Disclaimer: I own Alex. And her over played angst. :)

I'm SO sorry about the long wait you guys. I've had this chapter written for about 2 weeks but I kept changing it, trying to make it better. Plus all the Disneyland Premiere planning I have been involved in. Exactly a month away and I'm very excited.

But enough about my excitement, here's a new chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.

As soon as they made it back to the ship, Alex found herself being put in charge of Will along with Elizabeth. She didn't fight back or pretend to be happy about it, for her thoughts still remained on Norrington. Like it or not, the man had saved all their lives by lying and taking the chest. Granted he had the heart and letters of marque. So now here Alex was, sitting next to Will's unconscious form and praying he would wake up soon. Liz had excused herself for a moment and Alex now sat.

A moment later, Will's eyes fluttered open and looked around before settling on Alex. She smiled down at him and he smiled warmly at her and shockingly, did not ask about Liz or where she was. After a moment, he looked around and his face fell. "What happened to the chest?" Alex bit her lip and looked at her hands. "Norrington took it to draw them off," she said, her voice faltering. Like she still could not believe the past events. Interrupting the moment between the two, Alex heard the voices of Pintel and Ragetti. Fighting over the pulleys that held the rowboat up. Turning back to Will, she smiled and he returned a knowing glance. She lent him her hand and she was surprised when he winced as he sat up. Frowning, Alex held his arm with her left hand and with her right, reached for his back but his hand stopped her. "What? What's wrong with your back," she said.

Will responded by removing his leather jacket. He then unbuttoned his vest and removed that as well. Alex raised her brows as he turned his back to her, and as he lifted up his white shirt she gasped in shock. All across his back were red and scabbed slash marks. "Will..," she said, as she touched the tender wounds. Wincing at her soft touch, Will said, "Onboard the Flying Dutchman. I let go of a pulley and the punishment was 5 lashes." "Who did it," she said, her voice deep with anger. "My father. He was forced," Will replied. Alex felt anger leave her and it was replaced with the sadness of Will being whipped by his father.

Will let go of his shirt, put his vest back on, and shrugged on his leather coat. Alex giggled as he cursed at the wet leather, but she stopped when she looked back up. He was looking at her intently. "You kissed Norrington," he said, suddenly. Alex nearly choked on her own tongue. Looking down into his brown eyes, she said, "It really meant nothing. Besides, I told him it was wrong of me and I have feelings for another." As she said this, she looked away, a blush creeping up onto her face. Silence passed before she looked back at Will, who was locking eyes with her. Alex felt herself pulled in by his gaze and she began to lean her head in. Shockingly, Will began to lean in further to her and just as their lips were about to meet, the Flying Dutchman surfaced beside their ship.

Alex and Will stood as Liz came running out from below decks. The crew of The Black Pearl stood in shock as the Dutchman crew jeered at them. Jones included. Alex looked up at her father and yelled to him. "What now?!" Jack looked down at Alex and smiled. "I'll handle this, love." He then walked from Gibbs side, holding up the jar of dirt. Alex bit her lip, for she knew that the heart was with Norrington and not in the jar. "Hey! Fishface! Lose something?" Jack walked to the right but misplaced his footing. He tumbled down the stairs and landed hard in a heap. Alex and the rest of the crew cringed.

But, ever the pirate, her father stood. "Got it," he said. Jack strutted across the deck, holding his jar of dirt. As he did this he taunted Jones. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git? Look what I got. I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt! And guess what's inside it?" Jones seethed with rage and looked to his crew. "Enough," he shouted to Jack. The Flying Dutchman's cannon covers began to slide down, and cannons emerged from the holes. Alex, Will, and Liz began to back up in shock, while Jack stopped his taunting. "Hard to starboard," he said, quietly. "HARD TO STARBOARD," Alex screamed. Liz and Will followed suit and the deck erupted in chaos.

A heavy cannonade fired from the Flying Dutchman, blowing large holes in the ship. Alex ran up to the wheel where Gibbs was and leaned over the side. The Dutchman was in pursuit of them but The Black Pearl was slowly making a giant gap in-between the two ships. "She's falling behind," Liz said, coming to Alex's side along with Will. Gibbs leaned over the side of the ship on Alex's left side. "We're the faster," Will questioned. "Against the wind the Dutchman beats us. That's how she takes her prey. But with the wind... " Will finished Gibbs' sentence. "We rob her advantage," Will said. Alex smiled and ran over to her father, where he stood overlooking the crew. "The Dutchman's giving up," she said, enthusiastic. Jack looked down at his daughter and smiled.

The crew began to cheer when they realized that the other ship was giving up. However, Alex saw that Jack still held the jar close to him and he was not celebrating. Will suddenly came to her side and looked at Jack. "My father is on that ship. If we can outrun her, we can take her. We should turn and fight." Jack looked to Will and held out the jar of dirt. "Why fight when you can negotiate? All one needs... is the proper leverage." Alex rolled her eyes before she fell over as the ship jarred. She fell over onto Will and she watched as the jar of dirt fell from sight. Jack got to his feet and ran down the flight of stairs to the broken glass. Alex stood with Will and she looked down to her father, guilt setting in.

He was digging frantically through the dirt and muttering, "Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?" Cursing, Alex ran down the flight of stairs and looked over the side with the rest of the crew, curious to see what had jarred the ship. Liz popped up on her right side also perplexed. "We must have hit a reef," Alex said. Suddenly Will grabbed her arm along with Liz's. "No. It's not a reef! Everyone get away from the rail!" "Why? What is it," Alex asked. "The Kraken," Will replied. Gulping, Alex looked back to Jack who was standing up and looking around frantically.

Looking back to Will, she listened to his directions. "It'll attack the starboard. I've seen it before. Break out the cannons and hold for my signal." He then ran below decks and Alex turned to Liz who threw her a sharp weapon of some sort. And there they stood waiting, as the Kraken's tentacles enveloped the sides of the ship. The crew shrunk back in shock and fear, and prepared for the worst. Will," Liz said, hesitantly. He didn't answer, was very unlike him. The Kraken's tentacles began to rise higher. "Will," Liz said, a bit louder. Still there was no answer and the Kraken's the tentacles began feeling around the ship. Abandoning her position next to Liz, Alex ran and looked down into the below decks of the ship and screamed, "WILL!"

"FIRE," Will shouted out.

Time for a ship/kraken battle. We all know what happens and I think only 2 chapters left.

Yes, very sad and I won't write #3 until the 3rd movie script comes out. May 25th is approaching and excitement is on a high.

Leave a review, please!

islove1980