I know it took me FOREVER to update, but i'm doin it now! no need to kill me! i'm back i'm back! and all set to work on this story again! okay okay i'm almost done.. thanks to all my reviewers! i really couldn't do it with out you guys! hehe.. okay go on READ! and REVIEW! and i don't want no flames.. constructive critisim is welcome cause then i can beter myself!

Chapter 21

"Fight of a Life Time"

I prepared myself for a battle of a lifetime. We had almost caught up with Valencia's ship; it was only a couple hours ahead of us now. The Pearl was indeed the fastest ship in the Caribbean. I wore my usual leathers and boots. I placed my pistol at my side, along with my sword. I looked myself over in the mirror, lining my green eyes with black kohl. My dark auburn hair hung down around my face, covering it partially. I stared at my transformed self, I hadn't been this anxious for a battle in years. A battle I have every intention of winning, with or without anyone's help. I stepped out of Jack's cabin into the bright afternoon sunlight. I squinted my eyes slightly as I my eyes searched for Sweet Revenge. My eyes caught sight of it, a small grin spread across my face.

"Are the men ready?" I asked Jack as I approached the helm.

"Aye, they are." He stated simply, never taking his eyes off of Sweet Revenge.

"Good, I want to get this over with as quick as possible." I stated, my eyes trailing to the horizon. I tried to prepare myself for the battle I was about to be in. Nothing could prepare me for it, I felt anxious, nervous, and frightened for my child. Frightened for what she was about to witness, I always tried to protect her from such things.

"Shouldn't be long now." Jack said, which I completely ignored, lost in thought. "Ravenica?"

"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of my trance.

"It shouldn't be long now." He repeated

"Oh, yeah, of course." I said, obviously not paying much attention to him.

Jack shook his head and set his attention back on the sea.

What seemed like an eternity didn't take long at all, before I even realized what was happening we had pulled aside Sweet Revenge. My eyes searched for Valencia, finally finding my mark I stared a hole through her body. I imagined myself running her down and stabbing her repeatedly for what she's done.

"Ravenica I see you've found me." Valencia said with a sick grin.

"I want my daughter back!" I yelled, leaning over the railing.

"For Jack." She said, walking toward the rail of her own ship.

"Ready the cannons." I commanded, which the men quickly obeyed. "Hand her over or I'm taking her the hard way!"

"Go ahead and try, your never goin' to get yer daughter back!"

"Wanna bet?" I grinned.

"Fire the cannons!" I heard Jack yell, I quickly looked at him with a small grin.

The cannons sent a chill through my body as they fired. My ears rang with each fire. I watched Jack's men place a makeshift ramp between the two ships. I quickly ran across it, and ran below while Jack kept Valencia busy. My eyes searched and searched for Lydia. "Lydia?" I called out repeatedly, my heart beating in my chest. I felt as if my chest was about to explode.

"Mommy?" I heard a faint voice call from the end of the corridor.

"Lydia." I whispered as I ran toward the end, finally finding her in a cell. I looked her over; she had various cuts and bruises littering her face. Her small fingers rounded the bars of her cell.

"Mommy?" she called out, her brown eyes filling with tears. Her hair was matted, her eyes were no longer filled with the joy I once saw. Her eyes were filled with fear and hate.

I searched for a key, when I came up empty I pulled out my pistol. "I'm going to get ye out of 'ere, I promise, stand back."

She nodded slowly and crept to the far end of the cell. I sighed and pointed the pistol at the lock, giving no second thought to it I pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the lock with a tink and then flew open.

"Come here." I said as calmly as possible, bending down to meet Lydia in a hug. She threw her arms around my neck tightly, giving no sign of letting go. I picked her up carefully, not knowing what other injuries she may have. I carefully crept to toward the stairway, wanting to get off of Sweet Revenge as quickly as possible. Dead men littered the deck of Sweet Revenge, some hers some mine. I looked around for any sign of Jack, not seeing him anywhere.
I set Lydia on her feet and looked her in the eyes. "Lydia, go to The Pearl, go to Jack's cabin!" I demanded

"No, I'm not leaving!" she yelled back as the gunfire rapidly rang through both of our ears.

"Ye 'ave to!" I yelled, pleading with the small child.

"No!" she yelled stubbornly, stomping her foot on the deck.

I sighed, knowing there was no arguing with her. I had no choice I had to take her with me to find Jack.

"Ravenica!" I heard Jack yell from an undisclosed location.

I turned almost in a complete circle before finding Jack's location; he stood by the helm along with Valencia and four of her men.

"Damn it!" I yelled, my brain racing for a solution. I grabbed Gibbs who was running frantically past me.

"Aye Captain?" he asked, hesitantly

"Take Lydia, go to Jack's cabin and stay there!!" I demanded

"Wha' of Jack?" Gibbs asked

"I'll deal wit it, juss go!" I yelled, slapping him on the back.

"Aye!" he yelled over the repeated gunfire, taking Lydia's hand and escorting her.

"So this is how it's goin' to be?" I asked calmly, walking toward the helm.

"Wha ye mean?" Valencia asked, watching me cautiously.

I walked up the stairs to the helm, slowly. I could tell it was making Valencia edgy that I was taking this so calmly. "It's goin' to be me or him, isn't it?"

"Ye'd give yerself up fer 'im to go free?" She asked, the confusion running through her blue eyes. I watched her blonde hair flow in the small breeze. The gunfire had stopped, the men watched both captains who were about to go head to head.

"Aye, I would, ye see love is somethin' ye probably 'ave never experienced and maybe never will. I'd do anything fer Jack and my child. If that means bein' at yer mercy, so be it." I stated, no emotion in my voice on present on my face.

I looked to Jack who just shook his head no, looking at me as if I was crazy.

"Nice speech, ye think I'm juss goin' to give him up? Ye see, I love him as much as ye do." She stated

"Would ye walk across the desert wit no water and no hope of bein' found? Would ye do anythin' to make him happy even if that meant the end of yer being? Take care of 'im when 'e is sick? Still take 'im back after 'e 'as ran around wit other women? Even more so, would ye die fer 'im?" I asked, staring into her eyes.

She shrugged her shoulders in thought, her eyes leaving mine as if I had been staring into her soul.

"See, I would. I'll do anythin' fer 'im." I stated, looking to Jack. Jack looked back at me, seeming to finally understand my love for him. It didn't matter if he didn't see it that way or he didn't feel exactly the same. It's the way I feel for him, and I didn't care who knew it.

"I'm not givin' 'im up. I can learn to love 'im juss the same as ye do."

"Fine, ye put up wit 'is shit." I stated, turning on my heel and began to walk away from them.

The fingers of my left hand rounded the hilt of my sword. The fingers of my right hand rounded my pistol. I cocked it back and pulled it from my belt, and into plain sight. I knew I wasn't going to get out of this with out a bullet wound. Hell maybe I would be killed, but I knew the reason I was doing it. The reason was all I needed to know. I turned on my heel, my auburn hair floating around my head; my green eyes meeting Valencia's blue eyes. Her eyes went wide as I lifted my pistol quickly, taking quick aim. I pulled the trigger; my shot rang in my ears as it hit her square in the chest. I heard other shots; I felt a bullet fly into my chest, and another into my right arm. My pistol fell from my hands, I had no strength to hold it up. My eyes rolled into the back of my head, I feel down the flight of stairs, consisting of only seven or eight stairs. My body hit the deck with an astonishing thud. I took in a deep breath. "Is she dead?" I heard Valencia yell frantically obviously trying to catch her breath.

"Not dead yet." I stated, slowly and unsteadily coming to my feet. My dark hair covered my face, pulled the heavy cloak from my body and threw it to the deck. I watched Jack almost faint from surprise as I stood. My green eyes had glossed over and looked to be black. Red blood stained my shirt on my chest and my arm. I watched Valencia, also equally covered in her own blood across her chest walk toward the stairway, Jack still being held by her men. "Go on, finish the job. I bet ye 'ave never killed in cold blood before. Especially over a man, even one of Jack's stature.

Valencia stared into my eyes for what seemed to be an eternity, I just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. Every muscle in my body ached. I watched her approach me carefully as if sizing me up. I had no weapon in my hands. Unarmed she figured I was nothing and I knew this. She stood before me, about a half a head shorter than me. She pushed the hair from my eyes; I stared at her never blinking.

"Let him go!" Valencia yelled.

The men quickly let Jack go, not wanting to disobey their captain.

I leaned over, feeling as if I was going to die on the spot. I clenched my chest and tried to breath.

Valencia leaned over and whispered in my ear. "It's not over, it never will be."

I pulled a knife from the back of my bodice, unknown to everyone. I watched Valencia straighten her stance as she stared at me. "I will not rest until I 'ave 'im. But, what do ye say to a truce, fer now? At least until yer able to fight again."

I nodded slowly.

"A truce then!" she grinned, pulling me into a death grip hug.

I pulled the knife and stabbed her straight in the stomach; she quickly pulled away from me and backed up. Her eyes went wide when she realized I had just stabbed her. She looked back up to me. "We 'ad a truce!"

"No, ye 'ad a truce wit yerself. I'm a pirate and ye needed to die. It's over now, may I see ye in hell." I stated as Jack came running over to me. Jack wrapped his right arm around my waist; I felt the blood loss begging to make me feel groggy. I watched Valencia grip the knife, which had plunged in to the hilt. She pulled it from her stomach and winced. I watched her fall to the deck with a thud, her eyes rolled into the back of her head as blood began to spew from her mouth. Her eyes remained open even as she passed on into the next life.

"Let's get out of 'ere." I heard Jack whisper.

I nodded slowly and began to walk with Jack's help. I ran my fingers through my hair, which seemed oddly sticky. I looked down at my hand, which was covered in Valencia's blood. I sighed and set my eyes on The Pearl, for the first time in years it finally felt like home, again.