Disclaimer: I don't own the POTC. At all. And yes, that's why I don't sleep at night.

A/N: Thank you so much to all my reviewers! The computer guy took a while, but he did take care of the problem. Turns out it wasn't as serious as I thought, which is why I'm able to update so soon. By the way, I owe a special thanks to Lexapower. She/he is like my beta! Lexa really helps me out with my story by pointing out flaws and such, and she's really too kind when she does it. So, to you, Lexa…THANK YOU! –Round of applause-

Chapter 4, The Heart of the Matter

I can't remember exactly how long it took for the monster to give up, but it did. I heard a loud groan, and felt the tremendous heat of the fire upon me. But somehow, I wasn't burning, and I couldn't figure out why. Then I felt the sides of the Kraken give way and cool ocean water spewed inside all around me. Jack was still holding on tightly to me, and I was still hiding my face in his chest.

"Hold your breath, love!"

Then we were out. Jack took my arms and wrapped them around his neck so I was holding on even more tightly to him, and I felt him begin swimming upward. The journey up seemed to take forever, and I could tell he was getting tired. My head began pounding, and the water around me grew ever darker with each passing moment.

Finally, Jack and I broke the surface of the water. With gasping breaths, I thanked God for the miracle of air.

"Elizabeth," Jack gasped, still out of breath, "are you okay? Still with me?" My heart beat even faster at hearing the intense concern in his voice.

"Yes...I'm alright…we need to get out of here…" My chest hurt so badly from lack of air that I couldn't even begin to think about how much pain Jack must have been in; after all, he'd carried me on his back to the surface, and I had no idea how he was still keeping us afloat, still beating his legs against the waves.

Then I noticed something that seemed far too good to be true.

"JACK! WHAT'S THAT? THERE!" I removed one hand from his wet neck and pointed to my left. Far off, nearly on the horizon, I thought I saw…

"Land! Elizabeth, what would I do without you?" I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks.

"But Jack, can you swim that far with me on your back? I could get off…"

"Of course I can; I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! Do you doubt me?" he said, already heading towards the distant mass of land.

"No, of course I don't…but I'll swim on my own. You don't need the extra weight."

I slid off his back, and I thought I saw a twinge of disappointment on his face. Then he smiled at me, and the flash of sadness was gone. Then we both took deep breaths and began swimming toward our only hope.

Some Time Later

"Oh God! I can't breathe!" I gasped. I crawled though the shallow water onto land. The sand was burning hot against my sunburned skin. "Jack…any idea where we are?"

"None. But feel free to run and ask someone…" Jack was sprawled out on the beach beside me, taking great gusts of oxygen in through his mouth. He closed his eyes and was still.

"I'll never run again!" I said jokingly, feeling the heat of the sun beating down on me again. Then a thought struck me, and I felt completely heartless for having neglected the thought before. "Jack…the rest of the crew! We didn't look for them!"

"They've got arms and legs; let them swim to their own safety like we did, I say."

"How can you be so cruel? We can't leave them out there to die!"

"It's survival of the fittest, savvy?" Jack had finally turned to look at me with a cold, hard stare. "Your precious William can take care of himself…" he said, turning away.

"It's not only Will that—agh! You don't care for anyone but yourself, do you?"

"Elizabeth…" Jack said, wearily rising up on his elbows. "Of course I care for others…it just doesn't show unless I have something to gain, see? Why do you think I waited so long to rid myself of the Kraken?" Jack said this slowly, as though he were speaking to a child. It annoyed me so much that I had to bite my lip to keep from hitting him.

"You…you knew it would find us?" I said, realization dawning on me.

"Not necessarily. But I did know that you'd all come looking for me. And I also knew that when you did, there'd be a ship nearby…that's your ship Elizabeth. Then I planned to blow up the Kraken and swim to the safety of your ship, the ship that had come to save my life. But of course, you all had to go and get yourselves eaten, so I decided the sooner I escape, the better." Jack smiled crookedly at me; my face grew hot, and it wasn't because of the sun.

"But how would you know when our ship was near?"

"The same reason that I came back to the Pearl when the Kraken was attacking it."

"But…why was that? Tell me, for that surely is the one thing that has never made since to me, Jack." He looked at me and I thought I saw hurt in his eyes. It wasn't that I didn't believe Jack was a good man; I just didn't believe him noble enough to come back of his own free will.

"The compass, love. It was pointing…in that general area. And when my your ship would come to my rescue, my trusty compass would point me directly to it, and I'd be saved," he said in his drunken manner. Then he turned his head away to face the ocean as though he meant this to close the subject.

"What was the compass pointing to…before…on the Black Pearl?" I asked, wanting to know more…but feeling I already knew the answer.

"Well you see that's what amazed me so. I got on the ship to figure out what on Earth could be more important than saving my own priceless life, thinking I'd left Davy Jones' heart on board…but then, it pointed to a woman, rushing up the stairs for a weapon to save her fiancé's life."

"Jack…" I began, remembering that day months ago when I'd reached for the gun to thwart the Kraken and save Will. But Jack had been there, and he'd used the gun himself. He had, in reality, saved us all. And it was because of me that he'd even come back.

"Yes, love?" he asked quietly. I didn't answer him. I only moved closer to his side and rested my head on his chest. It took a moment, but he did wrap his arm around me, holding me tightly to him. And I fell asleep in Jack's arms.

A part of me longed for Jack to say those priceless three words, the ones that you wish to hear escape the lips of anyone you love; the words that make your heart bubble over with joy and never ending happiness; the sort of "pact" that sealed your destiny to be forever linked to someone. But somehow, I felt that the story that Jack had just told me was as close as he'd ever come to saying, "I love you." Strangely…I was content with that.

-:-

"AHOY! AVAST YE LAND LOVERS!"

"Shore! Shore! There really is a God!"

The voices brutally tore me from my slumber. I blinked once; the sun had set, and it was only by the light of the moon that I could see several forms floating in the water. I felt around me and realized Jack was not anywhere near me.

"Jack? Jack! Jack where are you?" I called as Gibbs, Ragetti, and Pintel all sluggishly threw themselves at the shore. They were all completely out of breath, like Jack and I had been. I saw Will slowly forcing himself to shore, and before I even stopped to think, I thrust myself out at the water.

"Will!" I called, and before I knew it, I'd reached him. I knelt down and slung one of his arms around my neck and helped him walk to the beach. As soon as we were there, he fell, barely conscious, to the now cool sand.

"Elizabeth…Jack…go find him now. Need to…tell him…"

"Tell him what, Will?"

"The heart. The heart, Elizabeth! Go…"

Panic rushed through me. Davy Jones's heart?

"Will…does--"

"GO!" he screamed, with his last gasping breath. Then he fell unconscious. I stood there, dumbfounded, not wanting to leave Will, but wanting to find Jack.

"You heard him, lass! Go and find Jack! We'll watch over your William!" Gibbs said through clenched teeth. I nodded, looked back once at Will, and ran away from the shore and deeper into the island screaming Jack's name.

End Chapter

So how'd you like it? Please review if you read it. It's cruel not to do so. And if you're wondering how they didn't burn to death…haha…a lot of people have asked that, actually…I promise that will be revealed in the next chapter. But you have to review to read it!