Chapter Eighteen: Delayed

The bell sounded, and Norrington looked behind him, only to see guns being fired. "Make for the ship! MOVE!" he yelled.

* * *

"You can't beat me, Jack!" said Barbossa.

Jack, however, did not listen, and took his sword and speared it straight through Barbossa's stomach.

Barbossa sighed, then took the sword and stabbed Jack, so that the blade was sticking out of his back.

Jack made a gagging noise and stumbled back…into the moonlight.

The skeletal Jack appeared. "That's interesting," he said as he looked at his hand, then took out the medallion and twiddled it between his fingers. "Couldn't resist, mate."

Barbossa, angry as ever, ran forward, and the fight commenced.

Will, however, was dealing with three pirates. Fighting them, Jack ran in front of Will.

"Sorry!" he yelled as he turned around and clanged swords with Barbossa, who suddenly got knocked backward onto a pile of gold.

"So what now, Jack Sparrow? Will it be two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and the trumpets sound, hmm?"

"Or you could surrender."

* * *

Lissie had mouthed the line, she knew the movie and the music all too well. Hidden with the rest of the crew, Beth, and Elizabeth, they waited for the pirates to get close enough to the edge of the ship so they could throw them off.

"Now!" Beth said and they let go of the rope holding the boat up. It swung down and knocked the pirates off the ship.

They all let out a cheer of joy.

"All of you with me!" said Elizabeth, running forward. "Will is in that cave and we must save him! Ready, and heav—" No one came forward to help her, not even Elizabeth.

"Please, we need your help COME ON!"

"Any port in storm!" said the parrot.

"Cotton's right, we've got the Pearl," said Gibbs.

"And what about Jack, you're just going to leave him?" asked Beth.

"Jack owes us a ship!" said the midget.

"And there's the code to consider," said Gibbs.

"The code. You're pirates hang the code, and hang the rules! They're more like guidelines anyway! And I thought you loved Will," she said to Elizabeth, "but apparently, the one who's willing to risk her life for him loves him more."

They then hopped into the boat, alone, and started rowing. "Bloody pirates!" they muttered together.

Once Beth and Lissie were gone, Elizabeth smiled evilly. She held up the piece of wood in her palm that she had cut from the rowboat.

Lissie was feeling very confident. She had just beat Elizabeth in a battle for Will. This time, Beth was rowing.

"Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!" said Lissie. "Now you know what it feels like!"

Beth frowned at her, then looked down. Why was the boat filling up with water…?

"Uh, Lissie?"

"Yeah?"

"Our boat is sinking."

"WHAT?!" Lissie screamed. They looked at each other for a split second, then looked over.

"ELIZABETH!" Beth and Lissie screamed once the boat Elizabeth was in passed their sinking one.

Now, Beth and Lissie couldn't get to their men for a while.

"I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain!" said the pirate to Will, who looked terrified.

"You like pain?" said Elizabeth as she knocked him out with a pole.

"Try wearing a corset." She then helped Will up, and they both smiled at each other for a moment, then looked over at Jack.

"Whose side is Jack on?" she asked.

"At the moment?"

Elizabeth then led Will around and they kicked some pirate butt. They strung all the three pirates together with the pole, and Will stuck a grenade in the middle one's stomach, and pushed all three of them out of the moonlight.

"No fair!" he said, smoke coming out of his mouth. They then ran out of the way as they blew up.

Will bolted forward as Jack and Barbossa were still fighting, and slit his hand.

Jack looked up and saw Will, slit his own hand and threw the medallion to Will, who caught it.

Barbossa, on the other hand, pulled out his gun and pointed it at Elizabeth, who stopped dead.

* * *

"I hate Elizabeth!" exclaimed Beth angrily. They had finally, finally got into the cave, and they were soaking wet, and not to mention bad tempered.

"I've hated her ever since I saw this movie for my first time!" said Lissie. Then, they heard a gunshot.

"Please tell me Barbossa shot Elizabeth," whispered Lissie as they ran into the cave.

But no, Jack had shot Barbossa; he had gotten his revenge. The girls came to a screeching halt at the entrance.

"Ten years you carry that pistol Jack, and now you waste your shot," Barbossa laughed.

"He didn't waste it."

Will dropped the blood-covered medallions into the chest. The curse was lifted. They had won.

Barbossa dropped his weapons and pulled back his shirt, the blood spilling out from his chest. "I feel…cold."

He then fell backward. He was dead.

Just as the triumphant music started to play, Beth ran over to Jack and leapt into his arms.

"YOU WON!" she screamed.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

She kissed him on the cheek.

Lissie was standing as far away from Elizabeth as possible. Now, the harp came on during this part of the music, and Will walked over to Elizabeth, looking at her.

"We should return to the Dauntless," she whispered.

"Your fiancee will be wanting to know you're safe," said Will back.

Elizabeth walked away, tears in her eyes.

Will now turned to Lissie.

"Congratulations," she said. "You got what you wanted. You saved her life, and lifted the curse."

"Actually, I know you and E—"

"Look, you got your treasure, now all that's left is to save Jack and…" she broke off, sniffling, tears in her eyes.

"Lissie, look, I love—"

"Yes, I know, you love her! Make it a happy ending. Don't worry, I'll stay out of the way." Then, she ran off.

Jack walked over to Will, his arm around Beth, and treasure in his hand.

"If you were waiting for the opportune moment… that was it, depending on who you were hoping to create that 'happy ending' with."

Will could only hope that she wouldn't take it the wrong way.