DISCLAIMER: 'OW MANY BLOODY TIMES DO I 'AVE TO SAY IT! And yes, I know I like Nickelback way too much.

I guess it wasn't really right I guess it wasn't meant to be

I guess I stuck around

so I could watch us fight

for all the wrong reasons

Chapter 3

Jack found the silence unbearable. He couldn't be alone with Elizabeth. He turned around and stalked off. The effect was somewhat ruined by how slowly he moved. Soon Jack found something of a living room and threw himself onto a couch. A helpful bottle of rum sat of the coffee table, and he drained half of it in one gulp. Though he tried to forget it, his experiences in Hell were still foremost in his mind.

The bottle in his hand was soon empty. He fell asleep as it slid from his hand.

Jack awoke with Elizabeth shaking him.

"What do ye want?" he said impatiently.

"I fixed a bit of dinner. I thought you'd be hungry," she replied.

Jack shook his head at the tomato soup. It reminded him too much of blood.

Elizabeth sat next to him nervously and took a spoonful of soup. "Jack…" she said.

Jack stood up. "I'm goin' to bed," he said roughly. Elizabeth half-rose from the couch as though to stop him, but he had disappeared up the stairs.

Jack walked aimlessly around the second floor. There were five rooms: Two had twin beds, one a king, and the other two were bathrooms. Jack quickly succumbed to his tired legs. Leaning on the wall for support and cursing his own weakness, he made his way to one of the twin beds. He smacked his knee on a nightstand and swore loudly. He dropped onto the bed, muttering various curses.

"Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, BUGGER."

Jack tore off his boots and rolled onto his side, not bothering to slip under the sheets, and fell asleep immediately.

Elizabeth must have swallowed the last of her soup and taken care of her bowl. She must have stretched tiredly and headed upstairs. Because now here she was, standing at the entrance to Jack's room. The pirate had fallen asleep without bothering to remove his sword and compass or get under the covers. He looked so peaceful, especially compared to the angry and reclusive Jack Elizabeth had seen.

She tiptoed in and carefully placed the blanket over his shoulders before going into the room across the hall. She removed her boots and tucked the covers under her chin. Elizabeth tried to think again, but her tired brain would not allow it. She finally closed her drooping eyelids and slept.

Elizabeth was jolted awake the next morning by a cry of terror. She sat bolt upright and shoved her feet into her boots. Still rubbing sleep from her eyes, she wrenched open her door and crossed the hall.

"Jack, what happened? Are you all right?" Elizabeth called past the door.

"I'm bloody fine!" came the angry reply.

Elizabeth flared up immediately. "Good, because I don't care either way!" she lied. "Get your sorry butt downstairs for breakfast. NOW!" She whirled around and thundered down herself, making as much noise as possible in the process.

Inside the room, Jack gave himself a mental smack. Still grumbling to himself, he attempted to put his boots on the wrong feet seven times before he got it right, and then went downstairs.

In the kitchen, Elizabeth plunked down a plate of eggs in front of him. Jack could have sworn he saw her furiously wipe away a tear before she sat down. He picked up his fork and slowly began to eat.

Jack watched Elizabeth wolf down her own breakfast and scrub the remaining dregs from her plate. She stuffed it into a cabinet and threw herself back into the chair, breathing hard. Her breaths eventually slowed.

"Jack," she said.

Jack kept his eyes on his plate, suddenly very interested in a small chip in the paint.

"I know you probably don't want to talk yet, but I have to get this off my chest."

Jack quickly assessed the room for escape routes.

"Jack, do you know why I did what I did?" Elizabeth said quietly.

"Because you're a dirty rotten pirate," Jack mumbled, his mouth full of eggs.

"And you're not, are you, you filthy hypocrite?" Elizabeth said scornfully. "And no. That's not why. I did it because…I was afraid."

God, this is so much harder when he's awake.

"Of what? Meeting the same fate I did?" Jack spat bitterly.

"Yes, and no. Yes, I was afraid of being eaten alive. But that isn't the real reason." Elizabeth almost found herself wishing she had Jack's warm scent to comfort her again. She hesitated.

"Will you just bloody get on with it?" Jack said impatiently.

"Fine. I was afraid of loving somebody that I shouldn't."

Jack's fork stopped halfway to his mouth and dropped with a clatter. He gaped at the young woman in front of him. "Excuse me, could you repeat that?"

"No, I couldn't. It was hard enough the first time. But Jack, you've got to understand. I didn't know what to do. Think about it. The governor's daughter and the most notorious pirate to ever sail the Caribbean Sea? I think not. But I'm not afraid anymore."

Not afraid anymore? What was she afraid of again? Oh yeah. And now she's not afraid. Which means…oh, bloody…

"I love you, Jack."

Jack stood up and went to the door. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and went out to sit on a bench. So she did love him. It wasn't possible. (a/n: Not probable. Sorry.) Too confused with this new revelation, Jack turned to another thought as he heard a small sob from inside. Relief. Relief that Elizabeth had bought his act of surprise and anger.