I apologize for the long wait, with summer vacationing and school just restarting it has been difficult to find time to write but, nonetheless, I have found it!

They all trekked in silence, one by one slouching across the seemingly eternal stretch of beach, all with tools in hand apart from Captain Jack Sparrow who had escaped the responsibility by feigning a foot cramp before skipping onto the sandy shores with something the Elizabeth easily identified as glee. He walked with a cane, an eccentricity that he had picked up after the Pearl pillaged a supply ship and he had stubbed his toe or something of the sort.

Gibbs and Elizabeth shared the responsibility of toting along the monstrosity of a case, one of which not a one person in the crew truly knew the contents of. There had been speculation, of course, followed by a few lame attempts to break into said vessel, but the captain, while a bit silly in the head, was nonetheless competent.

"Lift with your legs! Enough puddy-footing about, all, keep the spring in your step! Ms. Swann, you are of an able body! Quit slouching about and...hmm, I don't like that hand gesture you are giving me. Quite rude," He rambled about, prancing forward with his cane in hand, meriting quite dirty looks from every crew member forced to strain themselves in the name of one of Captain Jack's frivolous whims.

"If you find it so easy to do, why not partake in your own demands?" Elizabeth coughed out as she stumbled forward, terrified eyes falling upon her the instant she communicated her thoughts. Gibbs dropped his end of the case, staring at her with something that resembled awe.

Jack whirled about, one hand at the ready as the other dramatically leaned upon his cane for unnecessary support. "Have you recently salvaged your ship from the perilous depths of world's end and conquered the Krakken singlehandedly and rescued your crew from a fate most foul?" A puzzled frown sat upon her lips as she emphatically shook her head. He nodded stiffly and turned back. "I thought not, now keep up!" He commanded, cane now acting as a compass instead of support. "We must move onward."

The all reluctantly followed, Elizabeth feeling as though her wrists would snap at any given moment. "I believe that he has grown continually batty!" She hissed out her mouth, back buckling before she reluctantly followed his sound advice, if it could even be referred as such.

Gibbs guffawed gruffly, stepping forward and collapsing into the soft sand. "Perhaps, Miss Elizabeth." He straightened his back and attempted to come to his feet before stumbling once more, cheek pressed firmly into the sand. He choked out a sound neither sob nor scream, nothing in it seemed to display pain but knowing him made her instantly realize the trouble. She eased the chest into the sparkling blanket of glistening diamonds, tearing her jacket off in vexation before kneeling before him.

"Gibbs, l'right?" She mumbled due to the beating sun, reaching for his elbows and propping him up against the precious cargo. He smiled grimly, a smile that displayed no amusement whatsoever.

"Just...give me a moment." She silently agreed, reaching for the flask attached to her hip and passing it to him. He popped the cap open and drank greedily, eyes displaying surprise as the liquor caressed his tongue. "Ah, who'd ah thought, eh?" He murmured, cracking his neck and biting his bottom lip.

"Captain Sparrow!" She crowed, coming to her feet and staring after the disappearing crew though he s ignored her cries and continued to traipse onward. "Captain...Jack?" He turned at this, a smile at the ready.

"Yes, Elizabeth?" He asked pleasantly, though it was most evident that he could see the problem at hand. "Don't fall behind, we must still to the code...or guidelines, as you so colorfully illustrated." He revised with a slight frown, though the rest of the crew halted.

"Gibbs is hurt, could someone check him?" She asked, looking imploringly from one alleged friend to the next. Every one of them glanced back to their captain for permission which he was reluctant to give.

"Mister Gibbs understands our methods, Elizabeth, as do you. Our entire...expedition cannot depend on one man's health, savvy? Leave 'him lie." His tone was meant to be disarming and allegedly friendly, but it was all too easy to read in between the lines. This had nothing to do with mister Gibbs health or anything of the caliber, it had to do with the two of them, Jack feeling the need to prove himself unchallenged leader.

"Really?" She drawled, eyes running up and down his body and posture. Arms planted on hips, legs planted in the sand, back as straight as possible. If it were possible she would believe that he had become even cockier than ever before. There was only one language he spoke, apart from the native tongue of a certain island when he was seen as a god. She unsheathed her, more properly defined as William Turner's former, sword, taking several steps forward before striking Jack's cane with the blunt side of the blade.

The crew provided the necessary sound effects, even Gibbs expressed his own disagreement with her actions. "Arm yourself," she demanded, taking a sick amount of pleasure in observing his resounding shock.

"Bravo, Miss Swann, you and snip-snip were two of a kind." He stated, readying his own weapon. "However, was it truly necessary that you lambast me cane?" He staggered forward, metal clashing with metal as Elizabeth met that action.

"What are the stakes, captain?" She questioned mockingly, straightening her hat before making a slight attempt to score a point.

"Apart from the obvious?" He replied, gesturing oh-so-slightly toward the invalid. "First to the ground gets their will, yours seemingly being an unwarranted break, savvy?" She agreed, patiently awaiting the end of his ramble.

"If you are to win, an unlikely supposition as it is, I want what it is that I have wanted all of these long years, what you have long since denied me..." He leaned as close to her as she and her sword would allow. Her eyes glistened with an expression indiscernible emotion, whether it be anger or shock or anything else was uncertain. "My hat," A grin danced on his lips as his surrounding men roared with laughter. She prickled, rage and embarrassment rippling through every fiber of her being.

She thrashed her sword about, nearly knocking him off of his feet with her sudden burst of energy. He held is own, challenging her and pushing her backward only to be pressed forward by her unstinting perseverance. Gibbs dithered forward, dragging the chest across the soft sand and temporarily planting it down.

"Jack, Miss Elizabeth, 's alright, let's carry on. We're burning daylight, mates!" But it was to no avail, neither the opposing pirates paid him any mind.

She went for his legs, a move he detected and avoided with ease before he attempted to jab her shoulder and was in turn kicked in the knees. She dropped her weapon and shoved him square on the chest, taking his hand in hers and prying his fingers open, forcing him to follow suit. While preoccupying him with curiosity, she swept her ankles beneath his calves and forced him to the ground.

"Alright, maties, drink up your hearties!" She cried in victory, scooping up her weapon and waving it about.

"Yo ho," Gibbs agreed, returning her flask and dropping to the ground.

"And my will be that our captain assists in toting this cargo, savvy, Jack." He frowned slightly, coming to his feet purposefully.

"Find your own phrase of common use, Lizzy, I fear that that one is my own." He assented, the grin still remaining rooted on his face.

Sorry if it was not up to standard, please, just tell me what you think!