This will be a story mostly from Elizabeth Swann's perspective, set mostly after AWE. I will be playing around a bit with her past. I ship Sparrowbeth, so I wasn't happy with the ending of AWE, so in this story things didn't go smoothly with her beach honeymoon with Will. This will probably be a lot about transitions: transitioning from being the governors daughter to becoming a pirate to becoming pirate king to retiring as a pirate and figuring out what next. I will also be exploring social norms and gender expectations in the 18th century in high society vs pirate society and maybe some world travel and juxtaposition of different cultures. I'll also throw in some fantastical, magical elements where I can. My plan is to keep this story rated "T", though I love smut, my plan is to post smutty chapters elsewhere if the muse takes me there, I'll let you know where to go for the smut if you're into that. I've got lots of ideas for where this story might go, but let me know what you think. I write slow, so I'll be updating, but not regularly.

Disney owns all the things. I'm just borrowing their characters and their world.

Chp 1

He had thought to let her sleep in, but they needed extra hands on deck after losing a few men in battle and some were still nursing injuries from the battle. Everyone was moving with a little less grace, being stiff and sore from yesterday's exertions. He needed her help.

She was still a novice in sailing, but hard working, a quick study and fearless, for better or worse. She wanted to learn, wanted to prove herself and work at least as hard as the other pirates to do it.

Seeing her now, he never would have pegged her as the daughter of a governor. A spoiled rich girl with a pretty gown and an empty head that never knew an honest day's work. She surprised him. He liked that.

She had rowed herself back to the Pearl in the dark. She didn't cry, as he expected her to. He was glad for that. It wasn't that he was unprepared to comfort a crying woman, but he preferred not to given the circumstances.

She didn't say much at all, but asked for a drink. He obliged her by sharing a bottle from his own collection. When she was falling asleep drunk at the table, he carried her to his berth.

In her haze, she nuzzled him, whispered something sweet he couldn't quite make out and kissed his neck. That was both a delicious and painful moment. He tucked her in and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. He briefly debated joining her in the bunk but decided against it, quickly stringing up a hammock for himself and collapsing for the night.

In the morning light, he watched her from the helm. She was back in boys clothes. As much as he complained about her choice of attire in the past, he found himself captivated by her. Bare feet and calves where she had rolled up her pant legs out of the slosh of the sea. The curve of her hip when she bent to coil a rope. When she leaned forward, the flash of burgundy sash that bound her small breast flat, just visible as her shirt collar gapped.

"Stop looking at the girl," said a low voice in his ear, "and keep your eyes on the rocks on the starboard side." It was Gibbs. Bloody Gibbs. "You've said it yourself, it'll never work out. Go find yourself a distraction tonight when we make port."

Captain Sparrow adjusted his heading slightly to avoid said rocks. "She's a proper pirate lass now, Gibbs. It could work out," he said.

"Except that she just married the Captain of the Flying Dutchman," said Gibbs, shaking his head, "or have you forgotten that she just celebrated her nuptials yesterday?"

"I'm well aware of that complication," said the Captain, clearing his throat and adjusting himself, "no seaman would risk angering the man who is responsible for ferrying him into the afterlife, but surely a man can enjoy the view, can't he?"

"Until your other complication catches you at it," said Gibbs. "I'm sure I heard a women or two asking after you when we landed a couple days ago at shipwreck city?"

Yes. Damn it, Gibbs. "We're just friends," said the Captain annoyed.

Gibbs mouth twitched into a knowing smile, "friendlier than most. Enjoy the view while you can," he laughed and left the captain to his thoughts and the scenery.

Everything hurt. Her head ached from last night's drinking. Her body ached from yesterday's battle. Her heart ached from losing everyone from her old life in Port Royal.

She could have slept the day away, but despite it all, she was glad that Jack had roused her and asked for her help on deck. It gave her purpose. At least for today. She liked feeling useful. She preferred it, in fact, to being pampered.

The rest of the crew was just as weary. They greeted her with shy smiles and pats on the back. Her adopted family of oddball uncles. She was glad that no one was particularly chatty this morning, preferring to focus on her work. She was not in the mood to talk about... her situation. She didn't want to think about it. Just focus on hauling and coiling rope.

Once they were on their way she went below deck to check on the injured. Half a dozen men unable to sail lay in bunks or hammocks. Injuries from swords, strikes and shrapnel. Open wounds bandaged. They would make it, if the fever didn't take them. Captain Sparrow insisted, despite their protests, that their wounds must be washed with either rum or salt water. The pain associated with this was the driving out of bad humours that would otherwise fester.

She gave them watered down rum and changed a dressing that had bled through overnight. She did not let her mind drift to the carnage of yesterday, where she had taken the life of more than one man, where her life had hung in the balance on more than one occasion. She would not take it for granted. Some angel must have been smiling down on her to escape such a battle with nothing but minor cuts and bruises.

Whenever she found her mind drifting. She forced herself to focus on the present. It was best to keep busy. She went to the galley to find Cotton fixing a meal for the crew. She liked working with Cotton, he was was always patient and kind to her while she learned the ropes.

It was strange in a way, that she had an extensive knowledge of naval strategy, tactics and historical battles from listening in on her father's business meetings and dinner parties, yet she was still learning what was actually involved in sailing a ship. She hadn't really been on any significant voyages since landing in the Caribbean. It wasn't until she sailed to world's end that she insisted on working as part of the crew. The others laughed, but Cotton took the time to teach her and was impressed at her tenacity and ability.

He was making porridge. He nodded at a bowl of apples and a knife and she set to peeling and chopping them to add to the porridge. She'd never seen so many apples before meeting Captain Barbosa. They seemed to follow him wherever he went. Where does one get apples in the Caribbean? Or Singapore?

Singapore. The only one on her mind to and from Singapore - to world's end and back again, was at the helm of this ship. How things had changed between them. She had thought maybe she could win his forgiveness and his heart. She had at least won his respect. Enough for him to elect her King, but not enough for another kiss. How could she blame him?

She put her knife down. Her eyes misting over. Her heart ached with emptiness and regret. How would this have gone differently if he had forgiven her on that beach? It seemed she was losing everything she loved. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she felt Cotton's hand on her shoulder. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him, shaking her head, "I'm fine," she lied.

Cotton gave her shoulder a squeeze and ducked his head to catch her eye. She squeezed him back, "I will be fine," she said and kissed his cheek. He smiled and nodded, letting her go.

They finished making breakfast. She took a tray to the makeshift infirmary. She helped a couple of the men eat their breakfast and was just finishing up when Captain Sparrow walked in. She almost dropped her spoon. Why did she feel so flustered around him?

"How are you all holding up?" Captain Sparrow said to no one in particular.

"Better now that this lad brought us breakfast," said a pirate who was likely to lose his leg.

The Captain raised a questioning eyebrow at his choice of pronoun. "Well, we should make port in time for supper and get you all properly patched up, but I'll need to steal your nursemaid and put her back to work sailing."

Elizabeth gathered up all the empty bowls and spoons on her tray, "aye, Captain." She brushed past him and he followed her into the narrow hallway.

"Lizzie," he said, tapping her shoulder. She stopped so suddenly he nearly ran into her. "If there's anything you need, just let me know."

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of this pet name. Why did he say that? If she wasn't carrying this blasted tray she might have spun around into his arms for comfort. She sighed. Glad in a way. She didn't want to appear weak or needy. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea. "Thank you, Jack," she said composing herself. "Just keep me busy. I don't want to be alone with my thoughts."

"Of course," he said, stopping himself from taking her thin frame into his arms. "Make sure you eat something before you come on deck."

"Would you like me to take us through the devils throat?" Asked Barbosa, as they approached Shipwreck Island. "You seem a little preoccupied with undressing a certain pirate King with your eyes."

Sparrow was annoyed. Was he really being so obvious about it? "I'm perfectly capable of taking us through the throat," he replied.

"So what are your intentions with the Dutchman's wife?" Asked Barbosa. When Sparrow didn't answer he added, "she sent you to Davy Jones locker once, are you so enamoured with the place that you'd cuckold Turner for a second trip?"

"A man look, can't he?" Said Sparrow testily.

"You weren't in Singapore to see her legs," said Barbosa taking in the view. Sparrow did not like to hear that Barbosa had seen her legs or the suggestion that so had most of Singapore. She was coiling a line, oblivious, it seemed, to the Captains' attention. "She's determined, that one is. So focused on bring you back, poor Will Turner didn't know how to fight for her. I was surprised she married him, but you didn't give her much of a choice."

"She did send me to my death and destroyed the Pearl in the process," snapped Sparrow. "She could hardly have expected a warm welcome from me."

"Bollocks," cried Barbosa, "the Kraken would have caught up to you sooner or later. She's right to have saved herself and the crew while she could... and you know it."

Sparrow shot Barbosa an eye full of daggers, but the older captain stared him down. Sparrow relented, Barbosa was right. It was only a matter of time before the Kraken got him.

"You don't know what she went through to secure your rescue," said Barbosa his face darkening with the memory. "Doesn't really matter now though, does it? You made your choice, she made hers. Now, like the pirate rouge that you are, you only want what belongs to another man."

Well, let me know if you like it. A couple of things I haven't decided on is what exactly happened on the beach between Will and Elizabeth other than it wasn't all as lovey-dovey as in the movie. I'm not sure if they decide to break it off or if it's like high schoolers who promise their sweethearts they'll stay together even though they're going to different universities and then a month into classes, living in residence, frosh parties, etc. they realize it's not going to work. The other thing I'm not totally settled on is what Barbosa means when he says "you don't know what she went through to secure your rescue" what kind of sacrifices did Elizabeth make to ensure that Jack was saved?