Ch 2

The cold metal dug in to her throat as all of her hope sailed away. Bloody pirates!

"I knew you were flaunting around like a common harlot with Jack behind my back." Will growled, blade pressing harder into her skin drawing blood. She could feel it running down her neck and dripping into the sand. Tears sprung to her eyes with the sting of it.

How could he do this to her? Accuse her of such things? She had never broken her oath to him. Aside from sending Jack to his death with a kiss, she had never touched another man with kindness. This is how she is repaid? All she did is ask for her freedom back. To not be left alone on land.

"I never flaunted anything, I have been faithful to you Will. All I want it to not be left alone. I know you didn't have a choice in this. It was the only way to save you, but lets be honest here, you would have done it to save your father regardless. I would have done the same thing if there was a chance to save mine, so I don't blame you. I love you Will…." She trailed off a sob breaking though her calm façade.

"I don't have time for this Elizabeth. You will go back to Port Royal and wait for me. I am your husband, you are MINE now." He dropped the blade and began to unlace her breeches. "I am going to make you mine, then there will be no more talk of annulment." Elizabeth tried to fight him but she was no match for him.

When he was done he kissed her head, ignoring the steady tears, assuming it was sorrow for him leaving. He handed her the chest that now contained his heart. Heartless wretch. She glared up at him as he walked to his long boat. No declarations, no apology, or a promise of love passed between them. Dominance radiated off of the captain as he tipped his head to his weeping wife and rowed back to the Dutchman floating off shore.

Elizabeth sobbed for a while until the rage hit. Red and blazing in her veins. She took the chest and started hiking across the island that she was now stranded on. She was mad at Will and Jack both. Both promised to look out for her, protect her! Both had failed. When she made it to the top of the tallest cliff she swallowed all of her tears. All of her sadness. She threw the chest with all of her might off of the cliff and in to the endless blue waters below. She let out a manic laugh and stared at the horizon.

She was the Pirate King. She would not be beaten by a man. She needed a plan to get off of this island and she had an Idea of how to do it. After all there was plenty here to burn.

***JE***

Eight months later.

Jack was miserable. What if the Lass was in trouble and he left her to her death? He shuddered and took a long drink of rum from his bottle. He shook his head trying to shake the image of her in the whelp's arms on the beach. In his mind she chose her path. Going back on her word that she would "see him soon" The girl had blossomed so much under his training and influence. She was strong, a natural leader and a natural beauty. She knew the ins and outs of a ship and even had been learning navigation. After all if she was the King she would need to know how to captain her own vessel should the need arise. He never thought she would give it up. He saw the way her eyes glowed with the passion of the sea. That look she got when she would man the helm of The Pearl was enough to bring him to his knees. There is not many he would trust with his ship, but that girl…he would trust her with anything. Yes, she killed him. But surprisingly it didn't bother him as much as it had when he was first rescued. Maybe the battle had worn him out. Maybe the pain of her choosing land and her husband over him crushed that demon for good. Regardless of the reason, he missed her.

The crew had noticed a change in the captain ever since he gave the order to set sail that day. He kept to his cabin. Only emerging to grab his rations and a bottle of rum then retreating back within. All orders were given through to Gibbs who was the only one brave enough to go near the door.

"Ca'pin." The first mate peaked inside the door waking Jack from his daydream. As reality entered his eyes, the light behind them dimmed. "We need a headin' sir" Gibbs explained before getting berated for interrupting.

"Shipwreck cove Master Gibbs." His voice was low and there was something distant about the captain.

"Sir…" Gibbs began searching for some clue as to why Jack would want to go back where so many would love to see him dead.

"Need to talk with Teague and Barbossa, see where pirating lay after the battle has calmed."

Gibbs nodded and exited barking orders at the crew. Perhaps they have word of her. Jack would never admit it out loud but he knew his next grand adventure would be in search of the girl, consciously or not. Going to Shipwreck Cove would be the quickest way to find out if she really did join the civilian world. Or the land of the dead. Jack muttered to his brain to shut it and went back to his desk to mope.

When the Pearl docked at Shipwreck Cove Jack was the first to scan the vessels outside. There was Barbossa's monster galleon the Doncella that he commandeered from the armada after the battle. Teague's vessel The Twisted Lady also was in port at the far end. There were several others including a modest ship that caught his eye, was a little smaller than the Pearl, but the architecture was was one he did not recognize to be able to name her captain. A beauty to look at though. Whoever it was that captained it obviously had the means to maintain the upkeep. That is if it had ever been out of the harbor.

"Curious" Jack muttered to himself and exited his ship.

***JE***

Elizabeth sat in her window seat of her cabin in Shipwreck Cove. Her quarters were not very big or lavish, but it suited her needs. It also had one of the best views that overlooked the entrance to the harbor. Best to watch out for enemies. She looked up from her charts she was scanning, a new way to reach the fountain of youth. The myth intrigued her, though it was probably just hearsay, her curiosity got the better of her. A familiar ship made its way into the harbor and docked. The Captain at the helm, scanning the vessels that were already there. His dark eyes lingering on her most prized possession, The Avenger. The ship she commissioned of the craftsman of the city and had been done less than a month. The trip to the Americas would be her maiden voyage. "Finally…" she sighed to herself. She had been waiting for Jack to show up. Not just to castrate him for leaving her for dead, but because she knew he would want in on her plan.

After returning to Shipwreck Cove, thanks to the generosity of some French merchants, she immediately settled into her role as King. She held meetings to scrape together some sort of guidelines for the remaining pirate lords to maintain their livelihood, but not get themselves in another mess. The lords were surprisingly helpful. It was agreed upon that the pirates would put efforts into exploration and charting territories that could be fruitful, away from the prying eyes of monarchs and merchants.

Meanwhile Elizabeth could start plotting revenge. She didn't tell a soul about what happened between herself and Will. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She refused to be beaten. Her subjects saw her as fierce and passionate as ever. However, she would not forget, the next time he dare step on land she would be ready for him. His loving, devoted wife would ruin his existence. She did not want him dead. The hell he too on by becoming the Dutchman's captain was too perfect to give him that escape. She would show him exactly who she was. A King. Then he would spend the rest of his miserable eternity alone with no comfort or sanctuary. She however would find and harness the power of the Fountain of Youth and spend eternity happy to spite him. Not even giving him the peace of ferrying her to the great beyond.

Of course Jack would be in on her plan, once he found out what really happened that day. She realized after months of rage and bitterness at both of the men in her life what the situation must have looked like from Jack's perspective. Had the roles been reversed she probably would have done the same. She betrayed him once, why not do it again? Now that he was here she could set things in motion. She watched the Pearl dock and her inhabitants depart. Jack made his way up the dock and to the entrance of the fortress, shrugging off the wenches as he went. She smiled and went down to Teague's cabin to wait. She knew why Jack was here, The old captain had filled her in on a lot while she had been there. He assured her, "Jackie, will be back luv." Teague looked up from his book when she walked in. A bright smile on her face.

"I guess you were right captain! He's here." She exclaimed

"Aye, I told ya lass, curiosity got the best of 'em. He'll start here do some politicin' and then move on to Port Royal, if ye weren't here. He is quite fond o' ya. Ye both have the same spark and love o' the sea. Boy deserves some peace." He drawled out, and flashed her a wide grin.

She simply nodded and perched on the edge of the window in the corner. She was hidden from view at the entrance to Teague's quarters. Nervous butterflies settled in her stomach and the picked at her nails. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time and suddenly she didn't know what she was going to say. What if he was still angry at her, that he left her to die on that island on purpose…she deserved it after-all.

" 'ello Jackie" Teague greeted as the sound of boots on the wood floors hit her ears. She still couldn't see him.

" Dad." Jack greeted him.

"What brings ye back here? Ye got no shortage of enemies here…" Teague was bating him and he recognized the patronizing tone in his fathers voice. Rather than give in he ignored the question.

"Who's ship that be out in the harbor. Looks like a smaller, grander version of the Pearl?" Jack asked.

"Its mine…"Elizabeth got up from her seat at the window and moved into view. "Hello Jack."

He jumped at the sound of her voice and finally laid eyes on her. Relief flooded through him. He hadn't left her for dead then. But what is she doing here?

"Ah Lizzy, dearest William decide to set you up here to keep house instead of back in Port Royal?" he teased but he noticed how she flinched and her eyes flashed at the mention of her husband. Had he not known her he would have never noticed it, but he did. His stomach dropped at the prospect of what she would say and immediately regretted teasing her.

"I believe that is a conversation for another time Jackie." Teague inturrupted. While he didn't know what happened to Elizabeth. He had a feeling the couple didn't part on savory terms. She rarely spoke of him and often turned to sulk if she was left alone with her thoughts. She drank more rum than proper for a lady of her rank and raising and would often scream out in her sleep. He knew the lass had been through something far more terrorizing than what she seen on a battlefield. Jack took heed of his father's warning and his eyes flashed with intuition. Instantly he softened towards her.

"Jack, I have a proposition for you." Elizabeth started. Avoiding the conversation that she dreaded. "Would you like to join me on an adventure?"