A/N: Sorry for the long wait…I've been at soccer camp. This chapter's shorter than the rest…but…just…get over it. XD

Chapter 7

A small stream of light lit up the skin that was Elizabeth's cheek. Her eyes were hidden beneath their lids, her hair lay curled around her bare neck, and she lay in a bed, covered by a sheet. Just a sheet. She could feel the warmth of lifely breath upon the back of her neck as she slowly awakened beneath her closed eyes. And suddenly she was wide awake, her eyes opened, her mind aware, and her heart pounding with a shrill excitement mixed with a prying horror. In a second she'd leapt to her feet, flinging the sheet away to reveal her uncovered body, and quickly she found her shed clothing, folded nicely and set upon a desk, and put it all back on. She did her best to compose herself and then left the empty room, walking out onto the deck and into the crew members, who, fortunately, didn't notice anything out of the norm.
Elizabeth headed for the stairs to the Captain's wheel, where she knew Tank would be posted. She found him there and walked to the wheel without a word, feeling strangly lit up, as if anyone who glanced at her could see all her thoughts laid out before them.
Tank glanced at her as she grasped the wheel and cleared his throat. She cast him a look of avoidance.
"I didn't find you in your cabin this morning." He stated curiously.
"I...woke early. So I could...watch the sunrise. I've been missing it for so long now, I just had to see it to refresh my mind."
"Oh...I see..." Tank nodded suspiciously.
"Look...just because I look up to you doesn't mean you get the privilige to act like a father to me."
"I don't have to be acting like a father to be concerned about you. Any person could do that without being a father, though fathers do tend to do it a lot." Tank said cooly, almost expectantly.
"Well...it's not like I-"
"Did something incredibly stupid in the dead of the night? No, of course not."
Elizabeth sighed and knew by now that Tank wasn't in the dark on this.
Tank saw that realization dawn on her face and nodded. "It wasn't hard to figure out where you'd gone to. Nearly everyone can see it. In both of you. It was only a matter of time the way I saw it..."
"Then why make a big deal over it!?" Elizabeth felt the anger burn in her chest. If everyone knew so well about herself and Jack's personal business why did they make a fuss when what they'd expected finally happened?
"Because it's stupid. I thought maybe you'd come through and forget about it." Tank replied bluntly.
"Forget about it?"
"Yeah...Forget about him, that is. Jack Sparrow. He's not a man to get involved with...he'll stick with you no matter where you go...get in your head and ruin you. You're such an intellegent woman, and I know you did well to marry the Turner boy, but now..."
"That's enough, Tank. Just because Jack has a reputation as a pirate, doesn't mean he doesn't also have a heart."
Tank smiled sympathetically. "Do you really think he could actually love anyone?"
Elizabeth's cheeks burned at these creul words. "Jack is a man...not some demon arisen from hell."
"What's the difference?" Tank asked immediately.
"I'll take it from here."
Both Elizabeth and Tank turned to the new voice in the conversation. It was Jack, standing at the first step of the stairs and looking hardly into Tank's eyes.
Tank cast a dark glance at Elizabeth, who was struggling with her eyes, and slowly walked past Jack and down the stairs.
Jack waited until he had gone before he walked over to Elizabeth, his gaze changing immediately.
"I thought you were a famous captain...but then why would they all hate you?" Elizabeth asked, clearly confused.
Jack put his arm around her shoulders. "They don't hate me...They hate that you like me."
Elizabeth heard him struggle for a word to use as he said 'like'. So he didn't think she might love him? Or he didn't know...
"Why?"
"Because they like you...You're a good person and they know it. I have a bad rep...they just don't want you to inherit that rep by getting involved with me."
"But that's stupid..."
"Isn't it?" Jack replied, letting a small chuckle escape him.
When Elizabeth looked up into his eyes they sparkled with the light they'd had when she first saw him, and she felt warm. He was happy. She had made him happy.
"So...why don't you think I'm a demon from hell?" Jack finally said humorously.
Elizabeth couldn't help but to laugh. "Maybe I do...but I couldn't tell anyone of such an accusation. Demons from hell aren't very appreciated you know."
"Not at all...Too many people like cuddly things, and demons aren't very cuddly, so they're hated." Jack agreed.
Elizabeth nodded with a smile. "It's been too long since you've been happy...and it's so replenishing to see you wear a smile again."
Jack smiled in response, looking a bit more serious now, but the humorous spark far from dull in his eyes. "You look tired...It might've helped if you'd actually gotten sleep last night."
Elizabeth rubbed her eyes. "It was worth it...I can just get sleep tonight."
Jack gave her a coy look. "What makes you think that?"
Elizabeth let her jaw drop in a preppy smile. "Well what were you thinking then?"
"A few things...all at once." Jack replied. "But, you should probably go back to sleep. We are still on an mission even if it feels like it'll take an eternity to get anywhere."
Elizabeth sighed and nodded. "Alright...back to sleep...but I want to be wakened by lunch so that I can do something other than snooze all day."
Jack nodded with a smile and kissed her tenderly, then watched her walk dazily down the stairs until she disappeared. Then he let out his sigh. He knew it would be only a matter of days before Elizabeth realized she was breaking the rules. That she was married to William and she was with Jack at the same time. He had half expected her to hate him this morning for even letting himself go, but he had been so relieved to hear her sticking up for him to Tank. In fact that had made his heart go strangly warm and beat faster. She cared enough to defend him from others' harsh judgement. There was definitely something special and unique about Elizabeth Swann...Turner.

//-//-//-//-//

"Captain! Wake up, wake up!"
Elizabeth she'd only been asleep for an hour; who would be yelling at her to get up so soon? Groggily she put her pillow over her head, drowning out the voice of the man yelling through her wooden door. There was quiet for a few minutes and then she heard, dinstinctly, the sound of her door swooshing open.
"Elizabeth, love, wake the bloody hell up."
"Ugh." She mumbled through her pillow.
To her dismay she felt the softness of her pillow lifted away a moment later and opened her eyes sleepily.
"I asked them to wake you up fifteen minutes ago and you slept through it all. I didn't think you were ThaT tired from last night..." Jack said lowly.
"What's going on?" Elizabeth griped in response.
"We've hit Cuba."
Elizabeth was wide awake an instant later. "You mean?"
"Well...we aren't at the Fountain. No doubt we'll be going through a series of events meant to test us to the death and if we play our cards right we'll find it."
Elizabeth nodded, getting to her feet. She'd gone straight to bed without taking off her clothes, so they were still on as she left her bed. Jack was standing a few feet beside her, looking excited, and smiling.
"Well...lets get to the map and see what we're supposed to do now." Elizabeth said quickly. "Oh...and we'll need to talk to Barbossa as well."
Jack grumbled at that. "Hector. I bet he found a really long telescope by now..."
"What?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.
"Oh nothing really..." Jack continued grumbling. "At least I've ridden sea turtles and dolphins."