Captain vs. Captain

"Elizabeth's identity has been stolen and she is wanted for murder. Jack and Will have agreed to help her, but they havent been togeather for years after a love triange tore them apart. E/J/W post 'worlds end' "

Notes: Elizabeth has spent so much time masquerading as the opposite gender, she's started to internalize it. The ppl around her as well, even though they know she's a woman, they're used to her in the man's role, hence the sir/ma'am-ing of her crew.

Elizabeth traveled on a separate boat than Jack. The Pearl, being more than twice the size of the Heart, was anchored far from the dangers of the reef that had done them in. When they finally got to the ship, Jack was already aboard and she could hear his conversation with Jack as they pulled the boat up. Jack, of course made no mention that she had been aboard the Governor's Heart.

"Will, we just rescued Ely the Gent. Small world, eh?"

"Ely the Gent?" she heard Will reply. "So is it true he's got a big knob?"

"My god! You're all disgusting and obsessed!" Elizabeth threw her leg over the side of the ship. "Do men really think about these things?"

Will stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Elizabeth. "What's she doing here?"

"Captain Ely the Gent, at your service," she said, straightening her hat and looking Will in the eye for the first time in over a year.

"No, it isn't possible."

"What? I'm not capable of captaining a ship?"

"Of course you are…I just…excuse me." Will stalked away.

"That went well, didn't it? You can sleep in my cabin tonight, if you wish." Jack's grin, splashed across his face, needed slapped off. So she did, and went after Will.

"Will," she said, finding himat the back of the ship.

"Elizabeth."

"Ely."

"I'm not calling you by that stupid name. It's not you. You are Miss Elizabeth Swann, whom I love."

"Loved," she corrected. "I'm not the same man I used to be. I'm sorry Will. Things got complicated, and it's no one's fault. But I just can't see how you can love me anymore. I wouldn't."

"The same as I can still love Jack. It's no ones fault, as you said. It just happened."

"I just don't want the two of you fighting over me again. It was a horrible strain on your friendship, and I had to leave. I'm going to leave again, just so you know. As soon as I get a new ship. It just can't be the three of us."

"I didn't mind."

"You're not good at lying, Will."

"No," he agreed. "Not like you and Jack."

"Me and Jack. Two peas in a pod, he told me years ago."

"He wasn't wrong." Will looked out over the water. "It's true. It doesn't matter how many times either of you betray me, I always come crawling back." He turned to her. "I think I may have a problem."

"I think you may be right."

"So where are you going to be sleeping tonight?" he asked. Elizabeth restrained herself from slapping the other man in her life as well.

"Jack offered me his cabin…but I don't think he'll vacate it first so I suppose I'll sleep on deck. I'll keep Mad Mary at my side to discourage the both of you."

"Mad Mary?"

"The big scary one." She nodded in Mary's direction.

"His name's 'Mary'?"

"Why else would he be so mad?" She shoved herself away from the railing and went to the stern, where Jack was at the wheel. She was always jealous of Jack--no matter how hard she tried she was never able to master the steering of a ship, and could only point the compass and shout directions. She took her compass from her pocket. The needle was rocking back and forth, pointing to the stern at Jack, and the bow at Will. "I still don't know what I want," she muttered.

"Where are we sailing to?" she asked Jack at her arrival.

"You want to be somewhere in particular?"

"My crew of course can do as they please, but I would like to be dropped at Tortuga as soon as possible. I suppose I'll need to find work until I've saved enough to procure another ship."

"There's work a' plenty for you here," Jack said pointedly. "And you'll find you'll make a better salary on the Pearl than any other ship--legal or otherwise."

"I'd like to get off in Tortuga," she said again.

"Alright, but we're a couple of days off it."

"That's fine."

"A lot can happen in a couple days."

"But it wont."