Whoa guys! Sorry about the wait, high school is evil. It took forever to write this, and I truly am sorry. But I hope you guys like it. I believe this chapter to be longer than the others, as we are finally getting on the Pearl. YaY for the Pearl!

A/N: Am having difficulties yet again. Damn school. *shoots school with paintballs* Yes, anyway. I am writing terribly slowly. Mler. Thanks to loffly reviewers! *tosses Dr. Pepper and watches reviewers open them and get sprayed with nice sticky foam* *cackles evilly*

Disclaimer: Um, do you really think I suddenly own everything that has to do with PotC? I think not.

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Suddenly, Jack collided with Will. Jack, caught completely off guard, was knocked down into the mud.

"Aw, bloody hell," he muttered, looking over himself. He looked up at Will, and saw a burning fire where the Turner's house should have been.

~*~

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Chapter Three

Natalie clapped her hands over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. Will stood stunned, watching his home burn to cinders. Jack slowly got to his feet, dumbstruck by the bright flames. Crazy thoughts ran through his head. Turners' house. Alright. Got it. Fire. Mmhmm. Turners' house on fire. He paused mentally.

"Oh shit."

~*~

Natalie suddenly made a break for the house, but Will caught her arm. She struggled madly in his grasp.

"Will! Let me go!"

"No!"

"WILLIAM! Let.Me.Go!" She tried to pull out of his hands, but he pulled her into his arms and held he close. She wriggled and squirmed, but this didn't affect him in the slightest. She looked up at him.

"Natalie, I cannot let you go you. You know why." She had never seen him so serious before. Nor so threatening. She looked away. "Do you understand? You won't go?"

Her lip trembled and she nodded. Turning back to look at her home, a new wave of tears washed over her. She felt her knees buckle and she collapsed into Will's arms. He lessened his hold on her and she slid to the ground. The last she remembered was Will telling her to stay where she was, and that he and Jack were going to do ….something. She had fallen into unconsciousness and everything was black.

~*~

Natalie woke the next morning groggy and sore. Visions of the night before filled her head and she moaned and leaned her back on the wall. She looked around and recognized the room she was in as one of the inn. She slowly got up, walked toward the door and put a hand on the doorknob, but halted when she heard voices in the outside hallway. She pressed her ear against the door.

"No." That was Jack.

"Jack, please." Will.

"I said no. We can't have her on board."

"What is the problem? What is one more person going to do? We can't just leave her."

"Yes, well we can't just bring her along either. She's got a job. She can make it on her own. Maybe find herself a nice husband."

"Here?"

"Well, an old husband, but a husband the same." Natalie heard Will snort with laughter. "You know how much I can't stand her, Bill."

"Jack, please. She's my sister. I have to do something."

Jack let out a growl of frustration and there was a loud thud. He had slammed his fist into the wall.

"Jack." Will paused. "You know it's not right to just leave her here."

Sparrow let out a long breath. "Fine. She can come. But only because I feel somewhat responsible."

"Responsible?" Natalie whispered to herself. Suddenly, the door was pulled open and she fell to the ground. She looked up at Jack and smiled weakly.

"How long were you standing there?" he asked.

"Do I really want to answer that?"

"It doesn't matter anyway," Will said quickly, grabbing Natalie by her forearm and pulling her up. Jack glared at where she had just laid. Natalie stared at the spot where Jack had punched the wall. He must really not like her.

"What's going on?" she asked. "What's happening?

"As if you didn't already know," Jack mumbled.

"Jack.." Will warned. Jack grunted and leaned against the doorframe. Will sighed and looked at Natalie. "Anyway, you're coming with us."

Natalie stared a him for a moment, unable to respond. After a few moments, and a questioning look from Will, she managed one word. "Oh."

"'Oh'?" Jack blurt out. "'Oh'?! Is that all you can say?" he walked towards her. "We're letting you sail with us, and I don't even want you to come," He was inches away from her. "And all you can say is 'Oh'?"

"Jack, that will do," Will seemed to be the only person with power over him. Jack straightened up.

"As a matter of fact," Natalie began hotly.

"Lee, please," protested Will. She ignored him.

"I would rather stay here than sail on a ship with you."

Jack's eyes flashed. "Then why don't you." He walked past her and stomped down the stairs. She watched him walk out of the door, then turned back to her brother. He was rubbing his forehead with one hand.

"Why do you always have to do that, Lee?"

"Will, you know I-"

"Damnit, Natalie! You are nearly twenty-three years old! Why do you still let him get to you?"

Natalie stared wide-eyed at Will. She had never heard him swear before. "Will..I-I… I'm sorry."

He looked at her. "You're still coming with us."

"I know," she said quietly, looking at her feet. "I've nowhere else to go."

~*~

Jack walked quickly down the street, trying to calm down. Damn that woman, he thought angrily. He knew Will wouldn't let her stay, and that she was coming anyway.

"Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit," he vented to himself. "Damn Turner, damn fire, damn families, damn promises, damn ocean."

He looked out across the sea. Why did he say ' damn ocean'? He shoved his hands in his coat pockets and mumbled Sorry to the water as if it could hear him.

He walked on, not really having a destination; just walking to walk. He recognized many places, after all, this was where he had grown up. Some nameless port in the Caribbean, a rock of a island, not very residential. There were a few people, such as Natalie, who remained; mostly old folk whose children had traveled to other islands in search of a better life. That's what Jack did, at least. And he had found a better life; he was a pirate.


Jack smiled to himself. He could have nearly anything he wanted. Mainly, it was women and rum, which was easy enough to obtain, if you had money; that was where the piracy came into play. The best part, Jack decided for the moment, was that nobody knew who he was, nor did they give a damn. He would later wonder why he had thought it was a good thing, and then made it point to have everybody in the Caribbean know exactly who he was.

But that is another time, another story, another Turner. For now, Jack was content being an unknown pirate. And so he kept on walking. He walked, and kept walking until he splashed into water. He had reached the opposite end of the island. Smaller than I remember…

He looked around the shore for something to throw. He spotted a nice rock. Bending down, he grasped the rock firmly and held it up to examine it. It was an average, ordinary rock. Lovely. Jack straightened up and hurled the rock into the water. It made a satisfying sploosh and the pirate watched the ripples until the water was still. Then he was bored and began walking along the beach. Sand, more sand, and even more sand. Deciding this was even more boring than the still water, he walked back to the Pearl.

~*~

Back on the ship, Natalie was clinging nervously to Will's arm, frightened of the crew around her. They were big, mean, scary men. They were unique, yes, but they were still classified under "big, mean, and scary." Oh, why did you agree to come on this ship, Natalie? she asked herself.

Will was trying to convince a rather old looking man to let his sister stay, but it seemed to be challenging.

"Look, you don't understand, Barbossa.." Will said. "I can't just leave her here without a home, nor any possessions at all. I've already had to convince Jack, and you know how he is when he doesn't want something."

Barbossa laughed. Natalie noted how icky his teeth were. Eewww.. "Turner, I can't be takin' anyone on board at the moment." Will hung his head and sighed. "But.." Barbossa smirked and looked over Natalie, and she tightened her grip on Will's arm.

Will's eyes flashed. "Barbossa, I would die before I let you touch her."

"Hm." The older man glanced at Will, then back at Natalie. She suddenly became very self-conscious and felt the eyes of every person on that ship on her. Why were they all so scary? Jack might have known these men, he seemed the type, but Will…he was a nice boy. Sweet, charming, polite, clean Will. Why in the world would he be on a ship with men like these?

There was a creak from behind, and everyone turned to see Jack boarding the ship. He paused mid-motion and then relaxed. "G'evenin', mates."

Will seized his opportunity. "Jack!" he shouted, rushing over to him, Natalie still clutching his arm. "Jack, if you would do me a little big favor…" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Would you watch over Natalie?"

"WHAT?!" Jack and Natalie shouted at once. Natalie pushed away from Will. "Will! I do not need to be watched over! I am a grown woman! How dare you think that I-"

"Lee," Will brought he face close to hers and whispered. "Do you really want to be left alone with all these men you don't know? Look at them." Natalie glanced behind Will at the big, mean, scary men. Meep..

"Fine," she said, closing her eyes. If it was a choice between the scary men and Jack, it would have to be Jack. Jack, of course, didn't seem to agree.

"W-wait. Wait just a moment." He walked over and put his hand on Will's shoulder. "You've forgotten one, minor little thing," he said, pointing at Natalie. "I hate her."

"Well, Sparrow. That's something we're both going to have to deal with." Natalie glared at Jack as he removed his hand from Will's shoulder. "Will has some business to attend to and I cannot interfere with it."

"Come on.." Jack said, grabbing her arm. He dragged her across the ship, not paying attention to the hoots from the crew. Natalie gagged as she realized what they thought she and Jack were going to do. He took her to the hold of the ship, and made her sit on a crate. He didn't say anything; he just turned around and walked toward the door. He was going to leave her there!

"Wait just a minute!" she yelled, getting up and rushing over to Jack. "Where on earth do you think you're going?"


"I'm going back up to the deck. You..are staying right here."

"You can't leave me here!"

"You'd be surprised I what I can do." He turned to leave again. Natalie grew desperate. If those men saw Jack on deck again, they would surely come down here.

"Sparrow, please. Don't leave me here." Jack looked down at her, cleverly hiding his emotions. "I…I don't want to be left alone. Please, I won't bother you anymore."

Jack nodded and sat on a nearby crate. Natalie sighed and looked around. It was very boring in this room. Not much of a room, really. She sat on the floor and the pair were silent for hours, until finally, Natalie fell asleep.

~*~

The next morning, Jack was milling around the hold, while Natalie slept quietly on the floor. There was absolutely nothing to do down there, though he was trying really hard to find something…anything. Trying really hard.

"Nope, there's nothing." He said aloud. Natalie stirred in her sleep and Jack stiffened. He stared cautiously at her a few moments more, then rolled his eyes and sat on a crate. He talked to her, though he knew she couldn't hear him. "Why must you always be so annoying? Why do you make me hate you? Why must everything between us be…hateful? Why..?"

He trailed off, thinking to himself. Why?

~*~

Natalie opened her eyes and gathered her thoughts. Where was she? Why she on the floor? Who was that on the other side of the room?

She let out a breath of relief as she remembered. She was on the Black Pearl, she had been sleeping on the floor, and that person was Jack Sparrow, with his back to her.

She slowly stood and Jack turned at the sound. "Mornin'."

"Hello.." Natalie stretched and sat on a crate. "has Will been down?"

"Once, early this morning. He said to stay here with you until you woke up, and then to take you to him."

She merely nodded. "Well…we should be going."

"Mm.." Jack stood and walked to the door, and Natalie followed suit. They walked onto the deck and set to find Will. They found him leaning against the rail, deep in thought. He looked when he heard them approach and smiled.

"Lee," he said quietly. She smiled.

"Will," She rushed over and hugged him. She took a step back and looked at Will's questioning stare.

"What was that for?"

"I don't know…" Jack huffed and walked away, apparently annoyed.

"All….right…." Will turned back out to the sea. Natalie stared at the water. Whoa…sea… She had just realized that they were at sea, that they had been sailing. She had always wanted to sail, ever since she was a child and Will had told her stories of pirates and their quests for treasure. She had always wanted to meet a pirate, but sailing on any ship enough for her. ( A/N: Natalie still is unaware of Will's being a pirate. In fact, she doesn't even suspect it. )

After a few moments of silence, Will turned back to his sister. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl."

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End Ch.3. Was going to go in more, but you guys have been deprived. Replies to Reviews!

PineAppleLint- Glad you liked the chapter. Hope this one is just as good. I have Jack down?? YaY! Hmm..spork? I like sporks. *nod*

Oil Pastel- *nods*(sorry..I can't think of anything to say. Creativity is all for the fic..)

Garulf- Meep! Sorry! It's up! It's up!

Jenn- Hah, sorry bout the cliffhanger…couldn't help myself.

Avey- Cliffhangers are indeed evil. Sorry..

SpAnIsH-EyEs2- Thanks!

Lone Wolf- It's good to hear I'm getting better! Thank you so much!

Twilight Whisper- I can be mean. Like..throwing those Dr Peppers. That was mean of me. *cackles*

Kida Lee- w00t! I'm on someone's favourites list!

Charlotte449- Muahaha

dopey- Thaank you!

And last but definitely not least,

CaptainElizabethSparrow- RINGS! YAY! WE LOFFS THEM! I hope you're not dead…*looks* doesn't look like it..

ONE MORE THING! One more, promise..wasn't Once Upon A Time In Mexico one of the oddest movies ever? But I loved it…all except…that one thing..*pout* Alright..I'm done… I swear.