You Were Meant For Me

Author: williz

Summary: Will/Elizabeth focus- It's just Will and Elizabeth in a big adventure in which they meet many times. OK…I'm bad at summaries. But my story is going to be really fun. I swear! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Recognizable characters? Not mine.

Unrecognizable characters? MINE!

Recognizable characters that you just don't recognize because you're havinga bad day? Not mine, though I'd like to stake claim for them just that day.

Will groaned in the heat of the desert. He was exhausted, starved, and near collapse from dehydration. He hadn't had a good drink of water for a few days, nor had he had any food or rest. While the pirates stayed on their horses, whimpering and complaining about the heat, the young man kept his mouth shut, only just recently starting to feel most of the effects.

All of a sudden, his chest felt tight. With a deep breath, he felt pain radiating through his lungs. Taking a rattled breath again, he started hacking and coughing, sinking down to his knees and covering his mouth. He lied there for some time before he heard someone next to him jump off his horse and pull him back to his feet.

"Ah, ah, ah. Cap'n says yer ter keep on a' goin' chief." The pirate cackled and got back on his horse, shoving the barely standing boy forward with his foot. Will continued stumbling forward, dust and sand blurring his eyesight and nasal passage.

In the distance he saw some trees and water. "Water!" He gasped, stumbling forward faster. He tripped and fell face first into the sand, ignoring the taunting laughs of the crew, standing and running faster towards the oasis.

Lambry shook his head, not exactly amused by the young man's peril. "Cap'n, look at 'im. He's seein' thin's now. Cain't we let 'im git 'is rest so's we dun' kill 'im by the time we get ter the Dead Sea?"

Barley turned to look at his first mate. "I s'pose we could then."

Will continued stumbling towards the mirage, and stopped when he saw that what he thought was there before had been nothing but more sand. With a cry of complete dismay, he fell to his knees, covering his dry and painful face with his hands as he very nearly wept. He felt a pair of hands pull him up again.

"Hit 'im. We can't 'ave 'im awake."

That was the last thing William Turner heard before the butt of a pistol was brought down on the back of his skull.

"How long 'ave we been at this?" Ana Maria asked, apparently aching from being on the saddle so long.

"I dun' know," Jack said. "Lizzie, we should take a…"

"No," the young woman said, not batting an eyelash at the request. "We must keep going. We must get there before Captain Barley and his crew do. It means Will's life." Jack closed his mouth and nodded, never being in quite so much pain before. They'd been sitting on the camels for days, never taking a rest, afraid for Will's personal safety.

"Did you ever stop to think that apparently we're behind them? Meaning that if we take the same route as Barley, we'll reach the Dead Sea after they do—and Will might…die." Elizabeth shut her eyes tight and opened them again, all emotion flowing from them in that moment.

"Yes, an' I been thinkin' bout tha' lassie. There mus' be a way ter git there on a short-cut or somefin'. A way ter git there before they do and save meh mate's arse in the process." He turned to see Elizabeth with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Jack! The map!"

"Wot?" He asked, squinting at her with a confused face.

"Will always looked at that map. If we still have it in one of these bags, we can find out where to go! He'd already had it plotted out before he was arrested." Jack's eyes widened in understanding. "Lass, yeh are a genius!"

All three pulled their camels to a stop and jumped down. Each looked through the bags slung around the humps of the camels.

"Aha!" Jack said, pulling the parchment out and getting down in the shade of his camel. Elizabeth and Ana kneeled down beside him and watched as he opened it.

The map was faded partially from all of the dangers they'd gone through, but the markings Will had made with the sap from the Toup Nairobi sticks were still very much visible. Elizabeth traced over it with her finger.

"Jack, Will might be helping us on our journey, without even being here," she said, looking over the map.

"How?" Ana asked, peering over Jack's shoulder.

"Look at where the markings go." She took the map from Jack's grip and searched it thoroughly. "Jack! Look! This looks like the way we're going." She pointed to a path around some dunes and hills. "Without looking at the map, we figured we'd have to go around the mountains." She peered over at the sand ahead of her.

"But look! Will's path leads us through the mountains. Maybe he knew something none of us did!" She looked at Jack eagerly. He glanced at her, then down at the map, then to Ana, and back to Elizabeth.

"Or 'e jus' din't see tha' there were mountains there and drew a line straight through them." He shrugged, earning nothing but an exasperated moan from Ana. "Wot? He's a bit of a whelp, isn't he though?" He shrugged again.

"Jack, the mountains are quite apparent, I don't think that…"

"I know, I know. Was a joke! A joke! Bloody hell, you lot are crazy." He shook his head and looked at the young governor's daughter next to him. "Go on, then."

She continued.

"You know how avidly William seemed to read those books. Maybe one of them spoke of a cave through the mountains! It's a possibility, isn't it!" Jack looked pensive, glancing at Ana Maria, who just shrugged.

"Are you sayin' we should go on this little whim o' yers and change directions, go completely out o' our way and go to where the whelp drew a li'l line on an old crusty map?"

Elizabeth just blinked once, nodding. Jack clasped his hands together and grinned.

"Right! Too much sun has gone ta the lass' head! I'm going the way we should be going. Around the mountains, through the desert, and I'm saving meh friend, thankyou!" He stood and went to his camel again.

"Come on, Ana Maria…Elizabeth. Let's go get William." He started getting on his camel, but stopped when he heard nothing behind him. He turned to see Elizabeth and Ana both staring at him from exactly where he had left them.

"C'mon, ladies…andelay…pronto…vamanos!" He gestured wildly to the camels with each word. With a sigh of defeat, he dropped his arms to his sides and his head to his chest.

"Wot do yeh suggest then, oh leader lady?" Jack asked, rolling his eyes at Elizabeth. She pursed her lips and glared. "I'm not sure."

"You do realize that if we do, in fact, trollop over to this so called cave you say young William knew of and was about to lead us to…" Jack breathed before continuing. "..if he hadn't been arrested and kidnapped by an evil and cursed pirate captain for not only revenge, but also a bittersweet ending to the longest damn adventure I've ever been on, not to mention throw in eternal immortality as a motive…" Jack breathed again. "…there is a chance that we'll walk straight into the side of a mountain, no cave whatsoever and days behind the caravan of which we follow at…this…moment." He pointed down, ignoring the gaping faces of his companions.

"And what if there is a cave?" Elizabeth asked.

"Then we'll be days ahead of Barnacle Barley and 'is crew," Jack answered simply.

Elizabeth looked to Jack and Ana. "What should we do?" She asked, softly, trying not to show how her insides were being ripped apart as they spoke.

"I think you should be the one who has the opportunity to decide, Miss Swann. And make it quick, please. Apparently, if either way fails, all we 'ave is time on our side." She nodded, feeling tears gather in her heart.

How could she make such a decision? Either Will dies because they go around the mountain and are too late, or he dies because they go in search of the short-cut and fail to find it. Of course, there was a chance they could make it through the cave and get to the Dead Sea before William and his captors.

"Jack."

"Aye?"

"We have a cave to find." Elizabeth stood and walked right to her camel, hoisting herself up onto it and starting towards the direction of the hills and where Will's markings pointed. The other two followed her to where there was most definitely (in Elizabeth's opinion) a short-cut and assuredly the answer to saving her beloved.

"So where does the map say it is again?" Ana Maria asked, peering up at the high hills and mountains. "What's more, who ever 'eard of a mountain in the middle of Egyptian desert?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes at the peak of the mountain.

"Well, if worse comes to worse, we kin climb over it, aye?" He smiled, making Elizabeth smirk at him. "You can, I'm trying to find the cave that will lead me to my love's safety."

Jack took a breath and grabbed the map.

"Hey!" The lass exclaimed, glowering at the captain.

"Is it…here?" Jack asked, walking around a rock. "Hold on, Lizzie…Ana, c'mere fer a second." They looked at each other quickly and walked around the rock to where Jack was on his knees thoroughly studying a large boulder about the size of a carriage wheel.

"Wot is it?" Ana asked, kneeling next to him. Elizabeth followed suit and leaned down to see.

"I think there's somefin' on it…" He touched the small pattern as a loud rumble sounded. They jumped back, Jack more like scrambling on his arms and legs in a crab-like fashion. When the rumbling stopped, a large plank of rock fell into a hollow spot in the mountain.

"The cave?" Elizabeth asked, walking through the residing dust to the entrance. She batted away most of the dust from her face and peered in. "It looks rather large."

Ana Maria helped Jack off of his behind and pulled him over to the entrance. "Big enough for camels, maybe?" Ana asked, peering at Elizabeth. Jack wasn't liking the whole women-outsmarting-Captain-Sparrow thing going on, but supposed he'd have to go with it for now.

They pulled their camels in at first, not wanting the animals to get frightened and throw them off or hurt themselves by becoming too frightened. "And you made fun of Will for reading all of those books. His reading might have saved his own life." Elizabeth gave Jack a smug look as she moved forward.

"It's getting' kinda dark in 'ere," Ana said, ducking down on impulse. "Anyfin' we kin burn?" She asked, glancing back to Jack and Elizabeth.

"The map." Jack said.

"NO!" Elizabeth and Ana Maria both barked simultaneously.

"A joke! A joke! M'not stupid, yeh know." Jack shuffled along, mouthing obscenities at both women ahead of him silently.

"Yeh most definitely are stupid," Ana said.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Both of you STOP IT! I'll find something, just STOP acting like children for once. People would say you were a married couple!" Elizabeth's gaze pierced into their own as they looked at each other and grimaced. "Married, psh." Jack chuckled. "Good luck findin' a bloke tha' would marry 'er!" He scoffed.

"Likewise, Cap'n," Ana snapped angrily.

Elizabeth shook her head before stubbing her tow on something.

"Ouch!" She bent down and fumbled for whatever it was. When she brought it up to her face, she looked at it closely. "It's some sort of torch. We need fire." Jack picked up two rocks. "It might take meh some time, but I kin get some spark at least outa these rocks." Ana and Elizabeth nodded as Jack leant down to strike the rocks together near the torch.

Will left the realm of unconsciousness with a groan. Lifting a hand to his head, he sat up, noticing that he was in his small prison box once more. He sat up gingerly and looked to the corner, seeing a canteen lying there ominously. Without a second though, he dove to it and uncorked it, taking a long chug of the water from it and washing his face.

"Thirsty?" He heard from outside the prison. He looked out and squinted through the holes. A man was watching him with a toothless grin. He laughed loudly and turned forward again.

The caravan seemed to stop before the door was thrown open again.

"Boy!"

Will shielded his eyes and tilted his head. "What do you want?" He asked.

"We're goin' round some mountains, Cap'n says. He says you knows where we is." The pirate took Will by his sleeve and jerked Will out of the box. He was then pulled all the way to Captain Barley.

"Where are we?" The no-nonsense captain asked immediately.

"I don't know." A hand hitting the side of his face caused Will's head to practically spin. "I still don't know. That's not helping you any," he said through a bloodied lip.

"How did yeh expect to lead Sparrow and yer wench ter the Dead Sea then? Huh? Tell me tha'!" Again, Will was hit across the face, this time knocking him to the sand. He wiped his mouth with his hand and glared up at Barley.

"I had a map then. I don't have it now. We're going around mountains. How long have we been near mountains?" He asked, looking behind him.

"Couple o' days, methinks," Lambry answered, coming up beside the captain.

Will nodded. "Just a few more days until we get to Palestine." Barley nodded once, then motioned Will away. He was thrown back into his makeshift cell and the caravan started moving again. Will rested his head in his arms, lying there stiffly. He thought back to how his life was before all of this happened to him, even before Elizabeth came back into his life.

"Oi, William! Tell the crew ter hoist the sails, aye!" Jack commanded from the stern of the Black Pearl

"Aye, Captain!" Will yelled back, turning to the crew. "C'mon then lads, put your backs into it." As the men heaved at the sails, raising them slowly but surely, Will helped, glancing out to sea once more.

They had made a stop in Tortuga for some supplies. William turned back to his hometown and sighed inaudibly. It was where he had spent his life until he was sixteen. Many happy memories still resided there in the slums of the dirty and boisterous city. One of them stuck out more than the others.

Elizabeth.

Will shook his head. "I can't think of her now," he thought to himself. "It'll only get me into trouble with the captain. That's the last thing I need at this moment." He narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the man in the crow's nest.

"Bailey!"

"Aye, mate?" The man called back down.

"What do you see out there?"

The man raised the eye glass to his right eye and peered for minutes at a time. "Nothin' sir!"

"Good!" Will called back up, walking to Jack's side. "Clear sailing, Captain Sparrow." Jack grinned and nodded. "Knew it would be." Will nodded with a smile.

It had been four years since Will had last seen Tortuga. The time he spent in it when they docked a few days before was seldom, though. Although he loved some of the things about the town, the truth of the matter was that many more things about the dump he hated.

"Anyfin' else yeh'd like ter see, lad?" Jack asked, setting a hand on Will's shoulder. The boy shook his head and Jack patted him fondly. "Aye, s'long as yer little lassie in't 'ere, yeh've got no business bein' 'ere, aye?" He laughed at Will's blush.

"Every pirate's 'ad 'is li'l fling, I don't begrudge yeh any o' yer own fun from time ter time." Jack laughed again, giving Will a hearty shove towards the lower deck. "Now git down there an' do yer job, savvy?"

Will turned and smiled. "Savvy."

As Will watched the crew sail out of the harbor, he smiled a toothy smile. This was his home. The sea. Tortuga had never been his home, he realized. The sea breeze whipped about his face, salt invading his nostrils. There was no where like the sea.

"Wake up, yeh brute!" Will was kicked out of his reverie by a large boot in his side. Coughing and sputtering, he rolled onto his stomach and groaned. "What?" He asked, huskily.

"Cap'n wants yeh walkin' agin."

Will was hoisted from the prison and thrown to his face. He sat up and spat out sand to the jeers of the crew and glared at them. "Git up, boy!"

He stood quickly and started walking again. His eyes were drooping and his legs were weak, but he kept going. If he was to die, fine. As long as it took him away from the misery of this torture. Leeches, hot sun, no food, barely any water, no Elizabeth.

Will just about stopped.

Elizabeth.

A pain greater than the one in the rest of his body throbbed at his heart. He missed her so much that he could almost feel her hands in his, almost see her soft hair and feel her lips on his own. He loved her so much that he ached for her with all he had.

CRACK!

Will yelled out in surprise and pain. He hadn't noticed that he'd stopped, but apparently a pirate near him had and brought a whip across his back. The young man gritted his teeth, ignoring the blazing fire that was surely shooting from his back.

As if Will hadn't suffered enough already, his foot landed on some sort of trap, making him fall seven feet into a hole. He landed on his feet, but the impact curled him to his knees. Groaning, he flopped down, breathing hard.

"Hahahaha! Still alive down there, Turner?" Will looked up and saw the outline of a head peaking over the side. "Anyfin' broked?"

He shook his head, hearing laughing on all sides of him. A rope tumbled down the side of the ditch and he grabbed on, feeling himself very nearly catapulted back onto the hot sun and outside of the damp hole.

Will decided he liked it in the hole better, but didn't utter a word as he hobbled back up to his feet and started limping. The fall into the hole wasn't exactly healthy for his aching limbs, but he kept going. The sooner he was dead, the sooner all of his pains would leave him.

"Keep walkin' lad!" A pirate next to him barked, shoving him forward. Will limped a bit farther as his eyes partially closed. His bleeding lip stung as the sand flew onto the cut, but he ignored it. His movement was indifferent, his shirt barely adorning his back and guarding him from the sun. He focused solely on the horizon in front of him and told himself to keep moving.

Elizabeth bit her lip with worry, marching further into the dark cave. Holding her torch high, she looked back to Jack. He tilted his head. "Wot?" He asked her.

"I don't know about this cave business," she said, feeling a cobweb brush her elbow. She jerked her arm away and grimaced.

"Aye, this place gives me the willies too, but there's nothin' we can do now, is there?" He asked, walking ahead of her. Ana and Elizabeth glanced at each other and shook their heads.

"I wonder what's happening to Will right now," the young woman asked, her eyes glazing over for a moment.

"Yeh ne'er know wit' those sorts o' men. Most o' the time they're cutthroats though. He's probably not walking about freely and laughing wit' 'em, if'n tha's wot yeh mean."

Elizabeth looked down, pain etching across her features for a moment before looking back up, a stoic look on her face. "Do you think they're hurting him?" She asked softly.

"They need ter keep 'im alive, right Jack? I mean, they need 'im alive for when they throw 'im inter the Dead Sea. Then 'e dies." Ana Maria stepped up and walked beside Jack. The pirate captain only shook his head, dismally.

"Yeh they gotta keep 'im alive, sure…but tha' don't mean they've got ter keep 'im healthy. As far as the curse is concerned, he kin be as near ter death as they kin make him, as long as 'e in't fully dead." He shrugged, unconsciously hurrying his step a bit.

He heard a choked sob from beside him, but when he glanced at the governor's daughter, she looked well composed. Tears were resting on the tips of her eyelids, but she didn't let them fall.

"We'll git to 'im, lassie. No doubt 'e's a strong'un. No one kin 'urt William Turner too bad." He grinned and patted her on the back, speeding up still.

"How long 'ave we been in this strange place?" Ana Maria asked.

"There's no way ter tell, but I'd guess we've been in 'ere about four, five days at the most." Jack looked in back of him.

"Wot about our camels?" He asked. "Someone's goin' ter find 'em, then it'll be bad fer us." His eyes widened slightly.

"Yes, 'tis a pity we had to leave them there, but there's no way we can take three camels safely through a cave, even though it's big enough for them to fit. There's no way they'd be able to make it through here." Elizabeth looked back to address Jack, but found her toe hit something solid.

Sailing forward, she hit the hard ground, shoulder first. Luckily, Jack picked up her torch before any fires could happen, but Elizabeth just lied there, non-moving.

Ana Maria dove next to her and turned her over, seeing that Elizabeth's eyes were open, but she was biting her lip in pain. "Yeh alrigh' Lizzie?" Ana asked. She nodded, wincing.

"I'll be fine. Jack, go and see what I tripped on." He nodded and walked over a few feet, lifting up a large scabbard. "Wot's this?" He asked, more to himself than to anyone else. "A scabbard," Ana answered. Elizabeth stood up with Ana Maria's help and dusted herself off as she strode over to Jack. "Let me see it," she muttered, taking it from the awed pirate.

"It's a scabbard, yes…but there's a sword in it also." Elizabeth unsheathed the most resilient shining blade any had ever seen. With wide eyes, the girl turned her wrist to see the other side of the sword's hilt. The letters P.R. adorned the wooden hilt of the sword.

"Who is P.R.?" Elizabeth asked, pouting as she thought.

Jack and Ana Maria held each other's eyes in a steadfast gaze. "You don't think it's…"

"No, Jack…it couldn't be."

"But wot if it is!"

Elizabeth looked back and forth between them before finally interrupting. "Who is it!" She demanded, sourly.

"Phillip Rackley," Jacka answered, quickly. "Yeh probly dun' know 'bout 'im, do yeh, girlie?" Elizabeth shook her head, intrigued.

"Phillip Rackley was the best swordsman in the whole of the sixteenth century. Men from far an' wide used ter come an' challenge the lad…"

"…and they'd lose," Ana Maria finished, staring at the sword Elizabeth still held tightly in her grip.

"They all died, then? No one could beat him?" The youngest of the three looked down to the sword in her hand.

"No one could beat him. Everyone thought he was a sorcerer with powers that made him fight better than any man in the world, but it's hardly believable."

"Yeah, the man could bleed jus' like everyone else, so 'e couldn't really be a sorcerer wit' powers," Ana said, shaking her head softly.

"But he could be, I mean…right?" Elizabeth asked. "Sorcerers bleed."

Jack and Ana Maria laughed. "You believe in sorcerers lass? No wonder you an' young William found each other! Both dolts when it comes ter superstition! HA!" Jack laughed.

Elizabeth glowered and sheathed the sword in its scabbard again. "Well, what happened to Rackley. And why's his sword here?" She asked, holding the sword in its scabbard close to her body.

"He disappeared. No one could find 'im anywhere. They say he wos' killed, maybe found 'imself a match. No one knew." Jack looked down at the sword and smiled.

"That still doesn't answer why his sword is still here," Elizabeth answered, staring at Jack.

A small noise was heard to the left of Ana Maria. "Wot wos' tha'?" The pirate lass asked, staring around with wide eyes. Elizabeth shrugged with equally wide eyes. Jack chuckled softly. "Scared, lovies?" He smiled again. It died into a frown lined with trepidation when he heard the sound again. "I dun' know wot it is."

Elizabeth walked to Ana Maria's side and lowered her flame to the ground, revealing a rat crawling out of the eye of a skeleton with a pendant around its neck. The pendant had the initials…

"P.R.!" Jack yelled. Elizabeth screamed and nearly dropped her torch, before the three sprinted as fast as they could down the tunnel. After a few minutes of running, they stopped, resting their hands on their knees and breathing hard.

"I know wot' happened ter…Phillip Rackley," Jack panted, holding up a finger. "An' s'not very good," he finished, panting still. "Christ, that was disgustin'! A two-hundred year ol' corpse rottin' still! UGH!" He convulsed with shivers, as if batting away bugs off of his body for a moment. "Gross," was all Elizabeth said.

She lifted her hand to reveal not only her own sword that Will had bought her, but also Rackley's sword.

"Elizabeth! Wot' in bloody hell are yeh doin' wit' tha'!" Jack took it from her and held it up.

"It's a nice sword! There's no point in leaving it back there!" She said incredulously, grabbing it back from him.

"Yes there is!" Jack answered, yanking it back.

"There isn't, Jack! And you know it!" She pulled it to her again.

"You know wot' sorts o' things could be in tha' thing! Wot' sorts o' curses!" Jack asked, eyes wide as saucers. He took the sword back.

"Now who's the superstitious dolt!" Elizabeth answered back, handling the sword roughly. Jack held it tightly though, so they both started pulling on it. "Put it down, Lizzie!" He yelled.

"No! I'm keeping it! There's nothing wrong with the sword!" Jack finally let go of it and almost sent Elizabeth flying back, as she was still pulling with all her strength. "Fine, keep it. I dun' care. S'not me who'll 'ave ter deal wit' the curse."

They kept walking on in the darkness, as Ana Maria's was the only torch still lit. She led the way, happy to not be involved in any of the sword business.

"There's a light!" Elizabeth exclaimed, pointing to a far off dot.

"A light?" Jack asked, standing next to her. He squinted in the darkness. "Ana, hide that flame fer a moment." Ana did so and the cave went pitch black. A small light shone in the distance of the cave.

"C'mon! This is it!" Jack proclaimed, taking the torch from Ana Maria's grip and running towards the light.

A few minutes later, they nearly ran into the wall the sunlight peeked through. "Now 'ow do we open this?" Jack asked, feeling along the wall.

The cave wall slid open immediately, almost hitting Jack in the jaw. He stumbled backwards in surprise and stared shockingly. He looked to the left and saw Elizabeth standing with her hand on a small symbol. "I found it," she said smugly.

The sunlight blazed into their eyes from the hole in the wall. The difference of light was painful to their eyesight, but Jack nonetheless pushed Elizabeth out before him. Ana Maria followed and they stepped out into a place full of small trees.

"Wonder 'ow far ahead we are o' William," Jack muttered to himself, eyeing the cave again. "Miss Swann…the map." She looked over and nodded. Pulling her knapsack over her head, she set it down on the ground and rummaged through. Pulling the map out, she handed it to Jack.

"Alright," he started, opening up the map. "Accordin' ter William's markings, we should be in Palestine now." He looked up. "The kid's a genius, I swear it." He shook his head, choosing to ignore Elizabeth's smug (yet proud) look.

"I know he is," she said, smiling. "Why else would I love him so much?" She asked, tramping through the plants softly.

"I though' maybe it 'ad ter do wit' pity," Jack answered, shrugging. "An' also, like yeh proved ter me before, he's a great kisser, aye?" He chuckled, following with Ana behind them.

"He's not tha' bad of a looker," she added, winking at Elizabeth.

They laughed, but stopped when a sullen mood overtook the party. "How much longer to the Dead Sea?" Ana Maria asked, squinting at the trees ahead.

"Maybe 'bout a week," Jack answered, walking ahead and into the foliage. They followed after him, walking through and started on a small path. "Atleast we dun' 'ave ter cut through these 'uns like we did in the other bloody jungle we got trapped with a bloody tiger in," Jack grumbled, laying one hand on his sword just in case.

"I wonder where Will is right now," Elizabeth thought to herself, darting her eyes back and forth between the trees for caution.

"Elizabeth? Lass, keep your mind on the same track as your eyes, otherwise there be no point ter look around like tha'," Jack said, glancing back at her. She nodded, the thoughts of William still flooding back into her mind. She couldn't help it.

Who knew what was going on with Will at that moment? What if the shortcut hadn't put them ahead of Barley and the crew as it should have? To think of what could become of her love if they weren't on time made Elizabeth's body ache.

What would she do if he was to die? That thought caused more pain than she could bear, so she shut her eyes tight and wiped her sweating forehead on her shirt sleeve.

"When this is all over, I'm taking a vacation…away from the Dead Sea, away from BLOODY Egypt, away from the Caribbean, away from….everywhere." Jack yelped as he stubbed his toe on a protruding rock. "Ow! Damnit, AWAY FROM ROCKS!"

Elizabeth shook her head, holding back a smirk. "Jack, you have your mind in check with your eyes, yes…they're both in the wrong place," the young woman quipped.

Jack glared and rolled his eyes. "Aye, aye…I know it."

"All I knows is tha' when we find Barley, I'm goin' ter do the killin'. I dun' 'ave the bloody patience ter do this ever again," he snapped, practically stomping around on the path.

Ana Maria cocked her head. "It's Will's prerogative, I think, ter kill the bastard. He is the one probably being tortured by the blighter at this very moment."

(A/N:) Ok, wow. How long has it been? Erm...hehehe...that long, eh? Hehe...ahem.

Yes, yes. Where in God's name are there caves in the desert? Hm? WHERE! Well, I'm sure there are some that people know NOTHING about. Not to mention SECRET caves...that people could take shortcuts...through. OK PEOPLE! Don't have a cow, let me be! I'm sure there are SOME! Sheesh!

Let me cut to the excuses, you can all read them through, dismiss them, and get to the Review Thanks. Ahem...

Alright, so last week was my first week of school. We all know how fun that is! OMG YES, SO FUN...-.-

It sucked, to put it mildly. But, in the words of Gloria Gaynor, I WILL SURVIVE! I've also had my soccer functions and games, and hell has reigned! Alongside me, of course. Hehehehe...no? Right, ahem.

So, anyways, I'm very horribly sorry for this hallaballoo and the long wait, but here it is. And lonnnnng, DAMN! I didn't realize I wrote that freaking much! Cripes! Heehee, wow. This one's a doozy, and complicated to boot!

Alrighty, well, thanks all for the reviews to last chapter and thanks for waiting, whoever did.

Review Thanks:

mz-turner: Hali, the bastard killed the poor li'l bloke, I know. I had to kill of Cotton's parrot... you'll see why. Definitely. Later, though. It's not just some evil streak that I went on where I went, "OMG, LET'S KILL COTTON'S PARROT! YESSSS!" Nope, there is a purpose! Nyahahahaha (cackles) AND I AM YO MONKEEEH! Love ya!

Drama Queens rule: Ahaaa! Hello, my fancy feathered friend...without the feathers. Anywho! I don't ever cry either, but if I did, it would have to be in Dumbo when his mom is in her cell and is cradling him and they're crying...OMG THAT GOT ME RIGHT HERE! (points to heart) Thanks mucho chica!

JohnnysDoll84: Hehehhehehe...did I forget to add you? Ahem...yes. Well, THANKYOU ANYWAYS CHRISSY! YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU AND I WONT FORGET AGAIN! OMG, I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE! I'M SPAZZING! Ta, Bostonian. BWAHA!

Things-One-and-Two: Muahahha, the death of Unaro brought me mucho pleasure. HAHAHAHA! Death smells sweet. K, I don't know what in the hell I'm talking about...O.o But anyways, thanks for the review...and I still heart you. :)

Wills-lost-treasure: You shall wait, dearest. I shant disclose any information. I SHANT! (cackles again) THANKS! You rock!

Johnny'shumiliatedgrape: Nyahahaahhahahahahahahahahahah Nyaha! Nya! N...right...I was cackling for you...ahem. Your dirty mind makes me cackle. Nyahahahahahah...nyahahahaha! NYAHAAAA! NYAHA!

melleh1: I LOVE YOU MELLEH! And we must RP something! You KNOW I love it!

lateBloomer04: Don't EVEN make me cackle. I AM EVILLLL! EVIL IS MY ONE AND ONLY NAAAME! Heehee...not really. Hehehe...heehee. Anyways, thanks for reviewing. I love it!

rollinpeaches: Emma, my darlingest darling ever. You are...well, darling. And I love you. And thankyou for reviewing even though we NEVER get to talk anymore! BALLOCKS TO SCHOOL! But just know...that while I'm working my arse off in class during the day, I am pining for you my sweet...sniff. Hahhahahha, that was kinda funny. Love you!

cptn-jacks-bonnie-lass: I'm so glad my chapter cheered you up! It makes me pleeeased...I like being pleased. Hehehe, PLEASE THE MASTER! Omg, somebody shoot me...that was retarded. >

WillsOneLove: Caitlin, hi! Thanks so much for reviewing. YOU KNOW that Lambry is just for you! Heehee. Ok, thankyou thankyou and more thankyou. You left me a VERY simpatica review. (Very very wonderful and I LOVE YOU!)

Also, thankyou SO much to Ashley! Araminta Ditch is my master. And I love heeer! Ashley, if I had a little heart drawn on a sheet of paper in front of me...wait, hold on... NOW I DO! HA! And it says, "ASHLEY IS MY RULER!" That's for you, my love! I love you mucho! Peace in da crib. (HAHAHAHA, no...)

Alrighty, folks. That's it for now. More as soon as possible.

Bye people of the world!

-williz