I just wanted to say thanks to all the readers so far, and those of you adding the story to your favorites list, it means alot to me. I've got a few new chapters to add up. Hope you all enjoy! -J-

Chapter 5: Violet Hill

I took my love down to violet hill
There we sat in snow
All that time she was silent still

So if you love me
Won't you let me know?

If you love me,
Won't you let me know?

Violet Hill by Coldplay

At night, the Cove was infamous for transforming itself into a crystal mirror, a glass haven of reflecting lights and stars. The center of the fortress was where the life was, but the mountainous walls, staged in a glorious circle, were where the thinkers and dreamers of the islands spent their evenings. Straddled high up into the skies, taking in the gusts of a thousand rushing currents and ships; there was nothing for days, weeks, months in any direction you peered. Endless possibility, endless horizon to wish upon. As a young boy, full of mischief and practice thievery, Jack would often run the distance from shoreline to sky each afternoon, attempting to hide out until the anger of whoever was after him had subsided enough for him to return home. The short woods and brush at the top of Violet Hill were his hideaway, the place he held most of his secrets in life, and one he had missed over the years. But tonight, he decided inwardly, he would miss it no more.

Following a brisk chat and drink with a few of his father's closest trustees, he excused himself in retreat of fresh air, leaving the home with only his hat and boots, all else seemed pointless. It had been nearing a five hour run since he had come into contact with his demon, the muse he had allowed to slip back into the arms of the wrong man, the girl who had proven him a fool time and time again. Elizabeth had seemed rather different in his eyes, no longer an innocent stowaway, or distressing child in the care of danger, but rather a devilish form of womanhood, here to lurk and pry away at his rarely beating heart. Marriage by way of loss had done wonders for her strength, although it pained him to admit it. She was hardened in all of the appropriate places, her eyes deaf with emotion but still holding a brooding charm he had never witnessed in the eyes of another beauty before. Her delicate features were only accented slightly by the kissable sun and labor of her present duties abroad the island, and it was this he rather admired the most, her ability to hide all great pain and suffering behind occupation. A characteristic he knew they had in common.

Nearing the underlying brush and clearing, he took a swift glance out to the ocean, where settled the moon upon its watery bed, and the stars floating in a sea of time and space about the glow. It hadn't changed, the view, so monotonous, so overpowering so as to make the most infamous of rebels drown in wonderment. Staring for far longer than he had intended, Jack allowed himself to create images, memories across the sky; things he would have otherwise saved for his dreams. Elizabeth's spirit was dancing all around him now; indeed she was only a close mile back down the trail from whence he came. 'I'm wherever you are Jack.'

Why had his mind been so cruel as to play tricks of this stature on him, why now, why again? As if the compass and its bearing pull wasn't enough to drive him to the brink of subtle sanity, now he was allowing himself to speak to her even when she was nowhere to be found. 'Yes, of course I want her here. Why wouldn't I, the lass is delightful 

company. She's interesting, like a fine painting of some sort. Why wouldn't I want her to have been here?' He toyed with the notion of returning to his bed for the first time in nearly eighteen years on this evening, knowing that in the room adjacent to his walls, would be resting a head of golden ecstasy, skin as soft as the finest of silks. Her body, mere inches from his, through one single wall, how could that be? He was certain there would be no way of denying her the venture to the fountain should she request it. And then, how would his mind revolve through that? 'Rather poorly I should imagine. Might end up shootin' me brains out into the water.' Pain swept over his head at the very thought of such, moving his fingers to press into the tender skin at the nape of his neck, trying to dispel the demons that he knew were coming. But it was an interruption that cleared his head, a creeping sound from close behind, it was the sound of bare feet to fallen leaves, he knew this sound.

And then, there were dry pouts and sniffling. He knew this sound too, painfully.

Stepping lightly on the toes of his boots towards the sound, he slowly noticed a shadowed figure in the distant moonlight, perched high on a boulder. The body of someone small, dainty in size, and someone much to pained to be in the center of the city. He neared quietly, hoping not to disturb but possibly assist, until he saw what shook his bones to the very core of existence, yellow hair in the light of the blue moon. Jack stopped breathing momentarily, trying to save it for the necessary moments that were to arise, and only continued on. She sat with her knees buried into her chest and arms resting atop them, her hair blew delicately with the breeze, and she was barefoot as he thought. Inches in proximity, he coughed to clear his throat, only shortly startling her to turn and see him, at which she smiled lightly and brushed away a single, final tear.

"Ahem…Elizabeth."

"Jack." Hearing the syllable of his name spoken through satin lips like hers was enough to cause him to fall from the cliff headfirst. Drown his burning mind. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I might ask ye the same question."

"Just thinking."

"Ah didn't I tell ye we were much alike? A couple of thinkers." She laughed quietly at his remark as he approached the large rock from behind her, resting his arms across its cool stone just to the left of her. As he looked up to her sparkling eyes, she peered down into the darkness his held, the only darkness she enjoyed being lost in. "Yes I suppose you did, once."

"An eternity ago now eh?"

"Almost."

"And may I inquire as to wot' exactly is dancing inside of that pretty ead' of yours?" Without a gesture she faced back down towards the ocean, watching the waves crash roughly into the rocks below, thinking of how much pain would follow should she jump. "Just things."

"My, such a profound answer from the young Mrs. Turner, ladies and gents…" Jack began, stepping up onto the rock where she sat and throwing his arms out into the still of night, his voice echoing down the canyons. "…the lass is capable of thinking bout' things!" Elizabeth watched, amused to a certain extent and slightly embarrassed to another, but wove her arms together and waited for him to settle back down. Once finished, he slumped down rather close beside her, and surprisingly to both of them, she did not object anymore. The excessive heat pooling from his body fell around her, warming her skin instantly and making her smile. "You don't have to mock me."



"No mocking intended luv, simply trying to dry those tears for ye."

"Oh…" she replied quickly, brushing off the last bit of wetness from the corners of her eyes. "you noticed? Such is the embarrassment of a King."

"Or the pain."

His remark surprised her, the sentimental value of even the shortest of words from him, and she found herself giving into his inquisition. "Pain seems to follow me."

"Won't argue with ye on that matter, you are a certain magnet fer it my dear. But as I said, we have much in common."

Elizabeth did not answer him, she only titled her head back to gaze into his smirk, seeing that he had bottled up most of what pain he could and the rest, he allowed to wander over the surface of his life like a badge of armor. They did have quite a lot in common, more than she ever thought possible.

"I suppose these tears are for a certain cursed, fish face husband o' yers?"

"I don't know."

"Huh, confusing."

"Yes, it is. Sometimes I-" pausing a moment to reflect what she was about to confess, she looked back down to the rocks and the pounding white water against them. "You what?"

"Sometimes I-I imagine falling."

"Falling?"

"Yes, down there." She pointed, the tightness surrounding her knuckle a simple burden in the scheme of things, and as Jack peered over her bare feet to the attacking waves below, came to finally realize what he was seeing in her eyes. More than fear, it was surrender. His Lizzie, the only woman he had ever contemplated keeping by his side for longer than a single night, was battling inside of herself, battling to stay alive by her own hand. Greif was something he had never felt until this moment. His breath again caught in the back of his throat as he attempted to repeat her words to her, "falling- down there?"

"A terrible thought I know, but one I cannot seem to shake. Some nights I want to fall, back into the sea, forever."

They sat in sheer silence, unable to speak or justify what the one was thinking about the other. Elizabeth felt regret for telling Jack how she felt, for confessing to her weakened soul, for wanting to give up on what he most loved, life. Jack on the other hand was contemplating it all, every small detail of her confession, the idea that the beauty of her face might have met the fate of rocks below had he not come to Cove. He felt as ever before, that he was the safety net of her life, that having saved her life those few years ago, having brought her back from the endless ocean, that he was forever responsible for the air in her lungs.

Without arguing with himself first, Jack brushed his hand across the smooth stone and rested it atop the coolness of hers, greeting her eyes handsomely thereafter. Lizzie was perplexed, excited, her heart fluttering at the touch she had missed so. "Ye wouldn't truly do that, would ye Lizzie?" He asked nervously, hoping for only one answer, as Lizzie tried desperately to give him the answer, she knew in her heart was the right one.



"No." Jack took a breath finally. "No Jack, I don't believe I would."

"Good luv, there's no need." The tips of his fingers gently stroked the skin at her knuckles, inner palm, wrist with a warmth she had forgotten, the warmth of a man's hand, the warmth of a lover. Although she knew Jack was not hers, and for that matter probably never could be, in these short moments he felt that way. Jack had moved to lay back on the rock, his feet dangling from the edge as he head rested just beside her thigh. The curse was broken by her own interests, "When are you to leave again?"

"Within the next two days." Silence quickly befell them again, each trying to drop the subject of leaving, but Lizzie still intent on knowing the reason for his visit and quick departure, thrusted more questions on him. "Where are you headed?" He was curious, knowing she was searching for a way back aboard the Pearl, back out to the sea and that he could give that to her. Jack was prepared to answer all of her questions even the one he most dreaded, whilst his eyes fell closed with the sound of her voice and waves.

"Seems Barbossa is in dire need of immortality…and with the charts he hath stolen back from me, we are to set sail en route to the Fountain."

"The Fountain, really?" He chuckled at the widening of her eyes, such as a child to sweets. "Yes dearie, the Fountain! One and only." Her head bowed with tremendous thought, unsure of whether she should even continue on with her final inquiry, but knowing it was all she wanted now and all she had to have. "Jack…?"

"Lizzie…?" He replied humorously, sitting up on his elbow to wait for the interest he knew was coming. 'Just ask me Lizzie! Ask and ye shall receive luv, come back t' me! Just let me know, let me know please!' His thoughts preceded his ears grandiosely.

"Can I come?" Giving her time to wonder on his answer, Jack relaxed back against the rock, shutting his eyes to moon drenched clouds, and smiling inside. He could almost hear her heart and brain beating like the inside of a drum, pounding with the hope that he would approve. He knew he would.

"Under one condition Captain Turner."

"What, what is it?"

"There shall be no rum burning…mast chaining…or trading o' me fer a whelp, on this venture!"

Elizabeth belted into anxious laughter and excitement, agreeing hastily and throwing herself to Jack, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck in an embrace. "Thank you Jack, thank you so much I promise!" His body surged with warmth beneath her touch, every bit of him alive again, whole again. The mischief has returned to both of their eyes, his Pandora was coming back to him, the only treasure he knew anymore. Jack was ready to bring her back to the sea, and more than ready to fill his heart again.