Let's (finally) set sails:)

Oh, and there is no cliffhangers at the end of this chapter (yeah, sure;)).

Disclaimer: Believe it or not, I do not own POTC.

Chapter 5

Governor Swann was shattered and astonished by the sight of Jack. Not that Jack Sparrow was not quite a plausible sight on the island of Tortuga. But the Governor did hope, after all, that his daughter would not be here, and that it was only Will unwisely exaggerating Elizabeth's weakness for Jack that made them to look for her in this atrocious town. Unfortunately, it all turned out to be true.

It was just too much for him, to see his daughter in such a place, with such a man, and in such a state. For there was something disturbing about her. Apart from her hair and her clothes being dishevelled, her shoes dirty, most importantly, she had this strange glint of joy in her eyes, that he could not (and did not want to) interpret.

"Elizabeth", began the Governor, trying to remain calm. "I demand firmly that you..."

Jack did not need much time to decide that the situation was almost too difficult to be dealt with. He could almost picture Elizabeth being taken away, and it was a threat demanding a resolute counteraction.

Perhaps there was something more sophisticated to be expected of Captain Jack Sparrow, but at the moment he could not think about anything better to do.

"It's an indescribable pleasure", he began, causing Elizabeth's father to nearly lose his hardly still manageable patience, "...to see ye all... again", Jack took a few steps to stand closer to Elizabeth, "but... unfortunately... we really must be going!", and hardly finishing the sentence, he pulled Elizabeth's hand, and literally ran away with her, leaving the two gentlemen completely astonished, which astonishment caused them not to react properly and fast enough to what has just happened.

"It's insane", whispered Elizabeth, almost unable to breath, running as fast as she could.

"That's why it works", answered Jack with a puckish smile.

They ran through the streets, unable to even take a quick look behind them, to check whether there was anybody at all willing to chase them in the first place.

Reaching the harbor, Jack spotted what he hoped to find there. A ship, just waiting to be commandeered. Despite the exhaustion they continued running, and at last, they ran aboard the ship, but with such a velocity that Elizabeth did not even notice it. She just sighed with relief, when they stopped running, and she could catch her breath again. She was dazed with exhaustion.

She sat down on the deck, and did not even take a notice of a few frightened sailors running away from the ship with their arms lifted up. She did not see what Jack have been doing, but she had a strange conviction that he will take care of the situation, even though she had already enough evidence to suspect that it was rather situations that were taking care of Captain Sparrow in most of the cases.

It was precisely what has been always surprising her most: not that she loved him, but that she trusted him so much. More than it was reasonable. More, perhaps, than she should.

After a few minutes, she felt the ship rolling on the waves, and she staggered to her feet, still not feeling perfectly well. As she looked towards the beach, she saw a dwindling figure of somebody observing the ship sailing away.

She felt sorry, and guilty, and cruel. It was not a right thing to do. She had no right to hurt anybody, just because...

"Lizzie..."

She turned around, and smiled weakly at Jack.

"I'm sorry", he said seriously, and took her in his arms, half-expecting to be pushed away.

But she did no effort to free herself. Instead, she nestled her head into his chest, and closed her eyes.

He did not dare to move. He remembered what she said, that she said she loves him. It was a word frequently used by him, and towards him, but it has never had this meaning before. It has never felt like this before. Now, for the first time, he could feel what she said. He could feel the meaning of it. He could not yet fully grasp the meaning of it, he could not name what it felt like. But he could feel it. And he hugged her close, because whatever this meaning was, it was in her; it was her.

"I'm an awful person, Jack", she said bitterly.

He looked at her, frowning, and forced her to look at him.

"No, ye're not, Elizabeth."

"Yes, I am", she insisted. "And you know it even better than anybody else", she said with tears running down her cheeks.

He knew what she was referring to. He told her a thousand (or at least four) times already that he did not mind it, that he did not mind this whole chaining-to-the-mast affair. Especially, that she came back for him. She sailed to the end of the world to find him. But, nevertheless, she just seemed to ignore his assurances, and continued to feel repeatedly guilty.

"There's only one thing I know for sure, Lizzie", he said looking deeply into her eyes. "Do ye want to know what it is?"

She stopped crying, and nodded timidly. He fiddled with her hair for a moment, feasting his eyes on her beautiful eyes gazing at him attentively and adoringly. He could not recall anybody looking at him like that. Maybe he did not even want anybody to look at him like that before.

"I love you, Lizzie", he said with a roguish smile.

She looked at him, blinking, as if she did not really understand him. He leaned to kiss her, considering it a good way to clarify his meaning, but then she jumped up, suddenly remembering something.

"Jack, where are we?", she asked, looking around.

"What?", he was somehow disappointed by the change of the topic. "Oh. Aye. The ship. It's... Well, it was very chivalrous of your dear father, and of...", he hesitated, but finally decided to skip the name. "Of your father to put a little maneuverable ship like that into the port of Tortuga. But I'm afraid he'll need to find a different one to sail back to Port Royal."

Elizabeth sighed with comprehension.

"I guess it will not make him like us more", she said guiltily. "Why are you smiling, Jack?", asked Elizabeth, noticing Jack smiling at her happily.

"Us", he said coming close to her. "Ye just said us, luv."

"Did I?", she asked indifferently, trying not to smile, and not to show that she was repeating to herself in her mind his earlier, unbelievably beautiful, and long-awaited words over and over again.

"Aye. And accidentally, now, there is only us, and the ship, and the ocean", he enumerated, attempting again to kiss her.

"And a man with a knife", said Elizabeth in a low voice, pointing at something.

Jack looked at her bewildered, but quickly turned around to follow her hand and her gaze.

Indeed, just emerging from below the deck, was some man with a knife.