Bump.

Suddenly, the whole crew was jolted to the side, and Violet rushed to the edge of the ship. Below her, the ocean was bubbling, hugging the sides of the Pearl, and Violet sucked in a breath.

What was down there?

"We must have hit a reef," a sailor said absent-mindedly, drawing the rest of the crew to the side of the boat.

"That's no reef." Violet heard a low voice say behind her, and suddenly Gibbs had grabbed her arm, pulling her backwards. "Get back, Miss Charles!"

"What is it?" Violet asked, scrabbling backwards as Will began shouting about cannons and guns. "What is it, Gibbs?"

"The Kraken." Gibbs' face was grimmer than Violet had ever seen him. "And it's here for the Captain."

So this was it. The final showdown. Death had finally caught up with Jack Sparrow, and they were going to have to see if he could outrun it a final time.

"Why aren't we firing?" Violet screamed, running over to Will, who had seemed to momentarily forget about their current disagreement.

"Because since the dear captain is nowhere to be found, we are waiting for my signal, Violet, not yours." Will's face was stone, unreadable, and Violet decided to let his words go. This was no place for an argument, not when she knew she was the one at fault for his anger. The boy had just found his father, after all, a luxury that most pirates weren't granted.

"Well, I'd say you'd better make your signal, Will, or soon you might have no hands left to signal with," Violet hissed, and Will shook his head.

"Almost…" he muttered, brow furrowed. Suddenly, he turned to the crew. "Fire!"

The cannons went off with a bang, and Violet could see the Kraken's tentacles retract, cannonball holes left in its suction-cupped skin.

"It'll be back," Will said solemnly, eyes on the bubbling water beneath them. "We have to get off the ship."

"There's no boats!" Elizabeth exclaimed, gesturing to the pile of splintered wood that was all that remained of the longboats.

"Where's Jack?" Violet demanded, looking around the ship. "If it's him the Kraken's after, then it's him who needs to get us out of this." She ran to the bow, surveying the deck of the ship. And that's when she spotted him. Sitting in a rowboat, halfway out to sea.

"No," she said quietly, shaking her head. Her body turned to ice and her vision flooded with red. "How could you?"

"Violet!" Elizabeth was at her side now, shaking her shoulders. "We have to fight, Violet, you have to help us!"

"But Jack-" Violet began, but Elizabeth shook her head, gesturing back at the battle on the deck beneath them.

"Is gone. And won't be coming back. And I know we've had our differences lately, but I think we can all overlook those for the good of the ship, can't we?" Elizabeth gave her an imploring gaze, and Violet tore her eyes away from Jack, pushing him from her mind.

"Alright," Violet said, returning to the fight. "But if we make it out of this alive, Jack Sparrow is as good as dead."

"We've loaded the rum," Will shouts as she joined him from where they were heaving up a huge net filled with barrels. "I hope you won't mind."

"It's a devastating loss, to be sure, but I prefer it over my own life," Violet said through gritted teeth, pulling on the rope with all her might.

"Heave!" Gibbs shouted, and suddenly, the ship shuddered, tentacles rising on all sides and beginning to smash across the deck of the ship.

All of a sudden, everything was suction cups and tentacles and cracking bones, and men were being dragged into the ocean in all directions. Violet could barely register the one coming at her before it was locked around her waist, pulling her to the other side of the ship.

"Violet!" Gibbs called, and she began to twist in its grasp, slowly shimmying her cutlass out of its sheath. She felt her feet leave the ground as she was hoisted into the air, dangling above the deck of the ship, and suddenly her cutlass slid free and she was stabbing at the tentacle with all her might, ignoring the blood and slime that flew at her face. She kept thwacking as her cheek brushed the sail of the ship, her body above the ocean now, and she tasted the foreign blood on her tongue.

"I'll be damned if I die at the hands of Davy-" thwack. "Jones's." thwack. "Little." thwack. "Pet!" With one last blow she dug her blade deep into the flesh of the Kraken and heard it give out an unholy screech, and all of a sudden it let her go and she was falling, plummeting through the air with nothing to break her fall but the unforgiving waves of the sea.

She hit the water just as she expected, the icy waves stabbing her skin as she flailed for the surface. Suddenly, a tentacle wrapped itself around her ankle, and she paddled desperately to reach the air. The sea seemed endless, and she continued to paddle, the sea a blur of bubbles and splintered wood, her muscles dead weight as she tried to free herself from the Kraken's grasp.

Black pricked the edges of her vision, and Violet nearly laughed as she gave one more stroke before letting the tentacle pull her down, down, into the depths of the sea. That this was where she, a pirate, would meet her end. By paying a visit to the famed Davy Jones' Locker.

And even though she willed him not to, it was Jack who entered her mind as she began to lose consciousness, Jack who sauntered into her thoughts and stared at her mockingly.

"Going down without a fight, Charles? I'd have expected far better than that."

His voice rang clear in her head and she shook her head, her eyes swimming and her head plugged with pressure.

I tried, Jack. I tried.

But he was right. And so Violet used her last shred of energy to swim, stroking as far as her muscles would let her.

And it was enough.

Jack Sparrow had always considered himself clever.

He had always known what he wanted throughout his whole career, and that was what was best for him. After all, was that every pirate's goal? To fight for themselves, no matter the cost?

And yet, here he was, running away from his beloved ship in a dingy little rowboat. And for what? He knew Davy Jones' beast would find him eventually.

And Violet. What of her? She would never forgive him, not for what he'd done to her. He wasn't even sure he wanted her to, not when he could barely forgive himself. He had never tried so hard to get a woman before, and it was exhausting.

Slowly, he drew out his compass, and for the first time, he was absolutely certain of where it would point. The needle didn't even need to spin before pointing resolutely in the direction of the ship. Groaning, Jack shook his head.

"Bugger," he muttered, picking up his oars. It was the result he expected, no less, which made it all the more infuriating. And now to decide. Onward to dry land where he might live a little, maybe get drunk as he anticipated his impending death? Or forward to where his crew and his ship, his pride and joy, were being beaten to a pulp by a giant octopus?

Groaning, he dipped the oars into the sea and began to row.

"Makes sense you'd come running back to me, Sparrow. That's all you ever seem to do."

Her voice echoed in his ears, and he rolled his eyes, concentrating on his rowing.

"It's for the ship, Charles. Don't get all self-righteous on me," he muttered, rowing with a ferocity that sent water splashing up in all directions.

And that was when he saw her, clutched in a tentacle and being dangled above the sea.

"Son of a-" Jack began to row faster than he ever had before, pumping his arms like a madman. "Of course when I leave, she ends up becoming Kraken-food."

He watched, helplessly, as she managed to cut the tentacle off of herself, which he had to give her credit for, and was thrown lifelessly into the unforgiving sea. And that was when Jack's heart stopped beating.

"Come up, Charles." His voice was low, and he watched the surface where she had fallen become deathly still. "Come on, come on, come up, Charles, you can do this."

Jack stood up in his rowboat, nearing the spot where she had fallen now, and suddenly, everything became focused on the one spot, the tentacles and the screaming sailors and the groaning ship silenced from his mind.

"Violet!" he screamed, his voice raw and his throat burning. His heart was ripping itself into pieces with dread, his mind a crumpled mess. He'd never felt like this before, so- so hopeless. Because that's what he was without her. Hopeless. "Violet!"

Suddenly, there was a splash, a few bubbles near the top of the surface, and Jack didn't wait any longer. Throwing off his coat, he dove into the water, paddling as fast as his arms would take him.

And there she was, a tentacle clasped around her leg, eyes shut and falling deeper into the dark abyss of Davy Jones' locker.

He swam for her, seizing her waist and pulling as hard as he could against the unforgiving tentacle. Refusing to give up, he wrenched the cutlass from Violet's hand and began to saw at the creature as best as the underwater conditions would let him. Finally, the arm retracted, and Jack grabbed his Captain and swam as hard as he could to the surface.

Violet awoke on the deck of the Black Pearl, coughing up water and feeling like her insides had been soaked in salt.

"We have to abandon ship!" Will called, staring down at Violet. "Someone get her into the rowboat!"

"I think I can handle it," Violet said, pushing herself up onto her forearms. "But how-" Her gaze landed on Jack, who was sitting on the broken stairwell of the Pearl.

"I owed you," Jack said simply, not meeting her gaze. "And let it be known that Captain Jack Sparrow always repays his debts."

"That is the biggest lie I've ever heard," Violet said, but she couldn't help herself from smiling. "And what of the Kraken?"

"We've scared him off, but he'll be back," Gibbs said, helping her to her feet. "So we've got to move."

"Into the boat, then!" Jack said, standing up. "Let's go, everyone, no time to dally, not when there's a terrible beastie on the loose."

Gibbs, Will, and the remaining crew members began to file into the boat, taking last forlorn looks at the Pearl as they did so. Soon, Elizabeth, Jack, and Violet remained the only souls on board.

"Violet, I have to tell you something," Elizabeth said quietly, shooting a cautious glance at Jack, who was lingering on the other side of the ship, his hand on the railing.

"What is it?" Violet stared at Elizabeth, alarmed by the seriousness in her eyes.

"The beast- It's not here for us, Violet. It's here for Jack, and Jack alone. And I'm merely telling you this because- well, either option is not ideal. It's either Jack dies, or well, we all die." Elizabeth refused to meet Violet's gaze, and in the eerie calm of the ship, Violet could understand why.

"You're right." Violet put a hand on the Pearl's railing, her eyes stormy. "And I assume you're here to trick Jack into staying?" Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably, but Violet felt no anger. Elizabeth was clever, and she'd do anything to protect the man she loved. Hadn't Violet felt that same way once? "Oh, come on, Elizabeth, I know how clever you are."

"But I've decided against it," Elizabeth said, her gaze imploring. "Because it's not my battle to fight."

"And it's mine?" Violet asked indignantly, shaking her head. "I'm not Jack's keeper."

"But you are the woman he loves," Elizabeth said. "And he will listen to you. And he might even die for you."

Violet didn't respond, looking out at the ocean. Elizabeth's question was reasonable, and that's what made it all the more frustrating.

"I won't be angry," Elizabeth said quietly, placing her hand over Violet's, "either way you choose."

"I understand," Violet said. And she did. Staring out at that open ocean, whose clutches Jack Sparrow had just saved her from, she felt her heart clench.

The two of them shared a glance, unspoken words passing between them.

"I'll meet you in the boat, then," Elizabeth said quietly, putting a hand over Violet's. "We'll get out of this, won't we?"

Violet turned to Elizabeth, contemplating her words. Wouldn't they? They had to. They always did.

"Of course we will," Violet said with a forced grin. "It would take a lot more than a lousy octopus to do us in."

Cautiously, Elizabeth reached for Violet's hand and pressed something cold and metal into the pirate's hand. Glancing down, Violet stared at the glinting handcuffs, and a wave of sudden revolt crashed down on her as the harsh reality of what Elizabeth expected her to do hit her.

She was going to kill Jack Sparrow. Maybe not directly, but his death would be on her hands. And she wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

With a last lingering look, Elizabeth turned to climb into the boat, and Violet watched as she disappeared from sight.

"Violet."

Slowly, she turned and walked towards the mast, where Jack stood, his eyes burning into her own. She dragged out every step, prolonging the decision she knew she had to make.

Could she do this? Should she do this? Betray the man who meant everything to her, just like he had done so many years before? She knew what it felt like to be sold to your death. Could she subject someone else to that? Quickly, she began to talk, barely even knowing what she was saying as her mind raced.

"We have to go, Jack. I know what this ship means to you, but-"

"Did you ever think of me, love? When you were in that cell?" Jack's gaze was unrelenting, and Violet nearly stepped back at the shock of his words.

"Only of putting a knife in your back," Violet said without malice, her expression unreadable. He wanted the truth, didn't he?

"I thought of you," Jack said, as if he hadn't really listened to her words at all. "Every day, I did. I agonized over you, and every minute of my damned life I wondered what had happened to you."

"I know," Violet said. And she did. She knew that he regretted it, that much was clear. And in that moment, Violet knew what she had to do. The regret would eat her alive, would nearly kill her, but she'd come out alright in the end. Wouldn't she?

"Do you know why I jumped in that water after you?" His expression was the same, blank stare it had been. He was completely emotionless.

"It doesn't matter, Jack. Not now." She stared at him, drinking in his face. This would be the last time she'd ever see him, ever hear his voice.

"Because the second I saw you under that water, it was like my heart was ripped out of my chest and locked in a box of its own. I was as good for nothing as Davy Jones." Jack walked forward until he was a foot away from her, and in his eyes, Violet saw herself reflected back at her. She had to do it now. She couldn't wait any longer, because if she did, she might never do it.

"You know who the Kraken's here for, don't you, Jack?" Violet's voice was quiet, and she grabbed his wrist, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. "It's not here for me."

They stared at each other silently for a minute, unmoving.

"That's right, love," Jack said, sliding his arm up in her grasp to entwine his fingers with hers. "It's here for me."

"Yes." Her voice was shaking, a thin, frail thing on the verge of snapping in two. "And I think that you know what will happen if you get in that boat."

"I do," Jack said, his fingers still clasped in hers. "And I think you know that I'm going to get in it anyway, love."

"I do," Violet said, repeating his words. Slowly, she began to walk forward, and Jack backed up as she did so until his back was pressed up against the ship's railing. "And that's why when I do this, I can only hope that you understand why."

Her heart was beating impossibly loudly, and Violet knew Jack could hear it. She had to do this. For all of them.

Jack turned his gaze straight up to hers, and in that minute, she realized exactly what this would take of her, and suddenly the storm inside of her calmed, and she looked at the pirate in relief. She couldn't leave him. She'd done it once and it had nearly killed her, to do it again would be impossible.

Wherever we'll go, we'll go.

With a sharp breath, she slammed their entwined hands against the railing and hooked Elizabeth's handcuffs around his wrist and the wood of the ship. At the last second, Violet twisted her palm around and, still clutching his fingers, slammed the cuff shut around both of their wrists.

"What the hell are you-" Jack began, tugging frantically against the metal, but Violet just gave him a sad smile.

"I forgive you, Jack." The words were so quiet they were barely a whisper, but Jack stopped cold at the sound of them. She watched, mesmerized, as his brown eyes slowly filled with tears, and he slid his free hand through her hair.

Slowly, Jack pressed his forehead to hers, and Violet let her eyelids flutter shut.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear that, love," he said quietly, and Violet choked out a laugh, feeling tears prick the corners of her own eyes.

"So this is it, then? This is how we go?" She tucked an arm behind his neck, pulling him closer to her. He could never be close enough. Never.

"Why are you doing this?" Jack said, his eyelashes kissing her cheek. "You could go now and leave me and be free of this beastie and your torturous captain all in one."

"No," Violet said, saying the words to herself as much as to Jack. "I could never be free of you, Jack. Not when-"

Suddenly the ship shook beneath them, and Violet gripped Jack tightly as they nearly toppled over. For once in her life, Violet felt a sharp burst of cold fear flow through her. This was it, then. This was where death caught up to Captain Jack Sparrow. And she had placed herself right in the middle of its path.

Slowly, as silently as if it were already dead, the Kraken began to extend its tentacles out of the water, and the two pirates watched as they crept over the railing of the ship.

This was it. This was the end.

"I love you, Violet Charles." The words sounded just as pretty as they had the first two times Jack had said them, but this time, chills fluttered down her spine. He made her feel that way. He always brought her adventure. And he was hers. And in that moment Violet knew how she felt, for the first time in two years, and she couldn't keep the smile off of her face, even as the Kraken drew closer and closer.

"And I-" she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, listening to the too-quiet sound of the sea. This was it. "I love you, Jack Sparrow."

Jack didn't even wait for another word before he pressed his lips to hers, pulling her closer to him. He wrapped his arm around Violet's waist and deepened the kiss, tasting the smile on her lips. She slid a hand into his hair, gripping the back of his head tightly and pushing it towards her own.

All around them, the world burned. Tentacles smashed into the wood of the deck, sending boards splintering in every direction. Water splashed and sprayed, waves churning against the side of the boat, and the Kraken began to rise from the depths of the ocean below, its gaping mouth lined with sharp, piercing teeth.

In the water below, Elizabeth Swann watched from a rowboat with tears in her eyes as one of her only friends in this world was swallowed by the folding ship and the tumultuous ocean below. It had been her fault. She had given Violet the handcuffs, she hadn't even bothered to try and fight for Jack, she should have known that Violet and Jack's destinies were so deeply intertwined that there was no way just one of them would make it out alive.

Next to her, Will Turner was no longer the innocent boy that he had been when he first stumbled upon Jack Sparrow in the prison of Port Royal. He watched as the ship snapped, the mast breaking into pieces, and thought of his father, of all things. Of the father that he was letting die just as his fellow pirates were.

Sitting behind him with an oar in hand, Joshamee Gibbs shook his head at the disastrous sight that was the Black Pearl. He'd served Jack for most of his life, and it was hard to imagine living a minute without him. What was he to do now, when his captain was dead? Jack Sparrow was a good man, Gibbs had always known that. And now he had nothing to show for it.

On board the Black Pearl, as the deck began to snap in two and his hand was no longer cuffed to the deck, Jack Sparrow held his pirate captain in his arms for the first real time in his life, and it felt just as he'd always imagined it would. He'd never imagined himself dying, and yet here he was, about to be ripped limb from limb by a massive octopus. And yet, death was not on his mind. The only thing he could think about was her, and how she was by his side. That's the only thing he'd ever wanted, really. Her by his side.

And held tightly in his arms and about to be torn to pieces, Violet Charles was at peace. She loved him. She always had. Even when he'd sold her to Beckett she'd dreamed of him, as much as she'd hated it. He was hers, now, even in death he was hers. And she loved him.

As quickly as it had come, the Kraken destroyed the Pearl and the two souls inside of it, neatly folding it and dragging it into the depths beneath.

And with that, a debt was paid, a man was forgiven, Davy Jones's locker earned two new souls, and a chapter was closed. But unbeknownst to the crew of the dastardly Black Pearl, a new one had just begun.

Me and you, love. I told you we were bound to each other.

A/N: And just like that we finish Dead Man's Chest! I am so incredibly grateful to all of you for your incredibly kind reviews - thank you so much! This chapter took me so long because I wrote like four different endings, and I really couldn't decide which one I wanted. In the end, I chose this one because I think it speaks to both of their characters the most: I had written one where Jack sacrifices himself willingly and although it was very romantic and heart-wrenching, I knew that Jack's character just wasn't good enough for that heroic act :) Maybe one day I'll publish that alternate ending just for fun. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I CANNOT WAIT to give you At World's End, it's my favorite movie and I can't wait to bring Violet into it.

Until next time!

-Ev