I apologize for the delay!!! A lot of stuff has been going on...but here's the next chapter!!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing that Disney already owns.


Jack was walking around on deck with a bottle of rum in hand. Meg was sitting on a barrel, leaning on the rail, gloomily looking out at the water. Jack approached Beth and sat down next to her. "My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are... troubled." Beth didn't look at Jack, but just responded sadly, "I just miss Will is all. I suppose he told you that he's engaged to Elizabeth now." She paused and scoffed pitifully. "It's just not fair! What does she have that I don't?!" Jack uncorked the rum bottle and offered it to Beth. She grabbed it willingly and took a large swig of it, then said curiously, "Jack...what is your interest in all of this?" She finally looked at him quizzically.

"You know..." he cleared his throat, avoiding the question. "Bethykins...I am the captain of a ship...and being captain of a ship I could order William to take care of you...however, Will is not here at the moment so...I could stand in his place...right on this deck...right now..." Beth looked at him. He was a lot closer than she thought he had been and she backed away out of instinct and scoffed again.

"How is it, Captain Jack Sparrow, that you always twist people's unfortunate situations to your own advantage?" Beth said in a tone he did not recognize...kindness? Sweetness? 'How unusual,' Jack thought. But he was interrupted, for Beth spoke again, this time not quite so sweetly. "Your skills as a flatterer are very impressive, but I am not interested." She finished, flatly.

"Why?" he asked. "We are very much alike you and I. I and you... us." Beth got up and walked to the railing. She turned around and stared at him in shock.

"US?!" Beth slapped her forehead multiple times, then continued. "Except for a sense of honor and decency and a moral center. And personal hygiene."

"Trifles," Jack replied smiling. "You will come over to my side, I know it." He stood next to her, holding onto a rope from the rigging. Beth glanced at him quizzically and said, "You seem very certain for someone who already has a girl. What makes you so keen to forget all about Meg and suddenly flirt with me?!"

"Meg has already come over to my side..." he grinned, seeming like a vampire moving to its next prey. "One word, love: curiosity. You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it, to act upon selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day... you won't be able to resist." He gave her a cocky glance and smirk. Beth smirked back sarcastically and said smugly, "So, you're moving from girl to girl until all of the women in the entire world come over to 'your side'?" She paused, and stopped smirking. "Why doesn't your compass work?" Jack glared for a moment and then looked out at the sea.

"My compass works fine."

"Because you and I are alike. And there will come a moment when you have a chance to show it. To do the right thing." An idea popped into Beth's head and she smiled deviously. 'I think I will see just how loyal he is to Meg...' Beth thought.

"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by." Jack waved at the ocean and walked a little ways away. Beth followed him, smirking, and leaned on the railing with a hand on her hip as she responded.

"You'll have the chance to do something... something courageous. And when you do, you'll discover something. That you're a good man."

"All evidence to the contrary." Jack smiled. Beth smiled almost sincerely and laughed irresistibly.

"Oh, but I have faith in you. You want to know why?" She leaned her head in towards him, yet still hanging on the railing using supreme coordination.

"Do tell, dearie," Jack continued looking out at the ocean.

"Curiosity. You're going to want it - a chance to be admired - and gain the rewards that follow." Beth said, pausing, and leaning closer ever time she spoke. "You won't be able to resist. You're going to want to know what it tastes like." Her mouth was now tantalizingly close to his and Beth knew she was torturing Jack.

"I do want to know what it tastes like..." Jack said, leaning a bit closer himself. Beth smiled outwardly as he leaned in closer, but in her mind she was terrified. Meg was still sitting on that barrel that she could see out of the corner of her eye. Jack caressed Beth's cheek and she immediately began to protest.

"But seeing as you're a good man," She stiffened as she felt Jack's hand on her back. "I know that you'd never put me in a position that would compromise my honor." Beth's thoughts were racing, 'Ok, that's enough Jack...Jack stop...JACK!' Beth suddenly felt something else behind her besides Jack's hand...Meg. Best friends can just sense each other's presences like that. Beth backed away from Jack just in time, right before he went in to kiss her, and grabbed Meg's arm and dragged her in between Beth and Jack. "Look! Meg!" Beth said, panting, and for once in her life, truly scared. What had just happened there that she had not intended? Was Meg's Jack really that shallow? Was SHE really that shallow? Why was she having such bad luck with men these days? Beth, disgusted with Jack's and her own weakness, ran away from the real couple. She decided she had had enough of pirates for the moment...even though she was one. It was an interesting situation for the poor, beautiful girl.

Jack didn't hear Beth at first and ended up kissing Meg, which wasn't too bad either. Jack opened his eyes and pulled away for a moment. "Well, if it isn't Miss Owen..." he smiled a little, caressing Meg's cheek like he had just done to Beth.

Meg looked up at Jack a little shocked. She was happy that Beth had dragged her in there at the last moment, but would Jack have actually kissed Beth? ...Of course, Meg knew that Beth would never allow that sort of thing to happen. Jack then looked at his left hand and his eyes widened. Meg looked at it too and, seeing the Black Spot covered it with her own hand and pulled it down.

"Land ho!" called Mr. Gibbs.

"I want my jar of dirt," Jack whimpered to Meg. He ran away to his cabin. Meg looked at Beth.

"Thank you," she said. Beth smiled at her friend.

"For what? Alluring Jack just to test his love for you and then just barely escaping his kiss? Yippee...some friend I am. I'm sorry Meg, it'll never happen again." Meg hugged her.

"Come on, let's go ashore,"


Well...? R&R!!!!!!!!!!!!