A/N: Sry for the long wait, but like I said…school calls away most of my time. You guys are lucky because I have nothing to do this weekend. Next weekend I have a soccer Jamboree, so your only hopes for a chappie are during the week, but mainly Wednesday…still, chances are slim.
Disclaimer: Okay okay okay! I don't own anything/one, except my tribe of ice dorks. But if I owned Mr. Sparrow….well…never mind. XD
-/-/-/- Will -/-/-/-
Will spent most of his time sitting at Elizabeth's bedside, or hammock-side. His thoughts were either that of jealousy or lost hope. Elizabeth hadn't woken again since she had given him the compass, and for some reason he thought she never would. Everyday her infection got worse and worse. She had a constant fever that almost reached 105 once. Normally it was around 102.7 or 103.4. Will didn't think even Jack could save her now. It's too late…were the thoughts that ran through his mind over and over again.
One day Will actually came up on deck and leaned over the railing. He watched the rays of light shimmer across the rolling waves as they passed. It was a beautiful sight that made him feel a lot better inside. He hadn't seen the sky or the water in days because of all the time spent watching Elizabeth. Will stared out at the ocean and fell into a reverie. He remembered the day he had first met Elizabeth. She had been a young girl of only 13 or 14 years. He had felt something even then when he saw her, and he had been sure she had felt it too. But he had been wrong. He gave himself so much false hope throughout the years. Of course Elizabeth could never really love him; he was a blacksmith after all! But he had always considered a loyal blacksmith more loveable than an outlaw pirate.
"Mr. Turner…" Will turned around to see Gibbs throwing a sympathetic look his way. Will noticed his outstretched hand with a cool, wet rag in its grasp. Will took the rag and smiled thankfully. "I'm not sure this will help much though." Gibbs shrugged and gave him a pat on the back. "It'll help some." Will gave another smile of gratitude and headed towards Elizabeth's hammock with the rag in hand. He walked down the steps and saw her, still asleep, with her hand hanging over the edge of the hammock. He strolled over and laid the cool rag over her forehead. Then he took Elizabeth's hand and placed on her stomach. He didn't let go of her hand as he looked long and hard at her face. It was severely flushed red and hot to the touch. He could only imagine how good the wetness of the rag felt against the probably unbearably hot flesh. He ran his hand along her cheek and leaned closer to her face. With selfish impulse to blame, he closed his eyes and let his lips meet hers. It was a long, slow type of kiss, but not one of those sloppy romantic ones. After a minute he opened his eyes and drew away. He noted that Elizabeth's eyelids flickered a few times and then stopped when he moved away. He took in a breath. "Forgive me, Elizabeth." He swiftly turned and marched back up on deck.
In a huff he pulled out the compass and opened it. The needle searched through his thoughts and feelings, but never stopped spinning. Will stared at it frustrated as it continued to spin. "You do not know what you want." The voice sent a chill down his spine and Will nearly jumped. Instead he simply turned around to see Barbossa starring at him with nearly cold eyes. A crooked smirk appeared on the face. Will's brows furrowed and he snapped the still spinning compass shut. "Well I certainly don't want that Jack." Without thinking Will flung the compass away and it hit something hard before ricocheting off and into the water.
-/-/-/- Barbossa -/-/-/-
Barbossa grumbled as he heard a plump as the compass splashed through the water. He roared to the edge of the ship and saw the ripples where the compass had just sunk. He flung off his coat and jumped over board, arms outstretched in a dive. He hit the water and shivered at the coldness, but forced his eyes open. He looked around in the bleary water but all he could see were some fish skimming away, and choral that was attached to a jutting rock that came out of the ocean floor. Barbossa started swimming towards the ocean bottom and a glint caught his eye. He turned his head to see the compass sitting on the sand that was puffing up in a cloud. He swam towards it until he could reach it with a finger and grasped it. He would have smiled victoriously had it not been for the cold water surrounding him. He turned back around and followed his trail of bubbles back up towards the surface. But then something pulled him back and he looked to see his foot caught on a rock. He started to panic.
-/-/-/- Will -/-/-/-
Will realized what he had done but truthfully did not care that would not be able to find Jack. Let him and Elizabeth go to Hell. They can be happy together there. He thought angrily. Then he saw Barbossa fling himself into the water and rushed to the rails to watch the air bubbles disappear. The other crew members rushed to the railing to see what was going on. The minutes ticked on as Will waited impatiently for a figure to appear near the surface, but he saw no darkening waters at all. Well, I can't get home without a Captain…and on that thought he took a deep breath and lunged overboard.
He blinked his eyes open and searched the blurry fuzz of a view for anything that could be Barbossa. Then he saw a trail of bubbles leading down towards the bottom and followed their trail. He saw Barbossa, grasping the compass, sinking down unconscious. Will rushed through the water and pulled Barbossa up towards the surface only to find that something else yanked back down. He looked down to see Barbossa's pant leg caught on a sharp rock. He swam towards the rock and started yanking at the clothing, desperately trying to get it to rip, but to no avail. Will could feel a dizzy feeling taking over his mind as his lungs began burning for air. Using the last of his energy he gave a tremendous yank and heard the cloth shredding in the water. With a new hope he grabbed hold of Barbossa's waist and hauled him up towards the surface of the water. Once there he started gasping for breath. He pulled Barbossa's head up so he could breathe in the air. Barbossa blinked and started swimming on his on. He seemed surprised to see Will helping him up. A rope was thrust out towards them and Will grabbed hold of it. Barbossa did as well and they were hauled up and over the edge of the WAVE RACER.
Gibbs looked uncertainly at Barbossa. "What was that about?" he demanded. Will leaned on the railing for support as he panted. Barbossa held up his hand which was grasping Jack's Compass. Gibbs looked amazed, in a bad way. "All of that for a compass? Not even a properly working one either!" Barbossa could only smile triumphantly at Gibbs. Slowly the crew members waltzed away, still dismayed. Then Barbossa turned to Will. His happy expression changed into a stern, angry one. "Never throw this compass again, boy." Will rolled his eyes, "So that's the thanks I get for saving your life?" Barbossa flung the compass at his stomach and it fell to the floor planks. "Because of you throwing that compass I nearly drowned! So no Mr. Turner, I believe you nearly cost me my life, not saved it." Will picked up the compass and glared at it. "I can't find Jack. I don't want to find him, I never will." Barbossa made an unhappy face. "Give it to me." Will simply held it out to Barbossa and strolled away as if nothing had happened. "Strange lad…" Barbossa muttered.
-/-/-/- Barbossa -/-/-/-
Barbossa shook his head and walked down towards Ms. Swann's resting place, the compass in hand. When he saw how flushed and uncomfortable she looked he felt instant pity. He laid a hand over her forehead and shocked, he pulled it away. The hot flesh was almost too unbearable. How could Elizabeth stand to be in that skin when he couldn't even touch it? Hurriedly he opened the compass and grabbed Elizabeth's limp hand and placed the compass in it. He watched the needle spin until it was pointing to the North West. He took the compass back and put it in his pocket. Again he touched her forehead and again he quickly pulled his hand away, amazed at how hot she was. He sighed and shook his head. He walked back on deck and beckoned Mr. Gibbs, who hurried over. "Yes Captain Barbossa?" Barbossa looked at him concerned, "Ms. Swann is getting much worse, you need to have yourself and someone else on constant watch for her. Mr. Turner is having an emotional breakdown at the moment, so she is your responsibility." Gibbs nodded and rushed off to get a wet rag and Marty did as well. The two crew members rushed under deck to tend to the dying woman. Barbossa walked to his wheel and steered it to follow Jack's course. He smiled when ice chunks came into view in the distance.