gotten, anyways? Not that long, she would hope...and besides, the Black Pearl was supposed to be the fastest ship in the Caribbean!

"Don't worry, Elizabeth, he's coming. He'll save you, you'll see." She shut her eyes and sighed, leaning against the railing weakly.

"I miss him." Lester smiled a little, placing his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"I know. He'll be here soon to get us, just wait. After all, he's Captain Jack Sparrow."

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and then she sighed, looking out again. Lester was right, he would come for her. She could wait for him. She'd wait forever and beyond for him, wait until the end of time just to see him, to be able to love him... From the very moment he had pulled her from a watery grave her heart had been lost to him, and now she would do anything...anything to make sure he was safe, and alive, and not alone. Perhaps once a long time ago she wouldn't have done such a thing, wouldn't have waited for him and wanted him so much, but things had changed...and she wasn't sure when they had, really.

Shaking her head in bafflement, she kept her eyes on the horizon, hoping and watching, unable to wait until she could lay eyes on him again.

It wouldn't be so long now, she was sure. She could feel it.

"Two hours, and still no sign of him."

Lester looked over at Elizabeth from where he sat, both of their legs dangling over the docks. They had stopped in port just as she had assumed, and to their relief Barbossa still hadn't come to his senses. Perhaps the drugs they'd given him would affect him like they would a mortal human. Whether they did or not, the crew had decided to stay in port until their captain came around. Elizabeth was allowed to stretch her legs, but not allowed to go far; someone was watching her at all times.

"Give him a while, Elizabeth. Perhaps something came up, a complication, a storm..."

She sighed and looked away from the horizon to her hands, a grimace flitting across her face. "I know, I know, it just makes me anxious. That's all. I mean, what if he-"

"He didn't die. Trust me, Missus Sparrow. That gun wound wouldn't kill him, only stall him for a little while."

A simple shake of her head told him that she wasn't quite as optimistic as he was at that moment. He understood why she wasn't cheerful, but of all people she should have faith in Captain Jack Sparrow, should she not? He was her husband after all, and one of the most luckiest men she, he, or anyone would probably ever meet.

After a few seconds of silence she grit her teeth, wringing her hands together. "I just hate being so helpless!" she burst, then ran impatient fingers through her messy brown hair. "I'm just sitting here, doing nothing, and I hate it." Her hand clenched into her fist while still tangled in strands of golden chocolate. "What I wouldn't do if I weren't with child, Lester. I'd take matters into my own hands, throw those idiots off the ship and find Jack. Yet no. The glorious Pirate King, aye, and all I can do is sit here and act naive!" She spat the words angrily, but after a moment dissolved into tears, hating herself for crying (she blamed it on her pregnancy) and being so weak. It seemed that no matter how strong she was, her strength depended soley on her husband now. Her title was just a title, it was his belief in her what made her who she was.

Two arms wrapped around her as she cried, rubbing embarrassedly at her face and trying to compose herself as quickly as possible. Lester didn't care, though. It made him a bit uneasy, but he comforted her all the same, trying to be what Jack could not in that instant. A comforter. Elizabeth was pregnant and lonely. He supposed an invisible man that she hardly knew really counted as company, but he knew she appreciated him being around anyways, for more than just helping her to stall so that Jack could reach them sooner.

Settling behind her now, he rubbed at her arms, waiting until her hiccuping sobs faded before she sighed, brushing back her hair, a whispered thanks leaving her lips. He kissed the top of her head and then pulled away, not about to overstay his welcome so close inside her personal space. Still, he'd done what he'd meant to do, and that was enough. Unlike most, he did not feel anything for her, only the want to be a friend, someone to console in. He knew she knew that.

"You're carrying Jack's babe, Elizabeth. That is a very important task. You are keeping your child safe, remember that. Staying alive and keeping your son or daughter safe should be most important right now, even if your feelings say otherwise."

"I know. It's just different. Such a drastic change from being able to take control, make my own decisions, think only of myself and my safety... You're right though, I know. I'm a mother, it's in my instincts to protect our child...even if I don't want to." She frowned, but her hand drifted to her stomach, rubbing circles there with her thumb. He smiled at the sight, then looked back at the sea, crossing his legs so that he could lean forward. His companion would be just fine. He had faith in that.

A few more hours passed, and still no sign of the Black Pearl or anything for that matter. By that time Elizabeth had long since given up watching the horizon, instead going onto the ship and down to the galley with Lester to eat dinner. She snuck him some food, which he ate thankfully, and then after she sat there in silence, resting her forehead against the cool, dirty wood of the table.

Hardly surprised when a crew member came down, she turned when addressed and then stood up, a sigh leaving her lips. She was exhausted and lonely, and had been waiting for this since the moment he'd been drugged.

"Captain Barbossa is awake, Missus Sparrow. He's been asking for ye. Come along now." Elizabeth nodded and followed with saying anything, wondering what he'd do to her. Would he suspect that she'd done something to render him unconscious like this? If he did, what would he do to her?

Quietly she went up the stairs, and then was escorted into Hector's quarters. The door was shut behind her, and she leaned against it, shutting her eyes and gathering what little strength she had left.

"So then, missy, mind tellin' me why I have quite a hell of a headache?" At the mistrust in his tone she sighed, shaking her head. Like he wouldn't see through her lies...

"Don't know why I should bother. I believe you already know yourself." Her eyes flickered open to look at him and found him glaring at her, boots propped up onto him desk, arms crossed with a bottle of rum clasped tightly in one hand. Her lips quirked up into the slightest of smiles. "I'm certainly surprised though. For being immortal, you certainly act a lot like a mortal. Drinking rum to get rid of headaches, eating, sleeping..." She smirked.

"How did ye know that drugging me would work?" To her surprise he didn't sound mad, just irritated. Annoyed.

"I didn't. I was surprised when it did, and for how long you slept. It was all for naught, though. A waste of my time." She looked down, hugging herself. What was delaying her husband for so long?

"Ah, I see. Ye thought Jack would come and rescue ye." He laughed humorlessly. "Seems he's not very reliable, aye?"

"Don't say that! He loves me, and he'll come for me! Just you wait and see." she whispered levelly, though he'd sparked anger in her eyes.

"I'll certainly do that, Elizabeth. Seems I'll be waitin' a rather long time. Even with drugging me there be no way he could catch up." He swung his feet from his desk and got up, taking a long swig from the rum bottle to ease the pounding in his head. "Now. I'll have no more nonsense. Ye are still free to wander the deck, but I won't be falling for any of those suggestions ye make, understood?" She nodded silently. "You are worth nothing more to me than leverage. Once I've got that gold bullet you'll just be what I'll use t' kill yer husband. An' once I do, well, I'll deal with you afterward."

Her face went pale with a mixture of fear and anger, and then she turned, going towards the door. He called after her, but she didn't listen, simply stepped out and shut the door firmly behind her. He couldn't make her listen anymore. He could do a lot of things, but he could not force her to listen to what he had to say. Frankly, she'd heard more than enough.

She shrugged off the worried hand that Lester put on her shoulder and went to lean against the railing, resting her head in her hands. Where ever her husband was, he wasn't there, and she'd waited so long that she just couldn't count the seconds anymore. If he came for her, well, then he'd come. She had no doubt that he was trying to get to her. It was just doing that, it seemed, that was the problem. So she would wait, but she wouldn't dwell on it. Now she needed to put all her thoughts into trying to find a way to get that bullet and hide it before Barbossa found it and killed Jack. That could not happen. She refused to bring up their baby all on her own.

She refused to live a life without him.

Once more a hand was laid across her shoulder. She tried to shrug it off, but it only tightened. Elizabeth turned with gritted teeth, wishing that she could just be left alone to deal with her problems by herself...and stopped. It wasn't Lester, it was one of the crew members. Shaking her head, she pulled away from him, hardly glancing at him.

"Don't touch me."

"What had you been lookin' for on the horizon?" he asked, but she ignored him. In fact, he wondered if she'd even heard him...

She turned to walk away, but he caught her wrist and pulled her back, feeling how she trembled, how her pulse fluttered nervously under the pressure of his fingers.... The man shook his head, then put two fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him. Tears had clouded her eyes, causing him to sigh. He should have never left her to herself. Even if she was strong, some things were just too much. Again he spoke, his voice low, searching her face while fighting the urge to caress her face. "What was it you'd been looking for, Lizzie? Me? No need, I'm here now. I'm here."

There was a moment of pure silence, and then she collapsed against him, throwing her arms around him to hold him tightly, her face buried against his coat. She said nothing, for there was nothing to say that would really tell him how she felt, how she'd missed him, how she both hated and loved him so much...

He brought her over to the shelter of the stairs, then hugged her tightly, all the while casting his eyes about for any sign that Lester was around. He had much to thank his old friend for, most of all for keeping his beautiful wife safe. Two fingers touching his shoulder made him smile, and then he nodded briefly in recognition before he looked down, realizing that the pregnant woman in his arms was now actually sobbing. He was shaken. Though he was glad that they were, for the most part, out of sight from those that might see them, he knew it was risky anyways to have any form of contact with her at the moment. So, because of that, he gently tried to pry himself from her tight grip.

It didn't much work. She held on even more strongly when she realized he was trying to get away from, shaking her head to show her displeasure without having to move.

"Elizabeth." he whispered, pulling her even further under the stairs before he sat down with his back to the railing, eyes constantly scanning the deck. "Sh, love. I know ye are happy to see me, but ye've got t' be a bit more quiet." A few seconds later she nodded and tried to calm herself down, and he was pleased to hear, or not hear, her sobs anymore. Not only were they loud, but each one was like being poked with a needle. It stung, and made him feel guilty for leaving her so long.

"Jack, Jack." she whispered quietly, lifting her head finally to look at him. Her face was stained with tears of relief and pent-up fear, and then she hugged him tightly, nuzzling his neck and breathing in his scent deeply. "Oh God, I missed you. You have no idea how much I have missed you. Where have you been, what took you so long, are you okay?" The questions tumbled quietly from her mouth, deep concern written all over her face. "I waited for you! I stalled the ship, brought us to port, I thought you would come!" She looked at him, and then sighed, knowing that words would do nothing for her. "Oh Jack." she sighed hopelessly, and then cupped his face, bringing him down into a fierce, desperate, love-starved kiss.

His eyes widened in surprise, and then drifted shut after a moment. He missed this, her body, her smell, her. So much. So much that he did have an idea of how she'd suffered. He felt a bit bad about making her wait, but he was also pleased with her strong faith in him, her willingness to hang on and wait for him, no matter what.

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close. He kissed away salty tears from her lips and face, drank in her relief, and basked in her love. He took away the storms from her soul and gave her rainbows, gave her the sun, indulged her until she'd completely relaxed against him. Only then did he pull away for air, her taste and scent having invaded his senses and left him dazed.

"Lizzie." he murmured, kissing her forehead before she rest her cheek against his shoulder, exhausted by the sudden peace that filled her, leaving her at rest. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you." He brushed some hair from her eyes, then rubbed his palm over her stomach, trying to find the virtually invisable, tell-tale bump that would be a blessed sign of their child. "I never stopped thinking about you."

She smiled without opening her eyes. "Nor I you. Not once."

He bent his head to kiss her again, then pulled away, remembering to look around the deck again, which he did. "There is not much more time to cuddle like this, Elizabeth, as much as I wish we could." He brushed his fingers up and down her arm soothingly. "There is a war brewing. I came to get you, but now we need to escape back to the Pearl. Teamed up with William-"

"Will?" Her eyes opened curiously.

"Aye. He's with me, on the Dutchman. Teamed up with him, the Pearl and the Dutchman could easily take on this ship...and destroy it."

"But...Hector. He's immortal." she whispered. Jack nodded, locking eyes with her.

"Yes. I know." She smiled slightly. "Lucky enough, our dear William got a little something from his father when he was a little boy. It had been lost, but Bill had found it and gave it back. Do you know what it is?"

"A golden bullet?" Her voice was breathless with hope.

"Aye love." He kissed her forehead tenderly. "A golden bullet."