(A/N: Did anyone else have trouble getting onto the site on friday? Maybe it was just me then. Oh well, either way, here we go.)

"Jack wake up," said Em's soft voice. Jack's eyes slitted open and he looked at down at her. She had crawled out of his arms and was laying next to him, her body half propped up on one arm and her head looking around as though she could hear something.

"What is it?" he groaned.

"Sshh!" she hissed and listened. He soon heard it. A deep growling and grunting noise. Whatever it was it didn't sound friendly.

Jack signalled her to stay put, and leaned out a little ways, peering down to only other entrance to the cave besides going through the waterfall. If you went to the right, there was a ledge that kept the water from crashing down on you, and Jack wondered why they hadn't entered that way the first time. The grunting was coming from down there and then he saw it.

"Bloody!" he cried, launching backwards. "Boar! It's a bloody boar!" He also realize to his dismay that he didn't have his pistol with him. Only his sword. But with Em barely able to walk, let alone run, he'd have to watch both their backs at once, and boars were clever creatures.

Knowing that fighting wouldn't be the best idea, he picked up Em and ran further into the cave with her in his arms. Behind him, he heard the boar squeal and charge after them. The ledge giving protection from the waterfal created an easy entrance for it, and Jack ran for all he was worth. The boar was fast, and it was only a foot away from him within minutes. Jack hadn't eaten in a while and was tired which gave him a disadvantage.

Then a gleam of hope came. The boar tripped on a crack and fell over. Jack took this advantage and set Em on the ground, picking up a rock about the size of his fist instead and chucked it at the boar. The boar squealed and staggered, slightly dazed, and Jack picked Em back up and ran, greatful that there was some distance between them and the boar. He ran till he came to a dead end and stared at the rock wall, then back at the boar who was already on the rampage again. This was it, he thought. This was how the famous Captain Jack Sparrow was going to die.

"Jack, set me down!" said Em. Too fazed to argue, he obeyed, setting her to her feet, and she limped to the right cavewall and felt along it.

"What are you bloody doing?" demanded Jack.

"Here it is!" she cried, reaching into her boddes and pulling out a medallion. The pressed it into an engraving on the wall that Jack noticed for the first time, and a door swung open. He picked her up and carried her through, and the door closed again, keeping the boar away from them.

"That was to close," muttered Jack. "How's your back?"

"A little better," she answered. "Why?"

"Can you walk?"

"Yes," and he lowered her to her feet. He placed her arm over his shoulders and helped support her as they walked. "You've been here before, haven't you?" asked Jack.

"Yes," she answered. "How did you think I knew the caves were here? Go to the left. There's something I want to show you."

He carried her on and she lead him down a winding path, not very long, and they soon entered what must've been the heart of the caves. There were torches on the walls and a small pool and a mini rock island. There were stones in the water, stepping stones that led to the little island, and sitting on top of it was a wooden box, beautifully carved with designs and symbols he didn't recognize.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing to it. Em smirked.

"Why don't you go find out?" she asked him. He let her go, and she sat down on the ground, gasping in pain from her back, and he walked across the stepping stones and to the box. Reaching for it with itchy palms, he lifted the lid to see what was inside. What he found took his breath away.

A golden head looked up at him with jade eyes. Curls had been molded on it to form the hair of the ancient goddes, and her hands were in front of her, pressed together. A sort of backpack was molded to her back, and in it was a black box made of a type of shale. He lifted the lid on it and saw the ashes inside.

Jack looked at her with wide eyes. "The idle," he muttered, and she nodded, tears in her eyes.

"It's yours, Jack," she said softly. "I won't be around to protect it for much longer. Now you're the only other person who knows where it is. It's up to you now to decide whether or not you're going to take it or leave it." He looked at her, too shocked to say anything, and then held up the idle. It was so beautiful an perfect. If he took it back, he'd become Captain of the Black Pearl again, and the ship would be invinceable, an undying legacy. He could see that future reflecting from the idle's left eye. But in its right he could see what else would happen. He saw children being sacrificed, women and men ruthlessly slaughtered, the women screaming as they went down, and an entire village burning without warning.

The vision startled him and he nearly dropped the idle. "It's your choice, Jack," he thought to himself. "Choose wisely..."

The vision of his fortune still shown clearly in the left eye, but so did the one in the right. He sighed and placed it back in its box, pulling the lid over it as well. Em smiled at him as he came back to her, and he stared at her.

"We'd better go," he said softly, still bothered from what he had seen, even though it wasn't going to happen now.

"Jack I-" There was a loud thud and they both looked in the same dirrection. The grunting and growling came again, and they saw the shadow of the boar as it made its way towards them.

"How did that bloody boar get in here?" he exclaimed.

"Someone let it in," said Em, fear pulsing through her vains. Jack picked her up and ran with her again. They had only moved a few feet when Jack tripped, partially from exhaustion, and partially from fear, and fell to the ground. Em managed to crawl away a little, but Jack wasn't fast enough. The boar bit his leg and jerked his had around, determined to tear it clean off. He nearly did, but Jack drew out his sword and hit it over the head with the hilt. The boar fell back a little with a loud squeal, and then turned, charging at Em.

"No!" shouted Jack, and he swung at it. His leg was broken and he couldn't get to his feet. The boar got Em by the collar and dragged her away screaming. "NO!" shouted Jack again, and he forced himself to his feet, his leg going in every dirrection, and he hopped on one foot as fast as he could, and then, thinking like Will, he threw his sword at the boar.

Maybe it was determination, or the surge of adrenaline, but it was a perfect hit. The boar dropped like a rock, still alive, but no longer near Em. Jack picked up his sword and stabbed the boar again, falling to his knees with a loud painful cry. His leg was swollen and bleeding, and he was exhausted and hungry. But he was determined, and stabbed the boar again and again until he barely had the strength to pull out his sword again.

Jack fell backwards, turned himself over, and crawled over to Em. There was so much blood around her, and he stared at her limp form laying in an unnatural dirrection.

"No," he whispered in denial. "Em, wake up. EM!" She did not respond and he felt his eyes tearing up. He shook her gently but she did not wake. She only laid there, eyes closed and skin deathly white. "NOOO!!!" screamed Jack, tears spilling down. He picked her up into his arms and held her like he had not too long ago. If only he could go back to that minute. He would have told her, yes, he would have told her everything. If only...

But it was too late. He held her in his arms, cradling her, and wept for the first time in years. Nothing ever had made his emmotions come out. Nothing. Only her. And the great Captain Jack Sparrow no longer felt great. He was a failure, a weakling. Not a captain of anything. He couldn't even save her life.

He felt sick and dizzy, and knew he was slipping away. He fell over on the ground and heard voices coming to them. Gasping for air, he tried to stay awake long enough to see them, but his head hit the ground and darkness took him before he could.

----

"Em..." Jack moaned in his sleep. "Em..." A dim light began to fill his eyes and then shadows of people around him. Then, Jack opened his eyes all the way and saw the interested faces looking into his. He stirred a little, and then attempted to sit up, but an elderly woman pressed him back down.

"You're hurt," she said, obviously not able to speak perfect English. "You lay still." There was a warm fire lit in the room, and the fur blankets and pillow were so comfortable, but he was anything but relaxed.

"Where's Em?" demanded Jack.

"Who?" asked the woman.

"Emily," he said. "The girl who was with me. She died..."

"We see no dead girl, sir," said the woman. "We only find you."

"What?" he asked. "No, mate. There was a girl, a woman, a little younger than me, savvy?"

"Oh! That girl. She alright. She sleeping now." Jack's eyes widened.

"She's alive?" he exclaimed.

"She in different hut. She sleeping. You should sleep to. You badly hurt."

"I have to see her," said Jack.

"Not today," said the woman in a tone that reminded him a lot of his mother. "You sleep now. Maybe tomorrow you see her."

"But I-"

"Hutcha!" said the woman, smacking him lightly on the head. "You sleep now! Don't worry about woman."

"Ow," muttered Jack rubbing his head.

"No more talk, you sleep!"

"Alright, alright!" he growled. The woman left, driving the other people out, none of them speaking and ounce of English. Jack smirked a little, and then rested his head in the pillow, closing his eyes and fell asleep almost too easily. Em was alive!

Jack woke the next morning to find leg had been set, and strapped in place tightly between two poles. He wondered how he had slept through that, but decided not to worry about it once Em entered his mind again. Not waiting for the elderly woman to give him permission, he sat up, and turned himself so he could get to his feet. Leaning against the wall in front of him was a set of wooden crutches, mostlikely made by the elderly woman's will because she probably knew Jack wouldn't stay in bed all day, bad leg or no.

He placed each crutch under his armpits, and hopped out of the room and into the daylight. The sun was warm on his face, and the village around him consisted of huts and miles of forest. The people were up and about, talking to themselves in their native tongue. There was a pit in the center, mostlikely for bonfires at night, and he was greatful that no one seemed to notice him. Well, almost no one.

"Jack," called a voice. He turned and saw the elderly woman. So she knew his name now?

"Where's Em?" he asked.

"Follow me," said the woman, turning and starting to lead him away.

"To Em?" he asked.

"You follow me, you see." Jack shrugged and hobbled behind her. His leg was still in a lot of pain, but not as bad as it had been. She led him into the forest to a small waterfall and lake, smaller than the one they had seen before, but almost more beautiful. She led him to the lake and waded in, pulling up her skirt, and Jack stood at the bank. The woman turned to him and signalled him to come. Not sure what was going on, he obeyed and came out to her.

"Hold still," she said and reached for his shirt.

"Hey!" he said, shrinking back. "What are you doing?"

"I wash you off! Hold still!"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! No," he said, trying to get away. He fell backwards into the water and the woman pulled him so he was sitting up, smacking him on the forehead.

"Stop you ninny!" she scolded. She pulled his shirt off and began to wash the dirt off with a rag she had tucked into a sash tied around her waist. There was also a small leather pouch on her, and she pulled out some soap to wash him with. Jack, knowing he couldn't win this one, sat still as she washed him.

"You know," he said, clearly irritated. "It's only my leg thats broken, not my arms."

"No talk! Lift your arm." He raised his arm and she cleaned his side, wrinkling her nose at his stench. "You smell like dead dog!" she scolded. He rolled his eyes. This had to have been one of the most embarrasing moments in his life. She cleaned his torso, and then, with much struggling, she cleaned him... everywhere else...

When she was done, and when Jack felt officially drained of any pride, she helped him get his pants on, but he left his shirt off because it was already very hot, and the shirt needed to be washed almost as badly as he had.

Jack was left alone after a little while, and he sat down on the banks, bare feet still touching the water, and thinking about the Black Pearl, how the crew must be handling the fact that he wasn't coming back because...

He stopped for a minute and realized he had never made a final decision on Em. He knew he liked her a lot, enough to lose the Pearl for her. Did that mean he loved her? He felt bad because he knew the answer was screaming itself in his face. There was one thing that really influenced the answer, a small, but very important detail. He had never fallen in love with anyone in his life! He didn't know what it felt like or how he was supposed to act. Love, to him, was something as mysterious as women. He had made love before, but that was from being drunk and not thinking clearly. It had never been love at all, as the poor unfortunate women soon discovered the next day when he woke up, looked at them and said, "Who the bloody hell are you?"

Jack smirked. That wasn't supposed to be funny, but it was. That had been when he was younger and had no respect for women, not if it were to save his life. But Em, it was so different. Maybe he did love her?

"Alright Jack," he said to himself. "If you are in love, mate, what do you do now?" He knew if there was a god that he must be laughing at him now. "You're a bloody fool," he said to himself.

"You give yourself too much credit," said a voice behind him. He turned his head to look behind him, and standing there was Em, but he barely recognized her. Instead of ratty black hair, it had been brushed, washed, and hung down to her waist in wet curls. Instead of dirt being cacked on her face, she was clean and looking beautiful. She was wearing a dress that wasn't torn and filthy, but most noticeable was the fact that instead of a dark look, she looked... happy.

"I was beginning to wonder if I'd see you, luv," he said, smiling at her. With great effort, he got to his feet and onto his crutches, and hobbled over to her. He embraced her warmly, happy that she was still alive, and he held her closer, her body fitting perfectly into his.

"And how we doin', mate?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

"Much better. You?"

"Me get washed. Me clean," he said, immitating the elderly lady. Em laughed.

"So she got you too? Wish I could've been there to see that. The famous Captain Jack Sparrow getting beaten by an old woman." She smiled at him, but his eyes saddened.

"I'm not a captain anymore, Em," he said softly. She caught what she had said and placed a hand over her mouth.

"I forgot... I'm so... I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, mate," he said, smiling at her, wishing he hadn't made a deal of it. "I'll always be Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"

"Savvy," she answered, smiling again. "You really shouldn't be on that leg. You need to let it heal. C'mon, let's get some food and get you off your feet." He smirked and nodded.

"Yes, ma'am," and he followed her away, back into the village. As they walked (or in his case, hopped), he looked at her and knew then and there the answer. He, Captain Jack Sparrow, was in love, and probably would be for a very long time.

Slower Slower

We don't have time for that

All I want to find is an easier way

To get out of our little heads

(A/N: Sorry if this was too long. I just couldn't stop writing. I was having such a good time. R&R please!

-Smeagol's (don't worry, I know what I'm doing... CRASH!)

girl)