Disclaimer: See previous disclaimers. I don't wanna talk about it.

A/N: WOW! Such a response…I'm thrilled. I really am. Thanks so much guys. Anyways…this chapter might be short, but it was all I could do. I'm leaving for four days to go stay on campus at a local university for a yearbook conference. Exciting, right? Yeah, not really. So I won't be able to update until Thursday…and I would love reviews! Without further ado….here's the next chappy.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Winds of Change

Fine Tide

"The opportune moment? THE OPPORTUNE MOMENT?" Will roared incredulously, throwing down his sword. "What in bloody hell does he think he's doing? This isn't funny!"

"Apparently he thinks it is," his wife replied calmly, picking up his sword and handing it to him. "You might need this."

Will looked into her eyes and saw only determination and trust. Her confidence and loyalty to him were unbreakable, and he knew it. Taking his sword from her he said, "I don't want you to be out here, Elizabeth. It's not safe."

"Since when is anything I do ever safe?" she asked demandingly. Will instantly knew this was one of the moments where he should have kept his mouth shut. "Is it when I go gadding off with that despicable character Jack Sparrow? Or is it when I refuse to play damsel in distress when it comes to fighting in self-defense? Whatever it is, it's gone. I'm here to stay, and if you don't like it, you can find someone else to marry."

Smiling cautiously, Will responded, "Only checking to make sure you're still as roguish as you were the day I met you."

Elizabeth blushed and turned away from him. "I'm not roguish," she weakly rebutted.

Tearing his eyes away from her, Will took his position at the wheel, still gripping his sword, hoping for a miracle or a sudden gust of wind to propel them away from the ship of the undead. Unfortunately, the wind seemed only to be helping Barbossa. Just his luck.

He turned around and was immediately alarmed at the rate Barbossa was gaining on them. He saw them pull up to the starboard side, the crew taunting and grunting inhumanely as they held on to various parts of the rigging and nets. Gritting his teeth and grasping the wheel, he desperately tried to veer them away from the approaching vessel. Wave after wave crashed against the HMS Sea Farer, sending false hope to Will that they might be able to outrun them. Unfortunately, he knew it was folly.

As he spun the wheel again in his last attempt to avoid capture, he heard Elizabeth scream. He whirled around and unsheathed his sword, but could not hold back a gasp as he found himself face-to-face with the man who had haunted his dreams for so long.

"Ahoy there, Mr. Turner. Fine tide I'd be seein' you so soon."

As an innate reaction, Will thrust his sword forward into the man's abdomen. Barbossa staggered back, slouching slightly as his hands grasped the hilt of the sword now impaling his body. For a moment, all Will could hear was his own ragged, heavy breathing as he had the fleeting impression that he had killed the pirate. But the sound of Barbossa's raspy laughter drowned all of his hopes of destroying him. The mutinous captain wrenched the sword from his belly and flung it aside. "Thought you could kill me, eh? Oh, matey, the curse has a mind of 'er own."

Before he could retort, Will felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. His vision became blurred, his thoughts raced, and his stomach churned. Blackness, cold and lonely, surrounded him, and the sound of the crew's laughter echoed within his mind as he fell limply into unconsciousness.

~*~

"Get your hands off me! Don't touch me!" Elizabeth screamed, struggling viciously against the strong and inappropriate grips f the crew. They were all in a group, propelling her forward, laughing and grabbing indecently at her. Deep down, she was petrified. On the surface, however, she looked undoubtedly furious.

"Ahh, Miss Swann. Or is it Mrs. Turner?" came an all-too familiar voice from the front of the grew. As the crew parted she looked to see Barbossa, standing at the wheel, a confident smirk obvious upon his ugly face. Seeing her refusal to answer, he continued. "So. How is it you came to be sailin' a ship like this 'cross the sea?"

Brushing the hair out of her face, blown there by the wind, Elizabeth didn't answer. The more time she stalled, the more time she could give jack for his "opportune moment", which, Elizabeth prayed, had better be more than desertion.

"Alright missy, you seem to have lost your tongue. Lock her in the captain's quarters!" Three sets of hands closed down upon her. She writhed desperately, trying to escape their firm holds on her. She turned her head slightly to the left and saw her husband unconsciously lying on the deck next to Barbossa's feet.

"WILL!" she screamed, her eyes wide with fear. "Will!"

"Aye, so that pretty tongue of yourn hasn't run off missing," Barbossa smiled. The crew chuckled collectively.

"What did you do to him?" she breathed, never removing her eyes from his limp body. His arms lay in front of him awkwardly. His eyes were closed and his face was expressionless…Elizabeth silently prayed that he was alive.

"Nothing that is irreparable," he replied carelessly. "Take her away."

"NO! Will!" she cried helplessly as a burly member of the crew picked her up, shouldered her, and threw her, kicking and screaming, onto the floor of the captain's lodgings. Before she could get to her feet, the door slammed and the key turned in the lock.

"You bloody bastards! Let me out! Will!" she yelled, hauling herself up and banging on the door crossly.

"I don't think that's very persuasive of you," came a slurred voice from the corner.

She turned to see Jack, sitting in a cushioned chair, drinking deeply from a rum glass. Furious, she approached him, her eyes wild with anger. "WHAT, PRAY TELL, DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"Drinking…at least, the last time I checked," he replied nonchalantly, taking another gulp from his mug.

Angered beyond logic and feeling helplessly betrayed, she grabbed his mug from his hands, threw it over her shoulder, and slapped him.

"I don't think I deserved that."

"Yes you did, you sorry, good for nothing turn-coat. You're in here drinking rum while Will's out there fighting Barbossa! What - "

"SHH! Good tides, woman, quiet down!" Jack hissed, covering her mouth quickly. But Elizabeth, in no mood to be chided by a traitor, bit hard down upon his forefinger, the metallic tang of blood rushing into her mouth. Jack yelped in pain and released her, gripping his injured hand. She sprinted to the other side of the room, grabbed the door handle and heaved, hoping it would miraculously crash open.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's locked."

"Shut up! How could you do this to us? How could you do this to Will?" she spat, whirling around to face him. "How could you?"

"You honestly believe I'm in here trying to save my own skin, do you?" he asked slyly.

"Yes."

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, he walked over to his mug, picked it up, and looked at her. "I'm in here trying to save YOUR hides, mind you."

"What are you talking about?" she asked shortly.

Holding up a hand to signal for her to stall any other abrupt advances to attack him, he walked over to a wooden cupboard, swung it open, and took out a bottle of rum. He delicately poured it into the mug until it was half full. He carefully capped it, returned it to its place on the shelf, and walked toward her, extending his hand with the rum. "Drink it."

"I'm not in the mood for your petty games-"

"This isn't a game. Just drink it."

The sincerity and hope in Jack's voice struck a discordant note in her mind. He seemed to be truthful and seemed to want to honestly help her. She cautiously took the mug from him and almost cried out in pain; it was scalding hot.

"What is this, Jack?" she asked, looking down into the steaming rum-colored liquid.

"Not rum," he offered, with a toothy grin.

"Why do you want me to drink it?"

Jack's grin vanished and was replaced by an earnest gaze. "I need to see something."

"What?" She was completely confused.

Jack sighed and adjusted his hat. "Look. There's no time for explanations,  lass, but I'll tell ye this: if Barbossa is doing what I think he's doing, then what I'm doing is definitely a doing for you own good, and not doing it will be the undoing of us all."

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth replied, "You make absolutely no sense."

"Have I ever?" he asked, annoyed and seemingly in a hurry. "Let me make this short and simple for ye, lass. If Barbossa gets us into his little cave with his little chest of gold and draws a little of Will's blood, there will be little of any of us left to tell the tale of it."

Elizabeth murmured, "Will's in danger, then…" She felt her heart convulse wildly, felt her head suddenly grow light, felt her chin tremble and her eyes well up with prospective tears.

Jack noticed this and snorted. "Oh, enough. You two lovebirds are going to drive me insane." He paused for a moment, considering the irony of that statement, and continued. "Now if you would be so kind as to drink that," he gestured to the mug, "then we can get on our way to rescuing your lover-boy."

She looked down at the liquid again, feeling its oddly comforting warmth beneath her fingertips. She brought it to her face and immediately grimaced. "Jack, it smells like really bad eggs."

Jack smiled and replied, "Drink up, me hearty, yo ho!"

~*~

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