Jack blissfully looked out at the ocean's waves, his eyes skimming them for any sign of something interesting. The heat of another body close by caught his attention and he turned to see who it was. Elizabeth was standing beside him gazing out at the sea as if she hadn't even realized he was there at all. Was that how it would always be? Elizabeth would never truly acknowledge his presence, or feelings for that matter. She would always just think of him as one of the rum-drinking, wobbly-legged, pirates. Jack stifled a sigh of despair as he returned his gaze to the water flowing below him.
"What are you up to?" Elizabeth asked, waking Jack from his slight reverie. Was her conversation going to have an actual point? Possibly, but maybe not the point Jack wanted. "Just waving as the chances swim by." He heard Elizabeth gently laugh, which he hadn't expected. After another moment she questioned again, "Anything else?" Thinking of you…Jack took in a breath to keep himself from letting so many words like those thoughts flood out of his mouth. "Not really." Elizabeth nodded and seemed unsatisfied with the answer, but fell silent.
Jack knew he should say something else, but what was he to say? He couldn't really go into anything important when Will Turner was onboard the ship. Suddenly a hand was thrust to him and he looked curiously down at it. Elizabeth's hand was clutching something and as her fingers slowly flexed back he realized it was his compass. He lifted his gaze to meet Elizabeth's own. "I never returned it to you…" was the explanation he received. Elizabeth took his hand and put the compass in it, then moved her hand away and glanced side-ways, avoiding any eye contact with Jack. Jack only starred down at the compass, realizing that Elizabeth had perhaps had readings she felt uncomfortable with on the compass. Grinning he took Elizabeth's hand and returned the compass to it. Elizabeth jerked her head back towards him, searching him for a good reason why he had returned the compass. Jack smiled even more and said, "Keep it; it was a gift." Elizabeth gazed down at the compass and then back up at Jack's eyes. "Jack, I couldn't…it's yours." Jack simply replied, "Love, it was mine. Now it is yours." Elizabeth could only smile thankfully, yet somewhat painfully, in unwilling acceptance of the gift. The compass had caused her so much pain in the days she had obtained it. Always straying its point from what she thought was her heart's desire to the Captain she knew that she now loved.
Jack observed the look of fraud happiness and tipped his head knowingly. "Elizabeth, you're not hiding anything anymore. Not from me." Elizabeth's eyes widened and she wondered if her feelings were so obvious. Had Will found out yet? Had Jack simply found out because of his highly intuitive sense of the female mind? Not knowing how to respond Elizabeth reacted defensively. "I don't know you're talking about…" Jack chuckled, for he had patiently been expecting such a reply to his statement which was fact. Without words he lowered his hand back down to Elizabeth's to find the compass still in her grasp. He slowly opened it in her palm, waiting for her eyes to lower and look at the needle as it spun and ended up pointing straight to Jack.
Embarrassed, Elizabeth shut the compass and defiantly looked back into Jack's eyes. When she saw what looked like the same emotions in his eyes as what she had recently began to feel all her worry faded. She had expected Jack to be amused at her new-found love and not care a thing of it. Perhaps he would even tease her every now and then. But what she saw startled her as she realized her feelings were no toy to Jack Sparrow. No, not at all, for they were returned to her from his own heart. Exchanged and returned feelings…
"Don't try to hide it, love." Jack said, never blinking or taking his eyes away from Elizabeth's. She could only smile and reply, "I won't then." And without any more words the two people leaned in to share a passionate kiss, and then together they gazed out at the sea's water as the sun's rays created a pattern of love that danced along the waves. Elizabeth felt so safe with Jack's arm around her shoulder and to have him actually love her in return.