(A.N) Yes two updates! I feel really bad about leaving you guys hanging!
Disclaimer: I DO Not Own POTC
"These are yours." Gibbs threw Elizabeth and Jack a garment bag each.
"What are these for?" Elizabeth asked.
"Can't go into an art exhibit in a pair of jeans, can you?" Gibbs said. "Elizabeth, you can use my bedroom." Elizabeth nodded and went into Gibbs's bedroom.
Elizabeth unzipped the bag and looked at the dress inside. "You have some taste." Elizabeth smiled as she pulled out a long deep purple dress. The dress was defiantly in style, it was a goddess type dress, made of gauze. The back of the dress dipped to her lower back, while the front dipped to dangerous low around her breast. The middle of the dress was embroidered with a beautiful gold stitching, it almost masked for a belt, but it wasn't, the dress was utterly beautiful. In the bottom of the garment bag was a pair of strapped gold heels, and a gold hair pin. This was sure to be an interesting night.
"Do you know how to do this?" Jack asked as he fumbled with a bow tie. His tuxedo was something not entirely out of the ordinary, Jack was accustomed to staking out a prize before he stole it, however, tonight, he was to do the re-con work and the act all in the same.
"No." Gibbs said, while on the phone. Jack had no clue what was happening but it was bound to be good.
"What the hell is this?" From the shoe Jack was putting on, he pulled out a beautiful amethyst necklace.
"Oh…" Gibbs hung up the phone. "That's for Elizabeth, must have mixed it up." Gibbs smirked, but stopped the smirk when Elizabeth re-entered the living room, looking every bit the dress she wore, a goddess.
"Ah, I still got it. I can pick out a girls waist with the best of them." Gibbs smacked his knee and laughed.
"Not sure if that is an admiring trait Mister Gibbs." Elizabeth said as she looked at Jack. "Now that is some good work. He looks not the bit of thief he is."
"Ah, but you look every bit the lady." Gibbs picked up Elizabeth's hand and kissed it. "Jack's got something for you."
Elizabeth looked at Jack, who was blushing. "It was in my shoe." He stammered. He showed her the necklace. Elizabeth's eyes widened.
"It's gorgeous." Elizabeth took it in her hands and tried placing it around her neck, but the clasp just wouldn't work.
"Jack, lad, why don't you help the lady?" Gibbs pushed.
Jack, with steady hands lifted Elizabeth's curly hair and clasped the necklace on. "Thank you." Elizabeth said when she turned around. "Do you need help with that?" Elizabeth pointed to his tie.
"No one in the world can do this…" Jack rolled his eyes.
"I can." Elizabeth took it and with no time, it was tied neatly.
"Where did you learn that?"
"My father. I had to tie his, because for some obscene reason, men can never get the hang of it." Elizabeth smiled. "Now, we should get going." Elizabeth said as she smoothed out the lapels of Jack's jacket.
"Yes. Gibbs, now how is this getting done?" Jack asked.
"You two go, enjoy yourself a bit. I have a few men on the inside, the fire alarm will go off, you two head to the bathroom, hide out in the ladies room, the third stall. My men will help you through the ventilation and onto the roof where you'll wait till the party is over. We cut a few wires, and by midnight, you will have the place all to yourselves."
"Sounds too easy." Elizabeth said.
"It is." Gibbs smirked then saw a limo pull up. "Here is your invitation." Gibbs handed Jack an envelope. "Have fun kids."
The Museum was lavishly decorated when Elizabeth and Jack walked in arm in arm. Elizabeth recognized all of the paintings, she knew the artist, the year it was done, and the title. Elizabeth felt foolish all of a sudden, remarking on the beauty of these works of art, and being here to steal it, taking it from the public.
"Jack, what do you look for?" Elizabeth whispered.
"A way out if things go wrong. For the paintings I look to acquire…everything…" Elizabeth's eyes wandered about. "Stay here, I'll be back." Jack let go of her hand and quickly blended with the crowd.
Elizabeth watched him walk away, then she began to look at the art. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw it, The Dance at Bougival. Elizabeth walked up to it with an amazing appreciation, she loved this painting, she didn't know why, she just felt a connection with it.
"I figure I would find you here." Elizabeth jumped at the deep voice. "Where's your husband?"
Elizabeth turned to see James Norrington. He handed her a glass of champagne which she put on a tray of a passing waiter. "You know what he's doing. Why are you here?"
"Keeping an eye on my investment. You look radiant tonight Elizabeth, the most elegant woman here."
"Your compliments won't win you over James. I am not the type to be crossed." Elizabeth said as she folded her arms over her chest. James then leaned over and whispered into her ear.
"Neither am I…if there is no delivery tonight, and if Jack can't give me the Monet, you and Jack will be paying the price." Elizabeth watched him pull back and smile at her.
"Why is the Monet so important James?" Elizabeth asked.
"The Monet was rather difficult to acquire. It was a painting of meaning, it was the painting I was connected to, as you are to The Dance at Bougival."
"I would not shed blood to acquire it."
"That is the difference between you and I, I would shed blood. That painting had more meaning than you would know."
"Try me." Elizabeth dared.
"The woman I acquired it from…I loved her, but she couldn't understand where I was coming from, she couldn't understand my artistic view."
"You killed her?"
"Yes, in front of her daughter, rather a sad case. In fact, come to think of it, her name was Elizabeth as well. Perhaps it is a bit of a coincidence."
"How is that?"
"Like I loved her mother, I believe I am falling in love with you." Elizabeth took a step back. "You are quite enchanting Elizabeth, as I am sure you realize it. You belong on the arm of a man with power, not a thief like Sparrow."
"There is something that Jack will have that you will never acquire…"
"I assure you Elizabeth, if there is something I want, I shall find a way to acquire it." James walked closer to her, she could feel his want for her, and it churned her stomach.
"My heart is not something you can acquire, neither is my body. You sir, are nothing but a wealthy pig." Elizabeth pushed past him and walked across the dance floor, and nearly screamed when she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist.
"Jesus Jack!" Elizabeth said breathlessly.
"What did our favorite guy have to say?" Jack said as he danced with Elizabeth.
"Nothing." Elizabeth said as she knelt her head on his shoulder, so that no one would hear what she was saying.
"He is red in the face, you pissed him off." Jack whispered into her ear.
"He wants what he can't have."
"You?"
"Yes, he thinks I am a painting to acquire…Jack, I have chased down many criminals, and out of all that I have met, he scares me the most." Elizabeth said as she pulled away. "He is going to hurt you, because of me…"
"What do you mean?"
"Jack, I don't think this is about paintings, I think this is personal. That Monet you stole was from a woman he loved, a woman that rejected him because she loved another, he killed that woman because she wouldn't love him, and that painting was all he had left to love."
"How can you be that sure?" Jack said barely able to contain his anger.
"That woman was my mother."
"Impossible."
"I watched him kill her Jack. I know he killed her over the Monet." Jack then grabbed her hand and walked towards a corner of the museum that was almost empty.
"Talk. You have a lot more knowledge than I do apparently."
"My mother was a curator at the British Museum. My mother loved Monet, and would teach a class at the museum about him. He attended many of her seminars, and apparently fell in love with her. Jack, he killed my mother because she couldn't see him stealing the Monet, her favorite Lily portrait, for her. My mother felt that art was for the public not for one person. James wanted to steal it from the museum, but she couldn't allow it. He professed his love, she couldn't take it, she was in love with my father."
"How do you know this?"
"I was there the night my mother was murdered, I heard their arguing. He killed her and stole the painting as a memorial to her. My father never let me talk of it, so he moved us to the United States, and tried to erase it out of my head, but it never went away. That Monet you stole is personal, and I think by introducing me as your wife made the situation worse." Elizabeth finished. She felt the tears well in her eyes. "Jack, this is personal…this has nothing to do with business."
"Does he know who you are?"
"No, but it won't be long before he finds out. Jack, what should we do?" Jack turned to the crowd and looked.
"It's too late to pull out now. We go on with the plan, but we leave out something very important."
"The Monet." Elizabeth smiled.
"Yes, if that's what he wants, well he is just going to have to work for it. When the alarm goes off, we get to the vents, but that's as far as it goes. We wait for the party to dissipate, then we get out, no harm no foul. We let Gibbs's crew that their assistance is not necessary, and we leave. Leaving every painting where it is." Jack then looked at her. "You look really nice."
Elizabeth felt the heat in her cheeks. "You're looking dapper yourself." Elizabeth smiled. "Nice? Nice is all you could come up with?"
"Alright, how about utterly gorgeous?"
"That works." Elizabeth then was startled as the fire alarm went off.
"Show time." Jack then lead the way to the ladies room.