Author's Note: Hello and welcome to Chapter Twenty-Five of "Rubicon". There will be one more chapter after this one and then the story will be complete. I should also mention that the ending is AU and does not correspond with AWE in any way. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read and those that reviewed, ElfLuver13, Faith-Catherine, Tiera-Tarie, Lady Beckett, Astraeas Dreams and EvenstarEverlasting.I have no beta for this fic, so any grammatical or spelling errors that appear are my fault and my fault alone. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Pirates of the Caribbean.

October 3, 1731

Dearest Diary,

There is a blue sky above me and oh, it is a most heavenly blue. Clouds dance about the horizon, chased by a brisk wind that even now tugs at the sails. I am sitting on the deck which is open to the setting sun and the waves and the very freshness of life. And I breathe now, deeply, fully and without a trace of pain.

Thanks be to God…and Tia Dalma.

It has only been a short while since we took leave of the Caribbean. I daresay I am glad for it, most glad for it. The only parting sorrow I hold in my heart is that of my poor stillborn daughter. We were forced to bury little Julia in a small graveyard overlooking all of Port Royal and the sea. Oh, I wish that she had been laid to rest on the grounds of our estate in England. It can never be so. But she shall forever remain close to me, in both my heart and mind, though I return home.

Ah England! Such a place I cannot even imagine although it has been my home for nearly all of my life. Oh for those happy green fields and grey moors and quiet country lanes lined with hedges. I have missed it so. Cutler has not admitted it to himself yet (or to me, for that matter) but I do believe he longs for England as well. Perhaps it is a good thing that has happened to us, a blessing sent to dispel our woes. So I view it and mayhap in years to come, so shall my husband.

I must tell of how it all came about, though a terrible thing it may seem. I have pressed Cutler to recount some small part of it. In his current mood, however, I doubt he has treated the subject with thorough care. I shall pick up where he left off then.

It all happened on some frightful night, when I could hear naught but the frantic bellow of cannon and the shriek of musketry. In my bed chamber I lay, waiting for the quiet release of death to take my last breath from me. But I found I could stay no longer and the shadows chased me from that room and out into the street. There I found nothing but chaos and cries as several pirate ships bombarded the town. My own servants ran about, distracted, fearful and ignorant to my demands for help. I realized then that I must go to my husband, alone.

Even now I do not know how I survived the streets. Soldiers poured into the gutters like frightened rats, each grappling with a loaded musket and steely sword. No one noticed me, not one man and I was glad to be invisible in their eyes. I arrived at my husband's office just as the battle reached the streets.

Light gushed into the wide hallway of the building and voices. I fell against the wall. Over the threshold I had passed, exhausted, panting and expecting my life to be swept away from me. But then I heard Cutler speak and I called to him, as if waking from a horrid dream only to find a nightmare at one's doorstep. He did not reply. I dragged myself to the door of his office and stumbled inside.

I remember little of the rest. Hands, I can recall, gripping my shoulders and holding me fast. A devilish smile I remember too and poor Mr. Norrington begging me to flee. My husband alone I saw, standing to the side with a pistol pressed to his throat.

Oh such a shock it was! And oh how my heart beat. I begged for his release, pled with his captor, a man well-known to me through stories and legends, one Captain Jack Sparrow. My husband would have been killed right then and there had Sparrow not exercised surprising mercy. He was - is - a terribly smart man, a man who sees and knows more than the common wretch.

He asked to speak with me. I say asked for he requested my presence politely though I was completely in his power. I could not stand so he ordered his first mate, one Mr. Gibbs, to carry me from the room. Across the hall I was taken and set upon a small wooden chair and Mr. Gibbs left. A lantern lit the small office, once used by Mr. Mercer and the window remained shuttered. From outside I could still hear the rumble of cannon, faint though it was and seemingly distant.

Darkness fell about me, a darkness which the dim lantern light could not pierce. I folded my hands upon my lap and waited for a time. No fear touched my heart, no trace of terror. I was quite resigned to my fate, unhappy as it might be and my thoughts turned only to my husband and dear little son. If only I could spare them, if only!

Shortly afterwards, Captain Sparrow entered, a certain swagger governing his step. Elizabeth Swann and Mr. Norrington followed him, along with that strange woman, that Tia Dalma.

Sparrow bent over me with a smile and I caught sight of the dozen or so baubles that were braided into his hair. He had many gold teeth and wore a red handkerchief twisted about his brow.

"Good evening, madam," he said in a voice that I believed to be mocking. I struggled to sit up straight, but failed, my shoulders sagging beneath a terrible weakness.

"Sir," I said with a nod. His eyes shone.

"Have you come to treat with me then?" he asked, spinning away and pacing before me.

I stayed silent for a long moment and searched for my tongue. Mr. Norrington stepped forward.

"Sparrow, for God's sake, leave her be," he said.

Elizabeth Swann scowled at him and shoved a pistol against his ribs. Mr. Norrington flinched, though I believe it was from some internal pain rather than fear.

"It is fine, James," I assured him at once. "I have indeed come to treat with him."

"Have you brought anything to bargain with?" Sparrow asked with a lavish gesture. I noticed several rings on his fingers.

"No, sir," I said and suddenly felt chilled as I sat there in naught but my cloak and shift. "You have caught me unawares. But take this, if you will, though a small thing it is." And I removed my wedding ring and handed it to him. Sparrow slipped it onto his small finger.

"It'll do for the time, though its not quite enough to save your husband's life."

"I understand," I said. But apparently Mr. Norrington did not.

"Have you no decency?" he asked rather loudly, ignoring the way Elizabeth glared at him.

"Have you?" she snapped.

"Pity a poor, sickly woman, Sparrow," Mr. Norrington continued. "And a mother at that."

Sparrow stared at him for a full minute. "Now, if you ask me, Admiral, its you who is being unfair. Won't even let the lady talk for herself. Not such gentlemanly conduct, eh?"

I gripped the cold arms of my chairs and managed to sit up.

"James, do not worry over me, please," I said.

Mr. Norrington nodded, his handsome face both sad and worn. Sparrow resumed his pacing.

"You hold your own, lass," he said and tapped the back of my chair.

"Thank you," I replied.

"And you are quite a lady at that."

"Thank you."

Sparrow paused and laughed to himself. "Never thought a woman of high-standing would put store in a compliment bestowed by a pirate."

I lifted my chin a little, trying to smile. "I was not thinking of you as a pirate, sir," I said truthfully.

"What then?" he prompted. "What were you thinking?"

I twisted my chilled hands in the folds of my cloak. "Well, sir," I said quietly, "I…I thought you were quite dead."

"Dead?" He spun about, his arms stretched out to the sides. "Do I look dead to you?"

"No, sir," I said. He danced a little jig and touched my shoulder.

"Do I feel dead to you?"

"Sparrow!" Poor Mr. Norrington interrupted again. Sparrow backed away.

"Sorry, mate," he said. "I won't lay a finger on her again. My apologies, Lady Beckett."

"No matter, sir." And I assured him with a nod of my head. "I will say that you do not look or feel dead to me, but my husband did receive numerous reports that told of your…end."

"Bah! What simpleton listens to 'reports'?" He placed his hands on his hips. I blushed.

"My husband and he is a wise man."

"Really?" This seemed to amuse Sparrow greatly. A wide smile exposed his gold teeth once more. "And why do you say that?"

I realized that no answer I might give would prove satisfactory, so I decided to avoid such a pointed question. "I have my reasons," I said.

Sparrow sighed, disappointed of course.

"Aye, that you do, my lady. That you do."

He turned away from me, walking to the shuttered window and undoing the latch.

"But for all your husband's wisdom, me boys are doing a fine job of destroying his fleet," he said.

I tried to swallow away the lump in my throat.

"I wonder what he thinks of that, eh?"

"I do not know, sir," I replied at length. "But I would rather that Cutler lose every single one of his ships than his life."

Sparrow glanced at me over his shoulder, the light of the moon framing his face. "Smart woman. But that's not saying I agree with you."

A moment of silence stretched between us, in which Mr. Turner appeared most agitated.

"Jack," he said quietly. "We cannot stand here all night."

"And who says I intend to?" Sparrow responded. He closed the shutters over the window once more. "What did you do with Beckett?"

"Took him down to the prison with a heavy guard. But Jack, Barbossa has only promised us so much time. His ships are-

"There are more of you?" I asked and then clapped a hand over my mouth. Sparrow chuckled.

"A fair number, my lady. You cannot expect us to challenge the Company without a fine armada of our own."

"How did you amass such ships?" I wished to keep Sparrow engrossed and chatting. I thought perhaps he might be more inclined to release my husband then or some aid would arrive from a neighboring port to save us.

"Word of mouth mostly," Sparrow sniffed. "I am well known enough. And there is no shortage of men in the Brethren that wouldn't want to show the Company a thing or two."

I did not know what to say. Instead, I nodded. Fortunately, Sparrow needed no prompting.

"We had ourselves a fine gathering," he said, spinning away from me. His boots clicked merrily along the floor. "A fine gathering indeed. Never thought I'd see the day when the Brethren would band together. We are most solitary creatures, you know."

"I would imagine so," I replied. "And what of Jones? How did you manage to stop him?"

Sparrow raised a dark eyebrow. "You know of Jones, Lady Beckett?"

"Of course," I said somewhat indignantly. "My husband is an honest man."

Sparrow smiled. "I bet he is. Well, truth be told, it was a bit tricky with Jones. We had old Lizzie and Tia," he paused and gestured to the two women, "come to Port Royal first. But I am sure you know all about that, my lady."

Suddenly, I realized what he meant and suddenly I remembered that my babe was dead.

"I am sorry, my lady," Sparrow said and he truly seemed so. "We never intended to hurt you, never."

I shook my head. "Go on, please."

"Well," Sparrow sighed. "We sent in Lizzie and Tia here. And they were quite a distraction for your husband, they were. Good old Will," he paused again and jerked his head in the direction of the young man. "Good old Will, he managed to sneak in and snatch the heart. No, it wasn't an easy thing, no. He had a hard time of it. Your husband had the place well guarded."

"But he succeeded," I said softly, my head bowed.

"Aye lass, that he did. We destroyed the thing, of course. I think you'll agree that a creature like Jones is best gotten rid of."

"Yes," I replied, "Yes I do." And it pained me to say such. My husband, though well-intentioned, should have never troubled with a creature like Jones. And now that Cutler has lost nearly all of his conquered sea, I think he would agree.

"It's nice to see that you are not your husband's puppet," Sparrow said and he wrinkled his nose. "Most proper wives are. But still, I'm afraid you've not given me one reason to spare your dearly beloved's life."

Tears blurred my gaze. I blinked my eyes once to hide them from Sparrow and his crew. "I do not come to reason," I said at length. "I have come to treat."

"Then treat!" Sparrow waved his arms about. "I've got me ear open."

I took a deep breath. A spasm of pain tightened my lungs. I struggled to speak. "Captain Sparrow, I propose a brief cessation of hostilities. Allow my husband and my son to leave Port Royal and sail to safely in England. Upon reaching England, my husband shall resign from the Company and retire to the countryside for life. Never again shall he trouble you or the Caribbean."

Sparrow seemed to consider. He tapped one long, tan finger against his moustache. "And what of you, my lady?"

"I will stay behind," I replied, "on good faith until my family is safe. Then perhaps you might permit me to join them."

Sparrow looked at me long and hard then. I returned his gaze with steady eyes. He began to speak, but Tia Dalma stepped behind my chair and stopped him.

"Jack," she said and that was all. She laid her hand on my arm. Sparrow raised his eyebrows, then chuckled.

"Bloody hell," he spat. "Lady Beckett, go fetch your husband and son."

Ah, I have no time to finish my narrative. Cutler calls me below deck. Later though, later.

Lady Anne Beckett