I didn't expect to update that fast, but luckily I had time, so there it is:)

Paige-Nicole-93 and dextriin , thank you for your reviews!

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

Chapter 2

For over two hours they were walking around the town, looking for Gibbs, Cotton, Cotton's parrot, or anybody from the crew who might know what has happened to the Black Pearl. However, there was no one to be found. It seemed that the ship had vanished along with the crew.

Jack looked rather troubled, and Elizabeth could not do much about it. She felt exhausted and drowsy, and quite senselessly guilty once again.

"Ye look tired, luv", said Jack looking at her worryingly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be dragging you along like that."

"That's fine", she smiled, despite being really worn out, but somehow it was surprisingly easy to smile when he was near.

"We must find some place to stay there overnight."

As soon as he said it, he realized that it was going to be quite a task to find a place that he would dare to take Elizabeth into. He knew all kind of places and many people in Tortuga, but he doubted whether any of those acquaintances would please her.

Elizabeth was slowly falling asleep already, and unconsciously, she lowered her head on Jack's arm.

He looked at her, and the sight was stunning. She was so beautiful, and she had come to find him, and it was a miracle, that he had learned not to expect, and yet it had happened, and when it happened it was annoyingly spoiled by this weird disappearance of the Black Pearl.

"Come on, luv. I know where we go", he said stroking her hair gently.

"You do?", she asked opening her eyes, and looking up at him.

"Yes. There is a man I knew. He is a doctor. I haven't seen him for some time, but he lived here, and I guess he still does."

"Did he treat you?", asked Elizabeth, putting her hand on his chest, where she remembered the bullets scars were.

Jack took her hand away and kissed it with a smile.

"He treated many people, Lizzie. He was a good doctor."

For some reason he was still reluctant to discuss certain issues from his past. Elizabeth wondered, whether he did not want to talk about it at all, or perhaps he did not want to talk about it with her.

After a short walk, they saw a small house, built in a secluded part of the town. It was dark, except for a dim light visible in one of the windows.

Jack knocked on the door. Not long did they wait for the door to open, and an elderly man in a grey coat to appear. He looked at them questioningly at first, but soon he smiled with recognition.

"Captain Jack Sparrow!... It's been definitely too long."

"Philip Fairwood. Time cannot change you."

"Neither can it change you", he said taking a look at Elizabeth, and opening the door wider, to let his guests in.

"This is Philip Fairwood, the best physician that the island of Tortuga can afford. And this is Miss Elizabeth Swann, the unofficial princess of the Caribbean", said Jack in the way of introduction.

"It is the pleasure", said the doctor shaking her hand with a cordial smile.

"Nice to meet you", answered Elizabeth politely.

"A sleepy princess", added Jack. "Would it cause ye a significant trouble to put an ol' friend and a beautiful lady up for one night in your hospitable house?"

"Well, if it's not possible to limit my hospitality to the lady...", said Philip Fairwood jokingly, closing the door.

Very quickly he prepared a neatly furnished room for Elizabeth, where she fell asleep immediately.

Jack waited until she fell asleep, listening to her steady breath, and stroking her hair with still haunting him disbelief that he had her with him, that she wanted to be with him.

"I hope you did not kidnap her or something. That might get you in trouble", said the doctor, when Jack finally joined him in the kitchen.

"I happened to have enough troubles without committing any offences", said Jack rather bitterly.

"Meaning?..."

"Meaning having my ship disappearing", said Jack impatiently.

"Aye. You need a drink, then."

The doctor poured them the drinks, and said after a pause:

"Well, you did expect it to happen someday, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid that in fact I didn't", said Jack wrinkling his forehead. "Why should I?"

"You should know the story of your own ship. Ships live longer than people, but no matter how many captains a ship has in its history, every one of them consider himself to be the only rightful captain."

"Nothing I didn't know of, up till this point."

"So you're aware of the first captain of the Black Pearl?", asked the doctor smiling quizzically.

"I'm tired of legends", said Jack grimly.

"It ain't a legend", countered Philip Fairwood. "Every ship, after sailing the waters for a hundred years, has to go back to its first captain."

"Not a legend, aye?", smiled Jack sneeringly.

The doctor looked surprisingly serious. They drank in silence.

"The first captain of your Pearl was a very cruel man, Jack. A vicious murderer. But he liked killing people only half as much as he liked to see them suffer. If there were any crew members aboard, when the ship's been taken..."

Jack's smile faded.

"You must find the Pearl and the captain if you want to rescue your crew, but be aware that this is a perilous task to be undertaken... "

"And may I enquire how do ye know of this?", asked Jack circumspectly.

The question depressed the doctor. He finished his drink reluctantly.

"Aye. I guess you may", he looked at Jack sullenly. "This captain was my grandfather."