Will didn't know how long he'd been in the cell when he finally heard heavy booted footsteps on the stairs. He had lost track of time, but it had to have been hours; his legs had gotten sore from pacing, and so he'd sat in the corner, drifting in and out of a troubled sleep. He'd given up trying to force the door early on, and he found it rather ironic that it was probably due to him that the cell was so secure.

At the sound of the footsteps, Will leaped to his feet. His back was protesting loudly from being pressed up against the bars for so long, but anger and fear for Elizabeth's safety kept him from caring. There was only one person coming down, and he wanted to be ready if the opportunity arose to fight back, but as soon as his visitor appeared, he froze, rage balling his hands into fists and making his jaw tremble. Illuminated by the light of the doorway, a large platter of food in his hand, was none other than Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Thought you might like some food, mate," Jack said lightly, indicating his plate, which was piled high with food from the feast. Will couldn't do anything but watch as he stopped a good distance from the cell and crouched down to set the plate on the floor. With a push, he sent it sliding within his prisoner's reach.

Will gave the plate no more than a passing glance, despite his hunger. "What have you done with Elizabeth and Jeffries? If you've hurt them, I swear-"

"I assure you, they and your crew are quite safe," the pirate interrupted, standing upright once more. He brushed his hands off on his pants and continued, "They're just elsewhere. I've seen that you and the lass are quite resourceful, and I can't very well have you plotting your escape together, now can I?"

Will hadn't truly expected Jack to hurt Elizabeth, but relief flooded through him all the same--after everything else that had happened, he wasn't sure of anything anymore. Weakly, he asked, "And what do you intend to do with us?"

"Well," Jack said, pacing the length of the cell block with a lazy gait, "after helping myself to the contents of your ship, I plan to leave the lot of you stranded on an island somewhere, whilst I sail off to start my own pirate fleet from these humble beginnings, which you have so kindly delivered right into my hands." This was said with the extravagant hand gestures Will had come to associate with the pirate, and a certain smug air that seemed to come with the package. With only the tiniest of pauses, he added, "The typical pirate thing to do would be to kill you, but it turns my stomach to kill a man I like."

"You like me," Will said flatly, looking at his bare cell.

"Aye, lad." The funny thing was, he sounded sincere.

"You've certainly got a strange way of showing it."

Jack seemed to consider that for a moment. "Yeah, I get told that a lot," he said, sounding unconcerned. He leaned in a bit closer, but remained well out of arm's reach, his brown eyes glittering in the low light as he fixed his prisoner with an appraising look. "What it comes down to is this: I respect you. You've got spunk, and more courage than is probably good for you, but sometimes you're not Ltoo bright. For instance, you have this nasty habit of forgetting that I'm a pirate--believe me, lad, it's nothing personal. Taking advantage of courageous, yet slightly thick, merchants is just how I make a living."

The words hurt Will more than he thought they should have--he couldn't believe that after everything they'd been through, the pirate thought of him as just another merchant. "How could you do this? I thought you were my friend!"

"I am, Will," Jack explained simply. "That's why you're here, rather than several leagues behind and below us. Really, being marooned isn't so bad--gives you some time off to rest, take a break from your daily routine. You should be thanking me."

"Go to hell, pirate."

"Sorry, but I've already been, and I'd rather not go back. And now, if you'll excuse me," Jack said with a mockingly polite tip of his hat, "I have some things to attend to above." He turned on his heel and made for the stairs, turning back when he reached them. His voice softened as he said, "Just eat the food, Will. There's no reason for you to go hungry down here." Turning again, he disappeared up the stairs, and Will was once again left alone with his thoughts.