Pirates of the Caribbean: After World's End

Disclaimer: I give up all rights to Disney…

A/N: OK, well thank you all for the great reviews! Sorry it took me so long to come back, but I've been dealing with switching schools and a concussion, so we're all good…but whatever. Here's the next chapter. Please R&R!

Chapter 4: The Dutchman's Request

A cloudy day met the eyes of the assembled pirate fleet, 50 ships strong. But it wasn't the clouds or chill in the air that forced grimaces onto their faces. An East India Trading company armada, at least twice their size, was all currently preparing their guns to blast the Brethren Court into oblivion.

Elizabeth Swann, perched at the side of her ship, felt as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. As Pirate King, it was her job to command this battle. Not that she hadn't commanded many battles before against large fleets, but none of this size, and none with this many pirates at stake.

Jack glanced over to Elizabeth from The Pearl to see her rubbing her temples in frustration. He turned to his own crew. "Alright men. As you all know, I'm not one for speeches. So, all I'm gonna say is make sure that Li-I mean the pirate court continues on, and such and such…" His crew stared at him. He turned around and faced the sea. "Go!"

The Pearl sailed forwards, a sign to Elizabeth to motion The Swan near it. The two flagships of the fleet moved forward slowly, the fleet behind them. And that's when the first cannon went off.

"Jack!" Elizabeth screamed, holding on to one of the planks of timber that floated in the ocean, the only remnants of the Swan other than herself. The Pearl had taken damage, but only through Jack's maneuvering had avoided complete decimation like most of the Pirate vessels.

Jack's hand reached down to Elizabeth from a lifeboat, pulling her up. She lay on the floor of the dinghy, gasping for breath, exhausted from fighting the waves that the storm had ripped up with a fury. "You alright, Lizzy?" Jack asked.

She nodded, sitting up. Gibbs and Cotton, who sat in the boat with Jack, began to row towards the Pearl. "This is hopeless, Jack," Elizabeth said as she picked up her own set of oars, only to have Jack snatch them from her. "We've lost."

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked. "There must be 20 ships of our own left, having taken down about," Jack counted on his fingers, "…10 of theirs."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Alright, so that's only 20 vs…90!" she snapped. "We should just grab our own remains and get out of here."

Jack dropped his oars and grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders. "This ain't the same Captain Lizzy Swann who declared war on the East India Trading company, is it?" he asked. "That Lizzy wouldn't turn and fight. That's the Lizzy I put as Pirate King."

Elizabeth's throat acquired the funny feeling again. Why did he have to be so sweet and courageous and hands-no. No, she wouldn't say that. Elizabeth closed her eyes, trying to regain focus. She was married, she was Mrs. Elizabeth Turner, and she was married, and married, not to Jack, but to Will.

"You're right," she said. The dinghy landed at the Pearl's ladder, and Elizabeth climbed up. She paced for a moment as Jack, Gibbs, and Cotton followed, and then turned to Jack. "We have to stay and fight, but only a few of us. The rest of the pirates have to get away in the commotion. I'm not going to have any more lives lost by my stupid ideas." She turned towards Jack's crew.

"Prepare for battle!"

The pirates didn't move. Jack, standing next to her, slightly inclined his head. His crew roared with one voice, raising their swords high above their heads.

"We need to pull back into Shipwreck Cove," Elizabeth said, pointing back at the narrow passageway into the pirate court. "We'll be able to pick them off more easily while they come through."

"Lizzy, their guns can reach in there!" Jack exclaimed. "Lookit the dock."

"We have a better chance of survival in there than out here." Elizabeth turned to Gibbs. "Take a dinghy and tell the other pirates to get out of here, at least until the battle is over." Gibbs nodded, climbing down the ladder to carry out his orders.

"We'll need a distraction to pull back into the cove," Annamaria proclaimed loudly. "I don't see any helpful maelstrom to get us out of this mess."

Elizabeth thought for a minute. "I know what we need to do," she said. "Jack, do you have your piece of eight?"

Jack rummaged through his shirt until he pulled off the grimy piece of silver, handing it to Elizabeth. She daintily picked it up between her thumb and forefinger, placing it on the deck. She sat down, and Jack followed suit.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her own piece of eight, decorated with a crown-wearing swan. Placing it down next to Jack's symbol, she drew 7 more pieces of silver from her person.

"Alright, I need a fire going," she said. "Also, I need something that can whip up a fog, and I need…Jack."

"I don't see where you're going with this, luv," Jack said.

"We're going to resummon Calypso," Elizabeth said, grabbing the 9 silver coins in one hand."

Lieutenant William Taverly leaned against the rail of The Acheron. Readjusting his wig, he stared over at the miniscule pirate fleet in the distance. Suddenly, the fleet seemed to become smaller, as if wool was being drawn over his eyes.

Jogging forward to the front of the ship, he pulled out his spyglass. Jamming it to his eyes, he peered into the distance. Flags of Jack Sparrow… and…wait, where were the rest of the flags? As he was contemplating this question, the last flag disappeared. He placed down the spyglass and rubbed his eyes.

Private James Taverly, his younger brother, came up next to him. "What's wrong, Will?" James asked. Lieutenant Taverly swung around, glaring at his sibling. James smiled ruefully. "Sorry, Lieutenant Taverly. What do you see?"

"I'm not sure," Taverly answered, passing the glass to his brother. "Jack Sparrow's ship was there one minute, and then it was gone."

James placed the glass to his eye. "It's all foggy," he said. "I don't see anything out there…wait, there's a light there…it looks like a fire."

William grabbed the glass from his brother. "You're right. Private Taverly, take 5 men and go take a closer look."

James saluted to his brother and boarded a dinghy.

Over on the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow was having too much fun. "OOOOOOOOOOwaaaahhhhheeeeeebaaaaaCaaaaalypsooooooooooooo," he groaned in a eerie tone. Elizabeth turned to him, rolling her eyes as she shook a jar full of beans.

"Calypso, we release you from your human form!" Jack shouted through a wooden megaphone.

"Do I really have to do this?" Elizabeth asked as she fanned the fire, producing the fog-like smoke.

"Yes, and shshhhhh…." Jack hissed.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oohhohohhoooooooohhhhh," Elizabeth shrieked through the noisemaker. The ship moved slowly backwards, making sure not to disrupt the fog. As it nosed its way through the narrow gap, Elizabeth grew quiet.

"I don't see anything," James said, turning to Private Joseph Williams. "Wait, it looks like the fog has disappeared."

It was true, the fog had lifted, revealing the narrow gap that led into the pirates' cove. James gulped. At the young age of 25, he had never actually met a pirate. He had seen them of course, but only hanging by their necks, being pecked at by crows.

"Row," James said, pulling on his own oars. The dinghy followed the Black Pearl into the cove.

"Do you see something?" Elizabeth asked, peering over the back of the Pearl. "I think I see a tiny ship…"

Jack came over next to her and peered down into the water. "No," he said. "You're imagining things, luv," Jack said, throwing his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. She shrugged them off, and Jack placed his arms by his sides.

"I guess you're right," she said. "Let's keep going." The cove was deserted; the pirates had left their homes to escape destruction. Water lapped up onto the deck from the large gap.

Elizabeth peered over the right side of the ship. "Stop!" she shrieked. The remnants of the smoky fog still hung around the ship. "I definitely saw something."

Jack sauntered over to Elizabeth. "There's nothing there, Lizzy," Jack said. "You're just scared from the "Calypso Summonin'"."

"Fine," Elizabeth muttered. She stalked off, after motioning the men to continue rowing the ship. They had been rowing to keep everything quiet; even the bend in a sail could give them away.

When they reached the dock, Elizabeth jogged off the ship onto the deck, only to have a hand encircle her throat, pressing a knife against it. "Don't move," the refined British voice muttered. Jack stepped off the ship, looking around.

"Lizzy?" Jack asked. He walked to where Elizabeth and her captor stood, and began to draw his sword.

"Don't do anything!" the voice said in a panicked tone. "I'll kill her."

"Don't do anything stupid, Private Williams," another voice said.

"Who's there?" Jack asked.

Williams looked towards the Pearl, where the pirate crew was filing off towards their captain and king. The young soldier panicked, and raised his knife, about to drive it into Elizabeth's heart.

Suddenly, a crab claw gripped the knife. "I wouldn't do that," a familiar voice rang out. A man's hand grabbed Williams' neck and picked him up, hurling him into the water. Out of the same water came a ship, seaweed and barnacle covered. In faint script, a name could be read: The Flying Dutchman.

"Will!" Elizabeth yelled happily. William Turner turned to his wife, raising both hands as if to hug her. Elizabeth stared at his left arm, which was a giant crab's claw. "Will?"

In a few moments, it was over. After the small party had been dealt with on the docks, the Dutchman had destroyed 2/3rds of the East India fleet and driven away the last part. Now, Will stood next to Elizabeth, sheathing his blood-covered sword. "Elizabeth," he said, embracing his wife.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around the pirate, then stood on her toes to kiss him. Jack, sheathing his own blade, walked towards the couple, then averting his eyes. He couldn't take it, watching Elizabeth kissing Will…no. He walked away, motioning for his crew to follow.

"Will, it's amazing to see you!" she said. "Wait, how are you on land?"

"I'm not," Will laughed. He was floating above the gap on the dock. "But forget that, it's wonderful to see you too. And I need to talk to you."

"What about?" she asked.

"Listen," Will began. "I can't do this. I need to be able to…see you more than once every 10 years. But I found a way to fix it. Come with me."

"What?" Elizabeth asked. "I don't follow. No one can come on the Dutchman but the…"

"…Crew." Will finished. "Exactly. Join my crew. We'll be together, forever."

"What?" Elizabeth repeated. "Will…that's….that's…"

"Wonderful? Amazing? Brilliant?" Will asked.

"Insane!" Elizabeth finished. "How could you ask me to do this?"

"For us," Will said. "Won't you do it for us, to be together?"

"Will, you don't ask someone you love to give up their life," Elizabeth said. "I've already cost many people their lives to keep you safe."

"Elizabeth, please…"

"I won't do it!" Elizabeth snapped. "I'm not going to die for us to live. That makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense," Will argued, raising his left arm in animated disgust.

"Speaking of which," Elizabeth said, gesturing to the claw. "What happened with that? That only happened to Jones after he stopped doing his job."

"The job?" Will said. "It's stupid. All I want to do is be with you."

"There's another way to do this."

"No, there's not!" Will roared. He took a deep breath. "Fine, if you won't think about this rationally, I'm going." He dropped into the water, then coming back up. "But Elizabeth, you will join me." He disappeared with the Dutchman, without another word.

Not far away on a sandbar, a young soldier in a battered uniform flopped up, breathing hard. Under one arm, he dragged another man, a little older than himself.

Private James Taverly sat over his brother's corpse. "I'll kill you, Elizabeth Swann," he hissed. "If it's the last thing I ever do." He cursed the skies, then collapsed onto the sand.

A/N: Yeah, no one would ever guess that faceless soldier number 2 would become important. But James will make a return. Sorry for the freakishly long chapter, but I had tons of ideas and needed to get them out. Please Review and see y'all later!