Open Waters

It had been two months, ten days - fourteen hours and several long, hard minutes since Jack Sparrow had left Port Royal and the slow ache in the center of his chest hadn't faded a bit. He groaned at the thought and clutched his chest for a moment - watching as Gibbs and a few younger men tied The Black Pearl to a doc.

He was going to be sick.

~

The small house Olivia once lived now looked weathered and unused - no lanterns welcomed him as he knocked on the door and waited potentially. He would either have his girl leap into his arms with happiness or spit in his face from heart break. Either way he had to see her - look into those sapphire blue eyes and let her know that he still loved her even though he couldn't be with her like she wanted.

No one ever came to the door.

"Bloody hell..."

~

Elizabeth looked up from her knitting as someone knocked on her front door. William was working late at the blacksmiths shop so she couldn't figure out who would come to her home at such an hour. She stood from the chair and made her way to the door - peaking out the small hole to see Jack Sparrow standing disgruntled before her.

The door swung open and they stared at each other for a long moment without speaking. Jack looked tired - his eyes red from grief and the weather. She idly wondered if he knew. "Jack... please, come in from the rain.."

A crack of thunder behind him made his legs work and he allowed himself inside. "Where is she?" He croaked, the emotion in his voice apparent and Elizabeth worried that he might start to cry. "Jack, I've had the entire royal navy searching for you.." She whispered - the memories of the past few weeks flooding back to her now. Olivia Winslet had been a good girl - a dear friend and her only flaw in life was loving Jack Sparrow.

A man who hadn't loved her back - not the way she longed to be loved.

"She loved you, Jack.."

Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion and looked Elizabeth hard in the eye - taking the offered seat as she felt his legs would buckle beneath him. The color was quickly fading from his cheeks and though she thought he couldn't look more pitiful his brow creased and a look of pure sorrow fell onto his handsome features.

"Why are we speaking in past tenses? Where is she?"

"Olivia is gone, Jack. She's passed.."

He swallowed hard; feeling his stomach turn and vomit rise into his throat. Gone?

"I don't understand... how? She was in good health when I left her.."

He had, indeed left her - causing the poor girl to go sick with grief. The men that worked at the docs had found her by the shore one night - soon after Jack had left - lying face down in the warm Caribbean water. The towns doctor couldn't find a reason for her untimely death but that her heart had grew weak over the years and something had finally caused it to stop.

She had died from a broken heart but Elizabeth hadn't the nerve to tell Jack that - afraid that he would blame himself and that would be to much to bare. She knew that Jack cared for Olivia but not quite enough to do something about it. A sob escaped Jack's throat as he buried his face in a ring covered hand. Elizabeth took leave towards the kitchen and started brewing a pot of tea - silently praying that it would soothe his ache the best it could.

~

"Captain hadn't slept in months, boy. It's a shame really.. the fate of his misses - this news will surely sour with cap'n Jack.."

Will nodded his head in agreement as he passed one of the crewmen on Jack's ship - the once lively crew seemed more somber tonight - mostly keeping to themselves, trying not to anger the captain who was beside himself with grief. None of them had never known a captain to cry before but half couldn't blame him and the other cried with him at the thought of such a lovely girl being taken from this world so young. Elizabeth had returned to the living quarters moments after telling Jack of Olivia's fate to find him gone - back on The Black Pearl and ordering the men to set sail.

William Turner had returned home from work soon after and Elizabeth had begged him to find Jack before he left and talk to him. Try to comfort him as a friend because she didn't think he would be able to live with the news Port Royal offered. Jack Sparrow was a strong, brave man but Olivia had been everything to him.

"I can't let ye go in thar, boy. Captain’s orders.." Gibbs muttered sadly, glancing over at Will in all seriousness. Jack had said that no man nor woman be allowed in his chambers and if Gibbs did in fact allow such a thing he would be the first to walk the plank. Will pushed past Gibbs and shoved the thin wood - breaking the latch. They both stood wide eyed as the door swung open and Jack spun around - glaring at them with his sword drawn. "I told him, captain! He wouldn't listen!"

Jack walked towards the door slowly - his eyes red and face tear stained. For once in Will's life - or at least for the first time facing Jack - he was actually scared. "Jack - I'm sorry to intrude but I wanted to see you before you set sail. Won't you talk to me for just a moment before you leave?"

"Go back to yer bonnie lass, boy. You haven't any idea how quickly she could be taken from you." Jack muttered, the anger in his eyes didn't compare to the grief in his voice. He looked like hell warmed over. "Jack, please.."

"What is it?! What could you possibly have to say to me, William Turner? Should you be telling me that I fucked up the first time I left her and the second I was just asking for something like this to happen? I'm not a good man like you and your little tot for a wife seems to think just ask Olivia, if you could."

Will didn't know what to say to that.

"Do you want to know why I came back here, Will? In two months I haven't slept.. haven't ate nor drank anything that could quench the lust inside," Jack placed his hand over his heart. "Every time I close my eyes I saw her - staring at me with that beautiful face and I wanted her... wanted to be wherever she was - damn the whole fucking ocean straight to the fiery pits of hell but now... now she's gone... and I was foolish to ever leave her in the first place.."

~

Two weeks later..

The room swayed with the waves of an angry ocean - wind and rain beating against the massive ship he called home. "..bloody hell, Gibbs... hold 'er steady would you?" Jack growled, placing one hand on the bottle of rum that threatened to fall from the small table in his cabin as he flipped through the pages of an antique book with the other. From his readings - which wasn't his specialty - he had found out that a one Davy Jone's Chest held more secrets and powers then most men knew of.

Some men claimed that it held the power to control the ocean and all the creatures and ships that dwelled - others said it was a myth that only children and fools spoke of. Well Jack knew better then the latter - he had been face to face with Davy Jone's once before and although it wasn't his fondest place to be; He wanted that chest.

More now then ever before.

~
To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Well it's over.. for now. I've got to go to bed! but I'm going to do some research and see as to how **SPOILER ALERT** Tia Dalma brought Captain Barbossa back from the dead. So don't fret.. the next installment (sequel) will be following along quickly. PLLLLLLLEAAAASE REEEEEEEEVIEW? Please..