Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

Chapter 17

Elizabeth Swann was a woman of action.

Unfortunately, there was little action to be performed in a rather dark, empty room, deprived even of windows. She did not know what to do. But she wanted to do something.

She had the entire room already examined, as well as the door which proved locked and immovable.

She was so frustrated, that the fear vanished altogether, and now she just felt some kind of dull anxiety, but mostly irritation. The situation began to annoy her. She could not feel any tangible danger, and it annoyed her as well. She got the impression that her presence here was purposeless, and, oddly, somehow she felt offended by this possibility.

Elizabeth sat down and stared at the lantern. She was tired, dishevelled, dusty, and in love. Maybe it was a good preview of what she might expect of the future she has just chosen. Sailing around the world, living on a ship, getting in troubles every once in a while... She would have all this madness instead of a neat life with Sunday Masses, dinner parties, and balls. But she did not have second thoughts.

She would have given everything for Jack being here right now. She closed her eyes, thinking about him, recollecting the events of past few days, when she found him in Tortuga, and he said, not aware of her presence yet: "You're not my Lizzie". Then when he said he loved her, and she could feel, in the way he looked at her, held her, kissed her..., that he meant it. Captain Jack Sparrow. Her Captain Jack Sparrow.

She was staring at the lantern. Jack would surely get out of here, he would escape from here somehow. Why wouldn't she?

Elizabeth looked around. The door was wooden. But the walls were made of rock. It suddenly occurred to her, that she was in some kind of a cave, inside a mountain, perhaps. She stood up, and touched the uneven surface of the wall. If she could only crush the rock... just to have two pieces of it... then... having two pieces of the rock...and the liquid paraffin from the lantern... she could perhaps have some sparks, and then... she could kindle some fire... and she could get rid of the door, perhaps... Not that she knew exactly how to do that. Not that it was all very clever. Or safe. But it was at least something.

"I'll make a perfect wife", she whispered to herself, somewhat excited. "I'm daft like you", she added with an amused smile, kicking the wall as hard as she could.

There are undoubtedly better ways to greet your future father-in-law, than to aim a pistol at him, but since time could not be turned back, Jack must have limited himself to rather clumsy apologies and equally awkward explanations.

The only reason the Governor did not seem to be particularly angry, was probably his deep concern for Elizabeth at the moment. Besides, he was quite impressed by Jack's sudden appearance. He was beginning to believe that Jack Sparrow indeed cared for Elizabeth.

The conversation was heavy going, and Gibbs, who also made his appearance, tried to save it, by focusing strictly on the situation.

Governor Swann explained that the ship has been given up in exchange for Elizabeth and Will, but they did not come back, and that man refused to negotiate any further. All the sailors and other people who were on the ship, but were not taken hostage, fled from here as soon and as fast as they could, without looking back, or trying to help him retrieve his daughter and Will.

Jack listened to him calmly, and with concentration. Only once his face tightened for a moment, when the Governor mentioned that Elizabeth and Will were both kidnapped. Together.

He did not know what it was, and he rejected to consider it as jealousy, however he was not particularly fond of the idea that Elizabeth was trapped somewhere together with anybody, especially if that anybody was somebody who might have some funny ideas concerning his relations with Elizabeth. Or perhaps he was jealous. There was nothing wrong with it after all. It felt strange, because he was not jealous of anybody before. And now it stunned him how much vexed he actually was upon hearing what he has heard, even though he was sure of Elizabeth's feelings, and there was no reason for feeling threatened by this incident.

"Mr. Gibbs", he said seriously, wrinkling his forehead.

"Captain", answered Gibbs matching the seriousness of his voice.

"Perhaps ye should return to our previous concealment taking Mr. Governor with ye", he suggested firmly.

"Aye", nodded Gibbs.

"I won't leave Elizabeth there", stated Governor Swann with a grimace.

Jack seemed hurt by the implication.

"I'm not leaving Li... Elizabeth there either. I'm going inside to get her this very minute", he explained patiently, trying to sound as calm and as polite as ever, although he was slightly irritated.

"I think I should go too", insisted the Governor, finding it incredible that he actually was talking with Jack Sparrow in this ordinary manner, and, moreover, he was almost asking him for permission to go rescue his own daughter.

"I don't think it's a good idea", countered Jack cautiously. "I'd rather go alone", he added in a low voice, hoping that he did not sound arrogant.

There was a minute of silence. Governor Swann stared at Jack with a quizzical expression on his face.

He's going to hit me, was the abstract idea that nevertheless crossed Jack's mind.

"Why", said the Governor suddenly, but it did not sound exactly like a question.

"I'll see around just in case...", Gibbs chimed in knowingly, sensing the inevitable necessity of Jack and Elizabeth's father having a talk, so he decided to leave them alone for a while.

Jack gave him a blank look, and said nothing.

"Why her", said the Governor when Gibbs was gone.

It was getting darker and darker with every minute. Jack took a few steps forward in order to see his interlocutor clearly. Again, what the Governor said was not explicitly a question. He knitted his eyebrows, putting on his face not an angry, but rather a sadly concerned look.

It was one of these rare moments, in which Captain Jack Sparrow seemed to be a strikingly serious, sensible, and sagacious person. There was not a shadow of his usual roguish grin in his face right now. He blinked, and in a split of a second his eyes changed. A juvenile, carelessly amused, and hesitant expression in his eyes was in no time replaced by the most attentive and judicious one. The Governor noticed this sudden change with astonishment.

"I'll bring her back", said Jack solemnly. "I'll bring her back", he repeated instead of saying something else that he wanted to say but decided not to, fearing to sound undeservedly trivial.

"Do you really...", began Governor Swann not knowing exactly what it was that he wanted to ask.

But then, there came a quizzical answer, that left him amazed:

"I'd trade my body and soul for a trace of her smile", said Jack quietly, but extraordinarily firmly and seriously, in a tone of voice that the Governor has never heard before.

It was almost completely dark now; and quiet.

"I didn't see anything suspicious", announced Gibbs upon his returning from his little scout.

"Where should we wait, then?", asked Governor Swann, feeling strangely depressed, exhausted, defeated. And relieved.