Embracing Katrina – Version II

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

Author's Note: Small changes here.

Chapter 37

Shoot

Holding onto the Pearl with all their might as pieces of cargo floated about, those aboard the Pearl suddenly saw a green flash of light. A moment later the calm water that had swallowed the Black Pearl whole swiftly began to diminish as the Pearl was somehow thrust in the direction its masts pointed towards. After a bombardment of torrents, the Pearl splashed through to the real world. Everyone was back, and the Pearl was once again floating as it always had with the sky above as it rode the sea.

"Blessed sweet westerlies!" Gibbs cried out after taking in fresh air. "We're back!"

Pintel and Ragetti, though had their point proven of the need to be tied upside down to the mast while they were underwater, were no longer right-side up… again.

"This was your idea," Pintel accused the other pirate. "And the fact that I went along does not make you any less stupid."

"Well, it don't make you no more smart, neither," Ragetti argumentatively pointed out.

"You alright, love?" Jack asked Katrina, ignoring the bickering of the two pirates tied to the mast.

"Yes," Katrina breathed shakily. "Yes, I believe so."

Jack carefully stepped back from the railing and helped lead his wife toward the open area of the deck while Ragetti and Pintel struggled to untie themselves.

"Ye sure, darlin'?" Jack fussed over her, a hand having found its way onto her belly.

"Yes," Katrina smiled at him before a sudden thought entered her mind. "You're free, Jack! The debt was settled and you're still alive!"

Jack quickly down at his hand where once lay the black spot before he had gone down with the Kraken.

"You're right, Katrina!" Jack laughed. "No mark! No worries!"

As Jack gave Katrina a hug, Katrina caught sight of the scenery behind him.

"Look, Jack," Katrina said as she pulled out of his embrace and gestured to the other side of the ship. "It's a sunrise!"

Katrina seemed to grasp everyone else's attention by the little announcement to Jack, for they all turned to see what she was seeing, gathering close together. After a peaceful moment of admiration, everyone turned away and instead looked upon each other, grinning happily at having made the journey.

But, those happy grins only lasted a moment as well before everyone at once pulled out pistols and pointed them at each other.

Barbossa's pistol was aimed at Jack along with Elizabeth's. Jack's pistol was aimed at Will, while Will's was aimed at Barbossa along with Gibbs'.

Realizing she didn't have a pistol on her, Katrina looked around in search of one. She caught sight of Cotton watching the group in confusion. Without giving him a warning, Katrina swiftly took one of his guns.

"Don't you dare," Katrina said between clenched teeth as her right hand pressed the pistol underneath Elizabeth's jawbone.

"Katrina, how could you?" Will called out in shock.

"That's simple," Katrina said as she reached around Elizabeth to grab Gibbs' other pistol out of his belt like she did to Cotton. "She killed my husband."

Barbossa, who had been snickering at enjoying the scene of Katrina threatening Elizabeth, stopped at once when he saw her switch her right hand to aim at him while the left hand with Gibbs' pistol replaced that which was aimed at Elizabeth.

"What was that, Barbossa?" Jack jeered at the pirate standing next to him. "Somethin' 'bout 'ow ye shouldn't upset a pregnant woman?"

Barbossa replied with a sarcastic grin.

"But Jack's alive now, Katrina," Will protested her reasoning for aiming at Elizabeth.

"Fine," Katrina smirked. "Then my answer is this… pirate."

"That's me girl!" Jack cheered.

In a flash, Will pulled out a second pistol and aimed it at Jack at the same time Barbossa aimed his second gun at him. Jack in turn pulled out his second pistol and aimed it at Barbossa, but quickly changed his aim to Elizabeth as she pulled her second pistol and aimed it at Katrina.

"How could ye, love?" Jack echoed Will's question to Elizabeth. "She's carryin' me child."

Elizabeth didn't say anything as she tried not to look into the pirate's eyes.

"Not t' mention that ye know after doin' it once, love, ye can't live wi' the guilt o' killin' someone else again."

"But you can?" came Will as he changed his aim from Barbossa so that both pistols were pointed at Jack.

"Aye, I like your thinkin', boy," Barbossa chuckled before Jack could get a word in. Barbossa then moved his hand so that both of his pistols aimed at Jack.

"But I don't like yours," Will remarked as he brought one of the pistols to aim back at Barbossa.

In return, Barbossa aimed a pistol back at Will.

Silent came about the group as they stared around at each other, changing position of their guns here and there as they felt needed to do so. Tia Dalma watched from afar, rolling her eyes at the group's behavior.

"All right, then," Barbossa spoke up after a while, bringing his focus onto Jack. "The Brethren Court is a-gathrin' at Shipwreck Cove. Jack, you and I be goin' there, and there's no arguin' the point."

"I is arguin' the point," Jack protested. "If there's pirates a-gatherin', I'm a-pointin' me ship the other a-way."

"The pirates are gathering to fight Beckett," Elizabeth jumped in. "And you're a pirate."

After saying this, Elizabeth removed the pistol she had aimed at Katrina so that both guns were before Jack. In reaction, Jack took the pistol that aimed at Will over so that it aimed straight in front of him at Elizabeth.

Will, in reaction to this, cocked the pistol that aimed at Jack. "Fight or not, you're not running."

Jack immediately aimed a gun back at Will with Katrina doing the same by switching her aim from Elizabeth.

"If we don't stand together, they'll hunt us down, one by one, 'til there's none left but you," Barbossa warned Jack.

"Then I'll be the last," Jack said happily with an arrogant smirk "I like the sound of that. Captain Jack Sparrow, the last pirate. Well… that is 'til me child's born."

"Beg pardon?" Katrina questioned Jack in surprise.

Barbossa rolled his eyes at Jack. "Then you'll be fighting Jones alone. How does that figure into your plans?"

"Still workin' on it," Jack confessed as he cocked the pistol aimed at Barbossa, causing Katrina's brows to rise as she continued to look across the opening of the group at him. "But I'm not going back to the locker, Barbossa. You can count on that."

Then, without giving a second thought, Jack fired his pistol at Barbossa. The small action from Jack caused everyone in the group to fire their pistols.

Will fired his pistols aimed at Jack and Barbossa. Jack in turn fired his last pistol at Will. Elizabeth fired her pistols at Jack and Barbossa. Gibbs fired at Barbossa. Katrina fired her guns at Will and Barbossa. Barbossa fired at Jack and Will.

Though the group all fired at once, no gun worked. The pistols only made clicking sounds.

Gibbs looked down the barrel of his gun,. "Wet powder."

With a great sigh, everyone put away their weapons.

"So for now we're in this together," Will began addressing the group. "And right now, we need water."

The group agreed and Barbossa pulled out the charts onto the deck.

"The charts show an island nearby," Will spotted quickly. "There. With a freshwater spring. We can resupply, and then get on with shooting each other."

Jack and Barbossa looked at each other before grinning with agreement.

----------

"That was very risky out there, love," Jack said strongly to Katrina as he shut their cabin door behind them. "I don't want to see ye doin' somethin' like that again."

"Oh, come on, Jack!" Katrina huffed. "You knew as well as I did that the guns wouldn't work after being under water! You knew we weren't in any real danger!"

"That's not the point, darlin'!" Jack snapped back as he stepped up to her. "Ye shouldn't be out there fightin'… out there tryin' to… tryin' to…"

"Defend you?" Katrina finished for him. "Why not? I love you? I've missed you! I don't want to lose you again!"

"But, love!" Jack interrupted, grasping her shoulders. "Things are different now!"

Before Katrina could lash out a retort, Jack placed his right hand on her belly.

"That's not fair, Jack," Katrina choked.

"I don't care if it's not fair, love, it's what's real and true," Jack replied back calmly. "It's my job to protect ye both… not your job to protect me."

Katrina rolled her eyes unhappily. "Fine."

"Thank ye, love," Jack smiled before wrapping her up in a hug.

"I know, I know," Katrina sighed into his shoulder.

Jack chuckled at his wife before his eyes began to wander their room.

"Not good," mumbled Jack after having a good moment to observe the mess of the room.

"What?" Katrina asked as she pulled away from him to see what he was looking at.

Their bed was at an odd angle, the sheets, cover, and pillows scattered on the floor. Katrina's dresser was on an edge leaning against the wall, missing some drawers. Her vanity was flipped over, the mirror broken. Jack's armoire was lying on its side, one of its doors hanging by a hinge. His desk had also toppled over, wet stray papers, maps, charts, quills, and spilled ink covered the surrounding floor with the fallen books from the built-in shelves.

"Well," Katrina tried to laugh off the state of their room as she turned back to Jack, "we did need to turn over the Pearl in order to return."

"I know," Jack breathed out, cringing at the fact that the room needed to be put back together. "Let me go grab some o' the lads t' help me clean this up."

"I'll go ahead and start gathering the clothes and books while you-"

"No," Jack interjected suddenly as he took up Katrina's hands in his and lead her to the window seat. "I want you t' do absolutely nothing but sit 'ere and relax."

"But Jack, I can easily…"

"No," Jack stopped his wife again as she sat down alongside the window. "I want you to sit here, relax, and just enjoy the view as we come closer to that island. Savvy?"

"But Jack-"

"Look, love," Jack brushed back her dark hair. "I haven't been able t' care for you or our baby during the time I was in the locker. Please, darlin', I don't want anythin' to happen t' either o' you. Just remain here and relax."

Katrina opened her mouth again to argue.

"For me?" Jack beat her in speaking, "And the baby?"

Katrina crossed her arms in disagreement, but obligingly answered, "Yes, Jack, for you and the baby."