Pirates of the Caribbean: More from Beyond the World

Disclaimer: Yes, I own it all! (By the way, that was sarcasm)

Retaking the Pearl

A/N: THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS! I would be wasting an enormous amount of time telling you how much I love you, because I can't express it! By the way, sorry about the formatting, the computer won't load it up right.

The Golden Opal sailed up to the Black Pearl. The crew was already on the island, and out of sight. Jack was in happy anticipation of getting his ship back. The Pearl was his, and he could as easily survive without it as without his heart. Well, Will had proved that possible, but Jack didn't like the thought. They boarded the Pearl with absolutely on difficulty.

"Isn't it a little too easy?" Elizabeth whispered to Jack. She had come along, despite everyone's efforts to make her stay on the Opal. She was starting to show her pregnancy very slightly.

"Barbossa isn't stupid enough to leave no one on guard," Jack whispered back. "There'll be someone."

There was. Murtogg and Mulroy were marching up and down the deck, still unable to get rid of their military training, they used a strict military step. While they were marching, they were arguing about the moral aspects of piracy. Jack rolled his eyes.

When they turned around, they found themselves with Jack's two pistols pointing directly at them.

"Are you the only ones of the ship?" Ana Maria demanded.

"Yes," they chorused together. "Barbossa's ashore with the crew."

"Where's the Crimson Dolphin?" Jack asked.

"It sprung a leak two months ago and Barbossa burned it," Murtogg said.

Ana Maria turned away, but Jack saw tears forming in her eyes. He turned back to the two.

"Get off the Pearl and swim to shore,"

"Mr. Sparrow," Mulroy started.

"Captain Sparrow!" Jack corrected.

"I'm sorry. Captain Sparrow, can't we sail with you? We've got enough of Barbossa."

"No," Jack snapped, thinking of what they had done to the Crimson Dolphin. "You left me in Tortuga, now get off,"

"Oh, let them come along, Jack," Elizabeth said. She seemed to be feeling sympathetic towards everyone since her pregnancy.

"Fine," Jack snapped. "Arguing with you will be pointless. Let them stay. Now, onto it! Hoist the anchor, and get us out of this harbor!"

Ana Maria was leaning onto the side of the Pearl, looking out onto the sea.

"I'm sorry, lass," Jack said, coming to her side.

"Leave me alone!" she exclaimed, turning and stalking away.

Jack looked around his ship. Everything seemed to be welcoming him back, the black sails, swelling with wind; the creaking of the mast; the figurehead; the smooth wood of the deck; the worn wheel.

"Happy to be back, Jack?" Elizabeth asked.

"Have you taken to being a patron saint, recently, Elizabeth?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"We didn't need those two on the ship any more than we need a tail,"

"I was just being nice," Elizabeth grumbled.

"Go be nice to Ana Maria," Jack told her. "She needs it much more than the rest of us do,"

"Oh, no, Jack. You'd better go to her."

Jack looked at Elizabeth in surprise. Then he came over to where Ana Maria was standing, at the opposite side of the ship, and put an arm around her.

"Listen, love," Jack started. "Do you know where we're going?"

"No, and I don't care," she snapped back.

"Well, we're going to the end of the world to find the Fountain of Youth. I have the map right here."

Ana Maria looked at him with interest. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked warily.

"Because I wondered if you want to come along. But if ye don't want to…"

"No, I'll come!" she exclaimed, showing definite signs of interest.

"There, that's better," Jack said cheerfully. Suddenly, he had to impulse to kiss her. He shrugged it off and forgot about it.

"How long will it take to get there?" she asked.

"Well, it'll take about half a year to get to the world's end, and I have no idea how long from there."

"Sounds like a plan," Ana replied, smiling at him. Jack suppressed another impulse to kiss her.

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