Will sat opposite Elizabeth as she tried and failed to bandage her hand, which had been slashed by Barbossa for her blood. She had told him the entire story of her capture over dinner, when Will had taken notice of her hand and brought out a strip of cloth. Will was angry, feeling guilty for the wound. Elizabeth should not have to suffer from his name, even if she had made the mistake of substituting it for her own. Elizabeth had always shone with a light that made Will feel warm, but now she seemed quenched.

"Let me." He said softly, cradling her hand in his palm, wrapping the bandage slowly and carefully around her slim hand. He looked up at her, eyes questioning. "Why did you give them my name as yours?"

"I-I don't know." She looked down, oddly ashamed. At the time she had had her own reasons, which sounded selfish to her now as she recalled them.

His finger unknowingly stroked the heel of her hand, and she flinched. "Sorry, blacksmith's hands. I know they're rough."

Elizabeth was distracted, confused. "Oh, oh yes they are, but.... Don't stop." She stammered, looking up into his chocolate eyes as he tied off the bandage. Will met her eyes with such intensity that it took her breath by surprise. Things were moving quickly now, Will hesitated, then laid a hand on her cheek; both bodies had shifted their weight forward in their chairs, foreheads, inches from the other.

"Elizabeth." He whispered, heart rate like that of a hummingbird, face flushing crimson.

The girl closed her eyes, to better feel each gentle finger pressing softly on her face, the palm warm and caressing. Kiss me, kiss me, she found herself wishing. His hand traveled down her collar, to her breast, where they found the medallion. She opened her eyes to see him looking at it incredulously.

"What is this?"

"I took it from you the day we met." She whimpered, unclasping it and pressing the chain to his hand.

"It was a gift from my father.... I thought I had lost it." He gazed at it with a sudden frown. "Why did you take it?"

"Because I was worried that you were a pirate." She said even softer, wishing his hand to be back on her cheek.

"It wasn't your blood they needed, it was my father's blood—my blood... The blood of a pirate." He slammed his fist containing the medallion onto the table, anger welling in him. Elizabeth was suddenly frightened by this angry person, who had moments earlier been bandaging her hand with such caring and tenderness that she wished to cry.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, leaving the room awkwardly. Will gazed after her, wondering if she might come back.

When Will finally emerged from below deck, he found the Interceptor to be fleeing desperately from the Pearl. The ominous black ship had nearly pulled alongside the war ship, despite their efforts to lighten the load. He and Elizabeth cooked up a little move that bought them some time, but soon the cursed pirates swung aboard and began to take prisoners.

Two pirates loaded with gunpowder trudged down below deck, where they busily set up a bomb. They lit it with a flare of their gun and quickly swung back to the Pearl.

Will discovered the medallion not to be on him, so he rushed below deck to retrieve it, finding barrels askew and water pouring in from an unknown hole created by a canon. The heavy iron trapdoor that protected the lower decks had been knocked over, a beam from the fallen mast lying on top of it, leaving Will trapped. He yelled for help, but the members of the crew were too busy fighting off the pirates to notice.

The lower deck began to fill with water. He tried moving a beam from below to prop open the hatch, but to no avail, he was in water up to his neck. Elizabeth was knocked off her feet, discovering the boy to be slowly drowning. "Will!"

"Elizabeth!" He clung to the criss-crossed iron strips as she tried to move the beam, but more debris was falling.

"I can't move it." She cried, two pairs of strong arms seizing her.

"Elizabeth!" Will repeated, water up to his nose. He took one last gulp of air and swam, finally finding the hole that had let the water inside the hull so quickly. He kicked it to allow his larger self through, just escaping the blast that left his comrades believing him to have perished.

Aboard the Pearl, the crew was being secured with rope, while Elizabeth struggled in the arms of her captors. With a grin, Barbossa allowed the crew to take her, feeling the clothes being pulled and stretched as they assaulted. She gazed over the wreckage of the ship, a tear coming to her eye that she and Will had never expressed their feelings.

And then, miraculously, he stood at the rigging, dripping and panting. A fleeting smile graced her lips and then was wiped away as a pirate pinched her severely. "Barbossa, release her!" He barked, wishing he could kill each and every pirate for laying hands on his beloved.

The pirates merely laughed and continued their assault on the governor's daughter. Will's mind worked quickly as his anger grew, fists clenched, remembering something he had said back at the port when Jack asked how far he was willing to go for Elizabeth. "I'd die for her." Seizing a pistol, he jumped upon the rigging, the weapon aimed firmly at his jaw. "My name is Will Turner, my father was Bootstrap Bill Turner, if you do not do as I ask, I will pull his trigger and blow myself to Davie Jones' Locker."

Barbossa's eyes gleamed, and he raised a hand to cease the tormenting of the girl. "Just come down from there like a good lad. What are your terms."

"Elizabeth goes free!" He replied instantaneously, eyes fixed solely on his love.

"Yes, yes we know that one, what are your others."

Will glanced at Jack, who was gesturing frantically. "And the crew—the crew are not to be harmed." Jack threw his hands up in frustration as he and the crew's hands were tied. He did not care how tight they jerked the ropes. All that mattered was that Elizabeth knew no pain or discomfort.

After an hour the Pearl pulled up a ways out from a tiny tropical island, Jack and Elizabeth's hands freed. "Barbossa, you agreed that they were to be freed." Will shouted as a gag was lifted over his head and secured.

"They are, lad. It was you who failed to specify when or where." He gave a short laugh and threw Jack's weapons over board, the rogue jumping in after them. Elizabeth got a short way out on the plank when Barbossa asked for his dress back. Will struggled madly against his bindings. He could not bear to see her disrespected in this way, especially being the lady of high breeding she was.

Her surprised yell as she stumbled off the narrow board stopped his heart. Again, his rushed words and slow thoughts resulted in Elizabeth's downfall. What hope could befall them on a desert island miles from any known port? Elizabeth was no infamous Jack Sparrow. And even with the rogue he doubted Jack could pull off another miraculous escape. His eyes remained glued to their shrinking isle as the Pearl sailed away and he was pushed below deck to the brig.