Disclaimer: Disney's

A/N: Written for a Pirates500 challenge at Live Journal – "Lost".

Lost and Found

She'd been lost, for a while, after Will died. During their marriage, his success and happiness had been hers, too. Jack, attending their wedding in a disguise she still laughed to think about, had given them a small chest of Spanish gold. It had been enough to buy out Mr. Brown, who'd retired home to England, and to make improvements to the business. Her father and James (and Jack too, she suspected) had carefully fostered rumor of Will's skill as a master craftsman, skills made all the more relevant in light of their great adventure. Within a few years, orders were coming from as far away as Boston, and even London. Elizabeth knew it had given Will enormous satisfaction to be able to provide her with many of the small luxuries she had taken for granted as a girl, growing up in her father's house. There had been no children, but Dr. Hill had assured them that it was only a matter of time.

But time had run out. An inflammation of the lungs. Who could have guessed? He was so young, and strong. But he'd already had a cold, and that rainy night, when he'd returned from a week's voyage to a neighboring island, shivering with ague, had been the beginning of the end.

Jack had found her quite literally at the cliff's edge. Sometimes she wondered: would she have done it? Her father had feared she might, and had sent word to him. They had not met for several years, though she knew of his doings: to everyone's surprise he had applied for a Letter of Marque and the Black Pearl had become an ally of the crown during its war with Spain. He corresponded, occasionally, and what he left out of these missives James had supplied: how the Black Pearl's crew had been instrumental in saving the lives of a hundred civilians during the battle of Providence Island; how Jack had orchestrated a cunning and successful attack on a heavily-armed Treasure ship; how Jack and James had sailed into Mexican waters and captured the Viceroy of Spain. Later, she questioned him about these dangerous adventures, but he shrugged, saying if he'd not been well paid he'd certainly not have done it: Pirate! She shook her head, justifiably skeptical of this pretense.

Madness had seized her when he'd found her. Hysteria. Fury. To the empty gatekeeper's cottage she'd stormed, Jack following in her wake. Shocking them both, she'd virtually forced herself on him, a desperate affirmation of Life. Afterwards he'd scolded her for feeling guilty, and for cowardice. And then, as she'd lain snuffling into his shoulder, he'd asked her: shall I take you away for a while?

James was troubled, but did not object. Her father had half expected it: just bring her back safely. Jack had promised: my word as a scallywag. Laughter and tears, both, as they'd set sail.

Elizabeth looked out across endless, sparkling water, a richer, deeper blue than the Caribbean. Jack came and leaned on the rail beside her.

"Lookin' for something, Missy?"

She turned, and smiled. "I've found it."