A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, I'm major sick right now, and I've also been painting, so I've kind of been busy, but here I am now! Thannkies to all the reviewers, even though I haven't been updating as much, you still stay loyal to the fic! That means a lot to me.

A/N2: I'm sorry to all you Will fans, but in the spirit of extending this fic, Will does not appear in this chappie…….BUT I promise he will in the next one! Cross my heart!

Chapter 8- In Which Our Heros Drown in Fluff and Mush (and Gov. Swann flips his wig, literally)

Elizabeth delicately stepped onto the steps of the dock. She stumbled, but felt Jack's steady hand on her back, urging her forward. The area of Port Royal they were arriving at was deserted, save for a few small children playing in the sand. They stared at Jack, who returned their looks with a gold-toothed grin. Gaping ever more, the children returned to their shells. Elizabeth grabbed his hand nervously as they reached the familiar stone walls of the fort, where they knew Commodore Norrington would be seated.

"Jack," she said, "You need not go any further. You might be seen or caught, and I can't let that happen to you."

"Love, I just can't leave ye here."

Oh Jack, I can't let you go.

"Go, please, before it's too late," she pleaded, both her heart and mind battling.

"No."

"This is my home. I can find my way around fine. I just don't want to see you hurt!"

Conflicting emotions poured into each of them. They both wanted to stay together, yet also both wanted to make sure the other was safe. The couple felt like they would never win.

And Will, Elizabeth mourned, I don't want to hurt him.

Then, as she looked into Jack's deep eyes, and felt her heart jump, she made up her mind.

I don't love Will as I used to.

A dam inside of her seemed to break, and before either one of them knew what she was doing, she fell into his arms.

Jack's legs nearly gave out, not out of her weight, which was small, but out of sheer shock. What on earth was the young lass doing?

"Elizabeth?"

"Jack, oh Jack, I love you so much. Will is, Will is just a friend, he's not right for me."

Jack choked for a small moment, then regained his composure.

"What……when….when did you know this?"

She looked up, tears streaming out of her eyes.

"Always. Well, not really, " she reconsidered, "But I really knew since the night on the island. The first time, when you were talking about freedom. You seemed so…….different."

Jack clutched her tighter to himself, breathing in her scent.

"I have always loved ye, my little bird."

@;---

Gov. Swann was the picture of composure behind his desk, located in his home office. The past few weeks had been a living nightmare, to but it lightly. He had gotten that Turner lad shipped in from London on the double, in the fastest boats of the fleet. He had commissioned Norrington's ships to go find his beloved daughter, paying for the excursion from his own pocketbook! And to make matters worse, he had to comfort the entire household over the loss of Elizabeth.

Why am I comforting them? He wondered. His face crumpled abruptly, and he held is in his hands. Tears began to flow.

Oh Elizabeth, I miss you so much.

"Daddy?"

Swann's head snapped up from his hands. "Elizabeth?"

It's not possible.

His gardener, Matthew Laurent, came bursting through the Governor's closed door, panting and out of breath. "Sir, Sir, it's your daughter. She's back!"

The startled governor leapt from his office chair, and as he did so, his wig flew from his head, right into the arms of……….

"Who are you?"

Jack looked up from the curly mass that had been flung in his direction. Surely he didn't look that different? Sure, his stay on the island had deprived him from his usual kohl, and his usually unruly dreadlocks were now a slight shorter (he had trimmed them in a desperate need for fuel one night on his island). But did he really look that different?

"I………uh……eugh….." he managed to choke out.

Elizabeth tried to hide her panic behind her huge eyes. "He's my……….guide, Father. I met him on the outskirts of………..Turoule, on……East Saint Vincent……….he offered to give me a ride in his……..cart to Port Royal." She closed her eyes, almost sure that a giant thunderbolt would come to smite her, such blasphemous lies she said.

Hoping beyond hope that her father wouldn't ask Jack to remove his coat, and at the same time thanking the Lord that he had cleaned up, and changed his old, mouldy clothing, she smiled a little. Her father extended his hand, and Jack, hesitating a bit, shook it.

"I could never thank you enough, Mister……..?"

Jack searched his head for a name. "Therrien. Roux Therrien," he pressed, trying his best to layer on a convincing French accent. The Governor looked positively delighted to meet him, but looking over at Elizabeth, his face fell.

"Elizabeth………Will went to search for you. He's been gone for a week now. We've lost track of him."

She gulped, her mind inwardly screaming, and scolding. That is what you wished for, wasn't it? You wanted him to leave and never come back. And look what happened.

Her father sighed, and soberly hugged his daughter. "I don't know what to do. I know you love him, but he's gone missing."

Staring at him, her eyes welled up with tears. "I know, I know," he responded, mistaking the nature of her weeping.

"Father, I………..need to get some fresh air."

He released her, and she turned to leave his room, her companion exiting as well. "Remember," he called after her, "Supper is at seven o'clock, and your friend is invited as well."

A slamming door was all that responded.

@;---

The bright pink roses were still as delicate as Elizabeth remembered them. Clutching Jack's hand, she weaved through the labrylynth of bushes, not stopping even when her breath came in gasps.

"E……li……..za…….beth," Jack panted, "Off on another adventure, are we?"

She stopped abruptly at the edge of the large Swann Property. A huge wrought iron gate stood between them and the main port, where there were many salesmen, pitching off fine boats at small prices, and vice-versa.

"Jack. We have to find Will."

"I already knew that, love. How do you suppose we do that?"

She grinned, and pulled a velvet moneybag from inside her cloak. "I nicked it from my stash under the urn in the main hall. There's enough gold here to buy us some sort of transportation."

His eyebrow raised. "It'll do."

"So are you in?" she asked, quirking her own brow.

"Am I ever!"

A/N: sorry for a bit of an abrupt end, but I really need to get some sleep. I already have the next chappie written, so it shouldn't take long for me to post it.

*Throws huge golden crowns at the crowd*

deAth

Leila5

SparrowSavvy

Enchantressofthestars

Eternalsoulflame

Moviesavvy (I'll check out the story soon!)

Vibe

Glitter kitty

Talon dragon friend