Jack and Will immediately raised their arms in surrender while Tori folded hers defiantly across her chest. Norrington stepped forward.

"Like I said Miss Evingtar, I'm a distrustful man." A sailor jerked his rifle at her and she raised her arms slowly with a mutinous glare. They were quickly bound hand and foot and taken to the longboats.

"Under other circumstances I would deal with your fates differently," the commodore admitted as the longboat rapidly approached a strip of land.

"You're too kind." Jack quipped

"Commodore you don't have to do this! Don't disparage our accomplishments. We can still help find the star! " Will cried as they were shoved roughly on shore.

"Indeed, you already have." Norrington strode over to the fallen Tori and tugged sharply on the thin leather cord about her waist. The Star dangled from his hands, the chain clasp broken. She watched helplessly as the Royal Navy returned to their vessel.

"Gentleman and m'lady, I bid you adieu." The commodore announced with a military bow. And he left.

"Jack! What do we do?" Will cried, struggling with his ropes.

Jack opened his mouth to reveal a brilliant plan, but none emerged. "For once, young William, I'm at a loss."

"Hold still," Tori chided, crouched behind him. She tucked her hair behind her ear and slit Will's bonds, then went over to Jack.

"How did you hide that love?" He asked admiringly as she knelt to cut the ropes around his ankles. "I thought I took it away from you." She hiked up her skirt just enough to reveal the thong attached to her thigh. Jack grinned appreciatively, and Tori jerked her skirt back down. She sliced through his ankle bindings but when she went to move to cut his wrists free, she found a sword at her throat. She slowly stood.

"Will? What-"

"You're one of them!" He accused, advancing towards her angrily as Tori backed slowly away. "You had the star all along, led the commodore to us and handed him his enemies!"

Tori stared in shock "I…"

"You can't deny it!"

"You know, last time he got like this it was over his father being a pirate…" Jack mused aloud. "You might let her speak-"

"You keep out of this Jack!" Will sharply cut him off without turning from his quarry. "You sold us to them." He blamed dangerously. He swung the blade, but Tori blocked it with her dagger. Enraged, he launched an attack. With both hands she was able to keep his sword at bay, but she knew she couldn't hold out with her little knife. Tori agilely dodged Will's blows while trying to reason with him.

"Will, Norrington marooned me on this island as well!"

"It was a façade!"

Tori ducked behind a tree.

"He locked me up!"

"To trick us!" Will retorted from the other side of the palm. They dodged about, Tori desperately keeping the tree between them.

"He stole my star!"

"An act!" Will slashed. Tori just barely managed to evade the weapon as it cut deeply into the wood. She ducked under it and ran to Jack who was attempting to stand and be helpful, his hands still bound. He held them out to her hopefully.

"Sorry!" She apologized, knocking him down as she pulled his sword from the scabbard on his hip just in time to parry another round.

"Will, this is ridiculous!" She cried

"Is it?" He demanded harshly, "Jack had the right idea about you."

She tripped.

Tori fell flat on her back and the sword dropped from her hand. She could have grabbed it. She could have easily blocked him and continued the fight. She had just enough time. Instead, she seized the elegant blade and shoved it just out of reach. Her head whipped about and defiantly faced the cold piece of steel as it touched her throat.

"Go ahead."

She looked at him daringly. "If it puts your mind at ease, if it fixes your hatred slit my throat." She leaned forward a bit on her elbows, the metal pressing lightly into her.

Will didn't move.

"It's my fault. I wouldn't give Jack the star to begin with. Then I stalled you when you rescued me. I discovered you were searching for it and hid it, I didn't tell you Norrington probably would realize where they were and that he could use the current, and I incriminated you so you were captured by the enemy and deserted on this godforsaken island to starve to death and I condemned your love to the grave. I lied, and I deserve death." Her enourmous eyes were set with acceptance and resignation. Will's rage wavered slightly. Neither of them noticed Jack swaggering towards them rather cautiously.

He leaned in and looked at Will first, then Tori both locked in burning challenge and resolve.

"Excuse me," He pushed his way between the adversaries and sliced his bonds on the offending sword.

"Thanks mate." He rubbed his wrists appreciatively. "That's an even finer sword than that one from my hanging.

"Now, you want to kill her and she wants to die. What's so difficult hm?" He looked between the two contenders. "Ah. Could it be, perchance, that Tori risked her life to, from what you've said, save your neck in that ill-fated tub lent to you by our dear friend the commodore? Or that she found Gibbs for you at that bar, and from dear Mr. Gibbs, she saved you from more than that. Pity," He commented to Tori. She shrugged. "She saved us from the storm, all but laid down her life to help us escape from the navy and when that went awry, through no fault of her own, she served the notable commodore a marvelous tale to lap up and protect all of our worthless hides from a firing squad SO young William, you can yet again rescue your lady fair."

"But you locked her up!" Will countered, his anger suddenly renewed "There must have been a reason."

"Aye." Jack admitted.

There was an expectant pause.

"And?"

Jack looked at him as if to ask 'aaand- what?'

"Why did you lock her in the brig? What offense did she commit?"

Jack looked at a slight loss as he tried to invent a story.

"I threatened him." Tori stated expressionlessly staring at her feet in the sand.

Will and Jack turned. Jack's praying hands and dark eyes begged her not to do anything stupid.

"I drew my dagger on him so he would take the course we did in the storm, but he was quicker at calling his crew than I expected, so-"

"Good!" Jack interrupted clapping his hands wide to end the account. "Now you two can either finish your duel to the death, (and my bet's on her,)" he confided to Will, "Or you can patch and make up and we can get the blazes out of here."

Will hesitated and sheathed his sword, extending his hand to help Tori up. She accepted it and rose gracefully.

"Thank you." She said sincerely, dropping her luminous eyes.

Will took her other hand as well, "Tori I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. I just-"

"That's wonderful," Jack broke them apart. "Now can we please get off this bloody island!"

Will turned to Jack, startled, as he came back to the present.

"How did you and Elizabeth get off the last island, Jack?" he asked reasonably

There was an awkward silence as Jack's face contorted almost in pain.

"Well you see there was the rum,"

"Rum?"

"But she burned the rum. .…And the food. ….And the shade."

"What about the sea turtles?"

"Sea turtles?" Tori broke in, rather perplexed.

"The sea turtles were…… in red… uniforms. Carrying bayonets and one arrogant shark."

"You were rescued by the navy." Tori clarified in disbelief.

"I wouldn't put it quite like that," Jack objected with an attempted little grin that faded rapidly at the un-amused response. "The rum, you know."

Thong: sigh No, not the underwear. A dagger thong is like a leather belt with a scanty sheath so the actual knife is held in place, but almost fully exposed. This way, Tori just pulled her bindings up under the thong on her thigh and the dagger sticking out from it cut them right off. DO NOT attempt this at home with a Miracle Blade™ or any other sharp object. I shall not be held responsible for the stupidity of others.