Okay finally drum roll the final chapter! I'm sorry it's taken so long. This last delay you can blame on my computer and not me. Microsoft Word screwed up, and I just got a new program this past week. This chapter might not be as long as some of the others because it's mostly going to deal with fighting, and I'm not very good at writing long and detailed fighting scenes. I'll try my best though.

Chapter Eight

"So be it." Blackeye's words were like a signal. His men immediately rushed at them, weapons drawn. James threw himself in front of Isobel in an instant, impaling a pirate with his sword. Adrenaline was running through Isobel's veins. All she felt was a need for vengeance, a need to see Blackeye die at the point of her knife. She would satisfy that need. Right now. She began moving away from James and her other men, her eyes intent on Blackeye. She met his gaze and brandished her knife with a snarl. He smirked at her. Suddenly he was blocked from her view as a huge man stepped in front of her. His sword was drawn, and he began to lower it towards her head. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Isobel dodged the blade, slid under the man, and thrust her knife up into his gut. She glared into his quickly glazing eyes as he drew his last breath. Then he toppled on top of her. She was crushed beneath his weight. Try as she might, she couldn't push the corpse off her. He was too heavy. This is great, she thought with a growl as she tried to heave the man off her again, I won't be able to kill Blackeye because I'll be stuck under this beast forever! She tried again to get free and was surprised as the man lifted off her quite easily. James stared down at her as he pushed the man aside. He grabbed her arms and jerked her up.

"What are you doing?" he demanded angrily. His chest was heaving, and blood matted his hair to the left side of his face. Isobel prayed to God that it was not his own. The sword in his hand was bloody. "You ran off like that, and then I couldn't find you."

Isobel didn't reply, for at that moment, she saw a man a few feet behind them raise his knife. He was aiming right for James's back. Isobel knew that would be a killing blow. James's life depended on whether she was a faster hand than his man. More quickly than she ever had in her life, she threw her knife forcefully at the man. It stuck right between his eyes. Blood spouted from the wound and poured down his face. James whirled around and looked at the man. Then he turned back to her. "Stop scolding me, James Norrington," she told him heatedly, "And pay attention!"

At the beginning of the fight, her need to kill Blackeye had blocked out every other emotion. But now after coming so close to seeing James die, she couldn't seem to stop worrying about him. Her life would be over if she lost him. Before that fateful day when he rescued her from drowning at sea, revenge had been the most important thing in Isobel's life. Now that had all changed. It wouldn't matter if she killed Blackeye if she lost James in the process. He was the only thing she had.

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The battle raged on for what seemed like an eternity. James tried to stay close to Isobel, but sometimes it was hard to keep up with her. She tried to get to Blackeye countless times, but he moved faster than she. Every time she managed to get close to him, he was off attacking someone else. Unfortunately, he and his men were good fighters. Their own men were dropping quickly. So far this wasn't going too well. James wished Isobel could get to Blackeye so they could get out of there, and this would be over.

"Isobel!" He called, "Behind you!" A man with a sword was at her back, coming on her unawares. Luckily, she turned just in time to slice his throat with her knife. James sighed with relief. It worried him to let her out of his sight. She was so intent on revenge, she wasn't aware of half the goings-on around her. She was distracted, and you didn't fight well if you were distracted.

For a while they fought, James following behind Isobel closely. She was making her way to Blackeye. James could tell she would get to him this time. Her green eyes shone with fiery rage and a thirst for blood. She cut down anyone in her path. James watched as she approached Blackeye. The tall man smirked at her arrogantly, and then they were locked in battle. Isobel had two of her knives out, the one long one and the other regular sized one. She used them both to fend off Blackeye's sword. The sight of her fighting him frightened James. She was a very small woman, and Blackeye was one of the biggest men he had seen. James could see her arms shake every time Blackeye's sword crashed into her knives. She wouldn't last long if he didn't help her. He began moving forward, but just before he reached her a man stepped in front of him, blocking his way and his view. He snarled at the man and made a move to strike him with his sword. It would have been simpler to use his pistol, but he had run out of bullets long ago. He went to stab the man in his gut, but the man anticipated his move and blocked him with his own sword. They fought for what seemed like forever, and it was obvious that James's opponent was no inexperienced fighter. Every time James made a move the other man blocked it. If James thrust up his sword trying to skewer the man's middle, he parried. If James tried to bring his sword down on the man's head, he parried. Nothing was working no matter how hard James tried until fate dealt him a sweet blow. In a moment of inattention his opponent left his side open, and James took advantage. His sword went through the man until it poked out his other side. As the man died, James put his boot on the man's shoulder and kicked him off his sword. He stood there, chest heaving with exhaustion, and scanned the area for Isobel. When he saw her the blood drained from his face and he dropped his sword; his shaking hands could hold it up no longer.

Isobel was bent over Blackeye's body. One of her knives was sticking out of his chest, the other in his arm. But it wasn't Blackeye James was staring at. Blackeye's sword was buried deep in Isobel's middle. Blood poured over her pale white hands as she grasped the blade, trying to pull it out of her body. The battle around them had stopped, but James hardly noticed as he rushed to Isobel's side. She toppled to the ground right as he reached her.

"Oh, James," she panted as he kneeled over her, "Oh, James, I killed him. I killed him." Her hands still fumbled awkwardly with the sword trying to pull it out. The serene smile she wore on her face while thinking of her revenge crumpled into anguish as her hands fell away uselessly from the sword. "James," she pleaded, "Please take it out of me. It hurts."

James felt tears flooding his eyes. He pulled the long blade out of her as gently as he could. "You're going to be alright," he said, trying to assure her and himself. "Everything will be fine." His voice was hoarse and thick with tears. "I'll just get you back to the ship…." He put his arms around her to lift her, but he stilled when she groaned in pain. He could tell it would hurt her more to be moved. He eased her body back down, and began to shakily smooth her hair. Her beautiful red hair. "Oh, Isobel," he murmured as he felt a tear roll down his cheek, "Isobel, Isobel. I love you, Isobel." He drew a shaking breath. "Please don't leave me."

She reached up and wiped away the tear. She forced a smile. James could tell that she was in a lot of pain. "I'll always be with you," she whispered as she caressed his cheek, "When the sun shines on you, know that it is me smiling down at you. When the wind rustles your hair, it is me whispering how much I love you." She trailed her hand down to his chest. To his heart. "I will always be here. In your heart. In your soul. Go on with your life. Think of me from time to time and remember what we shared. Remember our love."

With her last word he broke down into tears, unable to bear the thought of losing Isobel, the love of his life. He clutched her small cold hand and begged her not to leave him. A few tears rolled down her face, but she seemed not to have the energy to sob. After a moment, she took his face in her hands. "Kiss me, please," she told him, "I want to feel your lips on mine once more. Please, James." He brought his lips down on hers gently. She trembled slightly against his mouth. He savored the feeling of her. He knew it would be the last time he would be able to. He wished that all this was a nightmare, that he would wake up in soft warm bed, and he would look to his side and Isobel would be lying there, sleeping peacefully. But he knew that it wasn't a nightmare, that he wouldn't wake up beside Isobel. He knew that the love of his life was dying. They would never have their house in Ireland. He would never get to see her grow with their beautiful children.

When he pulled away, she continued to speak. "Take me to the water's edge and let me die there. Give my body to the sea." He opened his mouth to protest, to say that she wouldn't die, that he wouldn't let her. But she forestalled him. "That is what I want, James. Please do this for me."

He gently lifted her into his arms. It tore at his heart to see her pale face draw tight with pain, but when he hesitated and began to lay her back down, she shook her head and forced a small smile. When he reached their destination, instead of laying her down, he sat and cradled her small body in his lap. "Why?" he moaned into her hair as he rocked her back and forth, "Why? Why? Why?"

"Please do not be bitter, my love," she said. He could tell that it was an effort for her to speak. "Not many people have what we had. I would not trade my time with you for anything, even if it was a short time. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. I will always love you. If you know nothing else, know that."

"You are the only woman I have ever loved, Isobel," he whispered to her brokenly, "The happiest day of my life was when I met you. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything either. I love you, and I'll love you until the day that I die and my soul comes to join yours." She smiled weakly, drew a quiet breath, and then she was gone.

James clutched her limp body to his chest as he sobbed, stricken with grief. He would never feel her kiss again, never see her smile, never hear her laugh, never feel her arms around him. It was over. Everything was over. How could this happen? She didn't deserve to die. She deserved to grow old and live a long happy life. He silently cursed God for doing this to him. Why? Why!

After a while, he wiped the tears from his cheeks and released Isobel's body. He placed a kiss on her cold forehead and let her slide into the water. "Goodbye, Isobel," he whispered. Numbly, he began to walk back to where he knew the other men would be.

Jon rushed to him as soon as he caught sight of him. "Where's Isobel? All of Blackeye's men are dead. We lost quite a few of ours, but not all. We looked for you, but…. Where's Isobel?"

James stared at him for a moment before quietly replying, "She's gone." He didn't wait for the other man to reply. He pivoted on his heel a swiftly walked away, back toward the ship. He hated pirates. Not Isobel. Isobel was different. She wasn't like a pirate at heart. It was the real pirates. Pirates like these men. Who caused her death. He hated them all. Hated them with passion. A pirate killed Isobel. Murdered his love. As he thought his grief was mingled with rage. He could hardly think with all the pain and anger that he felt. He suddenly remembered her words telling him not to be bitter, but he pushed them aside. How could he not be bitter? How could he be alright when his life was over?

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The next day James stood on the deck of the ship, looking out at the ocean. He had stood in that very spot with Isobel just the day before. He shook his head. If he thought too much about her, he knew he would begin to cry again. He had spent most of the night sobbing. Sleep refused to come to him. He couldn't sleep when he thought about Isobel dead.

In the brief part of the night when he wasn't overcome with grief over her, he had figured out what he had to do. He was going back to Port Royal to start over. When questioned about why he was missing, he would tell him that he and Isobel were forced onto the ship with Jon and the other pirates. He would tell them that she had been killed when they were attacked by other pirates. He would devote the rest of his life to the navy, ridding the sea of accursed pirates like Blackeye. In his twisted line of thinking, he still reasoned that Isobel was not like other pirates, that there were no other pirates like her, that the rest were like Blackeye and his men. He hated them all.

He heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Jon approaching. In his dark mood, he couldn't remember that Isobel had loved this man as a father. James only saw him as another pirate. He glared at him. Before Jon could speak, James said, "Take me back to Tortuga. I can get passage back to Port Royal from there." Jon's eyes widened in surprise, but James still gave him no time to speak. "I suggest you leave as soon as you drop me off there, for I am sure the Navy will have ships out looking for you after I get back." Without waiting for him to reply, James turned back to the ocean.

"What!" Jon demanded behind him, "You mean to tell me that after all this, you're going back to the Navy! What…."

James ignored Jon's voice, reduced it until it was only a small buzzing in the back of his mind. He would avenge Isobel's death. He would work relentlessly in the Navy until he purged the world of men like the man who murdered her.

The end! Finally! How did you all like it? Please review and tell me if I should write a sequel. If I did, it would take place after Dead Man's Chest. It would basically be centered on Norrington, but it would also include the other character's (Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Davy Jones, Bootstrap Bill, Barbossa, etc.) And Isobel would also be back as part of Davy Jones's crew. I already have a first chapter started, and I think I have a few good ideas. Thanks for reading my story! 