A/N: Here's chapter three. Sorry it took a while. It turned out about… oh, twice as long as I intended. But hey, I like long chapters. Hope you do too!

The ship's articles in this chapter are based on excerpts from a couple of real documents from the 18th century. That's right, folks. I actually did a bit of research for this chapter.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed the first two chapters. Please keep it up! Also, I'm still looking for a beta reader. It's getting to be too much for me to check everything over. I'm bound to miss some of my mistakes. PM me or let me know in a review if you're willing to give me a hand :)

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She was lying on some distant shore, completely alone, when a sudden and powerful breeze disturbed the palm trees. She watched curiously as their expansive fronds shook and quivered in the wind. Then, instead of passing as most breezes do, the wind lingered and gathered force. Miniature cyclones of sand rose all around her and whipped up tiny pieces of earth to sting her arms and legs. Yet she did not move. The sky and earth themselves were trying to push her out, but she remained.

Then the water started.

She watched, entranced, as the ocean disappeared, it's foamy edges receding rapidly to reveal a damp bed of sand. Seaweed ceased its aquatic dance and lay limp on the ground. Fish marooned by the runaway water wriggled helplessly on the barren shore.

Elizabeth frowned. Where had the water gone?

Then she saw it.

In the distance, an enormous wave. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw the tower of water rush forth, a unstoppable colossus. She knew she could not run, so she shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, awaiting the inevitable impact.

BAM

Her eyes popped open. The force had hit, and yet she wasn't wet.

"Come on, Mrs. Turner. Time to catch our ship."

Jack.

Of course, she wasn't on a beach. She was on the floor of a small, dirty inn. And it wasn't a tidal wave that struck her. It was Jack Sparrow.

"I'm sorry, but did you just kick me?" she asked him angrily as she sat up.

He stood above her, his boots and jacket on, rucksack over his shoulder.

"Apology accepted, and I nudged you," he corrected her.

"With your foot," she accused.

"Unless I'm mistaken, you woke me last night in much the same way," he pointed out, amused.

Elizabeth's face screwed up in outrage.

"You were under a table in a disgusting pub! I was sleeping," she protested.

"Just repaying the favor, luv," Jack cheerfully replied.

Elizabeth drew herself up to her feet, and glared in his direction.

"Are you really that immature? Is that the law that directs your moral compass? An eye for an eye?" she asked.

Jack paused to consider her question before pinning her with an uncharacteristically serious look. He took three brisk steps toward her and spoke.

"You'd better hope not, darling. Otherwise I'll 'ave to be killin' you, won't I?" he asked.

Elizabeth was taken aback by his tone. She searched his face for any sign of jest, but found none. A cold feeling sunk into her skin.

Of course she hadn't expected Jack to greet her like an old friend when she tracked him down, but she had underestimated how angry he remained about her sacrificing him to the Kraken. For half a second she felt a real twinge of fear in his presence, something that she had not felt since their first meeting when he pulled the chains of his handcuffs tightly across her neck.

Jack seemed to recognize her sudden unease, because he quickly drew back and adopted a casual tone.

"Not to worry, Lizzie. Ol' Jack won't off you unless he absolutely has to. You're far more useful alive than you are dead," he reassured her.

She couldn't tell if he'd phrased his remark that way on purpose. Rather than having a calming effect, it left her as unsure as ever since there was an implication that she was at least somewhat useful to him dead.

Well, I'm not helpless, Elizabeth chided herself.

She thought of the knife concealed in her boot and the pistol beneath her vest and felt comforted. She would remain on her guard, and if Jack tried anything funny, she would be ready.

"Just remember our agreement, Jack," she said pointedly. "Safe passage. That's what you promised."

"Aye," Jack acknowledged. "That I did. And you would do well to remember your end of our bargain and stick wi' me until we're on the Pearl."

And with that, he exited the room. Elizabeth stared after him for a moment before she realized that she was expected to follow. Having slept in her coat and boots, she was able to leave without delay, albeit a little put out at Jack's abrupt departure.

Neither of them spoke until the harbor spread out before them. At the sight of row after row of ships, Elizabeth felt her heart jump. She would soon be on her way to Will. Without realizing it, she had begun to smile.

"What's got you so cheerful all of a sudden?" Jack asked.

When she met his gaze she saw him looking wary. Of course, he'd had yet to see her truly smile since their reunion. It was then that Elizabeth felt a small tug of regret. Jack didn't have to help her. In fact, common sense would tell him not to.

True, he was doing it for the money, not out of any sense of friendship, but she was sure he could easily have found some other treasure-seeking venture without taking her case. There had to be something besides the money that convinced him into helping her, and whatever the reason, she was grateful.

"Jack," she said quietly.

He continued to stare cautiously in her direction. Steeling herself, Elizabeth swallowed her pride and spoke.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I couldn't do this without you."

Jack reeled back slightly and then looked away, at anything but her. His eyes darted agitatedly from ship to ship and he continued to avoid her eyes when he replied.

"Likewise, Mrs. Turner," he said hastily, picking up his pace.

Elizabeth hurried to keep up with him, wondering vaguely at what exactly he meant by his reply. However, she had learned long ago not to try too hard to make sense of Jack's mutterings, and soon gave up in favor of scanning the water for familiar black sails.

"So where is the Pearl docked?" she asked as they finally reached the edge of the port.

"In due time, luv," Jack said distractedly, craning his neck to glance down the pier. "Wait here. I have a small errand to run."

Before she had a chance to object, he was gone, melding in with the bustling crowd at port. Sighing, Elizabeth contented herself with staying put and observing the people moving through the crowd. However, when ten minutes had passed with no sign of Jack, she lost interest in people watching.

"Bloody, pirate," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably in her boots.

Her mind began to wander. She wondered what Will was doing at this very moment. Besides shepherding the dead, of course. She wondered if he'd changed. If he thought of her as often as she thought of him. If he regretted never having a proper wedding night. She wondered why he hadn't come to see her. If life at sea was either too exhilarating or too horrifying to make returning a visit seem appealing (and she hated herself for considering the latter a more preferable possibility).

In short, she pondered the same things she'd been pondering daily for the last several months.

So caught up in her own thoughts was she that she failed to notice a familiar figure approach. Indeed, the familiar figure failed to see her either, and the two collided.

"Pardon!" Elizabeth called out.

"Watch it!" the figure responded.

Elizabeth spun around, prepared to deliver a scathing retort to the ill-mannered passerby. However, when she turned around, she gasped.

"Anamaria?" she said incredulously.

The pirate frowned, peering at what she assumed was a young man. After scanning Elizabeth's face, however, a look of recognition settled on her features.

"Miss Swann," she replied.

Anamaria looked as strong and proud as ever. She was still eyeing Elizabeth in an appraising manner, her gaze neither friendly nor unfriendly.

"Actually, it's Turner now," Elizabeth supplied.

"Aye?" Anamaria responded, a smile gracing her lips. "How 'bout tha'? Where's the boy at?"

The smile immediately fell from Elizabeth's face as she struggled to form a coherent reply. Seeing her difficulty, Anamaria frowned.

"So it's true," the pirate said solemnly. "I 'eard tell of an 'orrible curse befalling Bootstrap's lad, but I 'oped it was rubbish."

"Yes, well…" Elizabeth paused, unable to invent an adequate response. "Are you sailing with the Pearl again?" she asked finally.

The other woman laughed.

"No. Got me own ship now," she said proudly.

"Don't tell me Jack finally made good on his word?" Elizabeth replied skeptically.

"Tha' lyin' sack o' pigs' guts? Hardly. I joined a different crew. When the captain became unpopular, I put meself up as a replacement," she explained.

Elizabeth knew that it was common for pirates to turn on a captain who failed to succeed in battle or to deliver spoils. In such a case it was rather commonplace for the crew to vote in a new captain. Elizabeth was only surprised that the crew of Ana's ship had voted a woman to take the helm considering the unfounded suspicions sailors had about women at sea.

"Congratulations," Elizabeth said earnestly.

"Thankee miss. Although I can't say I'd mind bein' on the Pearl righ' now. Last I 'eard Barbossa was on 'is way to a treasure more valuable than any Aztec gold."

Elizabeth frowned again.

"Well, wherever the Pearl was going, I'm afraid her course has been changed. Jack and I have an agreement."

Anamaria shot her a perplexed look.

"Whatever you an' Jack agreed on won't have much effect on where the Pearl goes though, will it?" the pirate replied mysteriously.

"I beg your pardon?" Elizabeth started. "Jack and I are departing on the Pearl today. Surely he can discuss the change in route with his crew."

Anamaria's lips curled up into a confused smirk.

"An' 'ow were you planning on doin' that?" she asked. "Because last I 'eard the Pearl was halfway to Florida."

"Sorry?" Elizabeth asked faintly.

"He didn't tell you?" Ana asked, peering suspiciously at Elizabeth.

At Elizabeth's blank stare, Anamaria laughed once more.

"O' course he didn't," she said dryly.

"Tell me what?" Elizabeth demanded, a horrible sense of foreboding flooding her senses.

"Mutiny, Mrs. Turner," Anamaria declared. "Barbossa an' crew left Jack 'ere weeks ago to go in search of the famed Fountain o' Youth."

For a moment Elizabeth felt sure she was still dreaming. She was asleep on the floor in that horrid inn, and any second now Jack was going to kick her awake. But of course she knew that this was no dream. It certainly wasn't difficult to believe that Barbossa had led another mutiny, and it was just like Jack to lie about something like this.

"I'm going to kill him," Elizabeth announced determinedly.

Anamaria laughed once more, and Elizabeth immediately pulled her pistol from her vest.

"I mean it Ana. I am going to kill that pirate!" she shouted.

Ana gave her a commiserating smile and placed a surprisingly gentle hand over Elizabeth's. She lowered the pistol, and Elizabeth begrudgingly tucked it back beneath her coat.

"If you wan' to be killin' 'im, it's best to take 'im by surprise, lass. No sense in brandishin' your weapon about like a madwoman," she said sagely.

"Besides," she added. "Didn't you kill him once already? Or are the rumors just that?"

Elizabeth felt her cheeks grow hot.

"No, they're true," she said quietly.

"Wha' happened?" Anamaria asked.

There was a brief pause as Elizabeth considered how to best respond.

"It didn't take," she replied curtly.

Ana took this reply as a perfectly suitable explanation. She nodded.

"Aye, well before you go an' make sure it sticks this time, couldja help me with somethin'?"

Her mind occupied with murderous thoughts, Elizabeth nodded absently and found herself being led down the docks.

"Gotta round up a crew. We're settin' sail today and might need to make a few changes to the ship's articles," Anamaria chatted pleasantly.

About thirty yards down the docks, they came upon Ana's vessel. It was a small but handsome ship made of a light wood that seemed to attract light. It gleamed in the morning sun, rays bouncing off its sides and reflecting off the ocean's surface. Elizabeth was about to comment on its beauty when she noticed a crowd of dirty looking men huddled about the ship's bow.

There were all manner of disreputable looking riffraff present. Elizabeth saw one man whose face was covered in swirling black tattoos. The man directly in front of her had a scar running all the way up from his fingertips to his bicep. At his bicep the scar dipped beneath his sleeve and another scar (although Elizabeth was inclined to believe that it was the same one) peaked out from the neck of his shirt and continued up the side of his face. A third man stood to the far right of the group and wore a straw hat so comically oversized that it blocked not only most of his face, but also the faces of the two men standing behind him.

"All right you lot! Settle down! 'Ere are the articles," Anamaria called, producing a piece of parchment. "They're short an' sweet, boys. 'F we all agree, we'll sign without delay. 'F there are objections, this fine lad'll make the necessary changes."

She gestured to Elizabeth, who appreciated Ana's efforts to help maintain her cover as a young man. She thrust the parchment and a quill at Elizabeth expectantly.

"Can't read or write, ye see," she explained without a trace of embarrassment. "If you'll just read them out then."

Elizabeth nodded and spread the parchment out in front of her.

"First and foremost," she read. "If at any time we meet with a woman, that man that offers to meddle with her, without her consent, shall suffer present death."

A loud chorus of groans rang out from the crowd, and Anamaria's voice rose above the ruckus at once.

"That one," she shouted. "Is not negotiable."

The crew continued to grumble, albeit more quietly, and Elizabeth read on.

"Second," she called out. "The Captain shall have two full shares of all prizes; the Master one and a half shares; the Doctor, Carpenter, and Boatswain one and a quarter shares; and all other mates one share."

There were more unintelligible grumblings from the group, until finally the man in the large straw hat spoke out clearly. Well, somewhat clearly. His slurring cadence suggested that he had already been partaking in rum that day.

"Seems a bit uneven to me!" he shouted.

A chorus of "Aye!"s rang out in agreement. To Elizabeth's surprise, Anamaria did not argue with the men.

"Aye, then let it stand that the Captain and Master shall receive one and a half shares; and all other mates receive one and a quarter," she ordered.

Elizabeth made the appropriate changes to the document before continuing to read.

"Third," she announced. "Any man who shall keep a secret of significance from the crew shall be dealt with in a manner decided by a majority vote."

There was another low rumble from the crowd, but no one voiced an outright objection.

"Fourth, and finally," Elizabeth called. "If any man shall decide to betray the crew, or kill a fellow crewman without express permission of the majority, he shall be marooned, with one small arm and shot."

An eerie silence followed her last statement. After a moment, a few of the pirates nodded resolutely. It seemed to Elizabeth that all present agreed this was a grim but necessary addition to any ship's code.

Well, almost all present.

"Now, that seems a bit extreme, doesn't it?" the pirate in the straw hat called out.

About thirty heads simultaneously turned toward him. He tilted his head lower in response, obscuring his face entirely. Elizabeth watched the man take a hesitant step backward. He wobbled a moment before righting himself with a frantic wave of his arm. As his left hand hit the light, she noticed a scrap of old lace tied around it.

And finally it struck her.

"Jack Sparrow!"

She thrust the ship's articles blindly at Anamaria and stormed over to the pirate in the straw hat, who was now scrambling backward in an attempt to conceal himself behind a burly man with no front teeth.

Elizabeth reached him before he could make it, snatching the hat even as he pulled away. And then there he was, smiling at her with those gold teeth glinting in the sun, not even bothering to look abashed now that he'd been caught. Elizabeth was exasperated but not surprised to see that he'd been wearing his own leather hat beneath the straw hat, which explained why the latter hat was so large.

"This was your small errand?" Elizabeth shouted.

Jack tilted his head back and continued to smile indulgently, as if waiting for the tantrum of a small child to subside. Elizabeth's eyes flashed red, and Anamaria must have sensed that a serious confrontation was about to take place because she quickly redirected the interests of the few dozen men watching them with rapt attention.

"Right men, if you agree to the articles, sign your name along the perimeter," Anamaria bellowed.

The huddle of curious pirates reluctantly tore their eyes from the scene about to unfold between Jack Sparrow and the unknown young man, and Jack was left alone to face the wrath of a very disgruntled Elizabeth.

"Why, I wonder, should you need to join another captain's crew, Jack?" she asked, her voice dangerously sweet.

"Funny story," Jack began, taking another step backward.

Elizabeth stepped forward. When Jack opened his mouth to spout a story, all lies and clever spinning of the truth no doubt, Elizabeth cut him off.

"What a coincidence. You have a story?" she started. "Anamaria's just told me a very interesting story about the Pearl!"

Jack smile dropped for a fraction of a second before it reappeared, more exaggerated than before.

"Did she now? How enchanting. I should love to hear it sometime. For now though, I wonder if you wouldn't mind joining me in signing that delightful document in Ana's hand."

Jack gestured back toward Anamaria, who was overseeing the signing of her ship's code.

"Oh but, I would very much love to tell the tale at once," Elizabeth continued undeterred.

Jack seemed to finally concede that he would have to deal with the brunt of Elizabeth's anger before any of his plans could move forward.

"Very well," he said. "Oh! But can you change your voice when you speak for different characters? I do love that."

The grin was back, cocky as ever. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to slap it off his face, although she managed to resist.

"You neglected to mention that you were once again marooned by your crew, Captain," she accused.

"Did I? Must've slipped me mind," Jack replied flippantly.

At this, Elizabeth lost any remaining semblance of composure.

"Well that's bloody wonderful, Jack," she exclaimed. "Just beautiful. How are we supposed to find Will? Why did you even sign the contract if you knew you couldn't take me?"

"Ah, but I can take you, Lizzie. I just need to retrieve the Pearl first," Jack corrected.

At his continued calmness, Elizabeth threw her hands up into the air.

"Just need to find the Pearl," she imitated before pinning him with a fiery glance. "She's halfway to bloody Florida! How do you plan on catching her?"

"I sincerely doubt that she's nearly as far along as tha'," Jack revealed confidently.

"And why is that?" Elizabeth asked skeptically.

Jack smiled.

"Because if I know Barbossa, and unfortunately I do, then he won't be able to resist the opportunity to attack any and every ship he passes by. He'll be making half time, if not less than that. Which means the Pearl can still be caught before it reaches its destination."

"And just how do you plan on getting to it on Anamaria's ship?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't you worry your pretty little 'ead about tha' one, Lizzie. Jack's got it all figured out," Jack replied proudly.

"Well how excellent for you!" Elizabeth said sarcastically. "You can have a grand old time working your miracle. I on the other hand, am going back to Port Royal. I'll find some other way to get word to Will," she announced.

She started off in the opposite direction, determined to find the first merchant ship that could take her back home. Jack, however, had other plans. He scurried around her until he stood directly in her path. When she shifted to move around him, he shifted as well, holding out his hands and taking in a deep breath.

She braced herself for another longwinded backpedaling speech.

"Firstly," he began, and she was irritated to hear a note of superiority in his voice. This would be no desperate plea. "There is no other way to get word to William and you very well know that otherwise you wouldn'tve gone to all the trouble to track me down. I know I'm not exactly your favorite person, Lizzie," he intimated, as if this was a well-kept secret.

She frowned deeply, brushing past him. Who cared if he was right? She was not so desperate or helpless that she was willing to hang around with Jack whilst he fumbled his way back to the Pearl.

Suddenly he was in her path again, holding up a single finger in a request for her attention.

"And secondly, you won't be going anywhere," he said firmly.

Elizabeth fought the urge to laugh.

"Oh, no? Tell me Jack, why would I stay with you?"

It was just the question he was hoping for, apparently, because that cocksure grin was back.

"Why, because you gave your word o' course!" Jack answered cheerfully.

And with that, he produced their agreement from his rucksack. Elizabeth's eyes grew to the size of saucers as she realized what she had signed. Jack exaggeratedly cleared his throat and began to read.

"And furthermore, the aforementioned Mrs. Turner agrees to bind herself to Captain Sparrow until they set foot on his ship, the illustrious Black Pearl," he recited.

For a moment Elizabeth could do nothing but open and shut her mouth as she tried and failed to come up with a suitable reply.

"Careful luv, that's a good way to catch flies," Jack taunted jovially.

As Jack was rolling up the contract and stowing it safely away in his rucksack, Elizabeth finally found her voice.

"You foul, wretched, deceitful—"

"Pirate?" Jack happily offered.

"Why do you even want me to tag along while you recover your ship? Wouldn't it be easier to do it on your own?" she demanded.

Jack gave her his most innocent look, which incidentally failed to look very innocent at all. A horrible thought occurred to Elizabeth.

"Am I to be used as leverage?" she asked incredulously.

"Used is such an ugly word," Jack replied. Then he grinned cheekily and added, "I quite like it."

Elizabeth ignored his taunt and thought for a moment. Suddenly it was all too obvious what leverage she had to offer.

"You're going to use the two-thirds share of my father's will to win the Pearl's crew back," she stated.

Jack shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, they're far more likely to make me captain again if I have somethin' gold an' shiny to offer 'em, don't you agree?"

His casual sarcasm got on her last nerve.

"You've been planning this from the second you saw me last night! You purposefully tricked me!" she accused.

"You seem surprised," Jack commented curiously. "Honestly, Lizzie, it's like you don't know me at all. I'm hurt."

Elizabeth gritted her teeth but her anger was so complete that she could scarcely come up with a response. He lied to her. He made her think the Pearl was ready and waiting to take her to Will and now she'd have to wait lord only knew how long for the mere possibility that Jack would manage to steal his ship back from Barbossa.

"And besides," Jack continued, oblivious to Elizabeth's inner tirade against him. "It's not just your money that you're good for. You're worth a lot more than the sum of your father's will."

At this, Elizabeth stopped short.

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

Jack seemed to realize that he'd said too much, for he smiled and patted Elizabeth's shoulder patronizingly.

"Not to worry, Mrs. Turner. All you have to do is stick around for the ride. I'll get you to dear William. It will just take a bit longer than you initially anticipated."

Elizabeth slapped his hand away and reached up to do the same to his face. Jack was ready this time, however, and he stilled her approaching palm with ease.

"Have you got anything better to do in the meantime?" he demanded. "Would you prefer tha' I come by an' pick you up in Port Royal once I've got the Pearl? I'm sure that there'll be plenty of fine upstandin' gents lined up at home to woo you."

Elizabeth recognized the truth of his words, but refused to give him the satisfaction of telling him this. She settled for merely glaring at him and roughly pulling her hand out of his grasp.

"Besides, luv. You owe me," Jack added.

Of course he would hold this over her head. She was waiting for this.

"Are you never going to let me live that down?" she protested.

Jack stared at her incredulously.

"You did kill me," he pointed out.

"One time!" Elizabeth defended weakly. "And it's not like I didn't help bring you back!"

Jack's face grew dark.

"That doesn't negate the time I spent in Davy Jones's locker, Mrs. Turner," he said grimly.

Elizabeth was once more thrown off guard by the serious tone in his voice. She never learned what Jack had to endure alone in Davy Jones's locker. She felt a twinge of guilt.

Begrudgingly, she considered the possibility that Jack's plan was not terrible. Once he had the Pearl back they things would go according to plan. He did have an odd knack for recovering his ship. Of course, he also had an uncanny tendency to lose it…

"Fine," Elizabeth said finally.

The serious look immediately melted from Jack's face, replaced by the smuggest expression she'd ever seen.

"Knew you'd see it my way, luv," he said cockily.

He started walking over to the area in which the last few men where signing up to join Anamaria's crew, and Elizabeth managed, through sheer force of will, to resist shooting him in the back.

"What say you, Ana?" Jack asked grandly, sidling up to the woman's side. "Are you goin' to let Ol' Jack join up?"

Anamaria gave him a look of deepest resentment.

"I'd 'ave to be mad to let the likes of you on me ship, Jack," she said bluntly.

Jack did not appear the least bit surprised by her response. In fact, he seemed to be expecting it, as he was ready with a counter argument.

"Well, luv, 'ere's the rub. Since your arrival in Tortuga las' week I've 'ad me ear to the ground. I 'eard that you lost your navigator just before you made port, and when I was chattin' it up with the crew prior to your entrance with this strapping lad—" Jack paused to gesture at Elizabeth. "—I couldn' help but notice that there's not a navigator among them. Can't very well make an expedition without a navigator, can you?" he queried.

Anamaria stared at him, her face unreadable.

"I'll remind you that I can find my way in even the cloudiest of nights. I cansense the position of the stars without even looking at them," Jack continued boldly.

The man with the long scar spoke up in the crowd.

"'Ow can you do that? It's not possible!" he shouted.

Jack acknowledged him with a superior smile.

"Lad, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he declared importantly.

Anamaria took a steady breath in and let it out slowly, apparently contemplating Jack's words. Finally, she nodded.

"Fine, but only because the lad's with ye," she barked, motioning to Elizabeth over his shoulder.

"Splendid!" Jack remarked, snatching the quill from her hand and adding his name to the parchment.

He turned back to Elizabeth and offered her the quill. Elizabeth pursed her lips into a thin line and pulled it from his hand with more force than was necessary.

The quill nearly broke under the pressure Elizabeth applied when she signed her name— 'E. Turner.'

"Welcome aboard the Enduring Dawn, gents," Anamaria announced.

A roar of approval rang out from the new crew, and Jack gleefully joined in. Elizabeth clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long journey.

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End Notes: Reviews are made of happiness and puppies. Do you really want to deny the world more happiness and puppies?