Chapter Six: Cannon's Fire

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own POTC, so don't sue me!

"Woah, where are we?" asked Jack when he woke up.

"A jail cell," said Beth.

"Ah, I should've known. I've seen this side of these bars more than once in me life, savvy?"

Beth laughed. "Well, Jack, I guess we're going to be stuck here for a while, so we might as well make the most of it."

"You're right. What be your name again? Slipped through me mind."

"Beth Shwightsenburg."

"Ah, well Beth, tell me, where are ye from? I've never heard yer accent before."

"Well," What is it with the accent? Curse this! Wish Lissie was here, she's the accent master… "I… I have a cousin who visited from her… hometown, and I've been hanging around her so much that I just picked up the accent."

"Ah," said Jack, although it didn't look like she convinced him.

"So Jack, tell me, why are you here?"

"I confess. I come here to commandeer one of the ships here, pick up a crew in Tortuga, kill, plunder, and loot, until my weasly black guts fall out."

"Wow, really?"

"No, it's just what I say to scare people. Really, I'm not that bad of a pirate. Bloody fools who think otherwise."

"I here ya."

"Why? You be a pirate lass?"

"Not really. But I think it would be rather exciting to be a pirate, let alone meet one."

"Well, allow me to be the first Beth."

"Sure thing, matey. Arr!"

Lissie was with Will again, with no complaints. They talked, laughed, and became better friends basically. Will couldn't help but notice that even though he had known her for less than a day, he could talk to her about just about everything. She was so easy going, with a great personality, and she was fun to be around. As the sun was setting, Lissie realized she was faced with a dilemma. Will realized it too.

"Lissie?"

"Yes?"

"You don't have anywhere to stay, do you?"

"Well, with Beth in a jail cell, no, I don't."

"Would you like to stay with me? I have some extra blankets so you can sleep my sofa.

"Thank you, I'd love to." She was tired, it had been a long day. Getting transported back in time, swimming back to shore, Thank you mom for making me join the swim team in high school, and it goes on and on.

"I live right above the shop, so just in case I'll be working late, you can just come down."

"Thanks for your kindness." They both smiled at each other.

She stood on the ledge overlooking the ocean below, her teary eyes full of sadness. She then heard his words… "Elizabeth, I'm sorry, but I just don't love you the way I love someone else." She looked up. Could he possibly mean what she thought he meant? Elizabeth took one last look at him, then stalked off, her nose in the air. He walked over to her, gently lifting her chin with his finger to that her eyes met his. "Lissie, you heard what I just said to Elizabeth, didn't you?"

She nodded.

"The other person I love, do you know who she is?"

"I have a guess," Lissie said with a smile. Will smiled his incredible smile back to her.

"Good, because you're the only one for me. I don't know why I didn't see it before. But… I love you."

"I love you too, Will."

He put his hand gently on the side of her face, and pulled her close to him…

"Lissie! Lissie!"

She opened her eyes, really annoyed. "What… what's going on?"

"The city, it's under attack!"

At his words, she swung her legs over the sofa, almost kicking Will, after all, she could kick so hard, she called her legs, 'lethal weapons 6 and 7'. She stood up.

"Listen to me," he put his hands on her shoulders, "I want you to run to the fort as fast as you can, and I'll go with you a little way to protect you. But if for some reason we get separated, keep running, don't wait for me, and don't look back."

Lissie nodded. "Will," she said as he let go of her, "A couple things for you too. One, don't stay in the same place too long, and two," she smiled, "don't get knocked out."

Will smiled too, wondering what she could possibly mean. Why didn't she say 'don't get killed' instead of 'don't get knocked out'? But no time to think of that now, he had to get her to safety. And Beth, well, she was with a pirate in a jail cell, so nothing bad could really happen to her.

They ran down the stairs, and Will grabbed a hatchet and a sword.

"Be careful," said Lissie. Before she knew what she was doing, she hugged him for a brief few seconds.

Will, despite all the equipment he was holding hugged her back. "Same to you," he whispered as they ran outside.

It was a total fiasco. There were pirates everywhere, shooting, plundering, and dueling. Still, they both ran. Suddenly, a pirate whistled, looking at Lissie. Crap! Why didn't I see this coming?! Women are a pirate's biggest treasure! Oh, great, she thought as Will threw his hatchet at the pirate and it caught him in the back. "Lissie, go, keep running!" he yelled to her as more pirates started fighting him. She ran, not stopping, until she finally reached the safety of the fort.

BANG. She jumped, and jerked out of her slumber. "I know those guns," said Jack as he walked to the window. "It's the Black Pearl."

"Lissie," Beth whispered as she stood beside Jack.

"Don't worry, love, she'll be all right. She's a tough lass, I'm sure you would know."

CRASH. They turned around as they saw a navy officer fall down the stairs, dead. The footfalls of two pairs of feet met their ears. "This ain't the armory!" said one of the pirates.

"Well, well, well, look who's here, Twiggs. Captain Jack Sparrow, and looks like a little friend of his, too." He spit at Jack's feet.

"Last time I laid me eyes on you, you were all by yourself on a tiny lil' island, shrinkin' in the distance. 'Is fortunes haven't improved much since then, or maybe they have, who's your lil' friend, Jack?" eyeing Beth.

"Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen. The most deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers, and mutineers, quite like yourselves."

One pirate grabbed at Jack's throat, his hand and wrist in the moonlight. Beth gasped.

"So… so then there is a curse. That's interesting."

"You know nothing of hell," said the other pirate as he shoved Jack and walked off.

"That's very interesting." Beth was mouthing his lines.

Will was fighting yet another pirate. This time, he wasn't quick enough to block him, and the pirate grabbed him, his hatchet at his neck. "Say goodbye!" he said to him. Will's eyes widened. There was a crash above them, and they both looked up in unison. The sign came crashing down, and Will ducked just in time. The pirate was hit with the sign, and was sent flying through the window.

"Goodbye!" said Will as he got back up. He turned around, and saw two pirates taking Elizabeth. "Elizabeth," he whispered. There was a laugh behind him, and he turned around, the pirate who tried to get Lissie was back, but alive? Surely the blow had killed him. Will cocked his head in confusion. A bomb lay at his feet suddenly. He stepped back, but it didn't explode. Will looked back up at the pirate, with a triumphant expression. Little did he notice the band of pirates behind him.

"Outta my way, scum!" said one of them as he knocked Will in the back of the head with a gold vase. Will had one fleeting glimpse of the burning town, but a second later he fell backward and blacked out.