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Savarna	By : BrethlessM Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > Het - Male/Female > Jack/Elizabeth Views: 5383 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
A/N: Hello again! It was so good to hear from those who reviewed, and I will get back to you shortly if you're reviewing on a site that allows that sort of thing! My vacation's drawing to an end and I'm trying to wrap up some last minute details, but I'm writing again everyone! Yay!!! Please keep the reviews coming! So far, the plan is for the next chapter to be the last before the third story begins, but I have so much to tell, we'll have to see what happens. In some places I post the formatting is wonky again and I promise to fix it as soon as I figure out how! No matter what happens, guys, I will never let a story go unfinished. That's evil! Never worry that I won't come back, because I may take a long time to update, but I promise I will! If any of you have OCD, I'm sure you know what I mean when I say I can't leave something undone - it drives me crazy! School starts for me on Jan. 28th, and I'll have the next chapter up before then. I hope to hear more and more reviews, and I'll see you soon!!! - Kimberlee

Chapter Nineteen

Slowly, Jack stepped back inside Tia Dalma�s shack and shut the door. For a second he just stared at it, unable to digest what he�d just seen on the other side.

�Jack?� There was alarm in Elizabeth�s voice. �What is it?�

As footsteps sounded on the dock outside, Jack turned to her. �It�s Will.�

�Will?�

Jack nodded. �Run.�

�But, Jack - �

Before she could finish her sentence, a loud wrenching sound came from the door; someone was pulling it off its hinges. Jack was across the room in a flash, grabbing Elizabeth�s arm and pulling her into the back room. �Go out the back with some of the men and attack from the front�. Go!� he ordered over her protests. If the fury Jack had seen in Will�s face was any indication, the undead pirate was not in the mood to talk, and Jack was taking no chances.

Seeing the seriousness in Jack�s eyes, Elizabeth bit down on her frustration and snapped an order for Marty, Noah and Ragetti to follow her. �I trust I don�t have to tell you not to kill him,� she said before turning and running for the rear exit � just as the front door came off its hinges.

Will stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing with hatred as he glanced over everyone in search of Jack.

Jack swallowed hard. �Hope that he gives me the option, love,� he muttered. Gripping his sword tightly, Jack stepped towards his rival. �Will, old friend!� he said with a shaky grin. �Fancy meeting you in this most conveniently nostalgic of places. How�ve you been?�

He looked exactly as Jack remembered seeing him. Clothes, hair � all of it just the same, if not considerably wetter. The only hint that something remarkable and strange had happened to the other man was the utterly inhuman look in his eyes. They were hollow, cold and burning as he came towards Jack without uttering another word. The doorway behind Will filled with the figures other undead pirates and the remaining men in Jack�s company turned to face the newcomers � swords at the ready.

�Steady, boys,� Jack said, as if talking to a skittish animal. Slowly, he took a step backwards, sword raised in front of him. Frantically, he tried to think of a way out.

�Jack� Jack�� Will began to chant as he approached and before too long, they were all saying his name along with their captain.p>

The last thing Jack heard before Will lunged for him was Pintel muttering, �Now that just plain creepifying��

Jack blocked Will�s thrust and countered with one of his own, dancing backwards as the scant men in his company threw themselves into a battle in which they were horrifically outnumbered. He had thought to bottleneck the undead men in the doorway to the shack but Jack hadn�t realized the extent to which they were surrounded. Even as his own men fought � slicing through pirates that simply refused to die � more and more of Will�s army poured into the small hut, forcing Jack to retreat backwards towards the rear of the structure.

Jack stood no chance against Will in a swordfight � not in such close quarters. There was no room for him to maneuver within the small rooms, which afforded him little opportunity to utilize his most important combat skill � trickery. Mounting a few of the stair on his right, Jack leapt through the threshold into the back room, effectively putting a few more feet between himself and Will.

Will sliced through the air where he had just been and Jack felt the sweat pop up on his brow. He silently hoped that Elizabeth would think of something brilliant, because he was rapidly running out of ideas.

�Will!� Jack blocked another thrust and circled around, thinking to force his opponent outside in front of him. Another pirate came up at his back and Jack cleanly separated the man�s head from his neck, buying a bit of time while he searched for it blindly. Will took the opportunity to step in for the advantage and Jack responded accordingly.
�Will, listen� I know we�ve had our problems in the past, but what say we put all this behind us and try to let bygones be bygones, alright?� Will said nothing, bearing down on Jack and swinging his sword with every step. �Will, Tia�s got William, mate � if you really want to fight this out, man to man, I�m all for it. But what say we do if after rescuing the boy, eh?�

It seemed the only option he had left, and Jack found it funny that he usually tried to talk his way out of trouble before the fighting began, not after. Will attack again, and it was all Jack could do to get out of the way of the deadly blade. The other man did not even react to his son�s name. �I didn�t mean for any of it to happen like it did, mate,� Jack tried. Two more pirates came up behind him and Jack pulled a pistol from his belt and shot one between the eyes, making its head explode. He almost cut the other one�s head off before recognizing Bootstrap Bill.

Jack did a double take. �Oh, it�s you!� he said, ducking to avoid Bootstrap�s sword and then jumping over Will�s as well. �We�ll catch up later.� As hard as he could, Jack brought the pommel of his sword down on Bootstrap�s hand, making him drop his weapon. Turning back to Will, Jack asked, �Now� where were we?� Will was already in mid-thrust. His blade cut deeply into Jack�s left arm before he had time to properly get out of the way. The wound stung as blood began to run down toward his elbow and Jack looked at it with and expression of displeasure. �Ah, yes. I see.�

Something like a smile crept over Will�s face and Jack brought his sword up again. �I don�t want to hurt you, mate,� he said. Will swung again, but Jack blocked it and slashed so close to Will�s chest that he had to take a step backwards. Jack gave him a pained smile. �Doesn�t mean I won�t.� Then, he charged.

At last Will was forced through the door of the shack and Jack followed. Moving backwards, Will stepped off the edge of the dock and fell toward the swampy riverbank. It would have been almost comical if he had not landed so gracefully on his feet, taking a swipe at Jack as the other pirate followed him out of the tree house. Jack was taken by surprise, but avoided getting cut again. His boots sank into the muck, but at least did not give Will another advantage; he was struggling against the suction just as fiercely.

A roar went up from the shack and Jack couldn�t help looking up as a score of pirates came pouring out of it. Pintel, Mullroy and Murtogg were among the first outside and more of the undead pirates were forcing themselves through the doorway in groups. It slowed them down quite a bit and Jack was just about to yell to his men when a flash from Will�s blade distracted him. He turned, but it was too late. Will thrust at him, plunging his sword directly into Jack�s heart.

Jack heard what sounded like an explosion, but he paid it no attention. �I can�t die,� he reminded himself frantically. �I�m bloody immortal � I can�t die.� Will pulled his sword out of Jack�s chest and made as if to stab him again, but Jack reacted through a spike of violent pain. Ignoring it, he put all his effort into defending himself. Sweat stung Jack�s eyes and his face felt as though it were on fire. His head swam and he squinted against the light that threatened to blind him.

It was only when he began coughing that he realized something was on fire. An undead pirate moved through his line of vision, his entire body ablaze. �Ah,� Jack thought. Someone called his name again and Will stepped through a cloud of smoke, repeating the cry like a curse. Jack swung wildly and was forced back by Will�s counter attack. He landed on the ground and the remains of Tia�s shack rose up before him, engulfed in flame. As Jack tried to get to his feet a man stepped in front of him, swinging his blade and forcing Jack to drop to the ground again and roll.
The wound in his chest throbbed, but he scrambled to his knees and crawled as fast as he could. He heard, rather than saw the blade come down again and his reflexes failed him. The sword impaled his shoulder and Jack cried out, stumbling to his feet and away from his attacker, taking the weapon with him. He landed against a tree and grabbed for the remaining pistol at his belt. Pulling it, he spun around and put a bullet through the other pirate�s head. It exploded in a burst of sand and the man stayed down, unmoving. �Huh,� Jack said with interest. So they could be stopped after all. Unfortunately, he was out of shot.
Jack took a deep breath and pushed the blade still in him back through his shoulder. He picked it up from where it landed and was about to turn and fight when another sound reached his ears. At first, Jack thought he was hallucinating. It was more chanting, but in a language that Jack only vaguely recognized having heard somewhere before; it was coming from the trees all around him.

Remembering Will, Jack grit his teeth and spun around just in time to block another thrust aimed at his chest. He danced forward with a sudden burst of energy, two blades raised before him. His left hand was slick with blood and would not take much abuse, but Jack pushed the thought aside. No less than six men were coming towards him and he needed to be ready. Arms flying, feet dancing, Jack flew at them with a strange elegance that would have surprised anyone watching.
The chanting continued, though Jack was only just barely aware of it. There was no time to reload his pistols, but Jack was doing his best to disarm the undead � sometimes literally. A missing arm, hand, leg � anything he could cut off to put the enemy out of action temporarily, was not safe from Jack�s blades. Will was before him again, eyes flashing angrily, but Jack barely noticed. One of the trees behind Will had begun to move. A shadow separated from the bracken, emerging in the shape of a woman. Jack knew her � it was one of the women he�d brought here on the Wicked Wench in another lifetime.

Chanting softly, she held her hands out towards the undead pirates without touching any of them. More people joined her, standing just on the outskirts of the fighting. Though they had lived and trained with the sea witch, Tia Dalma, for years, they owed their freedom to Jack. He had no idea what they were intending, but he suddenly felt a spark of hope. Swinging his arm in a wide arc, he landed a cut on Will�s thigh. Crimson sand flowed from the wound for a minute before beginning to heal and Jack quirked his head at it before turning to fight two more pirates coming his way.
Jack managed to disable them before Will attacked again � his leg undamaged once more. From the corner of his eye he say Mullroy drop under the attack of five men, but before he could do anything Noah appeared, cutting a wide path through the enemy pirates as though they were stalks of wheat. Jack ducked a high swing from Will and tried to circle around toward his crew. Marty appeared nearby, disabling a man about to attack Ragetti from behind and Jack called to him, �Where�s Elizabeth?�
�We blew up the shack!� Marty replied. �About thirty or so got caught in it � she was pulling Pintel out of the way, last I saw her.� The bosun moved away and Jack cursed, wiping the sweat out of his eyes as he stabbed again at Will.
Suddenly, one of Jack�s feet caught on a root protruding from the mud and he was down again. Landing hard on his hand, his injured arm gave way and the crash sent a jarring blow up through his elbow. His left foot kept going, sliding forward so that when Jack looked up he was nearly underneath Will Turner. He lifted his sword just as Will raised his to lunge for him.
Everything suddenly went very still. The army of undead pirates froze in place exactly as they stood. The tip of Jack�s sword was inches from Will�s neck and after making sure he was safe from injury, he lowered his arm and slowly extricated himself from the tree root. Looking around, he saw that the woman and her companions were gone again. He nodded his thanks into the trees before looking around for his men.
They were all injured, but surprisingly alive. Mullroy could not stand, but Ragetti and Murtogg were mobile enough to go to his aid. Everyone looked shocked and he couldn�t blame them. It had been the longest five minutes of his life, and quite nearly their last. At that thought, he looked around for the two missing members of his crew.
As if summoned, Pintel limped through the water around the side of the shack. His clothes were singed black and he had an awful burn on his right arm, but otherwise seemed intact. Just behind him came Elizabeth.
Relief rushed through Jack at the sight of her and he saw the fear in her eyes as she searched for him. She was covered in soot and the ends of her hair had burned away raggedly, but she was alive. Elizabeth ran to Jack, reaching out to touch the wounds above his heart with shaky fingers as he noticed the swelling cut on her left temple and to his horror, the deep wound on the right side of her stomach.
�It�s not as bad as it looks,� she told him quietly. Looking around at the crew, she closed her eyes tightly before drawing herself upright again. There was not a trace of pain or fear in her expression now. �The� islanders,� she said, for lack of a better word. �They came out of the trees all around us. They did this?�
Jack nodded. �Bloody fortuitous� wouldn�t you say?�
Elizabeth smiled distractedly before looking at him with solemn, uncertain eyes. �Where is he?� she asked quietly.
Searching her face, Jack hesitated only a moment before nodding toward Will, still frozen less than ten feet away. Elizabeth moved to go to him but Jack kept a hold of her hand. �He�s not� himself, love,� he warned.
Squeezing his fingers, Elizabeth took her hand from Jack�s and went toward her husband. He was not facing her and gingerly, she reached out to touch his face, turning it slightly so that she could look into his eyes.
�Will?� she asked in a soft voice.

He just looked at her and Jack�s felt a wrenching in his gut at the loss of a man he�d considered both a worthy friend and adversary. But then, Will�s face contorted as if in pain. His blue eyes focused intently on Elizabeth�s face as though he were struggling to recall her name and furious that it was such an effort.
Elizabeth hesitantly touched his face again, stroking his cheek as she looked him over. There was great sadness in her eyes. �You don�t know who I am, do you?� Sorrow constricted her throat. �Oh, Will� what have we done to you?�
Will opened his mouth and with great effort said, �Elizabeth�.� His arm dropped heavily, sword falling to the ground and Jack�s men all jumped as the undead pirates simultaneously went slack, dropping their weapons too. They made no further attempt to move, but looked to Will as if for direction.
Slowly, Will reached for Elizabeth. �Elizabeth?� he whispered uncertainly and suddenly all the missing pieces of his life began falling into place. Yes� Elizabeth� and Jack � his friend and his enemy. The Black Pearl, and the Flying Dutchman, and his heart in a chest in Elizabeth�s hands on a beach� William, and years lost, and trickery, and betrayal. He looked at Elizabeth again and she was in his arms and he was holding her. Holding, but not kissing. Looking again at Jack over his wife�s shoulder, he felt another quick rush of hatred that just as easily faded away amid the flow of his memories.
Around them, the other men from the Flying Dutchman were remembering as well, their memories freed from the floodgate holding them all back. Whatever curse had impelled them, it was gone now. Elizabeth took Will�s hand before turning back to Jack, trying hard not to notice the hurt in his eyes.
�We need to take them to the ship,� she said quietly.
Jack nodded. He did not trust his voice at that moment. Indicating the direction they should go overland, he started walking back to his father�s ship with an army of living and undead pirates following behind.
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Marty had cut free the boats before blowing up the shack and as they followed the river downstream, the two dinghy�s were spotted floating aimlessly toward the ocean. Noah waded out to pull them in and the crew began to climb aboard.

There were only 19 or so of Will�s men left now � the rest had either been blown to smithereens with Tia Dalma�s hut, or had taken a shot to the head � the only thing that the undead pirates seemed unable to recover from. Still, there was no way they could take so many onboard the small vessels. Jack looked toward the ship uncertainly, but Will shook his head. �It�s not a problem,� he said, still sounding as though he were waking up from a strange dream. �We�ll walk.�

Elizabeth bit her lip but only nodded. Jack took her hand to help her onto the boat, his thumb sliding across the emerald in the ring he�d given her. He did not meet her eyes. As the boats made their way back to the Savarna, Elizabeth sat next to Jack in the prow, straddling the bench beside him. Carefully, she pulled his shirt away from the wounds on his chest. Jack flinched, but settled into her touch without comment.

Elizabeth moved as if to take Jack�s shirt off to better see his injuries but he stiffened. With a glance at the others around them, Jack tore the shirt open across the chest, handing the damaged garment to her for bandages. Elizabeth gave him an odd look, but carefully began prodding his injuries with gentle fingers.

For anyone else, it would have been a mortal wound, straight into the heart. The cut already seemed to be healing, but Jack�s pulse was weak and slightly erratic � as though it were only just warming up again. The second gash was higher, but had gone clean through the muscle from back to front. The cut on his arm was the only one still bleeding, but only because Jack couldn�t seem to keep the appendage still long enough to allow it to clot. Pressing her fingers to a spot on the vein just above the wound, Elizabeth waited for the flow to stop.

She didn�t know what to say, and Jack looked at her hand in silence. For the first time, she allowed her eyes to trace the patterns tattooed on Jack�s body. She�d never gotten a good look at them, and it felt strange to her that she hadn�t noticed most of them before. Not that she�d had many opportunities to see him naked, she thought with a blush. Of course, she�d known he had a few, but as she followed the curl of some design scrolling over his back, she remembered the stories he�d told her about his past. She remembered the few patterns she�d gotten a glimpse of the other night, and absently wondered how long it would take her to trace every line of ink with her tongue�

Jack cleared his throat and when she looked up, his eyes were sparkling. Her blush deepened and she quickly drew her hand away from his arm. The blood had stopped. Tearing strips from the ripped shirt he�d given her, Elizabeth focused on bandaging his wounds as he watched her face with obvious amusement. His skin was warm to the touch and she almost gasped when he caught her hand in his right and pressed it against his unwounded bicep.

Leaning close, he said in a low voice, �Stare all you like, love� so long as you promise to do more than that later.�

His tone was light and teasing, but Elizabeth could sense the uncertainty in him. She thought of Will again and wondered just how she was going to handle things now. Jack must have sensed her anxiety, for he sighed and looked towards the looming ship, his expression neutral once more. Before she could talk herself out of it, Elizabeth turned his head and kissed him fiercely, not caring about the other men sitting with them. Jack reach up to cup her face and she ignored Pintel�s chuckling behind her. Ragetti must have elbowed him in the ribs because he grunted in pain and fell silent when the one-eyed pirate shushed him.

Jack winked at her when they parted and tried to look confident. The sound of lines being lowered to connect the boats to the ship drew their gaze and Elizabeth tried not to scold when Jack grabbed the rope ladder and began climbing awkwardly up to the deck. She let the others go first before following behind.

A score of undead pirates were climbing over the rails of the ship and Teague stood among them, looking grim. When Jack saw his father, he raised his left arm and winced in pain. �S�alright, old man. They�re with us.� Teague looked at him, eyeing his disheveled state but lowered his sword without putting it away. �We ran into some old friends,� Jack told him. �Hope you don�t mind the company, such as it is.�

For the most part, the pirates looked perfectly normal, now that their transformation was complete. It was only their eyes that gave them away as something otherworldly. They were dazed and hollow, as though some unspeakable tragedy had left them injured to the very soul. Jack looked for Will among the sailors and finally found him staring towards the horizon, a distant look on his face.

�I died,� he said as Jack came to the rail beside him. �I was dead and something brought me back.� He turned to face his old friend. �Did you do that? Did Elizabeth?�

�Wasn�t us, mate,� Jack said. �Seems dear Tia has something in store for all of us� s�been sending us all over the bloody map, in this world and the next.�

�The next?�

Jack nodded, watching Will�s face. �Had to fetch Elizabeth from the Locker.� He paused. �Do you remember everything that�s happened?�

Will nodded slowly, then shook his head. �I remember you� and Elizabeth.� His eyes darted to Jack�s for confirmation, finding it when the pirate looked away. �I remember leaving,� he continued. �And then� peace.� Confused, he turned to Jack. �She betrayed me. You�� his voice failed him. �Why was I freed?�

Jack was gripping the railing. �She didn�t betray you, Will.� He heard himself say it and cursed under his breath. Turning to face Will he met the other man�s eyes. �She was sending me away so that she could stay with you. What you saw was�� he searched for the words. �A phantom.� He waved away the scorn on Will�s face. �It was the ghost of something that would never have existed outside of that moment for her if you hadn�t seen it.�

�For her,� Will repeated, knowing what Jack meant. He thought carefully, staring out into space. �I left,� he said finally. �Did you take her and run?�

Closing his eyes, Jack tried not to let his irritation show� too much. �Do you really think she could have lived with that? Damning you for all eternity � would�ve damned her too.� Jack shook his head. �She bloody gave her life for you, mate. Found out somehow that Tia was involved and took the only course she could live with. She died� faithful unto death.�

Will looked at Jack�s face, and then quickly away when he saw what was there. He tried to speak, but no words came. Finally, he said, �So you went to the Locker and got her back.� He nodded to himself. �And now Calypso�s brought me back, so obviously she isn�t done with her little �games� yet, is she?�

�She has your heart,� Elizabeth startled them both by speaking. She was standing just behind them. �She said if you got to it first, it would poison you.� Looking at Will with plaintive eyes, she said, �We couldn�t let that happen to you... not after�� she looked at Jack and he nodded stiffly.

�I�ll be with the Captain,� Jack said quietly. He forced himself not to look back as he walked away.
�The Captain?� Will asked.
Elizabeth watched Jack go. Nodding, she said, �Captain Teague� this is his ship, the Savarna.�
Will had so many questions, but he didn�t voice them. Instead he said, �Something woke us� from the bottom of the sea. We were being drawn towards something. Something important.� He looked at her. �I saw you� in flashes. I didn�t know whom you or anyone else was, but I saw you all. I knew I had to find you.�
�It was your heart,� Elizabeth said softly. �Calypso said you were searching for your heart.� A tear threatened to spill from her eye, but she wiped it angrily away. �We found it, but she�d been deceiving us all along. She took the heart and William, and now we don�t know where to find them. This was our only choice.� She gestured to the island now disappearing from view.
�William,� Will breathed. �She has our son? What does she want with him?�
Elizabeth bit her lip and turned away to hide the tears she could not prevent from coming. Will uncomfortably put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her back against his chest. �We�ll find him,� he promised her.
Sniffling, Elizabeth wiped her face on her sleeve. �How? We don�t have any idea where to look next.�
Will closed his eyes, searching for the tug that had drawn him so far across the ocean floor before suddenly altering his course. He hadn�t understood it then, but it seemed as though Calypso had changed his focus away from the heart and he suddenly wondered why. With a grim smile he realized he could still feel it if he concentrated. �I think I�ve got an idea,� he said.
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Jack tried not to let on that he was watching Elizabeth and Will as he talked with his father at the helm. Elizabeth was crying, but then Will was comforting her and Jack didn�t like that at all. He made a strange noise and folded his arms to keep from storming over there and tossing the eunuch overboard, no matter what Elizabeth said.

�Worried, Jackie?� Teague asked, suppressing a grin.

�Piffle,� Jack said distractedly, leaning to one side as he strained to see what Will was doing now. �Balderdash and tommyrot.�

Teague nodded. �You should be,� he couldn�t help but tease. Jack just glared. �So where to next, Captain?� Teague raised a mocking eyebrow.

Jack re-directed his attention. �That reminds me,� he said. �I have a plan; a good plan; one I thought of meself.�

�I see,� Teague struggled not to laugh. �And what is this Deus ex machina of yours?�

�Be right back,� Jack answered. At an awkward trot, Jack went to his cabin and into his trunk. Digging down into the bottom but being careful not to disturb the contents too much, he finally found what he was looking for. The compass. He�d taken it off his belt in a drunken stupor one night while they�d been trying to find a way to rescue Elizabeth from the Locker. The damn thing had only pointed toward the one object of his desire for so long, that he�d finally shut it in the trunk so he wouldn�t be tempted to follow its needle blindly to their doom.

When he returned to the helm, Elizabeth and Will were talking to Captain Teague. Jack heard what Elizabeth was saying as he approached.

�Will can still sense the heart,� she said excitedly. �It�s not very strong, but he thinks he may be able to direct us to Calypso and wherever she�s keeping it and William.�

�Assuming they�re in the same place, that bloody good news,� Jack interrupted. Tossing the compass into the air and catching it, he said, �But I�ve got something that will work much more better� and lead us straight to William, wherever he is.�

Elizabeth�s eyes widened when she saw the compass and she looked at Jack with such pleasure that for a moment, it took the sting out of the fact that Will still had his arm around her.

But only for a moment. �The compass?� Will asked. �You only just thought of using that?�

Jack caught the compass again and held it against his chest, looking at Elizabeth, Teague and Will individually before answering quite defensively, �I would have thought of it sooner, only it hasn�t been working very well for some time now, so I wasn�t of a mind to think of it, until it occurred to me that I should think of it.�

�But if it hasn�t been working, what makes you think it will work now?� Will asked, with a hint of his old familiar sarcasm.

Jack tried not to look at Elizabeth; tried and failed. He wasn�t sure whether it was the look, or the fact that Elizabeth blushed that was more damning. �That problem has been resolved,� he said quickly.

Will was silent, but his glare was penetrating. Jack worried briefly that Will would pull out his sword and start whacking at him again but the other man simple moved his arm from around Elizabeth�s waist and put his hand on her nearest shoulder. �Let�s give it a go then. It�s somewhere to the east of us, I feel that much.�

Jack held up the compass and was about to open the lid when his gaze fell on Will�s hand again. He paused. What was it his heart wanted most? Clearing his throat, Jack offered the compass to Elizabeth. �Ladies first,� he said casually. �Mother�s prerogative.�

Elizabeth took the compass with a surreptitious glance at Will�s face and took a deep breath before opening the lid. The needle spun about several times before coming to a rest. Jack and Will leaned in to look at it.

�So, do we have a heading?� Teague asked loudly after a few moments of silence.

They all lifted their heads, and Jack smiled. �124 degrees, southeast by east. We have a heading.�

Slowly, Teague turned to stare at Jack. �You sure, boy?�

Jack frowned and bent over the compass once more. �124 degrees, southeast by east� what�s the matter with that?�

Teague faced forward again. �Nothing,� he said. �Familiar waters, is all.�

Jack frowned, until it dawned on him what the old man meant. That course would set them straight on the path of the Pirate Round. He swallowed thickly. �We don�t have any bearing yet� let�s not get ahead of ourselves, eh?� Teague nodded, but didn�t look convinced.

Will cleared his throat. �I�ll gather my men and divide them into watches.�

�There�s no need for that,� Jack said quickly.

�Don�t be foolish, Jack,� Will said. �Why deal with seven, when my men are perfectly capable of working?� With that, he turned to face the deck and began speaking to his crew.

Jack jumped at the sight of the undead men there. Will hadn�t given any signal to indicate he wanted their attention, but they had gathered as silently as, well, ghosts. �Eerie,� he muttered under his breath, earning an elbow in the ribs from Elizabeth. He hissed in pain and felt slightly better when Elizabeth apologized guiltily, checking his injuries for further damage.

�I should stitch these and redress them,� she said quietly, her fingers sliding delicately along the edge of the bruised flesh.

Jack nodded, watching her face. �As the doctor orders,� he said quietly. �To quarters then?�

�Watches are set,� Will said, causing them both to jump. His expression was grim and unreadable. He looked at Teague. �My men are at your command, Captain Teague, and will assist your crew in any way possible.�

Teague nodded. �Thank-you, Captain Turner. My men will be grateful of a rest before resuming their duties.�

�Your men,
Jack grumbled.

�Are you hungry?� Elizabeth asked Will, looking concerned. �Or tired? You and your men are of course welcome to - �

Will shook his head. �We don�t eat. Or sleep,� he said shortly.

�Captain?� a voice from the lower deck called up to them.

�Yes?� Four voices answered. Only Will seemed confused by the redundancy, although Jack glared at him covertly.

Bootstrap Bill stood facing them and Jack smiled. �Ah, Bill!� he said. �Sorry about, er,� he mimicked knocking the sword out of Bill�s hand, as he had earlier.

Bootstrap nodded. �S�alright, Jack,� he said, touching his fingers to his forehead as though tipping his hat in salute. �But I was hoping to speak to Captain Turner, if you don�t mind.�

Jack minded the very idea of Captain Turner, but didn�t say so. With a patronizing bow, Jack gestured for Will to precede him down the stairs to the deck. Elizabeth followed as well. Bootstrap stared as Jack as he waited for the man to begin, and finally Jack said, �I�ll just go tend to my wounds, then.�

Elizabeth looked uncertainly between Jack and Will, but when she met her husband�s eyes, he said, �You should rest. It�s been a long day.�

She nodded slowly, realizing she was being dismissed and not sure how she felt about it. �You�ll be here later? So we can talk, I mean?�

He nodded, a spark of affection flittering through his eyes. �Where else am I to go?� Will watched her go after Jack resignedly.

�What�s that all about?� Bootstrap asked his son.

�Only what was bound to, sooner or later.�
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Jack was just sitting down on the bed when Elizabeth opened the door. She was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, and Jack couldn�t help staring. �I could help with that,� he suggested in a deceptively light manner.

Elizabeth looked up at him. Without a word, she went to Jack�s trunk and took out a clean shirt before getting her bag with medical supplies out of her own. She stared at his shirt so long that Jack was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with it, when she buried her face in the linen and let out a soft sob.

Jack crossed the room in an instant, pulling her into his arms. �There now,� he said, wanting to comfort her but distinctly ill at ease. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew this had to be difficult for her. He just didn�t know what to say. �There, there.�

Elizabeth laughed through her tears. �I�m sorry,� she said. �I�m certainly not the most fearsome of pirate�s these days, am I?�

Smiling, Jack said, �Oh, I don�t know. There�s many a fierce pirate I know of who�ve gone running at the sight of a woman�s tears. It could be a very effective strategy in a battle.�

Elizabeth laughed, and met his eyes. �He looks��

�Yes,� Jack nodded. �I always wondered what you saw in him too.�

She laughed again. �Thank you,� she said. �For being so patient.� Pushing gently on his chest, she backed him toward the bunk and sat him down to look at his wounds again. They were both silent as she prepared to stitch his wounds closed.

After a while, Jack asked, �What are you going to tell him?�

Elizabeth�s hands faltered. �I don�t know,� she answered honestly.

Jack nodded thoughtfully. �Want me to tell him?� She pricked suddenly him with the needle. �Ouch! �Twas a joke, love!�

Frustrated, Elizabeth began to pace. �It�s just so complicated,� she thought aloud. �He looks like Will, sounds like him� but it�s not really him anymore, is it?�

Jack frowned. �Don�t know about that,� he said uncertainly. �Just because he�s undead, doesn�t mean he�s not Will.�

�But he died,� she continued. �We tried to get to the heart before he did, but now Calypso has it and we�re taking him right to it!� Elizabeth froze. �She said it would poison him.� Her eyes went wide and she looked at Jack. �What if I tell him about us, and when we find William, just being near the heart causes Will to�� she couldn�t finish the sentence.

�So� there is still and us then?�

Elizabeth blinked in surprise. Going to him, she reached up and touched Jack�s face. �Of course,� she said simply.

Though he cursed himself for it, Jack couldn�t help asking, �What about Will?�

�I love Will,� she said hesitantly. �Always. The things we�ve endured�� she shook her head. Finally, she met Jack�s eyes. �But� trust. I don�t know if we ever had that for one another. All he wanted was a good life for us; the kind of life I no longer wanted to be a part of. I think� if things had gone as they were in Port Royal, we could have been happy. Happy, but always wondering what each of us truly wanted from one another. We would have made it work out of simple affection for one another, not because we genuinely wanted the same things. And now�� she paused. �I can�t go back now� you see? It would be much too difficult to finally have the world I�ve always longed for, fully and completely, only to give it up once again. I can�t do that.�

Relief swept through Jack and he knew it was showing. �So here�s what we�ll do,� he said, trying to cover it. �We�ll march out there, kiss passionately in front of the whole crew, and then lob the undead bilge rats overboard.�

�I think they outnumber us,� Elizabeth said with a wry smile as she began sewing again.

�I could challenge him to a duel?�

Elizabeth snorted indelicately, not bothering to answer.

Jack sighed. �Well, then I suppose we�ll have to do it your way; parlay and all that. Although he is something of a sea beast now, and my mother was a sea goddess. I�m sure I could find some easier way to get rid of��

Elizabeth froze. �Jack� that�s it!�

�What�s what?�

She smiled, her eyes vacant as she thought furiously. �I�m not sure, but I think I have an idea for how to get William back from Calypso.�
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Deep in the sea goddesses palace cave, William had his arms wrapped around his stomach and his knees drawn up in front of him. He was slowly rocking back and forth with his eyes closed tightly, softly singing, �Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate�s life for me.�

Calypso stood by, waiting patiently. The first time a mortal used magic was always the worst, and William had not even the slightest ounce of immortal blood in him to draw on as Jack had. It had been no less easy to talk the boy into trying it though. The goddess knew all about enticement, and just the idea of summoning a creature from the depths to your command was a powerful one. A small feat, but one easily accomplished with the right kind of magic. The mermaid sitting on the shore nearby was examining her nails with a bored expression on her pale blue face. She didn�t seem pleased to have been drawn by a novice.

Leaning down over the boy, Calypso smiled and stroked his chin calmingly. �William,� she drawled. �You have done it! See here? De mermaid awaits your command, my love.�

With wide, wondering eyes, William slowly looked up. The mermaid was pretty, but did not look at all like he�d expected. He�d been so curious to see her � surely it couldn�t hurt just once � but the creature�s otherworldliness was so apparent that he instantly regretted calling her here. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes again. �I just want to see my mother,� he said quietly.

With a flick of her tail, as though glad to do her duty and be done with it, the mermaid pulled a seed pod from one of the strands of seaweed in her hair and squeezed it until it popped open. The juice inside oozed down her fingers as she used her other hand to swirl a circle into the water before William and dropped the seeping seed into the center.

Calypso leaned forward to see into the circle, a smile curving her lips. �Ah, here we are,� she said in a satisfied voice. �Go on den, dere is your mother.�

Incredulously, William uncurled from around himself and looked into the water. His mother was in their cabin with Jack on board the Savarna and they were laughing. A ripple in the water prevented him from seeing the injuries on either Jack or Elizabeth, but he did notice Jack pull his mother close and slide his hand under the hem of her shirt. Embarrassed, he looked away.

�Dey are just fine. You needn�t have worried about dem at all, you see?�

William nodded slowly at Calypso�s words. It was a trick. Some kind of trick to make him think they didn�t miss him.

The goddess smiled. �Would you like to see your father as well? It will be harder because he is no longer alive, but�� Her teeth gleamed in the phosphorescent light. �He is coming for you,� she said.

William hesitated, but something inside tugged at his stomach. He wanted to see his father� almost as much as he wanted to actually summon his image before him � just once more.

Calypso nodded. She had him.
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Savarna