A/N: I'm so very sorry for the long wait. Let me explain. I have two other fics that I write along with this one and I spend equal amounts of time for each. So the next time I'll update this is after I update the other two lol xD Okay, this is a long one so I'll leave you to it!

Key To My Desire

-Release-

"When the right moment comes, everything insides seems to spill out. Finally you are free of all of the doubt, all of the ache inside, and you can live a new day with hope that things will be better."

..:-:..

The insides of her body twitched and Elizabeth stood motionless, gaping into the rocky insides of the mountain. Waves continued to crash onto the shore as she stared in disbelief. There was no one in the cave. Somehow, the compass had lied.

"Elizabeth?"

Her head began to spin from the sudden rush of anxiety, from the moment she pulled the trigger. The tears flooded her heart, and her eyes remained dry. She had been so close to finding him, and she had found a dead end. It couldn't be possible. The sound of her name seemed to be far away in the distance, it was foggy and she didn't want to snap back to reality. Her jaw dropped open and she swayed in her place as she choked on the air she breathed.

Will didn't know what had happened to her, but it seemed as if she was in a trance. She didn't move, she didn't speak, and worst of all, her eyes drifted into the cave, becoming hollow and less lively than before. It was horrible to see her this way, and that was when he decided to climb up after her. She wasn't responding to any of his calls and it might have been possible that she was frozen numb.

The sun was fading into the water, it's orange glow bright yet dull. Clouds drifted away from the horizon leaving streaks of lavender and light cherry in the sky. Elizabeth blinked a few times and then took a deep breath of air. Her heart stopped and she felt her body pull itself backwards.

"Elizabeth!"

Will ran up to her as he watched her sway. Just as she was about to tumble over the edge of the debris, he caught her in his arms. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was agape. Everything about her had seemed to change. No longer was her skin soft and bright, instead it was tense and pale. Lines tugged around her mouth as if she was breathing something else than air. Maybe she had needed something else, what she had needed was hope, and now that was gone. Will wasn't aware of that fact. He carried her down towards the beach and away from the hole in the cave. Once they were a good distance away, Will set Elizabeth down on the sand gently. Her hair sprawled out and for a moment she seemed at peace.

Gibbs had been around Captain Jack for a long time, and he knew that Elizabeth's behavior reflected the rash and cunning mind of their departed friend. It didn't make sense though. He couldn't seem to put the pieces of the puzzle together. There must have been some kind of important reason that Elizabeth needed to blow up the cave, other than just for the sake of blowing something up. A smile tugged at his lips as he remembered Captain Jack and the undead monkey. His mind was made up. In a moment's time, he pulled himself up to the hole and started to scan the insides of the cave. There wasn't anything there; there were only rocks and a soft sound of splashing water. He was about to turn away when he heard the faintest groan. His heart pounded as he narrowed his eyes. The cave was dark and he couldn't see anything. Then he heard the noise again. With a deep breath, he stepped inside.

Will kissed the top of her forehead and his gaze washed over her beautiful face. His fingers stroked her hair and he sighed sadly. She had been through so much since the time they had met. He didn't regret it though; every bit of the journey was worthwhile and if he could do it all again, he would. Suddenly he turned his head sharply as he heard a joyous yell in the distance. It echoed inside of the mountain and that was when Will realized that Gibbs was gone. Will left Elizabeth's side and he ran towards the hole. He climbed up the rubble carefully, losing his footing once or twice, but he managed to get up all right.

"Mr. Gibbs? Are you in there?"

He heard rustling in the cave and a grunt.

"Will get in here! I've found a body and I need to get it out!"

His eyes widened at the news and he stepped inside the darkness. He put his arms out and looked around. There was no one in the darkness.

"Where are you?"

"Over here lad! Just follow me voice!"

Will turned to his right a bit and touched the ground around him with his hands. After a few moments of calling back and forth to each other, Will was able to reach Gibbs. An arm came around his shoulder and together, the two of them headed for the dim light of the entrance Elizabeth had created. A few birds cawed on the beach and fear sprang up inside of Will. He had left Elizabeth alone and unconscious.

"We need to get out of here fast! I think some birds have found their dinner!"

Gibbs nodded and they heaved the body out onto the pile of rubble. The soft fading sunlight bounced off of his face and the two of them widened their eyes. Shock pulsed through their hearts and their jaws dropped. A moan escaped from the scruffy man, but that wasn't of much importance. Will's eyes shined with delight, as did Gibbs's. They had found their friend at last.

"I can't believe our luck!"

"We've just been out a few days after it all happened, and now…"

Another moan came from Jack Sparrow as his head swung from his right to his left side. Together they got down from the pile of rubble and that was when Will had confirmed his fears. Three large seagulls were circling Elizabeth, their wings spread out, their heads aimed down towards the sand. As soon as they laid Jack down, Will ran towards her and shooed the birds away. When they had left, he went back and helped Gibbs carry Jack to the spot where Elizabeth was. Jack kept moaning in pain and Gibbs shook his head with awe.

"I can't really believe it. It seems too good to be true. Although Captain Jack Sparrow has always managed to escape his doom… so I shouldn't be surprised…"

Will nodded and looked away to the horizon. The sun was less than a full half circle painted against the shimmering blue water. Barbossa hadn't come back from his trip down the island. A thought sprang into his head.

"We need to get him some food. It seems like he's just about ready to die. If Barbossa comes back, he will be dead, but not from malnourishment."

Gibbs nodded and they started their way towards the forest of palm trees. The wind rustled against them in the background and then Will stopped.

"What is it lad?"

"Should we just leave them here?"

Gibbs surveyed the long stretch of beach and nodded.

"I think it be best to do so. If we split up, we'll get more food and lumber to start a fire."

Will took a deep breath of air and stole one last glance of the two bodies lying down on the beach. He turned away and walked off.

..:-:..

Elizabeth's head was swirled with haze and it took a while before her eyes started to work right. She struggled to push herself up and when she did, she took a deep breath. The sun was gone, and the waves didn't seem to crash into the beach as violently as before. She noticed that the wind had calmed down as well. She looked to her right and didn't see anyone. That was when she remembered what she had done. As she turned her head to look at the mountain, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She gasped for air and couldn't get any words out of her mouth. It wasn't possible, no. She was dreaming. Elizabeth reached out her hand slowly towards the man lying next to her. Her fingers traced his eyebrows and then slid down his cheek. Overwhelming shock and joy spread through her body, causing sparks of warmth to flare up inside of her. Jack Sparrow was right next to her, and she wasn't dreaming. She put her trembling hand to her mouth as a soft gasp came out of it. Elizabeth shook her head and smiled. He was alive.

The moment had never been imagined in her mind. She had wasted countless hours preoccupied with thoughts of what she had done. The guilt ate up everything inside of her, but he was breathing and living right in front of her own eyes. Elizabeth shook her head trying to get the past out of her mind. Would he awaken if she kissed him? Suddenly the hard bitter reality stung her tongue and she closed her mouth and tightened her lips together. She was betrothed to Will. The kiss on the ship was an act of betrayal to their love, and here she was thinking about the taste of Jack's lips against hers. Her heart wrenched inside of her, thoughts zoomed in and out of her mind, her conscience deep within a battle with her heart's emotions. She had found Jack Sparrow, and didn't know what to do.

Elizabeth scanned the beach and the forest and it seemed as if no one was there. She looked back at Jack, his chest rising and falling with each second that passed. Her fingers felt the rough edges of his moustache, his chin, and then his dry lips. She closed her eyes and the passing moments of their kiss flooded her mind.

"Jack…"

Her whisper was carried along with the wind and she took away her hand immediately. She turned around at the distant sound of footsteps and she saw two figures approaching the beach. Elizabeth's eyes widened; it was Will and Mr. Gibbs. She stood up and looked down at the pirate. He was alive, yet it was then she realized that he was also dying ever so slowly. She ran to the two men and panted when she reached them. Will looked at her eyes and saw change in them. She was no longer dull and dead; something had happened and she was full of energy and life. At once he knew it was because she had seen Jack Sparrow next to her. He smiled at her and she dropped her mouth open but he spoke first.

"Isn't it incredible? The hole you blew up was just a cave, but Mr. Gibbs found him inside. I would say it's coincidental, wouldn't you Elizabeth?"

She looked from one to the other and she remembered that she had used the compass to direct her. The trees swayed softly and she shivered. Elizabeth put on her best smile and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, it is quite remarkable… I just really wanted to blow the cave up to see what would happen… I never would have thought that is where our search would end."

Mr. Gibbs agreed with a nod of his head and then started to walk towards the sprawled body on the sand.

"Hurry now, we don't have any time to lose. Will and I found some wood and fruits. It should be enough to get our Captain back on his feet!"

The three of them walked back towards the shore and Will let the pile of wood fall to the sand without a second thought. The clanking of the lumber was loud enough to reach Jack's ears and then he moaned again. His fingers moved slightly and then Elizabeth felt something inside of her pull towards him. However when she met Will's gaze, she closed her mouth and looked away. If she was overly sensitive to Jack's every plea of help, Will might catch onto her web of lies. She stayed next to the pile of wood and began to build a fire. A smile caught her lips as she remembered the time she was stranded on an island with Jack. For those few hours, she had gotten to know the real Captain Jack Sparrow. As Will and Gibbs tended to Jack, they pushed little bits of food into Jack's mouth along with a sip of water from a broken coconut. He coughed and spewed as the cool liquid spilled through his mouth. His eyes fluttered open and he gasped for air, his eyelids drooping.

"Jack! Can you hear me?"

Will's face hovered above him and Jack's vision blurred for a moment. He thought he was dreaming, that the soft white moon in the sky was only an illusion.

"William, is that you?"

He blinked a few more times and then saw that it was the dear old chum next to him. Jack sat up and saw Gibbs's smiling face on his other side. Jack's stomach growled and he looked down at it with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pouting.

"It's good to have ye back Captain! It was awfully brave of ye to stay on and give us that head start…"

Jack cocked his eyebrow and leaned back a bit. What nonsense was he talking about? He looked at Will and his face was full of alert and he shook it ever so slightly. Jack opened his mouth and then closed it with a grin.

"Of course, of course… it was nothing really…so, do you have anything to eat? I'm starving!"

All three heads turned to the right of Jack. A loud sizzle had echoed down towards them and a bright flame erupted towards the sky. Jack's eyes widened momentarily when he saw her face illuminated by the firelight. Her eyes were round and they were staring right into his. Jack's face stood still, no emotion betraying his expression. He gazed over to Lizzie and then shifted his face upwards so that he was looking down at her. Elizabeth's eyes widened and the crack of the wood underneath the inferno shook her. His eyes intently gazed into hers and for the first time since she felt his breath on hers, she felt truly alive. Suddenly she looked at Will who watched her with confusion. She looked away and into the heat.

Gibbs and Will helped Jack stand up and when the pirate felt the ground under his feet, his knees buckled and he had to grip onto his friend's shoulders. They trudged to the fire and sat down carefully. Jack closed his eyes and then took a moment before he opened them again. His vision would come in and out of focus, but that was due to the lack of food. Will came to him and handed Jack a pile of fruits. It wasn't anything like meat, but it would do for now. Elizabeth watched as he bit into the bananas and the oranges simultaneously. The guilt came back to haunt her and she opened her mouth painfully. He had been stuck in that cave for the past few days with nothing to eat; it was a miracle that Jack had survived.

Gibbs ate along with his captain and then asked him a most pressing question. The air stood still and the fire roared with life.

"So how was it that you came up in that blasted cave?"

Jack started to chew a bit slower and then he glanced across the fire towards Lizzie. She met his gaze and then looked away shamefully. He sighed and cleared his throat.

"Well… I decided to stay on my lovely ship till the end. There was no other way I would have let it be. The little beastie's mouth opened up and he showed me all of his mighty large teeth, but that didn't scare me. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, I can do anything I want to."

Gibbs nodded and Will took a deep breath of air. He was always acting so chivalrous even though he really wasn't. That wasn't Elizabeth's opinion though; she thought he was a good man, something that Will didn't give Jack credit for. He took another bite of his dinner and continued.

"So what did you do then Captain?"

"I took a sword and did what I had to do. The beastie came at me with all of his sharp teeth and swallowed me with one … large… gruesome… bite."

Elizabeth winced and brought her shoulders to her ears. Jack saw how uncomfortable it had made her, how unbearable it was to hear how much he had suffered because of her. He smiled, the firelight gleaming on his golden tooth.

"That must have been terrifying!"

Jack waved his hand and scrunched up his face as if in deep thought.

"I guess it was, but nothing that I couldn't handle. It swallowed me whole and then I slashed away at his insides," he put his hand out in the air, mimicking the motions of wielding a sword, "this way and that! It was dark as hell in his fat belly but then ah… I ah… stuck the sword inside his stomach… and he couldn't take it anymore so he had to spew me out into the blasted cave! Ha! He got what was coming to him, and that's that."

He crossed his arms and nodded his head. Jack Sparrow was back to his old self, and it only took a few fruits to lighten his mood. It was that, or the fact that Lizzie was staring at him in disbelief. He wanted to laugh out right then, but it would spoil the mood. Elizabeth dropped her mouth open and she rolled her eyes angrily. It was so typical of him to make a big deal out of nothing. She crossed her arms as well, when Gibbs shook his head and patted Jack on the back.

"You are indeed the bravest person I've ever met Captain. That must have taken a lot out of you."

Jack swayed his head back and then forwards, looking at Lizzie from underneath his eyebrows.

"It most definitely did."

She stared at him with repulsion, but then her gaze softened as she saw something in his eyes. It was hurt. Will saw the way Elizabeth had turned her shoulder towards him and how the pain scarred her face. He stood up and smiled.

"It's good to have you back Jack."

Captain Sparrow turned towards him and gave him half of a smile and then he looked away into the fire. Will walked over to Elizabeth and pulled her so that they could walk away from the fire a bit. She stared at him in disbelief.

"What are you doing? Mr. Gibbs will surely think there is something wrong now… I wasn't saying a word and…"

"That's exactly it. You're not saying a word to Jack. I thought you said you were guilty about tricking him so foully…"

She looked away harshly, and Will sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You still feel as if we haven't found him, don't you?"

Elizabeth looked at him with tears trying to escape onto her cheeks. She nodded and he hugged her. Jack looked at them with a jealous rage. He laughed to himself in spite of it all and he looked away with a soft angry frown. She saw his reaction and pulled away immediately.

"I think you should talk to him. Tell him you are sorry, and when he forgives you, I bet that you'll feel much better."

She gave him a weak smile and he kissed her gently. The breath inside of her froze in place as his lips connected with hers. Her reaction was still and the kiss wasn't anything like the one she had shared with Jack. Will pulled away and smiled brightly.

"You know I'm always here for you."

She nodded again and flickered her eyes.

"I don't know if I can do it tonight… I'll have to sleep on it."

Will shrugged as they started to walk back towards the fire.

"Suit yourself, but I know you'll feel much better when you do what I recommended."

They reached the bonfire and sat themselves down. Gibbs and Jack were silent. They each had seen the kiss and they didn't want to mention it. An awkward silence filled the air around them and the waves began to creep further away from the shore. Gibbs yawned and then Will did as well, the chain reaction not much of a surprise. Elizabeth shivered and Will decided that it was time to have a decent night of sleep.

"Since we have found our friend Jack, I propose we each head off to sleep. We want to be full of energy when we wake up."

Everyone except Jack exchanged glances. They hadn't told Jack that they were on the island with Barbossa not too far away. Jack didn't even have the slightest idea that Barbossa was alive, since he was the one who killed him. The fire was beginning to decrease its size and Elizabeth curled herself near it on the sand. Will had left to bring back blankets from the rowboat. It took him a while but once he had come back, he distributed the blankets and everyone fell asleep. Gibbs had the first watch and then it would be Will, and finally Jack. Elizabeth yawned and blinked her eyes as sleep overcame her.

..:-:..

She shivered intensely and turned around to see that the fire was almost gone. The sky was still dark and the waters were calmer than before. It seemed as if there was no wind, but the temperature had dwindled significantly. Elizabeth sat up and looked around. Both Gibbs and Will were fast asleep. Since that was the case, that must have meant that they had finished their watches, and that Jack would be up doing his. She looked all around and saw him nowhere in sight. Elizabeth stood up and searched the beach extensively with her eyes. Suddenly she did a double take and saw a movement farther into the trees, near the cave. In the moonlight, she made out a bandana and a long mane of tangled black hair. She smiled and glanced at Will again. He was deep in his sleep and she crept away silently just in case he would wake up.

Jack had taken over on his watch and he became weary of watching Lizzie sleep. Her face was troubled however much she was beautiful. He felt that it was his doing somewhat. Even though she tried to be strong, she was delicate and fragile on the inside. Her beauty covered the emotions that welled up inside of her. He smiled as she turned in her sleep; he could only imagine what nightmares she was having. Jack decided to take a walk and clear his head. Everything was much more complicated than it was before. Even though she had kissed him, it seemed like Will knew everything that happened. Even though he knew that Lizzie had kissed his friend, Will understood her reasoning and he had forgiven her. His heart couldn't bare the sight of the two betrothed lovers. All the kiss was to Lizzie was a way to escape, but to him it was worth much more than that.

He sighed and sat down against the wall of the cave where the grass met the sand. The stars dotted the sky and he looked at them with questioning.

"What am I supposed to do, eh? I can't just take her away from him, away from Bootstrap's son… I guess she really is a pirate at heart if she wants him…and betrayed me…"

Jack gritted his teeth and looked back towards the diminishing flames. It seemed like hours had passed before he saw movement. Her long hair flowed in the slight wind and he knew that she had seen him. She looked at him and started to walk in his direction. He tensed and got ready for the encounter with her after what had happened. What would he say to her? He couldn't just spit it out that he loved her.

Elizabeth neared him and she saw that he was looking down at the sand. His eyes didn't waver and he kept staring at nothing as her feet appeared in his peripheral vision. She stood gazing at him, unbeknownst that he was trying to figure out what to say, same as her. He finally lifted his head and looked at her patiently. Her lips parted and she was about to speak but she closed her mouth and clenched her fists. Jack laughed and she turned on him crossly.

"What gives you the right to laugh at me?"

A spark lit his eyes and he leaned his head up more. He smiled teasingly.

"I don't need to have a right. I can laugh at whomever and whenever I want to."

He sat back and cocked his eyebrow, waiting for her to respond. She dropped her jaw and clenched it, chuckling and looking away into the distance.

"Oh that's right. I forgot. You're Captain Jack Sparrow. You're an almighty God, aren't you? You do whatever you please."

She looked him in the eye and closed her mouth. Elizabeth had her hands on her hips and Jack smiled genuinely. He stood up and she backed away a bit, not sure of herself anymore. His presence was overpowering, even though she had been the one to kiss him. It felt like he controlled everything that she did, it felt like she was lost to his ways once again. Suddenly the smile on Jack's face disappeared and an eerie silence fell in between them. He closed his eyes and then looked towards the water sadly. What she said was not the truth. If he had done whatever he wanted to do, she wouldn't be with that lousy good for nothing weakling named William. It was such a proper name. All he had was Jack. It was only four letters and not even worth anything. He had always tried to make something of it when he added Captain and Sparrow to it. His stories didn't impress her though and he always found himself telling her the truth. The wind blew and rustled their hair. He looked back towards her and sighed. Her eyes softened as she saw the truth in his deep eyes.

"That's a very great assumption you are making. Unfortunately, you are mistaken."

He walked away from her and towards the shore. Her mouth dropped and her stomach felt like it had been punched. What did he mean by that? She followed him and then stepped right in front, blocking his path.

"So that means you don't get your way all the time? Hmm?"

He laughed at her bravado; it was one of the things he loved about her.

"That's right. I, Captain Jack Sparrow, do not get my way all the time. There, happy?"

He continued to walk away from her, his heart wrenching like a rag each time she came closer to him. Finally, she stepped up to him again and crossed her arms.

"What is it then? What is it that Jack Sparrow can't have?"

Her breath was thin and her heart was beating fast. Somewhere deep inside of her, she knew the answer, except she didn't want to admit it; she didn't want him to admit it either. Yet there was a part of her that wanted everything to be free and out in the open. Lizzie wanted things to be as they were meant to be. She kept her gaze on his eyes and he looked around before looking her straight in the eye. Within a matter of moments, he flung his arms in the air and leaned forward.

"All right! You win! I'll tell you what I can't have… I have wanted this thing for quite some time, and I can never seem to get a grip on her, it, and I know I will never be able to have it. Satisfied?"

She let her jaw drop open and her eyes went wide. The awful feeling started to well up inside of her and she knew for a fact what it was that Jack couldn't have. A tear slipped from her eyes as he gazed into them and he immediately regretted his words. She had teased him the entire time they were looking for the chest; she had taunted him cruelly as if his feelings were nothing of significance. Finally, she had tossed him a bone, and took it away the next minute, leaving him to his certain death. Elizabeth couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Oh Jack, I am so sorry. I'm sorry about everything… I didn't mean it when I said I wasn't. I was trying to be brave, but that didn't work… you could have died Jack, and it was my bloody wit that made it so."

She inhaled deeply and his lips twitched into a smile. Lizzie wiped her tears away and looked back at him. He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned in closer.

"Pirates don't cry Lizzie."

The reminiscent scraps left of her dream flashed through her head and his voice echoed throughout her ears. She managed to laugh softly and she hit him playfully on the shoulder.

"I'm not a pirate Jack, you are."

He laughed and his eyes shined brightly in the moonlight. It cast a faint silver shadow on his face, illuminating his dynamism. She couldn't help but smile and laugh. The vigor in her muscles reawakened, her body felt as if it weren't so lifeless anymore.

"Unfortunately love, you are. You lied through your teeth, and put yourself first. You wanted to save your life, it didn't matter if you had to betray anyone. And that is what being a pirate is all about. Selfish acts of betrayal. I'm sorry, but you are most definitely a pirate."

The last word hovered inches away from her face and she looked at him innocently. Every word was true. All of her life, she had wanted to meet a pirate, and since she had, she had turned into one. A thought occurred to her suddenly. She lowered her voice to a tantalizing whisper and it drifted to his face dreamily.

"So if I'm a pirate, and pirates always get what they want, I can have whatever I want, correct?"

Jack swallowed and his eyes stared at her slowly moving mouth. The intention behind what she had said was very clear, and he wished he could forget about everything, but he couldn't.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth. You made a promise to someone else."

She pulled away slightly and turned her head towards the fire. Elizabeth looked back at him and smiled.

"You are a good man Jack. I would have never thought it, but it makes so much sense now…"

He looked away from her beautiful gaze, from the craving of her lips on his. Jack shivered as he felt her hand on his cheek. She pulled his head in her direction and then leaned in closer. Her voice was only whispers on the wind.

"I know what you want Jack… and I will let you have it… because I want it too…"

She closed the distance between them, and their lips touched. Her body tensed as she pulled on his neck. His kiss was electrifying and she spread her mouth over his elaborately. Gasps of air circled about them and Lizzie wrapped her arms around him. This time, Jack didn't let her lead the kiss. He felt the incredible fuzzy warmth expel from her mouth into his and he pulled her into him tightly. She gasped for air as the embrace deepened. He grazed his lips over hers roughly and a moan escaped her throat. She pulled on his back and they turned around, creating chaos of footprints in the sand. It marked the spot like a treasure chest and suddenly they tripped over one another's feet and fell down into the soft sand laughing. Lizzie fell down on top of him and her hair fell into his face. He reached up and pushed it aside, his face as happy as hers.

"You're really something, love."

She cocked her head and grinned with a smirk.

"Oh really? Is that right?"

"It most certainly is."

He reached for her head and pulled it into his, giving her another long kiss. She pulled away and smiled.

"I didn't ever think I'd love a pirate."

Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him and he laughed. She traced her fingers on his jaw and leaned into him.

"You love me too, right?"

She looked at him openly with a hidden teasing behind her voice. He decided to play along and he cleared his throat.

"Well, you see, a pirate has only one love, that which is the sea. So I'm sorry dearie, but I'm afraid I don't."

He looked at her with his lower lip brought up to his upper one. She pushed away from him and hurt spread through her eyes.

"I can't believe it… I thought you said…"

A glimmer of laughter reached his eyes, and when she saw it, she shook her head.

"Oh no you didn't… you didn't just…"

"Lie? I believe I did. What's more, I can't come to accept the fact that you believed me."

He leaned into her so that his mouth hovered by her ear. His voice prickled her sense and made her stiff in his arms.

"Of course I love you Lizzie, I would be bloody mad if I didn't."

She saw his eyes again and she smiled warmly. They watched the waves roll onto the sand, just a meter away from their outstretched feet. Elizabeth snuggled up to Jack and the moon's reflection shimmered on the waters of the sea. It spilled out like a pool of hope, and the moon's light surrounded the couple in pure bliss. No worries filled their hearts; no doubts filled their minds. Instead, love had spread from the bottom of their toes, to the very tip of their heads. Jack stroked her hair tenderly and she closed her eyes softly.

"Jack?"

"Yes love?"

"Why didn't you kiss me before if you said that you had felt this way for such a long time?"

There was a small silence before he answered. Guilt crept up behind the shadows of his happiness.

"Because you belong to William."

He said his name with a bitterness that she hadn't heard come out of his mouth before. She sat up away from him and saw the sorrow in his eyes. If they were a pair of mirrors, she would see her own eyes, full of heartache and despair. She shook her head and sighed.

"I might have made a promise Jack, but my heart belongs to you."

He smiled and laughed. Her lips twisted into a smile and she cocked her head.

"Why are you laughing now?"

"Because Lizzie, you are one of the most awful pirates I have ever known."

They laughed together and he brought her to him again. Her head rested on his chest as the two fell asleep.

..:-:..

The next morning, Jack awoke first. His eyelids fluttered open and when the light sky beckoned him, he shifted nervously. He sighed when he saw that William and Gibbs were still awake. Carefully, so that Lizzie wouldn't wake up, he picked her up in his arms and carried her back towards the camp. The fire was completely extinguished and the blanket where Lizzie had slept was thrown aside. He set her down and she sighed. Jack picked up the blanket and set it down on her gently. She shifted into a different position and then he saw a smile on her face. Jack shook his head with amusement and looked at her with adoration. She was his feisty Lizzie, and that's how it would always be. Everything inside of him felt like he had escaped a prison cell. He couldn't have done it before, because the key to the lock was hidden somewhere even he couldn't get to without her help. Jack sighed and settled down near the fire. His eyelids drooped and he fell asleep, flashes of warmth spreading through his lips.

A/N: WOW… what a LONGG chapter! I don't know if I'll be able to top this… it was so long! It took me like… six hours to write lol xD I hope you liked it! I enjoyed writing it and I thank you so much for taking the time to read:) Remember though… this is not the end of the fic… five more chapters to go… so it must mean something … happens… lol

-Monika-