Hey everybody! I am totally sorry about this super slow update. I know, I know, I'm bad...Anyway, I'm back and I'm not quitting! It's just been hard for me to find time to sit down and write lately.

Anyway, wasn't the second movie awesome? (That stuff about Will's dad was a real tear jerker, tho)

Thanks for all of the reviews! I love them all!

Enjoy!
Romen

Disclaimer: Unfamiliar; mine. Familiar; not mine.

Chapter 22

The Cave

"I know it's somewhere around here..."

Wendeline scowled, swatting at a dragonfly. "Well hurry up and find it, Oliver, I'm perspiring, and ladies don't perspire!"

Oliver frowned, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, it was in this direction..." He turned abruptly to the left.

James sighed. "Remind me why we're doing this again?"

"Because it's fun!" Oliver replied with enthusiasm.

"What are you doing out here?"

Elizabeth turned around. Susan and Tom were standing side by side, watching them with amused expressions on their faces.

Will wiped sweat from eyes. "We're looking for a cave." He glanced at Elizabeth.

Susan snorted. "A cave? Why do you want to find a cave?"

"Because there's supposed to be loads of treasure inside!" Oliver exclaimed, still not losing any of his pep.

"Oh, you mean the cave that's supposedly haunted by native spirits that suck out your soul?" Tom asked knowledgeably. He nodded to the right. "It's in that direction."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You've been there before?"

Tom shrugged. "Once or twice. I've never gone inside of it though."

"Can you take us there?" Wendeline pleaded. "My brother doesn't have any idea of how to get there."

Oliver shot her a glare.

"Why not. Susan, do you want to come along?"

She smiled grimly. "No. Someone has to know where they can find your bodies when you don't come back tonight." With that said, she pitted on her heel and marched off in the other direction.

Oliver reluctantly allowed Tom to take the lead. For a total of five minutes he chatted away at Elizabeth, who nodded and said, "Yes", "Oh", and "Really?" every so often. She was spaired further agony when James told him to be quiet...just not in those words.

"I'm so glad I didn't wear my new dress," Wendeline was informing Will, one hand lightly poised on his shoulder. "Father brought back the latest fashion from France. I've been dying to wear it, but I haven't yet got the chance. I see you dressed appropriately for the excursion, Elizabeth." Her blue eyes flashed. "I wish that I had your foresight. If I had known we were going outdoors, I would have worn something a bit less- fashionable."

Elizabeth stared at Wendeline's innocent smile. James made a small coughing noise. Tom and Oliver were too busy arguing to have noticed.

"I like your dress, Miss Swann," Will mumbled, his head down.

"Did you hear that?" James smirked. "He likes the dress, Lizzy."

Elizabeth flushed, her shoulders stiffening.

James hooked his arm with hers. "He's right though; it looks adorable on you."

Will made a strange choking noise.

Elizabeth glanced at him. "Are you all right?"

He didn't say anything, but pushed ahead to go stand by Tom.

James frowned. "He's an odd one, that Turner. Awkward at times..."

"He's my friend," Elizabeth replied, surprised at how defensive her tone was.

"I know, I know," he interrupted quickly. "I was just saying-"

"I don't care what you have to say about him," she cut in stiffly. "He's my friend, and I don't want you talking about him. I care about him, James."

James's (dazzling) blue eyes narrowed. "You care about him...?"

"NO, no!" She could feel her face grow warm. "No, I don't- fancy him or anything like that; We're just friends good friends..."

For some reason she felt guilty saying that.

James, however, looked pleased. "That's good. For a moment, I thought you were saying something entirely different."

She laughed nervously as James proceeded to tell her about the time he was in Italy. She tugged uncomfortably at the neck of her dress. It was funny to think that even though she had known James quite some time longer, she still felt just as comfortable around Will, if not more so. They were both important to her. She sighed softly, watching Will up ahead of her. Why couldn't those two just get along?

Suddenly, Will turned to look at her. For some reason, she felt her heart jump into her throat, and looked away.

"There it is!" Oliver shouted exuberantly. "The cave!"

(Space)

Wendeline wrinkled her nose. "We're actually going to go inside of it?"

Tom stared at her, thoroughly disgusted. "I thought you wanted to find it?"

James frowned, coming up to stand by them, Elizabeth in tow. "We're going to need some kind of light..."

"I have a candle," Wendeline offered.

"I have matches!" Oliver quipped.

Tom shook his head. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Will, however, wasn't worried about how they were going to see. Elizabeth was tenatively stepping toward the mouth, framed in the deep darkness. She looked so small. He'd known her long enough to know that she was stronger than she appeared to be, but for some reason, none of that seemed to matter at the moment.

In other words, he did not want her going in.

"I don't think this is a good idea," he intercepted hastily. "We shouldn't do this."

Oliver took that as a personal offence. "And why not?"

"We don't know how safe the cave is," Will explained. "It doesn't sound like anyone has ever gone inside and checked it."

James smirked. "You don't actually believe those ghost stories, do you?"

"No, but bad things happen to people in caves!" Will spluttered.

"People sometimes get lost and starve to death, or there's a cave-in and they have to chew their own arm off," Oliver said wearily. "Cryptic things of that sort. But that won't happen to us, Turner; we're not daft enough."

It was at that moment that Will truly began to question Oliver's sanity.

"Well I'm not going in," Wendeline stated with conviction. She batted her eyelashes at Will. "You can stay and keep me company. I'll be scared in this jungle, all on my own."

"Oh stop acting so coy, Wendeline," James sighed. "We need to hurry; we have to leave soon."

Will, seeing that he was fighting a losing battle, tried a different approach. "We should at least try to stay together. Why don't we choose pairs, just in case someone gets lost?"

"Good idea," James ageed. "I'll be with Lizzy." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder protectively.

"I'll stay with you, Will!" Wendeline latched on to his hand.

"That leaves you and me, Oliver," Tom added dryly.

Oliver, needless to say, wasn't pleased. "Who's going to hold the candle?"

"I will," Elizabeth offered. Oliver lit it and handed it over.

Tom scratched his neck. "Are we all set?"

To Will's dismay, Elizabeth and James took the lead, since she was bearing the candle.

"So what are you going to do with your share of the treasure?" Oliver queried after a few minutes of silent walking (with a complaint here and there from Wendeline).

"Donate it to the colony," James proposed gallantly. "It would speed up construction."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I suppose I'd build a library with it."

Wendeline scoffed. "A library? What good is a library?"

"She has a point, Lizzy," James commented gently. "Your head is far too wrapped around books for a girl. You should use it on your wardrobe."

Will felt something smolder in his chest. "You can use your money on whatever you want to, Miss Swann. I think a library is a fine idea. Maybe if people actually spent their time doing something constructive here they'd form a civilized society."

"Thanks, Will," she muttered sincerely.

"What are you going to do with your share, Mr. Turner?" James inquired sharply.

"Uh- Well, um..." Will fumbled over his words. "I'm not very sure yet."

Actually, he was very sure what he was going to use the money for, but it was one of those ideas that a person doesn't want to voice outloud, for fear that it won't sound as good outside of the mind. With his share of the money, he hoped he could climb his way into the aristocracy. Find a status that would make him worthy enough to call her "Elizabeth" instead of "Miss Swann". Perhaps even be able to compete against James.

"Oh!" Wendeline's shrill cry pierced his thoughts. "Will, oh Will! I think I just saw a rat!"

Will squinted, unable to see in the dark. "Where?"

She shuddered. "I hate rats! They frighten me so. But you're so brave, to not be scared of them."

Will grinned. He couldn't help himself. A compliment from Wendeline's rosey red lips was enough to send any boy floating on clouds, no matter how utterly senseless and lame it was.

There was a faint rustling noise. Elizabeth started. "What was that?"

Tom spoke from behind Will. "Bats, probably."

Wendeline gulped. "Bats? There are bats in here?"

"Maybe they're vampires?" Oliver suggested hopefully.

"There aren't such things as vampires," James corrected.

Elizabeth glanced upward. "Do you really think there are bats in here?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Oliver knelt down and picked up a rock, and before any of them could do anything, he cast it to the roof of the cave.

Tom turned out to be right. There were, indeed, bats in the cave.

Wendeline screams faded into the shrieks of the bats. She climbed on top of Will, smothering him with lace and silk. Somehow he managed to extract her, and followed the others as they ran to the mouth, the same direction that the bats were heading. He instinctively began to count each person. One, two, three, four, five...

Elizabeth was missing.

"Wait!" Will grabbed James arm, holding him back. "Elizabeth! She's not here!"

James pulled free and continued running.

Will swore, seizing Oliver. "Give me your matches!" he roared.

(Space)

Elizabeth cursed herself. How had she been idiotic enough to run in the opposite direction?

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she muttered to herself. "You saw where they were all going! Why didn't you follow?"

At least she had somehow managed to hold onto the candle. Without it, she would be completely hopeless. She had no idea what direction she was going in, and no idea what direction she was supposed to be going in! If she was without light, the situation would just become worse.

"Remain calm," she told herself slowly. "Just remain calm. They're probably looking for y-"

Crunch.

Elizabeth looked down, afraid of what she would see. She bit back a scream. She had stepped on a human skeleton.

"Stay calm," she squeaked, sinking to her knees and staring into the empty eye sockets. "Stay calm. Stay calm. Oh my goodness."

There were dead people in this cave.

She drew in a shakey breath. She wondered how this person had died here. She wondered what their last words had been. She knew what hers were: Do you really think there are bats in here?

It just didn't seem tragic enough...

She caught a glint of something clutched in the gnarly hand. Hesitantly, she pulled the stiff fingers apart and slid it free. It felt smooth and bumpy in her palm. When she held it closer to the candle flame, she could make out beads. It was a jade bracelet.

"Maybe there is treasure in here, after all!"

The sound of footsteps caught her attention. She opened her mouth to call out, then clamped it shut. This cave was supposed to be haunted. What if the stories were true? What if the spirits really did steal your soul? Rashly, she blew out the candle and snatched a rock, sitting still.

She could hear the sound coming closer. There was a small glow. Her heart was pounding. She wondered if the spirit could hear her. The footsteps were only a few steps from her...

Without a second thought, she chucked the stone.

There was a thud of impact, then- "Ow!"

Elizabeth fell forward, supporting herself on her palms. "Will! Will, is that you?"

"Miss Swann?" He raised the match, so that she could make out his face. "Is that you- ow!" He dropped it suddenly.

"H-here!" She reached out and clutched his arm. "Here, I have a candle."

He lit it swiftly, crouching down next to her. "Miss Swann, are you hurt?"

"N-no." She shivered. "And call me Elizabeth, please, Will. We've been friends l-long enough."

"Elizabeth." He said the word slowly, softly. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes," she managed to stutter.

"You're trembling." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Miss- Elizabeth?"

She couldn't help herself. She burst into tears. "Oh Will! It was horrible!" She laid her head on his shoulder. "There's a dead person over there!"

"What?" He grimaced, holding her closely. "Oh my..."

"I thought I was going to die in here!" she wailed. "And when you came, I thought you w-were a ghost, and that you were going to k-kill me. I'm sorry if I hurt you, I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right," he whispered soothingly, stroking her hair. "It's all right, Miss Elizabeth."

She sniffed, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Thank you, Mr. Will."

He ignored the humor. "Don't ever do that again," he mumbled, still holding her. "I thought I'd lost you."

She sighed. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Elizabeth." The seriousness in his voice shocked her. "I'll never let anything happen to you."

She lifted her head. "What?"

His eyes shone in the dark. "Whether it is in my power or not, I will defend you from any foe."

She blinked.

"I will never let you down." His voice was low. "I promise."

Elizabeth didn't know whether she should start laughing or cry again. "I don't know what to say..."

He let go of her, turning away. "I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

She bit her lip. "No, Will, it's fine..."

"We should be going. The candle is burning low." He helped her to stand.

And that was all that they said until they stepped into the daylight.

(Space)

"Good-bye, Lizzy." James took her hands, smiling. "I promise to write as soon as I can."

"Good-bye." She smiled weakly.

James leaned forward and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. Will's jaw clenched as Elizabeth's face went bright red. He turned to face him.

"Mr. Turner." He held out his hand. "No hard feelings?"

Will shook it, clenching James's hand as tightly as he could. James returned the gesture.

"Will, would you mind helping me up, please?" Wendeline called over. Will walked over, taking her hand helping her to step into the coach.

"Good-bye," she whispered softly. "I'll miss you."

He nodded.

She smiled. "Do you find me pretty?"

Will gaped at her forwardness. "Yes."

She tilted her head to the side, one eyebrow arched higher than the other. "Prettier than Miss Swann?"

He said nothing.

She laughed. "Just as I thought." With that said, she slammed the coach's door closed, and they departed.

Elizabeth went over to stand by him as they watched them disappear down the road, her cheeks still pink from her encounter with James. "What did she say to you?"

He grinned. "Nothing."

She rolled her eyes. "Boys! Always being so secretive!"

He pretended to look offended. "Really, Miss Swann! What about girls? Always being so moody."

"Oh really!" She hit him playfully in the shoulder, laughing.

He loved her laughter. He loved making her laugh.

He cared about her a lot.

TBC...