Hello everyone! Heerosangel2002 here! This chapter is a bit quicker coming than the others as I thought the last cliffhanger was rather cruel, hah! But I shall not keep you in suspense any longer, on with the show!

Tink the fairy:- Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for reviewing so much! Sorry it took so long but exams, what can I say? As for your questions, well, Jack could give her the necklace, if this story ever gets that far heh heh. Jack hurt his hands just on the ship btw, hauling ropes, rough wood and seasalt are not good for skin conditions y'know? Thanks for picking up on her name, I try, winks. Oh and as for the guy in Grace's dream, I'll leave that to your imagination…

Defeat

Jack swam on. His lungs were burning, giving in but he had to find her. Drowning would be nothing if he did not save her. Then, there in the corner of his eye, he saw her! A limp, delicate form falling in the water. Light from the surface danced on her face. With new strength he swam toward her, pulled her to him and made for air. Gasping, he gulped for air at the top, and anxiously checked if Grace was still breathing. She was. Treading water, he began to swim for the ship, relieved, when a cannon boomed.

He shot beneath the waves again, dragging Grace with him. What the Hell? Why was Tom firing at them? He was saving his sister for crying out loud! Realising hurriedly that this much seawater was probably not good for him or Grace, he pulled their heads above the water, and stared in shock as another ship came towards them, larger than Jack had ever seen with blood-red sails.

Aboard the Pearl, Tom gazed in shock as the ship came upon them.

"That was a warning shot, mates!" came a deep, gruff voice. "But unless, yer' all surrender, that was the first o' many."

Tom and Jack, and all on deck, felt their hearts sink as a figure came into view on the helm. Tall, huge, a bear in human form. Captain Bartholomew Hyde looked in satisfaction at his prey.

"Wait a minute, ain't that the Black Pearl?" thought Hyde outloud, drawing on his cigar. He breathed out the smoke as he spoke. "Where be Jack Sparrow?"

Jack, being somewhat unable to reply at the moment, Tom spoke up. "I am the leader of this vessel sir, and I warn you I shall not be intimidated."

He was answered by a loud, rough guffaw.

"Jack Sparra' beaten by yer, hah, he's a worse pirate than ah' thought."

Below, Jack bristled inwardly at the insult while floating him and Grace toward the Pearl.

"As an officer in His Majesty's Navy I must ask yourselves as you sail under the flag of piracy, to surrender to me immediately." Tom continued.

Jack's mind boggled. He was asking to be thrashed by this new pirate and he was doing it aboard his bloody ship!

"Oh well yer see now, Cap'n Fancy, me and mer crew would luv to surrender." mocked Hyde, "But I'm 'fraid, we're not idiots."

Tom's chest puffed with outrage as Hyde added, "Besides, I've had me eye on that treasure Jack's been keeping."

Reaching the ship and grabbing hold of the anchor, Jack tried to cry out and nearly drowned Grace in the process. That was his treasure! And now some low-down scum would get his hands on it; Jack did not trust Tom to beat anyone in a fair fight.

"In that case," Tom declared, "Prepare to fight."

"Gladly." smirked Hyde. Instantly his cannons rang out, piercing holes, people and ship.

"Stop blowing holes in my ship!" yelled Jack, an arm around Grace who was still unconscious.

A bit belatedly, the Pearl's guns retorted. Sailors swung across to the Pearl, guns firing, swords slicing. Screaming their throats raw, they hacked into Tom's crew, who were desperately obeying their stunned and irate captain. Hearing the death screams mingling with the ring of meeting swords and the war cries, Jack prayed to the pirate goddess, Fortune, that his friends would survive this carnage.

The pirates attacked viciously and ruthlessly, skewering their enemies without mercy. Watching the slaughter and doubting the pirates would spare their comrades, Gibbs dove to the floor, dragging Anna-Maria and Cotton with him.

"What are you doing?" cried Anna angrily but Gibbs silenced her.

"Play dead for the love of God, or soon it won't be an act!"

The wiser members of Jack's crew followed suit, the unlucky members being carved up and thrown to the ground. Amid the smoky, terrible mayhem, Cotton's parrot flew up to the crow's nest and squawked in terror. The deck was running with pirate and naval blood alike, the air stung the living's eyes with the stink of copper. Pistols were answered with agonised gurgles, all was pain, all was death.

Then, suddenly, there was silence. Gibbs opened a tentative lid, and his old, hardy stomach heaved at the sight. There was barely room to stand among the corpses but still the beasts stood, triumphant of their bloody victory. Their captain stood at the helm, grinning like a skull. He barked an order, incomprehensible to the deafened Gibbs. There was movement and then Tom was brought before him, bleeding and his clothes torn, but with his eyes still blazing with rage.

"Whaddya think o' the Pearl now cap'n?" taunted Hyde sickeningly, "she's a real jewel, ain't she." his crew held Tom back as Hyde laughed long and hard at his twisted humour.

Crash! Hyde stopped laughing. Gibbs opened his other eye and saw, his heart sinking, Jack and Grace on the deck, Jack having carried them both up the anchor chain some moments before, his arms being ready to give way below.

"What's this?" bellowed Hyde and stormed down to the soaking and gasping couple. Once there, he stopped and did a double-take.

"Jack Sparra," he murmured, his eyes glittering. Jack, on the other hand, was staring at the bodies devastated, he did not look up. Tom watched the exchange keenly, the crew prevented him from moving.

"Been down for a swim Jack?" asked Hyde, attempting to be the gracious captain.

Jack, seeing the bodies of Gibbs and Anna, continued to ignore him. With a flash of anger, Hyde grabbed Jack by the scruff of the neck and forced him to meet his eyes. Jack, swallowing the tumult of his feelings, said coolly "Hyde, always a pleasure."

Hyde laughed, long and loud at that. "Yer're a goddamned liar, Jack Sparra. But then, yer always were."

He shoved Jack headfirst into the deck. He landed with a thud - yep, that was gonna bruise.

Hyde turned back to the figure, lying prone before him.

"What have we 'ere."

With the flat of his sword, Hyde lifted the mass of wet hair from her face and whistled softly. The chill of the steel made Grace recoil slightly, and then, she opened her eyes.

Hyde leered above her, his hideous face contorted into a grin. His sword brushed her throat. Instantly all Grace saw, felt or heard was that sword. She froze instinctively - her mind concentrated and numb. Both Jack and Tom bristled at this, but were quickly held back.

"Wot's yer name, missy?" Hyde demanded.

Grace would have answered had she not feared cutting her own flesh in the process. On hearing the question, Jack looked up and moved forward quickly to find his way blocked by a cross of blades.

"Quiet one then ay?" remarked Hyde thoughtfully, "Well I'm sure we can change that." he added with a foul undertone, leaning closer to Grace.

At that, Jack grabbed one of the swords in front of him and ran at Hyde, to find himself encircled by pistols.

Hyde, getting up, commented sadly, "Not a wise move now Jack." Jack retorted with a forced, half-hearted grin.

"Cap'n!" The two men turned to find a legion of Hyde's men hauling Jack's treasure up on deck.

"Ah!" Hyde's grin widened. Fingering the gold in an open chest, Hyde looked at Jack. "Yer always did have good taste ay Jack?" He guffawed again and then dropped the coins. Waving an arm he bellowed, "Bring it all aboard, and her too." he continued, pointing at the stricken Grace. Kicking and screaming, she was seized and carried aboard Hyde's vessel, while Jack and Tom seethed visibly.

"And as fer them," Hyde considered, "let 'em be the cap'ns o' corpses." With those words both Jack and Tom were knocked out cold by the pirates, and left to lie among the dead, while Hyde and his men sailed off in victory. Alone and defeated, the Black Pearl was silent.

OMG! How could I let Jack and the Pearl be treated like this? Quite easily as a matter of fact lol. Anyway, as to whether or not the Pearl will recover, I shall leave you with these words from the film, 'Ever After'. 'Nothing is final until you're dead, and even then I'm sure God negotiates.'

See you next time!