family reunion was good, and i was shocked by the amount of reviews I received! i hope to match that this time so please, tell me what you think!

Despite Jack Sparrow's look of constant confusion, his newest expression seemed to take the figurative cake. "Don't mind me saying so, lad, but you bear an uncanny resemblance to...a woman." He deadpanned, his arm extended, the hat briefly forgotten. Elizabeth froze, her eyes scanning the crowd. It seemed as though they were fortunate as to escape many eyes, though nearly a dozen were fixed on the two, and she was too shocked to fight as both Gibbs and Sparrow seized her by the collar and tore her from the vicinity.

Her blond hair was cropped past her neck, seeing as she was unwilling to shed all of her femininity in one shot. Her shoulder blade roughly collided against a pillar, though Gibbs had the dignity to look slightly remorseful as Elizabeth winced in pain. Sparrow flailed his arms, taking several deep breaths before he was able to regain his countenance, "I...well, ahem, you...happen to be not dead," He sputtered, flabbergasted.

Elizabeth glared at him scathingly, though he was unaffected, "Oh, thank you for pointing that out." He stared at her with blatant annoyance, his hands reaching out and touching her hair briefly.

"May I ask what a place like you happens to be doing in a girl like this?" he questioned with the utmost seriousness, something that merited an amused snort from the woman in question, though both Gibbs and the captain seemed to miss out on this bit of humor.

"We've seen yer grave, Miss Swann, a shared one with Turner." Gibbs explained quickly, only to be slightly interrupted by Jack.

"I am starting to think that we should have excavated it, don't you?" He questioned pointedly, his tone inquisitive. Gibbs nodded fiercely, taking a swig from his glass.

"Aye, I believe that that would have been wise."

Jack turned his attention to Elizabeth, mouth gaping and eyes somewhat unfocused. "And you, is um, snip-snip, still walking around, perhaps in a bonnet?" He questioned, and a more perceptive being would have happened to observe the devastating change of expression on her face.

She wiped her nose hurriedly, something that she had been raised to never do in the presence of a gentleman, but Jack hardly qualified. "No, he's dead, about as dead as one can get." She replied shakily.

Jack's eyebrows disappeared into his dreadlocks as his lips formed an o of recognition. "And, if I may ask, how is it that the great Turner was finally done away?" Not exactly the kindest way to show his concern.

Her eyes flashed with anger, but she knew Captain Jack Sparrow all too well to doubt that he would not care if she were to display her insult. "In battle, as he would have wished, I suppose." It was not what she had wished, she wanted one of them to die at the ripe age of one-hundred and three in each other's arms as they slept. A silly girls' dream, but something she still thought of.

Jack began pacing, opening his mouth every so often as though to speak before his hands flew to his mouth as he thought otherwise. "Miss Elizabeth, who be it that did Mr. Turner in?" Gibbs asked, receiving a withering glance from Jack in exchange.

She took a deep breath, fingers running through her hair nervously. "We were ambushed by several allies of the East India Trading Company, all of whom were under orders to do away with Will and take me back to Port Royal. Five of them succeeded in fulfilling the first part of their agreement, but it took a few days for him to..." She trailed off, knowing that it was unnecessary to delve into details.

The Captain continued to walk quickly, biting his lip in thought as he considered all that he could say. "I am quite sorry for your loss," was all that he could come up with. She nodded shakily, her lip quivering as she was forced to support herself.

"We've been shaking those scurvy dogs for the past fortnight, near a quarter of our crew has jumped ship at this here port, the only remaining pirate-friendly one in the seven seas." Gibbs muttered, ignoring Jack effectively.

"Mrs. Turner," perhaps the most painful thing he could possibly say, "it brings me great displeasure to be the one...ones if you count dear old Mister Gibbs here, to tell you that the newly reinstated Commodore is manning the search for you and Mr. Turner...junior, of course." Jack mumbled, one finger at a time clasping onto her shoulder. She shrugged him off and he could not so much as feign surprise. "The good gov'ner is also waving a full pardon for you, and you alone, if you are to return to the confines of Port Royal for the duration of your life. Something I doubt you will take into account." His eyes met hers and the shimmering reminiscent glint in his did not escape her notice. He was perhaps the only person left on earth who knew her true colors...none, just like a pirate's ship.

Gibbs dared to specify, something most would not consider doing. "It is merely luck and the direction of the wind that be with us, Miss Elizabeth. With Davey Jones's crew on our tails, along with those floundering rats from the same company that branded Jack, it is becoming more and more evident that our time as the last remaining true pirate threat is running out." Jack nodded, a hand in the air to show both his agreement and his urge to add something.

"We might be forced to..." He shuddered at the mere thought before fully processing it, "make and honest living, put up with the moral standards and the sheer stupidity of others who believe that we are the beginning of the end, when we are just ending the beginning of their end." He explained with ease.

Joshamee Gibbs tried, as usual, to somehow make sense of this babble. "You mean that those honest folk-" Captain Jack cringed at the mere mention. "think us to be the start of something that bodes ill, when we are just starting something that will...begin something better?" He questioned.

Jack snorted, "Sometimes I wonder where that logic of yours originates from, Mr. Gibbs." The object of his scorn, used to this, turned to Elizabeth instead.

"Perhaps our luck would increase if we were to take you, Miss Elizabeth, aboard..." Before he could even finish he felt a hand reach for his shoulder, whirling him around.

"I'm quite apologetic, my dear," he smiled forcedly at Elizabeth, "but the grownups must talk amongst themselves, hmm? Savvy?" She rolled her eyes at this evident condescension but dismissed them nonetheless. He only bothered taking two steps to the left before speaking. "Do you find this to be completely wise, mate? With all of those...superstitions of yours, including the one about lasses bringing a bad bout of luck, you decide to invite old what's her face aboard the Black Pearl?" Elizabeth tapped her foot in the background, wondering if he knew that she could hear every single word.

"It's reverse, Jack. We are short several crew mates, and why not her? She and Turner have saved us from many-a peril." Jack smiled darkly.

"Ahem, yes, I suppose, though both of them have at one point in time left me for dead." He stated through gritted teeth.

"She's a pirate, through and through, this you cannot deny." Gibbs informed him stubbornly, aware that Jack was in full agreement, and only needed a bit of persuasion. He made no attempt to refute this accusation, one which was the highest of compliments from a scallywag such as himself.

"Fine, but if the girl so much as touches me rum, we'll have a man...woman overboard, savvy?" Gibbs fought the smile spreading across his lips, one that Captain Sparrow was defeated enough to ignore, for his own pride was bruised enough and did not deserve an extra blow. He took the necessary two steps backward before sighing and facing the bane of his existence once again.

"Hmm, well, while Mister Gibbs was dead set against you becoming an addition to our crew, I yammered some sense to him and the like and he has finally consented to allow you to...be of some service on the Pearl." He muttered slowly, as though hoping at any moment that she would refuse.

Elizabeth gaped at the men in surprise, now certain that her Captain believed that she was hearing-impaired enough to miss what he had just argued moments before. She opened her mouth, not quite sure what to say as she looked down at her own decor, breathing in the scent of booze and sweat that stained Will's old garments. She wanted to be in the sea again, to do what she knew Will would do, given the right opportunity.

She was not certain whether or not it was the memory of her beloved, or her own love of the changing, tempestuous ocean that influenced her decision, but before she could put her basic reasoning skills to good use she had spoken, "Well then, alright." She was positive that this reply would cause an indefinite amount of damage to her lifestyle, but pirates were a dying breed and she would give anything to go down with that ship...just as Will had done before her.

please, tell me what you think, i struggled at some parts but i felt guilty not updating so please, comment on anything!