Disclaimer: I don't own PotC! I own Ryleigh, and that's it!

Notes: Okay, once again I lied…but this time it was about the length of the chapter. I actually think this one might, but shorter! lol. Oh well! I just wanted to put this part up! This DOES explain the pistol, for those of you who were wondering ;)

To my reviewers: I'm so glad you guys like the story! :D Thanks so much for your reviews! :D Please go read some of Telepiel's stuff, and the story we co-wrote under the name Celeb Peredhil…it's not finished yet, okay, so technically we've only started it, but we'll get there! lol

Telepiel: You're right, we have started practically co-authoring our stories! lol.

Okies, here we go!

Once they were underway, Ryleigh awkwardly approached Jack at the helm - they had not spoken much since the previous night.

"Jack?" she called quietly.

"Aye, love?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to, uh, thank you again . . . for last night," she replied, staring at everything on the ship, except Jack.

"You already thanked me, love. No need to do it again," he told her.

"All right," she agreed with a nod, bringing her gaze back to him. "Next order of business, then." Her expression turned angry as she smacked Jack's arm. "What about Barbossa?"

Jack looked completely lost. "Well, you see, love, I thought we'd find him, kill him, and take back me ship."

"And just how are you planning on killing him without your pistol? Only had one shot, remember?" She smacked his arm again.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his arm. "Would you please stop hitting me!"

"No!" Another smack.

"I didn't use my bloody pistol!" he shouted back at her. There was a brief pause before he continued. "There were actually twelve of them following you, you know. I knocked out the straggler and took his pistol." His voice was more subdued now.

"Then why didn't you bloody help me earlier!"

"Because I didn't want you to get angry with me!" They were back to shouting now. "Clearly that plan backfired!" They stood in silence for a few moments, just glaring at one another in a staring contest. Jack blinked first and said quietly, "I thought you were handling yourself pretty well, so I decided to wait and see if you could handle it alone. You'd only have been angrier with me if I'd helped you when you didn't need it, love."

"True enough, I suppose," she conceded with a lopsided grin. "Sorry I smacked your arm."

"You bloody well should be!" he exclaimed softly, trying to look hurt. "That hurt!"

"I'm not falling for it, Jack," she chuckled. "I'm going to get back to work now, but do me a favour?"

"Aye?"

"Try not to anger anymore women today, hmm?" she called over her shoulder as she bounded down the stairs, smiling.

She heard Jack quietly mocking her voice, "try not to anger any more women." Then he shouted after her, "it's only yourself and Anamaria aboard anyway!"

Ryleigh chuckled to herself as she resumed cleaning the cannons.

++++++++++++

Ryleigh emerged back into the storm from the lower decks of the ship with a length of rope and tossed it to Will, who replaced the rope that had broken on one of the cannons. She then fought her way up the stairs toward Jack, clinging to one of the railings for support.

"Why the bloody hell are we fighting our way through this storm?" she shouted at Jack.

His only response was to offer her a toothy grin and resume navigating the ship through the storm.

Ryleigh sighed, knowing Jack wouldn't give up anytime soon, and turned to go back down the stairs, only to find Gibbs pushing his way up them.

Gibbs eyed her warily, and she smiled the same toothy grin Jack had just given her in return. Then he turned his attention to Jack, and advised, "we should drop canvas, sir!"

"She can hold a bit longer," Jack replied without looking at him.

"What's in your head that's put you in such a fine mood, Captain?" Gibbs asked.

"We're catching up!"

Ryleigh eyed Jack - his eyes remained fixed on the horizon and a strange fire seemed to have lit in them. His excitement showed clear as day. She smiled and went back to helping the crew.