The Flying Breadstick- Oh, yes, I love your way of getting cookies onto the internet . . . I just have to get some cookie dough and I'll be set. Don't worry, Norrington will have his day. You know, I don't know why Elizabeth would even consider marrying him; isn't he old enough to be her father? Well, I guess Alex and Jack are in pretty much the same boat, and Norrington's not too bad, is he?

cornishxxxpixie- I think, personally, the deleted scenes should be a part of the movie. They have extended versions for other things. . . Oh, well. I do have to warn you, though – things get bad before they stay together . . . oops, I've said too much. Just remember this; when things start to plummet, keep reading still, because they pick up and level out.

Mrs Capt Jack Sparrows- I'm so glad you like it! And I will do exactly what you asked of me (writing and updating). Can't wait to hear more from you!

SpAnIsH-EyEs2- I'm truly glad you love my fic, and the detailed paragraph is still available, just discreetly. I thought that if I changed it a little, it would get more people to read past that chapter . . . I'm so glad you understood the point of her seeming so perfect in the beginning! I thought for a moment the way I thought things through might have been strange or something. I hope to hear more from you!

Chapter twelve: The Eye of the Storm

Alex sighed gently and rested her head against the mast. The moon cast eerie glows over the graveyard of ships, and she stared absentmindedly at them, preoccupied with memories of something that had happened only days before. Last time they had been here, she had almost lost Jack. She didn't want that to happen again . . . but what say in the matter did she have? She was a woman; she had little power in the matters of men, which she had been rudely reminded.But that wasn't the only thing on her mind.

'It's not like yeh t' sulk, love,' Jack stated quietly, sitting down beside her. She shrugged, and he laid his hand over hers. 'Tell ole Jack what's wrong.'

'You sound fatherly,' she muttered, bringing her knees up to her chest. 'I don't like this, Jack. I don't like this place, I don't like this quest . . . I don't like me.'

'Why not?'

'I've never been 'normal' . . . I've never wanted to be. But would it have been that much of an ailment? Look at Elizabeth . . . People used to say I outshined her. Look at me now compared to her.'

'Well, I don't know 'ow much it'll mean t' yeh, but I'd pick yeh o'er her any day,' he murmured. She laughed gently and wiped at her eyes – he slowly realized she had begun to cry. 'Now, don't cry on me, darlin'. Yeh're Alex O'Conner, 'n that's a good thing. Yeh're not like the other woman . . . Yeh've 'umbled Jack Sparrow, fer one thing.'

'I've 'humbled' you?' she laughed.

'Aye, yeh 'ave, if I've gotten my terms correct.' He grinned at her and then pulled her closer. 'Yeh're gonna be alrigh', love. Yeh've just got t' find out who yeh are.'

Alex closed her eyes, suddenly at peace, just because she was in Jack's arms. He kissed her cheek softly and closed his eyes as well. 'I wish I could just stay here with you,' she whispered.

'Aye, it's a good feelin', isn't it?' he mumbled. She smiled and peeked at him, slowly realizing they were being watched, but she merely closed her eyes again, and felt him move closer to her.

'We're being watched,' she whispered.

'It doesn't matter,' he replied. 'Unless yeh don't want us t' be.'

'At this point, I don't care,' she stated truthfully, opening her eyes. He met her gaze and grinned.

'Sparrow, to the helm!' Norrington hissed. Jack glared at the man's turned back and lifted Alex's chin with his thumb.

'I want yeh t' smile, alrigh'? No more sulking.' He stood and was about to walk away when she stood and stopped him by placing her hand on his shoulder.

'Please let me come with you this time,' she begged. He sighed softly and ran his fingers through her slightly knotted hair, which waved softly because of the salty water. 'You know as well as I do your plan won't work like they think it will. Let me come with you.'

'Alex –'

'I almost lost you last time, Jack, I'm not doing that again!' she whispered. He hesitated, but nodded, and she felt some sense of relief. For a moment, he paused to make sure she had finished speaking before he walked off to the helm.

'I don't care for the situation. Any attempt to storm the island could turn to an ambush,' Norrington muttered as Jack approached, putting down his spyglass.

'Not if yeh do the ambushing. I'll go in, 'n convince Barbossa t' send his men out – leavin' yeh t' do nothin' but stand on the deck o' Dauntless 'n shout 'Fire cannons!' What d'yeh have t' lose?'

Norrington glanced at Jack and muttered, 'Nothing I'd lament being rid of.'

'I'll be honest with yeh, though ... there's still a slight risk fer those aboard the Dauntless,' Jack stated, watching Norrington's reaction, 'including the future Mrs. Commodore.'

'And what about Alexandria, Mr. Sparrow?' Norrington retorted coolly.

'She's comin' with me,' Jack said calmly.

'Do you really believe she'll be safe with you? Maybe for awhile, I suppose, but it would be like taking her into the eye of the storm. You will be outnumbered, Mr. Sparrow. What then will be your course of action?' Jack merely shrugged, and Norrington turned to Gillette, whispering orders to him. 'Keep her safe, Sparrow. She's rough around the edges, but . . . I feel you have already seen the other side to her, as I have many years ago. Good day.'

Jack nodded and walked off, taking advantage of his moment of freedom. He found Alex and snaked his arms around her waist. 'When we get in there, I want yeh t' follow me lead, alrigh'? I don't want yeh gettin' 'urt,' he murmured. She nodded and looked around, slowly motioning for him to follow her. He did, and she turned to him once they had reached where she had wanted them to go.

'Last time, we kissed,' she purred, brushing her lips over his. 'What's the surprise for this time?'

'Love, we're on a naval ship, we can't do but so much,' he muttered thickly, pressing his lips against hers with more pressure than she had offered him. Suddenly, Alex startled as Elizabeth was dragged by, screaming at the top of her lungs.

'Sorry, but it's for your own safety!' Gillette stated hastily.

'I don't care what the Commodore ordered! I have to tell him - the pirates - they're cursed! They can't be killed!' Elizabeth screamed.

Don't worry, Miss, he is fully informed of that. A little mermaid flopped up on deck and told him the whole story,' Gillette laughed, locking the door between him and Elizabeth.

'THIS IS JACK SPARROW'S DOING!'

Alex glanced at Jack, who had walked off and was preparing their boat. She trembled gently, not with anticipation, but with fear, before joining his side. He helped her into the boat, and then joined her . . . and they were off.

'Nervous, love?' Jack asked quietly as he rowed them towards the cave mouth.

'What would make you say that?' she questioned.

'Yeh're tense,' he replied easily.

'I'm not nervous,' she muttered, and then added under her breath, 'I'm scared.'

Alex froze in fear and slight panic when she saw Will bent over the stone chest, which glittered with Aztec gold. Jack nudged her forward, and led her through the crowd. 'Excuse me. Pardon me. Beg pardon,' Jack muttered. Barbossa looked up as Jack emerged from the crowd of pirates and stared.

'Not possible.'

Jack held up his hands and corrected Barbossa, grinning slightly. 'Not probable.'

'Jack!' Will exclaimed, raising his head, but was forced back down. Alex shifted her weight from foot to foot, but said nothing. 'Where's Elizabeth?'

'She's safe, just like I promised. She's set to marry Norrington, just like she promised, and you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word, really . . . except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman.'

Suddenly, pirates surrounded Jack and Alex, and Barbossa pointed the knife at them, hissing to Jack, 'You're next,' but he remained utterly calm. Alex, on the other hand, could feel her body stiffening with fear, and tried hard to ignore the pirates' rude suggestions, which blew around her. Barbossa put the knife to Will's throat.

'Yeh don't wanna be doin' that,' Jack stated. Barbossa stiffened and glanced at him.

'No, I really think I do.'

Jack gestured and muttered, 'Alright, yer funeral.' Barbossa pressed the knife to Will's throat, trying to ignore Jack's comment, but couldn't do it. He rounded on Jack.

'Why don't I want t' be doin' this?' he snapped. Jack nudged Alex forward again, shrugged away Barbossa's crew, and walked forward, wrapping an arm around Alex's waist.

''Coz the H.M.S. Dauntless, pride o' the Royal Navy, is floatin' right off shore, waitin' fer yeh,' Jack stated, and Barbossa hesitated, his eyes flickering over Alex for a moment. She shivered inwardly and looked away.

'I don't trust him. He's up to something!'

'Of course 'e is, Koehler,' Barbossa drawled, locking eyes with Jack. 'He wants the Pearl.' Jack smiled and took his arm away from Alex.

'I want the Pearl.'

Alex stood a few feet away from Jack, trying not to believe a word she heard, or anything she saw. He couldn't have been . . . Surely he was just acting, manipulating Barbossa to his scheme. But then, he seemed so honest. Suddenly, Jack glanced at her, and she looked down at her feet. She had tried to pretend nothing was happening, like she had known everything that he had said, but it had failed awhile ago, when she had seen the look on Will's face. Even he wasn't sure what was going on.

'Norrington believes he's facin' normal pirates – cruel, demented 'n vicious pirates t' be certain; but cruel, demented, vicious pirates who can't be killed?' Jack shook his head, indicating there was no way Norrington would be prepared, or survive.

Alex noticed as two pirates, who Barbossa had addressed as Pintel and Ragetti, exchanged looks. Ragetti mouthed 'demented?' to Pintel, and Pintel shrugged – he thought it suited him.

'That's a lot of brass yar haulin', Jack. It's liable to drag yah under,' Barbossa claimed.

'So yeh order yer men t' row out t' the Dauntless, they do what they do best, 'n there yeh are! With two ships. The makings of yer very own fleet. O' course, yeh'll take the grandest as yer flagship, 'n who's t' argue? But what o' the Pearl?' Jack indicated to himself and grinned. As he continued to talk, he walked towards Will and the chest. 'Name me Cap'n, I sail under yer colors, I give yeh ten percent o' me plunder, 'n yeh get t' introduce yerself at tea parties and brothels as 'Commodore' Barbossa. Savvy?'

Barbossa narrowed his eyes. ''N in exchange, I suppose yah want me not t' kill the whelp?'

'No, by all means, kill the whelp,' Jack stated, picking up a handful of coins. 'Wait t' lift the curse until the opportune moment.' Will looked up with a scowl on his face, recognizing the all too familiar phrase. Jack shrugged. 'Fer instance: after yeh've killed Norrington's men . . .' he began to drop the coins into the chest, punctuating his words. '. . . Every ... Last ... One.'

Will glanced at Alex, seeing the disbelief he felt mirrored on her face. 'You've been planning this since the beginning – since you learned my name!' he accused.

'Please. Do I really seem that clever?' Jack asked, but slowly he grinned. 'Aye, I have.'

'I want fifty per cent o' yar plunder,' Barbossa spoke up, again glancing at Alex.

'Fifteen.'

'Forty.'

'Twenty-five, and I'll buy you a hat – a really big one . . . Commodore.'

'Fine, but I want the lass.'

'What?' Alex and Jack asked in unison. Alex began to panic again. She could only imagine the things Barbossa would use her for . . . like giving him a bath. She almost gagged at the thought, her stomach doing an unpleasant twist.

'I'll take twenty-five per cent if yah give me the lass,' Barbossa repeated, grinning slyly. Jack's composer had returned, and he, too, grinned.

'Agreed.'

'We 'ave an accord,' Barbossa stated, stepping towards Alex, who had paled considerably. Jack stepped in his way, holding out his hand, and they shook.

'Give me a las' moment with 'er, Commodore,' Jack requested quietly, 'as yeh send out yer crew.' Barbossa's grin vanished, but he indicated for Jack to have his moment.

'Gents – take a walk.'

Alex watched Jack walk towards her, searching his expression for anything she could recognize. He embraced her, but she did not return it. 'Alex, I need yeh t' trust me,' he whispered.

'You sold me to Barbossa for a ship!' she hissed, tears gleaming in her eyes. Jack caressed her cheek – she had the sudden urge to spit on him, but refrained from doing so.

' Yeh know I've fallen fer yeh. Things are never this simple, are they? Trust me, darlin'. That's all I ask. Have I ever given yeh reason not t'?' he stated under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

'You're a pirate.'

''N yeh're on yer way t' becomin' one,' he retorted. 'Please, Alex. Play the part. I'll get yeh safe 'n away from 'im . . .'

'How could you dare bargain with me, Jack Sparrow?' she hissed. He sighed.

'Dammit, Alex! I love yeh, alrigh', I'm not gonna let 'im 'ave yeh!' he whispered. She gasped softly, her angry slowly leaving.

'Then why?'

''Coz he asked fer yeh. Yeh need t' trust me, like yeh did 'fore this, savvy?' She hesitated. 'Yeh're a cunning actress . . . Yeh can handle it, I know yeh can. I'm sorry I did what I did, but please . . . Jus' help me out. If you can get to Barbossa, we'll be outta here sooner than if I had rejected. I just wanna get yeh safe.'

'Al-alright, Jack, but just this once. Next time, you warn me first.'

'Thank yeh,' he murmured, holding her close.

'Jack?'

'Hmmm?'

'If . . . If you can't; if something goes wrong and I have to go with him . . . I love you, too, Jack,' she whispered, and he kissed her cheek.

'I'm gonna get yeh safe, I promise,' he mumbled. He stepped away, and Alex took a deep breath. He is a pirate, she thought, watching him leave. He has a different way of bargaining. I realize that. I'll play along. He really is just trying to help. Barbossa walked over to her, running his fingers over the sides of her face.

'Now yeh're mine. My beautiful lass,' he purred. She repeated over and over in her head, Jack loves me, and allowed herself to grin.

'I'm yours,' she stated, 'Commodore.'

Jack's throwing it on the line by bargaining with Alex, isn't he? I have a reason for it, don't get mad at me, please. I know the whole 'not if you're doing the ambushing' conversation goes on in a boat in the movie, but I couldn't get it to fit the way I wanted. (And sorry I jumped around so much.)

I wanna thank all my readers and reviewers who have stuck with me – thank you so much! Hugs!

LiM