Okay, so this is 'the' chapter (and not in a sexual way, so mind out of the gutter, people!). If you don't know what I mean, you'll find out. But don't judge the story too much – no sailing's ever this smooth. I feel wicked, but I'm still on a roll – all in the same day! Can you see how much time I had on my hands today? Well, it's about time I caught up.

Chapter nine: Love Scare

'Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage,' Gibbs muttered, and Alex took Jack's side. He smiled when he saw her approaching, but glanced back down at his compass and quickly snapped it shut, because Cotton was watching over his shoulder.

'Cotton, can I use you a moment?' Ana called, raising an eyebrow and grinning when Alex met her gaze. Alex shrugged and took Jack's side, and he pulled his compass back out, looking at it nonchalantly. The ship graveyard they now floated through was obviously tricky to navigate through, but Jack was doing a fine job.

'Bringing back memories?' she asked softly.

'Aye, 'n not good ones.'

'None of us are going to maroon you, Jack,' she stated, and he met her gaze.

'Nah, this crew does worse things than mutiny,' he said, and the look in his eyes told Alex all she needed to know – he was talking about developing feelings for her. She knew his turmoil, and knew it was worse than her own. He was a pirate that thrived on freedom . . . he probably feared she'd take that away, but she said nothing to sooth him. He didn't know her if he thought that was what she'd ask of him.

'Are yeh goin' ashore with us?' he asked quietly.

'If you want me to.'

'Aye, I want yeh t', but I've gotta think 'bout yer safety, darlin'.'

'I'm not sure I wanna meet Barbossa.'

'I'm not sure I wanna, either, love.'

'You've already met him,' she pointed out. He snaked an arm around her waist.

'That's beside the point.'

She smiled and thought over the decision before her. She was leaning to staying on the ship, but she had come all this way to save Elizabeth. No, she reminded herself, you're in this because you were helping Will. But, yet, she had wanted to save the younger girl . . . And so I shall, she mused, grinning inwardly. She would get the attention she longed for, oh yes; that and more. But not now. She'd have to wait until, as Jack put it, the opportune moment.

'Where do we stand, Jack?' she asked after awhile. He glanced at her, but had to keep his eyes on the water.

'At the helm.'

'No funny business – I'm being serious.'

'So was I,' he grinned. 'I, well . . . I wanna be with yeh. Is that alrigh'?'

'That's what I was hoping you'd say,' she stated. He smiled genuinely and gently pulled her closer. After a few moments, they had reached the cave opening, and he reluctantly pulled away from her. She followed him.

'. . . lashed them together, and made a raft,' Gibbs was saying. Jack turned and silenced Alex before turning back, knowing she knew the whole, true story. Gibbs was talking with Will, and both were hunched forward, obviously trying to keep their conversation a secret.

'He roped a couple of sea turtles?' Will repeated, obviously not believing the tale.

'Aye, sea turtles.'

'What did he use for rope?' Will asked, and Gibbs opened his mouth to speak, but did not know the answer. Suddenly, Gibbs noticed Jack standing there.

'Human hair,' Jack stated, and Alex arched a brow. 'From my back. Let go the anchor!'

'Aye, Cap'n, aye!'

'Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore,' Jack muttered. He began to walk away, and Alex rolled her eyes and followed him, just as Gibbs and Will did.

'Cap'n, what if the worst should 'appen?' Gibbs asked.

Jack stopped, glancing at Alex and hoping she wouldn't know what he meant. 'Keep t' the Code.'

'Aye, the Code.'

Will glanced at Alex, and she merely shrugged. She didn't know what he had meant, but it didn't sound promising. The boat was lowered into the water, and before Jack could climb into it, Alex stopped him.

'Jack, what's the Code?' she asked, taking him aside where no one paid attention to them. He sighed and shook his head.

'One day, I'll tell yeh, but not now.'

'Why not?'

''Coz I don't want yeh t' know jus' yet.' He sighed and turned, about to walk off again, but she stopped him. He turned back to her, expecting her to press him about the Code, but instead was met with a kiss. He stiffened, caught off guard, but was pleased all the same and returned it without hesitation, snaking his arms around her waist. She reluctantly broke the kiss and met his gaze.

'Be careful.'

'Am I ever?'

'Jack, please,' she whispered. He placed his weathered hand over her cheek.

'I'll be as careful as I can be darlin'.'

She nodded, and he pulled away from her, glancing over his shoulder before he climbed into the boat. Will followed, and Alex watched them row away, with both dread and happiness in her heart. Suddenly, Anamaria was at her side, her arms thrown around her friend and laughing.

'I knew it! I knew it!' Ana laughed, and Alex grinned openly. She couldn't remember ever being so happy – rum did nothing compared to this.

'Yeh knew what?' Gibbs asked, and Ana only laughed harder. Alex's cheeks were pink; she could feel them burning.

'Her and –'

'Ana!' Alex giggled, clutching her side. Gibbs grinned, slowly catching on, but the crew wasn't so quick, and said nothing.

'I told yer father yeh'd find a man.'

'Gibbs!'

The crew had realized what was going on, and were laughing and applauding. Alex began to blush more, but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

'We'll 'ave t' celebrate!' someone shouted.

'Not right now! Calm down, calm down, this sort of thing 'appens every day,' Gibbs stated, but he was smiling broadly, also.

'Not t' Jack Sparrow, it doesn't!'

'Nor t' Alex O'Conner!' Ana added, and Alex glared at her playfully.

'Then aren't we a match?' Alex spoke up, and everyone clapped and hooted again, but only for awhile.

'Alright, yeh dogs, get the ship ready t' head out! We need t' be ready fer when they return! Barbossa'll be livid, 'n we can't afford an attack!' Gibbs shouted. Alex glanced at the mouth of the cave, but there was no sign of anything. And then . . .

'Jack's not with them,' she breathed, and Ana's face fell.

'What?'

'He's not there!'

Gibbs spun around, and Alex walked to the rail. She had to be mistaken, he was the Jack Sparrow! Barbossa hadn't killed him the first time, he wouldn't now! But there were only two in the boat – Will and Elizabeth. Jack wasn't there. He wasn't going to magically appear. She swallowed back the lump in her throat, and watched as the crew helped Elizabeth aboard.

'Not more pirates!' she groaned. Will climbed on after her, and Alex walked forward. Elizabeth's gaze fell on the woman, and she smiled, but her face fell when she saw the emotions in Alex's eyes. 'Alex?'

'Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth.'

'Mr. Gibbs?'

'Hey, boy, where be Jack?' Gibbs asked.

'Jack? Jack Sparrow?' Elizabeth asked in disgust, and Alex shot her a venomous glare.

'He fell behind.'

'He fell behind, or you pushed him behind?' Alex growled, glaring at Will. He merely shrugged and pushed past her, but she grabbed his arm with all of her strength and spun him around. 'Answer me, damn it!'

'I told you, he fell behind.'

'And you escaped? I don't believe you, Will, don't lie to me. I've known you long enough to know you're lying.'

'He was trading my life for a ship.'

'You don't know that! You can't . . .' she looked away, forcing the tears in her eyes to recede. Suddenly, she met his gaze, and before he realized what she was doing, she had punched him square in the face, the impact forcing him to take several steps back to catch his balance. He grasped his nose, which had begun to bleed, and rounded on Alex.

'What the hell is your problem!'

'Do you know what that's called, William Turner? That's mutiny. I'll never forgive you,' she hissed. She turned on her heel and vaulted down the ladder. Anamaria followed her, glaring at Will also as she passed.

'Keep t' the Code,' Gibbs muttered sadly. The crew nodded gravely and did as they were told, and Gibbs snuck below deck to check on Alex. He could hear her sobbing in the hallway outside her room, and he carefully peaked around the corner. Anamaria was comforting Alex to the best of her abilities, but it was no use.

'I can't believe he did that,' she was crying. 'He was like my brother, and he . . .'

'I know, Alex, shhh. Stop crying, Jack wouldn't want you to, you know that as well as I do.' Alex nodded and forced herself to stop crying, and Ana pulled away, having seen Gibbs. 'I want you to get some sleep, okay? Just a little, it'll help.' Alex nodded, and Ana left the room, closing the door behind her.

'Will's talkin' to 'Lizbeth in the mess hall. I can't believe he did that to Jack, let alone to Alex,' Gibbs muttered.

'She's pissed, and hurt,' Ana stated lightly, shaking her head. 'Just when things were picking up for her.'

Suddenly, Elizabeth came jogging down the hall, her skirts raised to keep herself from tripping. 'Where's Alex?' she asked, out of breath.

'It wouldn't be a good idea fer yeh to talk to her right now,' Gibbs stated.

'She's being so unreasonable – it's not like she and Jack were close,' Elizabeth breathed. 'Will told me they were always fighting –'

'Did your pretty boy tell you they kissed?' Ana growled. 'Did he tell you he committed mutiny and now he has to pay the price? And let me tell you – none of us are gonna stop Alex when she punishes the whelp, oh no, I'll be cheering her on.'

'Gibbs! Gibbs! The Pearl's right behind us!' Alex had obviously heard, because she was out of her room in an instant, running up the ladder right behind Gibbs and Ana. Anamaria took the helm, and Alex looked to the stern with a frustrated sigh.

'This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean!' Elizabeth shouted, and Alex spun around.

'I'd shut up if I were you. I came all this way to save your neck and your little lover boy oversteps his boundaries. As far as I'm concerned, you're as much to blame as he is,' Alex growled, and Elizabeth backed off, turning back to Ana.

'We're shallower on the draft?'

'Aye.'

'Well, then can't we loose them amongst those shoals?' Elizabeth suggested, but Alex shook her head.

'They're gaining too quickly. By the time we get there, we'll be dead. They'll run out the sweeps, you watch.'

Alex was right – moments later the large oars dug into the water and the guns were made ready. Alex looked around, obviously thinking of something. 'Damn, I need a drink.'

Will climbed on deck, his nose a bit pink, but otherwise fine, and Gibbs stepped sideways to shield him from Alex's view. Suddenly, Alex, completely ignoring Will, glanced back at the Pearl.

'Gibbs! We have to make a stand! We must fight! Load the guns!' Will stated, and Alex realized he was there. She stiffened but said nothing.

'With what?'

'What do you mean, 'with what'?' Alex asked in disbelief. Gibbs shuffled slightly, not daring to meet her gaze.

'Well, we thought we'd go faster if the ship was lighter.'

'So you threw the cannonballs into the water – that makes perfect sense!' Alex exclaimed sarcastically.

'Load the guns with anything we have left!' Will stated.

'Load the guns! Case shot and langrage! Nails and crushed glass! With a will!'

The guns were loaded, stuffed with trinkets and the good kitchenware Alex had bought with Jack's company. She was sad to see it go, but said nothing and merely bowed her head. She looked back up and sighed.

'The Pearl's gonna come up on our port quarter!' Gibbs shouted. 'She'll rake us without ever presenting a target!'

'Let's go clubhauling, then!' Alex grinned. 'Lower the starboard anchor!'

'You're daft, Alex!' Ana stated, giving her friend a look that was clearly disbelief.

'Daft like Jack!' Gibbs smiled, and then turned to the crew. 'Lower the starboard anchor! Do it, yeh dogs, or it's yeh we'll be loadin' into the cannons!'

Alex turned, meeting Ana's gaze as the anchor splashed into the water. 'Let go,' she said calmly, and Ana did as she was told. Suddenly, the anchor caught, and the ship jolted. The Pearl began to turn, also, and Alex grinned. After they had stopped, Alex turned to Gibbs. 'Keep us steady, Gibbs, and,' she added loudly to the whole crew, glancing distastefully and Will and Elizabeth, 'fire only on my command!'

The pirates on the Pearl were taunting the ones on the Interceptor. Suddenly, Alex shouted, 'Now!' and the Pearl was under attack of spoons and forks and other now useless items. The Interceptor was taking on damage from the cannonballs, but it didn't matter anymore, at least, not to Alex.

'We need us a devil's dowry,' Gibbs muttered from behind his rifle. Alex sighed and rubbed her eyes, her head aching.

'We'll give 'em her!' Ana growled, cocking her pistol and pointing it at Elizabeth's head.

'She's not what they're after,' Will muttered.

'No, but it would get rid of her, wouldn't it?' Alex snapped.

'The medallion!' Elizabeth breathed. Will ran off, and Alex noticed one of the cannons on the Pearl . . . she watched closer and cried out in anger and frustration.

'Watch out!' she warned. The cannon was fired, and the ball-and-chain hit the mast and cut it down. It fell down and across the Pearl's deck, and Alex sighed and drew her sword. 'Get ready!' The Pearl's pirates threw hooks and swung over, some heading below deck and other immediately engaging in a fight. Alex was quick with her sword and pushed her attacker overboard.

'Alex!'

She turned. It had been Gibbs who called her, and he was pointing at the Pearl. It was Jack. She smiled broadly as he grabbed a rope and swung over, missing his target but knocking Gibbs's attacker overboard before swinging back to the Pearl. On his second attempt, he landed merely feet from Alex and in front of Gibbs, but Alex was behind him and he did not see her.

'Jack!' Gibbs exclaimed. Jack pulled something out of his belt and handed it to Gibbs – it was the old man's whiskey canteen.

'It's Bloody empty,' Jack stated, and turned around to run off and fight, but came face-to-face with Alex instead.

'I thought you said you'd be careful,' she said, her expression serious and angry. He stumbled over his words, trying to explain himself, but when she smiled he knew she had been joking, and she threw her arms around him, holding him close to her and not wanting to let her go. 'You made me punch Will!'

'Yeh did?' he asked, grinning. 'That's me girl.' He kissed her lips briefly, but not emotionlessly, and motioned towards all the fighting. 'Yeh're not gonna let them 'ave all the fun, are yeh?'

And so they began fighting again. Alex stayed close to Jack, not wanting to loose him again, and he didn't mind at all. Suddenly, Jack grabbed a man's wrist, and Alex turned to see he had just saved Elizabeth. 'Now that's not very nice,' Jack stated, and Elizabeth hit the man with the butt of her rifle. Elizabeth looked up, obviously relieved to see Jack was alive, and unhurt, and then she met Alex's gaze, not even a trace of anger in her expression or gaze.

'Liz, I'm sorry I was so rude,' Alex stated, grabbing a discarded rifle on the ground and firing a shot at a nearby opponent. 'I was just so scared.'

'I understand.'

'Umm, Liz . . . where's Will?' Alex asked, glancing around.

'Will!' Elizabeth ran off, and Jack suddenly grabbed Alex, bringing her close to himself. She looked up – someone had their pistol aimed at her head, and Jack was shielding her with himself. She trembled and pretended to start crying in fear, secretly taking the pistol from her belt. She cocked it, and in the split second that it took her to spin around, she had aimed and fired, a perfect shot.

'Yeh're a good actress,' he muttered, taking her hand and leading her to where it was safer.

'What can I say?'

'Yeh can say yeh're glad t' see me,' he said quietly. She embraced him again, sighing in happiness and relief that he was back.

'Jack, I'm so glad to see you,' she whispered, stroking his cheek. 'Jack, we can't talk right now.'

'Why?'

'Because the monkey has the medallion,' she stated, pointing. He spun around, and she kissed his cheek before he ran off, crying, 'Monkey!'

Alex looked down, realizing she still held her now useless pistol. Unable to let it go, she stuck it in her belt, and ran out to fight . . . Too late.

'The prize is ours!'

Someone grabbed her, and she realized everyone else from the Interceptor was having the same trouble. She looked around for Jack, and found him in the hands of Barbossa. Whoever had grabbed her picked her up easily and swung to the Pearl, pushing her harshly against the mast. The wind was knocked out of her, and she coughed, gagging for breath. Ana was pushed beside her, and Gibbs on the other side, and after the whole crew was against the mast, at gunpoint, they were tied.

'Any of yer so much as thinks the word 'Parlay' an' I'll 'ave yer guts for garters,' one of Barbossa's pirates, Pintel, growled. Alex shifted, the rope cutting into her in a very uncomfortable because of her lack of height. Suddenly, Barbossa's gaze landed on her.

'And who do we 'ave here?' he asked, stepping forward and grasping her chin in his fingers, tilting her head to look at her. 'Beautiful lass, don't ye think, lads?'

'Aye!'

Alex spit on him as he turned around, and he snapped, crapping her throat.

'Get yer hands off her, Barbossa,' Jack snarled, his wrists tied in front of him. Barbossa slowly let go of her, and she gasped.

'Why? Is she yers?'

'Aye, that she is,' Jack replied coolly. Elizabeth, who was on the other side of Anamaria, had arched her back while she was being tied – Alex waited for her to break free so that she could. Since the rope was tied across her breasts, she would have an easier time getting out than some others.

Elizabeth suddenly twisted free, just as the Interceptor exploded. She ran forward, screaming 'You've got to stop it!' through clenched teeth, only to be grabbed by Barbossa by the arms and forced to surrender.

'Welcome back, Miss. Yah took 'vantage o' our hospitality last time. It holds fair now yah return the favor.'

Alex slid down the mast while the attention was on Elizabeth, freeing herself and running forward to punch Barbossa in the small of his back. He fell forward, and Alex grabbed Elizabeth, pulling her to safety.

'That was not smart,' Barbossa growled.

'Kill me, then,' Alex hissed, her arms behind her back innocently. 'I dare you to.'

Barbossa reached for his pistol, groped for his pistol, and then hastily looked down. Alex laughed gently, and Barbossa looked up. She spun the pistol in the air, caught it, and aimed it at him, her finger on the trigger.

'I can't die,' Barbossa grinned.

'No, you can't. But I can.'

Alex, the pistol still aimed at Barbossa, smiled broadly when she saw Will standing on the railing. Elizabeth, though, was far happier than Alex. Jack stepped forward, whispering in Alex's ear. She nodded and turned to him, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment before turning back to Barbossa and aiming the gun at him again.

'What's in yah head, boy?'

'Elizabeth goes free.'

'Who are you, boy?' Barbossa asked, utterly perplexed. Jack is cringing, a look of 'I should have seen it coming' on his face. Suddenly, he rushed forward, standing in front of Barbossa, who was inches taller than he.

'He's no one – a distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice.' He lowered his voice. 'Eunuch.'

'My name is Will Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins.' Jack bowed his head in failure and meandered back over to where he had been standing previously.

'But the damn gun down, girl!' Barbossa stated, grabbing the gun from Alex and aiming it at her chest, suddenly firing. But nothing happened.

'It's empty, I know. Useless,' Alex muttered, acting sad. But slowly, she allowed herself to grin.

Longest chapter yet – I think. Anyhow, I hope it's not too crappy. I will warn everyone now – next chapter is hot – and not just because of the sun. Lol.

Alone on an island with rum, and each other. We can only wonder what Jack and Alex will do. As if – it's Jack Sparrow . . . Savvy?

!LiM!