A/N: takes place at the cave scene in CotBP, just after Jack shoots Barbossa...

"Ten years you've carried that pistol, and now you waste your shot…"

"He didn't waste it."

Elizabeth's eyes went from the knife to the coin and suddenly she realized what Will was about to do. "No! Will!" Will turned to her, the medallion still in his hand, and she gave up on hopping the rocks and just waded through the water as fast as she could. "Wait. Please, just wait one moment."

She was heading for Barbossa and as soon as she got near enough to pitch her voice low she told him, "Don't shoot me; I'm the only friend you've got. Give me that gun."

Will hadn't moved. "Do it or you die." He waited til Elizabeth had taken the pistol from Barbossa's hand and only then asked her, "Elizabeth, what are you doing?"

She toyed with the gun nervously, not pointing it at anyone in particular. "It's just… Will, he saved my life. He could have killed me, let his men do God-knows-what to me… and instead he scratched me in the hand when the crew was clamoring to cut my throat. I just… I really must protest this, that's all." She risked a smile in Jack's direction. "Jack knows."

Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose as if to fight a headache. "Not this again."

"Honestly." She stepped up her campaign by taking Barbossa by the hand. "Will, you're not someone who can kill a human being in cold blood…." With a wounded look that wrenched his heart, she whispered, "Are you?"

Barbossa looked over at Jack, nodding, and mouthed, "She's good."

Jack nodded back and shrugged helplessly.

"Well a minute ago he was threatening your life! It wasn't going to be in cold blood!"

Elizabeth knew she was winning. "Well, now he's not and it is. So…"

Jack started to climb the pile towards Will. "Sorry to tell you this, love, but it's not really Will's decision. I'm the one Barbossa betrayed, and I want his head – in cold blood or not."

She was so tense she was cracking Barbossa's knuckles with her grip. At this rate she would likely forget about the best piece of leverage she had, so he prompted her with a nudge and a glance towards it.

Oh – the pistol. She'd forgotten she was holding it. "Jack, don't make me do this," she said calmly, and pointed it at him. "Get away from there. Will and I are going to discuss it without your help."

Will drew back his hand from over the chest. "Discuss it? Why bother – you've already made your decision. And you know I won't disobey you."

"What about me?" Jack whined. "How come you'll disobey me? Why don't you-"

"I'll tell you what, Jack." Barbossa spoke up for the first time. "I'll let ye dig out the bullet yourself. Will that make you feel any better?"

"Some," Jack pouted. "But what I really want-"

"Y'be still alive, you fool, and I'm shot in the heart. We're square."

"The Pearl's mine and we're square," Jack answered immediately.

"The Pearl's yours once we take another ship for me, and then we're square," Barbossa countered. "I can't sail under ye, we tried that already."

Even though he'd gotten what really mattered, Jack scowled in Elizabeth's general direction. "Fine. Then let's find me something to operate with." His eyes swept over the treasure heap. "Preferably something dull and rusty."

Barbossa was taking off his coat and vest. "I don't feel pain, you know," he reminded as he laid down in the treasure.

Jack stood over him brandishing a gold serving-fork that was far bigger than it needed to be. "Well then, you'll just have to pretend. Otherwise I won't have any fun."

Elizabeth hissed "Jack!" and then had to turn away as he began.

After a few seconds Barbossa snarled, "Would you hurry up!"

"I thought you said you didn't-"

"That doesn't mean I like havin ye dig around inside me vitals! Hurry it up or I'll do it myself."

"All right, all right… here we go!" Jack finally jiggled the bullet loose with his fork and it went flying. They watched as the chest wound closed up, and then Jack called up to Will, "All right, mate, drop 'er in!"

Will did, and immediately Barbossa's eyes went wide. "Oh-… I…"

It seemed to be working, so Jack decided it was time to stab the giant fork into Barbossa's thigh as far as it would go.

Barbossa's first response was to scream and clutch his leg. And then start laughing.

TBC.

So it'll be both Jack and Barbossa, not just Jack, who get hauled off to be hanged. Next chapter is in Barbsy's jail cell, and it just might win itself an NC-17 rating. We'll see…

Tell me what you think so far.