cThe advantage of time and place in all practical actions is half a victory; which being lost is irrecoverable. cSir Francis Drake

pbr"We're rascals, villains, scoundrels and knaves. Drink up me hearties. Yo, ho," sang Jack Sparrow softly as he walked up the gangplank to his ship, The Black Pearl. He had left it in the confident hands of Anamaria, but even a few hours were still too long. It hadn't been in his possession for almost eleven long years and he meant to make up all the time he could.

            br"What news do the locals spread?" she asked.

            br"Pearls, jewels, and Spanish gold," he replied. Her eyes lit up with the thought and she announced, "I'll ready the crew."

            br"This isn't cursed gold, is it?" asked Mr. Gibbs.

            br"No," said Jack before adding in a lower voice, "At least not that I'm aware of."

            br"Jack."

            br"Have I steered you wrong before? Trust me." Gibbs scowled and asked, "Where is this place?"

            pbrWill Turner banged the glowing, red metal more to his liking while his "master" slept. He was master only because it was his name atop the door. Everyone in town knew who really made the wondrous swords. The door opened and the accompanying bell rang. He looked up to see his father-in-law, Governor Swann.

            br"Will, we have something to discuss. Norrington wished to come here personally, but I felt that wasn't wise."

            br"We have set our animosity aside," said Will, setting down his tools.      

            br"Port Francis has sent a messenger for our aid. They have acquired treasure and are readying a ship for England to deliver it to the King. Unfortunately, there's been a leak and it's certain that pirates will make a play for it."

            br"What is my part in this?" asked Will.

            br"Norrington is sending a ship to protect it, but I felt you should join them for the trip."

            br"Why?"

            br"Because of last year, you have more intimate knowledge of pirates than anyone else on this island, but I have another reason for suggesting you. You have a longing look in your eyes whenever you look out at the sea, Will. It's the same expression that you used to have when looking at my daughter except I didn't recognize it then."

            brSwann sighed and studied a sword before making his final point.

            br"I know you're a pirate and pirates really belong at sea, do they not?"

            brWill nodded and allowed himself a small smile. That was the first time his father-in-law had admitted his true profession.

            br"I'll oblige your request, but I want Elizabeth to accompany me."

            br"Why?"

            br"Pirate is in my blood, but she has more intimate knowledge of buccaneers than I do."

            br"Very well, if she wishes, then Norrington won't deny her."

pbrThe next morning, the Dauntless was set to sail and Elizabeth was right at Will's side just as he knew she would be. He knew his wife better than anyone so he knew she didn't belong on land anymore than he did. Her father was there as well and not smiling.

br"Elizabeth, please, this is unbecoming a young wife. Please reconsider. Should anything happen, I could not forgive myself…or Will."

brElizabeth was as patient as possible.

br"How can it be unbecoming for a young wife to stand by her husband? I came back safe and sound and unchanged last year and I fear not that transpiring this time."

brThe Governor was not changed in countenance by these words.

br"But you're wrong, Elizabeth. You had changed. You had changed into a woman capable of her own decisions and I must respect that though I don't like it."

brHe kissed her on the cheek, smiled and nodded at Will to take of his baby. He walked down the gangplank and undid the final rope tied to the dock, setting the ship loose.

pbrJack Sparrow, er…Captain Jack Sparrow looked at a far port through his telescope.

br"Couldn't we take at least a closer look? I haven't stepped foot on Port Royal in such a long time," asked Gibbs.

br"No, but I have and they tried to give me such a lovely send-off last time that I felt it would be bad manners to return."

br"What does that mean?" asked John.

br"Jack had to rescue himself from his own hanging. He single-handedly fought off thirty British guards and jumped off a perilous cliff to meet this ship."

br"Really?" asked the cabin boy.

br"Yes, single-handed with the help of a young blacksmith and his bonny lass. Go scrub below deck!"

brJohn ran to perform his duty, leaving the two adults alone again.

br"Might we at least see Will again?"

br"If Norrington sees my head ever again, he'll have it in a noose, savvy? His ships did give chase for two solid days before returning to port."

br"It was a shame to miss the wedding though."

br"We'll see them again, but it will be on the high seas, not their home."

brGibbs looked unbelieving.

br"He's a pirate and she's as close as can be. Domesticated bliss is not for them, the sea is."

pbrThe Dauntless sailed east through the blue-green waters without a care and was speeding past Tortuga. There were quite a few mourning her passing, bur not Will. Something wasn't right. He could feel it in his bones so he climbed up the mast and looked out to see. Directly ahead, obscured by large rocks was a large pirate ship.

br"Pirates!" he screamed below and used a rope to get down quickly.

p  brThe Black Pearl was dead in the water. The crew had been ordered to stay below deck until further orders. Jack and Anamaria were in the front of the ship, looking out but trying to be as flat as possible so the ship would be presumed abandoned.

br"That our ship?" she asked. He took the telescope from her and hissed, "Not that one!" She took it back from him, looking harder and said, "That's Port Royal's ship. That's the Dauntless, that is."

pbrThe Dauntless was half prepared when the first cannonball hit.

br"Fire!" called Commodore and they launched their round. It caught the other ship off guard, but the pirate's first cannon ball had landed right where it needed to: right at sea level, leaving a gaping hole. It would only take one or two more for the ship to be a loss.

pbrJack jumped up and turned to Anamaria.

br"Ready the men!"

brShe nodded and ran for the hold. Jack aimed with his gun, but the other pirate ship was too far away and the wind currents wouldn't allow The Black Pearl to come any closer. They would have to depend on the cannons to save the Dauntless.

pbrNorrington's man, Knightley, turned the steering hard to the left, but the winds wouldn't have it. They continued to push the Dauntless closer and closer to the enemy.

br"Tie up the sails, men! Tie the sails!" Norrington cried on deck. He allowed Will to monitor the action below deck and Elizabeth scanned the other ship, looking for a weakness. The pirates were close enough to yell uncouth things at Commodore's men and aim their guns. The messenger from Port Francis, Rookwood, was of no use whatsoever. He just sat against the mast, curled into a little ball and cradling his pistol. Then a ten pound cannon ball slammed through the enemy's deck. Action completely stopped for fifteen seconds as both sides tried to figure out where it had come from. Elizabeth happily recognized the mast and flag which was all there could be seen of the other ship. She ran for the interior of the ship. Norrington saw her speed and yelled, "Elizabeth?"

pbrElizabeth didn't hear him as she ran to find Will. He suggested a trajectory to the soldier by the cannon and saw Elizabeth, smiling.

br"Where did that ten-pound come from?"

br"The Black Pearl."

brWill's smile soon matched hers. They couldn't lose, but they couldn't allow the men to become cocky or Commodore to know that the one pirate that had gotten away was close by.

br"Tell no one," said Will to his wife and she nodded. Then she ran back up to the deck.

pbrThe battle was going well from the Black Pearl's direction, but Captain Jack Sparrow wasn't going to take any chances that the Dauntless would be sunk. If anyone was going to sink the ship, it would be Jack himself later.

br"Load a harpoon," he instructed Mr. Gibbs.

br"A harpoon?" asked Gibbs, but then he saw the look on Jack's face. There would be no argument. Jack watched silently as Gibbs did so and told him to aim it at the other pirates. The harpoon was fired and landed with a thunk and a clang on the deck. Then it quickly tangled with odds and ends. John was out of things to do at the moment which was fine with Jack.

br"I want the anchor dropped. Here," explained Jack, "and someone to start towing in the harpoon."

pbrCommodore shook his head. He didn't understand what was happening with the other ship, but at least it got them off their back. He also wasn't sure if it was the Dauntless or the other ship helping them, but the pirate's mast fell. Was that a figment of his imagination or was the other ship being pulled away from them? Then Elizabeth screamed.

pbrWill recognized the scream and ran for the deck. He got to her steps before Norrington.

br"What is it?" he asked her and put his arms around her. She pointed at the retreating ship with horror in her eyes.

br"That can't be."

pbrThe crew of the Black Pearl pulled the chain, dragging the other ship closer and closer until Jack could see the other crew closely.

br"Let her go, boys! Let her go."

br"Why? We almost have her."

br"They almost have us. We've got our treasure waiting for us in Port Francis, savvy?" Anamaria nodded and the crew halted one by one.

pbr"What is it?" asked Commodore Norrington.

br"It's the former crew of The Black Pearl," explained Will, holding Elizabeth tighter.

br"But they were sent to England for official punishment."

br"It appears they never made it," said Elizabeth, still shaken.

br"Then they are the pirates to watch out for," said Norrington.

br"I wouldn't be so sure," said Will, "There is the matter of the other ship."

br"That could have been just a coincidence."

br"I don't feel it was. We'll be seeing both ships again."

pbrJack had gone back to his captain's quarters after having recognized many of his old crew mates gazing longingly at his ship. The silence did not last long.

br"Are we still continuing with it?"

br"With what?" asked Jack, playing stupid with Anamaria.

br"The plan, the Dauntless is obviously going to protect the treasure. Do you expect to sink it?"

br"Of course, we found out all its major flaws today and I have to say those Port Royal chaps aren't the brightest in the bunch." He was very close to her now, but she didn't back off.

br"I have a bad feeling about all of this," she said, wringing her hands without realizing it.

br"Don't…worry," he tried to say but he had grabbed her hands to stop her wringing and there was something there. Seconds passed and they started to kiss. Who started it? Neither one could say nor for how long it lasted, but it did end.

brThen they just looked at each other, finally out of words. Anamaria left his quarters and he was left there puzzled.