Quite Alike

Went and saw POTC2 at midnight, first showing. It was FANTABULOUS. Better than the first by far. I even shed a few tears at a certain point, but my emotions quickly turned to the better at the very last minute of the movie.

Now I'd always told myself I was a Jack/Elizabeth fan, however I didn't truly realize that until I saw POTC2. I kept waiting and waiting for that one scene (for I knew it was coming due to watching an interview with Kiera Knightly), and when it finally came my heart was wrenched a bit. However, it also gave me some ideas for possible stories for the future of the Pirates crew.

So here we have it: my first POTC fic. Post POTC2, Jack/Elizabeth, Elizabeth's POV, rated T. Will most likely remain a oneshot; reviews would be wonderful! Here we haveElizabeth and the rest of the Pearl's crew thathave searched for Jack, and now they have finally be reunited..

I do not own the POTC franchise. Heck…I'd be overjoyed if I could even be part of it.


Truth in the matter, I had regretted it. I didn't want to leave the infamous captain there, latched to the ship's mainstay. My heart tore slightly when I'd dared to meet with his lips, but it completely split in two when I locked his wrist there and then turned away as if I'd really meant to murder the captain. When I fled the abandoned ship, save for Jack, I stole a final glance over my shoulder at him before plunging downward to the longboat. He looked as if he regretted it, but somehow I believed he'd get through it. And that would have to take place within the last few moments he had before he was handed to the Kracken, but I knew that he would understand.

As I sank into the boat with the remainder of the crew, I was greeted by Will's sneering glare. Had he seen what I'd done? More rather – had he seen why? Obviously by the unbreaking stare he'd seen the wrong bit.

"Will –" I urged, reaching for his arm. He turned away and ordered the boat away just moments prior to the sea-beast's return. I watched in displeasing horror as the ship was swallowed whole by the daunting tentacles that embraced the wood with a death grip. My eyes fell closed automatically as a foreign pain settled within my chest and just below my stomach. For a while I felt my limbs grow numb, and then the feeling captivated my entire body. I'd left him there to die, because I'd thought it would better the crew's chance of survival. It seemed to have wounded my own.

Suddenly I regained use of one hand, and my fingers subconsciously curled around an object I'd not known that I held. The compass. Still swamped by fogged feelings of guilt, I flicked the compass open almost nonchalantly and gazed at it with a sigh. What I had been expecting? I wasn't sure exactly what. However, the needle wavered wildly towards the submerging ship. No kidding, huh?

---

Now it was over a year later. Will and I had broken rather far apart, however we still soared the seas together with the Pearl's crew. It was due to his stubborn assumptions of my acclaimed "pirated love," and him not listening to my pleas. When ever he did listen though, it always turned to the negative. I had tried to explain to Will that I'd intentionally left Jack to be taken by the sea-monster; however I felt rather sensitive when it actually came to saying, "I chained him there," and thus it was never said aloud.

Ever since we'd been offered the chance to retrieve Jack from the depths of the ocean, my heart had instantly begged we leave at once, however I merely nodded and mouthed yes at the time. Guilt was the main feeling coursing through my blood at the time, however it was only overlaying another, subtle emotion that I myself was almost afraid to say aloud. The compass never changed.

And when we'd resurfaced the Black Pearl, I was overwhelmed with tears initially. The compass remained strong, pointing in the direction that it had sunk into. However, what exactly it was pointing to was of slight mystery to me. Was it pointing in the direction because I had wanted Jack to be alive, or because I had wanted said man in particular? Color rose to my cheeks as I contemplated the very thought. But instantly I'd been filled with hope when the weathered Pearl rose, water splashing and slipping away from the hull as it continued to grow to her full height. We'd managed a ship in our travels, and as the opposing ship was reborn, our own flew towards it.

I think I'd almost literally jumped over the binds that drew the two boats dangerously close to one and other, however I didn't regret being the first and being the most eager to see what remained. A sword was at my side, a tri-pointed hat over my lengthened hair, and the pirate-ish attire I'd adopted when we'd initially set out on this journey against Davy Jones. The entirety of the crew had declared that it would be best if a small group went on to investigate the remains of the ship, but I broke that rule apparently. I wanted to know if he was alive, or if I'd really given him to the Kracken as I had initially intended.

To my utmost relief, Jack still stood, looking particularly (and not to mention humorously) horrified, one hand bloodied and gripping the railing around the mainstay pole I'd chained him to. He finally blinked and gave the slightest shake to drag his senses out of the trance, and as he did so I stood before him. My expression was that of slight desperation, joy, and the feeling of guilt lifting. His browned eyes lifted hesitantly to mine; the first time I'd seen the captain struggle over such a simple action. In turn I flung my arms around his neck, uttering a string of apologizes into his ear as he slowly responded to the action by enfolding his own arms around my figure. Tears had yet again flooded into my vision as he drew away. However, I knew things were quite alright when he gave the slightest hint of the traditional Jack Sparrow grin.

---

Days later when the crew had spent a long day patching the Pearl, I'd managed to distract myself in my inner thoughts. My elbows propped gently upon the wooden side railing as the ship rocked lulling as it caressed the waves. My eyes shifted from the sea's spray to the flooring of the Pearl when I'd heard the faint echo of boots against the uppermost floor boards. Finally the thumping echoes subsided, and I parted my lips to speak, however he beat me to the start of the conversation.

"What are you doing out here so late, missy?" Without even looking at him I could tell his was giving me a downward stare, probably exhaling an intoxicated sigh.

"Can't sleep," I whispered just above the dull roar of the waves.

He strode forward again, his boots knocking casually on the wood before he settled beside me, his back against the railing and arms folded over his chest. A sudden burst of wind flayed his blackened hair backwards, sweeping the tangled mass of hair and rope and beads from his face. I backed away from the rail slightly, my gaze meeting his narrowed eyes.

"Can't sleep…or can't think?" he stated. How did he manage to read me like that?

I sighed dejectedly. As words floated in my mind, I blindly searched for the compass, wanting to return it to him. My fingers curled around the rounded metal edges, and he shifted, eyeing the pocket my hand was lodged into. I caught his eyes again, and quickly changed the subject. "How did you survive?"

"I'm Capt'n Jack Sparrow, love. Thought you knew that one," he smirked, the faintest bits of gold flashing in the smile.

How did I know I wasn't going to get a real answer out of that? Nevertheless, I retrieved the compass and held it out to him in my open palm. I didn't want the heartache it desperately clung to. As I revealed it, he raised a curious eyebrow.

"You still have that ol' thing?" he chuckled; now turning to me. "Did it help you in anyway?" he pried me, a smile breaking across his face again.

"I…I don't think it quite works the way you said," I stammered, my heart pounding in my chest.

His hand rose, and with nimble fingers, he gripped the device lightly with a highly arched wrist. However, he did not take it fully from my hands. Rather, he lifted the top cover to the perpendicular of the base, and inquisitively eyed the needle. It flared in his direction, wavering feverishly at his slightest move. "Why do you think that?" he stated, his voice neither accusing nor made of pure bliss.

"It never changed. During the entirety of your absence it remained steady in the ship's direction," I whispered, tears building in my eyes. He raised his eyebrows slightly, but seemed relatively unfazed. His face then turned to that of displeasure as the tears in my eyes became prominent. With an outward palm his fingers stroked my jaw line, and as if that was the magic action, I uttered, "I missed you, Mr. Sparrow."

"It's Jack," he whispered, his golden teeth revealing themselves once more. His stroking fingertips then opened inward and set at the back of my jaw while his thumb lied just outside my lips. The space between us had significantly diminished.

That is when I whispered, "We are quite alike, are we not?" Of course this was a serious take on his once playful attempts at flirting.

"But oh so different, as you clarified for us," he replied, his breath caressing my lips.

"I was always told that we are merely different people, but our hearts beat as one similar heart," I replied, my eyes falling.

"So we're not so different after all, Elizabeth," he smirked.

"I guess not," I replied, my voice hardly audible. The space between us was testing us to the extremities, and with his fingers still sending delightful shudders through my jaws, the situation wasn't being helped. However, I felt that it didn't need to be helped once our lips brushed. He pulled away slightly, as if to question my judgment; my lips remained parted and yearned for his taste. Ironic how I had taunted him with the idea of wanting my taste, and here I stood, his body hardly apart from mine, yet he seemed leagues away.

Again my lips settled against his, and he was the one to draw deeper. My head titled slightly to signal my approval for his actions, and then my own hands mounted to his neck, my thumbs barely brushing his stubbled jaw. Jack Sparrow had always seemed of the impish type of man, however after experiencing him twice now, I found I was quite wrong with my biased judgments. Even as our touch lengthened, Mr. Sparrow was quite a respectable man when it came to this sort of thing; he would hardly edge into the situation and allow me to direct us. His opposing hand drifted to my side, practiced fingers sheltering my figure as he leaned into our embrace.

I broke for mere seconds to catch the sudden upwards salty wind, and as I cut our contact, I found the captain's lips parted just, and his brow cocked just enough to inquire silently, "Again?" Another quick contact and then a final break, and he stated, "Do you long for those words of mar-e-age?" stressing 'marriage' just in the fashion as he had before.

"Ever since Will turned me away I hadn't thought much of it," I whispered, "however, yes."

He gave me a small smile and breathed, "I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"No…Will and I…it seemed perfect…but I…"

"…do," he finished unexpectedly. Our gaze held for a long while before the phrase connected with my mind.

"Jack…" I whispered, knowing what marriage would do to him. At very least it would restrain him, at most it would send him to delusion. I wanted neither and nothing in between. This couldn't work, no matter how much we tried. I gave a small shake of my head and pulled away.

"Where does your heart lie, missy?" he questioned in his usual casual manner.

"I don't know," I stated.

"The compass," he stated, looking at my hand that gripped it lightly, "doesn't lie," he concluded giving me a sympathetic upturn of his lips. "Sorry," he added.

"You're something else, Mr. Sparrow," I murmured.

"As are you, Ms. Swann," he relayed.

I smiled inside, and gazed down at the worn wooden planks below my feet. Words were swarming as an angry storm within my skull, however none would settle to real sentences. Finally I mused, "Once a pirate, always a pirate, huh?"

His eyes flickered over my shoulder for a moment, and then the dark orbs glowed joyfully. It wasn't rare to see the captain in this form; however it usually did not last long until he'd managed to get himself into trouble. However he pulled me closer, nestling our bodies against one and other, and he spread one hand wide as he declared, "Welcome to the Caribbean, love."

And as I glanced over my shoulder, the faintest traces of a sunrise glimmered on the horizon; the rays dancing across the waves as a flickering fire. I gazed admirably out at the water, while the captain gave a bit of a cat-like grin as my body leaned into his. After a moment, my eyes trailed to the pirate, whom I still found quite uniquely peculiar in appearance. It had been not too long ago that I had chained him while we stood in a position much like this. Guilt surged through me for a slight instance, and then as I turned my head to meet his gaze fully, he seemed to read my mind. One side of his lips twitched upwards as he muttered, "I'm Capt'n Jack Sparrow, love. I can escape just about anything that's thrown at me."

I unexpectedly edged up to meet his lips again, and as I did he drew in a noticeable breath. One hand of mine made the mistake of grazing the blackened hair, and I soon found that my fingertips were tangled slightly in the waves. His hands, however rough they may have been, seemed to be the main source of the irresistible tingling sensation through my jaws and down my throat. "Can you escape this?" I breathed during one point where we shifted.

"I think it's more of a question if I want to escape," he replied, "savvy?"