It is an ancient Mariner, and he stoppeth one of three. 'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye. Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?

~The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

"How are you breathing!?" Elizabeth whisper-demanded. I smirked at her. We had a weird relationship, she was not my friend, not in the slightest. We had been forced together for a long time and now, well now things were very...rocky between us.

"I'm not wearing a corset." I whispered back, I laughed as she gave me a glare, "This is so boring." I told her. As I said, rocky. Sometimes we hit a jagged spot, sometimes it's a smooth spot.

"I like the sound of the music, of the drums." She told me. I stood fidgeting until the end of the ceremony.

'Finally' I thought, running to stand at my favorite spot. It overlooked the ocean and was beautiful, there was a cough. I turned to face Elizabeth and Norrington. Seriously?!

"Might we have this spot, Miss Smith." He commanded. I nodded.

"But of course, Commodore." I said curtsying. I stood a few feet back listening to music until I heard a splash and Norrington yell her name. Elizabeth had fallen into the water, I rolled my eyes but was running before the soldiers even got to Norrington. As I got to the docks a man was climbing out of the water with Elizabeth on his back.

"Is she ok?" I asked running to the man's side where Elizabeth was lying. He stood suddenly.

"She's not brea-" The soldier started to yell.

"Move!" the man came back and cut the corset off Elizabeth. She rolled onto her side coughing up water.

"Never would have thought of that." I combed her wet hair back with my fingers.

"Clearly you've never been to Singapore."

"Clearly these need to be burned." I sneered at the ripped corset in the soldier's arms. The man was looking at the pirate medallion, I snatched it away from him rather quickly.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, not receiving or expecting an answer from her his eyes turned on me.

"On your feet." Norrington had arrived. The governor hauled Elizabeth up. I tucked the hand concealing the medallion behind my back.

"Shoot him!" Oh God here we go. I reached out pushing Norrington's sword down away from the man's face then stood.

"Please, he saved Elizabeth's life." I sighed. Norrington looked between me and the man for a moment then at Elizabeth.

"I believe thanks are in order." Norrington said, holding out his hand. The man paused, I knew it then and I'm sure Norrington did as well, pirate. The man took his hand and Norrington turned it, pushing up his sleeve, "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company did we, Pirate." I sighed and the pirate winced, "Keep your guns on him men, Gillette fetch some irons!" He flipped his sleeve up farther to show a tattoo.

"Your Captain Jack Sparrow." I said. The man's eyes met mine with a smirk on his lips.

"Hang him." The governor said, the smirk dropped. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't see your ship, captain." I challenged, placing my hands on my hips.

"I'm in the market as it were." The captain answered, smirking to me again, I did my best not to grin back.

"He said he came to commander one." The skinny soldier opened his fat mouth.

"These are his sir." the fat soldier came forward looking very proud, handing over the captain's effects. Norrington picked up his pistol.

"No additional shots nor powder." the compass, "A compass that does not point north." He pulled the captain's sword from the sheath, "And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are the worst pirate I've ever heard of." Norrington said.

"But you have heard of me." Sparrow answered. I smiled laughing at the witty response. Norrington blistered and dragged Captain Sparrow away, Elizabeth and I chased after.

"I really must protest!" She said.

"He saved Elizabeth did he not?!" I demanded. Standing beside Elizabeth in front of Sparrow, I slipped the medallion into her hand. "You had two loyal, trained soldiers on duty here on the Interceptor and neither tried to save Elizabeth. The only man that did was here merely by coincidence and is branded as a pirate"

"One good deed does not make up for a lifetime of wickedness." Norrington said not looking at me.

"Maybe he's changed!" I said.

"Then he must face consequences for past deeds!" Norrington yelled.

"Finally!" Sparrow said, chains went over my head and I was pulled against a cool, wet body.

"Bella!" Elizabeth gasped. As Norrington pulled her away, she fought against him.

"I was trying to help you!" I huffed crossing my arms.

"I saved your friend's life, you save mine, we're square." He said to me.

"Not friends." Elizabeth and I both mumbled.

"Commodore Norrington my effects please, and my hat." Norrington hesitated,

"Just give them to him." I growled.

"Commodore!" He yelled. Norrington glared at Sparrow, then turned to the soldier and took Sparrow's things from him. "Bella it is isn't it?"

"Arabella '' I snapped, but I held no grudge. Can't blame a man for wanting to live.

"Well if you would be so kind, Arabella." He said, I took his effects from Norrington. We both reached for the pistol, he got it first, I growled. He spun me around putting it to my head. I started to put his effects on his person, "Oh very kind." He said cockily. I tightened his belt on him, "Woah, easy on the goods, darling." I pulled it tighter.

" You are despicable." I knew he enjoyed teasing everyone. The sweet little girl had to wrap her arms around a dirty pirate. He spun me around saying

"Sticks and stones, love." I growled at the pet name, "Gentlemen" he said loudly, "My Lady," to Lizzie then, "Love," gentler in my ear, "you will always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow." He shoved me away from him into Lizzie's arms and made his daring escape.

"Now will you shoot him!?" The governor yelled.

"Open fire." Norrington responded. I watched with true amazement as Sparrow swung from the ropes dodging ALL of the soldiers' bullets. Then again they weren't very good shots; one of them even had their eyes closed.

"Pride of the king's navy you are." I huffed sarcastically, unwinding myself from Elizabeth's arms.

"Gillette, Mr. Sparrow has a dawn appointment with the Gallows. It would be a shame if he missed it." Norrington said.

"Miss, Smith. I advise, even though I know you rarely listen, you go home or at least somewhere you know is safe." The Governor used a scolding tone. I rolled my eyes but nodded.

"For once I'll actually listen." I told him.

"Thank you." He sighed before leaving with Elizabeth. I smirked.

"What place is safer than a place full of weapons, a drunk, and an amazing swordsman?" I asked his retreating form cockily, then set off, running through the streets. I got to the blacksmith's shop- Mr. Brown was in an impossible to wake state and the donkey was in a panic. I wandered along looking at all the swords Will had made and came upon a familiar hat. I smirked

"Hiding from me?" I asked, snatching up the hat as the flat of a sword swung down -in the form of a slap- milliseconds to late. I smirked at him as I put on his hat and as he emerged from hiding, "That wasn't very nice." I told him. His own smirk came across his face, he pressed the point of the sword, barely, against my neck.

"Well well well" He walked his way around me and I spun in a circle to keep my eyes on him, "Arabella." He literally purred.

"Jack Sparrow." I purred back. He pushed my head up with the flat of the sword, I began stepping back slowly, he followed.

"Cap-tain" He pronounced it slowly, "Savvy, love?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Miss. Smith." I pronounced slowly, "Savvy, Captain?" My back hit something behind me, a dark mischief appeared in his eyes and his smirk grew.

"Smith?" He asked. I nodded, Please let him not know me. "I came into this port on the name of 'Smith'."

"My husband wouldn't like what you are implying." I lied. He put away his sword and pressed his hands on either side of my head..

"I suppose your husband does not like the looks the Commander gives you either, eh?" He smirked at me, catching my lie. The door began opening and he swung around to face Will, one of his hands still firmly next to my head.

"It's you. The pirate they are hunting." Will said slowly approaching. His eyes caught mine, "Let her go."

"You seem somewhat familiar have I threatened you before?" Sparrow asked him.

"I make a point to avoid familiarities with pirates." Will answered, "Let. Her. Go."

"Well then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So if you'll excuse me." Will grabbed one of the many swords lying around as Sparrow turned and reached to take the hat off my head. It twang loudly and, with a look of annoyance, Sparrow then turned back without the hat as Will pointed the sword at him.

"Do you think this wise boy? Crossing blades with a pirate." Sparrow asked Will, stepping away from me.

"You threatened Bella." Will said firmly. The captain looked back at me briefly while drawing his sword before turning and smirking at Will. He ran his blade down Will's then back up.

"Only a little, she liked it." He promised. They began swinging away at each other and I stumbled out of the way, backwards to avoid being hit, "You know what you're doing I'll give you that, but how's your foot work. If I step here…" Sparrow took a step and Will matched, "And now I step again…" Same, "Ta" Sparrow said sheathing his sword. Will tossed his preventing Sparrow from leaving by jamming it in the door latch.

"That is a wonderful trick!" Sparrow said annoyed stepping toward Will, "Except once again, you are between me and my way out, and now," Sparrow unsheathed his sword, "you have no weapon." except Will had been stepping toward the fireplace which had multiple swords smelting in it. Will grabbed a sword, the metal still hot and glowing. When they started banging away at each other again sparks flew. They were under the revolving pilliar, where multiple finished swords were hung. "Who makes all these?!"

"I do." Clang "And I practice with them." Woosh, "Three hours a day." Clang

"You need to find yourself a girl mate." They crashed across the workshop stopping almost right in front of me, "Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you've already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet, by the way that one's 'married' so off the proverbial market as it were." Sparrow said absentmindedly pointing at me. "Wait, you're not a eunuch are you." Sparrow glanced down at Will's…well...thing area.

"I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it." Will yelled. I didn't want Will killing anyone!

"Stop." I yelled jumping in between them, Will seeing me too late didn't have time to stop his blade and it came down in a wide arc slicing me on top of my cheekbone. I covered it with hand stumbling back. Sparrow caught me around the waist and pulled me to his side. Using one hand to try and move my hand away and assess the cut.

"Arabella." Will mumbled in shock. The door burst open as Mr. Brown hit Sparrow in the head with a rum bottle, he was knocked unconscious and Will pulled me to him.

"Excellent work Mr. Brown, you've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugit- Miss Smith! Who's done this to you?!" Norrington asked, outraged.

"I'm fine Commodore, It looks worse than it is, it's just a scratch."

"Who did this?" I couldn't get Will in trouble, Sparrow was already headed to the gallows.

"Will was trying to protect me. I got in between Sparrow and him as Will was about to take a blow and was scratched." I lied.

"That's not the way I seen it." Mr. Brown spoke up.

Norrington ignored him. He would believe Mr. Brown over Will but he would never believe Mr. Brown over me. "Gillette, get her to the fort, set her up in my office, make sure she's comfortable. You'll stay with Governor Swann until the Admiral returns." Norrington told me after giving orders.

"Yes. sir" I answered then hugged Will and whispered, "It doesn't even hurt anymore." Before leaving with Gillette.