For the first 3/4 of this story, Barbossa had a great big hole in his tummy. Here's the story of when it first happened.

Post-accord, year nine.

Jack was fighting - and doing a wonderful job of it, thank you ever so much - when somebody grabbed his arm from behind.

He spun around all ready to poke a few holes, realized just in time that it was Barbossa, and lowered his blade. "Careful, mate - this is not the time to sneak up on me," he laughed.

"Jack..."

It occured to Jack then that his partner never, ever took time in the middle of a battle to come find him for just a chat. "Is something wrong?"

"Aye, I think so." Jack followed his gaze down and-

Jack never knew who finished up the battle or how. When his icy panic finally dissipated an hour later, he discovered himself in the cabin. He was trying without much success to tie on a bandage.

"Devil take ye, Jack, wouldya stop shakin!" Barbossa was snarling. "I'm the one shot! For God's sake hurry up..."

Jack mumbled that he was trying. He didn't complain about the threats regarding exactly where that rum bottle was going if he didn't hurry up and fetch it faster. He did everything he was told and eventually the blood was merely seeping instead of pouring. There didn't seem to be anything more to do. He sat down by the bed.

It was dusk before anybody broke the silence.

"Jack..."

"Right here."

Talking was slow and painful but he got out, "Jack... do you... remember-"

"Yes," Jack interrupted. Barbossa raised his head a little to shoot him a questioning look, and Jack shrugged and smiled. His eyes were far too shiny for the dim light. "Yes, I remember everything. Every last little thing, savvy?"

They sat and listened to Barbossa's labored breathing for a while, and then Jack said, "You know, I made sure never to tell you this, but I always-"

"I know," he said quickly before Jack could finish. Jack had just stopped him from making a fool of himself, and he thought it only fair to return the favor.

When Jack realized that Barbossa was still watching his back this late in the game, he lost it completely and had to leave the cabin.

Barbossa drifted to sleep trying to figure out what Jack had been about to say.

He woke up three days later. The first thing he noticed when he came to was that he was having serious trouble breathing. At first he thought that meant he was another inch closer to death, but when he felt the mysterious weight on his chest shift and sigh, he realized that the reason he was suffocating was that Jack had fallen asleep in the chair next to him and then slid sideways to be resting his entire upper body over Barbossa's diaphragm.

He tried to say, "Arrr, move, idiot," but all that came out was a hoarse growl. He tried to shove Jack off but only managed to shift weakly.

Still, it was enough. Jack woke up with a start and sat up bolt upright. "Whu? What? Oh- how are you? Say something."

"...killya..."

"Oh, thank God. Thank God that's good." Jack held up a small bottle and uncorked it. "Drink. You've been asleep forever. We've been to Tia Dalma's. She worked some magic over you and said you should drink this if you came to. She didn't know if it would be enough..." He bit his lip, having meant to keep this bit a secret. "She said you might wake up maybe, well, only halfway. Sort of, you know..." Like de cow was how she'd put it, but Jack looked for more delicate terminology. "Sort of vacant. I'm glad you're all right because I don't know if I'd have been able to..." he decocked the pistol in his lap and put it on the floor.

Barbossa nodded. "I'm sure ye would manage, cons-... mmnh, considering you-"

"Yes, yes, I know, I shot you once already. Stop talking. Drink up."

Barbossa drank up but didn't feel any better. He waited half an hour and then decided that it wasn't a matter of waiting for the medicine to kick in - it was simply too late already.

He opened his eyes to tell Jack, but Jack seemed to know before he got words out. He took Barbossa's hand and looked away. "If there is anything I can do..."

"Thank ye, Jack." He waited til Jack met his eyes to whisper the rest: "Whatever you're wantin to hear me say... Figure I said it."

How about that you're not dying, would you say that? Jack just nodded. "See you on the other side, mate."

"Aye." Barbossa closed his eyes. "Night, Jack."

"Gnight mate."

Nine hours later.

"Jack?" He felt Jack stir against him. "The other side feels a lot like the side I was sposed to be leavin... only worse. Tell me..."

"You're alive."

"Thought so." He struggled to sit up and didn't get very far. "S'intolerable, and it's lastin too long. Hurry it up for me, will ye?"

"Hurry it...?" The fact that he was still alive suggested that Tia's potion wasn't failing after all and there might be a chance. Jack swallowed and wondered how on earth to convince him not to ask- Lightbulb. Jack jumped to his feet. "First let me show you something." He ran to the dresser and fetched something out of a hidden compartment. "Here: remember this?"

Jack handed it over and it took an inordinate amount of effort for Barbossa to raise it to his face. He squinted. A heavy silver chain, a pendant... He frowned. "I used to wear this every day. I lost it."

"Yep." Jack couldn't keep the childish pride out of his voice. "Years ago. We were swimming out to sea, mate, and you were positive we were bloody done for. Remember that? You let go of everything you were wearing so it wouldn't weigh you down. This necklace, I felt it go - caught it on me foot."

"Y'kept it. Why?"

Jack elaborated for him. "Why didn't I sell it, you mean, considering it's finders keepers and I'm sure the thing's worth a pretty penny?" Barbossa nodded. "I kept it for just such a case as this," Jack explained softly. "I'm telling you you're not done for, and I was right last time, and so don't you dare give up now."

"Jack," he complained.

"I mean it, mate," Jack overrode firmly. "You'll have to fight some, but you can do this. I'm positive. Trust me."

Barbossa clenched his fist as a wave of pain rolled up out of his stomach. The pendant cut into his hand. Jack was staring at him expectantly and he finally glared and snarled, "Fine."

"You'll survive?"

"I'll survive." He passed out again soon afterwards, but this time Jack felt all right about letting go of him and sleeping in the chair - two whole feet away.

TBC.

btw, I think Jack may have been lying about his reasons for keeping that awesome pendant.

Anyhow.

We're looking at one or two more chapters with possibly an epilogue, and that's it. If there's something you're hoping to see, now would be the time to mention it!

I'm going away this weekend but will try to update on the road (plane).