_ /\ _¸.~**~·.¸·~**~·

\ ¸.~**~ PotC~**~.

/.· ·.\¸.·~**~·.,·~**~·

            Holy. Shit.

MONTHS! ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR! I AM SOOO SORRY IF THERE'S ANYONE STILL READING!

Disclaimer: I don't own PotC. I don't own CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow (damn) or Elizabeth Swann (*cough* ElizabethSparrow *cough*). I don't even own the plot so far!

_ /\ _¸.~**~·.¸·~**~·

\ ¸.~**~ PotC~**~.

/.· ·.\¸.·~**~·.,·~**~·

            "Will?" I was lost in thought and the sound of my own voice startled me. Will's dazzling eyes flickered up to my face.

            "Yes Elizabeth," he replied softly.

            "How—how…how did he fall behind?" I finally spoke. Will's eyes immediately returned to my hand, which he was binding with a cloth.

            "I…I don't know." The manner of his voice told me otherwise. I frowned,

            "But…You were with him…" Will would not meet my eyes. There was a deathly hush in which I looked fixedly at him, but he would not return my gaze.

            "Listen Elizabeth," He said sharply, causing me to jump, "He's a pirate. I know he brought me here, but you must understand that it wasn't for me…or you. He was going to trade me for Barbossa's ship." I stared. This couldn't be right. "Pirates are dire…the lot of them." He said heatedly, mostly to himself.

            "No. Not all of them," I countered in almost a whisper, my mind on two very diverse men. Now he looked up at me. His eyebrows were raised, eyes penetrating mine for a shred of evidence that he had misheard. I took a deep breath, and reached for his hand. I brought it at a snail's pace down my neck to the lace lining of my gown, where the medallion shone in the feeble firelight. I trembled at the tingling sensation of his skin against mine, but his hand was quickly withdrawn. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the look on his face as he recognized the medallion. I was trying desperately to block out all emotion; I forced myself to think of Will, and Will alone. Eyes still closed, I swallowed hard, as I felt the medallion lifted from my neck. My throat ached, and my eyes burned as I fought to keep the tears away. Blocking out sentiment seemed to be working; I was drained of thought and feeling; numb, except for the desperate impulse to start bawling.

            "This…this was mine," Will had finally spoken. I opened my eyes to find myself gazing into his, which were flickering with betrayal. "You took it?"

            "Will, please…I was so scared that you were…a pirate," I silently begged forgiveness with him, praying he wouldn't notice the choked quality of my voice. But I could no longer read the look in his eyes; he was shutting me out.

            "So…it's not your blood Barbossa wanted…it's mine." He spoke slowly, "The blood of the pirate," He slammed his fist down on the shabby wooden table, almost knocking it over. My eyes were welling up, and with no other choice laid before me, I turned and stormed out of the room.

            It was so hard to believe that just nights ago I was laying in my own bed in Port Royal, the only worry on my mind whether to accept Commodore Norrington's proposal or not. Just days ago I was sopping wet, lying on a dock in Port Royal…Jack Sparrow kneeling over me. A hot tear trickled down my cheek, quivering on my chin before falling onto the atrocious dress Barbossa had given me. Jack…Sure, just minutes after I had met him, he had a gun to my head, using me for his own escape. But just minutes before that he had saved my life …and after all, Will could never have saved me if Jack hadn't lead the way. But Will had just told me that it wasn't to save me…or help him. Wasn't Jack going to trade Will for a ship?

            Uncertainty was clogging my mind; most of it revolving around Jack. I'd never spoken to him, only been in his presence for minutes, yet he shadowed my ever thought.

            "Pirates are dire," I repeated Will's words aloud to myself, forcing myself to believe them. Jack was just such a mystery to me, to everyone; I was curious, that was all, I wanted to know the truth about this fascinating man I had read about. I was curious, nothing more. This too I tried to force myself to believe, but the scruffy face, surrounded by unkempt dreadlocks, bejeweled with the russet eyes that alone showed the emotion he would not, refused to leave my mind.

            If only I had had more time; Time undisturbed by Norrington or my father. But I never would. Another tear trickled down my cheek; Jack Sparrow had finally met the end. If only I had had more time… lots of time…with Jack…to learn, to study his every move, to find out who he really was.

            Be careful what you wish for.

_ /\ _¸.~**~•.¸•~**~•

\ ¸.~**~ PotC~**~.

/.• •.\¸.•~**~•.,•~**~•

            After a quarter of an hour I felt composed enough to go up on deck, but when I poked my head out of the trapdoor I was surprised to find chaos on the ship. Men were scrambling around, ropes, cannons, sails held tightly in their arms. Gibbs and Anna Maria were screaming orders to the crew; I made my way over to them.

            "What's happening?" I tried to make myself heard above the shouts. Anna Maria looked over her shoulder, then back at me.

            "The Black Pearl, she's gaining on us," I could tell she was trying her hardest to hide her fear. I leaned over the rail. Sure enough, the gloomy, unmistakable outline of the Black Pearl was moving closer by the second, a dark fog not far behind.

            "But this is the fastest ship in the Caribbean!"  I exclaimed, praying it would hold true. Anna Maria gave me a piercing look.

            "Well you can tell them that after they've caught us." She looked straight ahead, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. I looked back at the ghost ship, my mind racing, skimming over everything I had ever read about pirates, sailing, and ships. Settling on the first one that sounded remotely reasonable, I scrambled over to Anna Maria.

            "We're shallower on the draft right?" She looked slightly startled at my piece of knowledge.

            "Aye..."

            "Well, then can't we lose them amongst those shoals?" I waved a hand in the general direction of the shoals, as I looked frantically from her to Mr. Gibbs. Mr. Gibbs seemed to like this idea. He turned to Anna Maria, eyes shining with new hope,

            "We don't have to out run 'em long, jus' long enough," Looking as if it were against her better judgment, Anna Maria started shouting orders to the crew. There was scrambling, yelling, and utter chaos on deck. I chanced a glance back at the Pearl. It was still drawing closer by the minute. Anna Maria's face was stern.

            "It was a good plan. Up 'till now."

            "Gibbs!" My heart seemed to get heavier as Will raced up on deck. "We have to make a stand. We must fight! Load the guns!" The boyish look on his face was almost laughable.

            "With what?" Anna Maria fixed him with a piercing glare.

            "Anything. Everything. Anything we have left!" I wanted to scream. This wasn't right! We shouldn't be the ones starting battle! And why was I suddenly feeling so irritated with Will? Why couldn't I get the peeving thought that if Jack was here we would have a smooth escape from this hell, out of my head?!

            "Load the guns!" Gibbs shouted orders to the crew. Anna Maria raised her eyes to the sky; I felt Will staring at me. Gibbs voice was now concerned,

            "The Pearl's gonna luff up on our port quarter! She'll rake us without ever presenting a target!" Another suggestion came spilling out of my mouth.

            "Lower the anchor of the right side!" This was met by blank looks. "On the starboard side!" This was met by cynical looks.

            "It certainly has the element of surprise." Will said it as if it were a last resort. This was too much for Anna Maria.

            "You're daft lady! You both are!" A wild smile came over Gibb's face as she spoke.

            "Daft like Jack!" He growled. I could not stop the surge of pride that swept over me. Gibbs was shouting orders. Before I knew it the ship was lurching to one side with an almighty groan of complaint. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Anna Maria struggling to keep the wheel from turning.

            "Let go!" I cried. She immediately stepped back, the wheel a blur. The Pearl was parallel with us. Both ship's cannons were lit, and the air was filled with earsplitting explosions.

            "We could use a few more ideas, lass," Gibbs grunted to me through the throbbing racket.

            "Your turn!" I panted, struggling to fire a rifle. He sighed.

            "We need a devils dowry," In an instant I was grabbed by Anna Maria, the cold metal end of a pistol to my head.

            "We'll give 'em her." She snarled. Will did not move to help me. Instead he spoke quietly,

            "She's not what they're after," My hand automatically groped for the medallion. It was gone. Will took off for the lower deck. Smoke was fogging my vision, cannon rumbles unsettling my hearing. Barbossa's men were now boarding our ship; I could hear only their raucous war cries above the explosions. They were everywhere, swarming over our deck, taking out anything or anyone in sight.

(AN: Again, I am SO sorry! I know that I've lost all my readers, so I'm paying for it, but if you happen to chance by this fic again, don't hate me!)