Empty, Mr. Turner." Drawled a familiar, haughty voice. The British Royal Navy poured into the room, surrounding the pirates. Here is the real antidote Governor." Commodore Norrington removed the necklace from a beautifully polished box and twisted off the top. He poured the golden liquid into Elizabeth's mouth, and stepped back. The room positively sparked with opposition, and anxiety as the seconds ticked by. Then, slowly, the colour began to return to the girl's cheeks and her eyes fluttered opened.

"Ohh- what happened? Where am I?" The commodore stepped to her side, and bent over her.
"You were poisoned, my love. I brought back an antidote for you. Do feel alright?"
"Well of course she doesn't feel 'alright.'" Jack remarked "She was poisoned you know." He confided to his captors. Norrington glared and the bayonets and guns were raised a little higher.
"No, I... I feel alright. Where's Will?" James' eyes flashed angrily, and Elizabeth turned to see her true love with rifles to his head and bayonets at his throat. "What is the meaning of this!" She demanded, "Will? Jack!"

"Treason, milady." Norrington broke in reluctantly. "We didn't want to upset you until you've rested, but he poisoned you to gain your position and fortune with the aid of that idiot pirate."

"You Liar!" Will spat, causing the soldiers to tighten their grip. James snatched the charm from Will's hand and presented it to Miss Swann.

"Empty, milady. Almost identical, yet empty. Who could have made an exact replica of the true antidote? He made a copy in hopes of fooling you, in hopes of switching for the real one." He looked down at the stunned lass, and gently caressed her cheek. "Elizabeth, this is too much for you. I will not let any harm come to you. Just rest and-" "No." She pushed back the bedclothes, and the soldiers paused from pushing the prisoners. "Elizabeth!" "I have strength enough, for this." She walked shakily to her bound and gagged love, and looked him in the eyes. "You left me. To try and rescue me, you had to cheat and you still failed. Did you ever truly love me?"

Will's heart shattered, his eyes mirroring his soul. A tear rolled down Elizabeth's face.

"I see now, you never loved me as I loved you." She turned away.

"Elzzbtttt!" Will cried through his gag. His cry was muffled, and Norrington took the devastated girl into his arms, and the door closed.

Will went numb, and expressionless as he was dragged from the mansion and deposited in a farmers wagon.

"To the cells with them then eh?" asked a guard. They snapped to the horses, and started towards the town.

"Please, help me- help." A silvery voice croaked miserably. A young girl staggered in front of the team pleadingly. "What's with her?" Another soldier shrugged. "I feel ill- please take me home," her cough racked awfully, until one of the soldiers looked closer. "PLAGUE!" He cried, panicking. The girl reached out for him, and the militia fled away from the infected, forgetting the prisoners. Jack eyed the spotted girl nervously as she gracefully hoisted herself onto the wagon. She artfully took Will's knife and sliced their bonds.

"Tori-lass, I don't think that doctor is, ah, a good one." Jack observed backing away slightly. She laughed a little and wiped her face with apron of her skirt.

"It's just chalk." Jack jumped from the wagon, then lifted Tori down as well. Will lowered himself dejectedly, oblivious to everything. He just replayed those words in his head.

/I see now you never loved me.../

How could she not know? Jack briefly relayed the events to Tori, who understood. She closed her eyes to gather strength.

"William, there are other fish in the sea." Jack offered. "Different strumpets in the town?" Will brushed past them despondently. "More whores in the brothel!" Tori smacked him. Hard.

"You deserved that." She informed him. "Will." Will turned, hallow-eyed and forlorn. Tori took a step towards him. "She does love you. You know that. Don't, " she cut him off. "She's confused maybe, Will. Don't leave without trying. You'll never forgive yourself-" Will's eyes flicked up above Tori's head, then he suddenly, rashly, seized her shoulders and drew her into a passionate kiss. She melted- then pulled away, looking into his eyes- or rather, the figure reflected in them. "Tell her that, not me." Tori inclined her head slightly towards the balcony of the Swann mansion, where she could see a robed figure receding into the house. Will looked up to see the last trail of a dress vanish and turned back to the harbour.

"I've got it! Better wenches in Tortuga! Let's take a trip shall we!" Jack looked hopeful. Tori backhanded him in the stomach.

Tori quietly hung behind the funeral-like procession of their quest before taking the opportunity to slip away. Cat-like, she slipped back to the Swann mansion, and taking a deep breath she began to painfully scale the walls to the balcony. When she finally pulled herself up, she sat balanced on the railing, biting her lip in pain. She restored her composure and slipped into the room.

Elizabeth finished splashing cool water on her face. She could hear the Commodore and her father speaking downstairs. She looked at herself critically in the mirror and sighed. Why did she feel so miserable? Her image in the mirror blurred again, and she choked another sob. She mopped her face again before she finally retreated to her room.

"Oh, this is very nice." A voice commented. Elizabeth looked up in alarm at a tall, slight girl rummaging through her things.

"Who do you think you are! Put down my things at once!" The girl turned and evenly pointed a gun at her head.

"Sit down Miss Elizabeth." She suggested conversationally.

"I will not be threatened in my own-!"

"Sit DOWN, Miss Elizabeth." The governor's daughter dropped to her bed obediently, fuming. The intruder dangled an absolutely gorgeous platinum necklace with embedded diamonds. "Now this is very beautiful,"

"How did you find that! That's in..." "The false bottom in the locked drawer in the floor covered by that rug?" She nudged the rug back with her toe to reveal the keyhole in the floorboards and shrugged.

"Anyone with a hairpin can find that," she noted nonchalantly, tossing the necklace to land gently next to the girl. "But this, oh this is quite a treasure." She held up a beaten silver bracelet with intricate designs and an engraved message. 'To Miss Elizabeth Swann, W.T.' Tears brimmed in Elizabeth's eyes again. Tori sat down next to her, and Elizabeth buried her head on the thief's shoulder and cried.