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Chapter 12: Trouble Among Friends

"Knowing you Jack Sparrow, it's probably friends with benefits." I thought rolling my eyes at the thought and leaning against my palms staring intently at the several markings on the table from various weapons, and fights. I jumped hearing something placed on the table and glanced up giving Jack a dirty look seeing he had purposely startled me and rolled my eyes at his highly amused chuckle. For once I felt a bit relaxed around Jack and listened to some of his rather interesting adventures, not entirely sure if they were entirely tall tales or not and finally glanced up seeing his gaze was studying me again. He surprised me when he asked how I managed to stumble across Elizabeth and I laughed finding it amusing our conversation would turn to my best friend, whom he clearly disliked and had reasons to do so. I did explain my first encounter with Elizabeth and the odd portal that had appeared in my time, I told him some of our more amusing stories from when I was younger and found him laughing at some of Elizabeth's least amusing moments, before both of us turned hearing a familiar voice in the starting to become crowded bar. "Gibbs." I thought watching Jack waving down Gibbs who spotted us finally after scanning the room and started toward us quickly, which made me wonder if something was up.

"Gibbs?" Jack questioned when the slightly heavy man paused in front of the table catching his breath.

"Yer friends from last nigh have cornered Elizabeth and Anna, I can't find Will anywhere." Gibbs murmured quietly before scanning the tavern. "There be more of them this time."

"I knew this morning was going too well." I muttered standing and brushing off my shirt. "Come on lead the way." I said seeing Jack surprisingly quickly get to his feet, the three of us rushing from the tavern following after Gibbs who cut down several alleys pausing about a half mile from the Black Pearl near the docks. "You alright?" I questioned seeing Jack was holding his side, but nodded in response.

The three of us stared out of the alley Gibbs had forced us to halt in seeing Anna-Maria and Elizabeth were surrounded by about ten of the idiots now, and that didn't include toothless who was busily scanning the area with a highly amused grin on his sour face. "This isn't going to be a good fight and Jack is still hurt." I thought scanning the area hoping to spot Will or another familiar face and finding nothing at the moment. Jack started to slowly exit the alley glancing down as my hand flew up and I shook my head realizing they were just toying with Anna-Maria and Elizabeth at the moment. Jack took notice to my intense study and saw why I had made him pause seeing Gibbs giving him a curious look. "Ah…she is sharp, they're waiting for us to come out of hiding." Jack thought with a smirk seeing Gibbs was still confused by how easily we were getting along.

"Ye aren goin to help them?" Gibbs asked giving me a disbelieving look and quirking his brow at Jack curiously.

"They're waiting for us Gibbs. It would not be wise to go running right into it, savvy?" Jack asked seeing Gibbs nod before a completely puzzled look come across his face. "Go find Will." He stated watching Gibbs nod before disappearing the way we had come to go find Will again.

"I wish I had a crossbow or something." I muttered thoughtfully seeing Jack give me a surprised look. "I think violently, do violent things, but don't kill." I murmured rolling my eyes and cursing seeing one of the men lunge at Elizabeth who caught the blow both her and Anna-Maria back to back.

"What's going on?" Will asked scaring the shit out of both Jack and myself, as we turned seeing Gibbs was currently leaning against the wall trying to regain his breath and studying us with concerned eyes.

"Don't do that Will." Jack and I muttered at the same time giving each other a curious look.

"That's what is going on Will." Jack stated wryly pointing down toward the others and seeing Will start to leave the alley watching as I caught his coat and yanked him back. "They're waiting for us mate…don't do anything 'stupid' please." He said dryly ignoring the dirty look Will gave him, before he turned observing me holding his coat and shrugging.

"Liz is fine Will…they want payback and if we go marching out like an army of redcoats we're going to get hurt and them too." I murmured seeing his puzzled gaze studying me before noting something was off and glancing at Jack suspiciously. "Just pretend you don't notice we're getting along at the moment." I thought sighing seeing Will knew me far better then I thought. "Don't start…Liz is currently in a pickle." I breathed irritably before releasing his coat and leaning my head back out studying the ten men and toothless thoughtfully seeing Jack was cooking up a plan.

"Ye two stay here." Jack stated without giving either Will or myself a chance to ask what he was up too he motioned Gibbs to follow him and disappeared back down the alley presumably to get closer or do something to distract the idiots below.

I glared after Jack and sighed miserably hating to be ordered around, and then I noticed the scrutinizing look I was getting from Will and glanced out of the alley trying to avoid his gaze. "She did something or Jack did something, they're getting along almost too well." Will thought glancing out seeing Elizabeth and Anna-Maria were still perfectly fine except both looking seriously irritated with what was happening at the moment. Will and I watched for nearly an hour seeing no sign of Jack or Gibbs anywhere, I noticed toothless and friends were getting a little frustrated but nothing seemed to be out of place for the time being.

"What happened?" Will asked breaking the long silence finally deciding he was getting slightly irritated with waiting for Jack and Gibbs.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, before clasping my hand around my sword waiting for something to happen and sensing it would be very soon.

"Jack isn't being manipulative and you're acting like he's your new friend. Again…what happened?" Will asked clearly not amused by my innocent tone, before he glanced down and noticed a familiar pendant hanging in the open and reached out catching it briefly between his fingers seeing I had turned to answer him with another question with a question deal. "Oops." I thought seeing his gaze suddenly turn from suspicious to annoyance or frustration I couldn't tell. "Blair?" he questioned his tone taking on a 'Liz and I are going to kill you' sound.

"Oh shut up…you both knew eventually it would happen, otherwise you both wouldn't have brought me as a distraction." I stated dryly turning back to the others seeing Jack and Gibbs further down nearly behind them and nodding at the signal Gibbs gave us. "Besides you don't find it a bad thing, Elizabeth does." I said knowing all too well Will hadn't really disliked Jack or anything until the whole mess with the Kraken. "You have Elizabeth…can I just attempt to have Jack?" I asked turning briefly to study Will whose expression was now almost sympathetic.

"You were always too good at reading people…myself included. I suppose Elizabeth will just have to deal with it, but leave me out." Will stated softly smiling faintly when I nodded saluting him like a soldier. "Just be careful…he's still Jack."

"Yeah…I know." I said rolling my eyes and hearing a faint amused chuckle behind me before widening my eyes seeing Jack and Gibbs walking easily toward the others as though both of them were drunk. "Now that is stupid." I said softly seeing Will nod in agreement with me.

Both of us watched as the several men took notice to them and saw Elizabeth and Anna-Maria exchange annoyed glances. "Distraction." I realized before grabbing Will's arm and pulling him slowly from our hiding place making our way quickly down very near the others behind a crate and studying whatever was about to happen. Jack and Gibbs both halted looking completely confused and glanced around studying the situation as though they were still drunk and then Elizabeth made her point by glaring irritably in his direction. "Relax Lizzie…I'm not as stupid as ye might think." Jack thought nodding faintly at Gibbs who sprinted to my surprise down an alley off to the side heading toward the direction I knew the Black Pearl was moored at.

"He's drunk mates." Stated Toothless raising a brow in amusement seeing both Anna-Maria and Elizabeth were not happy at this news. "Ye be stupid mate." He said startled when Jack bluntly swung his sword within inches of his nose and gave him an 'Oh really' look.

"Not really…ye be mighty stupid for messing with our friends here though." Jack stated pointing to Elizabeth and Anna-Maria who glanced around wondering what exactly Jack was up too.

"Our friends?" Questioned Toothless curiously studying the area around them and allowing an almost ugly smile on his face. "Ye be alone."

"No he isn't." I thought studying Will curiously seeing him lining up a board over a barrel with an amused look on his face and pointing to me to get on the lowered end. "Not the fling flip." I thought groaning remembering how I more commonly landed on my feet only to fall on my backside instead of staying up on my feet. Will ignored my groan and pointed again more insistently this time and watched as I complied with a dirty look on my face. I watched Will slowly climb upward and glanced around carefully wondering what was going to happen when I come flying out of nowhere, then I heard a quick shift and closed my eyes briefly. "I am not Supergirl!" I thought feeling myself lifted into the air and flipping into a front flip managing to land rather hazardously on my feet stumbling and managing to maintain my balance. "Hello and goodbye." I thought seeing the completely stunned expression of one of the men's faces and smiling before easily ramming my fist into his nose. I heard a crunch sound and ducked catching a blow to my head turning to fight seeing Anna-Maria and Elizabeth were now currently freed thanks to Jack and Will's brilliant ideas and I noticed Will join in from the side taking out one of the men with a boot to the chest.

"Where did ye learn a stunt like that?" Jack questioned catching a blow from Toothless near my side and sending him over a bunch of crates.

"Uh…too much time around those two…maybe too many movies." I muttered pointing at Will and Elizabeth who were now side by side taking on several men at once. "We're still out numbered." I pointed out ducking a blade aimed for my head.

"Aye…not for long though." Jack stated cryptically seeing my foot connect with someone's face before I turned giving him a confused look. "Ah…here comes help." He said pointing in the direction Gibbs had originally disappeared too.

"Pintel and Ragetti?" I murmured rolling my eyes. "I thought they were just comic relief." I thought shrugging seeing a few more men randomly join the fight and sighing returning to the battle at hand.

I noticed the battle was dwindling down after a little while and paused near Elizabeth seeing her violently kick one of the men overtop of a barrel before she turned studying me closely. "Pendant." Elizabeth thought seeing the familiar necklace dangling around my neck and glaring at me almost evilly. "Oh yeah." I thought shrugging and pretending to rapidly tuck it away, watching her study me for a long while apparently assuming it hadn't been noticed yet. I watched what was left of the men clear out leaving an unconscious Toothless behind before glancing around the familiar faces and watching Gibbs leading the way back to the Black Pearl. I saw Elizabeth nod toward Will before they disappeared into Tortuga probably discussing what had taken place and to my shock Elizabeth didn't bother to notice she left me alone standing there among the unconscious with Jack. "Elizabeth is sick." I thought staring at her retreating form before turning to Jack who was sitting on one of the barrels that had survived the fight and holding his ribs taking deep breaths. I forgot Elizabeth and walked over next to Jack ignoring his waving hand and reaching down to see what was wrong, only to find the wrappings had come slightly undone and he had again strained his ribs.

"I'm going to take away your rum and sword for this." I muttered seeing his eyes bug at the threat. "At least your sword." I mumbled aware it wasn't wise to mess with a pirate's rum. "Come on." I grumbled helping him to his feet watching his now narrowed gaze studying me evilly for such a dangerous threat.