Title: Pardon the Ruse
Rated: R to be safe
Pairings: Jack/Elizabeth
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney does, no money being made off this.
Warning: setting is POST AWE (well my post AWE). May contain spoilers.
Response to j/e Challenge Fic #8. The prompts for this challenge are a swordfight, a dead tree and a ring. The deadline for this challenge is Sunday, February 25th, 2007 at 11:59 PM GST.

Author's note: this was written before AWE, so it takes place in a very AU AWE setting. Norrington is still alive, the pirates won etc

Summary: Elizabeth Swann has plans to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from her former fiance, James Norrington. Unbeknownst to her, a different plan is afoot, one that Jack well embroiled in. Both her former fiances are in on it too, as well as much of the crew of the Pearl. How will Elizabeth react when she finds out what is going on? Especially when she finds out how long this has been going on?

Chapter One

If there was something that Elizabeth never expected, it was that she would be saving the life of Jack Sparrow...again. She wriggled on her perch. 'No, not working,' she thought. She moved again, this time the other way, trying to reach up behind her with one arm. She mumbled to herself, "Unmitigated arse… got himself into yet another sticky situation… seems for once, he couldn't talk his way glibly out of this one!" She tried turning to use her other arm, vainly reaching up towards the branch behind her. "Blasted pirate, can't leave him for a moment without him doing something…" she struggled then stopped, her arms falling in front of her, "stupid."

"Elizabeth!" She looked down from her lookout. It was Will. He'd come back from his foray into Port Royal. "Elizabeth, I found Jack."

'Oh thank goodness you're back!' she thought. She struggled to move herself with renewed vigour. She'd been frantic with worry since yesterday when Jack had disappeared after he had left "to get supplies" he'd said. "Here I am, been worrying all this time. Wobbly legged pirate,' she grumbled. "I'll bet all the swag in the world that he never once thought about the possibility of being captured here."

"Elizabeth?" She could see Will looking around below her. She squirmed and wriggled as best she could without betraying her position above him. No matter which way she wriggled it didn't seem to matter. Finally, sighing she threw up her hands and gave in. She called down to him.

"Will, I'm up here!" His handsome face looked up at her, a quizzical look almost comical on his face.

"Elizabeth?" Judging from the look on his face, Elizabeth surmised that he had seen her predicament. It must have looked a sight to him. Her breeches got caught on a broken branch and here she was, legs and arms dangling in mid air, hanging by the seat of her pants, off a blackened tree.

"Yes Will it's me. Ah, can you come up and give me a hand please?"

"Oh! Right!" she could hear the laughter in his voice. "Right away!"

As he scurried up the tree, she could feel the wood groaning under the added weight. 'Please don't break. Please don't break,' she pleaded silently. It was at that particular moment that Will placed his foot on the branch she was on and with a creak and a crash, Elizabeth found herself on the ground. 'Well…. Really!' she glared up at the offending tree as Will jumped down lightly beside her.

He offered her his hand. She grabbed it and he swung her to her feet. "Whatever possessed you to climb a dead tree?"

Colour rose in her cheeks and she dropped her head, frantically searching for her hat that had come off during her mad struggles with that bloody tree. She didn't want to admit to Will, her ex-fiancé and good friend that she couldn't climb one of the other trees because she couldn't reach. That infernal black stump had been the only one that she'd been able to climb up on. "It was a vantage point Will." She said uncomfortably as she found her hat, brushed it off and jammed it back on her head. "So where is he?" She demanded as she sat back down on the ground, this time of her own accord.

Will sat down on the ground next to her, leaning back on his elbows, fingers plucking at the grass. "Well, it seems that your former fiancé took a liking to him."

Elizabeth was confused. "Why would you take a liking to him? You hate each other." Realisation dawned in her mind and she quickly turned to meet his eyes. "Oh you mean James! Is he at the fort?"

Will grinned at her. "Well I obviously wasn't referring to me Elizabeth. I'm here not there after all." She scowled and pulled her hat down further on her head. 'Here it comes. Let's ridicule poor Elizabeth because we found her in an embarrassing situation that she couldn't get herself out of,' she fumed silently. He started talking again, "I'm starting to think that fall addled your brain. We don't hate each other." She huffed at this statement. "More like a healthy disrespect of each other," he finished.

'Ha!'She glared at him. 'Eunuch,' she thought childishly in her head, suppressing the overwhelming impulse to stick out her tongue childishly at him. Instead she settled for primly turning her head away from him.

His next statement made her start and turn back to him. "And yes James, your other former fiancé is there, taking certain liberties with Captain Sparrow."

"I beg your pardon? What on earth do you mean?"

"Well, I did some quiet observation…"

"You mean, sneaking." She stated witheringly.

"Observing," he retorted, "– bird watching term," he added flippantly. "Anyway, it seems that Jack has been given a rather special room rather than a cell, and that Admiral Norrington has taken it upon himself to ensure that Jack gets everything he requests, with the exception of freedom." Will quietly stated, "He's being cleaned and shaved as we speak."

"Cleaned and shaved?" Her thoughts ranged wildly as she tried to figure out what her other former fiancé would want with her… with Captain Sparrow. "Whatever for?!" She demanded hotly.

She hated these horrible thoughts churning through her head. Her stomach roiled with the thought of another woman or even a man touching her beloved.

Will sat quietly for a moment for which she was grateful for. Then his quiet voice spoke up voicing her unwanted thoughts. "Jack was willing to take his monthly bath early Elizabeth. And it was he who demanded to be shaved. I'm sorry Elizabeth, but only at certain times does a man like Jack do things like this. This is no time for naïveté."

Another woman? A man? Perhaps she didn't know her Captain Jack as well as she thought she did. "I don't believe you," her voice small.

'Jack is a fine man,' she thought, trying to convince herself. 'He's a good man - I know he is!' He had promised her his monogamy on his honour. A disturbing thought ran through her head unbidden.

But what if he has been fooling you all this time? Maybe he isn't as good a man as you thought eh? A fine man and a good man ain't necessarily the same thing love.

'Dammit!' She thought angrily. 'My thoughts are even starting to sound like him!'

She stood up. "That's it Will! I've had enough of sitting here, skulking around. I am going to head up to the fort and get my husband back! You can come if you want. I'll be damned if I let some tavern wench or household harlot or God forbid a lonely soldier take my place! And besides this is probably a ploy of Admiral Norrington's after all."

She tried to convince herself. "He was most likely holding Jack hostage to present him to the new Governor to curry favour."

She sneered. "It would be just like James to do that."

She brushed her hands together and started to march in the direction of the fort of Port Royal. Will started up after her. She stopped and glared at Will as if it was his fault that Jack was in there.

"James Norrington has had it in for Captain Sparrow since he rescued me from the harbour. No amount of cleaning will ever cleanse Jack of his inherent piracy and I am about to show James Norrington how proud I am of exactly that."

hr

The sun was slowly setting, the last fingers of light creeping back over the grey stones of the fort. In the sky the clouds moved slowly, their silky white puffiness showing clearly against the ever increasing darkness of the night sky; lazily travelling with the lightly moving breeze.

Below the clouds, high on the parapet stood a man gazing out toward the calm waters of the Caribbean.

He was obviously a pirate with his baggy breeches, tucked into the top of his well worn boots. A loose flowing shirt that fluttered where the light breeze could skim over it, a tattered frock coat hung loosely over the top. All had signs of being recently washed, including the man himself.

The last remnants of light played through his hair; partially in the dreads - an obvious tribute to his time spent in the Haitian islands – and wove their way through the rest of his hair that hung loose around his shoulders. The breeze captured tendrils of hair, making them undulate in the light wind.

His kohl lined eyes squinted down at the harbour below where a large black ship sat, it sails furled moving atop the gentle waves.

He stood unsmilingly at first, gazing intensely at this magnificent ship. Then with a deep breath he leaned on the wall of parapet, the wall that both he and his lady love once upon fell from, half sitting upon the stone and running his hands over it, his eyes never leaving the sight of his ship.

'Me girls. Me Black Pearl and me other just as rare pearl." His low voice held pride. "Soon, loves. Captain Jack will be home soon where he belongs.

Lizzie, you'll be proud of me. I made a deal like no other and you'll be profiting from it I'm sure. This be done for you and you only. I can't cut out me heart out of me chest and I have grave doubts that you'd be wantin' me to be doing that anyways, but I hopes that you be savvy enough to see that this was done out of my feelin' for ye." He faltered. "I know I don't tell ye love, but I really do care about what might happen to ye. I don't want you to be embittered, twisted and plain selfish like most pirates and this be the best thing I can think of so in all of most holy, I pray I am doing the right, the best thing."

His hand came to his forehead, a small salute to all he held dear.

There he sat once again unmoving, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. The sun continued setting, the riotous colours splaying over the sky and the wind whispering over him, as his voice sailed with the wind.

"…dum da da da dadada….and really bad eggs..."

He stayed there still humming, as the rays of light lowered behind his beloved horizon, the light wind flowing past him paying him no heed.

hr

Admiral James Norrington watched as Elizabeth Swann and William Turner made their way toward the gates of the fort. He could see them trying to blend in with the crowd at the waterfront, then moving up towards the more sheltered areas.

'Using the bulk of the people to cover their coming,' he mused. 'How cunning and so very… pirate.'

They had quietly reached the walls of the fort, maintaining their stealth mode by hiding in the trees and shrubs along the way. He watched as she hoisted herself up on the wall below. 'Elizabeth… such unladylike ways should be curbed…' he got a view of her derriere as she started to get to her feet. 'Then again… perhaps it has its benefits after all. I shall get loads of enjoyment out of this.'

James slapped his hand against the sill before he turned to the men in his office. "Here come our prey men. Taking the bait, exactly as Mr Turner said she would. Let's head off shall we?"

hr

'Ah Elizabeth, still fiery and passionate as ever,' thought Will. He watched her as she walked along in front of him.

He had never really let her go in his heart of hearts. He had let her go to the infamous pirate Captain as he didn't want to have the leftovers.

He had forced himself to realise the truth. That is what he would have had – leftovers of Elizabeth's soul - if he had forced Elizabeth to stay to her promise of marriage with himself. Her heart and soul would have been out at sea with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, not home with blacksmith and master craftsman, William Turner.

They neared the fort. Will had to think quickly. He didn't want her to be suspicious. Unbeknownst to her, a plan had been hatched; a plan that involved both of her former fiancés, courtesy of her husband and she was walking straight into it. It probably wasn't the best plan in the world, after all Jack was the person behind it, but it would do for the time being. He laughed to himself.

She didn't know what was planned and he couldn't wait to see her reaction. She would be either entirely livid or deliriously happy; one extreme or the other. No sitting in the middle with her emotions this woman. Noticing that she was still talking even though he was not at her side, Will hurried to catch up to her, not all that difficult with his longer strides.

As nonchalantly as possible he asked her, "Tell me, Elizabeth. Are you really happy with him? Do you have plans for him? What is it that you truly want with this pirate?" He sensed rather than saw her dart a quick glance at him.

A long silence ensued, making him somewhat uncomfortable before she replied loftily, "To claim something of mine."

His mind brought back scenes of walking in on Jack and Elizabeth in the galley of the Black Pearl, his hands roving over her back, hers moving intimately between them. They claimed that time that he was claiming something of his, laughed and moved out back onto the deck; Jack and Elizabeth on the quarterdeck, arms around each other; other scenes of walking into the Captain's quarters interrupting an obviously passionate moment; and many more; All supposedly claiming something that the other stole.

Will thought of the plan and of Elizabeth's possible reaction. His mind brought to the fore the recollection of the strumpets at Tortuga and his mind placed Elizabeth in their place, watching her slap Jack across the face. He almost choked. "Are you going to slap him?"

She stared at him in confusion. "No! Why?"

He laughed silently at the imagery and coughed to cover himself. "Ah, no reason." He paused. He grinned at her, "So at the point of a sword then?"

She smirked at him. "If I have to. After all, Captain Sparrow has to learn that not all women he associates with are happy to sit and wait for him. I need to teach him that women are a force to reckon with and not just something to be called when he wants to exchange pleasantries."

"One thing that I have learnt is that negotiation is a good thing, Elizabeth."

"Bargaining Will? My, you did take to heart what the late Cutler Beckett told you," she mocked.

Will sighed and shrugged. "Alright. You know, I swear you are turning into that bloody pirate more and more everyday."

She smiled impishly at him. "Why thank you Mr Turner."

hr

As the outside light faded slowly from the sky, the woman put the finishing touches to the room she had been busy laying out. The scent of tuberose and hyacinth rose from the petals she scattered over the luxurious bed.

She was scooped up from behind and nuzzled. After the initial surprise, she giggled at the facial hair tickling the sensitive side of her neck, and grabbed the offending head to bring the luscious mouth to her lips. After a lengthy kiss, he raised his head and spoke low, "This is just glorious. Thank ye fer yer hard work lass. I'm just sorry it'd been such short notice."

"Think nuthin' of it, love," said she. "I think it'll be put to good use, all me 'ard work an' perhaps there'll be babies after the lovin'." She turned in his arms, pulled him toward her and kissed him soundly.

Reviews most welcome! I'd like to hear what readers think of this as it was a very early piece of work, and I'd like to think my writing has since progressed, but that it was still readable. More chapters to come - 4 in total.