"The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees his day is coming." Psalm 37:12, 13

"Briggs is insane to think he can just waltz into Whitecap Bay and waltz back out, alive!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"Well, who's ever accused the viper of being level-headed?" Anamaria snapped.

"Dim the lights." Jack ordered the crew. "And remain as quiet as possible. Do not let out a charge roar until I say!" He told them dangerously.

"See? I told you we'd find them." Elizabeth told Thomas encouragingly.

"Yeah, you did." Thomas feebly smiled. "But they aren't rescued yet."

"They will be." Elizabeth said. "I'm not going home without Will!"

"This Briggs boy could do so much better, though I fear it's much too late for that. He really needs a hobby." Jack muttered.

"Mmm-hmm." Elizabeth agreed dryly. "Like swimming with sting rays."

"I wish I was a sting ray, right about now." Thomas sighed.

"That we could use one indeed, matey." Jack chuckled.

Will was still lying on his side. Kate hovered over him, gingerly clinging to him. This is it! We really are going to die! She panicked. She couldn't stop shaking. She tried to breathe normally, but the crew's loud announcements of their arrival at Whitecap Bay sounded to Will and her more like the dull, heart-racing drum-roll at an execution, inducing their horrible fate. Will tried to look up at her.

"Kate, it'll be all right." He promised her. She didn't acknowledge him.

"This is the end for us." She choked. Will winced and squeezed her arm.

"It's going to be all right." Will repeated. "We're not gonna die here."

"How can you say that like it's true?"

"We have to believe. We must not give up."

"I've prayed every moment that God would send help to get us out of here! But we're not. I'm afraid. I'm really afraid!"

"Don't be." Will said. "We're going to make it out of this."

"This isn't happening!" Kate shuddered.

"Kate, look at me." Will told her. She slowly looked down at him. "Do you trust me, Kate?"

"Will, it's not..."

"Do you trust me?"

"Y...y-yes." Kate said in a small voice.

"Then think only one thing right now in your head: we're going to make it out of this." Will smiled.

"We're...going..." Kate stammered. She couldn't will her mouth to voice out the words. They felt the ship reach to an eerie halt. Will slowly sat up against the wall. Kate crouched next to him, half for protection, the other half to protect him! She clung to his arm and he gripped her small hand with his.

"We'll be all right," He whispered to her. He knew he could very likely die here, but the only thing he saw in front of his eyes and in his mind, was Elizabeth! His sweet, feisty, smart, witty, tenacious, beautiful, stubborn Elizabeth. How he loved her with every muscle in his body. He hated that she would consider coming to a place like this. But he knew she'd never give up. Praying and hoping that he'd at least see her again was what encouraged him right now.

Kate, on the other hand, was scared stiff. They'd run into many troubles out at sea in the passed months, but yet this sticky scenario felt hopeless. Her dad was gone, and his beaters had come after them. Thomas loved her, and she'd been so wrapped up in her grief-even then, she hadn't completely had proper time to recover from!-for her father that she hadn't even realized it! She felt she'd wronged him. How had she not seen it? And now, it was too late to tell him that...did she truly love him back?

And Briggs. To heck with him being flesh and blood. Kate wanted nothing more than to never see him again, and for him to be out of her life!

Briggs entered the brig, leering at his victims. They both stiffened against the wall. The door was unlocked, and for once Will and Kate wish it would stay locked! Will glared at Briggs while Kate could barely look him in the eye. "Come, folks. It's show time..." He whispered stealthily.

Will was taken away while Kate was left alone. "I'll tend to you shortly." Briggs curled his lip into a sickening grin. Kate felt sick to her stomach and her blood felt like ice.

Briggs marched proudly into his office where Will was standing there, held fast by several guards. Will glanced around the fancy room and gulped in horror at what he saw on the wall. Above the safe where Briggs kept his valuables, was a mount of a...mermaid! The creature had once been alive, once lived and breathed just as Will did now. But now, she was stiff as a starched collar, and listless as a wooden plank. Will wondered how in the world Briggs had managed to preserve her so well, without the body decaying! The sight sickened him.

"Admiring one of my victories, eh, Mr. Turner?" Briggs grinned.

"I consider it a vulgar, and devilish thing to do." Will huffed quietly but angrily.

"It was a recent catch." Briggs explained. "Hence the still remaining beauty. Pains me to admit it, but it was not I who caught her. She was a mutual gift, from Davy Jones himself! Well, not directly, but with a little help from my good friend Beckett..."

"Why did you bring us here?" Will interrupted, trying to change the subject. Briggs clapped him on the shoulder.

"Aww, relax, Turner. You are about to join the company of some divinely gorgeous young ladies. Women more beautiful than you can begin to imagine! What more could a man want?"

"A girl worth fighting for!" Will answered sharply.

"So naive, so provincial. Always a straight arrow, huh, Mr. Turner? Well, it's time to say goodbye to your humble life as a blacksmith and greet your new life with gusto, as a faithful new companion to mermaids, my dear sir."

"I'd rather die." Will snarled. Briggs's face widened with pleasure.

"And so you shall. Remove those shackles and bind him!."

The Vendetta's brig had no sources of light, so Kate could not see outside what was going on. But she heard lots of shouting. That could only mean one thing: her dear friend Will Turner was about to be killed, murdered! "No, no, no! God, if You can hear me, if You're really there, save us, please! I beg You! Save Will and get us out of this horrible nightmare!" She prayed in desperation.

Will's hands were bound behind his back, as were his arms so he couldn't freely move them. And he was blindfolded. A strong light from the tower on the sand shone on him, like a spotlight. He heard one of the sailors begin to softly sing, at Briggs' command. He couldn't know that gradually, heads started bobbing up out of the ocean water. The fair features of several alluring women stared up at the sailors in the ship, with curiosity. Briggs knelt down on the edge and smiled coyly at one of the blondes, the one who'd appeared first. She returned his gesture with equal grace. "Hello, ladies." Briggs slurred.

"Hello." The blonde spoke in a seductive voice, as smooth as honey. The officers were completely taken in by her beauty. They also knelt down, hoping to speak to her.

"This bloke here, he's come to be your new companion." Briggs pointed to Will. "Hope you enjoy my generosity." He stood up and pointed a sword to Will's back. "Walk the plank!" He growled.

Years of footwork practice for his fencing skills was the only thing keeping Will level-headed as he slowly stepped one foot in front of the other. He fought to remain calm. "Quarter master! Make him pay his dues." Briggs commanded as he slipped away.

"Here, luv. Come on..." The officers crooned to the mermaids, enthralled by their false innocence and breathtaking physical beauty. The mermaids swam closer, giving the men the most angelic smiles. With it sounding as if the other men were distracted, Will stopped right where he was on the gangplank, high above the water. He prayed that should the mermaids attack, they wouldn't be able to jump that high.

"Elizabeth..." He kept saying to himself. He kept trying to picture her face, and forget the impending doom he was bound for in this hellish place.

"Move!" The quarter master barked at Will. He could feel the sword blade tip beginning to nick his back. Very slowly, he inched his feet forward.

Kate was huddled in the corner of her cell, staying bristled. Then she heard the dreaded boot steps of doom! It was him. He was here. He was coming. And he was coming for her! She gasped hard, and tried to slow her racing heartbeat, but she couldn't. There he was, opening the door! His hideous smile sent shivers through her body. "Time's up, sis." He chuckled.

"Don't you dare touch me." Kate snapped, trying to sound threatening.

"You're hardly in the position to make demands." Briggs arched his eyebrows. "Time to get exactly what you deserve." Kate knew it was useless to plead with him and bring him to reason. She saw only one chance of escape. As Briggs turned his head to the side, pulling something from behind his back, Kate scrambled to her feet, kicked him in the shin, then darted for the open door. She'd barely made it out, when he clutched her by the ankle and yanked her back. "Shut up!" Briggs bellowed at her. Kate thrashed and screamed with all her might, but he had her on her stomach and was sitting on top of her from behind, cruelly binding her hands with a painful rope.

"Let go of me!" Kate screeched. He turned her over to her back. She was wildly kicking her feet and he was bringing a rag to her mouth. Just as he was about to put it in, she bite down on his hand, very hard. He yelped furiously, his eyes burning. He held her by the throat, stuffed the rag in her mouth, then tied another around her mouth. He grabbed her uncooperative legs and bound them too. Kate glared up at him. He thrust her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and made his way up deck to one of the long boats. Everyone else was so distracted with the mermaids that they didn't notice him. But, a very young mermaid, merely a little girl, swimming underneath the ship had heard the screams inside and couldn't stop listening for curiosity's sake.

Kate was helplessly squirming on her back inside the row boat, desperately struggling to free herself. Briggs had a bamboo pole attached to the boat, from which a brightly lit lantern hung. He calmly rowed into the bay, humming to himself. He saw that some of the mermaids were retreating from the ship and coming toward him. He nodded in approval. He finally found a spot that suited him, in the deeper water, and stopped rowing. He began to sing quietly, watching and waiting. Kate could do nothing but watch and listen. Would no one come to help her?

Her heart jumped when she saw a pair of slender arms slither onto the side of the small boat and saw a beautiful young woman staring up at Briggs. "Ahh, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist, luv." Briggs narrowed his eyes at Tamara.

"You sing heavenly..." Tamara said smoothly.

"So do you..." Briggs smiled darkly. Slowly, other mermaids crept up and peered into the boat. "Why, hello, girls." Briggs boasted. "You dazzling creatures surpass the earth's own beauty so, that I brought you another present." The mermaids looked down at Kate. She whimpered fearfully, watching them with terrified eyes. They all looked so pure, and beautiful, and not evil at all. But, she remembered everything that Jack and Gibbs had said about mermaids, and now here she was, surrounded by them, and all alone. She noticed one that stood out. A youthful mermaid, no more than 11-years-old, staring down at her as if she was alarmed. She had long brunette hair that covered the front of her small body, and she had enchanting hazel eyes.

"You're very kind..." One of the other mermaids told Briggs. He reached out to caress her face. She let him! Kate noticed that Tamara and the little girl had disappeared! Kate panicked. Where were they? Were they preparing to attack?

Under the Surface

"Priscilla, what is it?" Tamara huffed in irritation as the younger girl tugged on her arm.

"That man is evil." Little Priscilla said.

"All men are evil, dear." Tamara shushed her.

"No." Priscilla shook her head. "I heard them, under the ship. He was hurting her. Tamara, I know...we're mermaids, and we do what we must to survive, but...but please, just this once, can we let the girl go free?"

"You're very young, Priscilla," Tamara said soothingly, stroking her face. "And you have much to learn about how our world works, sweetheart."

"Please!" Priscilla begged.

"Why do you care about what happens to someone of their kind?" Tamara rolled her eyes.

"Because, I...I looked into her face." Priscilla hung her head. "Tamara, she looked so scared, and alone. I don't know. It just reminded me of exactly the way I felt, when...when my parents died. It's like she's got no one. And you know why he brought her here! You know I never ask for anything when men come to our territory. Just this once, please! Please let's not harm her. Please?"

"You really are a softie."

"Please!"

"Priscilla, darling, do you even know who that man is?"

"No." Priscilla shook her head innocently.

"He's the one who was adjoined with that horrid man in the stupid white wig two years ago, who murdered your mother and father! I'd never forget a face like that! It's him." Tamara explained. Priscilla shuddered. "He deserves to suffer for leaving you an orphan. All men are alike. They deserve their fate when they come here."

"But maybe she doesn't!" Priscilla pleaded. "She can't save herself...just like Mother." She remembered the horrible sight of her mermaid mother being tangled up inside a fishing net, by the captain of the Endeavour, and his crew shooting at the helpless woman for the fun of it, at their captain's command. "I can't bear to watch complete helplessness like that, with women." Priscilla continued. "It reminds me too much of Mother. Please, Tamara, don't kill her!"

Tamara sighed heavily. "Fine." She groaned. "But he is a dead man! As are the rest of them." Priscilla gulped, but didn't argue at all. They both swam back up to the surface.

Some of Briggs' men were actually shifting down the ship, almost into the water, hoping for a chance to touch one of the mermaids. The quarter master had pushed Will further to the end of the gangplank. One more inch, and he would fall into the water, down to the depths at the mercy of these dark, livid creatures ready to feast on him!

"How about a kiss, luv?" The lieutenant smooched to one of the girls, bending over closely to her level.

"You are just full of surprises." Tamara whispered closely to Briggs.

"You're welcome." He smirked. "Well, she's all yours, girls. Bon appetite!" Kate yelped, petrified, in a muffled voice. Tamara and the other mermaids eyed her darkly. Priscilla knew those looks! Tamara wasn't going to keep her word! The girl was going to die too!

Suddenly, a shrill cry of pure terror rang out across the water, as Briggs' lieutenant was snatched under the water by a snarling mermaid! The other females lept up at the men aboard the Vendetta. The men screamed and scrambled frantically up the side of the ship, but three of them were pounced on from mermaids and pulled under water. One lept at the quarter master, her furious strength whacking the gangplank, shaking it. Will stumbled and fell into the bay. He held his breath, water was rushing loudly through his ears, and he kicked with all his might to make it back to the surface, but he couldn't see anything! Then he felt strong hands grab him from behind, and yank him backwards. Will struggled wildly, but being bound, he couldn't fight off his attacker. The shadowed figure pulled him away, with surprising speed. Will knew he was done for! He fearfully waited for several pairs of fangs to dig into his flesh!

But, surprisingly, they never came! Whoever was dragging him through the current pulled him up to breathe! Will gasped loudly, though he still had no idea where he was being taken or who his rescuer was. Finally, his savior slowed down and helped him be pulled into a row boat. "Get him aboard. Hurry!" He heard an all too familiar voice command urgently.

"Aye, Sir." Another voice responded. Will's heart filled with hope, praying that he wasn't delirious from being without air for too long.

"Gibbs?" Will asked in a garbled voice.

"Aye, Will. Let's get ye back on the Pearl." Gibbs answered happily, removing the blindfold. Will blinked and looked up to see, Gibbs, Pintel, Ragetti, Thomas, and...Elizabeth in the small boat, gazing down at him with concern. Relieved, he sputtered and gagged the water from his lungs. Elizabeth was instantly at his side.

"Will! Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" She asked with worry.

"I...Kate! Where's Kate!" Will panicked. "She's still there. Briggs...he's going to..." Will tried to sit up, they all pushed him back down.

"Simmer down, lad. We'll get her back!" Gibbs told him. Thomas was leaning over the boat as far as he could, gazing at the heart-stopping sight taking place before his eyes out in the bay.

"Oh my g-!" He cried, watching the mermaids attack the helpless sailors. "Kate!" He started to jump in, but the boys held him back.

"Don't be a fool!" Pintel growled.

"Let me go!" Thomas demanded. "KATE!" He screamed over and over.

Jack Sparrow was an avid swimmer, and was treading as quickly as he could back to the grisly scene. He could barely see Briggs' row boat in front of him, and flailed with all his might straight for it. Kate had to be in that boat, Jack just knew it. But before he could reach it, things took a deadly turn.

Tamara had her arms around Briggs' shoulders and he was relishing in every moment of it. Then she bobbed her head underwater...until her eyes changed to a deadly gleam and she bared her razor sharp fangs. Briggs' face instantly faltered, from greed and arrogance to icy fear. "No...no!" He yelled, trying to back away. But it was too late. Tamara charged at him, sinking her teeth deeply into his neck as she and another mermaid snatched him below. At that moment, given their alarming strength, the small boat capsized, and Kate fell face down under the boat into the ocean water. She flailed but was sinking lower!

Jack saw Kate falling fast and he swam with all his might to her. He lunged and managed to grab her shoulder. She gasped in shock at the sight of him. He put his arm around her back and pumped upward, and away from the other mermaids. He didn't realize that a small creature with a fish tail was directly underneath Kate, pushing her up to breathe. The petite figure was pushing them to the side of the shore, away from the other mermaids.

It was in the nick of time! The Black Pearl was far out, but they blasted cannon fire to the bay. The mermaids screeched and swam away from the bay with all that they were. The crew fired again, for good measure. Jack helped Kate to the sand then collapsed on his side next to her, his clothes water-logged. He quickly removed the gags, and she loudly spat out water, trying to clear her lungs. "There, there, luv. It's all right now." Jack said as a sudden calm began to overtake the shoal. He took his knife and cut through the ropes. Kate wrung her hands and feet, finally free. Kate was panting when they noticed a small figure staring up at them with enchanting hazel eyes. Kate recognized her.

"You...you helped me?" Kate stammered. The young mermaid said nothing, but subtly nodded. Jack stared at her in astonishment. She was only a child! "Th...tha..." Kate tried to speak but was choked with a sob that she couldn't hold down.

"Thank ye, luv." Jack nodded gratefully to the mermaid. "It's much appreciated."

"You do best to leave this place." Priscilla urged him.

"And not a moment too soon!" Jack agreed with a wink. "What be yur name, luv?"

"Priscilla." The girl said in a whisper.

"Tis a lovely name for a fetching lass. Well, Priscilla, you'll always remember this as the day you met Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack boasted. Priscilla gave a small smile, then departed back into the water. "Well, what do ye make of that?" Jack remarked.

Kate did not answer. She was doubled over, crouching in the sand, weeping silently. But her rigid shoulders trembled with soft sobbing. She was enormously relieved, but totally shaken from all that had just transpired. Her mind and body were wrought with exhaustion now that the adrenaline was dissipating. Jack stooped next to her. "Hey." He said encouragingly. "It's over, Katie." Jack assured her. "You're safe now. He can't hurt anyone anymore."

Kate cried out, unable to control her writhing emotions. Jack hated to admit it, but this was one problem a good bottle of rum was not going to solve. "Come, luv. I think it's time we get out of here!" Jack told her. He gripped her upper arms and slowly brought her to her feet. Keeping a steady arm closely around her smaller form, he gently led her to the edge of the water as they waited for the Pearl's crew to come rescue them. Kate trembled heavily against his body, not saying anything. "Oui, just breathe, luv. I'm taking you home."

"J-J-Jack?" Kate asked in a small voice.

"Aye?"

"Hold me...please! Just hold me." Kate cried. Jack wasn't sure what to say. But he couldn't say no, not with those baby blue childish, troubled eyes pleading with him.

"Sure, darling. If it makes you feel better." He smiled. Kate practically collapsed onto his chest, throwing her arms around his slight frame, and clung to him. "Glad I was here when ye needed me." Jack whispered. Kate didn't answer, except in painful sobs. "Oui, everything will be fine now." Jack said. She finally tried to catch her breath. Jack warmly kissed the top of her forehead.

"Thank you, Jack..." Kate breathed wearily.

"Thank the Lord Almighty we're finally out of this mess." Jack responded. "Oui, I wouldn't leave ye behind, dear." He said cheerily. Kate just hid her face in his wet vest.

"This...almost feels like...being with Dad again." Kate murmured tearfully, but with a radiant smile. Jack gaped, absolutely speechless! He was just trying to be helpful. That was the last thing he'd expected to hear! He cleared his throat, unsure of how to respond.

"Yes, well..." He tried to speak. Ordinarily, Jack Sparrow did as he pleased regardless of consequences, including to his friends. Until said consequences managed to catch up to him, that is! But this entire adventure had done something funny to him. And when he thought of it and stopped trying to deny it, he realized that he'd been truly worried about her! He'd felt a rare sense of duty to protect. He didn't understand, or at least had tried not to admit, what had caused these extraordinary emotions, but honestly, it wasn't all bad. It actually felt good, to be needed by someone.

"Made a promise to yur father to look after you, remember?" Jack finally spoke in a more serious tone. "And Jack Sparrow is a man of his word...well, more or less."

"Thank you...for coming back for me." Kate whispered.

"You're most welcome, luv." Jack smiled proudly. "Oui, I think I hear someone!"

"Jack? Jack! Over here!" Gibbs hailed to him from out in the bay. Jack and Kate ventured knee deep into the water as a long boat trolled to them. "Jack, thank goodness you're both safe!" Gibbs cheered. "Good to see ye alive, Miss Kate." Gibbs smiled. "Come now. Let's get back to the Pearl and leave these godforsaken waters!"

"No mistaking that!" Jack agreed. Gibbs and Pintel and Ragetti helped Kate into the boat and Jack followed as Pintel and Ragetti rowed away from the shore back to their ship. Jack's coat lay on the floor. He placed it around Kate's shoulders and let her lean on his arm, like a small child. At least she was finally calmer. Jack leaned down and kissed the top of her wet hair in a fatherly manner. He'd barely listened to Pintel and Ragetti boasting and arguing about how they'd scared off the mermaids, till he noticed the boat had gone dead silent. His beady eyes darted back and forth suspiciously. His mates were staring at him, jaw dropped. "What?" Jack grunted. Then he realized, it was the position they saw him in, with a young girl resting on his arm and him letting her! Jack squinted. "Well?!" He huffed. "What are ye all staring at?"

Thomas would've been down in the long boat, but with his frantic emotions, Elizabeth had forced him to return on the ship with them, and kept him busy as he and Anamaria tended to Will's ugly lash wounds. They were just about finished bandaging him up, when the remaining members of the crew returned. Thomas beamed when he saw Kate climb on deck. Forgetting everything else, he raced over and caught her up in his arms, holding her like there was no tomorrow. Will and Elizabeth smiled proudly, grasping each other's hands. Kate cried in Thomas shoulder.

"If ye pull any tighter, you're gonna squeeze her life away for certain, mate." Jack teased Thomas as he passed by. Thomas glared at him not to ruin this moment. He finally loosened up, but only a little and grabbed her face and kissed her hard. Kate laughed and wept, returning his affectionate kisses.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Thomas said sadly, holding her face.

"Me too!" Kate nodded. "But divine intervention brought a couple good friends along, at just the right time." She looked at Jack and thought of the mermaid.

"Thank God you're safe!" Thomas breathed. "If I lost you..." Kate just hugged him tighter.

"You two lovebirds might be more comfortable if ye sit down." Anamaria teased. Kate ran to her and hugged her, then she hugged both Will and Elizabeth.

"Full canvas!" Jack barked. "Hard to starboard, on the double!"

Whew! That's done! In case you're wondering, the answer is yes! Yes, the young mermaid who helped them was Syrena. I called her Priscilla here because we don't know what her name really was before Philip gave her the name Syrena.

Well, everyone, the next chapter is the final one! I'm planning for it to be long. I have ideas, though I'm still not sure exactly what all I'm going to throw together. Like Kate and Thomas. I have snippet ideas of what ends up being their life together, but I'm open to your ideas too. Thank you for reviewing and reading!