Chapter Nineteen: Surrounded

Drums. Port Royal in its entirety was full of the sound of drums, and nearly everyone was at the fort. Jack's hanging was about to take place.

He survives… He survives… Will saves him… he survives… Beth kept telling herself.

Beth and Lissie were standing in the midst of the crowd, their eyes shielded from the sun. Beth was thinking about Jack (obviously), and Lissie was lost in her mind with Will.

"Jack Sparrow, be it known that you have…"

"Captain… Captain Jack Sparrow," said Jack to himself.

He looked down and saw Beth standing with Lissie. He smiled at her, despite the fact that he was about to die, or so he thought.

"…for your official commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature. The most grievous of these to be cited herewith: piracy, smuggling…"

Elizabeth was standing in the back of the crowd, with her father and future husband. "This is wrong," she said.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law… as are we all," said her father.

Will looked up at Jack, helpless. He had a plan.

"…impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, impersonating a cleric of the Church of England…"

"Oh, yes," Jack smiled. Jack looked over at the executioner, who just glared back at him. The smile vanished from his face.

"…sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation and general lawlessness. And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."

Will walked up to the trio. "Governor Swann. Commodore. Elizabeth. I should have told you everyday from the moment I met you."

She looked at him. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

Lissie was wondering the same thing as she looked back.

He took a deep breath. "I love you."

He walked off, and Elizabeth spotted Mr. Cotton's parrot. "I can't breath," she said. Then, she fake fainted.

"Elizabeth," gasped the Governor, and Norrington bent down to help her.

The drums sounded louder.

He survives, he survives, HE SURVIVES! Beth told herself frantically as the noose was put around Jack's neck.

"MOVE!" Will yelled as he pushed his way through the crowd, and knocked Lissie out of the way without even noticing. At the last second, he threw the sword, and it fell just below Jack, who balanced himself on it.

"Music! The remake of number four!" said Beth excitedly.

Elizabeth got up, and Norrington ran forward.

Will ran up onto the platform, fighting with the executioner, and pushed him over the edge of it, and he landed right on top of Norrington. His axe cut the rope Jack was being held by; he made a gagging noise and fell down.

Jack looked at the sword, a confused look on his face, then cut the rope binding his hands and ran off to help Will.

Using the rope around Jack's neck, they tripped up quite a number of navy officers, and knocked some out. But unfortunately, they fell into the spot where they could not escape, but still circled bravely, back to back. Something true friends would do.

This feather itches… thought Jack as he blew it out of his face. The Commodore ran forward, along with Elizabeth, Lissie, and Beth.

"I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill conceived escape attempt, but not from you."

"On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency. And this is how you thank me?" asked the governor. "By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate."

"And a good man!" said Will, throwing down his sword. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

"You forget your place, Turner." Said Norrington.

"It's right here. Between you and Jack," he said quietly.

Elizabeth stepped forward. "As is mine," she said, taking his hand.

So this was it. This was the part she had been dreading; the part she got jealous of every single time she listened to the soundtrack or watched the movie. Lissie looked away; she just couldn't bear to look at Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth! Lower your weapons!" said the governor, exasperated. "For goodness' sake put them down!"

"So this is where your heart truly lies, then?" asked Norrington.

"It is," said Elizabeth.

Will looked at Norrington, and nudged his head ever so carefully toward Elizabeth; only moving it a millimeter, then he moved it in Norrington's direction. He looked like he understood.

Jack looked up at Will, who didn't see him nod, thinking what an idiot he was. Why didn't you chose Lissie?! he thought. As he looked up, he saw the parrot.

"Well, I'm actually feeling rather good about all of this," he said as he walked to the governor. I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically?"

He walked to Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that."

Next, he moved to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth …it would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry. And same for you, Lissie. There's only one girl for me, right Beth?"

She smiled.

Just as he was about to go to the edge of the battlement, he turned to Will. "Will …nice hat. Men! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that you –"

He fell off, and everyone ran forward.

Why didn't I see this coming?! Thought Beth. "That's it, I'm going too!" she said. Just as she was about to jump off and fall sixty feet and then land in the ocean, Lissie grabbed her arm.

"Do you honestly think he wouldn't come back for you?"

"Good point."

"Idiot! He has no where to go but back to the noose!" said Gilette.

"Sail ho!" came a voice.

It was the Pearl. Jack smiled, and swam off toward them. "We've got one stop to make, lads! And lass!" he added to Anamaria once he was on board, which took a surprisingly short amount of time.

"What's your plan of action? Sir?" Gilette asked Commodore, who looked like he didn't plan on having a plan.

"Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?" said the Governor.

"Mr. Turner!" said Norrington.

He turned around, but Elizabeth held him back. "I will accept the consequences of my actions," he said to her.

"This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."

Will smiled. "Thank you."

"Commodore!" said Gilette. He always seemed to ruin perfect moments. "What about Sparrow?"

"Oh I think we can afford to give him one day's head start," replied Norrington.

"No need for that," said Beth. "He's back."

I'm SO close to being done… and thanks for the reviews!!!!