Kris stood staring mournfully out at the crowd before her. The drums beat in a depressing death march. It was over, it was done…

 She tried to look dignified as she stood awaiting her death. Her hands were tied behind her; her hair had been scraped up into a ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way of the executioner's sword. Cheap little island. Couldn't even waste any rope to hang her, no, it had to be done the old fashioned way.

 "We're here at the execution of long sought after Kristalle Kayte." The general said to the crowd, as he read from a large scroll of paper.

 "It's Kris." She said under her breath.

"Miss Kayte has been charged on numerous accounts of Piracy, theft, destroying of public property, deception, torture..."

Jack and Will entered the square as the general was reading out Kris's charges.

"Ok." Jack said to Will in a hushed voice. "What we need is a plan. Think…"

"…holding a soldier of the Royal British Army for hostage, impersonating a soldier of the Royal British Army, possessing an unlicensed wild animal on her ship…"

Jack looked up at Kris standing before her death. As always, she remained calm and dignified, yet he could just imagine the little gears inside her head working at full speed, developing her escape.

"You," Jack whispered, turning to Will and grabbing his shoulder. "Go up behind the platform. Don't let yourself be seen. As soon as I fire the first shot at the executioner standing behind Kris, I want you to take out the general. Get any soldier that comes near you, and most importantly, don't kill Kris. Hurt her and I will have to hurt you. Savvy?"

 Will almost said something in protest, but shut his mouth and nodded.

"…impersonating a bartender to the Official Royal Pub in Bermuda, impersonating the Queen of England, impersonating a locksmith, breaking and entering, and setting a cage of tigers loose on the city of Trawe."

 They were locked up in too small a cage. Kris thought. She scanned the crowd for any familiar faces, anyone, but all she saw was a bunch of people waiting eagerly to see some blood spill. There's got to be someone here…..

 There!!!! Kris spotted a familiar hat and hair at the far left of the crowd, pushing towards the center. Jack!! She knew he'd come back. A huge was weight lifted off her shoulders. He hadn't forgotten about her. Just getting to see him one last time was enough for her.

 Jack stopped dead center in the crowd and turned towards the platform that had been raised so the people could have a better view of her death. Their eyes locked for a split second, before Jack's vision switched to a spot just behind her, giving no indication of even seeing her.

 "Any more crimes that we don't know about, Kristalle?" The general asked.

Kris turned her gaze to the general and gave a slight grin.

 "Nothing that will grace your ears today, General." She said cockily.

"Well then," the general said gruffly. "If that's all. You," he said, turning to the executioner,

"Get her on her knees."

 The executioner grabbed the back of Kris's shirt and roughly through her to the ground. He shoved her neck onto the rock which was to stop the sword from hitting the ground. The cold stone stung her skin, yet she still didn't wince.

"Any last words from the pirate?" the general said.

 Kris remained silent.

The executioner raised his sword, ready to strike. One quick slash was all it would take… it was over…

BANG!!

 The shot rang out across the square. People ran around in panic, completely oblivious to the scene taking place on the platform.

 Will had come up behind the general and knocked him out with the but of his sword, before desperately trying to fight off the hoards of soldiers that had rushed towards him.

 Kris lay on the ground beside the place the executioner's sword had fallen, just inches away from her face. She struggled to get up as Jack joined Will and they fought the soldiers side by side.

 But she couldn't just stand watching. A crazed-looking soldier had come up behind her. Kris whipped around just in time to see him with his sword raised to attack, and struggled to throw her hands up in front of her before realising they were still tied behind her back. She turned around just as the soldier brought his blade down, and it slashed through the ropes binding her hands.

 Just in time, Kris turned around and punched the soldier square in the jaw, knocking him out.  She then grabbed his sword and fought off the soldiers that were heading towards her. She easily fought off the first two, but found herself locked in a seemingly endless battle with the third. The soldier's sword locked with her own, and neither of them would budge. Angry, Kris looked at the two swords before kicking the soldier in the groin, causing him to double over in pain. Seeing her chance, Kris kneed him in the face and knocked him out.

  Once all the soldiers were either unconscious or, well, Kris didn't really want to know what happened to the rest of them, she picked herself up off the ground (where a soldier had knocked her over, she succeeded in kicking him in the face) and looked around.

 Jack and Will were there waiting for her at the bottom of the platform. Kris immediately saw them and stomped down the wooden steps leading from the platform at an alarming speed.

 "Kris!" Jack exclaimed, throwing out his arms in welcoming. But she didn't stop as she headed straight towards him… Oh no… He knew that face….

 Whack!!!!

She socked him one, right in the jaw. Just as he remembered it… she was stronger than she looked. As she stood there, fuming, Jack rubbed his jaw.

 "Now Kris." He started. "I know I deserved that, but did you really-"

She cut him off by grabbing his face and kissing him. Now, this was something he preferred to remember. They kissed for a few moments, while standing in front of a nearly disgusted Will, long, passionate moments. Then the whelp decided to ruin it all by clearing his throat.

 They broke their kiss and Kris stared up at him. "You're right." She said finally, pushing him away. Her old temperament was starting to return. "You did. Where were you?! You can't just leave me here! Not without notice!!"

 "But Kris, I-"

"Don't you 'but Kris' me Jack. You took of with my crew, you took off with my hat, which, judging by your now wearing your old one, I can see you've lost, and you took off with, well, you!"

 "Kris. I had to go!" Jack exclaimed. "The whole royal navy was after me!! You can understand that!"

 "I would be able to if you had taken off with me with you!!" Kris said.

"Kris, do you really think I would have done that?"

"YES!! And you should have!"

"But… Kris, I… didn't want you to get hurt." Jack said quietly.

 Kris's face softened. Damn you Jack. You're making me go soft.

"Jack, I've fended for myself out there for most of my life. I wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"I know."

 Will cleared his throat again. Jack and Kris both whipped their heads over in his direction.

"Who're you?" Kris said, getting annoyed.

"Oh, that's Will."  Jack explained. "Son of bootstrap. You remember…."

"Oh yeah! Old bootstrap, I remember him! Good man, he was." Kris replied, holding out her hand to Will.

 "Err, hello." Will said, shaking her hand.

"Anyway, Jack, where were you?" Kris started.

"Tortunga." Jack replied.

"I should have figured." Kris said, turning around and heading to the edge of town, leaving the two men standing behind her. Jack's stomach lurched. She was leaving him! He knew she'd do this, he just knew it!

 Kris turned back to them. "You coming or what?"