Jack sat in the library with the doors open, half reading and half keeping an eye on the newly fixed front door. When Sarah came back, he would give her a piece of his mind. However he didn't know if he could spare any fraction of his mind at the moment. With each passing hour that Sarah was out of the house, his tension had grown. If only he had watched her more carefully…if only he had been awake when she left…no use trying to change the past. Jack's musings were interrupted by the violent swinging open of the front door. 'There go the hinges,' Jack thought. He got up and walked into the foyer. Sarah looked at him and threw her arms around him. "What a welcome," Jack quipped. However his good humor faded when he looked down at Sarah.

She was deathly pale and her eyes were filled with panic. "Sarah, what's wrong?" He could feel her body shaking against his.

Jack started to lead her into the library but she stopped. "No, Jack. We have to go. All of us, we have to get out of Port Royal. Axel is-"

Jack interrupted her quickly. "Axel hasn't got anything on Will's sword skills and my--well, my overall skills. He can't hurt you when you here."

Sarah stared at him with a look that broke his heart. "I'm not worried about me. It's you I'm terrified for."

Jack grinned. "I think I can a handle a angry vampire. I handle you, don't I?"

Instead of making her laugh or even give him the evil eye, she burst into tears. Jack wrapped his arms around her. "I can deal with it, kitten. It'll be ok."

Sarah sniffled and hiccupped. "Oh Jack, I'm so sorry to have dragged you all into this. It won't be ok at all. It never will be!" Jack backed up and looked determinedly into her eyes.

"Yes it will. Captain Jack Sparrow never loses a fight."

Sarah smiled frailly and wiped her eyes. A wave of nausea and a spell of dizziness later, she was up against Jack again. "Whoa. Must be all the excitement," Sarah said, trying to sound strong. Jack looked down at her. "When was the last time you've eaten?"

Sarah shrugged and rubbed her head. "A few days ago."

"A few days? You have to eat. Sarah, if you bite me, will I turn into a vampire?"

She weakly shook her head, trying to hold on to whatever amount of consciousness she still had left. "Then come with me, kitten."

"Jack, no!" Sarah stood by the bedroom window, grasping the sill tightly until her knuckles were white. He came up behind her.

"I'm not letting you go out there again. You'll either have to starve or use me as a substitute."

"I won't do it."

"I won't let you starve." For a few seconds, two iron wills faced off. Suddenly, a wave of lightheadedness swept over Sarah and she crumpled into Jack's arms. "Fine," she muttered.

Sitting on the bed, Sarah held Jack's arm. She stared at it, willing it to give her energy without any bloodletting. "Jack, please don't make me," she begged, but was silenced with his look of determination. Sighing, she closed her eyes and bit into his arm, immediately locating a vein.

Jack clenched his teeth, trying to ignore the burning sensation that was making its way up his arm. Sarah let go of his arm and looked away.

"I wish it could be different," she said softly.

Jack shrugged, rubbing his aching arm. "What's a bit o' blood between friends?" Sarah turned to him.

"No, Jack. I mean with everything. I wish that Axel wasn't stalking me, I wish that I'd never left you, I wish that I wasn't a vampire, or that you were, one of them."

Jack lifted an eyebrow. "Can you do that?"

Sarah seemed to come out of a trance. "Huh?"

"Make me a vampire." Jack suddenly knew that he would give up anything to be with Sarah. He'd give up traveling the world, meeting new faces, he'd even give up his boat. If it would make him be with Sarah, he wouldn't object to drinking blood a few days a week.

Sarah stood up quickly, knocking a book off the table by the bed. "I won't do that to you."

Jack stood as well, confused. "How can you say that after you said you wished you didn't want to leave? That usually means you want the opposite, which, in this case, is to be together. And I've sorta got that whole agin' process goin' on, while you don't. The logical way to stay together is to make me a vampire."

Sarah looked at him for a long time. "You don't understand what you're asking me to do." Jack shrugged.

"Not to degrade you, Sarah, but how hard can it be? Drink some blood, dodge some bad guys, stay good-looking forever. Same as bein' a pirate almost."

She shook her head. "It's not all fun and games, Jack. There is killing involved and its not by a sword or a pistol. Can you deal with killing people with your own hands? People who might have helped you or might have become your friend. People with families, Jack. FAMILIES! And you have to do it alone because there is no one with you. Everyone dies sooner or later and then you're alone."

Jack put his hands on her shoulders. "But we can be together. You won't be alone anymore."

Sarah shook her head. "You'd come to despise me. Just as I've come to despise the one who turned me." With that, she walked out of the room.