A/N: Okay, I hope this chapter makes people happy, too. In between serving people their popcorn and cleaning the kettle, I wrote most of this. The bonus of working at the movie theater: I saw Pirates 2 twice, for free! Okay, I'm going back to see a movie, but couldn't wait any longer to post this chapter. Much thanks for the many, many reviews the last chapter got, and for all the ones that the other chapters receieved in the past week or so.

thomthom

At World's End: Chapter 22

"We're going to have to go out through the window."

"Why?"

"Because Norrington might be coming out of his, er, state."

"What did you do to him?"

"I might have drugged him."

"Okay," a plan was forming in Jack's mind. "Go take him some water. Go wake him up."

"What? Why? We could escape right now."

"That wouldn't explain why they were both unconscious."

"Oh, right. I could wake him up and claim to want to tell Beckett the good news."

"What good news?"

"That James and I are engaged," she said while trying not to laugh.

"What!" He whispered and screamed all at once.

"Go, take the heart and get out. I'll be along as soon as possible. And get some rum ready. I'm going to need it," she smiled at him.

"You're not in love with him, are you?" The question shocked Dani. Never had he even remotely mentioned the word 'love'.

"No."

Jack searched her eyes. They had never discussed it, they just knew. It went without saying. He could see just a hint of tears forming in the corners of her eyes. He could tell that she was giving him the truth.

"Jack, you need to leave before either one of them wakes up. We'll both be executed on sight."

"I'll see you on the ship. If you're not back within the hour, William and I are coming after you."

"I'll be fine."

Jack was halfway out the window when he turned back and did something very uncharacteristic of himself. "I love you," was all he said as he escaped into the black night.

Dani left Beckett in a heap on the floor and walked quietly back into Norrington's office. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder to wake him up.

"James, are you all right?" Dani asked.

"I must have dozed off. It was quite restful."

"Do you suppose we should let Lord Beckett join in the celebrations?"

"Of course," he said, standing up. He wobbled for a second, then continued, "We should do it now." Norrington took her by the arm and led her to Beckett's office. She feigned surprise that he was out cold on the floor.

"He needs medical attention. He looks as though he's fainted," Dani told James. "You stay here and I shall alert a doctor." She continued and rushed out of the office, leaving a very confused commodore and an unconscious Lord Beckett.

She stopped a guard and gave him all the instructions. She told him she was going home because she was tired. And she did go back to her flat. She had to get a sword and her cloak to cover it.

And apparently, Beckett had woken while she was at the flat. Guards were running madly through the streets, waking everyone…they were looking for her. She ran, as fast as she could, to the dock. But she was stopped by Beckett and Norrington at the end of it.

"You, my dear, almost got away with it," Beckett sneered.

"With what? Might I ask?" I was trying to be clever and coming up short.

"You seduced me to take the heart."

"I don't know of what you speak of."

"I must ask you to take off your cloak."

She did as he asked and revealed her sword in the process. She drew it. She was going to have to fight her way back to the ship. Both men, simultaneously, followed suit.

"I don't want to have to kill such a beautiful woman, but I'll do what I must."

"Why did you lie to me?" James asked her, the hurt in his voice was evident.

"I didn't lie. If I were really Danielle Meyer, I would marry you."

Beckett swung his sword at her and Dani deflected. She'd been in enough sword fights to know how to handle herself.

The men, clashing swords every couple of seconds, surrounded Dani.

"How did you learn how to use a sword?" Norrington asked as she deflected another one of his swings. Beckett tried to swing at her again, but she pushed him back with her high-heeled foot.

"Pirate," she smiled as she took another of their swings in stride. Dani revealed the sparrow tattoo on her shoulder, just under her dress and laughed.

"Sparrow," was all Beckett could say.

He lunged for her again and managed to hit her. He sliced right through the boning in the back of the dress into her back. Dani was bleed, badly, but she continued to fight. She was not one to give up.

Dani forced them back on the dock, back towards the fort, giving her enough room to jump into the dark, cold water at the end. The men watched her do this, and stared with confused expressions on their faces.

"She'll drown, we can't leave her."

"Let her die," Beckett told Norrington. "Let Davy Jones deal with her now."

The men retreated to the fort. If she had the heart, Davy Jones would get it back, but it stood to reason that she was working with someone. A Jack Sparrow someone. And he would be back to avenge her death. And Beckett and the rest of the Royal Navy would be ready.

Dani, on the other hand, was having a Hell of a time trying to swim in her dress. There was just so much of it. And the wet fabric was weighing her down. That's why she preferred trousers: less bulk. She had lost her sword, because that was weighing her down as well. And her back was killing her, but she was hoping the cold water would stop it. However, the salt water was almost making it worse, if that was at all possible.

She was within ten feet of the ship when she was spotted. Jack lowered the rope and she shakily climbed.

Elizabeth ran to get a blanket and Gibbs ran for rum, both in an attempt to warm her.

"Did you get the heart?" Barbossa asked her.

She looked to Jack who was mouthing 'no' and shaking his head back and forth. Barbossa's gaze followed hers, but she started quickly, "I fought for it, but Beckett still has it."

"Can't let women to anything, except be 'pleasurable company'."

Dani sent him a dirty look before screaming in pain. Someone had touched her back. She didn't know or care who had done it, all she wanted was for them to stop. Apparently, in the rush to get her out of the water, no one noticed that she had a eight inch long gash across her back.

"Oh my goodness, we need to take care of that." Elizabeth hurried to her, as soon as she saw it. "Come with me, I'll take care of it." Elizabeth let Dani use her as a make-shift crutch and walked her slowly to her cabin.

"I'm going to have to go into the fort, and do this myself, aren't I, Sparrow?"

"I guess you are, Barbossa. Why don't you get right on that?" Jack said before following the two women.