Two young pirates sat on the dock, one a man, and one a woman. They spoke in hushed tones, so as not to disturb the quiet town. Their friend had told them he had a surprise. The man sitting on the dock, Jack, didn't trust the other man. Cutler Beckett was not as famous as Jack, but he was a good pirate, one of the best Jack had seen. He was deceitful, but his fiancée seemed to trust him nonetheless. She had convinced Jack to stay, even though he hadn't wanted to.

I guess she feels bad. She did betray him, maybe she thinks he's forgotten. Jack couldn't help but think. He loved her too much to deny her his company. And he couldn't leave her alone to face Cutler's wrath. They were to be married, before I … Before she met me …

The woman, Cassandra, smiled up at him. She was never this happy when she was with Cutler. There was something about Jack that shone with the light of one thousand moons. She looked up to see if Cutler was returning yet, and her smile quickly flattened into a shocked expression. Jack, terrified, looked to see what was behind him. Cutler Beckett was returning wearing a uniform of the King's Navy, three armed officers behind him. He looked down at the pair of them. 'Here, this one. Arrest this man, he is a pirate.' He looked apologetically into Cassandra's face, but found her eyes cold.

Her eyes swam with tears as they clapped Jack in irons and took him away. Cutler remained behind, the two of them locked in a death glare, trying to make the other cave first. Cutler broke the connection and started to walk away when he heard Cassandra's voice behind him. 'How could you? I trusted you?' She knew what they would do. They would brand him with the P for pirate, and eventually they would hang him. She couldn't bear this pain. 'How could you do that? To Jack, your best friend? To me?!'

He looked back at her, his eyes steely so as not to show emotion. 'I am … and always will be … a pirate. At heart, anyway.' He walked away as she collapsed on the deck, sobbing.

XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXxX

As Cassandra walked down the hall, she felt the pain. Pain she hadn't felt since that fateful day. She knew what it was this time: deep heartbreak, unyielding loss. She cried inwardly, not allowing a single tear to slide down her cheek, not letting her eyes twinkle with the faintest memory of a tear. She had vowed never to let him see her cry again.

She put on a smile as she walked back to Cutler Beckett. She asked him without hesitation. "What do you want from me?"

He looked back at her, exasperated. "I needed to see you. Talk to you. Apologize. I never wanted you to get hurt. I couldn't let that scoundrel have you. It was … too much."

She was taken aback by his words. He was trying … to protect me? She still felt love for him. She still loved him. She didn't want to forgive him for what she'd done. But in all the time she'd known him everything he'd done had been about him. He'd never so much as lent Jack a pound (which was smart as Jack would never have repaid him), even though Jack had been his truest friend. She hadn't meant to forgive him, or take him back. But when she realized she was the reason for all of this, that he had been trying to help her, she couldn't control it. "I forgive you."

He looked at her, dumbfounded by her quick, resolute reaction. She repeated herself. "I forgive you. I … I love you." His shock turned into happiness as his face broke into a smile, rejuvenating his features. He looked as handsome as he had on the day she'd first met him. She couldn't have Will. She knew she'd never be able to. She couldn't have the only she truly loved, Jack. But she could have Cutler, her old love. And as much as she convinced herself otherwise, it wasn't what she wanted. She would stick to it as long as she had to though. It was a compromise.

XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXxX

Elizabeth stopped crying soon after she had begun, and went about telling James Norrington the whole sad tale. The argument, and what she'd overheard. He looked as shocked as she felt. He had thought that Will had more honour than he was proving true. He raised the notion of misconceptions, accidental timings, and other such nonsense, but Elizabeth wouldn't believe him. Not because she didn't trust him, because he hadn't been there at the time.

Norrington told her all about Beckett's sudden decision to stay, and his orders to remain on the ship. The crew had become restless and worried, so James had some to make sure everything was alright. He comforted her as best he could, but all he could say were everyday expressions, the kind of colloquialisms that never capture the true essence of a situation, but merely are meant as fodder for ones denial. He knew they weren't helping, so he tried speaking from the heart. "Maybe you should talk to him. It's possible he has a reason for not talking to you –"

"Like he doesn't love me?" She shot back icily. He noticed her words had become sharper, more passionate than when he'd seen her previously. She was quicker to respond when she disagreed however. He tried to respond, but she wouldn't let him. "Yes, I'll go and try to talk to him, but he'll ignore me. His mind is made up, he loves her, and he thinks I love Jack. Jack, of all people!"

He looked at her sardonically. "Maybe your mind is made up about his."

XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXxX

The sun was setting outside the window, sending streaks of red and orange that tie-dyed the walls. The light shone brightly in Will's eyes as he woke up. He had fallen asleep waiting for Elizabeth, but it seemed she hadn't come. He was saddened by this notion. Maybe she really doesn't care. Maybe she lied. He wouldn't let himself believe that just yet. He waited a bit longer, and sure enough came a knock at his door.

Elizabeth entered, not looking entirely reproachful nor inviting. He knew what he was going to say, but thought it wiser to let her have her go first. She sat down as he sat up and they looked at each other for a while, coming to an unspoken conclusion that they wouldn't shout today. They needed to fix this, if not entirely. She started to speak in what he thought was an apology, but turned out to be another attack, another accusation. "Will, I'm sorry for overhearing your confession of love for Cassandra. Kind of took the wind out of your sails."

He could feel his face burning with embarrassment. Her words cut him like icy blades. He was afraid to retaliate from fear of being sliced to ribbons. "Elizabeth it isn't what you think. Yes I love Cassandra, but I love you more." She looked about to argue, but he cut her off. "Yesterday you asked me how I can love you equally. I can't. I can only love one of you more. I've made my decision."

She felt cold, and yet so warm. Ice ran in her veins as she realized how wrong she'd been. A cold wave of awakening rushed over her, and yet it filled her with such warmth she hadn't known since he'd asked for her hand. He loved her. He'd chosen her, Elizabeth. She was prepared to take him up on that offer. She met his gaze, but he was still closed to her. "I know what you said was true. You just have to be honest with me."

She still couldn't bear to tell him what had really happened. She couldn't speak the truth. "That, I can not tell you."

XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXx XxXxXxX

Cassandra had one thing to ask of Beckett. "Lend them a longboat. They can go the rest of the journey by themselves." She needed him to help Will and Elizabeth, for her peace of mind.

He reluctantly agreed. I looked at her suddenly, a new sparkle in his eyes. "Come with me." She was afraid, he could see it. "Come with me, and we can be like we were. Come with me." It's better than being alone, wishing, wondering everyday what would have happened if you'd gone. Slowly she nodded her head.

Will and Elizabeth could find Tia Dalma. She could have Cutler. Everyone wins. Everybody finds their way, everyone gets their own happy ending. What more could she want?