A/N: Hello, readers. Thank you for all your lovely reviews, you're all wonderful, I don't know how I could continue without my dear reviewers. :)

Disclaimer: Only Disney has the honor of being able to claim PotC.

Spoiler: Sniff, sniff.

I had stopped moving and stared down at Will. A sail flapped noiselessly behind me.

So... said the annoying "inner voice" that, when it did come, never helped at all. Who do you love?

Be quiet, I snapped.

I had no explanation for why I was in such shock. It had to have started at least a few days ago--I couldn't have just suddenly started to lov--have feelings for--Ja--I stopped myself, unable to acknowledge it. I don't, I told myself firmly, but still I knew that I did.

I trust him, that's all, I thought, remembering the words I had said to Norrington on the deck of the Pearl. The words I had said about... I couldn't think about him. I didn't want to.

My thoughts inevitably and eventually drifted... to Jack. Captain Jack Sparrow. I trusted him. I had faith in him. I could even say he was a wonderful person, a wonderful pirate. A good man. I had always known it.

And I had to admit to myself that he did love me.

He had even forgiven me, at the end.

I sighed. Why couldn't life be simpler? And it was anything but simple now. If fate had already made the decision of not letting Jack get whatever he was planning to, I had three days left to live.

It suddenly occured to me that Will and I still had to be married. I felt a terrible twinge of guilt. Will loved me. He cared about me. He was my fiance, and I was supposed to be married to him. I knew he loved me with all his heart and he must want me to love him back. And I loved Jack now. I had finally decided to admit it.

Then, with no warning, with no explanation, it dawned on me. If Will were to find out... and it would be all too obvious... what would happen to Jack? Will had already fought Jack several times in the past, and had almost succeeded in killingbefore. What if he had extra motivation this time? What if he discovered that Jack had captured my heart?

At that moment a strong gust of wind pounded on my set of ropes. In my terror and shock I let go of the rigging, and felt the wind push my fainting body into the water.

When I woke up, I was lying on the deck of the Pearl. By the angle of the sunlight I could tell it was late afternoon, though most of the sunlight was blocked from my view, as both Jack and Will were hovering over me.

"Elizabeth," sighed Jack. "Thank the goddess you're safe."

"What happened?" asked Will, concern coloring his voice. "One moment I saw you there, then you were gone. We searched everywhere, and we directed the ship back. Jack saw you in the water. You were drowning."

"I don't know..." I whispered. "The wind--it was strong... I let go on accident. Are we behind schedule now?"

"Only a little," Jack assured me. "Will, could you please man the helm for a while?"

Will walked away to the helm slowly, glancing back at us as he went.

"Jack," I said, embarrased. "I'm sorry about having to be rescued again... I don't know what happened..." I felt myself blushing furiously.

"Don't worry, love," he said firmly. "Just make sure you're all right. We have a little over two days left, we'll be there soon. But all you need to worry 'bout is your own safety, savvy?"

After a while he added quietly, "I can't afford to lose you." I stared at him, feeling my heart beat a little faster.

"Jack, can I have a word please?" It was Will, approaching us.

"Yes, of course," said Jack slowly.

I stood up quickly.

"I think I'll ask Tia Dalma for one of her elixirs," I said. Will nodded at me as the two pirates strolled to the bow. I started to descend the steps.

There was a slightly awkward pause before Will spoke. I could hear him from where I stood.

"I've noticed that you've been spending... more time than is normal with my fiancé."

I froze, turning only my head so I could see them. Jack was staring at the choppy waves, his face blank and impassive.

"I think… that Elizabeth may be warming up to you," Will said. Jack continued to watch the water, betraying no hint of emotion.

"Go on," he said. I strained my ears.

"She was devastated when you were… swallowed by the kracken."

Silence.

"The way you look at her… It's as if she's yours," Will said.

"She's not though," Jack said. There was a long pause.

"I saw you kiss her that day," Will said at last. I could feel my face warm as I thought of the day I both betrayed Will and harmed Jack.

There was silence again, and Jack sighed and looked up.

"I love her, Will," he said quietly. "That's all I can say."

"And does she love you back?"

"Well, I wouldn't know, would I? I'd like to know, though, just an answer, it doesn't matter which it is, but sometimes knowing is just better than not, no matter what answer it is… and of course I know she's not mine anyhow... savvy?"

After a moment he added, "I'm sure she's still yours, though."

"So I would think," Will said slowly. "I want you to stay away from Elizabeth now."

"'Course," said Jack, his voice carefully controlled; it seemed as if he was trying hard not to show any emotion, but I could tell that he was overcome with it. "I'd expected that…As you wish. After all, she is your bonny lass." I thought I saw a tiny, fleeting flash of sympathy in Will's eyes.

"I just don't want it to hurt in the end," Will said softly. "For any of us." Oh, Will, I thought. What are you doing? Can't you see he's hurt already?

"Either way, she's your bride for certain," Jack said blankly, and adjusted his hat.

"I'll do the sails for you," Will offered lamely.

"Oh, no, I think I will," said Jack. "I feel like climbing in the wind today." He turned his face away walked towards the mast, shifting a coil of ropes. Tears stung my eyes. Jack, I'm so sorry! I thought, yet I knew that as long as Will was here, I could never love Jack—never in the way that he loved me. It wasn't called love if I couldn't do it freely.

"Oh, and Will?" he said, turning around again, his voice gentler than I had ever heard before. "I'm sorry."

He turned and continued to the mast, looking as if someone had placed an enormous burden upon him.