"Jack!" Elizabeth said this time in surprise and concern.

Will looked at Jack with sadness and all thoughts about the pirate trying to steal Elizabeth from him disappeared when he saw blood seep around the pirates' hand.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," Jack said as if trying to reassure himself more than them. He slumped into the couch before his knees could buckle beneath him. He was pale and shaky. Jack seemed to try to recompose himself with a large, deep sigh. He was still holding his injury.

"Would you like to lie down Jack?" Elizabeth asked him.

"No," Jack said after a moment. He had his kohl-lined eyes closed.

"You really should Captain. You're not looking too well now," Ragetti said. He exchanged looks with Pintel, Anamaria, and Gibbs.

"Lets just say that a young newborn babe has more strength than I, but it would be me that would have the strongest willpower," Jack said. He saw some confused faces. He loved it when people didn't understand him, but he himself is perplexed at how they still don't understand him. "Fine, I'll lay me self down."

"I'll show you to your room then," Elizabeth said getting up.

"Where is Elizabeth?" Jack demanded as he slowly got up.

"Jack I'm right here," Elizabeth said.

"Aye I'm looking at her, but the Elizabeth I know, and possibly care for, would not show me to my room. She would turn me in before I can even enter it." Jack said.

"Fine. I just don't want you stealing. There. Happy now?" Elizabeth said.

"Actually I would like to see your bedroom first," Jack said and gave her a sly smile.

"No," was all Elizabeth said.

Jack pouted and followed her. He didn't want anyone carrying him around anymore. He could make it on his own, right? He was answered when he found himself to be leaning more towards one side than the other and fell to the ground.

"Come on Jack," Gibbs said. He hoisted Jack up and let the younger man lean on him for support.

Elizabeth led Jack and Gibbs through her home as she kept glancing at the corner of her eye is any of them were up to something, but they did nothing but follow her. She showed Jack to his room and let him get settled.

"This bed is dusty and it smells funny," Jack complained when he fell on top of the bed exhausted. "You must have of not paid your housekeepers well."

"Jack! We pay them well enough," Elizabeth said. She didn't comment on the dust or the smell because it was true. This was one of their smaller unused rooms.

"Jack you should rest now," Gibbs said.

"You really should, Jack. You look terrible," Elizabeth said.

They watched as Jack sighed heavily and seemed to think about what to do. "Fine, but not because I am sleepy."

"Okay. We'll be back, Jack," Gibbs said.

"Mm-hmm," Jack said. He nuzzled his face deeper into the pillow.

"Here are a few towels for - " Elizabeth started to say before being cut off by Jack.

"I am not going to take a bath!"

"I wasn't going to say that, but now that you mention it, it would do you some good. You don't want that to get infected," Elizabeth said and handed Jack the towels.

Without looking he just pressed them underneath his wound as he laid facedown on the bed. They heard him mumble something indescribable between the pillows, but they let him be. A moment later Jack was sleeping and the door closed. Elizabeth and Mister Gibbs rejoined the party in silence.

He saw himself, but he wasn't alone. With him was a strange creature he has only heard of in the stories the old drunks use to tell in Tortuga. He appeared to be talking to the creature or the strange silver and black device tool that the creature was holding in front of him. The place was unfamiliar, along with the scenery from the frosted window. Everything was white outside aside from the occasional green from the strange trees outside.

He came to realize that it wasn't him. One, because the man there was not wearing the same clothes or anything similar to his own. Two, his hair was clean and wavy. Three, there was no ship, sea, port, sun, palm trees, or sand to be around. The place seemed cold. Four, the man appeared to be alive or at least more alive than he is now. And Jack knew that his time was coming. Five, the man was talking to that strange creature with the bat-like ears and large bulging green eyes.

Jack could have ranted about their differences but then he noticed something on the man's bare skin from where the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. As he came closer the unmistaken sparrow tattoo and 'P' brand came clearer. They were exactly identical from Jack's own. He also noticed the many scattered bottles lying around him.

"Speak to me of pirates and wizards," was all Jack heard from the man, him. The voice sounded tired and he even found it to be seductive .He did notice the lone tear glide down his other self's' cheek before the creature started to speak. He didn't say, move, or even twitch when the creature shook him or when people barged in there with happy expressions.

"Mister Gibbs what do you mean that Jack is dying? We just saw him almost a year and a half ago. He was fine then," Will said.

Gibbs, Anamaria, Ragetti, and Pintel had just finished explaining to Will and Elizabeth about how Jack came to be dying.

"Aye, but it happened so fast. He was either trying to save that damned bird or have it show us the direction to land."

"It's a wonder he's still alive from what you've said," Elizabeth said struck with the news.

"He's a fighter, or was. He's giving up now, that's what he said."

"But why? After all that trouble we went through to save him only to lose him again," Will said rashly.

"Things have changed, he has changed," Anamaria said.

"So," Elizabeth said trying to sort everything out. "We all know that Jack is going to die really soon. You want him to die peacefully in Port Royal instead of being on the Black Pearl where he belongs. When he does die, you'll give him the pirate burial and you get to sail away with his ship."

"That about sums it up," Anamaria said grimly.

"Oh," Will said. He exchanged a look with Elizabeth.

"So what do you say?" Pintel asked.

"He really needs to find peace outside of the Black Pearl," Ragetti said. "I hope he'll find happiness then."

"All right as long as it's fine with you, Elizabeth," Will said and looked at her.

"But what will the servants think? What if the people here find out that we're keeping a pirate here?" Elizabeth asked.

"Elizabeth, remember when you were between Jack, Norrington, and myself?" Will asked. He gave a small smile when he realized that Jack would have commented something profane to that. "You said that your place was with me. Your father said I was just a blacksmith, but then you said I was a - "

- Pirate," Elizabeth and Will said at the same time.

"I remember," Elizabeth said nodding her head sadly. "Fine."

"Good!" Anamaria said a little happier than expected.

"Thank you," Ragetti and Pintel said nodding their heads approvingly to the young couple before Ragetti's wooden eye popped out.

"Aye it may not be the right thing for Jack, but he'll appreciate your company," Gibbs said. "I suppose we better pay Jack a visit before heading back to the Black Pearl."

Elizabeth nodded and got up to lead the small group to the guest bedroom. When they arrived, Jack was still sleeping.

"Jack," Gibbs nudged and shook his captain awake.

"What? I wasn't sleeping," Jack said immediately. He looked at their blurry faces and let his eyes adjust to the light.

"We're going to the Black Pearl now," Anamaria said.

"Okay. I'll be here then," Jack said. "Make sure the crew swabs those decks and patches her up. When I come back she better be there fully stocked with rum."

"Bye Jack," Anamaria said and waved.

"Bye Captain," Ragetti said teary eyed and hugged Jack.

Jack patted the pirates' back and said, "Go get yerself a glass eye with your earnings."

"Aye, aye," Ragetti said.

"I don't know why we even gave ye up on the first place," Pintel said, also hugging Jack.

"I don't know why I let you two go," Jack said. He looked at Gibbs and said, "Well I suppose you be wanting one also."

"At first I thought against it, but oh shiver me timbers Jack," Gibbs said. He hugged Jack and sniffed back his emotions.

"Well I'm glad that we're all men of feelings, but this is starting to get uncomfortable Gibbs," Jack said after patting the mans' back far too long for comfort between two men who love the feeling of warmth of a woman, and long enough for Jack to take the old salt's flask.

"Aye, sorry about that Jack. Don't know what came over me," Gibbs said. "I guess we should be heading out now. Who knows what the crew has been up to."

Jack watched the pirates leave as Will showed them the door out. He was left alone with Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, you haven't hugged me yet and this bed is made for more than one," Jack said with a smile that showed the golden caps on his teeth.

"Not this time Jack," Elizabeth said.

"This time? What about next time or the previous time then? I am a man of talent," Jack said.

"Jack?"

"Yes Elizabeth?"

"Go rest."

"For you, anything. Well almost, you did handcuff me to the Black Pearl, but you did kiss me. Still curious?"