Disclaimer: I, of course, own none of the characters featured in this chapter with the exception of Genesis and Rosalyn. And they highly regret it.

Author's Note: Welcome back, faithful readers! I want to thank each and every one of you who have favorite this series or left a review…your love keeps me writing it! :) Note: to any new readers, PLEASE go to my profile and read the two other "Destinations" volumes first, entitled "Really Bad Eggs" and "What D'you Do With a Drunken Sailor." This is a sequel of sorts, and won't make much sense unless you read those works. As for the sudden "M" rating...this installment of the story has a darker theme, much like Dead Man's Chest becomes slightly darker than Curse of the Black Pearl. There will be adult scenes (which may or may not be featured here, but I may eventually post them on my website in…ahem…detail), but you will have plenty of warning so that you may skip them if you prefer. Other than that…happy reading!

Chapter One: In Which We Play Catch Up

Rain pounded down from the dreary, hammering sky, splashing in muddy puddles that surrounded the lone figure on the beach. A soaked veil of tulle rippled behind her in the storm, and her brown eyes were locked on the bouquet of flowers in her hands. The drops of rain mingled with the dampness of her eyes, so that only the redness of them gave away her tears.

The jarring sound of a gate being forced open broke Elizabeth Swann of her heartbroken reverie, and she looked over her shoulder. Her betrothed was in manacles, being held by men in the familiar red uniform of the Navy.

"Will," she breathed, rising to her feet, quite a feat due to the wet heaviness of her wedding gown. She ran to him, relieved that he had not truly abandoned her at the altar, concerned as to what brought on his arrest.

"Why is this happening?" she said, clutching at his jacket.

"I don't know," Will Turner said angrily. He paused, his dark eyes gazing at her softly. "You look beautiful."

Elizabeth smiled with a sad little laugh. "I think it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"Make way! Let me through!"

Elizabeth turned to see her father pushing his way through the crowd. He moved toward her, but two soldiers barred his path with their longaxes.

"How dare you?" the governor spat indignantly. "Stand your men down at once! Do you hear me?"

"Governor Weatherby Swann," came a smooth voice. "It's been too long."

They turned to see a nobleman approaching, followed by a lesser officer. Elizabeth frowned, trying to place the face. She didn't have to remember on her own.

"Cutler Beckett," Governor Swann said coldly.

"'His Lord,' now, actually," Beckett said with a gratified smile.

"Lord or not," Governor Swann fumed. "You have no reason and no authority to arrest this man."

"In fact," Beckett replied, the Cheshire Cat smile on his face growing. "I do."

He turned to the man he had approached with. "Mister Mercer."

Mercer handed his boss a paper, which he handed to the governor.

"The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner," Beckett said slyly.

Swann looked down at the paper in confusion. "This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann," he read weakly.

"Oh, is it?" Beckett said, unable to hide his pleasure. "That's annoying. My mistake. Arrest her."

"No!" Will yelled.

"On what charges?" Elizabeth cried, struggling as two soldiers laid hands on her.

Beckett ignored her, taking yet another paper from Mercer. "Ah-ha, here's the one for William Turner," he said. Two more papers found his hand. "And I also have two more, one for a Mister James Norrington, and a Miss Rosalyn O'Brien. Are they present?"

"What are the charges?" Elizabeth yelled.

"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago," Swann explained to Beckett, his face a picture of confusion. "And Miss O'Brien left our employment over a year ago…"

"I don't believe that's the answer to the question I asked," Beckett said.

"Lord Beckett," Will said angrily. "In the category of questions not answered…"

"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal," Elizabeth said firmly. "And you will tell us what we are charged with."

"The charge…" Governor Swann was reading the warrant, his face falling as he spoke. "…is conspiring to set free criminals convicted of crimes against the crown and empire, and condemned to death, for which the --"

"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death," Beckett interrupted. "Perhaps you remember two certain pirates named Genesis Morgan and Jack Sparrow."

"Captain," Will and Elizabeth corrected simultaneously. They glanced at each other.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth repeated.

"'Captain' Jack Sparrow," Beckett said in a pleased tone. "Yes, I thought you might."

&&&&&&&&&&

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest…yo ho ho and a bottle o' rum…"

Joshamee Gibbs wandered the deck of the Black Pearl, keeping a watch out, though the amount of the aforementioned rum he had drank prevented him from doing the job particularly well.

"Drink and the devil had done for the rest…yo ho ho and a bottle o' rum…"

"Oy, Gibbs!"

Gibbs looked up, stumbling back a tad, to follow the voice to its owner. A feminine form was aloft in the riggings, tying off a knot as they made ready to sail, as soon as the captain was back.

"Care to share the love, mate?" Genesis Wolfe, or Genesis Morgan as the crew knew her, said with a grin. He gave her a smile and tossed the flask up her way. She caught it, taking a swig as he eyed her from below. Genesis had become a vital crew member. She had a knack for climbing and for risking her neck, making her a perfect candidate for working the riggings. It had been rumored that the captain was even training her up to take over the bo'sun position if something should happen to Leech, given her ability to take charge. And her ability to yell. Her companion, Rosalyn O'Brien, had been made a lookout, and was currently high above in the crow's nest (he could just make out the shine of her auburn hair in the moonlight), and both women lent a hand in entertaining the crew with music and dancing. All in all…even Joshamee Gibbs couldn't complain.

Gen topped the flask and tossed it back down to its proper owner, giving him a wink. He laughed heartily as he raised it back to his own lips, but was interrupted by the somber tolling of a bell. He and Gen watched as a flock of crows flew from the island, startled by the sound, and flew above the ship, right past the crow's nest. Roz's annoyed cry echoed down at them, and despite the grave mood set by the bell, they laughed at the woman's outburst.

The angry yells paused for a moment, and Roz let out an excited whoop. "Captain off the starboard side, baby!"

"All hands on deck!" Gibbs yelled, turning to make sure the crew followed orders.

Genesis grinned, hopping off the plank she was sitting on and climbing down the riggings to the deck. She had long since come by more traditional pirate wear, trading in her denim shorts and tank top for a white shirt, black corset and black breeches tucked into tall black riding boots. She ran to the rails, peering into the black water below to see Captain Jack Sparrow rowing toward them. In a coffin. With a foot for an oar. Nice.

"Ahoy, there, stranger," she called out good-naturedly. "Goin' our way?"

"Depends," came the echoing reply over the water. "Is this beauty of a ship crewed by naught but wenches constantly in the throes of passion?"

"Well, there's two of 'em, maybe."

"Good enough."

Some ropes were thrown down, and Gibbs stretched out his arms to help Jack up. His hand was met by a skeletal foot, which he held up in confusion as Jack made his way up on his own. Cotton approached, laying Jack's coat over the captain's back.

"Not quite according to plan," Gibbs mused.

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome," Jack said flippantly.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Gen said. "Master storyteller."

"You got what you went in for, then?" Gibbs asked excitedly.

"Mm-hmm!" Jack said, pulling out a rolled piece of cloth and waving it around.

"Captain," Gibbs said slowly, eyeing the cloth. "I think the crew, meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more…shiny." He wiggled his fingers to convey a glittering action.

"Or at least soap," said Rosalyn as she dropped to the deck. "Soap is good." She had also taken to more traditional pirating garb, currently in a corset and wide-legged black cropped pants.

"What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shaped, reclaimed by the sea, and the treasure with it," Gibbs continued. Leech broke through the crowd of men that had gathered.

"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," he said.

"And the hurricane!" piped Marty the Dwarf.

"Aye!" agreed the crew.

"All in all," Gibbs said in a low tone. "It seems some time since we did a speck of honest piratin'."

Jack frowned thoughtfully. "Shiny?"

"Aye, shiny," Gibbs replied.

"Soapy," Roz muttered.

"Is that how you're all feeling then?" Jack announced to the crew. "Perhaps dear old Jack is not serving your best interests as captain?"

Leech looked about, waiting for someone to speak up. Genesis shot him a look.

"Awk!" cried Cotton's parrot. "Walk the plank!"

Jack went into overdrive, whipping out his pistol and pointing it at the bird with a maniacal look in his eye. "What did the bird say?"

"Give me that, you nutjob," Gen scolded, yanking the gun from his hand.

"Do not blame the bird," Leech said irritably. "Show us what is on that piece of cloth there."

Before Jack could do that very thing, there was a high pitched snarl, and Monkey Jack leapt out of nowhere, snatching the cloth from the captain's hand and scampering off with it. Jack grabbed the pistol back from Gen, aimed and shot. It missed, and the monkey chattered tauntingly. Jack reached over and grabbed a pistol from Leech's belt and shot again. The monkey squealed and dropped the cloth, screaming angrily at Jack before scurrying up to the rigging, unharmed.

"You know that don't do no good," Gibbs said.

"It does me," Jack replied.

"It really is good therapy," Roz said, glaring up at the monkey. The monkey grinned.

Marty picked up the cloth from the deck. "It's a key!"

"No!" Jack said in a pleased tone. "Much more better…"

"Much…more…better…" Gen said, grimacing at the grammar.

"It is a drawing of a key," Jack said, holding up the cloth. "Gentlemen, and semi-ladies, what do keys do?"

"They're the perfect size for shoving up your ass," Roz said indignantly.

"Keys…unlock…things?" Leech ventured.

"And whatever this key unlocks, inside there's something valuable," Gibbs theorized. "So, we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!"

"No!" Jack said. "If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?"

"So," Gibbs said slowly. "We're going after this key."

"You're not making any sense at all," Jack said. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah," Genesis said, raising her hand. "What have you been smoking?"

"And where can we get some?" Roz piped up.

"Do we have a heading?" Marty asked.

"Hah!" Jack said, taking out his compass. "A heading! Set sail in…a…mmm…"

He frowned at the face of the compass. Gen raised an eyebrow and peered over his shoulder, watching his finger twirl uncertainly. To her surprise, his finger was following the strangely rotating dial of the compass. "Jack…?"

"A general…in that way. Direction." He pointed randomly, snapping the compass shut. He caught Gen's confused glance, but ignored it. Gibbs did not.

"Cap'n?" he asked, eyes on Genesis, who returned the look.

"Come on, snap to and make sail, you know how this works," Jack snapped at the crew. "Come on! OI OI OI."

While most of the crew scattered to do their captain's bidding, Gibbs, Marty, Genesis and Rosalyn lingered by the railing.

"Have you noticed lately," Marty ventured. "The captain seems to be actin' a bit strange…"

A look from Rosalyn.

"…er?"

"Settin' sail without knowing his own headin'?" Gibbs said, staring after Jack. "Somethin's got Jack vexed. Mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow bodes ill for us all."

"Speak for yourself," Rosalyn said. "I imagine he thinks a bath is an ill bode, and I think that bodes pretty damned well for the rest of us."

Gibbs smirked a tad. "See if ye girls can wrest somethin' out o' him," he said, turning to go about his business. Gen glanced at Roz, and they made their way to Jack's cabin, where he had disappeared to.