Authors Note:

Jack may be a bit out of character, but you have to read until the end to understand.

Thank you all, and enjoy!

Chapter 40:

A Cruel Man

I nodded, put my arms around her and replied "Aye. In fact…. I am going to prove to ye how alright I am". Elizabeth gasped as I got down on one knee and asked "Marry me, luv. Right here…right now". Elizabeth smiled at me and whispered softly "I can't".

My eyes widened for a second and I felt as though my heart had stopped beating. A cold wind hit my face lightly and for those few moments as it did it was all I could understand. Nothing made sense anymore; the one thing I thought did…..did not. I looked up at Elizabeth intently and her smile slowly turned into a frown. I took a deep breath in, and gradually got off my knee.

My feet once again were firmly planted on the sand and I could finally hear my heart beat in my chest. I stared at Elizabeth for what it seemed like a decade, before I finally had the courage, or desire to speak. My nose twitched as I tried to focus my eyes on something else other than her beauty. I raised my hand, cleared my throat and started to move my mouth...but no words, sounds or questions came out.

I cleared my throat once again, humbled by the situation, and once again I took a deep breath in and asked in high-pitched voice (I assume it was the only voice that could come out of me, at the time) "Ugh…. Why"? Elizabeth stared at me blankly, as if she expected me to know the answer. She replied back with the utmost amount of sincerity in her voice "It's too hard to explain…" She took a few steps towards me and was about to continue when my heart finally did the talking "Just stop! I don't want ye anywhere near me right now"!

After I harshly uttered that statement Elizabeth's eyes started to water. I sighed sadly as she took a few steps back. I looked over at Morgan, who seemed to be shrugging at the moment. I turned back to Elizabeth who tried once again to explain "Jack you asked…" I waved my hands meaning that she should stop talking. I took a few steps towards her and alleged emotionally injured "'Lizabeth, I poured me heart out to ye luv and then ye say nay to me request to marri-age".

Elizabeth stood silently as she looked down at her feet not wanting to catch my glance. I noticed that so I grabbed her hands and said directly at her "What is it now? Ye be the heart-broken one, eh? Nay, I don't think so Lizzie. Look at me". Elizabeth still stared down at her feet so I shouted madly "I said Look at me"!

Elizabeth finally brought her eyes to look into my own so I put my hands around her and continued with a cruel tone of voice "Do ye understand the position ye have put me in"? Elizabeth looked at me half confused and half frightened. Her hands tried to loosen my grin around her...but my hands stayed firmly around her. I continued angrily "'Lizabeth, ye be my everything, savvy? Now…. right now…. tell me why ye decided to tear out me heart"?

Elizabeth eyes were red by now and the tears dripped down her face lively. I grabbed her arms tighter and screamed "Answer"! Morgan took a step forward and said to me "Jack, that's enough! Can't ye see that ye be hurtin' her"? I turned to face him for a second and screamed furiously "This be none of yer business"! Morgan took a step back, smirked and bit his lip trying to contain himself. I grabbed Elizabeth's arms tighter and asked irately "Now tell me luv, before we be havin' other interruptions… Why?" Elizabeth looked at me in the eyes and whispered, "You don't have to do this Jack". I looked at her puzzled and she continued whispering in between sobs "This…isn't…. you…Jack". I rolled my eyes and screamed out "Of course this is me! Here…. I'll prove it to ye"!

I grabbed her roughly and kissed her as passionately and as angrily as I could. My lips quenched for the touch of hers and my tongue so desperately wanted entrance but she seemed to be stopping me. When I finally departed my lips from hers, she looked at me strangely and unfamiliarly. She whispered frightened "Your different Jack. That kiss wasn't like any other…. it was strange…it was unfamiliar…it was too different".

I bit my lip hard causing blood to run down my chin. I took my index finger and wiped away the blood quickly. I grabbed Elizabeth's arms once again tightly and said, "I am not different"! Tia stepped in finally and said to me "Jack….ye are. Can't ye see that"? I took a deep breath and screamed out "Ye all are bloody givin' me a headache"! Elizabeth grabbed my face lightly, but for some reason I had a feeling that she was reaching to choke me.

So I let go of her arm with one of my hands and struck Elizabeth across her cheek as hard as I could have. Elizabeth fell to the ground with a hand on her cheek. She looked at me in shock, in fear and shouted, "You've gone mad"! Tears quickly began to fall down her face and she picked herself up off the ground and ran further into the desert. I looked at my right hand so shocked that I couldn't believe myself. I took a few steps and screamed out "'lizabeth! I'm sorry…I…." Tia and Helena shook their heads at me and then began to run after Elizabeth to try to comfort her.

I looked over at Morgan who was walking over to me. I sat down on the sand with my face in my hands. Frank placed his hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up at him. He made a fist and punched my nose as hard as he could. I bit my lip from the pain and then I began to rub my nose. I whispered sadly "That one I deserved". Morgan sat down beside me while saying "Aye, ye did. Young Jack…. that wasn't ye…. was it"?

I shook my head and turned my body to face Morgans as I said desperately "Nay, it wasn't. I felt…. I don't know what I felt truthfully mate. But I do know one thing…I felt as though, my mind was being replaced by someone else's". Morgan looked at me puzzled and asked "Replaced, Jack? As in substitute, swap, switched, changed"? I nodded at his statement and I looked at my right hand disgusted with myself.

I began to whisper "I love her Frownin' Frank. But she doesn't love me…." Frank shook his head and replied disappointed "Ye be a bloody fool Jack! Of course she loves ye…. why else would she risk her life in comin' here? She didn't come fer the sand I can tell ye that much". I looked at him sadly as he began to think for a second. He gasped and asked me "Jack…. what took ye so long to come back"?

I sighed and explained "Well…. I got stuck in quick sand…." Before I could finish, Frank Morgan got up and screamed out angrily "Ye bloody scallywag Jack! Ye got stuck in quick sand? The Heart Sand"? I got up and asked confused "Heart sand? What the bloody hell ye be talkin' about"? Frank re-arranged his hat and explained "The Heart Sand Jack. As is Jones' heart, he who steps in becomes as cruel as he be".

I gasped took a few steps towards Frank and asked, "How the bloody peanut do ye know this"? Frank smiled for a second and said to me "I've heard stories Jack…. some that are a bit too wise for yer ears to hear. Once Elizabeth said nay to the proposal, I believe thatthat was the activation…. just like Tia breakin' Jones' heart". I gasped once again and shook my head violently while asking hopefully "Is there a de-activation"?

Frank looked at me sadly and whispered, "That I don't know Young Jack. But what I do know is that ye should go find her bonny lass, apologize, and explain". I nodded and ran in the direction Elizabeth had just run in. I took a few deep breaths in as I my boots hit the sand. I looked at my right hand and thought to myself "I don't deserve her…."

- - - -

"You don't deserve anything, that is."! Cutler Beckett stood on the Flying Dutchmen next to Commodore William Turner and the rest of the Royal Navy. William Turner held a wooden chest in his arms that contained that heart of Davy Jones. Jones stood near by and said back angrily "What do ye want from me"? William placed the wooden chest in one of the guards arms and then walked up to Jones while saying "The location of your locker…. would be quite helpful".

Jones laughed and then asked confused "Why"? William smiled at him and said temptingly "Immortality. Something that any human desires is the one thing that can be taken away from you…. in the matter of a cut". Jones looked at him cruelly and muttered back defeated "If we find Jack…. he belongs to me…. agreed"? William was about to agree when Beckett said "And one more thing…. You tell us where the Brethren court meets so we could destroy it and the pirates that will be in it".

Will looked at Beckett and whispered "What about Elizabeth"? Beckett whispered back to Will "Miss. Swann is of no interest of me…but is she to you? Because if she is…then I can find someone else to be Commodore". Will gulped and shook his head and whispered lying "No interest to me at all". Beckett smiled and said "Good, now…Davy Jones. Where do the Brethren Court meet"?

Authors Note:

Thank you all for reading.

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