I do not own Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, or anything else from the movie.

Ruby pulled out her telescope to get a better look at the Gray Jewel, coming steadily towards them. After a few minutes, she folded the telescope between her hands, her eyes still fixed on the ship, which was sailing farther and farther away from the horizon.

"We need to load the guns," she muttered under her breath, before shouting the command out to her crew, who routinely shouted it back as always. Ruby turned back to Jack, Will, Sephora, and Diana. All four of them were staring at her. Jack had one hand on the wheel. Will and Sephora exchanged looks, then Sephora looked at Diana, who glanced back, wringing her hands. Ruby Hurst stared back at all of them and blinked. "What?"

They all shifted a bit, Will cleared his throat but didn't say anything. Finally, Sephora stepped forward.

"Ruby, I- well, we - think its best-" Jack put a hand on her shoulder and Sephora glanced up at him before taking a step back. Jack took a step forward towards Ruby. Ruby's back was already against the railing, but she arched her back and placed a hand on the railing next to her. Jack wrapped an arm around her waist. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to say something. He finally cleared his throat.

"You see, love. We we think would be best for you and-" he placed a hand on Ruby's stomach, which had already started to swell. She reached down indignantly and tried to push his hand away, but he only caught it in his. She looked up at him. He met her eyes. "It would just be safer, love, if you... If you went below deck." Ruby opened her mouth to protest loudly but Jack shook his hed before she even started to speak. "Just for the fight, darling, then you'll be up and in charge again, as you always have." Ruby pursed her lips, squinting at him.

"I won't leave you four to deal with Porter. I just won't do it. No." Ruby straightened up and Jack's hand slid from her waist, and he started making elaborate gestures as he talked.

"Sephora can handle it, Will can handle it, Diana can handle it, and me, well," he opened his arms wide. Ruby saw Will shake his head, almost laughing, out of the corner of her eye. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," His arms swung back down to hold each side of her waist. Ruby bit her lip, trying her best to be angry with him.

"You're mad, that's what you are, Jack Sparrow," She raised an eyebrow as he raised a hand with a dramatic flourish and brushed the hair away from her neck. He held his hand there at her neck and Ruby shivered. Jack grinned.

"No love, not mad. It's called being in love, darling," She squinted at him.

"Jack Sparrow, I-" and he kissed her, still holding her neck. After a few seconds, she put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. "I'd better go below deck. They're catching up..." They both looked out towards Porter's boat, which had apparently started to load its cannons, just as Rubys' crew had. She looked over Jack's shoulder, but Sephora, Will, and Diana had already gone down the stairs to the main deck. Jack nodded and pushed her in front of him gently, and she slowly climbed down the stairs. At the bottom, she turned back to look at him and he made a pushing motion with his hands.

"Go on love! We'll take care of ol' Porter," Ruby sighed walked down the rest of the stairs. When she was below deck, Ruby stopped and leaned on the wall opposite the stairwell. She heard the noises form the deck drain down through the boards abover her. She sighed and started walking down the hall. The noise grew louder abover her. Ruby looked up. The Gray Jewel had been making good time, they were probably right beside the ship now. Above her head, the noise had escalated into screams and shouts. Suddenly, a huge sound rattled the hallway, sending Ruby into the wall. She looked up just as one of her own cannons fired back at the Jewel. Ruby steadied herself against the wall and held her breath, listening.

There were dozens of loud thuds and someone yelled, "Damnit! Where is she, Sparrow?" Ruby bit her lip and listened to Jack's muffled voice. He was trying to talk them both out of whatever Porter had in mind. After a while there was more shouting and clinking of swords and more stomping above Ruby's head. If it was her they wanted, they would search the entire ship, including below the deck. She sucked in a breath and begin to run down the hall and finally pulled open a small closet, near Sephora's room. She jumped as she heard footsteps start to thump down the stairs. Ruby stepped quietly into the tiny closet and quickly shut the door. By what she could hear, there were two mean searching for her, both of them shouting at one another. She could tell they had headed in the direction of her own bedroom, the opposite way of where she hid. She thought quickly. They would probably work they're way down the hall in good time, opening every door. They were getting closer, thumping and bashing and shouting down the hall. They kicked open the door to Will and Sephora's room, right next to Ruby. She backed up, pressing against the shevles behind her. Ruby listening intently to the men ripping apart the room. There was some loud cursing as they both pushed out of the room. The two of them were right outside the door. Ruby heard a pair of footsteps continue towards the store room, but she guessed the other man was still standing just on the other side of the door. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. For a second, she thought the man would just ignore the closet, but the knob turned and the door swung open fiercely. Ruby blinked at the men looking back at her. There was silence for a second or two. Ruby had a thought...

One man made a grab for her arm, but she yanked it out of reach and held it up next to her head and opened her mouth.

"Parlay."