Pirates of the Caribbean: More from Beyond the World

Disclaimer: Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true... Somewhere over the rainbow I would own Pirates of the Caribbean.

Ghost Land

A/N: Thanks for reviewing, everyone! About this chapter, I'm very sorry I tortured Jack... I couldn't resist it! Sorry about fastfowarding through half a year, but sailing to the world's end takes a long, long time, and even Jack doesn't have adventures as every turn! Also, I'm going to be shamelessly ripping stuff off C.S. Lewis and his amazing book, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

They sailed on for six months. Nothing very eventful happened during this time except for Elizabeth getting steadily larger and larger, and Jack intercepting a rum-runner's vessel and getting so drunk, he didn't wake up for three days, and Ana Maria and Elizabeth thought he was in a coma. When he finally woke up, he swore that he had the worse hangover he had ever had. And that, as Elizabeth said, was saying something. Ana Maria was uncharacteristically nice to Elizabeth, and made her stay in her cabin as much as possible.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Pearl finally came to the sea that Elizabeth remembered so well, where the stars were thick overhead, and the water was calm as glass, reflecting the sky perfectly, so that it seemed that they were sailing through the night sky. Jack and Ana Maria, who had never seen this place, were looking out at the sea, trying to see where it ended and the sky began, when Elizabeth suddenly cried out.

"What is it?" Ana Maria asked, flying to her side. Elizabeth was pale and her breathing was rapid.

"Jack, get her into the cabin," Ana Maria told him. Jack lifted Elizabeth off her feet, carried her in, and put her on the bed.

Ana Maria had told him to get out of the cabin and not bother her and Elizabeth. Jack, by the light of a faulty lamp, was examining his map. He shifted the rings and saw them for the words "Ghost Land."

"That doesn't sound too pleasant," Jack muttered under his breath. But it seemed to be the only way into the other world without going over the waterfall that Elizabeth had described in grisly detail.

"Jack!" came Ana Maria's voice, as she rushed below deck, where the rest of the crew were. "Go to Elizabeth and stay by her! Don't get her stirred up. Don't let her worry about a thing. "

Jack headed towards the cabin.

It happened very suddenly. All the stars went out and he was plunged into utter darkness. There was no swaying deck under his feet, but solid, rough rock. Screams of agony came from all sides. Jack stood rooted to the spot.

He had no idea what was going on. Ana Maria was somewhere in that impenetrable blackness. It cast a cold, horrible cover of fear and terror over his heart. And Elizabeth was somewhere there also. And the rest of the crew. Jack didn't know why he remembered Ana Maria first. He started to walk forward.

The screams and pleas for mercy that would never come surrounded him from, intensifying with every step he took. This was hell. The smell of blood was all around him. He was trapped and this was a feverish nightmare from which he could not escape. Dimly, Jack realized that this must the "Ghost Land". Fear from the cries around him clung to him. Before he knew what was going on, he was running through the sightless blackness. The footing was treacherous and he nearly stumbled over and over again. Jack didn't know what he was running towards, he was just trying to get away from the foul stench of blood and the anguished screams.

Suddenly, Jack stumbled and fell. He knew, somehow, that this was the worst thing that could happen. He tried to get up, but he couldn't. Without warning, something heavy and fast fell across his back, splitting the skin. Jack nearly cried out, but bit his lip, trying to get free again. It was like the blow of a whip. It fell again, and Jack writhed under it. Wonderful, he thought, sarcastically, now I'm stuck here until we sail through this accursed darkness. If we're still sailing. What about Ana Maria? The whip fell across his back over and over again, nine times (Jack counted), but then, suddenly, it stopped. The screams coming from every side were gone and Jack was lying on the cool wood of the deck of the Black Pearl. It was all over, except that Jack's back was throbbing and his ears ringing.

Every cut seared like fire on his back. He felt his shirt, torn at the back, soaking with blood. He sat up and pulled it off, then fell forward again. The wood was cool beneath his bare chest and he wanted to stay right there until the cuts healed over. But Elizabeth was in that cabin, about to have her baby, and she was hurting even worse than he was. That made him feel better, that even though he was injured, there was someone who was even worse off than he was, someone who depended on him for help. Jack felt that he would never have the strength to get up and jar the wounds, but once he was on his feet, he found that he did. Somehow, he got to the cabin.

"Elizabeth, how are you?" she asked.

Her face momentarily twisted in pain, but she swallowed and answered, "Fine. It's not so bad,"

He knelt by the bed.

"Jack, you're bleeding," she whispered, pointing at his shoulder, down which blood was trickling. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "It's just a cut."

"No it isn't. Turn around, let me see your back."

"Elizabeth, it's fine."

"No it isn't," she muttered in a distressed voice. "You might be dying, and you won't say so,"

Jack remembered Ana Maria's words, 'Don't get her stirred up. Don't let her worry about a thing.'

"Turn around," she whispered again.

There was nothing else for it. He turned and heard her swift intake of breath.

"Poor Jack," she murmured, taking hold of his hand. "I wish I could help you,"

"It's doesn't hurt much," he told her.

"Don't lie Jack, I know it does,"

"Well, you said you didn't feel so bad when I came in. I guess we're a pair of little liars,"

"Jack, what the hell happened to you?" demanded Ana Maria, standing in the doorway.

"Nothing happened to you, did it?" Jack asked anxiously.

"No, of course not,"

"Looks like we're beyond the world now," Jack told her.

Half an hour later, Elizabeth was still in labor, and now delirious.

"Will!" she called, over and over again, "Will!"

"Take her hand," Ana Maria told Jack. He came over and took Elizabeth's thin hand.

"Oh, Will," she whispered. "I knew you'd come. Will? Is that you?"

Jack looked over at Ana Maria, who nodded.

"Yes, Elizabeth, I'm here," he said.

"Will, I'm so glad you're here. You're going to be a father, Will. Our baby's coming. What should we name him?"

"I might be a girl," Jack pointed out.

"No, I know it's a boy. What should we call him? Let's call him Jack. If it weren't for Captain Jack we would still be living in Port Royal, and I'd be married to Norrington, and you'd be working for that drunkard in the blacksmith shop. We'll call him Jack, won't we, Will?"

"If you want to, Elizabeth," Jack agreed.

"You'd better get out," Ana Maria said.

Jack waited outside the cabin. He didn't understand why Elizabeth wanted to name the baby after him. He had caused nothing but trouble for them. If it weren't for him, they probably would still have married, and Elizabeth would be having this baby in a comfortable bed in Port Royal, instead of the Pearl. If it weren't for him, Governor Swann and Norrington would still be alive.

Jack heard Elizabeth cry out and suddenly, the high wailing of a child. His breath caught as Ana Maria came out minutes later and told him that he could come in.

"Jack," Elizabeth whispered, "look, it's Will's baby. It's a boy. And I had such a nice dream, I dreamt that Will was here and that we decided to name him Jack. For you."

And with that, she fell asleep.

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