Jack crept up the stairs that led to the deck where Elizabeth had been given a cabin. They'd booted an officer out of his cabin to make room for Elizabeth, and now, in the moonlight, Jack snuck past all the sleeping sailors in their hammocks and made his way upstairs. The deck where Elizabeth was sleeping was just below the weather deck, and the cabin where they'd put her was at the aft of the ship. Jack stumbled back toward her cabin, feeling his head swim from drink. He'd raided the rum stores and had spent hours waiting for the sailors to fall asleep, drinking all the while.
He paused with his hand on the wooden knob of what he was about eighty percent sure what Elizabeth's cabin. If he opened it and it was someone else, he'd be damned, but he was relatively certain. He could knock, but that might wake someone, and he couldn't have that. Jack pinched his lips and twisted the door knob, pushing the door open.
Inside the windowless cabin, he found Elizabeth sleeping on a berth against the wall. The dimly lit lantern hanging from the wall cast a dull golden light over the cramped space. Jack shut the door, stumbling inside as the ship swayed. Elizabeth startled awake, and she sat up quickly as Jack came to sit near her feet.
"Jack," she whispered, rubbing at her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Had to see you, love," Jack drawled, and Elizabeth's lips parted.
"You're drunk."
"So I am," he confessed. "Got my hands on some rum."
Elizabeth blinked and looked at the door. "Jack. I got James to promise to issue you a full pardon when we return to Port Royal, but I think he'll renege on that if he finds out you've been here."
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him, my dear." Jack reached for Elizabeth's face and dragged his knuckles down her cheek, making her shiver. He stared straight into her eyes and whispered again, "I had to see you, Lizzie."
"You did?" She seemed a little breathless, and her chest rose and fell quickly in her underdress. "Why?"
"Because," Jack began, "I needed to tell you that… that I was not taking advantage on that island, savvy?"
"Taking advantage," Elizabeth repeated, her brows knitting. She shook her head and asked, "What do you mean?"
Jack huffed in frustration. "I mean, love, that I touched you and you touched me for reasons besides the plain truth that you're a beautiful young woman, eh? I had other reasons for doing those things that we did, aside from your looks. Savvy?"
He was nervous now, and he was talking like it, blathering on drunkenly. Elizabeth chewed her lip and reached for his hand. She rubbed his thumb with hers, and he shut his eyes for a moment, tipping his head. Elizabeth asked softly,
"Why did we do those things, Jack?"
"Because, whether you believe a pirate can do it or not, Elizabeth, I actually happen to care for you as a woman in her entirety. From that lovely little spark you've got within your spirit all the way out to your cheeky little smirk and, yes, your beauty. I actually care, Elizabeth, and I had not planned on doing so. Not even a little bit. But it happened. And it's why you touched me, and it's why I touched you, so…"
He'd gone on and on, and as he'd spoken, Elizabeth's eyes had watered and she'd begun to cry a little. She sniffed a bit and whispered,
"Jack, how could I possibly marry James now?"
"You'll marry him, I'd wager, because you promised to marry him," Jack sighed. He touched at his forehead and mused, "I'll miss the devil out of you, Lizzie, when you do it."
"No." Elizabeth shook her head and dragged a knuckle under her eye to swipe away a tear. She gulped and said, "I won't do it. I won't marry James. I'd rather be with you. You and I will run away from Port Royal, Jack. We'll find a ship and go save Will."
"Ah. Still caught up about the blacksmith, are we?" Jack asked bitterly, but Elizabeth pursed her lips and told Jack,
"He's my friend. And I won't accept his death. Not yet. We have to find Barbossa and save Will. You and I. Together."
"You want to be a pirate, Lizzie?" Jack quirked up half his mouth at her, but she stayed serious and told him,
"I'd sooner become a pirate than marry James Norrington."
Jack licked his bottom lip and nodded, feeling a thrill go through his chest. Was she serious? Did she mean this? He decided to test the waters.
"So, we'll sail back to Port Royal under the deception that you are to marry the good Commodore. You'll return to the Governor's Mansion, and I'll be pardoned. I'll secure a small ship that the two of us can crew on our own. Once I've got the ship, I'll come and sneak you out of your dearest father's home, and we'll run away together in hopes of finding the Black Pearl and rescuing poor Will Turner. Have we a plan, Miss Swann?"
"Yes, Captain Sparrow," she grinned. "We have a plan."
He leaned toward her and kissed her lips gently, sliding his fingers into the hair she'd brushed. He asked against her lips,
"And you don't want to marry your elegantly coiffed Commodore?"
"I like your hair better, Captain Sparrow," she replied, and she kissed him back hard.
Elizabeth stared at herself in her mirror at the Governor's Mansion. Her maid stood behind her and pushed some pins into her hair. Elizabeth had already been laced into a dark red gown, and she stood as her maid finished her hair. She nodded her thanks, and her maid asked hesitantly,
"Was it very terrifying, Miss? Being stranded on that island with that pirate?"
Elizabeth turned to face her maid and shook her head. "No. Not at all, Mary. It was… it was the most free I've ever felt in all my life. And he was absolutely wonderful to me."
Her eyes watered and she blinked a little. Another maid, Catherine, appeared at the door of Elizabeth's antechamber as she walked out of her bedroom. Catherine said rather nervously,
"Miss, the Governor is already at his office for the day, but there is a man who's come to call, insisting that he be permitted to see you."
"Is it Commodore Norrington?" asked Elizabeth curiously, but Catherine knitted her hands before her and shook her head.
"Please, Miss. He's rather frightening. He says his name is Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Jack?" Elizabeth went pushing past Catherine and dashed out onto the landing of the mansion's upper floor. She thrust herself out onto the landing and gripped the rail, gasping when she saw Jack standing in the mansion's foyer with a very uncomfortable-looking butler. He held a leather tricorn in his hands before him and grinned up at Elizabeth, his gold tooth glinting. Elizabeth dashed down the stairs so quickly that she tripped, and she yelped loudly as she tumbled head over heels down the stairs.
Suddenly she was being heaved to her feet, and she giggled like a child as Jack wrapped an arm around her waist and choked out a laugh.
"You all right, love?" he asked. "Not used to the skirts again, eh?"
"Something like that. Have you come for tea?" Elizabeth asked, and Jack stepped back, laughing again. The butler looked utterly scandalised, as did Catherine and Mary up on the landing. Elizabeth walked down the stairs with Jack, and he asked cautiously,
"Have you got rum instead of tea?"
"It'll be tea, Captain Sparrow," said Elizabeth with a grin. She turned up to Catherine and called, "Tea in the green lounge, Catherine, if you please."
"Yes, Miss Elizabeth," Catherine nodded with a curtsy. She hurried down the stairs and made her way to the kitchens at the back of the mansion. Elizabeth guided Jack into the green-coloured parlour to the left of the foyer, and she sat slowly on a divan as Jack flopped into a chair opposite her. He crossed one boot over a knee, and he smirked at her.
"Don't you look lovely in your fine gown, with your hair done all nicely, love," he told her. "But I'll always like you best in a dirty, salty underdress, your hair stringy round your sunburned face."
She blinked a few times at him and nodded, her wild grin fading just a little. Catherine came in with tea, pouring a cup for Elizabeth and one for Jack and offering them sugar. Once they each had their cups, Catherine left the cart, curtsied, and scurried out of the room. Elizabeth sipped her tea and asked,
"Remember when you first cracked a coconut over my head with your cutlass?"
Jack was quiet at that. He stared into his cup of tea and murmured to Elizabeth,
"I've got a ship."
She felt gooseflesh go up on her arms. She sipped her tea again and tried to stay calm. "What sort of ship?" she mumbled in a low voice.
"A tiny sloop I won in a game of cards," he said. "She's called the Expeditious. Used to be a naval ship before pirates got hold of her. She ran messages from schooners and warships. Only needs a very small crew. If you follow my directions…"
He cocked up an eyebrow meaningfully at her and said in a low voice,
"We could manage."
Elizabeth smiled weakly at him and nodded. "When do we go, Jack?"
"Your maids are already suspicious," he said. "We should go as soon as possible."
"Tonight," Elizabeth whispered. Then, suddenly having a flight of wild thought, she asked, "Why not now?"
"Now?" Jack raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "No, love. Cover of night, to be certain."
"Fine. Tonight." Elizabeth huffed a breath and nodded. "I'll dress practically. I've got a few sturdy, simple gowns I can put on myself."
"What you wear makes no difference to me so long as you can help me tack with the mainsail, love." Jack sipped his tea, and Elizabeth dragged her teeth over her lip, feeling thrilled at the idea of sailing away with him.
"Where and when shall I meet you?" she asked, and he whispered,
"Midnight. Outside the front gate."
"I'll be there," Elizabeth nodded, feeling utterly breathless. She finished off her cup of tea and murmured to Jack again, "I'll be there."
Author's Note: Oh, my. So these two are making their escape onto their own ship, and Elizabeth is running away from Norrington! Will they find Barbossa and Will? Or will they just strike it on their own as pirates? Let me know what you think will happen once they've found true freedom! I would REALLY appreciate your feedback. Thank you!