Disclaimer: I al-wee's knew dat deh wind gon' blaw an idea to me sum-dee. Do', it not be our'n…

A/N: You like me! You really like me! … well, you like the story, anyway. Over a hundred readers! You guys rock! Thankyou so much!

"THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" Elizabeth raged, screaming at the figures down the beach. "This is no way for grown up men to…" She growled in her throat. "Fine!" She said with affected calmness. "Let's all just pull out our swords and start banging away at each other. That will SOLVE EVERYTHING!" She started picking up rocks and shells and throwing them ineffectually at the three fighting men. "I'VE HAD IT! I've had it with rum-soaked, wobbly-legged PIRATES!"

Squirrel came up alongside Elizabeth - tying the compass to her belt as she walked - and stared down the beach, sharing the young woman's mood. Stupid boys… They could have tried talking - they could have listened to her - but, no… Men always have to sort everything out the old-fashioned way.

"THIS IS MADNESS!" Elizabeth shouted.

"Ah, leave them," Squirrel folded her arms. "Sooner or later they'll get sick of it." She sighed, exasperated.

Elizabeth threw one last rock, then turned to glare at Squirrel. "You. You knew about Will."

Squirrel blinked, perplexed. "What?"

"You knew that Will was taken by the Dutchman," Elizabeth scowled, angry more than hurt. "You knew, and you lied to me."

Squirrel blinked, wounded. "I n-never lied to you!"

Elizabeth snorted. "That may be so, but you never told me the truth. The real truth. All you gave me," she paused to throw another rock, "Were threadbare facts and half-cooked stories."

Squirrel kicked at the sand, feeling low. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wanted to tell you, but…"

"But what?"

Squirrel half-shrugged, almost too guilty to look Elizabeth in the eye. "I couldn't."

"Why not?" Elizabeth demanded, frowning at Squirrel. "Would it be so hard?"

Squirrel sighed. "It is hard. Especially when Jack Sparrow's involved."

Elizabeth knelt down, picked up another rock, and threw it, this time with less enthusiasm. "Of course," she said, "I understand."

"I'm sorry," Squirrel repeated. "I just…"

"You're not to blame." Elizabeth said softly, putting a hand on Squirrel's shoulder.

"I feel like I should be," Squirrel muttered. Elizabeth managed a comforting smile.

The sound of swords clashing brought both women's attention back to the fight. The three men showed no signs of abating. Elizabeth screamed down the beach again.

"ENOUGH!" Once again, she was ignored.

"You'll hurt your voice if you keep shouting like that," Squirrel noted.

Elizabeth breathed deep several times, trying to master her temper, then smiled and waved her hand around her head. "Oh!" She cried, "Ohh! The heat!" She swooned like a woman in a melodrama, and crashed into the sand, her hat tumbling off her golden hair. Squirrel looked down at Elizabeth, then up the beach. The men circled each other, the sun glinting off their flying blades. It was a spectacular faint, and it was completely wasted.

"Does that usually work?" Squirrel asked, as Elizabeth sat up.

Elizabeth rammed her hat back on her head then folded her arms petulantly. "You'd be surprised," she muttered.

"Hrm," Squirrel couldn't help but smile wryly, "Maybe I'll have to try…"

Movement behind her cut her short. Pintel and Ragetti were making their way down the beach behind them, a burden carried between them. Squirrel recognised the silver-grey of the chest, and darted after them; Elizabeth too, had seen them, and was up on her feet and running with Squirrel.

Elizabeth looked murderous, even while running. "Those slimy, no-good…"

"Save. Breath," Squirrel advised, speaking in gasps as she sprinted, "Run."

The two women ran after the two pirates, the sound of the three-way swordfight forgotten behind them. Pintel and Ragetti were making headway, taking a path that would lead them through the jungle and back to the boat. Squirrel peeled away from Elizabeth. She remembered where the boat waited - the two thieving pirates weren't exactly running as the crow flies. They could be cut off, as long as one knew where to go. Mentally thanking Ana for the lessons in map reading, Squirrel ran. Elizabeth caught up with her.

"Where are you…" She hissed.

"Shortcut," Squirrel panted, a smile on her lips.

The shade beneath the trees was cool, a relief from the painful heat of the noonday sun, but the dried palm fronds scattered over the ground crackled treacherously at every step. Squirrel moved carefully, placing her feet on solid ground, her ear cocked for the sound of the pirates. She could hear them coming. Squirrel allowed herself a small smile, even though she was still fighting for her breath back. They certainly wouldn't expect this ambush.

Elizabeth followed behind Squirrel, moving just as carefully. "I'm going to kill them," she whispered. "As soon as I see them…"

"Shh!" Squirrel motioned. She and Elizabeth moved quickly, ducking around the dried foliage, moving silently. They did not have to wait long.

Pintel and Ragetti burst into view, still running. Elizabeth pushed forward, stepping into their path with a look that could kill; Squirrel was at her side, her hands on her hips and a look on her face she hoped looked unsympathetic. Pintel and Ragetti exchanged looks, concerned. Elizabeth reached for her belt, the expression on her face turning anxious, then sheepishly apologetic. She didn't have her sword. Squirrel looked at the woman with some measure of alarm - Elizabeth returned the glance. Of course. Will took your sword, didn't he. Fumbling with her belt, Squirrel pulled out the only melee weapon she had - her dagger. She brandished it half-heartedly, blushing and feeling a fool.

Elizabeth looked at Squirrel, clearly thinking You must be joking. Squirrel half-shrugged.

Pintel grinned, clearly unimpressed by the faux bravado. Ragetti grinned as well, his wooden eye roving in its socket. Dropping the chest, the pair of them drew their swords.

"'Allo poppet," Pintel grinned, stepping forward to Elizabeth. Ragetti giggled, echoing his friend, and moved towards Squirrel.

"Eighteen places," Squirrel hissed through gritted teeth, trying to keep herself from being afraid.

Ragetti didn't pause, and small wonder. In comparison to a sword, a dagger was little more than a glorified butter knife. Despite its size, sharpness, and the ease with which it could be used, it had no reach. Squirrel would be cut to ribbons before she'd even be able to make a single mark on her opponent. Swallowing, she lowered the dagger - but she kept it in her hand nonetheless. Ragetti sensed the change in her, and his grin turned into something far more sinister.

Elizabeth and Squirrel backed up, slowly, out-manoeuvred and - in comparison - unarmed. Just then, a giant wheel rolled by.

Squirrel paused, doubting her own eyes and sanity. Will and Norrington 'stood' atop the spinning wheel, swords clashing, keeping their balance by walking continuously. On the forest floor, Jack ran after them, his arms flailing. He caught up with the rolling wheel, and climbed inside, running in the interior of the wheel. The wheel trundled on through the jungle, taking with it the three men, their clattering swords, and what seemed like a decent chunk of normality.

Elizabeth and Squirrel exchanged incredulous and somewhat confused glances before turning back to the issue at hand - namely, the two pirates who wanted them dead.

Funny, Squirrel thought darkly, never taking her eyes off the sword-wielding pirate who advanced upon her, How greed changes people for the worst. Even those with noble intentions… She thought of Will briefly, fighting with Jack and Norrington, then set her jaw. Greed brings out the worst in all men, she thought, staring Ragetti down.

Instinct and sudden fear gripped her. A lesson learned the hard way in Tortuga surfaced in her mind - she'd not learned to dodge flying bottles from her uncle's hand for nothing. Squirrel ducked her head, yelping in surprise as an axe shot over her head and buried itself into a tree trunk. The wind from the axe's passing seared Squirrel's scalp.

All four of the combatants turned, alarmed at this sudden reversal of fortunes. Davy Jones' crew roared and bellowed, leaping through the foliage with bloodthirsty glee. Elizabeth and Squirrel continued to back up, but this time in the opposite direction - Pintel and Ragetti's swords were nothing compared to the fear these half-men inspired.

Pintel and Ragetti seemed to agree - they handed their swords to Elizabeth and ran, picking up the chest as they went. The two women ran after them.

"Turn left!" Squirrel barked, seeing a tree coming between Pintel and Ragetti. Either they didn't hear her, or they didn't know which 'left' she meant. They ran either side of the tree, and the tree trunk caught the chest, pulling it out of their hands. Elizabeth stopped beside Squirrel, turning, the two swords raised. Though there was fear in her eyes, she parried and fought. Squirrel had time to be impressed.

She kept running.

She passed Pintel and Ragetti, who were already running back to help. She didn't stop until she was far enough away, hidden by the trees. Then she turned around, sheathing her dagger. They may have thought her a coward for running, but she wasn't running anymore. Squirrel scrambled up onto a fallen tree, balancing herself carefully, and peered through the trees at the fight. She pulled her shanghai from her belt, and loosened the neck of a bag at her belt: a bag filled with smooth stones.

She plucked a stone from the bag and set it into the shanghai, and then squinted, aiming, waiting for that opportune moment. One of the cursed pirates stood back, laughing at Elizabeth's attempt to fight them off. Squirrel grinned, and the stone zinged free. Snift. The pirate staggered back, clutching at his eye and screaming. Squirrel grinned again, another stone primed and readied. Snift. Another pirate was felled, and Pintel ran him through before tossing the sword back to Elizabeth. Squirrel fired again, again, again. Snift, snift, snift.

"Nice shootin', girl."

Squirrel re-aimed quickly, hitting the shark-man square in the face, then leapt off the log and ran. The shark-man bellowed in pain, then crashed through the brush after her.

"Elizabeth!" Squirrel bawled. "Help!"

Elizabeth turned, saw Squirrel running towards her with the shark-creature at her heels. With a roar, Elizabeth charged forward, brandishing the sword, distracting the shark-man from his intended target. Squirrel ducked and weaved through the combatants - perhaps running into the heart of battle hadn't been a good idea. She bobbed, ducking aside, out of the fight, and hid herself behind a tree, trying to catch her breath.

The fight was moving on without her, pushing further and further into the trees.

Perfect. I can stay here, with the chest, and still be a part of the fight. Squirrel grinned, and patted the bag of stones at her side. Not many left. Better make them all count.

"Hee hee hee!"

Squirrel looked up, and saw one of Davy's crew, a shell-headed man, creeping through the underbrush. He'd been forgotten in the fight - or had purposely left himself behind. Whatever the case, he moved with sure purpose. He picked up the chest, grinning, then turned tail and fled. "Ni men shi bai chyr," he laughed as he ran.

Squirrel pulled out her dagger and ran after him, swift and silent.

The pirate ran quickly and agilely. Squirrel had a hard time keeping pace, but she controlled her breathing and her temper, her shanghai in one hand and her dagger in the other. There was no way she was going to let Davy Jones take back the chest. With a silent snarl, she put on a burst of speed, closing the gap between herself and the shell-headed pirate.

Something flew through the air; instinct once again caused Squirrel to pull up short. The coconut collided with the shell-pirate's head, and the pirate crumpled. The chest bounced one way, the pirate's body catapulted the other… and his head rolled to a stop under one of the many trees.

"Ai-yah!" The pirate's head called, exasperated, as though this had happened before. Squirrel felt a little sickened - he was still alive? She heard someone coming up behind her, and crouched in readiness, thinking it was one of the pirate's friends come to aid him. Squirrel's relief was immense when she saw it was only Jack. She smiled, glad to see him, glad he was unharmed. "Nice shot, captain," she panted, catching her breath. The shanghai and the dagger slipped back into their respective places at her belt.

Jack winked at her, but his eyes were serious. They held on the chest and would not let go.

"Anido! Anido!" The pirate's head called. "Follow the sound of my voice!"

Behind Jack, the pirate's headless body was staggering around. Jack paid no heed - he knelt down at the chest, the key in hand. Squirrel crossed to Jack, and knelt by his side. Looks like Jack won the fight after all, she thought, taking note of the key he held.

"To the left! No, other left!"

Either that, a pragmatic voice said to her, or he used his pirate tricks again. Either way, you're not complaining, are you.

There was a thud, and then a heavier thud. "No," the pirate's head called, "That's a tree."

Nope.

"Oh, shut it!" Jack called, and the shell-headed pirate muttered into silence. Jack took the key and inserted it into the chest's lock. Squirrel found herself drawing closer to Jack, captivated by hope, fear and dread in equal measures.

The key turned, and the chest clicked and hissed. Metal tongues sprang out of the lid like dull claws. Jack took hold of the lid in both hands, and gingerly opened the chest, his eyes full of that same terrible hope and fear…

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Squirrel stared, aghast. "It's a real heart," she whispered, horrified.

It was a human heart, but twisted and unnatural. It was covered in barnacles and sea slime, but still the shape was unmistakable. Squirrel felt slightly disgusted. She'd known it was a heart, but not… a heart like this.

This was impossible! How was Davy Jones even alive? How was he walking about, breathing air, making demands, running a ship… how was he even alive? This was not possible. He shouldn't - should not - be alive. Davy Jones shouldn't even be alive. It made no logical sense…

That song - that lullaby - played delicately in Squirrel's head.

He cut out his heart to escape the pain of love, she remembered, suddenly saddened. Was it worth it? Was it worth it to live a cursed un-life, where you don't feel love? Or anything? Was it worth it, Captain Davy Jones?

Jack picked up the heart in his bare hand, and grinned at it, triumphant. Squirrel made a noise of disgust when she saw it pulsing in Jack's hand. Jack grinned sidelong at her.

"Wanna touch it?" He thrust the heart at her. Squirrel drew back, pulling a face. Jack laughed, his eyes sparkling mischievously. His laugh was cut short when the sound of fighting came through the trees. Squirrel squinted through the foliage. Her eyes widened when she saw that Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti were bringing the crew of Davy Jones right to them.

Jack slid the heart into his shirt and slammed the lid of the chest shut. "Time to go, luv!" He grabbed Squirrel by the arm, heaving her to her feet, and started running.

"But," Squirrel paused a moment, looking back, "The chest!"

"Don't need it!" Jack reached back and grabbed Squirrel by the hand. "Come on!" He and Squirrel ran, hand-in-hand, through the forest. Shadows of trees flickered across her vision, sounds of fighting suddenly seemed far away. Even when they crossed the barrier between trees and beach, shadow and unrelenting sunshine, it had no impact on Squirrel.

The world was turning without her. The only thing Squirrel knew for certain was that Jack was holding her hand, running beside her. Squirrel's blood sang in her ears, her heart pounding.

I was wrong! She found herself thinking. I am worth something to him! He does care! Shaking off the dizziness that threatened her, she forced herself to concentrate on each step and breath she took, as she and Jack sprinted across the sand. The boat lay ahead, and the heart was in Jack's possession. They were free.

Jack was free, and he was taking Squirrel with him.

The rising tide grasped at their feet as they ran across the beach. The longboat was already drifting somewhat out to sea, but not so far that they couldn't reach it. Jack released Squirrel's hand, and Squirrel found herself fighting for balance. Dizzy, she thought, trying to focus.

"Jar of dirt!" He rifled around the longboat, lifting his coat and scrabbling, searching for said jar. He threw his coat at Squirrel, and grinned as he located his precious treasure. He tipped the dirt out into the boat, placed the heart into the jar, replaced the tipped-out dirt, and tied shut the lid of the jar, grinning all the while. But there was fear in her eyes and urgency in his movements.

I can read him, Squirrel found herself more than a little concerned. He's terrified, and I can read him. Something grabbed her ankle, and she screamed, throwing Jack's coat back into the longboat. Davy Jones! The nightmare was too close, too real in her mind, even in the heat of the sun. But it was not Davy Jones who had grabbed her, but one of his crewmen. "Jack!" She drew her dagger as the half-man rose out of the water, intending to defend herself but knowing she stood no chance.

A phantom of a Tortugan rum bottle sailed through the air once more, and Squirrel bobbed to one side just in time.

Thunk!

The half-man reeled back, stunned; Jack spun the oar in his hands, ready to strike again. "Get back, luv!" he called. He leapt over the boat, swinging the oar, driving the fish-man back. Squirrel dithered, the dagger in her hand demanding that she fight, but fear holding her at bay. She stepped forward, stepped back, forward again, the sea washing at her ankles.

Jack looked back, and saw her indecision. "Stay with the boat!"

Squirrel ducked back, her breath and her heart in her throat as she watched Jack fight with an oar. The fish-man had a sword, but he never seemed to get the chance to use it. Jack's fear was making him relentless.

Stay with the boat. Guard the heart. Squirrel bit her lip as she put the dagger away. Stay here. Stay put.

"Argh!"

Squirrel's head swivelled. Down the beach, coming towards them, were Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti - allies once more - fighting against the frightening creatures of Davy Jones' crew. Should she help them? No. She couldn't leave the boat. With some misgiving and a decent amount of guilt, she did nothing. But she watched.

Elizabeth was good with a sword. Very good. She moved gracefully, like a dancer, the blade singing through the air like a feather. Pintel and Ragetti, pirates that they were, utilised whatever they could get their hands on - namely, the chest. They used it as a club, a battering ram, a flail, a shield. They took turns fighting, each defending the other, or fought together as a team. Squirrel found herself almost cheering every time any of her friends landed a blow.

They're in range!

The realisation came so suddenly that Squirrel felt foolish. Of course! She wasn't useless in this fight! She checked the bag that hung from her belt. Enough stones for at ten more shots. With a grin, Squirrel readied her shanghai, and waited for the perfect shot.

Just a bit closer… She fired. Snift. A pirate staggered, felled by a blow to the leg. Snift. Another winced and was run through by Elizabeth's dancing blade. Another one rose his feet after a blow to the head from the dead man's chest. Snift. That pirate fell back down into the shallow water. Squirrel grinned, elated. She looked over her shoulder, looking for Jack, sure he'd be winning his fight.

Jack had moved further from the boat, driving the fish-man deeper into the sea with every blow of the oar. He was too far away for Squirrel to help him, but…

Elizabeth and the lads were getting ever closer. They needed help more - they were outnumbered. They needed every ounce of help if they were to survive. Jack could hold his own. Squirrel turned her attention shorewards, and aimed the shanghai again.

Snift. Squirrel swore mightily as the pirate she'd aimed for moved; the stone had missed its mark. She fired again, again, again - two of her shots hit, but neither did significant damage. She reached into the pouch at her belt, and was reminded of the preciousness of her ammunition. With a slow steadying breath, Squirrel prepared her shanghai. Only three shots left. Best make them count.

Four of Davy's crew were converging on Elizabeth. Squirrel squinted down the length of her weapon, reading the movements of the half-fish crewmen. Though they were cursed, they were still men - Squirrel smiled grimly as she released the leather band, glad of her gift to read people. Snift. One of the pirates staggered, clutching his gut, causing the men behind him to check themselves and pull back.

Squirrel fumbled for another round, knowing full well that at any moment there could be something to completely change the outcome of the fight. The wheel of fortune could turn, changing the result of…

The giant wheel came roaring down the beach at great speed, unrelenting in its path. It swept aside the pirates, crushing them into the sand and the sea, before continuing its course further down the beach. There, it stood, like some ancient sentinel… then tilted, tipping, crashing to its side, finally coming to rest. Normality held its breath a moment, then life resumed as usual: with shouts and the clashing of steel.

I didn't expect it to be that literal, Squirrel thought to herself. But I'm not complaining. She readied her shanghai once more, but the stone slipped from her fingers and fell into the water at her feet. With a cry of alarm, Squirrel stooped, feeling around in the sand. Come on, come on! Where did it go? She wasn't about to lose one of her precious two shots to accident. But the more she searched, the more frenzied her fingers probed the shallows, the closer the sounds of fighting came.

Swearing in despair, Squirrel picked up a handful of sand and threw it back into the water. It was gone. She now had only one shot left. She stood, her face twisted in anger at her own stupidity. Squirrel cast her eyes about, judging the distances between fighters. Who was she going to help with her final shot? Pintel and Ragetti were fighting in tandem. Elizabeth was delayed further up the beach, but she was holding her own for the time being, seeing as she only had one combatant: the shark-man. Sometimes deh sharks aren't oonly in deh water, Tia's voice from somewhere in the back of Squirrel's mind. Squirrel pushed the distraction away.

Squirrel turned, once more, looking to Jack. He was still fine. He seemed to be handling the oar better than he did a sword. Why am I not surprised? He's hopeless with a sword, though he likes to boast otherw… Two figures further up the beach caught her attention. Squirrel's eyes widened - Will! And Norrington! Will staggered and fell into the water, and Norrington swayed on his feet like a drunken man. They must have been inside the wheel, Squirrel realised. The wheel had been rolling rapidly over the beach; small wonder Norrington and Will were finding it hard to regain their balance.

Squirrel turned her attention back to the fight, readying her shanghai once more. She dithered, unsure - every time she had a target something prevented her from firing - either the target moved too quickly, or someone got in the way, or Squirrel simply wasn't sure if she should let the stone fly. With an agonised sigh, Squirrel lowered her shanghai, jiggling from foot to foot, feeling helpless. The tide was rising. No longer was the water content to nip at her ankles. There wasn't time.

Squirrel looked out over the beach, her final shot clutched tight in her left hand, the shanghai in her right. When to fire? When? The cursed pirates that had been felled by the wheel were rising, rejoining the fight. Pintel and Ragetti didn't look like they could keep fighting for much longer, and Elizabeth's graceful movements were slowing. Nervous and jittery, Squirrel bit her lip, looking from one target to another, wondering which one, which one…

Something bumped the boat into the back of her legs, and it wasn't the tide. Someone was behind her. Norrington was at the edge of the longboat, holding something in his hands. The look on his face was that of relief, triumph… and greed.

Without thinking, Squirrel leapt into the boat and grabbed hold of what Norrington held, her eyes furious. Norrington drew back, alarmed by the sudden rocking of the boat and of the sudden appearance of Squirrel. But he refused to relinquish his hold on his prize. They met and held each other's gaze, a silent challenge from which neither was willing to back down from.

Squirrel took her eyes from Norrington's for a moment, to see what it was they held. She recognised the leather packet immediately - the insignia burned into the leather was unmistakable. The letters of marque.

Squirrel looked up at Norrington, eyes wide. You'd steal like a thief to regain your title? You're more of a coward than I thought! Norrington narrowed his eyes and raised his sword, clearly expecting a fight. Squirrel looked down at the letters once more, then back to Norrington. There was a long pause.

She let go.

Norrington stared at Squirrel a moment, dumbstruck, the hand holding the letters awkwardly suspended in space. Squirrel crouched lower in the longboat, making herself eye-level with the former commodore.

"Take it," she said, face blank but her voice harsh. "We don't want it." She shook her head, her eyes soft and pitying. "You still won't regain your honour," she added in a whisper.

Norrington continued to stare, but there was something wretched in his expression. She'd cut him deep; she'd hurt him badly with those well-placed words. "You don't understand…"

"I understand fine," she turned and leapt out of the boat, the water splashing around her. After a pause, she looked over her shoulder. Norrington stood by the longboat, staring at her. He closed both hands around the letters, holding them close, before tucking them into his belt. He opened his mouth, seeking to explain, to say something.

"Miss Grey…"

Squirrel shook her head, wrestling with the hurt at his betrayal. "You got what you wanted!" She shouted, "Now get out of here!" She turned away, wounded by his cowardice. She had to move, had to leave, had to get away from him. But there was nowhere else to go.

So she ran to Jack, fighting the tears in her eyes.

A/N: Hadras - the shell-headed pirate - says 'You idiots!' while giggling and stealing the chest. I don't live in Singapore for nothing. Hadras spoke Cantonese in the movie, and he's speaking it here. Just so you know. 'Bai chyr' is the best way I can write the pronunciation, so sorry if it doesn't quite work with how you think it should be said. Just speak from the thromborax.

More soon. I have the soundtrack and my muse is insane once more. Next chapter - where is the thump-thump?