This is the result of the poll! (If people said they liked all or two of them I put a mark down for both)

Too late? 4

Friendship? 7

An optimistic view3

So the winner is… Friendship? (Encase you hadn't already deduced that… don't look at me like that; I was just checking)

Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooo much for your brilliant reviews, they make me foam at the mouth with happiness. So anyway just a few points,

I know my grammar and punctuation are awful, so I'm going to take your advice and get a proof reader, (Free of charge hopefully!)

I would love to be able to continue all three stories, but alas Fanfiction is more like a creative sidetrack for me. With writing my novel, doing Homework and taking care of my numerous pets; there really isn't time for me to do more than one.

I'm a sucker for happy endings so don't worry; no teary conclusions in my stories!

Jack/Elizabeth all the way, yeah!

Great, so here you go:

Chapter Two

Jack strode away his long pirate's coat billowing in the wind. Despite herself Elizabeth smiled, Jack was different on the Pearl, (everywhere else he walked like a girl.) Slowly she turned back to the sea and thought over what he'd said. Had she really not been sorry? It was difficult to answer, certainly when she had strapped him to the mast, she had felt aggressive, defiant, but not remorseful. Annoyed at her own indecision she fled below deck to Will. He was sitting up in his hammock, gazing dolefully through the porthole at the sea. "Will," she said gently. He turned to her, smiling. Elizabeth noticed with intrigue, and some hurt, that it was the same insincere grin that she had received from Jack only a few minutes before.

"Hello, I've been missing you!" He motioned for her to sit on the chair beside him. She did so, watching his every movement carefully, assessing him. He didn't look ill any more at any rate. The dull yellow tinge had left his face, and his eyes no longer had the brightness of fever and delusions. Yet still he moved awkwardly, as if terribly tired. Elizabeth supposed this was the effect a serious bout of Malaria had on you. He had picked the disease up when they had stopped just north of Port Royal to stock up on supplies. It had been decided previously that Will and Elizabeth could not return to live there; for fear of the law. Some of the crew had grumbled that it wasn't safe even to visit, but Will had insisted. He had said he wanted to take a last look at his childhood town. He had then disappeared for three days on end and he had returned with the beginnings of the disease. Regardless they had sailed on and he had become worse, but now thankfully most of it seemed to be over.

"So, how's life up on deck?" he asked trying to make small talk.

"Err, well all right I suppose, although we haven't seen a ship or a strip of land for nearly two weeks!"

Will nodded then swept his hair back from his face; "It's really hot in here." Elizabeth reached forward and felt his head; "It may be hot, but you're freezing, your temperature's going the other way now! Look here, put your coat on." She turned and began to take the garment of the peg in the corner when suddenly Will leapt forward; "NO! DON'T TOUCH THAT! I know I've not been well but aren't I entitled to at least some privacy?" Elizabeth recoiled instantly, scared and confused at Will's sudden, unnecessary anger. "I'm sorry Will, I only thought…"

"Well don't only think next time! Always ask me! Now, I need some rest. Go, and do not come back today. I need my rest and how am I supposed to get it with you idling away your time here!"

She rose silently, muttering her goodbyes, then fell out of the room. As brusquely as she could, without attracting attention she walked back to her cabin, where she collapsed into her hammock crying. She could only really attribute Will's temper to the illness, but he'd sounded so furious, and now she was alone and hurt and he couldn't put that right.

Jack swaggered below deck. He was on his way to his cabin, to retrieve some rum and check a map when he heard muffled sobs coming from behind Elizabeth's door. Rolling his eyes he wondered what could possibly be the matter this time, but entered all the same.

He was momentarily disconcerted at the sight of Elizabeth, normally so strong, weeping into a pillow. However taking a deep breath he walked gingerly towards her, as if entering a danger zone. "'Ello luv! And wot may I ask is displeasing you?" The reply was anything but encouraging; "Bugger off, you wouldn't understand!"

Jack sniffed in mock offence, "Well I wouldn't dreaming of imposing me sympathies on a woman wot doesn't want comforting!" With that he turned with deliberate emphasis and walked toward the door. He was about to turn the knob when he heard what he'd been waiting for; "Jack, stop!" He grinned to himself then strutted drunkenly back to her. She raised her tear stained face to him then with a choke of resignation flung her arms around his neck! After staggering for a few moments under the unexpected weight, Jack awkwardly placed a hand on her back and began to pat it. "For god's sake, calm down lass, and inform me of the cause of your lamentation." So she did. She gripped onto his arm as tightly as she could in an irrational fear that he might leave her, and told him about her visit to Will, his sudden anger, and her fear that he didn't love her any more! And as Elizabeth spoke, Jack listened. His eyes normally so hard to read were grim, and his brow was furrowed with sympathy. Long after Elizabeth had finished, and night had fallen he let her cry upon his chest, and he stroked her hair until she fell asleep.

Next morning Elizabeth awoke to find herself alone in her hammock, with nothing but a space beside her where Jack had been. Sighing, she splashed her face with water from a pail in an attempt to rid her eyes of the redness they had gained from crying. After dressing hurriedly in the men's clothes she had become so accustomed to wearing, she made her way up on deck to seek out Captain Sparrow.

Surprisingly, however, it was Will she found first. He was pale and shaky, but was managing to move about the ship with relative ease. He looked better than he had for months, although Elizabeth was glad to see Gibbs keeping a watchful eye on him. She approached her fiancée with caution, wary that she might prompt another attack of temper. However he greeted her amiably enough and invited her to walk with him. They strolled along in comfortable silence, occasionally commenting on the weather or stopping to talk to a member of the crew.

Jack stood at the prow of the Pearl, gazing out at the horizon where sails had appeared. Methodically he raised his telescope to his eye and began to appraise the approaching ship

White sails… respectable soldiers on board, they didn't seem to have noticed the Pearl yet. It could only be one thing; a merchant ship.

"Listen up you scabrous dogs!" yelled Jack, "Come 'ere right now, or you'll be off my ship before you can say "what about the sharks!"" Several crew members looked apprehensively down into the sea. "We're approaching a trader's ship, or in other words a source of supplies! I want you to scrub this deck floor until it shines, replace our sails with the white ones, hoist up the English flag and generally look respectable! We're going to fool this ship into thinking we are decent, well meaning gents!" This raised a laugh from the crew. "Then we will level up beside them without them suspecting a thing, offer to trade with them, then as soon as we're aboard their ship, hold our cutlasses to their throats! They won't know what's hit 'em, and we'll take all of their goods without any damage coming to my beauty, that's the ship not you Gibbs, so don't look so flattered! Now do I make myself understood, clear, comprehensible?"
"Yes Cap'n!"

"Then get to work you worthless mutts!"

So that's the end of chapter two, hoped you liked it. Reviews please, I would like to know whether you think this chapter's too short. Remember the Elizabeth/Will interaction in this chapter it will have a bearing upon later instalments!

Thanks