Muse

A/N: I wrote this chapter, attempting to keep it J/E Happy...so i missed out some of the actual action from the film (because J and E weren't in the same thing together)because you've seen it already so whats the point in writing about it :-P

I certainly hope you enjoy!! :-D
THANKYOU for your support;

Jessica: Your reviews make me smile!
Shatteredmind: Your reviews keep me writing!!!

And Jack'sGal..I'm glad you're converted!!! :-P we need all the shippers we can get!!
Woohoo!!!
Thanks again,
shellie
xxx

Chapter Nine


*I'm never alone,
I'm alone all the time.
Are you at one?
Or do you lie?*


It certainly was a curious thing...


And how undeniably brilliant that he had been there to witness it;


The inevitable fall of Captain Jack Sparrow... and all because of a woman.


He just found it a little hard to figure out why Elizabeth had succombed to his charms... maybe she did indeed have cabin fever.


Well, atleast Will Turner no longer had her.


But now someone else did.


What a curious, curious thing...


Elizabeth kept walking behind them both, utterly disgusted with herself.


But not for wanting to kiss Jack....but for letting both Jack and James see that want.


She really did need to keep a check on her dignitiy at times.


After James interruption, Jack and herself had torn themselves apart; almost as if they had burned eachother.


Jack had smirked knowingly to himself. He didn't care...he didn't need to, he had nothing to lose.


Unlike her.


James had said nothing more to them; he didn't need to, his looks of utter amusement playing across his face ever since it had happened. He was obviously enjoying this very much...


She buried her head in the sand (almost wishing it was literal) and pretended she saw neither man infront of her, keeping her distance from them both.


"It has to be around here somewhere..." Came Jack's voice.


She looked up at them; the men had stopped and were looking around.


Jack was holding his compass.


"Well you have one almighty sand-box to cover, Mr Sparrow...I suggest you start now" Norrington told him, amusement showing through his words.


Jack turned to him and smiled. "But...I do believe it is you who has the shovel, Norrington"


James' smile evaporated from his face.


Elizabeth gave out a small chuckle against her will. Both men looked around at her.


Eyes on her...looking at her...making her feel as small as an insect.


"We could always make Miss Swann do the digging..." James' said with a smirk.


Elizabeth glared at him.


"Me thinks the lady doth protest..." Jack added, more to himelf than anyone else.


Instead he walked over to her, grabbing her hand and putting the compass inside it.


The touch of his course fingers sent electric shocks through her.


She should not feel like this about Jack bloody Sparrow!


"Find the chest...and we'll find William" He smirked at her then. "Seems as though you're so...keen to find him..."


Elizabeth felt guilt wash over her. For the last two days William had only came to her mind fleetingly. It was not that she did not want to see him...her mind was just pre-occupied and she seemed unable to concentrate on anything other than what Jack was doing...


To her.


She became angry at her own neglect of her fiancee. How could she be so dishonest?


It was all Jack's fault. Blame Jack...blame Jack and his stupid manly-ness...


and his lips... She thought to herself. Even if they had only briefly touched her own, it was still enough to drive her to distraction.


She pulled her hand from his, and grasped the compass tighter.


She would show him how much he really mattered to her!


Denial is not just a river in Egypt... her brain waas telling her.


*_*_*_*_*_*

Both men were looking at her quizzically.


Ten minutes she had been walking around in the same spot; compass in hand.


She looked frustrated...like something was distracting her.


"Get a move on, Luv. Jones' will of caught up to us before you manage to get the right direction" Jack told her, getting frustrated himself with the time she was taking.


Maybe she wasn't thinking properly...he did tend to have that effect on women.
He knew that she was cursing him for earlier on...he didn't blame her. But it wasn't like he could help himself, he was a man afterall.


Bloody EX commodor... He cursed to himself. If only the selfish git hadn't of woken up...


Then what? What would have happened?


Well...a kiss for a start. And he knew how badly she wanted that.
Knew how badly he wanted one himself.


And now she was as cold as a fish towards him...torturing herself for actually being caught giving in...by someone other than him.
He knew she felt guilty because of her beloved William...but William was not there...Jack was.


The better Pirate...


The better man.


Now she was avoiding his gaze altogether...he wondered what secrets now lay behind her eyes...


Want? Lust? Intrigue? ... Curiosity...


That word was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.


Elizabeth was at her witts end. Everytime she looked at the compass, no matter what way she was facing; it always pointed at him.


Stupid bloody compass with its stupid bloody needle...oh i give up!


She knew no matter what she did she would want him...no matter how much she denied herself.


Lost to lust. Lust did not go away until it was quenched of its thirst...which was a pitty, because right now she could see no possible way of quenching it.


She tried one more time....closing her eyes she concentrated on Will...find the chest, find Will...find beautiful, dependable, honest Will....


She opened her eyes and looked back at the compass. The needle had moved.


She was over-joyed!


Instead of it facing west it was now facing East.


She looked up in the direction hopefully.


Her heart sank again....Jack had moved over to where Norrington was standing...which was East if the compass was correct.


Elizabeth threw a hissy-fit

"This doesn't work. And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most!"

Elizabeth threw herself down onto the sand, the compass lying open next to her.

She felt so angry at herself for not even being able to get her mind off of him.

Stupid Pirate.


Jack spotted something. He looked at the compass for a minute...the needle was pointing directly at her. Yes...he was aware that he wanted her, that was nothing new... but something about the determination of the needle made his suspect...

"Yes it does. You're sitting on it!" He told her, rather excitedly.

Elizabeth looked up at him, very confused. "Beg your pardon?

"Move." He told her rudely, before whistling at her to get up from the sand.


*_*_*_*_*_*


After half an hour it was becomming rather tedious.

Jack had obviously given up, and was now sitting in Lotus position on a nearby sandy slope.


Letting other people find his treasure was one of his favourite pass-times.

Elizabeth looked on at Norrington. Poor man didn't know what he'd let himself in for; coming onto a ship with Jack Sparrow.


Norrington was almost ready to give up himself, when suddenly his shovel hit something hard.


He looked over at Jack, who had opened his eyes to see what the thudding was.


Then he smiled to himself.


*_*_*_*_*_*


"It's real!" Elizabeth said in awe...she had never heard anything quite like it.

The heartbeat was absolutely real...

Norrington sounded just as stunned as she did. "You actually were telling the truth."
Jack looked on indignantly, obviously unsurprised at his find.

"I do that quite a lot. Yet people are always surprised."

"With good reason!"
Will...?

Elizabeth turned her head sharpely. He heart lept into her throat.

It was HER Will, and he was standing front of them; plain as day.

This was her opportunity. She could prove to herself once and for all that her lust for Jack was only there because her Will was unable to be.
"Will! You're alright! Thank God! I came to find you!" She told him excitedy.

She ran straight towards him. His arms were openwide; she ran into them, wrapping her own arms around his neck.

Her kiss was bruising. Brutal. But she needed this. Needed to rpove this to herself.

Her passing fancy for Jack Sparrow was through lack of kissage from Will...

So what about the sexual tension? Will that just disappear now Will has come back?

She felt funny.

Will's lips were delicious...but Jack's were curruptable.

Damnit, don't comapre them! They're nothing alike...Will is a good man...

So was Jack when he wanted to be.

Will's tongue seemed timid. Almost like he did not want to press too hard for fear of hurting her...if it were Jack in his shoes she was sure he would kiss the hell out of her and not give a damn about letting her breathe...

Will pulled away from her.

Jack knew it wasn't over. He could tell she was figuring it all out..testing the waters...wanting to see whether her body really was telling her the truth.

He didn't blame her...who would want to believe that Jack Sparrow might actually make any woman swoon at his feet? Well...him ofcourse because he knew it was true...but anyone else would just be in denial.

When Will broke the kiss he saw it in her face. The recognition.

It was destroying her...Loving one man, wanting another...

"How did you get here?" Jack asked Will curiously. Norrington stood still beside him, him obviously not liking what he had just witnessed either.

"Sea turtles, mate. A pair of them, strapped to my feet." Will smiled at him. Oh how he would have such a different expression on his face if he knew...what she was doing...thinking...betraying...

"Not so easy, is it?" He told him, half smirking.

Jack momentarily caught her gaze. She seemed at a loss. But being the stubborn lass that she was, he knew she would not give in without a fight...and he would give her one.

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack."

Jack's eyes returned to Will's then. The contact was broken with her.

"You do?" He asked quizically.

"After you tricked me onto that ship to square your debt with Jones."

Elizabeth's face fell

"What?"

"What?" Jack shouted, copying Elizabeth's shriek. He didn't look at her...he knew she was glaring daggers at him.

"I was reunited with my father."

"Oh!" Jack said delightfully. Maybe he could get out of it afterall. "Well... you're welcome, then."

Elizabeth looked at Jack in disappointment. But also, she had realised that there really was no unexplainable reason for the compass being so contrary with her...it really was all her own doing...

"Everything you said to me... every word, was a lie!" She said to him, seeing him looking at her now.

It didn't surprise her that he was nochalant. Why should he care about how she was feeling? He was a Pirate; he wasn't supposed to.

"Pretty much." He admitted truthfully. "Time and tide, love. "

He knew she was hurt. But why should he care? He was a Pirate, afterall. She should of expected it.


Will stooped down with the key to open the chest infront of him. At this Jack started.

"Will! What're you doing?" He asked him quickly, his voice sounding anxious.

"I'm gonna kill Jones." Will told him, his voice sounding determined.

Jack instantly drew his sword, pointing it at Will.

"Can't let you do that, William. 'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh? Now. If you please: The key."

He had him...

...Until Will drew Elizabeth's sword, pointing it back at Jack.

"I keep the promises I make, Jack. I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."

At this new turn of events, Norrington saw fit to draw his own sword, also pointing it at Will.

"I can't let you do that, either. So sorry."

Jack looked around in surprise.

"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually."

Then Norrington did something unexpected...he pointed his sword at Jack.

"Lord Beckett desires the contents of that chest. I deliver it, and get my life back."

Jack smirked. Smart man.

"Ah. The dark side of ambition." He mused thoughtfully.

"Oh, I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption". He answered Jack, a smile lighting up his face.

...And with that, the three-way duelling commenced.