Changed Feelings
Jack held the compass in his hands and smiled. Straight ahead was the way to a certain chest containing a certain heart. He couldn't wait to get his hands on that chest and pierce the heart. He stuck the compass in his pocket and saw Mr. Gibbs walking down the Pearl's ramp and onto the dock. Just then he turned to his side to see Norrington hanging over the railing and convulsing with a sickening stench.
"And what are you doing here?" he asked, remembering the fight in the bar room in had just gotten out of. He had thought Mr. Norrington would be in the pig sty by now. Norrington tilted his head in a un sober manner and replied with a tired voice, "You hired me remember?" Jack made a face, "You smell funny!" Norrington started to stand up and Jack turned back to Gibbs to walk onto the Pearl but a voice stopped him. It wasn't particularly familiar and he convinced himself it was a new voice when heard what it had to say, "Mr. Sparrow! I'm here to find the man I love."
Gibbs stopped and Jack turned to see a boy, by the looks of it, and Norrington was now on his feet and right behind the boy looking quite unusual. Jack made another face and turned back around. "Really lad I'm flattered, but my first and only love is the sea." He felt a hand laid across his shoulder, stopping him from moving further away. The voice continued, "The man I love meaning Will Turner." Jack took in a gasp and said, "Elizabeth?" Quickly he turned his head to Mr. Gibbs and said quietly, "Hide the rum!"
Elizabeth sighed and asked, "Where is he, Jack?" Jack simply, or rather not simply, replied, "Darling, I'm truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that had nothing whatsoever to do with me, poor Will has been press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew."
Norrington laughed, "You're lying!" he laughed again. Elizabeth looked at him curiously then back at Jack who didn't look amused at all. Norrington stopped his laughing and said again, "You're lying." Elizabeth frowned and asked, "How can we get him back then?" Jack grinned because he had been waiting for this part. "Well, it's basically impossible unless you find the Dead Man's Chest-" Norrington interrupted, "Dead Man's Chest? Elizabeth you can't possibly believe him! Dead Man's Chest is merely a myth, a legend!" Jack continued, ignoring Norrington, "If you find the chest then you can pierce Davy's heart, which lies inside. Once doing so you can have one wish. Anything you desire." In one quick maneuver Jack slipped out the compass and put it in Elizabeth's palm. Elizabeth was highly befuddled as she stared at the compass. "Jack, why is you're compass broken?" Jack smiled. "…My compass is not broken." In a lower tone so that Norrington would not be able to hear he added, "It points at what your heart desires most. And in your case that is the Chest, because it can help save Will." Elizabeth uncertainly opened the compass and it spun around till it was pointing to her left. Jack peeked at it and said, "Thank you, love." He took the compass and called, "Gibbs! We have our reading!" Gibbs smiled, "Finally!" and within minutes the crew bustled with activity, Norrington, Elizabeth, and Jack boarded the ship and all dispersed in different directions.
ooOO0OOoo
Jack sat in his chair at his desk and wondered about things. He found his mind drifting to one subject he had thought about long ago. Yes, it seemed like ages ago he had this same feeling. It had been back when he was alone on the island with nothing his pistol, rum, and one woman. He had thought this feeling was just a trick of the mind from drinking too much rum, but now when he was sober and the same feeling was returning, he wasn't quite sure.
Ever since Elizabeth had come into his life he had felt the strange feeling and now it was stronger than ever before.
"No." he thought aloud. He shook his head and blinked twice trying to clear his mind. His mind was only playing with him. There was no way he could be feeling something for Elizabeth Swann. What good would it do, if it were a feeling, to have feelings for her when she had feelings for Will? It would just be torture to himself if he believed in these feelings, he would end up broken-hearted. He reached for a bottle of rum and took a long drink, only to be overwhelmed by the urge to take out his compass and test it. He checked the map for the last time he had used his compass. It had pointed to the left, towards the deserted island where the Dead Man's Chest was located. He took a breath and took the compass out of his pocket. He stared at it for a long time before opening it. Once opened the needle was allowed to search through Jack's thoughts and feelings and quickly discovered that his mind was trying to hide something from his heart. It spun and stopped. Jack stared frustrated at the reading. It was pointing to the north east. He took a breath and prayed that it would not be what he thought it was, even though he knew that it was no matter what he thought. He stepped outside his cabin and looked to the north east. Sure enough, Elizabeth was leaning over the railing, looking out at the sea. He started over but stopped as she turned and walked towards the stairs leading up to the steering wheel. She stopped and sat down on them and put her hands on her cheeks.
Jack smiled and walked over to her and sat down.
"My highly intuitive sense of the female mind tells me your troubled." Wordlessly he slipped the compass into her hand, thought she seemed not to notice. Jack continued, "Tell me, love, what's troubling you?" Elizabeth sighed and glanced quickly at him then back at the sea. "It's just…I thought I'd be married by now."
She stood up and walked back towards the railing. Jack had an idea pop into his head. "You know love, as a Captain I have the right to marry two people. Right here. On this ship. Right now. At this very moment." Elizabeth made a face. "No thanks."
Jack walked over to the rail beside her and spoke again. "One day you just won't be able to resist me anymore, love." Elizabeth seemed rather disgusted but Jack paid no heed. "What makes you say that?" she asked. Jack grinned. "One word love. Curiosity. You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day you won't be able to resist."
Elizabeth countered after a pause of slight realization, "Jack someday you'll have a chance to do the right thing." Jack grinned, "Oh I love those moments. I love to wave at them as they swim by." Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh, a small one but it counted. "Jack, one day you will do the right thing. To have everyone look up to you." Jack couldn't even picture this in his mind so he asked, "Why would I want that?" Elizabeth turned to face him and smiled an almost seductive smile. "Curiosity. You're going to want it. You're going to want to know what it…tastes like…" With every word the two got closer and closer until they were together. They were looking into each other's eyes in a way that would never think they were debating. Jack finally spoke softly, "I want to know what it tastes like…" Elizabeth spoke in the same tone, "But you'll have a chance Jack. And I know you wouldn't put me in a situation that could impugn my honor." Jack had paid no attention whatsoever to her words and was leaning in for the kiss when he saw his hand, the black mark was returned in a swirling manner. His eyes grew wide, as his jaw dropped. Elizabeth stopped, not noticing the hand, and said, "I'm proud of you Jack."
ooOO0OOoo
Later that day Elizabeth leaned over the railings and looked at the water as it streamed past the ship. In way she had wanted Jack to wave at that moment they had had, but in another way she was happy because he had listened to her and done the right thing. In her heart she knew he was right about curiosity, thought she knew it was more than just curiosity that would provoke her. But her mind, like Jack's, was trying to rid her heart of the strange emotions she was having, denying the truth. Suddenly Norrington was leaning on the rail beside her. Elizabeth took no notice until he spoke, "There was a time I had hoped you would look at me the way you do him." In a shock Elizabeth knew that 'him' meant Jack, and not Will. "I don't know what you're talking about Mr. Norrington." He turned to look at her. "Don't play games Miss Swann. I see the way you look at him." Elizabeth's breath faltered for a moment. Was it so obvious to every soul on the ship?
"But really what I don't know is what you see in him." Elizabeth suddenly realized that Norrington had heard Jack tell her the compass's secret. She turned to face him. She pulled the compass out and held in front of his eyes. "This compass will point to the Chest, I can assure you that!" Norrington just smiled, amused. Elizabeth's brows furrowed and she opened the compass and held it in her palm. The needle found her desire and spun around until it was sure it was locked onto his position. Elizabeth let her gaze follow that of the needle's path to see Jack standing beside the wheel and letting the ocean's mist spray his face soothingly. She looked back at Norrington and suppressed a sigh of defeat. "This compass is broken!" she declared. Norrington, still wearing his amused smile, nodded and strolled off. Elizabeth held the compass out, and looked back. Jack wasn't by the wheel anymore, and she hadn't noticed that the needle had spun to follow Jack's trail as he slyly snuck down the stairs and went under them to get a good look at the compass's readings. He glanced at it and was utterly surprised to see the needle pointing straight at his face. Elizabeth closed the compass muttering, "It has to be broken…" and walked away. Jack grinned. "We have no need to hide out changed feelings, love." He said it low so that only he could hear.