Title: Dragonfly

Author: Muse a.k.a. Viorith

Rating: R for sexual content and violence.

Pairing: Will/OFC, Jack/Anna Maria

Feedback: Yes

Archive: Ask first please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with PoTC, I'm just playing with them. I do own Sabine. So please ask if you want to play with her.

Summary: Sabine has loved Will since she was 16, but since his eyes were for Elizabeth only, she settled for his friendship. A year after the curse is lifted, Sabine now needs him to teach her the way of the blade so she can avenge her father's death on a man that once called himself his friend.

Chapter 24

Sabine didn't know if Jacinto left their hands unbound because he was secure in the idea that there was nothing they could do, and nowhere they could go. Or if it was because he assumed he was safe because they were women. Either way, the artist was not inclined to question her luck, she was just grateful for it.

The pirate was already in a foul mood, asthe winds of the Caribbean retarded his forward progress, and hindered their arrival to the island for almost two complete days. Elizabeth seemed confident that Commodore Norrington would be on the way, and if that was the case, perhaps the winds that delayed, Jacinto's ship, didn't hamper Norrington, but Sabine wasn't prone to believe that. In fact she doubted if the Commodore would even know where to begin to look for them.

Their only hope resided in the off chance that Sparrow was still on the island. She had no idea if they passed his ship on the way, as she was never above deck. She hadn't heard the men speaking of a ship with black sails, but in the storm it was possible the two ships could have been a stone's throw apart and not realize it.

The young artist kept the small dagger concealed in the length of her shirttails as much as possible. Jacinto walked next to her, the steel grip he had on her arm gave way to balance himself as they climbed over the jagged rocks. Directly behind him followed Elizabeth and Gezana. Surprisingly it wasn't D'Angelo that marched behind the two women, but the man that had been their jailer on the ship. Another helpful hand from fate.

Sabine didn't know exactly where the treasure was, she remembered it being in a lake in a cave, but where that was in relation to where they docked she wasn't sure. What she did know was the rocky terrain would provide the best cover for their escape. Unfortunately it would probably proved the most difficult.

She had always been an aggressive young girl. With her mother dying at an early age, there was no woman to teach Sabine how a young lady should act. No mother to keep her from running, climbing, and fighting with the boys. For her, climbing the rocks would be easy. Elizabeth's mother was absent from her formative years as well, but her father, along with the servants, and society's restraints made sure she grew up as a lady. Elizabeth, however, was resourceful when she needed to be. She had survived being taken by skeleton pirates, and Sabine was willing to bet she would be able to survive this.

Gezana was the wild card. Sabine knew little about the woman before she came to Port Royal, and she certainly never did much running or climbing there. She was also older than her and Elizabeth. Sabine feared she might not be able to keep up, but the rocks still seemed to be the ideal terrain.

It wasn't before long that Sabine eyed the perfect spot for their escape. She veered the pathway to the left, over steeper rocks. Steep enough that Jacinto had to tuck his pistol into the waistband of his trousers. It was the opportunity Sabine had been waiting for.

She slammed her body into him with enough force that he not only lost his balance, but his footing as well. His arms went failing out trying to slow his tumble down the rocks. The man behind Elizabeth and Gezana charged forward… right into the dagger.

His momentum drove the knife in his stomach up to the hilt and pushed Sabine to the ground where he collapsed on top of her.

"Run!" she shouted to Elizabeth and Gezana.

She pushed at the body, desperate to get from under the prison. She pushed with everything she had, and was rewarded by the body slowly lifting to the right, then rolling down the rocks, taking the dagger with it. Sabine cursed softly. She had wanted to keep the weapon. It would do little against a sword, and even less against a pistol, but it was the only protection they had. There was no way of knowing exactly how long they would be on the island, and if they were alone there. The only consolation was the dead man, took out two of her chasers.

Before turning to climb she saw Jacinto. She had hoped he wouldn't survive the fall, but the man was proving to have more lives than a cat.

"After them!" he ordered his men.

The three of them climbed as fast as they could to the peak. Sabine prayed to find some continuance on the other side, and that she wasn't leading them up an inescapable escape route. She had almost caught up to them when Gezana cried out in pain and went down.

Sabine hadn't even heard the shot fired, but a ball from one of the men's pistol had struck the woman in the leg. She and Sabine's hopes for escape, dropped like a the scattering stones from the rocky edge.

"Come on," Sabine begged.

She tried to help her friend to her feet, and for a moment it looked like it would work, but Sabine was unable to support the weight Gezana's leg no longer could. They both collapsed to the ground again. Sabine winced as the rocks dug into the still healing wound on her shoulder.

Elizabeth returned to them, and together to two young women pulled Gezana to her feet. They moved forward, but it was near impossible for them to get far. The path that Sabine counted one to aid them, barred them instead. Behind, they heard the sounds of Jacinto and his men, gaining on them.

"Leave me," Gezana ordered.

"We're almost there. We just have a little further to go," Sabine encouraged.

She glanced over her shoulder, the gap between them was definitely shrinking. Even if they made it to the top, and even if there was someplace to go from there, it would only be a matter of time before they were caught again.

"You can not escape and carry me," she stopped moving, settling her weight so the women were no longer able to carry her.

"Gezana, please, it's only a little further."

The old woman smiled and caressed Sabine's cheek. "That's more than I have left in me."

"Sabine we have to go," Elizabeth stated, her eyes on the progress of the men. The distance that separated them was dwindling rapidly. In a matter of minutes it would be completely gone.

"Go," Gezana ordered.

"No," Sabine protested. She tried to haul Gezana to her feet, but the woman refused to be moved.

"Go," she repeated, "Elizabeth take her," she added when it was apparent Sabine wouldn't leave.

The Governor's daughter wasted no time in taking her friend's arm and pulling her away. Sabine's eyes welled with tears as she began climbing again. She followed Elizabeth to the top, her eyes forward the entire way. If she looked back, she would go back, as part of her already ached to do.

Elizabeth reached the peak and pulled herself up, then reached back down to help up Sabine. Finally, they both looked down. Gezana had followed them, but her pace was dramatically slower. She had managed to stay one level ahead of D'angelo, but it wouldn't be for much longer.

"We have to help her," Sabine stated.

"How?" Elizabeth countered, "We have no weapons, we have nothing to use to keep them at bay."

"I can't leave her," were the young artist's final words before she began moving back down to the injured woman.

She picked up a rock and lunged it at D'angelo. He twisted to the left to dodge the stone, but at the price was his footing as he slid down the trail he climbed. Sabine reached Gezana, her hand reached out to pull her up with a deafening shoot stilled all movement.

Jacinto's pistol smoked as he lowered the gun from the air where the warning shot had been fired. Just beyond his shoulder, his marksman leveled his rifle at Elizabeth who still stood near the top of the ridge.

"This ends here Sabine," Jacinto announced and reloaded his gun. "You will show me where the treasure is now, or I will shoot Elizabeth and the old woman."

"Kill them and you will get nothing from me."

"Oh, I will," he promised, "I have been taught the ways to make people talk, and I have learned my lesson well. By the time I finish, not only will you tell me what I want to know, you will beg me to kill you."

Sabine moved dangerously close to the cliff's edge. Chips of rock and dust under her feet broke free and clattered down the drop to the jagged landing below.

"Sabine, no!" Gezana cried.

"Give me your oath as a pirate that Elizabeth and Gezana will go free, or I promise you I will jump and take your secret to my grave."

At the bottom of the rocky hillside, Jack, his crew and Will took their positions. They had waited for Jacinto and his men to dock and circled around, following them closely, but not too closely. The plan had been to take them in the cavern, as they assumed that was where Sabine would lead them.

Sabine's escape attempt had brought a smile to the old pirate's lips. Her new position close to the edge brought horror to the blacksmith's eyes.

"Jack." Will urged when Sabine's threat echoed down to them.

"She is a brave, lass. I'll give her that," Sparrow observed. He wondered if Sabine would have the grit to make good on her threat if it came down to it.

"Jack!"

"Oh, right, of course… Mr. Cotton if you would be so kind."

Cotton mirrored Jacinto's previous form. With his pistol in the air he fired his single shot. The effects of his charge was the same as Jacinto's. It echoed against the rocks and grabbed the attention of the warring party above them.

"Hate to interrupt," Jack climbed slightly ahead, but was careful not to block the shots of his rifled crew. "But I believe the ladies have grown tired of your company."

"Jack," it was all Elizabeth could do, not to jump up and down with joy. She knew it had only been a matter of time

"Hello Elizabeth, this seems a bit familiar, doesn't it luv."

"Ja—" Sabine was about to join her friend in celebrating what appeared to be their impending rescue, but lost the ability to speak when her eyes drifted past the infamous pirate to rest on the familiar face she never dreamed to see again. "Will?" she whispered, not daring to speak his name too loud for fear that the echo would make the illusion disappear.

She heard Elizabeth mutter his name as the woman moved to stand with them, and she began to think, he wasn't a mirage. Surely she would be the only one to see him if he were. Then he moved forward, his pistol drawn and aimed at one of Jacinto's men, and she knew the man she believed dead, was alive.

"Will!" she shouted his name.

She scrambled back from the edge, but froze her decent when she found Jacinto's pistol leveled at her stomach.

"Stay where you are," he ordered.

"Jacinto," Jack called, "Maybe I haven't made myself clear, but you're not giving the orders mate."

"Yet I seem to be holding all the bargaining pieces."

To drive his point home he closed the distance between him and Sabine. His free hand secured her hair roughly, while his pistol hand drove the gun into her belly.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you luv, these things have a habit of going off by themselves," he warned tightening his grip in her locks until she cried out.

She pulled at the hand the seemed like it was set on ripping her hair out, but didn't struggle. She had survived a shot to the shoulder, she wasn't sure if her luck would hold on a pointblank shot to the stomach.

"Let her go!" Will ordered.

Jack sighed deeply and rolled his eyes to the impetuous young man. He gave a silent look that resounded clearly.

"Dead men shouldn't give orders my dear boy," Jacinto sneered.

Will's discomfort in Sabine's distress only made the pirate bring more pain to the woman so again she cried out. He knew the young man wanted him dead, and he was delighted in demonstrating there was nothing that could be done to stop him. Not only would he get the treasure that was rightfully his, but now he had a chance to take the Pearl.

"And as for you Sparrow, you're out numbered. I have but to give a signal and the remains of my crew will descend on this island like a plague. Stay out of my way I may only remove as Captain of my ship. Insist on this course of foolishness, I will take your ship, your life, and the life of your crew."

"There's just one more thing," Jack blurted out in an apologetic tone. "I agree you do have more men, and the advantage of the upper ground."

"Why the, are you still delaying me?"

"Because there are two things I know that you don't."

Jacinto sighed. He reasoned that he had no time for further dalliance, but the curious nature in him begged to be satisfied. He tugged on Sabine's hair again, enough to make her hiss sharply.

"What might you be knowing that I don't, Sparrow?"

"Well," Jack began taking a step towards the action. "La Samara's treasure that you so lustfully desire is aboard my ship as we speak. Let me assure you the rumors don't do it justice, as I've no doubt you are aware of."

Instinctive anger caused his fingers to tighten. Sabine cried out, her hand reaching back to dislodge his fingers from her hair.

"Then I guess that makes you a dead man."

"Possibly, but the second thing, I know that you don't is that at this exact moment in time your ship is surrounded by the Pearl and H.M.S. Revenge."

As if on cue, two canon ball shots rang out. Jacinto turned to his left where he could see his ship docked in the bay. A ship flying the British flag flanked the Apollo's starboard side, while a ship with black sails flying the jolly rogers flanked the port. Dark smoked billowed from either ships gun holes. White smoke rose from the deck of the Apollo. He couldn't tell the extent of the damage, but one of the masts had fallen onto the upper deck. The colors had been struck, and replaced buy the white flag of surrender

"This is not possible!" he yelled in frustration.

"Oh, but I'm afraid it is," Jack countered with a grin.

Jacinto threw Sabine to the ground. She tumbled down a few feet before catching hold with her hands, tearing the delicate flesh of her palms. Jacinto fumed. He leveled his gun at the young woman, who like her father, managed to betray him. His finger tightened on the trigger, as hatred and anger fueled his blood.

"Do it mate, and I give the signal to sink you ship."

He weighed his options. He could kill her, he could kill them all, but they had no idea what, or who was on the island. Without a ship he would be sentencing himself and his crew to a slow death.

"This is not over, Sparrow. That gold belongs to me and her life belongs to me. One way or another I will have what's mine."

"I'll wait for you in Tortuga. A month from now we can meet on the east beach at sunrise and have an old fashion duel. The winner obviously takes the gold." Jack offered.

"Splendid," Jacinto seethed. "And when I've filleted you open, I'll come for the girl."

"Ladies," Jack called, "Your ships await."

Sabine and Elizabeth flanked Gezana, draped her arms over their shoulders and helped her back down the rocky embankment. When they were close enough, two of Jack's men approached to replace them in helping the injured woman.

Will too moved forward, his eyes searching Sabine's face. They approached each other slowly, cautiously. As if each were afraid the other would quickly vanish.

"Did he hurt you much?" he questioned timidly.

Sabine shook her head, still fighting to come to grips with the reality before her. "I thought you were dead," she finally uttered.

Her eyes filled with tears, but it wasn't until Will's palm slid over her cheek that the first one rolled from her eyes. It touched his skin, and rolled down his finger. The world melted away until all that existed was each other.

She stood mesmerized by the eyes and face she thought she would never see again. The gentle stroke of his thumb to her cheek, a feeling she believed she would have to live without.

Will wrapped his arms around her and crushed her body to his. His grip tighten more at the feel of her shuddering in his embrace. He pulled back enough to kiss her but hesitated. He wanted to, wanted to claim her lips for himself and all that went with it. He closed the distance, but left a breath between them. His lips left the barest of kisses upon her cheek before he pulled her to him again.

He would have his kiss, but it would be in the privacy of their room where his hands and body could make good on the fantasies in his mind.

Through it all, Elizabeth stood back and watched. She tried to bite back the jealous building in her stomach like a tight knot, but it was all but impossible. She wanted to be the one to feel Will's touch. She long to have the weight of his chocolate eyes, gazing adoringly upon her. Not so long ago it had been her. Had it not been for the ring on her finger, it would be her.

"Sabine good to see you, luv, but we really have overstayed out welcome," Jack stated coming to stand next to the couple. "So if you would just follow Young William, we can head to the Pearl and be on our way."

"No," Sabine replied plainly and pulled from Will.

Jack had turned and began walking way, when her answer registered. He turned back, the deep puzzled frown on his face, matched by that on Will's.

"Beg your pardon, lass, but did you say, no?"

"Yes, I said no," she confirmed, "I'm not going to run from him."

"Sabine, he's going to kill you," Elizabeth tried to reason.

"Better me then the people I love one at a time."

"Sabine—"

"—No Will," she interrupted.

"Dragonfly," Jack began, keeping an eye on the man over his shoulder. "I understand this is something you feel strongly about, and believe me, if the circumstances were different, I would support you a hundred percent but… Jacinto and his men out number us five to one. And since I have recently become the richest man on earth, I think it only fair that I have an opportunity to enjoy my new found wealth."

"Then leave," Sabine suggested, "This is my fight, not yours."

The smarmy pirate debated her word for a moment before giving an answer of, "If that's how you want it, Dragonfly."

"Jack!" Will couldn't believe his ears. He knew Jack was self serving, but this was beyond the pale, even for him.

"You can't just leave her here," Elizabeth shouted, "What kind of man are you?"

"A pirate," he supplied, "Short of belting her unconscious and tossing her over my shoulder, there's nothing I can do, Mrs. Norrington."

Sabine never saw the blow coming.

A/N: I know it seems like this story has been dragging on forever, but as promised the end is coming. Only 3 more chapter is the story of Dragonfly! For those disappointed that Jacinto is still alive… you haven't seen the end of him. A lot can happen in 3 chapters. Muhahahaha!!