Beta'd by KappasRule!

I do not own POTC

"You can keep Barbossa. The belligerent homunculus and his friend with the wooden eye. And Turner. Especially Turner. If he were twins, you could have all three of 'em." Jack still conversed with her arch enemy.

Beckett nodded at that. "And what becomes of Miss Swann?"

Jack frowned. "What interest is she to you?" She shook her head. "The rest goes with me aboard the Pearl, and I will lead you to Shipwreck Cove. A fair deal, don't you think?" She thrust out her hand. Beckett smiled at it.

"Jack, I just recalled: I have this wonderful compass that points to whatever I want. So for what do I need you?"

She lifted a finger. "Points to the thing you want most. And that's not the Brethren Court, is it?"

"No? Then what is it, Jack?"

Jack smiled. "Me. Dead."

Stubbornly, Beckett pulled out the compass. By his reaction, it seemed to have pointed right at Jack. She shuffled to the side, and the needle followed her wherever she went. "Damn." He cursed. He tossed the compass to Jack. "Although it occurs: if I got what I wanted most, then wouldn't I wanted second most become the thing I wanted most? If I killed you, I can't find… Shipwreck Cove, was it? On my own. Cut out the middleman, as it were… literally."

Jack frowned. "With me killed, you'll arrive at the cove, find it's a stronghold, nigh impregnable, able to withstand blockade for years, and you'll be wishing, oh, if only there was someone who you had not killed inside to ensure that the pirates come outside."

Beckett blinked. "And you can accomplish this?"

Jack grinned. "You may kill me, but you may never insult me. Who am I?" She paused. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, mate. Do we have an accord?"

She re-extended her hand, looking slightly impatient. Beckett hesitated, but the ship rocked with sudden cannon fire and gun shots. Beckett fell forward, and Jack took his hand firmly. "Done!" She quickly scooped up her effects and headed out the door.

She walked out to the deck, with Beckett trailing close behind. Bodies littered the ground, a fight ensued on the Pearl, while the Empress sailed away. She stared at her ship, wondering how to get to it.

She shoved a gunner away from a cannon, kicked away the brace and faced the cannon to her ship. Finally, she wrapped a rope around the cannon wheel, a fuse lighter burning in her hand. Beckett whirled around just in time. His eyes widened slightly. "You're mad."

"Oh thank goodness. Because if I am in fact not living some wretched fever dream, I doubt this will work." Of course, she already realized how mad she was when she was in the locker.

Jack lit the cannon. Beckett dived out of the way as it fired, and the ball hit the mast behind it, causing the mast to crack. Recoil shoved the cannon violently back, and smashed the rail. Soon, it plummeted…

The pirate hung on for dear life. The rope pulled her up and out.

Back on the Pearl, Barbossa and a few other pirates noticed she landed back on the ship. However, there are a few crashing sounds and yelps of pain. He felt worried, so he decided to check on her.

However, he found that she was just fine. She stood up from her fall, and noticing his worried look, she smiled. "Tell me that you didn't miss me."

The moment was lost as Barbossa turned away in disgust.

She came up to Will, very highly unpleased. "Send this traitor to the brig." She watched as he was defiantly being dragged away.

~*~

Night came rather quickly. Jack heard movement on her deck, and decided to check it out. The noise she heard was Will, cutting rope and tying bodies onto barrels. She watched him for a moment, but soon crossed her arms and found a rail to lean on. "You escaped the brig even quicker than I expected." She commented.

He whirled around, expecting attackers. "Hold on, William. Don't you notice anything? Or, rather, do you not notice anything? Or, rather, do you notice something that is not there to be noticed?"

He lowered his knife. "You haven't raised the alarm."

"That's odd, isn't it?" She approached Will's handiwork. "But not so odd as this. You came up with this all on your lonesome?"

"I said to myself, think like Jack."

She shook her head. "And this is what you arrive at? Lead Beckett to Shipwreck cove so as to win his trust and accomplish your own ends? It's like you don't know me at all."

"Think like Jack, but do what's right."

"And how does your dearly beloved feel about your plan?" She asked. Will didn't answer. He returned to his work. "Ah. You've not seen fit to trust her with it."

He continued sawing. "I'm losing her, Jack. Every step I make for my father… is a step away from Elizabeth.

Jack looked sincere. "If you choose to lock your hear away, you will lose her for certain. But I might offer an exceedingly simple solution: Don't save your father."

Will pursed his lips. "I have to. I can't turn my back on him."

"'Can't' is a matter of fact. You can if you want, but you won't… and that makes it a choice. That's what life is, boyo: choices. Out of all the things you can do, what will you do?" She watched Will slump in defeat. "If I might lend a machete to your intellectual thicket: Avoid the choice altogether. Change the facts. Let someone else dispatch Jones."

"Who?" Will asked. Jack pointed a thumb to herself. "You?" He didn't seem like he could believe it.

"Death has a way of reshuffling one's priorities. I slip aboard the Dutchman, I find the heart and stab the beating thing. Your father goes free from his debt, and you are free to be with your charming murderess."

Will pursed his lips. "And you bind yourself to the Dutchman… forever."

She shook her head. "No, I am free forever. Free to sail the seas, beyond the edges of the map, free from death itself. Crew aboard the Dutchman is one thing, but Captain? Sign me up."

He looked at her disapprovingly. "You have to do the job. You have to ferry souls to the next world or end up just like Jones."

She paused, contemplating what he said. She stroked her own cheek, and imagined what it would be like if a slimy tentacle was there instead. She shivered. "I don't have the face for tentacles. Then I'll take on the obligation and not quite be completely free… but immortal has to count for something. Now, here." She took her own compass and placed it in his hands. He looked slightly startled.

"What's this for?"

Jack smiled. "Think like me. It'll come to you."

Before Will could realize what she intended to do, she shoved him overboard. Not a second later, she dumped the barrel over the side as well, which narrowly missed Will as he resurfaced. He hauled himself over the barrel, heaving breaths.

Jack leaned out, grinning at him. "Give my regards to Davy Jones!" She cheerfully waved at him, and then disappeared.

"I hate her." Will muttered as he floated away.

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