A/N: Alright, here we go. Sorry for the wait again. I meant to have it up yesterday but I ended up rewriting the chapter because it didn't feel right. I don't know if this one is much better over all, but I had a funner time writing it, so that must count for something eh? Oh, and sorry for the cheesy A few Good Men reference, I swear it came out of nowhere.

Disclaimer: Well, I got a little POTC skull key chain that lights up in a cereal box!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as everyone was back on board, Jack quickly set his focus on trying to remove himself from Helena's presence, who was currently right on his heels. At first he just ignored her, nodding and waving to different crew members, trying to give off the impression that he hadn't heard her calling after him. But every time she would get in a position to grab the back of his jacket, he would have to quicken his step, which eventually evolved into a full on chase between the two, evoking many stares from the crew who had no clue as to what was going on. After realizing this would get him nowhere, and considering the fact he was starting to get tired, Jack reluctantly decided it was time to face her questioning. He reached the bow of the ship and abruptly stopped and turned around, causing Helena to run right into him.

Helena stumbled a bit, momentarily losing her concentration on what her initial purpose of chasing after Jack was. Once she regained her bearings, she set her sight on Jack again, who was looking at her as if he didn't know what she wanted.

"Why didn't you stop when I called you?"

Jack gave her a look of shock. "Ye called me? I'm terribly sorry luv, I 'ad no idea."

Helena raised her eyebrows. "'Ow could you not! I was right behind you!"

"Were you? Huh. Wasn't aware. Apologies."

He made to walk off when Helena grabbed his arm. He mentally winced. He knew that wasn't going to work but it was worth a try.

"Wait."

He turned around to face her again. "Yes?"

Helena stood with her hands on her hips. She wasn't going to fall for his tricks this time. "We need to talk. Now!"

"Whatever about luv?"

"About...about..." she stuttered a bit, trying to find the perfect wording. "Everything! Everything you been telling me, everything everyone else has been telling me, this whole search for that key...everything!"

Jack had to move out of the way a few times during her little tirade, for she was throwing her arms all over the place. If he did say so himself, she was overreacting just a bit. Again he gave her a look of confusion. "I'm not sure I know wha' your talkin' about."

Helena let out a low growl. "Why is it tha' everything you tell me is almost completely different from everything everyone else tells me?"

"Ow' should I know? Maybe everyone else is just lying to ya."

"Or maybe your lying to me."

"Me? Why on earth would I lie to you?"

"That's wha' I want to know!"

Jack put his arm around her shoulder and started guiding her on a little walk. "Helena luv, I think the problem is you're a little confused. Not much of a surprise really, considering the past couple of days you've 'ad. I think what you need is a little nap, it'll 'elp clear your mind."

But unfortunately for Jack, Helena wasn't having any of it. She threw his arm off of her shoulder. "I don't need a bloody nap! I need answers! I need the truth!" she all but screamed in his face.

"You can't handle the truth!" he screamed back, again getting the attention of everyone on board. Yes, even he had to admit he got a bit carried away for a second there.

Apparently Helena wasn't expecting his reaction to be of such a magnitude either, for she was staring at him completely dumbstruck, her eyes almost taking on a glazed over look. Jack had to hide a little smirk. Granted, that wasn't exactly planned, but nonetheless it seemed to provide him with a chance to walk away, unnoticed.

He was almost to the steps leading up to the helm when Helena came back to her senses and went after him again. Jack wanted to smack her. Did she never give up!

"Wai...wait! Wha' do ye mean I can' handle the truth? Wha' truth!" Helena demanded, once again screeching.

Jack badly just wanted to throw her overboard and be done with the pest once and for all, but then he caught a glimpse of Will, who was giving him a stern look as if to say 'don't you think it's time to tell her the truth?'. Jack gave him a slight glare. 'Damn honest whelp.' He gave a dramatic sigh. "Alright. I confess."

"To what!"

Jack couldn't hide the look of annoyance on his face. 'So impatient.' "I confess. I've been...lyin', to ye. I...I..." he was just about to confess his sins when he was struck by a flash of a crazed Helena going psychotic on him when she learned of the truth, and it wasn't a pretty picture. Enough to make him gulp. He did not want to deal with that. No way could he tell her the truth, the real truth. No, there had to be another way. 'Quick, think of something.' He was racking his brain for ideas when finally one came to him.
He tilted his head to side and cast his eyes downward in a shamed manner. "Maybe...we could discuss this in me cabin. After all, it's more of a...private, matter, aye?" he looked at her hopeful.

Helena studied his face for a moment. He did seem sincere. She sighed. "Aye."

He gave her a brisk nod. He followed her into the cabin and shut the doors as she took a seat in the same chair as earlier. He followed suit and took a seat in his chair behind the desk.

"So then, what 'ave you been lying about exactly?"

Once again his acting skills came into play as he became somber. "I...wasn't, really kidnapped by Barbossa." he closed his eyes tight as he awaited her reaction.

Just as he had suspected, she let out a gasp. He peeked his eyes open just in time to see her, eyes wide with disbelief and rage overcome her features. He had to say, it was quite a sight.

"WHA' DO YE MEAN YOU WEREN'T REALLY KIDNAPPED BY BARBOSSA! 'OW COULD YE LIE TO ME LIKE! ALL THIS BLOODY TIME!"

It was a good thing there wasn't anything in arms reach that she could have thrown, because she definitely would have, no doubt about that.

"I know, I know, it was wrong. I 'ad no right. I'm scum. You 'ave every right to be mad at me."

Helena stood up, knocking her chair over in the process. "Ye damn right I do! 'Ow could you!" she finished by slamming her fists on the desk, causing some scattered papers to rattle a little with the force.

"I know. But you 'ave ta believe me luv, it wasn't my intention."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What do ye mean?"

He sighed again, for added measure. "My biggest dream, for as long as I could remember, was for us to 'ave a ship of our very own, and sail the seas together, seeking treasures and riches of unimaginable worth. One night while in Tortuga, I caught wind of a ship, this ship, that needed a captain. It was the most perfect thing that could of 'appened. There was no way I could pass it up. But I wanted it to be a surprise, for you." Jack gave her one of his charming smiles as she visually calmed down a bit and righted her chair and took her seat again. "So the next couple of days, I gathered a crew together. But before we set sail, I wanted to have a place to go, savvy? Tha' was when I met Tia Dalma. Tha' was the time you were sick with the flu, and were bed ridden, 'member?" A bit of realization came over Helena's face and she nodded at the memory. "I told ye I spent the days pick pocketing throughout the town, but really I was spending them with 'er. And that was when she gave me the compass. So I 'ad us a ship, a crew, an' a heading. Everything was set. But the night I was going to reveal my big surprise to ye, the crew convinced me tha' I shouldn't, tha' havin' a woman onboard was bad luck. I was..." Jack shook his head. "Young, stupid, naive enough to buy into it. An' so I...left."

Helena just looked at him. She couldn't believe it. Everything made so much more sense now. But she still couldn't believe it. He had left her? Just like that? She felt a pain in her chest like never before. "'Ow could ye...leave? Just like tha'?"

Jack felt a odd flutter in his stomach when he seen the look of hurt in her eyes, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He shook his head. "I don' know. I don' know what I was thinking. But you've got to believe me when I say, the guilt, of what I 'ad done, was unbearable. A few days into the journey, I finally came to me senses. I 'ad to go back and get you. But when I told the news to the crew, they were outraged. And that, is when Barbossa mutinied against me."

Jack watched her for a few moments, but she just stayed silent. 'Time to go in for the kill.' "I know it was wrong, an' I know the damage I caused can never be undone, but I hope, that maybe one day, ye could find in your 'eart to forgive me."

Helena didn't know what to make of it all. Could she forgive? There was part of her that wanted to, but then there was the other part that told her she couldn't. She didn't know what to do. This was just too much. She decided to change the subject.

"Wha' about Will?"

This wasn't the response Jack was expecting. "Wha' about 'im?"

Helena looked at him in disbelief. "I know your planning to somehow use him to your advantage against Davy Jones. Jack you can't! He'll get 'imself killed! An' you're using Elizabeth as a pawn to distract 'im."

'How on earth did she figure that out! Blast she's a pain in the a...' Jack stopped himself. He had to control his temper. He just got her to believe him once again, he couldn't blow his cover.

Helena saw him go into a deep concentration. And then he came to a decision. "You're absolutely right luv. I can't. This is my problem, an' I'll 'ave to deal with it on my own."

Helena smiled with relief. Finally, he was coming to his senses. "Good. Good. You're doing to the right thing Jack. We can beat this, I just know it. But it doesn't mean we have to manipulate people." she came around to him and started patting his shoulder. "It'll all be okay. We just have to...wait for the oppotune moment, savvy?"

Jack rolled his eyes in disgust. "Savvy."

"Now, we 'ave to go tell Will, tell 'im we need a new plan."

She started walking towards the door. Jack stood up in a panic. He needed to do something. He scanned the room quickly but didn't see anything that would help. Then his hand went to his hip, where his sword was hanging. He smiled a golden grin. He slowly pulled the sword out of it's holder, quietly walked behind Helena, and with a quick motion, brought the hilt of the sword upon her head, knocking her out cold and causing her body to fall to the floor with a thump.

Jack leaned over her to make sure she was really out. When he was convinced, he put his sword away and stepped over her and out the door. He sauntered up the stairs and over to Gibbs who was steering the ship.

"Gibbs, a moment please."

"Aye Captain?"

"I need you to put Helena in me bed. Poor thing, was so tired she collapsed right there in the cabin."

"Aye Captain."

Jack smiled again, pleased with himself. He then looked towards the sky. "Oh and Gibbs?"

"Aye?"

"When you're done, ready the crew. Seems there's a storm comin'."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N2: Quick, off topic question. Have any of you seen those new Got Milk? commercials? Where the aliens are trying to get the 'wonder tonic' from the cow, DA IRY? MY god I'm soo in love with those! Are they not the funniest thing ever?