An Eye for an Eye, A Kiss for a Kiss

Hey everybody!I'm sorry for not posting sooner but sometimes one just needs to wait for a writer's bug.^^

Thanks a lot for all the wonderful reviews and I promise the next chappie will appear here soon. If you still want more,of course - so let me know in your review :)

As promised,this chapter explains Jack's strange and annoying behaviour from chapter 8. ^^


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 9 "Behind His Legend"

"Lis'n, luv!" Jack grabbed Lizzie's arm having no intention of letting her go without an explanation. "It's not what it looks like, and you'll say so yourself once you hear me out. Savvy?"

"I rather doubt it!" she hissed snatching her hand away. She glared at him coldly, convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that there was no plausible excuse for his irresponsible behaviour.Still she agreed to stay, giving him a chance to defend himself.

"I might have looked like a careless kid. But when I saw the beastie, I simply couldn't move me butt from the spot. These waters be well familiar to me, and I was sure the shallows were safe! Otherwise I wouldn't have forced you to jump off the plank yesterday. Staring at the fin moving around us in circles, I realized how deadly wrong I was. If that beast happened to appear here yesterday at sunset...you wouldn't have made it to the shore, Lizzie..."

Raising her eyes from the sea surface shimmering in the afternoon sun, she met Jack's gaze and to her surprise discovered rare seriousness in his eyes. It was his deep concern for her, accompanied by traces of fear...


"As for me... I meself no longer dread sharks, for I know they wouldn't harm me. When I was a lad, I was attacked by one of those blood thirsty monsters, but managed to escape its jaws before it ripped me arm off."


"And it made you confident, that you were strong and lucky enough to survive any further attack unharmed? Don't you see it's ridiculous?!" she huffed with anger, and sat down on the damp sand, allowing cool waves to brush her feet.

"Lizzie! For Heaven's sake, let me tell the whole story, alright? Once I'm finished, you may call me whatever it is to your liking. But first, lis'n!" He joined her, taking place right beside her, and briefly fixing his orbs on the fine profile of her face. She didn't return his glance but concentrated on the far horizon instead, wondering about "their" shark's whereabouts.


"I was merely eighteen back then, enjoying my swim too far away from the ship, being too careless even though some crewmen had warned me of the danger. The attack was very sudden and fast. I didn't even see the beast as I was divin', but when the indescribable pain struck me like a lightning I realized that one had definitely trapped me left arm between its mighty jaws. Water was turnin' red from excessive blood loss, and I feared that that was it. Still I was makin' big effort to fight with me free arm, hitting the shark on the head. I nearly fainted from the unbearable pain, and lack of air to breathe wasn't helping either. I was clearly loosing the battle, gettin' too weak to fight..." he paused, causing her gaze to shift and rest on his face.

"Actually, I was sure it was me end, when all of a sudden a group of dolphins appeared from nowhere, surroundin' us. And then my vision turned blurry...The only thing I remember was me arm at last feeling free, and fresh air filling my sore lungs again. I had no strength left, repeatedly slipping into unconsciousness and the depths, but the dolphins kept on pushin' me up over and over again, not allowing me to drown. I wouldn't have made it only by me onsies...When we finally reached the shore, I dropped on the sand completely exhausted. Was too weak to move, lost too much blood...Taking a look at me arm, I saw me own bones through the shreds of flesh and blood rushing from torn veins. I imagined myself with a nasty hook instead of me arm and passed out..."

"Are you telling the truth, Jack?"

"Every word.Why?"

"Because as much as I want to believe you, this story reminds me too much of certain sea turtles."

"Ah, sea turtles..." he frowned suddenly. "Wait a minute, I didn't...." he trailed off pointing at her with his forefinger. "I see... " he sighed. "Must've been dear William who kindly shared the story with you ,eh?" he growled.

"Mr Gibbs. And to my great astonishment, he believes each and every word!"

"Alright then. Said sea turtles have a lot to do with my rich imagination. But unlike it was in Gibbs' case, I told you the whole truth about my escape, even though I otherwise prefer to stick to the more favourable version."

Eventually, she came to the conclusion that Jack was honest with her, just like the other day on the rum runners' island. Only then it hit her what hell Jack had gone through, and cold chills ran down her spine making her body shiver. In her thoughts she thanked God for Jack's miraculous survival.

"All truth then?" she asked quietly.

"Those here..." he pointed at some long, but surprisingly pale scars on his left arm "...be a reminder of me li'l adventure".


"Jack, I still don't understand...Why are you not afraid of sharks? If I were in your shoes, I would be too scared to ever swim in my life again!"


"See these teeth by me sash? That's what protects me. Sharks won't get near me again."


"W-what?!"


"I've never seen any of them gettin' closer to me than ten yards."


"Is this yet another of your famous fairytales? How the hell do you expect me to believe that a couple of rotten teeth keep you safe from sharks?!!!"


"From whales too, actually. Forgot to mention."


"Jack! You-"


"Holy mermaid!" he cut her off, raising his eyes to the sky as if he expected to spot the sea creature somewhere in the heights relaxing on a fluffy cloud. Folding his hands in a begging gesture he turned back to Lizzie. "Luv, I'm being painfully honest with you like with no one else before! So do me a lil' favor of making that enormously huge effort and at least TRY to believe me! Is it that hard?! " he growled.


Her jaw dropped when he glared at her. After all, she was the one who had full right to be mad at him! Not the other way around! She was speechless at his outburst and couldn't hold his piercing gaze. Facing the calm sea, she cursed inwardly, and waited for the continuation of his "supposed-to be-true" story.


"When I woke up, I found meself lying comfortably on a soft bunk and me poor arm, covered with some leaves mixed with dried mud, felt much better for the pain was gone. I was in a wooden hut filled with heavy humid smell typical for a swamp. There were living snakes as well as stuffed bats and all sorts of strange and scary objects hanging around. Even though dozens of candles illuminated the cabin, it still looked awfully creepy."

"You were at Tia's?"

"Aye. That's how we met. She be the one who sent the dolphins for me rescue and took care of me using her supernatural powers."

"Calypso..."

"If it wasn't for her, I should've not only lost me arm, but died right there on the beach. Later, she gave me these charmed teeth to avoid problems in case of meeting a ravenous fish again. In fact, since then I've never entered water without them hangin' by me sash. Or tied 'round me wrist if I feel like swimming naked. Since then, I've had many encounters with sharks and even two with whales, but as I've already said, they always get out of me way."

"So that's why it didn't attack us." She squinted her eyes, recalling the dreadful sight of the beast which had kept the steady distance of approximately ten yards before eventually disappearing from their view.

"That's why, dearie..."

She sighed and shook her head. "You owe her a lot, I see."

"I'd say- me life, the compass, plus something more. Something that was worth trading me soul to Davy Jones himself."

"What was that precious to you?"


"That's a long story, luv. Those days, the dearest things to me were the sea, freedom and -believe it or not- my clean record. When I was a lad, I served many years aboard EITC merchant ships, much to the disapproval of my scallywag father, whom by the way you will soon have the occasion to meet at the Shipwreck Cove.What he always wished to see in me was a stately successor of the Caribbean Pirate Lord... Not an exploited deckhand who hardly ever saw a shilling for his tough servitude. But I meself didn't complain. As long as I was getting my daily rations of food and rum, I was good with it. One day ,as we reached an uninhabited island to search for fresh water,we discovered a treasure of the magnitude that could only be compared to that of Isla de Muerta. I bought me first lil' boat for my rather humble share, and I was satisfied. Strangely though, something still attracted me like hell to that island. I used to have oddly realistic dreams about that place, with hidden masses of gold and jewels. All that fancy stuff was virtually calling me to come and claim it all as my own! For long weeks I kept telling myself that my nightly visions were all too shiny to be true. Upon all that, I still ended up rushing to set sail for the treasure island, because I was nearly going insane."


"Did you find the treasure?" she asked with curiosity and Jack noticed sparkles of excitement in her eyes. He imagined the two of them searching side by side for treasures of uncharted lands and waters and smiled.


"Yep. And it was more than enough to purchase a vessel that I wouldn't feel embarrassed to call a ship. I visited several ports to find the ship of my dreams but to my deep disappointment, none of them was entirely to my liking. What I looked for was a fierce and a racy ship. One with that "something", you know... In the end, I followed Tia's advice to get a custom made ship. She said she was familiar with some great constructors as well as someone who would design it especially for me. I trusted her. She took the payment and asked me to wait patiently. One night, after nearly two months of a torturous wait, she led me to the biggest bay of her island and... I was stunned, practically rooted to the ground by the sight. There she was: ebony dark like a starless night, with her huge pitch-black canvas set for the sail. The full moon illuminated her magnificently, accentuating her surreal glory...It was love at first sight..."


He was talking about his ship with so much passion and admiration that it startled her. As if the Pearl was a woman. His lover... Not just the keel and the deck and the sails... "She truly is a awe-inspiring..."

"Indeed, luv."

"But what I fancy most about her, is that she turns invisible once all lamps are doused at night. Very practical in your profession, Jack," she chimed in with a smirk.

"Precisely. Whether I see it fit to raid unaware ships or to..." he paused briefly, looking for a more favorable term for 'run away' "...maneuver a reverse under the cover of the night, it's always an enormous advantage. Tia did a hell of a good job. She confessed to me later, that she was the Black Pearl's designer and the supervisor of the whole construction process."

Lizzie's eyebrows rose in surprise ."Designed by none other but Calypso herself...No wonder the Pearl can outrun the Dutchman. Do you think she...knew?"

"Actually, I wouldn't be all too surprised if she did know me destiny all along."

"Is it then that you became a pirate?"

"It is then, that young Cutler Beckett developed an obsessive interest in my marvelous vessel, and employed me as his agent."

"You worked for... Beckett ?!!" she asked him wide-eyed.

"Curious, isn' it?"

She nodded absently, her eyes scrutinizing him from head to toe, making him furrow his brows.

"What?"

"I have some difficulties imagining you wear a fancy wig!" Lizzie giggled greatly amused, and for a moment it seemed to her that Jack's face paled in response.

"For your information, luv - I only agreed to join Beckett's fleet on the condition that under no circumstances would I ever be obligated to wear any of these lousy hatcheries. I even put it in my contract!"

He heard her chuckle and move closer to him. "Don't tell me you never felt tempted to wear it just once?" she labored the point, playfully brushing his cheeks with her fingers. "On some fancy occasion, perhaps...?"

Disgusted by her horrifying suggestions, Jack winced and stuck his tongue out with abomination, which only made her giggle harder. She found him absolutely adorable.

"Hmm...never even...tried it on in front of a mirror ???" she continued her antics, trying in vain to fake a serious look on her face. He glared daggers at her, and she couldn't help but burst into laughter. And then he did it. Jack's lips slammed onto hers and she whimpered softly into his mouth. She hadn't expected the kiss, but welcomed it nonetheless. Oh, she would think of many other things to tease him if that was to be her reward...

She gasped when their lips parted. "What was that for?" she asked with undisguised astonishment.

"That was for shutting that wicked mouth of yours. Otherwise you'd never allow me to finish this story," he replied with a roguish smirk. She pouted sweetly, and he pulled her closer to him, sitting her across his lap. He kissed her once again, this time with even more fervor.

"And that was simply because I couldn't resist..." he explained in a low husky whisper, making her drop her gaze, blushing slightly.

"So you did work as an EITC agent ?"

"Despite my young age I had vast experience in sailing on the high seas. That was the main reason for Beckett to let me sail under his flag. I spent five good years sailing all over the world as a merchant for gold, silk, spices and rum. Until that fateful day when I arrived at the Gold Coast* only to discover that the cargo prepared for me was people. I simply couldn't do that...How could I condemn these innocent men and women to death or worse? I knew that many, if not most of them wouldn't survive the long journey. And for the "lucky ones" who would, there was a regrettable fate of a slave waiting in America. I set the departure for sunrise and freed them at midnight, making sure they could flee unnoticed. At dawn, I explained to my fellow agents ashore that unfortunately the slaves had somehow managed to unbound themselves, knock our night watch guards unconscious and run away. God, they were mad at me...They were furious and didn't spare me colorful swearwords in several languages for the allegedly huge losses that I had caused the EITC. I left their office nearly deaf as a consequence... Eventually, they generously allowed me to load spices and gold that were waiting for the next ship from Kingston, very glad-... No. ECSTATIC to see me leave their port."

Lizzie was taken aback and moved by his story but remained silent. She had just realized that after reading numerous books about his infamous adventures, after knowing him for a period of about eighteen months (but unfortunately having spent merely a couple of days in his company) she still knew very little of Jack. Right now she felt like she didn't know him at all...


"Several months passed and I was sure that Beckett had forgotten about the incident. Soon I was to learn that apparently he hadn't. He commissioned me to transport a load to New Orleans and when I docked Grenada, I experienced a rather unpleasant deja vu. My cargo was a group of 70 slaves : all of them weak after months spent at sea, many severely sick. This time I couldn't let them run. EITC port guards took care of that...
Two weeks later, as we were passing by Tia's island, I decided to let them go, no matter what would await me upon my return in Port Royal. Beckett would sack me, no doubt 'bout that... I took that into account, and truth be said , I didn't give a damn. When we reached the shore, I was surprised to see Tia Dalma already waiting for us. She had tears in her eyes as she led the would-have-been slaves to her swampy village. They would be free and safe again..."

Jack remembered Calypso's eyes glisten with emotion. She was visibly touched by his deed ."You did it again Jack Sparrow. You are a good man, and gods will reward you for that." He had doubted it greatly. He wasn't eager to think of what the nearest future would bring. "One day." he had then heard her add suggestively.

Elizabeth recalled the day she and Jack's crew arrived in Tia's village after his death. They were welcomed by a crowd of mourning villagers paddling in still, waist-deep waters of the Pantano river. She had noticed that their faces were marked by sadness and stained with tears. All of them had been holding candles and humming something that was painfully sad and heart-wrenching. It was like a quiet requiem for a lost dear friend, and at that moment Lizzie couldn't have held back her tears anymore...They had run freely down her cheeks like strings of pearls.

Now that it all came back to her, the flashbacks of the past made it clear who were those mysterious people wandering with candles in the midst of nightly shadows. "I said once, that you are a good man. I stick to it, Jack... And I don't care if the damn evidence proves the contrary," she confessed in a shaky voice.

"Well, one good deed doesn't redeem a lifetime of wickedness, as your dear friend Norrington used to say."

"First of all, not just ONE . And secondly: he's never been a DEAR FRIEND!"

"Of course not. Merely a ...fiancé'." Jack corrected himself, glad to see Lizzie roll her eyes and smile.


"What happened later in Port Royal?" His past before turning into piracy was all a big mystery to her. Partially because she and the future governor Swann had been still living in London at the time. She was just a little child, completely unaware of what the future would bring. Never would she have guessed that one day a devilishly handsome pirate captain would have saved her life and steal her heart.

"I was invited to Beckett's office, decorated with a shapely, permanent 'P' on me forearm and sentenced to death at dawn."

"What??! So it was HIM who did this to you?" her voice was breaking as she fought against tears. "He had NO RIGHT!!!"

"According to him, I sold the cargo that belonged to EITC. And that's nothing else but an act of piracy, luv." She growled annoyed, her blood boiling with outrage.

"That's not all, Lizzie. He was far more inventive. He led me to his balcony with a generous view of the docks and raised his arm signaling his soldiers to carry out his command. At that moment, I heard dozens of canons firing at me ship, and my heart froze as I watched her sink into the depths. I stood there like a pillar of ice, feeling my life slip away from me... You know what my father told me once?
#'Think ye'r an EITC hero, Jackie? Ye'r just fooling yerself ,kid. Pirate blood flows in yer veins and believe me, boy... Ye'll have to square wiv it one day.'#
I was wrathful at him for tellin' me that. But when I saw last feet of black masts disappear into the unforgiving sea, I glanced at my fresh brand and realized that the old bastard was bloody right after all... Like other countless individuals of me abject species, I was to end up on the noose."

"Thank God you didn't... How did you escape ?"

"Thank a certain smart lass, actually. She set a neighbouring armoury on fire and all guards rushed upstairs. She was lucky to find the key before they were back, and free me from my cell."

"Who was she? And why did she do that?"

"Her name was Amy. She said she had helped me because I didn't deserve to die. But the truth is that she was in love with me, even though she married another man that very night..."

"She did save your life, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she fancied you, Jack." Lizzie chimed in, cocking her head to the side.

He grinned smugly, picking up a note of jealousy in her voice. "My tremendous intuitive sense of female creature was telling me that she was in love with me, and indeed Amelie Beckett HAD accepted my proposal, despite her brother's loud disapproval."

"Beckett's junior sister? You two were...engaged???" There it was.Yet another revelation! Her heart pounded frantically, occasionally skipping beats. Her Jack not only was in love before, but betrothed to a woman of her class!
"If she did love you, why did she wed someone else? What a wicked, deceitful woman..."


"Amy was blackmailed by her brother. Cutler left her with two options : either she would marry the elderly lord that her father had chosen for her on the deathbed, or watch me walk to the gallows. She did not have much choice, Lizzie... After the wedding, she saw the hangman arranging the gallows, and horrified to death rushed to the prison to set me free. I asked her to run away with me, but she was petrified...wasn't thinking straight. The poor lass was trembling, sobbing, choking with tears. She mumbled something about her father's last wish and honor, and swore she would always love me. She then kissed me one last time, and ran back to her residence. I saw her gleaming champagne wedding dress disappear in the darkness before she vanished completely from my view. That was the last time I saw my dear would-be wife... From that day on, I never cared about bloody honor. I did whatever suited me, acted on a selfish impulse..."

"I'm so sorry Jack... I-I didn't know... " she said almost in a whisper. "You would have been happily married ,if not for Beckett..."

"Maybe it was Beckett. Or maybe fate intervened?"

"Funny.That's exactly what this lowlife told me after interrupting my wedding!"

"Did he now?" Jack flashed her a lopsided smirk. " I think I'm starting to like him." He closed his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair.

"So that was the beginning of your pirate career I guess..."

"Not that I had any better choice, darlin'. I got a deal with Davy Jones and he lifted the Pearl from the depths. 13 blissful years on me ship for me soul."

"Not all too fair a deal."

"I was well aware of that, but too devastated to act fastidiously and definitely not in the mood for negotiations."

"Your life was never a bed of roses, Jack. But thank God there were people like Amy, ready to do everything for you. And not to forget Tia Dalma. She has really had a heart for you."

"Oh yes, truth be that. And she wanted mine in return," he smirked.

#"Now..., don't tell me you didn't enjoy it at the time...?"# Tia's seductive voice lingered in Lizzie's head,and for the shortest moment she hated the goddess for ever laying her hands on Jack. HER Jack! She frowned recalling his facial expression when asked that question in the Locker and she preferred not to guess what Jack may have enjoyed that much at the time with another woman. Elizabeth stood up,cleaning her soaked breeches from stains of wet sand,still thinking of Calypso, Amelie Beckett and God only knows how many other women who melted at the sight of her Captain,and wanted to win his heart. Or at least to lure him to their beds.

"Ehemm, Lizzie..." Jack cleared his throat and approached her,wrapping his arms tightly around her slim waist "As for the shark, I'd be much obliged if you kept me li'l confession strictly to yourself, savvy? Don't let me catch you divulging a single word to anybody. Especially me crew!"

"Why not? There's really nothing to be ashamed of, Jack."

"May well be. But I prefer them to believe the OTHER version, luv."

"The more heroic one, I guess?" she asked with a knowing smile, while playing with his wet dreadlocks. "What is that you made them believe?"

"I told them ..." he hesitated for a short moment before releasing yet another of his deepest secrets."Actually, I told them that I defeated the shark with me bare hands, pulled its teeth and hung them by me belts as a blatant warning for its mates. And therefore, they respect me as if I were Poseidon himself, and fear wouldn't let them come near me."

She giggled in reply, noting that his other versions were very amusing if one knew the truth behind them. She wondered why he kept on making them up. After all, he was the mighty Pirate Lord of the Caribbean. An infamous living legend who didn't need fake tales to embellish his "glorious" record.

"Was there even a single person ready to believe this version of events? I bet that even Mr Gibbs didn't believe this one."

"Well, it's rather hard to put me story in doubt while witnessing me dive into waters filled with sharks and seeing them swim for their lives in panic. Isn't it, luv?" She admitted that he was right.Who wouldn't fall for it?

"There be somethin' more I need to tell you, luv..."

"Not yet another version, Jack..." she sighed, her fingers drawing invisible patterns on his chest.


"I just want to tell you Lizziebeth, that you couldn't have possibly shown me much more better how much you luv me, than by riskin' your own precious young life to save me old, depraved ass..."

'His firm, bronze tanned ass...' she drooled mentally,and slid her palm down his wet body to pinch his luscious rear. Jack groaned, taken aback by her actions. Not that he wasn't used to women pinching or slapping his attractive backside. He didn't think however, that Lizzie would be "in the mood" after their little fight.

"You know,Captain Sparrow..." she said playing with his goatee. "There are also some other, rather pleasurable ways to show you how much I love you..."


"Why don't you show me said ways,then?" he suggested huskily,staring at her with wild lust evident in his mesmerizing eyes. "All of them, one by one."


She tied her arms around his neck, and her lips softly brushed his. A series of fleeting, teasing kisses followed, causing cold shivers pass through their hot bodies. She nibbed gently on his lower lip, as her hands lazily traveled down his chest, finally reaching his sash. His breathing quickened. Just when he was expecting her to untie it, she touched his hand instead, asking him to follow her. He didn't move an inch, still holding her hand and admiring her seductive smirk.

"Where do you think you be goin',lass?!" he growled in a Captain's voice.

"The palm tree's waiting, Captain..." He jerked his hand sharply, making her spin around and land in his arms with a gasp.Grinning devilishly, he pressed her body tightly against his.

"Said palm tree can wait, luv..." he whispered into her ear, his hot breath making her tremble.

"Captain Sparrow CAN'T..."


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* Gold Coast is today's Ghana/West Africa


I think it was the longest of all chapters so far !Let me know if you liked it! And btw,there is a steamy chapter on the horizon. If you review,that is...^^