I bet you guys are all wondering why I took so long to update, and why I haven't answered any reviews. Well, this past week, I joined my school's marching band on a trip to Florida to play at the Gator Bowl! It was a lot of fun, but I'm really exhausted, which also counts for this story's lateness. But to make it up to you, this chapter will be the longest yet, with plenty of original scenes and maybe even a little more Jack x Kate. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

Later that morning, I was beginning to doubt Jack's words. I had worked on the ship all morning and had done nearly twice as much work as the other sailors, and yet I still felt like my presence on the Interceptor was completely unnecessary. There was so much to learn, and although the crew was very kind and eager to help, Gibbs still stared at me like I was a huge mistake. Despite denials from the crew, and insistences that I was being useful, I excused myself from work early to stare out over the sea. I thought of Jeff and Ross, and for the second time in two days, I wondered if they had noticed my absence yet. I bet they want me around, I thought bitterly.

The sound of footsteps suddenly broke me out of my thoughts. "You seem troubled, luv. You're not still thinking about last night, are you?"

I turned to face Jack's concerned gaze. "No, it's not that…in fact, there's nothing wrong, Jack. Nothing at all."

Jack was unconvinced. "Is that so? Well, Kate, I was recently told by young Master Turner that you were feeling a bit…superfluous."

"were you, now?" I looked towards the other side of the ship to glare at Will, who was learning to tie a sturdy knot with the help of Cotton. Will noticed my angry look, winced, shrugged helplessly, and averted his gaze.

"Kate," Jack prompted gently. I tore my gaze away from Will and looked back at him. "Is this true?" he asked softly.

I opened my mouth to deny it, but instead just shrugged. "I don't know…I know you told me that you needed me on the Interceptor, but…I'm just so far behind the other sailors, and Gibbs keeps giving me these strange looks…I'm sorry, Jack, but I just don't feel welcome here."

Jack was quiet for a moment before answering. "Oh, so it's Gibbs, is it? Ungrateful swine…and after you treated him so politely, too…" His eyes were twinkling, but I caught a flash of seriousness behind them. "I'll have another word with him later. And don't worry Kate – you are needed here."

I shook my head. "It's pretty hard to see how."

Jack smiled. "Well, I'd say that Master Turner needs you to help save his dearly beloved, but more importantly, I need you to get back my ship. I also need you around to keep the crew in line. You're an excellent fighter, and have natural leadership skills – which, coincidentally, may be why some of the crew may be a bit wary of you." Jack's eyes suddenly glazed over. "O' course, there are other reasons why I need you on this ship, luv. Many others…" he murmured, moving to place an arm around me.

I suddenly felt very, very tired. "Jack, please," I said wearily. "Please stop it. How many times do I have to say this? I. Am. Not. Interested."

Jack, however, must have seen the truth on my face. He smiled and gently brushed my bangs back from my face. "Oh, I think you are, luv."

"I am not!" I protested.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I…" Dammit. I took a deep breath. "Look, Jack, it doesn't matter whether I'm interested or not. You can't just keep trying to attract me; you're the captain, for God's sake! And like I already told you, we need to focus on getting back the Pearl."

Jack chuckled and ran an arm down my side. Satisfied with my shudder of desire, he murmured softly, "You've presented a good many arguments on why we shouldn't do this, luv. But I know…I know you don't truly mean any of them." He pressed his forehead against mine, and I felt his hot breath on my face. My breath caught in my throat, and Jack smiled. "You're not fooling anyone, luv…not even yourself."

I swallowed hard and turned my head away from him, my eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Jack, no," I whispered. "You're right, Jack. I want this…I want it so badly…" I reached up and placed a hand to Jack's cheek. His deep brown eyes stared back at me intensely. I took a deep breath and turned away from him, allowing only for him to keep his arms around me. "But I can't, Jack…I just can't." I felt tears brimming at the corners of my eyes.

"Why not?" Jack whispered, burying his face in my neck.

I couldn't keep myself from looking at him any longer. "Because…because there's something coming…in the future…and if I start to love you…then I'll…I don't think I'll be able to –"

"Shh," Jack whispered, pressing a finger against my lips. My skin tingled from his touch. Jack slowly slid his finger from my lips to just beneath my eye, wiping away a tear. "I think, luv," he murmured, drawing me closer to him, "that you've already begun to fall in love."

I pressed my head against his chest, torn by indecision. I suppose he's right…I know he's right…but Elizabeth…even after her marriage, he was still in love with her…I can't let myself be hurt like that…never again…but at the same time, I felt a strange feeling, like maybe this was what was supposed to be happening.

Destiny now brings it into your own hands…but what destiny? What am I supposed to do?

"Jack, please," I breathed, knowing full well that my pleading was empty.

Jack slowly tipped my chin upwards so that we had eye contact once more. "Are you scared, Kate?" he said softly, his voice hoarse and longing. In spite of my better judgment, I felt myself nodding slowly. The corner of Jack's mouth curved upwards. "Don't be…you don't have to worry about anything…here, let me start…" I closed my eyes and felt his lips brush against mine, felt his hand reaching up to my face…

A clap of thunder suddenly rang across the sky. I jumped and felt Jack pull away from me. My eyes snapped open, and I looked over my shoulder out towards the horizon. Dark clouds gathered at the skyline, already blocking out the late-morning sun. As I watched, the clouds were illuminated with lightning and a cold wind blew over me.

"There's a storm on the way," Jack observed, pulling me close again. "Perhaps we should…make preparations…" He broke off, his faces inches from mine yet again.

I took a deep, steadying breath and shoved him off of me. He staggered backwards and stared at me, his eyes reflected with shock, disappointment, and confusion. I looked away, my closed eyelids unable to stop my tears. "I'm sorry," I choked out, and raced below deck and onto my hammock, sobbing.

This is madness…I can't go on like this…I know now, I know that I love him, but how can I know if he truly does love me? What if this is just desire, just like all the other girls he's known? And Elizabeth, what the hell about Elizabeth? Questions and conflicts swam in and out of my head for what seemed like hours as the thunder drew even closer…

"ON DECK, ALL HANDS! RUN OUT THAT TOPSAIL AND SECURE THE RUDDER!"

Jack's voice jolted me awake. The ship was rocking hard, and the thunder was louder than ever. Bright flashes of light even lit up the space below deck. Jumping to my feet, I staggered over to the stairs and climbed up.

Right from my first step onto the deck, I knew we were in for it. The wind buffeted my face and hair, almost knocking me off my feet, and rain pelted down by the gallon. The deck was alive with movement, the crew struggling to get us out of the storm. A flash of lightning illuminated the deck, and I spotted Gibbs and Will struggling to secure the mainsail. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack outlined against the wheel…no time for that, now…

"Right, then," I said solidly, squaring my shoulders. If I ever wanted to prove myself to the crew, this was the one and only opportune moment. I took a deep breath and sloshed through the flooded deck over to Gibbs and Will. "WHAT DO YOU NEED ME TO DO?!" I shouted over the roar of the wind.

Gibbs looked relieved. "HELP WILL HOLD DOWN THE MAINSAIL! I NEED TO HELP THE REST O' THE CREW!" I nodded and took the rope from him, shooting Will an encouraging smile.

I didn't have much to smile about before long; the storm intensified, and it was all Will and I could do not to let go of the rope. The mainsail struggled against us, filled by the howling winds, and the rope was so slippery, we could barely hold on. The rain stung our faces, and we were nearly bowled over four times by colossal waves.

It could have been several hours, or only a few minutes later that Will called, "HOW CAN WE SAIL TO AN ISLAND THAT NOBODY CAN FIND WITH A COMPASS THAT DOESN'T WORK?!"

"JUST BECAUSE THE COMPASS DOESN'T POINT NORTH, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BROKEN!"

"BUT HOW CAN JACK TELL WHERE WE'RE GOING IF THE COMPASS DOESN'T POINT NORTH?!"

"WELL, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO FIND NORTH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND ISLA DE MUERTA!"

The wind suddenly changed direction, and I heard Gibbs shout above the storm, "WE SHOULD DROP CANVAS, SIR!"

"SHE CAN HOLD A BIT LONGER!" Jack's voice answered.

"WHAT'S IN YER HEAD THAT'S PUT YOU IN SUCH A FINE MOOD, CAP'N?"

I strained to hear Jack's quieter reply. "We're catching up!"

I lost all sense of time after that, but the storm must have gone on all afternoon and well into the night. I ran all over deck, doing tasks set down by various crewmates: securing the sails, tying down the cannons, holding a rope steady while someone climbed the mast. And even though the work was nearly impossible and the storm refused to let up, the look of gratitude on my crewmates' faces kept me going. The last thing I remembered was flopping down into my hammock with the rest of the crew as the tossing of the ship slowed to a gentle rocking and the skies began to clear.

"Cap'n, I'm not sure if this is a good idea…"

"Nonsense, Gibbs. I see absolutely no harm in checking up on our dear Miss Cooper."

I reluctantly opened my eyes, wincing at the soreness of my muscles. I could tell it was morning, for the hammocks around me were empty and I could hear many sets of footsteps from the deck. For a moment, I wondered why I'd woken up, but then I heard Jack and Gibbs whispering from somewhere behind me. I closed my eyes again as their voices came closer.

"Cap'n, remember how I said that it's bad luck to wake a man while he's sleepin'?" Gibbs asked.

"Aye," Jack answered, sounding a bit absentminded.

"Well, it be worse luck to wake up a woman!"

"It's a good thing I won't wake her up, then," Jack retorted coolly.

"But what if she does?"

"Surprisingly, there are better ways to ward off bad luck than drinking." Oh, God, I can only wonder what those could be.

The footsteps came closer, and I felt warm breath on my face yet again. "Look at her, Gibbs," I heard Jack murmur. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" I felt myself smiling in spite of everything.

"Aye, Cap'n, she's quite pretty," Gibbs agreed. "Though it seemed yesterday that she didn't seem to take kindly to your…advances."

Jack was silent for a long minute. "In due time, Gibbs. In due time." I felt a hand slowly stroking my hair, and it was all I could do to remain still.

Gibbs didn't seem so sure. "Sir, has it ever occurred to you that maybe there be a reason why Miss Kate's refusing you?"

Jack thought for a moment. "Well, of course there are reasons, Gibbs. There are always reasons. But so far, Kate has yet to give me a good or even true reason." He let out a gentle sigh. "She's getting to that point, Gibbs. She can't resist." I wanted to say he was lying, but he was right. It was only a matter of time.

"That may be so, but ye best watch your back, Jack. This one seems a bit…different."

Jack's hand paused in its stroking. "Of course she's different! How many girls do you know that can handle a sword like her? How many are as headstrong, as clever, as resourceful? How any have her humor or her leadership? Oh, she's different all right, Gibbs." I heard the smile in his voice. "And I like it."

There was a long pause. "Jack," Gibbs said in a warning voice. "You've got that look in your eye again."

"Oh, good, I like that look," Jack whispered, and I suddenly felt a light pressure on my hip. "It signals the start of…certain activities of a most intriguing nature." His hand dropped from my hair to my back.

"Jack!" Gibbs hissed. I heard him scramble backwards. "Get away from her!"

Yeah, get off!

"Oh, let us alone, Gibbs," Jack breathed. I felt his other hand press against the base of my neck. "Let me have time alone with her." He took a deep, shuddering breath.

I could stay quiet no longer. "Jack, you're my friend and captain, and I have nothing but respect for you." I opened my eyes and pushed his hand off my neck. "But if you don't get away right now, I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

Jack let out a yelp of surprise and leapt backwards. "Bloody hell, Kate! How long have you been awake?"

I sat up and stretched. "Long enough. G'morning, Mr. Gibbs."

"Morning, Miss Kate," Gibbs replied, nodding. "How are you feeling?"

I blinked in confusion. "Uh…okay, why do you ask?"

"Er, nothing…it's just that you worked so hard last night, and well…" He cleared his throat self-consciously. "…I suppose I owe you an apology."

I grinned broadly. Finally! "Apology accepted, and let that be a lesson to you about the accuracy of ancient superstition." Gibbs nodded sheepishly. "So Jack, are we close to Isla de Muerta?"

He nodded. "We're nearly there. In fact, I was coming down to wake you."

I raised an eyebrow. "By what methods?" Jack's only reply was a seductive smile. "Uh-huh…I'm going above deck." I slid off my hammock and walked stiffly over to the staircase.

I had my foot on the first step when I heard Gibbs groan, "Jack!"

"What?" He sounded like he was trying not to laugh.

I frowned. What was so fun –

Oh, no way.

He did not.

I looked over my shoulder and glared at him. "Jack, you BETTER have not been looking where I think you were looking!"

Jack smiled innocently. "I wasn't doin' anything, luv!" His gaze dropped even as he finished speaking.

I tore up the stairs as fast as I could. Pintel and Ragetti were right: it was best to remove temptation from one's path.

Above deck, an eerie fog hung over the surface of the water and ship alike. The early-morning chill seemed all the more creepy. I shivered slightly and looked over to the starboard railing. The entire crew was leaning out over the railing, staring out over the water. I squeezed in next to Will, nodded to him, and squinted through the mist. The battered remains of hundreds of ships stuck out of the shallow water. I felt a sudden wave of apprehension.

Will felt it, too. "We best keep our eyes open."

"Aye," I agreed. "A sorry end to an adventure indeed, and considering the nature of our specific venture, completely ironic."

My words were punctuated with a squawk from Cotton's parrot. "Dead men tell no tales!"

Heh…that's what they think.

Gibbs stepped up next to me. "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage."

I snorted. "Mr. Gibbs, this island can't be found except by those who already know where it is, right?"

"Aye."

"And the only people who would know where the island is would be pirates, smugglers, and other sailors of a dishonest nature." I smiled at his open-mouthed gape. "Keep trying, mate. Something'll come to you." Chuckling, I stepped back on the rail and hoisted myself up onto a large barrel, sitting cross-legged.

Will and Gibbs moved in front of the barrel. "How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will asked.

"Oh, the compass? He bartered it from a gypsy." I winked. "An old sweetheart."

Gibbs' eyebrows shot up his forehead. "I didn't know that. How did you…?"

"I know a lot of things about Captain Jack Sparrow…which, in retrospect, kind of freaks me out." Both pirates snorted. "But, I don't really know that much up until he set out for the treasure of Isla de Muerta. Yep, you heard me," I answered Will's shocked gaze. "Treasure. Mr. Gibbs, did you know Jack back then?"

"No, that was before I met him, back when he was captain of the Black Pearl." He unscrewed the stopper on his flask and took a sip.

Will did a double-take. "What?" Gibbs' eyes widened and he took a larger sip.

"And thank you, Mr. Gibbs, for providing the semi-obvious plot twist," I said, scowling at him.

Will looked out to sea. "He failed to mention that."

"Well, he plays things closer to the vest now," Gibbs explained. "A hard-learned lesson, it was. See, three d –"

"Ooh, can I tell it? Please?" I begged.

Gibbs looked disappointed. "Fine."

"Awesome. Okay, Will, it goes like this: about ten years ago, Jack and his crew set out from Tortuga, just like us, to go after the treasure. He tells the crew, 'everything's an equal share,' but the first mate said, 'Wait a minute, Captain. Doesn't that include the exact location of the treasure, too?' Jack says okay, and he tells him where you can find the island – not very good judgment on his part. That very night, the first mate rallies the crew and leads a mutiny against Jack. Poor guy had no chance." I leapt down from the barrel. "After the first mate became captain, he ordered that Jack be marooned on a small island and left die – not, of course, before catching a bit too much sun, if you know what I mean." I tapped the side of my head to indicate insanity.

"Ah," Will whispered, nodding. "So, that's the reason for all the…" He did a strange lunging motion.

I snickered. "No, Will. The reason for…" I copied his motion. "…is quite similar to the reason why the rum is always gone."

Gibbs disagreed. "Reason's got nothing to do with it." He knelt down on the deck and waited for Will and me to do the same. "Now, Will; when a pirate's marooned, he –"

"Or she."

"Or she, is given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, that won't do much good huntin' or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly." He placed his pointer finger to his head to illustrate. Will flinched. "But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that single shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save on one man: his mutinous first mate."

"Barbossa," Will whispered in understanding.

"Very good!" I praised. "My brothers never even saw that coming, the dolts."

Will was silent for a moment. "How did Jack get off the island?"

"Well, I'll tell ye," Gibbs interjected before I could open my mouth. "He waded out into the shallows and he waited there three days and three nights, till all matter of sea creatures 'came acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple o' sea turtles, lashed them together, and made a raft."

Will gave him a long look. "He roped a couple of sea turtles."

"Aye, sea turtles."

"That, my friend, sounds completely unbelievable," I noted.

Will thought for another moment. "What'd he use for rope?" Gibbs opened his mouth to answer, and then shut it; he had no clue. Will looked at me, but I looked up – Jack was standing right over us.

"Human hair," he answered simply. "From my back."

I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds even more unbelievable."

"Sauce for the gander, luv," Jack replied, winking. "Let go of the anchor!"

"Aye, Captain, aye!" the crew shouted and sprang into action.

"Young Mr. Turner, Miss Cooper, and I are to go ashore," Jack went on quietly.

"Great," I grumbled, standing up.

"Cap'n, what if the worst should happen?" Gibbs asked nervously.

Jack paused. "Keep to the Code," he answered, and stepped into the longboat.

"Aye, the Code," Gibbs murmured, an unreadable expression on his face. Will and I stepped into the boat as well, exchanging a glance. As the boat was lowered into the water, I maneuvered around Will to sit in between the two pirates, as usual. Jack and Will each grabbed a pair of oars, and we set off.

After about five minutes of rowing, the mist began to thin out and fade. The Black Pearl could easily be spotted off the coast of Isla de Muerta. I sucked in my breath – she looked even more amazing in daylight. Jack pulled out his spyglass and scanned the deck for any signs of life.

"Is she there?" Will asked after a moment.

"No."

"She's not on board," I told Will. "No one is."

"Where is she?" Will asked urgently.

Jack snapped the spyglass shut. "It's begun."

It wasn't long before we entered the caves. I struck a match, lit the lantern, and held it out in front of the boat, careful not to hit Jack in the head – although, the idea was getting preferable at this point. Suddenly, I saw a glint of metal out of the corner of my eye, and I quickly swung the lantern about. The light shone on a rusty cutlass…stuck deep into a rotting skeleton. I gasped and quickly pulled the lantern away, smothering the corpse in shadows once more. Guess they don't call it the Island of Death for nothing.

Will had seen the skeleton, too. "What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?"

"Why, the Pirate's Code, of course," I answered. "Set down four-hundred years ago by Morgan and Bartholomew, the Code was designed to act as a set of rules and regulations for the Pirate's Brethren Court, but it later became applicable to any and all pirates in the sea."

"Very good," Jack said, nodding approvingly. "The particular passage we're referring to is, 'Any man that falls behind, is left behind.'" I looked back at the spot where the skeleton lay.

"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" Will said disapprovingly.

"Oh, they catch up eventually," I assured him. "They always do." Will gave me a cold look.

Jack looked at him. "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, your well on your way to becoming one." He began to list the reasons. "Sprung a man and woman from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out o' Tortuga…" All three of us looked over the side of the boat, where the vision of hundreds of glittering coins glittered back at us. "…and you're completely obsessed with treasure," Jack finished, putting oars down and tying the boat to a large stalagmite. All three of us stepped out of the boat, stumbling over the slippery rock.

"That's not true!" Will hissed. "I am not obsessed with treasure!"

Jack led us to a separate, secluded cave, where we had a perfect vantage point from the treasure room. Jack looked back at Will, a serious expression on his face. "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." I found my gaze drawn to him.

All three of us ducked down behind the rocks as Barbossa shouted to his crew. "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end!" After each sentence, the crowd of pirates cheered.

"Elizabeth," Will breathed. Sure enough, Elizabeth was standing behind the chest, wearing the black dress, the medallion, and a frightened look.

"For ten years, we've been tested and tried," Barbossa went on, "and each man jack of you hear has proved his mettle a hundred times over!" The men cheered. "And a hundred times again!" The crew cheered louder.

"Suffered, I have!" Ragetti whimpered.

Barbossa looked over his crew. "Punished, we were! The lot of us! Disproportionate to our crime!" He slammed his fist against the upturned palm of his other hand. "Here it is!" He kicked back the lid of the chest. I gasped, and I saw Elizabeth do the same. Even from this distance, I could see flashes of gold.

"The cursed treasure of Cortes himself," Barbossa said to Elizabeth, walking the length of the chest and running his hand over the coins. "Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…" He picked up a few pieces and let them drop back into the chest. "…save for this!" He pointed at Elizabeth's medallion.

Will couldn't take it any longer. "Jack!" he hissed, and started climbing over the wall of rock.

"Not yet!" Jack and I pulled him back down, but it was too late – the monkey had seen us. "We wait for the opportune moment," Jack whispered. He stood up and began walking towards the cavern's entrance.

"Eight-hundred eighty-one we found, but despaired of ever finding the last…"

"When's that?" Will challenged. "When it's of greatest profit to you?"

Jack froze, but I had already latched onto Will's arm. He winced in pain, but I was too angry to care. We were risking everything to save Elizabeth, and this was how he thanked us? "William Turner, for once in your life, think!" I said dangerously. "Have Jack and I ever given you one reason why you shouldn't trust us?!" Will was silent. "Didn't think so," I growled and shoved him away.

"Do us a favor," Jack said from the shadows. "I know it's difficult, but please, stay here…and try not to do anything stupid."

I started to follow Jack out, but he stopped me. "You too. Stay here."

I pushed his hand away. "I most certainly will not! I made a deal with you, Jack, and I plan to hold up my part of the bargain."

Jack glared at me. "All right, you can come. But be careful!"

"I can take care of mys-"

"Shh!" I glared at Jack but silently followed him into the treasure cave.

As we crept among the rocks, Barbossa began to speak again. "And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?"

"US!" The pirates shouted.

"And who's blood must yet be paid!"

"HERS!" They all pointed at Elizabeth, whose eyes widened.

Jack and I crept up about fifteen or twenty feet from what I recognized as the rendezvous point between Jack and the pirates. "You know the first thing I'm gonna do once the curse is lifted?" I heard Barbossa say. He lowered his voice so only Elizabeth could hear. "Eat a whole bushel of apples." He pulled out a knife and removed the medallion as the pirates began chanting. "Begun by blood, by blood undone!"

WHACK!

I spun around to see Jack crumple to the floor, out cold. Will stood over him, brandishing an oar. "Sorry, Jack. I'm not gonna be your leverage." He turned to me and raised the oar, but I drew my sword and pointed it at his chest. Will suddenly didn't look so confident.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" I hissed. Will didn't answer, but kept his eyes on my sword. Suddenly, he dropped the oar and ran into the treasure cave. I sighed and unsheathed my sword. "Bloody eunuch."

…Well, he's a eunuch at heart.

I knelt down beside Jack and prodded his shoulder. "Jack? Can you hear me?" No response. I rolled him onto his back and checked his pulse. It was normal, and he was breathing. All I could do was wait for him to wake up. Suddenly, I noticed something – or rather, something that was not there to be noticed. The chanting had stopped.

A moment later, Koehler's voice rang out through the cave. "Did it work?"

"I don't feel no different," Ragetti admitted.

"How do we tell?" Pintel asked.

I didn't dare get up to look, but I knew that Barbossa was rolling his eyes and pulling out his pistol. I heard a soft click, followed by a sharp bang, and then there was silence.

Koehler spoke again. "You're not dead!"

"No," Pintel confirmed shakily. Suddenly realizing something, he pointed at Barossa. "He shot me!" No one seemed overly concerned.

"It didn't work," Ragetti moaned.

"The curse is still upon us!" Twigg shouted, and the entire cavern was abuzz with noise.

The pirates quieted down as Barbossa addressed Elizabeth. "You, maid! Your father, what was his name?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Was your father William Turner?"

"No," Elizabeth whispered defiantly.

"Then where's his child?" He picked up the medallion and held it out in front of her. "The child who sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where?"

There was silence, followed by a loud smack. I heard the shifting of the treasure as Elizabeth slid down the mound of gold, and very faintly, the soft clink of the medallion as it landed beside her.

"You two!" Bo'sun growled, addressing Pintel and Ragetti. "You brought us the wrong person!" Everyone rounded on them.

"No!" Pintel protested. "She had the medallion, she's the proper age!"

"She said her name was Turner, you heard her!" Ragetti added. "…I think she lied to us!"

I snorted. "You think?"

"You brought us here for nothing!" Twigg snarled at Barbossa. The rest of the crew shouted accusingly at him.

"I won't take questioning or second-guessing, not from the likes o' you, Master Twigg!" Barbossa growled.

"Who's to blame him?" Koehler shot back. "Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse!"

"It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!" Mallot shouted, pointing at Barbossa.

Bo'sun drew his sword. "And it's you who brought us here in the first place!"

Barbossa drew his sword as well. "If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak!" The pirates shifted uncomfortably, regretting their outburst.

"I say," Koehler suggested, "we cut her throat and pill all her blood, just in case." The others agreed.

The monkey suddenly let out a loud screech, signaling to Barbossa that Elizabeth was gone. A second later, Barbossa shouted, "The medallion! She's taken it! Get after her, you feckless pack of ingrates!" The pirates scattered.

Not good…if Jack doesn't wake up soon…My thoughts were interrupted by a soft moan. Jack's eyes opened and he smiled gently. "'Ello, luv."

A relieved smiled crossed my face. "You okay, Jack?"

"Takes more than that to take out Captain Jack Sparrow," he assured me. He slowly got to his feet, grimacing slightly. "How did I…?"

"Will," I answered. "Bloody idiot hit you over the head with an oar." I picked it up and held it out to him.

Jack took it and gratefully leaned against it. "And you stayed here instead of running off to save your own skin, eh?"

I blushed. "Well, um…yeah, I guess so."

Jack smiled. "I knew you couldn't resist me," he purred.

I opened my mouth to retaliate when the shouts of the undead crew suddenly became closer. "C'mon, Jack, we gotta move!" I hissed. The two of us crawled down the ledge, Jack limping slightly. Now if we could just make it to the boats…

Too late. The pirates were already there. "You?" Ragetti gasped, his good eye fixed on Jack.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Pintel shouted. Fortunately, the pirates were too shocked by the sight of their former captain to pay me any notice.

Jack frowned. "Am I not?" He looked himself over. Deciding he was alive, he hastened to retreat, but was blocked by the second group of the crew. Both groups aimed their guns at us. I drew my sword, but the pirates only laughed.

Jack placed his hand on my blade and lowered it. "I'll handle this, luv." I raised an eyebrow but immediately sheathed my sword. Jack turned back to the crew. "Palulay…Palu-li-la-la-lulu…"

I sighed deeply as the pirates exchanged glances. "Okay seriously, Jack, you have no idea how stupid you look right now."

He ignored me. "Parlili…parsnip…parsley…par…partner, partner…"

I sighed again. "French verb meaning, 'to speak.'"

"Parley?" Ragetti guessed.

Jack grinned. "That's the one! Parley! Parley!"

"Parley?" Pintel hissed at his partner. "Damn to the depths whatever muttonhead thought o' parley!"

Jack pushed away Pintel's raised pistol. "The French," he answered.

"Actually, it's Latin-based, but you get the idea," I corrected, struggling not to laugh. "Fine group of folks."

"True," Jack agreed. "Inventors of mayonnaise."

"I like mayonnaise!" Pintel said to Grapple.

"Shame about the French, really," Jack went on. "Obsessed with raisins. Humiliated grapes, really. Think about it, mates…"

I snorted. "Raisins?" Jack winked at me.

"…Don't know," Pintel said after a moment.

I rolled my eyes. "Here's a hint: they're all terrific sopranos."

"Eunuchs, all of them," Jack said.

"That's not right," Grapple muttered.

"I used to date a eunuch," Pintel said sadly.

…

…

…

…what. The. F--k.

"Okay, that was more than we needed to hear," I muttered.

Jack agreed. "I'll get me coat."

"I'll come with you," I volunteered. All of the guns and swords were suddenly pointed at me. "Or, I could just…stay here, then…"

This is, without doubt, my favorite chapter.