/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /

Chapter Nine

Reaching shore, the crew and I slowly got out and pulled the boats to shore. Letting the water lap at my feet, I watched as Will walked slowly up the bank before sitting under one of the trees. Walking towards him, I brushed some sticks away before sitting down beside him. I hated seeing the pain in his eyes.

"Anything you want to say, Will?" I asked when I got comfortable.

"My father slipped through my fingers again. I swore to him that the next time I saw him it would be when I was setting him free. I broke my promise and now he'll never be able to forgive me," Will said.

I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That's not true. I saw the love in his eyes that only a father could have for his son. He was only doing the right thing, for all of us."

"But at his own price," he said bitterly. "I might never see him again now."

"But your father's part of Davy Jones' crew, Will," I admonished. "He can't die. And when you defeat Davy Jones, you'll see your father again."

Will shook his head. "If I defeat Davy Jones, then the whole crew might die, along with my father. I have to find Davy Jones' heart first and make him set my father free before completely defeating the man."

I rested my head against his shoulder. "There's always hope."

"But hope can get shattered for despair to get in," Will replied.

I sat up, straightening my clothes. I could feel the anger welling up inside me despite my efforts to quench it. Will always had to kill any type of hope that would help us get to our goal. It seemed as if he was a born pessimist if I didn't know him better.

Will touched my face in concern. "What's wrong?"

I brushed his hand away, tears welling in my eyes. "You're always giving up hope. Like the journey's defeated before it even began. Why are we even trying if you don't think it's worth a chance?"

Will said nothing and I immediately felt sorry for what I said. But I refused to take back my words. They had a truth in them that I wanted Will to realize. Despite my reasoning, it didn't stop me from being guilty. After several moments of silence, I couldn't take it anymore. Standing up, I brushed the dirt and debris from my backside.

"I'm going to go talk to Jack, see what we should do next," I exclaimed.

"Wait," Will said and stood up, grabbing my arm. "Why should you go to him when you can just ask me?"

I looked deep into his eyes. "Because no matter how noble and heroic you want to be, you're still too rash in your decisions and let your emotions get the better of you. And even if that weren't the case, you're still too green in the ways of the open sea and the tactics people use to survive and win against the enemy. How can you expect to win against Davy Jones and get your father back if you're still too naïve?"

"Oh, and I suppose you know everything there is to know about the ways of the world, I suppose, Elizabeth?" Will said, his anger rising.

"I'm not saying I know everything, but at least I've taken the time to read about this kind of thing and that I've actually learned from the experiences I've had these past couple of years," I retorted.

"Oh, and I haven't?" Will asked angrily.

I sighed exasperatedly. "Why are we even arguing about this? Jack's been on ships since he was a child by the way of hearing things and he'll know what to do better than the two of us put together."

Will shook his head. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't mean what I've said. Please forgive me."

"You never mean what you say, but it still hurts," I said. Without saying another word, I turned on my heel and went off to find Jack Sparrow. It didn't take long for me to find him. He was down by the river's edge, telling Gibbs and a couple others some sort of story or other.

"…And then Barbossa says, 'I owe a debt to no one. The only debt owed to anybody is to me.' Well, then, Bootstrap wouldn't have that and the two of them drew swords," Jack was saying. "And then, not wanting to hinder their argument any further, I leaped over the side of the ship and here I am."

"And here you are," Gibbs repeated, laughing and shaking his head. "I swear Jack, I don't know how you manage to get out of a mess every time."

Jack tapped the side of his head. "A little common sense saves you every time."

"Especially when one seems to display the lack thereof," I said stepping towards them. "So tell me, Captain Jack Sparrow, how did you escape from the irons that Barbossa clapped you in when I last saw you?"

Gibbs turned back Jack questioningly. "Yeah, Jack, how did you manage that one?"

Jack glared at me. I only smiled smugly back at him. I was interested in seeing what he would give for that one.

"From the sweat off my body and the spit from my mouth," Jack said finally. "You sweat a lot when you're under a lot of pressure and you just need that little extra grit from your mouth to make it slide easy."

"I see," I said. "Too bad I don't see any marks on your wrists when the irons slid off."

"I'm blessed with natural elasticity and the ability to heal fast," Jack said, grinning up at me.

Gibbs laughed and pounded Jack's back in glee. "That's my man, Jack! Who cares, anyway, as long as you're here, right, Jack?"

Jack grinned gleefully. "Yes, that's all that matters in every tale—that you escape with no harm done."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, then tell me this, Jack. How do we find Davy Jones' heart, defeat him, and get Bootstrap Bill Turner out alive in the bargain?"

"And that, my love, will have to wait for the morning, savvy?" Jack said getting up, his body weaving. "Can't have too many adventures at once in one day."

Gibbs yawned and stood up as well. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think I might catch a few winks m'self, says I."

I threw up my hands in disgust. "Men! One minute they're full of noble ideas and then in the next they're no better than boys!"

"Sticks and stones, love," Jack exclaimed before heading off to look for a place to sleep.

I shook my head and went off to find my own place to sleep. Sometimes I wondered how I managed to around the whole lot of them all the time without going crazy myself. One of these days I was going to have to find another woman willing to travel with me to help keep my sanity.

Finding Will already bedded down and asleep, I made my own little bed beside him and soon I fell asleep without further thought. I would figure something out tomorrow and nothing was going to stop me.

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Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been busy. I hope everybody likes the chapter. Thank you to everybody who's reviewed, I really appreciate it. I hope everybody keep reading and I'll update as soon as I can. Don't forget to review, it makes the writer happy and write faster!