TBP: Here we are with chapter 26!

Ekari: This is were things get interesting.

Furfaidz: Jack better not do anything I don't want him to do!

TBP: Knowing Jack, he will.

Furfaidz: ... Good point.

Chapter 26

Elizabeth minded her own business, sitting on the steps that led to the quarter deck. She looked out at the deck. Jack walked over to her, rum bottle in hand, Janice on his heels.

"My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are... troubled." he said in one breath.

"In other words, I told him." Janice said

"I helped!" Heather said

"Girls..." Jack started

"So what's wrong?" Cheyenne said, leaning on the stairs.

"You can tell us." Heather said, taking Elizabeth's hand.

"Girl talk!" Janice said. The girls all huddled around Elizabeth. Jack was outside it.

"Uh, I was actually hoping..." Jack said. All female eyes looked at him. Megan appeared and leaned on the pirate captain.

"Come on guys. Jack wants to talk to Lizzie here." Megan said, smirking. Everyones shoulders slumped as they walked away.

"I'd still like a girl talk." Janice said stopping.

"Later." Megan said, pulling her away. Jack sat next to Elizabeth, leaning on the railing of the stairs.

"Well... why are you troubled?" Jack asked flat out.

"I just thought I'd be married by now. I'm so ready to be married." Elizabeth said. Jack bit the cork of the rum bottle and spat it out before handing the bottle to her. She took it and drank.

"You know, Lizzie," Jack said, clearing his throat before 'Lizzie', "I am captain of a ship. And being captain of a ship, I could, in fact, perform a marriàge, right here, right on this deck, right now." He spoke the last word to close to Elizabeth's nose. It crinkled and Elizabeth handed the bottle to him and walked away.

"No, thank you." she said. She stopped at the ships rail to look at the water next to Janice.

"Why not? We are very much alike, you and I, I and you, us." Jack said, hanging onto a ratline.

"Oh, except for a sense of honor, and decency, and a moral center." Elizabeth said, nearly spitting out every word.

"Harsh." Cheyenne said, hearing the conversation not to far away.

"And personal hygiene." Elizabeth added. Jack Sniffed his armpit and Janice looked appalled.

"Hey! I take baths!" Janice remarked. Elizabeth looked at her. "Weekly... Monthly... When was my last bath?" Janice wandered away to ponder her mystery as Jack wandered over to Elizabeth.

"Trifles." he said. "You will come over to my side, I know it."

"You seem very certain." Elizabeth said

"One word, love: curiosity." Jack said. "You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day, you won't be able to resist." Jack held his arms out.

"Curiosity killed the cat!" Megan said

"Don't you have something to do?" Jack said, looking over at the crowded girls. "All of you?"

"Not really." Cheyenne said shaking her head. The others followed suit.

"I wish we had popcorn." Heather said

"I know, right?" Janice said

"SSSH!" Megan shushed.

"Why doesn't your compass work?" Elizabeth asked. Jack looked at the water for a moment.

"Whoa. TMI." The girls said, snickering.

"My compass works fine." he finally said

"Because you and I are alike." Elizabeth said wandering over to another part of the rail. "And there will come a moment when you have the chance to show it. To do the right thing."

"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by." Jack said, waving his hand in the air.

"That's my Jack!" Janice said

"You'll have the chance to do something... something courageous. And when you do, you'll discover something. That you're a good man." Elizabeth said. Jack moved closer to her.

"All evidence to the contrary." he said

"Oh, I have faith in you. Want to know why?" Elizabeth said, turning around to face him.

"Do tell, dearie." He asked

"Curiosity." Elizabeth said. "You're going to want it. A chance to be admired, and gain the rewards that follow. You're not going to be able to resist. You're going to want to know what it tastes like." The two were close enough to kiss each other. The girls all seemed to lean closer with anticipation.

"I do want to know what it tastes like." Jack said. Elizabeth moved, Jack keeping in front of her.

"But seeing as you're a good man, I know you would never put me in a position that would compromise my honor." Elizabeth said

"Kiss her!" Heather said

"Heather!" Megan said. Jack raised his hand to hold Elizabeth's cheek, but grimaced when he saw the black spot return to his palm. He clenched it closed and backed away.

"Jack?" Janice asked, worried.

"I'm proud of you, Jack." Elizabeth said

"Land ho!" Came Gibbs' cry. Everyone went over to the other rail to see a small sandy island. Everyone, except Janice sha rushed over to Jack and pryed his hand open, horrified to see the spot.

"It was two days!" Janice said. "Where did that come from?"

"I want my jar of dirt!" Jack said, grabbing Janice's arm with his marked hand and pulling her away.

"Don't touch me with it! Groooooss!!!" Janice yelled. Megan looked back over her shoulder and laughed before turning her attention to the island.

"I wonder why it isn't populated at all." Cheyenne asked

"Why?" Heather asked

"Well... Most islands here in the Caribbean were populated at this time period." Cheyenne said, moving her hands around to try to explain. Megan was about to explain but another beat her to the punch.

"This island was a good island once." Gibbs said, pulling on some lines to lower a long boat in the water. "It was before a plague struck it."

"A plague?!" Heather said. "I'm not going over there!"

"It's fine guys, don't worry." Megan said. Gibbs chuckled.

"It's long since passed. All the inhabitants were killed." Gibbs said. "The last man standing was a priest. After having to bury everyone, He went to the bell tower and hung himself up."

"Short drop, sudden stop." Megan whispered

"Creepy." Heather said. "And we're going on that island?"

"If you're going, I am." Norrington said

"We're going to have a full boat." Megan said, rolling her eyes.

Furfaidz: So, who wants to explain the thing with the island and the priest?

Ekari: I've seen and heard some creepy things, but that... it's still not the creepiest, but it's on my list.

TBP: The thing with the priest and the plagued island was in the script, it was filmed, but it never made the final cut. Shame, really. I thought it was cool.

Furfaidz: So you know the drill. Press the button in the corner and review!!!!!!