A/N: Ohh, many reviews, thank you, thank you! *bows and clasps hand together like Jack* *lol* Yes, I know it took longer than usually, but I worked on my other story too, and I have loooots of projects in school, so yeah, I'm sorry! This chapter will have lotsa suspense though (I hope…) and I'll try to make it long to make up for the wait :)
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Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open slowly and met concerned brown ones. "Will…?" She repeated and sat up slowly staring at him, completely baffled. "I…I remember …you…" she said slowly, as if talking to herself. Will frowned and reached down to stroke her cheek, a touch under which she flinched and pulled back.
"It's ok darling, you must be terribly tired and worn out. We'll get you to the ship right away. Don't you worry, it's all over now." Will said in an attempt to be reassuring. At the word 'darling' Elizabeth shuddered again. The whirl of memory and emotion was still too much and her head reeled. She closed her eyes momentarily, hoping to find everything a dream when she woke up.
No such luck.
Instead she felt someone scooping her up in strong arms and carrying her towards the Interceptor.
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Jack watched the scene with a feeling of anxiety, which quickly turned into one of pretended boredom as one of Norringtons men watched him in suspicion. He picked his fingernails with his knife, daring to cast a few glances at Will and Elizabeth now and then. He unconsciously jammed his knife into his finger as Will scooped Elizabeth up, narrowing his eyes dangerously. He caught himself the next moment, cursing himself. 'The whelp's got her back, so what?' Jack told himself. "Look at 'em, they jest belong t'gether..", he muttered, though it sounded rather unconvincing. His was fidgeting with the knife, while watching Will carry her off and earned another cut. "Bloody hell!!" he cursed loudly, wiping his finger.
"Did you want to say something…Sparrow?" Norrington asked icily, purposely forgetting the captain title. But Jack was too distraught to notice it – which really meant a lot since there hadn't been a single time Jack hadn't informed anyone of his captain title. Something else was bothering him a lot more now…Had Elizabeth remembered everything? And if she did, had she told Will everything too…? The uncertainty was killing him; he had to find out before he would do something …incredibly stupid.
He strode confidently over to the governor who was standing next to Will on the Interceptor, Elizabeth already being brought to a cabin. He flung his arms around aimlessly and flashed his cocky smile at the governor.
"How's Elizabeth doing?" he asked, a (fake) careless undertone dripping from his voice.
The governor smiled broadly at him, so relieved to have found his daughter alive and unharmed that he forgot he actually despised of pirates.
"Wonderful, wonderful. I bit tired, but it has been some trying days for her." He shifted uncomfortably. "Well I believe thanks are in order, since you have rescued my daughter once again and returned her to me without harm." Jack made another careless gesture with his hand and waved it off. An enormous weight just shifted off his heart – so she hadn't told them yet. Or the governor would definitely have responded differently…But why? Why hadn't she told them? About her memory, and how he had used her? Was she trying to protect him?? Jack shook his head furiously. He couldn't have any of that. Him, a fierce pirate, being protected by some fancy damsel? He snorted at this condescending image. Never. 'I'd rather give up me rum than getting sympathies or protection from some stuck up lady!' he told himself. 'Alright, maybe not all of my rum, but who does she think she is? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, I don't need any of that sentimental rubbish; a women's not good fer anything but a good tumble in the sack! And I –'
his thoughts were interrupted by Norrington approaching him, carrying a pair of irons. Jack frowned and pulled back with a look of utter confusion. Norrington smiled smugly.
"What are these for..?" Jack questioned, hands waving around once again and with one eyebrow cocked.
"What do you think Sparrow?" Norrington sneered evilly. "This is usually for unrighteous, savage, dirty pirates and other rascals like you. So, if you would be so kind to cooperate?" Norrington motioned for Jack to hold out his hands. When Jack did not move Norrington sighed.
"Do you really want me to go into all your crimes? You have returned to Port Royal, although you were forbidden to, you have obviously gotten the Governor's daughter kidnapped once again, you –"
"What's this all about?" Will shouted as he emerged onto deck. When he saw the irons he stopped. "Are you arresting him?? He saved Elizabeth life!"
"I believe I told you already –" the commodore hissed. "You are a mere humble blacksmith, not a sailor or military man. Don't get involved into things you don't know about!"
"But –"
"Ne'er mind mate." Jack smiled weakly, shaking the irons on his hands, finding them clearly annoying. "I always find a way out…ye still have that dog in yer prison?" he asked Norrington, grinning widely. The commodore jerked at the chains and pulled Jack below.
"You're going to loose that grin of your soon enough…" he hissed venomously and shot the pirate a look of disgust.
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Elizabeth flinched at the sound of the knock on her cabin door. 'Please don't let it be Jack, or Will or my father, or…actually please let me have imagined it the knock altogether…' she thought and sighed as the rapping repeated, louder this time. She didn't have the nerve to talk to anyone, not now, not after everything that had happened.
"Elizabeth, are you decent?"
'My father…great..!' Elizabeth thought sarcastically and got up slowly.
"Will here wants to have a word with you.." Elizabeth's head shot up. Not Will, please not Will. She couldn't face him now, she had to sort her thoughts first.
"Elizabeth?"
"I..uh..I feel rather tired right now…could …could he come back later?" Elizabeth asked hopefully.
There was silence from the other end of the door.
"Alright." Her father said hesitantly. "I will tell him."
Elizabeth sighed of relief as her fathers footsteps slowly faded. Her head was spinning and still felt as if it had been shaken violently. 'But at least I remember, finally!' she said to herself. Although, on a second thought this didn't seem like such a good thing after all. It was all so complicated.
Once she saw Will and her father everything came back in a rush. Will – he was her fiancé, how could she have forgotten that? And Jack? The image of a dirty lying bastard didn't fit at all with the memories she had of him. But he had acted just that way. Taken advantage of her. Lied to her. She couldn't believe it – their kiss had seemed so …right. Now of course, she was plagued with guilt, trying to hide behind the façade that she didn't know any better at that time, that he was the guilty one, he had taken advantage of her. But that wasn't completely true, and she knew it. This is why she didn't tell anyone, not her father, not Will. Elizabeth had to figure out her true feelings before she could accuse anyone – but this seemed harder than anything.
"Of course I love Will!" she said strongly to herself. "He's my fiancé, we will marry and live happily ever after!" she convinced herself. But as soon as the words were spoken she felt something tug at her heart. She was lying to herself, and she knew it. It made her furious. 'I cannot believe that I actually consider to have any feelings for that scallywag.' She scolded herself, but it didn't sound all too convinced.
Elizabeth sighed again. She had to make up her mind, and quick. 'Will will be wanting to talk to me. I can't go out of his way forever. I …I must tell him. But not until we come to Port Royal and Jack has sailed off.' The thought Jack leaving made her heart twitch and she mentally smacked herself for it. "Damn him for making this all so difficult. Damn you Jack, to the depth of hell!" she hissed.
Port Royal couldn't come soon enough in her opinion - the civilized life there would hopefully turn Elizabeth back on the 'right track', sparing her with all those childish thoughts of adventures, the sea, Jack and other unwelcoming things like that, which shook her life out of its defined and organized borders.
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"But you can't do that! He –"
"- has done nothing wrong!" Will chimed in. He followed Elizabeth who was striding purposefully behind the Commodore. Norrington whirled around and faced her. Elizabeth's face was scarlet with anger and her hands were placed firmly on her hips. Will caught up behind her and shot Norrington a glare very similar to the devastating one Elizabeth sent him. But Norrington simply smiled smugly.
"I do believe that I am the Commodore here, therefore I get to decide if he did something wrong by law. And I can assure you he did. Ms. Swann, you surely do not care for such a rascal as …him." Norrington pointed distastefully at Jack, who was standing next to him, clapped in irons and rolling his eyes, clearly annoyed. Elizabeth's anger vanished and replaced embarrassment. She lowered her head and mumbled incoherently. "Well, I…I suppose…"
Jack's head shot up hopefully. Was she defending him? Was she not denying him like the others? Then he remembered that he was not to care what she did and he lowered his head, though still waiting for her answer.
"No, I suppose I don't…" Elizabeth finished quietly and Jack tried desperately to ignore the painful feeling in his stomach as she said this. Elizabeth cast him a last look, then turned abruptly and ran off. Will stared at her incredulously.
"Elizabeth! Where are you going? You …you can't just leave Jack! Elizabeth!" But instead of responding her steps only quickened and soon she disappeared behind the street corner, her dress rushing behind her.
"That's what I thought.." Norrington stated disdainfully and shot Will a condescending look.
"Now, if you would excuse me, my…client here, has an appointment with the gallows tomorrow…and I would hate him to miss it." Will's eyes widened in horror as he met Jack's, who looked away quickly not able to bear seeing Will so worried about him. He didn't deserve it.
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The shell was smooth underneath her pale fingers. Its outside was ornamented with natural lines and patterns that the sea had inscribed onto it. Inside it held a dim pearly shine, silky under her touch. It twisted up into a cone, ending in a sharp peak. Elizabeth's mind wandered as she traced the lines on the shell.
She watched Jack amusedly as he swaggered about the beach. Suddenly he stumbled and bent down, furrowing his eyebrows. He picked something up and triumphantly held it up, before tossing it to her. Elizabeth caught the shell quickly and looked at it, marveling at its beauty. Jack plopped down beside her on the sand and watched her intently. "Ye can hear the sea if you listen closely…" he whispered furtively, winking at her. Elizabeth looked at him disbelievingly before hesitantly placing the shell to her ear. A slow smile spread across her face and Jack returned it genuinely. "Intriguing, isn't it luv…" he whispered and looked at her. Elizabeth nodded slowly, lost in the depths of his eyes. "It is…"
The curtains shifted under the afternoon breeze and Elizabeth returned to reality. Her fingers were still caressing and stroking the shell beneath them. She looked down at her hands and, as if suddenly realizing what she was doing, she withdrew her fingers and let the shell drop like a blazing hot object. Elizabeth didn't even hear the crash as it fell on the floor; her hands were at her mouth and her breathing was rapid. Why, why, why did she always think about him? All her thoughts, everything, always evolving around him. Wasn't she supposed to hate Captain Jack Sparrow? After all he had done?
"But I don't..I don't." Elizabeth whispered to herself and shuddered at her admittance. And neither could she just let him die. There was no way she could part from him like this…it wasn't right. Quickly she made her way to the door and strode down the streets. Hopefully she was not too late…
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A/N: Is Norrington too mean? Is Jack very out of character? Is it too confusing? Please tell me! I love reviews! Who doesn't! :D
Yeah, I know, kinda short – but its more than my usual! :D There was supposed to be more in the chapter, but I'm leaving again for a week and this is all I could manage before, so I thought I'd give you at least that! Don't be mad! I'll update as soon as possible (if I get reviews…hehe *cackles evilly* *lol*) !!