Chapter 9:

A/N: Welcome back everyone! I trust that you all had a great Christmas and I wish you a grand new year as well. Now, on with the story! Oh and thanks for the reviews, I love you guys!

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Sparrow emerged from the stairs exhausted gripping a small piece of singed rope in his hands. "All of that trouble just to stop a burning piece of rope."

"Jack! Untie us!" Turner pulled at the ropes hastily trying to free himself but in turn only tightening the grip on the other pirates.

"You try chasing a bloody rope for a few minutes and then watch how it wears you out! I'm a Captain not a rope chasing idiot!" Turner continued to struggle with the binds, "I'm coming boy, relax." Sparrow limped slightly as he made his way over to the mast where Turner was.

"Now let's see I know one side of this blade it the sharp side and-."

"Jack, just cut the rope." William looked agitated and extremely annoyed.

"Right, there you go. All free and everything, just like you wanted." Sparrow gave his dim-witted expression and watched as William shoved passed him and ran over to the second mast where Elizabeth was located at.

"Elizabeth," he took her face into her hands but she couldn't notice, she was passed out. "Cut the rope!" The rope dropped, as did Elizabeth, straight into Turners arms.

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My body was tossed across the dinner table, flying over the polished surface knocking everything over as I went along. My side hit hard on the floor as I landed, I could barely move from the pain I had endured that night. But all the same, Ana grabbed my waist and hoisted me up and through the open doors down the hallway and back to our room.

I collapsed on the bed as Ana locked the door and slid a small but heavy table in front of it. I was out of breath and extremely tired, my body ached badly and I couldn't do anything for it. Millson rammed the door once for the effect and then voiced his opinion.

"You stay in there, Reynolds, until you decide to give back what is mine! Tell your 'friend' that she can come out whenever she wants, she'd make some wonderful entertainment." I couldn't see through the door but I knew Millson was licking his lips and envisioning fantasies that would never be fulfilled.

"I will never allow such things YOU INSENSATIVE-GUTLESS-SAVAGE!" I found myself shouting at a door and then pulling myself back in pain, my side was cramping up horribly.

Ana-Maria ran to the bed and started massaging my side to try and keep the pain at a minimum. After a few moments she posed a question to me, "what did you take from him?"

"What?" I looked at her uncertainly.

"Well you obviously have something of his, and it looks like it is of great value. So what is it?"

"Look, the only thing I have of Millson's is an old pocket watch that I took from him five months ago. There is nothing special about the watch at all, it's old rusted and very dusty."

"Are you sure that's the only thing you stole?" I could feel my dress tightening around me, allowing more pain to enter my body, so I stood.

"I didn't steal, I- I commandeered it." I limped slightly as I walked behind the dressing screen.

"You can't commandeer a watch, you can only commandeer a ship!" She snapped back at me as she stood and walked to the front of the screen.

"Then I confiscated it!"

"Generally you can only confiscate something f you are an officer of the British Navy, which you're not," Ana added as a thought.

I put my finger to my chin and thought about it for a moment, "Never thought of it like that."

"Yes," she nodded in agreement.

"Well then, fine! I stole it, is that good enough for you?" I threw the dress over the screen at her.

"Yes, very good indeed. Say, do you have the watch with you?"

"Maybe," I pulled my pants up and latched my belt around my waist, "maybe not."

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"Gibbs! What is the damage so far?" Sparrow stood at the helm, steering his beloved ship as always.

"Well sir, the mast is a little dented and the ship is a little bruised but she'll survive this voyage. Plus, we have more gunpowder now. So may I ask where it is we're heading Captain?"

"We're following Millson," Gibbs choked on the air in his lungs.

"Sir?"

"I have two of my best crew members aboard that ship and I will not loose them now, savvy?"

"Who?" Gibbs starred at his Captain, but Sparrow's expression never changed.

"Ana-Maria and Reynolds," Turner appeared and leaned against the railing next to Gibbs.

"Jack? Make sure this isn't a voyage based on fantasies, they'll never survive if it is," Gibbs patted Sparrow's back and walked off.

"Jack, what did he mean by that? They'll never survive?" Mr. Turner now stood next to Sparrow.

"Nothing boy, nothing that you need to be worried about." Sparrow kept his attention fixed on the direction of his ship and the sea sprawled out in front of them.

"With all due respect Captain, I would like to know why we our risking our voyage for these two."

"Because, Mr. Turner, 'these two' are hard working pirates who enjoy what they do more than I, that is why we are 'risking' our voyage."

"I'm sorry Jack, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. What I had meant was, she is worth the risk."

Sparrow eyed him for a brief period of time before responding, "aye, she is."

"Good night, Captain." Turner left Sparrow to his thoughts and retired to his chambers where Samuel had been watching over Miss Swann.

"Hello Mr. Turner, I didn't hear you enter." Samuel faced him his locks of blonde hair flowing with the movement of his body.

"How is she doing, Sam?" He peered down at the young woman asleep in his hammock.

"She is doing just fine, though she hasn't woken yet. Her body is probably very exhausted from the fight. Don't worry Mr. Turner she'll wake soon."

"Thanks Sam, it is appreciated," William sat on a chair next to the rocking hammock.

"I hope," Sam paused to rethink his thoughts, "I hope that one day I will find a lass that loves me as much as she loves you. Night, Mr. Turner." With that Sam vacated the room and Will watched Elizabeth for what had seemed to be the entire night before drifting off into a dream.

Will's mind floated through his memories replaying several of them for him to watch. Elizabeth appeared and they were sitting at a table in the lower decks of the Intercepter talking about his father and the gold medallion. "Will, I'm so sorry."

His mind quickly changed to the setting sun at the fort on the day of Jack's hanging. He stood there in front of Elizabeth putting his hand to her cheek and kissing her, their first kiss. Then his dream took an unexpected turn, he was standing in Reynolds quarters, her lips firmly pressed to his and her tender touch massaging the back of his neck. The kiss broke and Reynolds turned the other way, "please leave."

"Will! Will wake up!" Elizabeth shook Turner from his peaceful yet confusing slumber. "Will?"

"She blushed," was the first thing he said not even paying attention to his surroundings.

"What?" Elizabeth looked down at him sternly, "who blushed?"

He glanced up at her, "oh, you did. Do you remember our first kiss? Your face was pink."

"Was it?" She staggered back in embarrassment.

"Don't be ashamed by it, it really did well for your complexion." Will found himself and his darling Elizabeth laughing even though it wasn't her blushing that he was referring to.

Sparrow entered the room and looked at the couple questionably, "getting an extremely early start for this evening?" Will and Elizabeth removed their hands from one another. "You might want to come on deck when your-erm- finished, savvy?"

"Why? What's happened?" Will stepped closer to Jack.

"We've caught up, there will be a fight, no doubt about that so be prepared." Jack walked away and then shuffled back, "oh and Elizabeth lovely figure!" He ran off before William could hit him as Miss Swann pulled her robe over her under-gown.

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A/N: A most amusing chapter, if I do say so myself. But hey it's for you to judge, so get cracking with the reviews, please. As always thanks, and until next time, TA! PS: For Christmas I got Crybaby and Nick of Time! Woo Hoo more Johnny Depp movies! I'm terribly sorry, I had coffee!