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

Disclaimer: Disney owns Jack, Elizabeth, etc.

Chapter 51

"Close your eyes", said Will with a smile, putting the trunk down in the corridor, and taking Elizabeth's hand in his.

That corridors on the Flying Dutchman were darker than those on the Black Pearl was Elizabeth's first thought when they had walked below deck. And now they were standing before the Captain's Quarters' door, and she just could not stop thinking that there was something dark about the entire situation. She felt strangely anxious. She felt sad. And having her hand closed in Will's was not making her feel any better. There was a time when it had been making her feel safe, and happy... And she tried to recall that feeling, but to no avail. It was gone. All that was left was a mere memory, deprived of emotions, an image, a painting, a beautiful painting even, perhaps, but nothing more, nothing... alive; only dead scenes from the past which she could reenact in her imagination, but they carried no feelings, no emotions, no sensations, no nothing. She stood transfixed, and terrified feeling as if she was falling into an abyss, and there was nothing to hold on to. And his hand... His hand was not helping, because it was dragging her down that abyss somehow, even though all he had ever done was trying to help her, rescue her, save her... And now he was killing her, and he did not even know that...

And she was not going to tell him. He did not deserve to feel shattered, only because she felt... nothing.

"All right", said Elizabeth, forcing a smile.

Will motioned her gently to step aside, then opened his cabin's door, and led Elizabeth inside the Flying Dutchman's Captain's Quarters. He came back to the corridor, and bent down to lift the trunk, which he placed by the wall in the cabin. Then he closed the door, and looked at Elizabeth who stood motionlessly in the middle of the room. She looked stunning. Her appearance was slightly dishevelled, her hair rather ruffled, but for him she looked perfect, beautiful, as always. Why was he even worrying? She was there, with him, she wanted to be, she even had taken that trunk to feel more like at home. Although that ship was no home at all... But for the time being it was their place to live, to be together until... He was still afraid to think about the Fountain of Youth, even though it was becoming more and more real with every minute, and Barbossa's revelation about the Fountain made it even more real... But he did not want to think about it too much. Right now they could be together, and that moment was all that mattered.

"Now you can open your eyes, Elizabeth", he whispered into her ear, and she shivered, and he smiled, misinterpreting her reaction.

A small, nervous wrinkle formed on her forehead. She did not want to hurt him. He did not deserve to suffer after all he had done (and lost...) for her. But even though she could not stand his closeness at the moment (at the moment?... Anymore...), she wanted to avoid anything that might hurt him, and pushing him away would certainly hurt him, so she hoped, and prayed that he will not try to do anything... stupid. The thought cheered her up if only slightly. She almost chuckled to herself. Jack. The name, the sound of his name, even a silent sound was soothing... And for a brief second she had an impression that she had had similar thoughts before... When could that be? It must have been during those days that she did not remember...

"There is no before."

Those days...

"You are this sea... You are this night, and this wind, and the stars... And the tomorrow's sunrise, 'Lizbeth."

Keeping her eyelids shut, she felt as if some images, and sounds were flowing to her; were flowing back to her... And all of a sudden she saw flashes, short scenes, broken moments rushing across her mind, and she desperately tried to catch those shreds of the past, the shreds of her memory...

"Promise me... you won't forget... that I love you..."

Her memory...

"We'll go everywhere, and I'll show you everything, and we'll get you all the beautiful things from all over the world."

Her memories...

"I love you, 'Lizbeth. I just love you. I've always loved you, and I had lost you once... No, not once... Many times... And that time, this time, I just decided not to lose you. I-"

"Elizabeth, you can open your eyes right now", repeated Will with a small smile, looking at her curiously. She seemed to be dreaming, she seemed as if she was asleep, but she could not be asleep in the standing position, could she?

Elizabeth reluctantly opened her eyes. She managed to look at him, and returned his smile, even though she was very much upset that he interrupted her... what was it? A dream? A memory? Was it real? Could it be real? Could something that beautiful be real? That feeling... So light... No. So strong. So strong, but... it was making her feel light, and carefree, and... innocent.

"Will", she said surprised in a quiet tone of voice, suddenly noticing her surroundings.

The cabin was decorated with... maybe not exactly flowers, but some kind of colorful plants nonetheless. In the middle of the cabin stood a small, round table covered with a white cloth, and the table was set for a meal. In between two sets of plates stood a gold candlestick. Three white candles were already burning, filling the cabin with strange kind of light.

Candles...

"When you laid unconscious after that accident in Tortuga... I was thinking of what would've happened if we'd met earlier... before..."

"That's very... beautiful", said Elizabeth smiling at Will as brightly as she could, her thoughts revolving around those images that flitted across her mind, leaving her breathless. It was almost as if those memories were not hers... Not because she did not believe that they were hers. She knew, she felt that they were... But because in those memories... because she had an impression that in those memories she was... a different person. I was a different person. I did not remember who I was... Or rather... I was whom I forgot to be...

And for the first time, for the first time since it all had started, since she had regained her past it appeared to her that the time when she had not remember that past must have been the most wonderful experience of her life. She had been haunted by nothing. She had been worried about nothing. She had not needed to feel guilty, gloomy, responsible, lonely... Lonely. "I love you, Lizzie." Lonely, not at all. And she was free. For those several days she really was free. And all of a sudden she missed that. A strangling feeling of regret overwhelmed her, taking her by surprise. You lied to me? Oh, God, Jack. You made me feel transparent, you made me feel free, you made me feel... me, but without the burden to be me...

"You shouldn't have", said Elizabeth with a small smile, walking around the room, trying to appreciate his efforts, trying to show him that she liked the flowers, and that she liked the candles, and that she liked... him. Oh, you like your husband. Great, Lizzie, that's just great.

Lizzie. Elizabeth smiled to herself, fiddling with strangely-shaped green leaves of one of the plants. Although it sounds better when he says it...

"Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth turned around, maybe a little too abruptly. "Yes?", she smiled (thinking that maybe she was smiling too much, but somehow she could not help smiling when she was nervous.)

Will looked at her for a moment in silence, and then took her hand in his. "I love you", he said quietly, his gaze strangely observant, expectant, maybe even pleading.

The sense of guilt washed over Elizabeth with an unexpected force. All of a sudden it became painfully clear to her that it was all her fault. It was her fault that he was trapped on this ship, that his life had been broken, that it had taken that undeservedly dramatic turn. If he had never met her, none of it would had ever happened to him. And either because of that sense of guilt, or simply out of compassion, she found herself saying: "I love you too."

But, contrary to what she had hoped, a grin that appeared on his face did not make her feel better.

It made her feel frighteningly cold.


"Good Lord!" Gibbs ran into Elizabeth's cabin, bewildered by the sound of multiple gunshots coming from there.

As he came in, he was greeted by a peculiar sight of Jack swaggering out of the wardrobe, stepping at the slightly devastated wardrobe door. He narrowed his eyes taking a look at his pistol.

"What is it?", he asked, putting his pistol back into his belt, without even looking at Gibbs.

"Nothing", answered quickly Mr. Gibbs, glancing around the room curiously. "But... what's happened here, Jack?", he asked uncertainly.

Jack wrinkled his forehead, and looked thoughtfully around the cabin. The pieces of the wardrobe door were scattered all over the floor, there were also clothes, pillows, and smaller objects located rather chaotically in different places.

"It does look a tad bit", Jack paused wriggling his fingers up in the air, "distressing."

"Aye, that it does", nodded Gibbs.

"Well, then, Master Gibbs. I want ye to take care of that... disorder. Ye can move everything to my cabin, and then introduce some order here", said Jack heading for the door.

"To the Captain's Quarters, ye mean?", asked Gibbs with hesitation, not sure whether that was the best idea, as he briefly imagined Elizabeth's reaction on finding all her belongings moved... Not to mention Will's reaction...

Jack spun around, and looked at him, squinting. "I do believe that it's what I said, Master Gibbs, unless ye consider either the Captain's Quarters not to be me cabin, or me cabin not to be the Captain's Quarters, in either case either ye being the first mate, or the first mate being ye shall be no longer the case."

Gibbs blinked. "I think I'll start right now", he said with a smile.


Elizabeth nervously held on to a small glass of red wine in her hand. She did not really like wine. She liked rum better. Although probably the only reason why she thought that she liked rum better was that rum was the part of the world that she wanted to run to right now. And the scent of rum was more familiar. The taste of rum... She took one small sip of wine, and tried to imagine that it was rum. The taste of rum... The taste... Sweet... wild... burning... Could the taste be burning? No, maybe not the taste... Or maybe not the taste of rum... She involuntarily closed her eyes for a moment. "That'd be me lips on yers, luv."

"Elizabeth?" Will's voice shook Elizabeth out of her reverie. She opened her eyes, and blinked. "You're all right?", he looked at her concernedly from the opposite side of the small table. His face looking strange in the candlelight.

"Yes", Elizabeth put her glass down on the table. "I was just thinking..." Focus, Lizzie focus. She thought that maybe she should tell Will about her conversation with Barbossa. Maybe she should tell him that only three people will be able to drink from the Fountain...

"Yes?", Will looked at her expectantly, studying her face in the dim light.

...But if she told him, he might want to go to Barbossa, and then Barbossa might tell him something about the key, and then...

"Who will become the Captain of the Flying Dutchman after we lift the curse?" Her own question surprised her. She actually had not think about that before, but now, when she asked that, it sounded reasonable, indeed. How would that be resolved?

Will wrinkled his forehead, looking absently at the candles. "My father", he said gloomily after a moment of silence.

Elizabeth averted her eyes. So there he was doing the same choice again... But even though the choice was the same, the decision, or rather the circumstances were different. He was going to leave his father behind to be with her, only to discover that she was going to leave him behind...

If she could really do that... How could she do that after all he had sacrificed for her?...

Deep in thought, she did not even notice when he shifted his eyes to her, and now was watching her face intently.

"You must have felt awful, Elizabeth", he said softly.

She darted her eyes to him. "What do you mean?", she asked with a trace of nervousness in her voice, although she tried to sound nothing but ordinary.

"Alone, sad, and then lost when you had lost your memory", he trailed off, looking at her intensely. But there was no accusation in his eyes, only questioning anxiety, although she was not sure whether she actually did prefer the latter.

"Yes", replied Elizabeth with a small sigh. What's your point, Will. What's your point.

"You did not remember... us", he said under his breath, and Elizabeth struggled to look him steadily in the eyes. It was what honesty was all about, wasn't it? Looking your interlocutor straight in the eye. She snorted to herself with bitterness. "And I understand that...", Will paused.

"That what?", cut in Elizabeth with a hint of irritation in her blank voice.

Will looked at her uncertainly, not sure whether he should really continue. "That you might have done something that you would have never done... consciously", he said at last in a nigh faltering tone of voice, but his eyes remained fixed on Elizabeth, who turned pale, although he probably could not see that in the dark cabin lit only by the candles. "I can understand. Just tell me."

Elizabeth stared at Will in bewilderment, surprised by his sudden bluntness. He was basically asking her-

"I don't know what you mean", Elizabeth looked at him wide-eyed. Why it was always easier to lie? Even though it could only cause more troubles...

Will sighed. "What's happened during that week, Elizabeth?", he asked in a low tone of voice, staring at the table, as if the question was not addressed to her.

Elizabeth knitted her eyebrows, her fingernails digging absently into the tablecloth. "You know I don't remember", she said after a moment of consideration. Surprisingly, it was actually true. At least in a sense...

He looked up at her, and the flames of the candles reflected in his eyes made her feel very uncomfortable all of a sudden. She was almost scared, but scared of what? Not of Will. How one could be scared of Will... But still...

"I saw you kissing him", he said in a hollow tone of voice.

Elizabeth stared at him in silence, taken aback, and caught completely off guard by his statement. She never expected him to actually say something like that out loud.

"I think we were past that", replied Elizabeth stiffly.

Will's facial expression hardened slightly. "I don't mean back then. I mean yesterday."

Elizabeth froze staring at Will unblinkingly. She was utterly unprepared for that kind of conversation.

"Yesterday?", she echoed, not really knowing what to say.

Will did not say anything, he just continued looking at her. He was not angry. He seemed more disappointed than angry, but perhaps it was just his way of expressing anger... It struck her that she did not really know how he expressed his different emotions... She did not really know him, did she? She did not understand him, as much as she understood-

She could no longer look at him, into his sad eyes. She quickly rose to her feet. "Will, you don't understand-", she started, turning away from him.

"So help me understand, Elizabeth." He left the table, and came up to her immediately. "Help me understand why he is always between us. What am I doing wrong?" He grabbed her by the shoulders, and turned her around to face him. Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise. He had turned her gently, but the gesture, coming from him, astonished her nonetheless. "Why did you kiss him? Why?", he shook her lightly. "You just said you loved me", he added quietly, a trace of a sad smile flitted across his lips.

"I do love you, Will", said Elizabeth in a quivering tone of voice. Just not like you want me too... Just not romantically...

It's not a romantic kind of love... anymore... if it ever was... I'm sorry, Will, I'm so sorry...

"So why?", he looked at her questioningly, pleadingly. How was she supposed to tell him... "Why did you do this? Maybe it's for the better once again? Maybe you wanted to save me?", he sneered slightly, the desperate look in his eyes terrified her.

Yet, it angered her. It angered her that he was reminding her of that. He should know that that memory hurt her, that it was making her feel awful, and unworthy, and guilty, and it was enough that she had done that, and that it will always be somewhere inside her, hidden somewhere deep in her mind, in her heart. And he had no right. If there was anybody who had a right to remind her of that, it was Jack. And Jack had forgiven her. And she was certain that he would never bring that topic up again. And now all of a sudden Will (Will!) was dragging that out, accusing her...

"Maybe I did", she blurted out, just because she was upset, just because she thought that he had no right to ridicule what had happened then.

Will let go of her shoulders. "What is that supposed to mean?", he asked, his voice calmer, and less cold.

Elizabeth stared at him, her eyebrows knitted, her gaze intense. His question baffled her. It baffled her how serious his question was. She kept silent, unsure as to what she should say. What do you mean, Will?...

Will looked at Elizabeth with hesitation. It suddenly appeared to him that perhaps she knew... He did not know how it was possible, but... As impossible as it was... It would be... beautiful. Maybe 'beautiful' was not exactly the right word, but... Was it possible? Could it really be?

"You would do it?", he asked, obviously following his own train of thoughts. "You wanted to do it again? For me? For us? Elizabeth...", he trailed off, his face softening.

Elizabeth's eyes widened even more, if it was yet possible. What did I want to do? Again? What is he talking about?

"I can't believe it", said Will quietly, and Elizabeth could not quite guess from his face what he was thinking. Was he upset? Frightened? Happy? Astonished? Angry? Relieved?

"I can't believe it myself", said Elizabeth hardly above a whisper, heading into darkness, her curiosity leading her blindly into the enigmatic conversation.

"I didn't know you knew about that", said Will averting his eyes for a moment.

Elizabeth's mouth twitched. What was he- Suddenly, she was struck by an idea. Was he perhaps talking about... But how would he know? How would he know that only three people will be able to drink from the Fountain? Maybe he thought that that kiss had something to do with it? That she was trying to make Jack to make sure that Will will be able to take the precious drink? But how would he know about that?

"I didn't know you knew", whispered Elizabeth cautiously, studying his face intently.

Will sighed. How was he supposed to tell her? He could not just tell her that he had talked with Barbossa... She would want to know why he had talked to him at all... Yet, he needed to explain to her somehow how did he learn that one could not drink the water from the Fountain, but had to be given the drink, and the person who was handing the drink was going to die... It also bothered him how did she know about that? And how it was possible that she wanted to make Jack give him the drink... Because it was what she was doing, wasn't it? "Maybe you wanted to save me?" "Maybe I did." And he was accusing her... He could not believe his own selfishness. She was going to sacrifice Jack. For him. Again. It was wrong. She should not... But she had kissed him... Like back then on the Black Pearl... To ensure Will's safety.

"Elizabeth. You can't", he said, cupping her face in his hands.

Elizabeth struggled very hard to keep her face unreadable. She was not sure that her assumptions were correct anymore. There was something strange about his reaction...

"Yes, I can", she replied smartly, her eyes fixed on his face.

"Elizabeth...", he whispered. "Don't..."

"Why not?", she asked, hardly noticing his hands cupping her face. She was too much intrigued by everything that was happening. She felt as if she was falling down a waterfall. A waterfall...

Will sighed, and took a few steps backwards. "I don't know... But maybe there is another way..."

Elizabeth approached him slowly, her mind racing, her voice calm and soothing. "What way, Will?", she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You couldn't live with it, could you?", Will smiled at her sadly. "You couldn't live with having him killed again."

Elizabeth felt cold shivers running up her spine, but she tried to ignore them. She tried to ignore the shivers, and ignore the furious beating of her heart... She needed to be calm. She needed to be observant, and cautious, and she needed to think clearly. Having. Him. Killed. Again.

"Isn't it just ironic?"Will looked at her sadly, his voice bitter. "The Fountain of Youth, the promise of the eternal life. And the price for eternal life is death."

Elizabeth blinked, and bit her lip. "This is ironic", she managed to whisper.

Will averted his eyes, and looked out of a small cabin window for a moment. "You kissed him so he would give me the drink, Elizabeth? Did that kiss have something to do with the Fountain?"

For a brief moment Elizabeth's heart just stopped. Drink? The drink from the Fountain... Give him, give Will a drink... So Jack would give Will the drink? "You couldn't live with having him killed again"... Good God, Will, what are you talking about? What are you trying to say?

Elizabeth darted her eyes to the floor, not even able to say 'yes'. Not even able to say anything at all. A blurred image began to form itself in her mind, but she could not make much sense out of it. Yet. All she knew was that Will was not talking about the three people who will be able to drink from the Fountain... Maybe he even did not know about that. But he did know something else, something worse, something... How could he suspect her...

"Elizabeth", Will pulled her into an embrace. "I don't want you to do... anything like that. I don't want you to make your choices alone... anymore. You don't have to... I don't want you to feel guilty", he whispered, kissing her hair.

"No", said Elizabeth all of a sudden. "That's fine", she said in a quiet, but firm tone of voice, staring blankly into the distance over his shoulder. "Really. If we don't have a choice... Do we have a choice, Will?", she asked, trying, with all her strength, to keep her voice from faltering.

He was silent for a moment. "Right now", he paused. "I don't see any other way out... But perhaps..."

"Just don't worry about it, Will", said Elizabeth tilting back her head to look at him. "And tell me... how do you know about that? About the Fountain... and the drinks... I didn't think you knew that", she tried very hard to sound ordinary, but it was almost impossible for her to carry out that conversation at the moment.

She was confused, and terrified, and she could not put all those pieces together... Her thoughts were spinning chaotically, blurring her mind. And she could not believe in what she was beginning to understand. But it was apparent that there was more mystery to the Fountain of Youth than she had ever expected.

And it was also apparent that people could not drink from the Fountain of Youth on their own. They had to be given a drink. And whoever was going to give a drink was going to die... So, although Will probably did not know that part, there were going to be three drinks, and three deaths...

And for some reason Will thought that she was going to trick Jack into giving Will the drink... that she was going to sacrifice Jack... again...

How could he ever come up with such an idea?

So there was something more to the Fountain...

...and there was something more to Will as well, apparently...

And neither something appealed to her too greatly.

But she was going to play along, and find all the missing pieces of that unexpected mystery.