Author's Note: Update! Wootage. Thanks for the reviews, and keep them coming please :). We're very nearly done. Almost done with the planning of the next one. Yay!

Chapter Twenty Five: Heart Broken

Down in the brig, it was cool. Carmen's cheeks were burning, though, as she thought of her kiss with Jack. She had never felt more safe, more secure, more loved, and it really scared her.

She held the sword Will had given her. It was a little unevenly balanced, but otherwise fine. She should be able to do a good job with this. She had never had sword-fighting lessons, but as a girl she had played with Edward with wooden swords, something that had developed both of their skills.

She heard a sudden noise upstairs. Swallowing, trying not to let her fear get the best of her, she dashed for the stairs, trying to stay calm.

The ship stopped suddenly, flinging her over, and she landed painfully on the floor before continuing upstairs.

She ran out into the sunlight. The fight had begun. Beside the Pearl, the Heaven was anchored, and it's pirates were all over the deck of the Pearl, fighting heatedly with the Pearl's own. Carmen looked around for Jack automatically, when suddenly a large pirate ran at her.

"Alright', pretty?" he asked, leering at her with a toothless mouth, raising a sword high.

She whipped out the pistol and pointed it at him, saw him freeze and smiled.

"Tha's cheating," he snarled.

"Pirate," said Carmen without thinking, then closed her eyes for a moment and squeezed the trigger.

He fell to the deck heavily, dead. Carmen didn't think about what she had done. Jack ran to her at that moment, grinning- apparently he had heard what she said.

"Aye, keep dreamin', luv," he winked. Then he was off again, leaping like a cat, slicing and swinging with his sword as he did so.

Carmen watched him for a moment. He reached a ginger-haired figure she knew was Tobias. For a moment Jack and Tobias just glared at each other. Carmen's breath caught in her throat, but suddenly an arm grabbed her from behind, and she could feel hot breath on her neck.

She screamed, turning her head to catch sight of a deformed face, which was suddenly hit with a long oar. As Carmen twisted free, she saw her saviour was a dark, exotic looking woman she knew vaguely as Ana-Maria. The woman nodded at her before hurrying off to find another fight to join.

Carmen quickly located Jack and Tobias, and she had to cover her mouth to stop another scream escaping. Jack was on his knees, looking worn, and Tobias was pointing a pistol at him.

"Jack!" she breathed, and then she was running over, her legs carrying her lightly. She stopped inches from them, heart thundering in her chest.

Tobias looked at her and smiled. She had never before noticed, but his face was a mask of evil. "Ah, hello Princess."

"Leave him alone," Carmen begged.

Tobias cocked an eyebrow. "You would beg for this man's life?"

She looked at Jack, who was looking back at her. Even like this, there was something noble and brave, something steady about this man. He was insane, but none of that looked at her now. There was only care.

"I would."

"Excellent!" Tobias grinned and pulled the trigger.

It went off loudly, affecting Carmen's very soul. She was submerged in smoke, frozen to the spot. She realised she wasn't even breathing.

Jack was still on his knees. His eyes lowered to his chest, and he brushed his fingers across his shirt, raising them to see blood, crimson and warm. Carmen was on her own knees beside him, her arms around him. Tears fell from her eyes but she hardly noticed.

Jack turned his head to her, and she was horrified to see his eyes were becoming dull.

"Jack!" she cried, before he leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. His own were cold, so cold.

Then he fell limp in her arms.

Carmen was screaming, numb. She didn't have time to do this for long. Tobias snatched her up roughly, and Jack fell, still, to the floor. Carmen thrashed wildly.

"Murderer!" she shrieked. "Get your hands off me!"

"Calm yourself." Tobias spoke coldly into her ear. He was holding her tightly against him, his grip steel compared to her own. Then he addressed his men, who were still fighting with the Pearl's crew. "Men! Come! I have my prize... and Sparrow has his!"

A cheer went up, and Carmen was being dragged away. She had no strength to fight. She looked at Jack's still form on the deck, face-down and cold, and started to cry.

Captain Jack Sparrow was gone.

She was taken to the Heaven, dragged into a cabin. As Tobias pushed her to the floor roughly, he closed the door behind them. Carmen looked up at him from the floor, but she had no fear anymore.

Jack was gone. She might as well be, too.

"Look at the bed," Tobias ordered, brown eyes flaming in some sort of sick pleasure. When Carmen did not do so, Tobias reached down and grabbed her throat, lifting her off the floor by it, looking into her amber eyes. "I said look at the bed!" And then he threw her at it, and she landed on the hard brown quilt painfully, on top of something silky and white.

She pushed herself up a bit and stared down at it. A wedding dress.

"No!" she gasped, turning her head to Tobias.

Tobias just smiled.

Next chapter: The Bride...

Then Tobias came out. She looked at him with hatred burning in every muscle of her body. His red hair was pulled back to reveal his sneering face as he approached her and reached out to touch her smooth cheek.

"Get off me!" she hissed.

"Ah, but I don't want to..." Tobias whispered back, eyes evil. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, so their bodies were flat against each other. Their noses were touching, and Carmen could feel the oil on his. "You see, my darling, I've always wanted to be a Prince... and you, beautiful woman, are the key to that."