A/N: Hey has anyone here ever written anything they don't really like? Yeah that's how I feel about this chapter but it got me where I wanted it to so I guess it was neccassary.

Ever seen Secret Window? Mort Rainey (portrayed by Johnny Depp) says something wise in this movie: "Bad writing. What do you do with bad writing? Delete it! No more bad writing." or something like that and that haunted me but I didn't delte this.

I promise lots of good JE dialouge and plot twists for the next chapter but now read about what happened the night before JE met up at that party. And review...but only if you feel like it. Meh! I don't really care right now...I'm kinda sleepy. Didn't sleep last night.

The eyes she was staring into were not the soft light brown ones that looked at her lovingly and radiated warmth and kindness. Nor were they the dark chocolate colored mischeviouse ones that sparkled with a devilish glee and made her giddy. They were icy...icy blue and though she was sure the owner of those eyes loved her very much, they were cold and distant. Dex her boyfriend looked at her with a smile...his blue eyes staring at her the whole time.

She smiled back and raised her wine glass to her lips and took a sip of the red wine. She twisted her hair around her finger. Her hair was dyed dark dark brown for tomorrow night's party which she wasn't sure she'd be attending.

"Elizabeth, how was your day?"

"Fine...great! Just great." she answered with another smile. Truth was that her day had been anything but 'fine' and 'great' but some lacked the 'intuitive sense of the female creature' and couldn't sense the vibe. She'd had a rough day at work...in the PR company she worked at and she'd barely made it to their date as it were.

"Wonderful." he said . His handsome face breaking into a wide grin. The grin wasn't warm, soft and sweet and nor was it devilish, mischeviouse and smug.

"Lizzie-"

Don't call me that. He called me that.

"Lizzie, the past year has been amazing for me."

Had it been a whole year? She didn't know anymore. Time didn't matter.

"It's been amazing for me too." she said with a smile. "Shall we order?"

He nodded.

"Mate! Any deal that's not worth dealing with should not be dealt with at all if you ask me." Jack said as he waved a bread stick around in his hand. He leaned back in the booth in a rather nonchalant manner...too nonchalant for a five star restaurant.

"Jack. I didn't say it wasn't worth dealing with...I just said it would be a difficult situation to deal with." one of the two men sitting in front of him said. He was a lawyer. Ron Hamelton, a damn good lawyer. But Jack was smarter.

"Po-tay-to, po-ta-to." he said with a wave of his hand. He wasn't even wearing a tie and his jacket had been flung to the side.

"Won't your lawyer be joining us Mr.Sparrow?"

"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow." he said as he pointed the bread stick at him. "And I don't need a bloody lawyer. I have a brain and a mouth and I'm damn cleverer than a bloody man in a suit and a tie, who's went to Yale savvy?Shall we proceed?"

"If you insist." said the other man. Chris Stocking was the man Jack had sorta ...kinda...almost...ripped off.

Stocking? What a bloody funny name.

"Aye I do." he said as he took a bite of the bread stick. "But why are we in a bloody five star restaurant?"

"We were hoping you would behave if you're somewhere fancy."

"Obviousely we were wrong."

Jack grinned and so did Gibbs who was sitting beside him.

"Yes mate! Obviousely you were." he said with another grin. "But you see. Seeing as you can't prove that I stole the cash, why can't we forget about this whole 'deal that cannot be dealt with' and have a steak or something? I've heard they have a great oaster-"

"Cut it Sparrow!" said Hamelton. "For once stop being such a fool and get serious."

"Me and serious in the same sentence? You need to reshuffle your vocabulary mate." he chuckled.

"One way or another we're going to prove that you did it Jack." Stocking said.

"Oh I'm so scared. I'm being threatened by a man whose last name is Stocking. Save me! Lord have mercy on my soul." Jack said tiredly. Gibbs chuckled beside him.

"I'll get you Sparrow and when I do I'll squish you like a bug." Stocking said. Hamelton nodded.

"I believe our business here is done for the moment. Don't say we didn't warn you Sparrow!" Hamelton said as both men got up and left.

"Trust me. I won't say that." Jack called after them and both he and Gibbs laughed. Gibbs rose from beside him and sat in front of him instead.

Gibbs smiled. "So Jack about this masked ball tomorrow night..."

"Oh right the party." Elizabeth said to Dex with a nod. "I'm not sure I'll be going."

"Why not sweetheart?"

"I'm just...I'm not a big fan of these huge parties."

"Yeah! I know but-" Dex started with a knowing smile.

Elizabeth felt the urge to change the subject. "Anyways what will you have? I think I'll..."

"... have the shrimp. It's cooked in coconut milk and rum. Rum's good!" Jack said.

"Oh come on Jack. It'll be fun. You'll see the crew-"

"Ok. Ok. I'll consider it. Now shut it!"

"That's good enough for now. It's better if you're considering it than dismissing it all together." Dex said with a grin.

Elizabeth smiled."Take what you can..."

"...Give nothing back." Jack grinned

"So what be on your mind Jack? You've been a bit distant tonight. Matter of fact you've been distant for a while." Gibbs said with a concerned expression.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh I'm sorry darling I'll be sure to pay our marriage more attention from now on." he said sarcastically.

Gibbs sighed. "Oh come on Jack. You know I be right!"

"Nothing's wrong Dex!" Elizabeth assured him.

"I can tell that something's bothering you."

"Ok maybe I've been thinking about..." Jack paused as he took a sip of wine and winced at how mellow it tasted. "her again."

"Oh no Jack." Gibbs shook his head. "Not her again. What's making your mind drif back to her?"

"I don't know Dex. There's something about this place that gives me this feeling." Elizabeth said with an usure expression.

Jack leaned forward as if he was sharing a secret with Gibbs. "I feel like she's right behind me." he said with wide eyes as he half glanced over his shoulder.

Gibbs laughed at the frightened look on his face. "Jack you know that's not possible."

If only they both knew how possible that really was. As a matter of fact she was right behind him...if only the booth's weren't seperating them with a thin wooden wall their backs would be resting against eachother at that very moment.

"I know that mate and believe me I haven't thought of the wench once in over a year but I feel all..." he didn't continue, he just wiggled his fingers and made a face that said meant 'weird'.

"I feel weird." Elizabeth said honestly. Seeing the look on Dex's face she smiled. "But I'm glad you brought me here. It's so classy! What's the occassion?"

"You're the occassion."

Oh spare me the cheesy remarks will you?

"You're so sweet Dex."

"I love you honey."

I love you too but I'm not in love with you.

"I love you too."

"So Jack-"

"Shhhh! There's a couple behind us. Their conversation is so disgustingly sweet that it entertains me to an extent. Must listen...busy yourself with your pork Joshamee." he said waving his hands towards the giant plate in front of his friend. Gibbs nodded and Jack leaned back against the booth to listen to the personal romance movie going on behind him.

Elizabeth giggled as Dex locked her feet between his. "Dex don't! I can't eat when you make me laugh."

"My apologies." he said with a smile as he withdrew his feet. She went back to her food, his eyes on her the whole time.

"You look beautiful."

Elizabeth looked a bit confused at the sudden compliment. "Oooook! Thank you honey."

Jack chuckled under his breath. This was certainly interesting.

"So how's that sports campaigne coming along?" he asked.

"As good as anything with organized exercise in it could come along. What happened to the days when people moved around so much they didn't need exercise?"

"I like this girl." Jack thought with a smile.

"Whatever you say grandma." Dex joked. Elizabeth chuckled.

"I'm serious. What happened to adventure and big country houses and...freedom." she said.

"I really like this girl." he thought.

Dex laughed. "What? It's not like you're caged."

"Darling what are you doing with this guy?" he said in his head with a frown.

Elizabeth didn't answer. What was she supposed to say? Yes actually I do feel caged?

"Dessert?" Dex asked. She nodded with a smile.

"You've made me a happier man in the past year..."

Jack stifled a laugh and mimicked the man's voice. "Oh you've made me a happier man in the past year...so happy I could barf!" he said in a squeaky voice but made sure his voice didn't reach the couple. Gibbs laughed and shook his head.

Elizabeth smiled as the waiter placed the chocolate cake in front of her. She went to straighten the napkin on her lap but dropped it on the ground. Jack saw the napkin fall from the corner of his eyes and bent down to pick it up for her just as she bent to pick it up herself. He reached it first and she found her hand touching his instead of the cloth.

"Here you go dearie." he handed it to her without turning around to face her.

"Thank you." she turned to take it from him. All her eyes caught sight of were a handful of thick dark hair. She turned around and placed the napkin on her lap.

Dex continued with his declaration of love. "As I was saying I want you to know just how much I love you."

Elizabeth beamed as she dug her fork in the cake. "I love you too."

"That's a shame." Jack thought.

Her fork met with a something hard in the chocolaty fudgy cake. She pulled the fork out gaping at the silver ring dangling on it.

Dex smiled. "Elizabeth will you marry me?"

"Oh figures. Her name just has to be Elizabeth doesn't it? Yet another Elizabeth in the coarse of history who ends up marrying a eunuch. Perfect." he thought with a roll of his eyes. Her response surprised him.

"No!" she said flatly.

"What?"

"What?" Dex asked the question instead of Jack.

"I'm sorry Dex...I love you but I don't want to get married. I'm not ready." she said truthfully.

Dex nodded understandingly. "I love you Lizzie-"

"Don't call me that!" Elizabeth thought.

"Don't call her that!"Jack thought.

"And I'll wait for you. Days, years...I don't care! All I care about is being with you. If that means waiting till you're ready then I'll wait."

She breathed in for a second. She had to escape. When Dex excused himself to go to the bathroom she found her purse and started puting her cell phone back inside so she could run before he came back.

"You made a very splended decision da'ling." the man behind her commented. She should have been irked and upset at the stranger for listening to their conversation but she smiled in amusement.

"Has anyone ever told you that it's rude to listen to other people's conversations?" she said without turning around.

"Oh yes! Numerous times actually but I never listen."

"You should certainly start sir."

"And you should run before he comes back."

"My sentiments exactly." she surprised herself by agreeing with the stranger. She flung her purse over her shoulder and walked away hastily without looking over her shoulder.

Jack watched the woman's back as she walked away. The mysterious woman with wavy dark hair. He smiled at the situation.

"At least one Elizabeth made the right decision eh?"

Yeah...JE barely spoke two words to eachother in this one but I just wanted to get the story of her and Dex and how they ended up going to the party out. The Dex bit was for those who read "Through The Ages" and wondered what the whole Elizabeth/Dex thing was about.

Promise the next chapter will be JEfull. You be warned though! They won't actually see eachother but they'll have some good ol' fashion JE flirting and conversations. Tune in!

P.S: No fire k? It's just a waste of breath. You no likey? Let me know nicely.