A/N: To my dear reviewers--Thank you so much! And I'm so sorry for the wait.

Disclaimer: PotC belongs to Disney.

Chapter Spoiler: Elizabeth seems to like getting in tricky, high-in-the-ropes situtations...

I turned again quickly and reached for the gunpowder--and found nothing. Oh, please, no...

I knocked over empty barrles in my mad rush to get on deck, and nearly knocked Jack over as well when I ran into him. The Pearl shook as the Silver Wave shot another cannonball. I slipped and fell painfully to the deck with a slip of wood embedded in my hand.

"Lizzie!" Jack pulled me to my feet and I held onto him.

"Jack--" I panted. "There's no more--gunpowder--"

"What?" He frowned.

"Last time we loaded the rum," I said hestitantly.

"What?" He stared at me. "No. Do not load the rum!"

"Don't worry, no, we won't--"

"Of course. The rum musn't be wasted, understood?"

"Yes, But what can we do now?" The ship rocked again.

"We try to escape."

"What about parley?" I asked, following him across the deck.

"We only use parley as a last resort," he explained in a wise tone.

"Jack!"

Beckett, Norrington, and my father were still standing, a little bewildered, by the side of the ship. Will sood a little way apart, watching awkwardly.

"Sparrow," said Beckett coldly, stepping forward impatiently at last. "We are here to capture the Silver Wave. How lucky that you happen to be here as well. The East India Trading Company and the Royal Navy hate to waste energy. You and everyone aboard this ship are under arrest." Father gasped and stared at me.

"Does that mean you, too?" I demanded.

"Miss Swann," said Norrington quietly. "You are in a difficult position. How daring of you to speak."

My slap rang like a gunshot, and Norrington's face burned pink where I had struck him. He stood unflinchingly, but I winced. There was still wood in my palm.

"Let me see your hand," said Norrington, and he took it gently.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped, pulling away, but he held on.

"Here." He pulled lightly on the splinter and removed the wood.

"I--" I started indignantly, and paused. "Thank you." But still I glared at him. They have no right--!

"Miss Swann--" Norrington began, looking at me intensely.

"Don't call me that!"

"Elizabeth. There was once a time when I looked at you as a fiance. When I looked at you and thought, one day I will live with you. Then it was Mr. Turner who looked at you that way. What has happened now?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "What has happened to you?"

I set my jaw defiantly, fury burning through me like the largest of bonfires.

"How dare you steal that heart that day for your own gain," I whispered, low and dangerous. "And how dare you challenge who I love."

"Well," said Jack impatiently. "Now that all this is settled, what are you three still doing on my ship? It's been four minutes and fifty-three seconds."

"I just told you," said Beckett. "You're under arrest."

Jack blinked. "I am?"

Beckett rolled his eyes very boredly. "If you wish to finish your gunpowder-lacking battle with Merlow first, then please do so by all means. However, we will be taking Governor Swann's daughter with us."

"No you won't!" I shouted.

"Elizabeth," said Father pleadingly, "please come. Perhaps we can bend the law, perhaps we can excuse you--and Will too--"

"Father! I've already told you--I've made my choice, and I'm not going back. I'm not going to live a life like that! And--" I shook my head helplessly. "I can't explain... I have the freedom I've never had here. I'm happy this way--I'm happy with Jack."

It scared me how much power there was behind those words. It terrified me that I had for once admitted my feelings so freely, how wonderful I felt saying those words. And it frightened me that I turned so voluntarily to Jack for comfort, that I went to stand by him to willingly. And how he did not stop me.

Father stared, and I looked back at him defiantly and resolutely. I would not let anything get between Jack and me now.

Suddenly I swung around upon hearing the thud of someone landing on deck. It was Merlow.

"What are you--" I demanded.

"Not good," said Jack hurriedly, and added to Norrington, Beckett, and Father, "Go back. Go. We'll discuss my arrest later. Go!" None of them moved. "Oi! Go!" They turned quickly and boarded the Dauntless. I heaved the wooden board off the Pearl and turned to face Merlow as four of his crew swung aboard.

"Weapons!" I hollered as loud as I could. Several of Jack's crew rushed on deck well armed.

"Lizzie," whispered Jack urgently, "Merlow's crew can't be killed." Ignoring my aghast expression, he continued, "Just try to get them overboard. And remember--it's a not-good situation, try to do something good and not something not-good." I nodded impatiently and turned my attention to the advancing undead pirates with my weapons drawn.

The clash of the swords fed fuel to my fire. I had never found so much energy to fight two immortal pirates with two swords at the same time. The cries of the battle and clang of the swords rang in my ears as I parried blow after blow while trying to strike. The metal danced before my eyes in the dawn light, the distant smell of smoke creeping into my nose.

A blade flew by my head. I brought a sword to meet it with a defeaning report and a swish as I ran my sword across the enemy's blade, swinging my other arm in a complicated move with another of member of Merlow's crew. I was starting to grow desperate, backing, into the mast. I couldn't win against undead people, I couldn't fight like this forever.

There has to be some other way to solve this! They'll eventually kill me if I keep fighting...

And I recalled what I had done to Merlow the afternoon before. Would it work? They were immortal, but it should give me enough time...

I dropped one sword and drew out a dagger, which I plunged easily into one of the pirates' chest. I caught a glimpse of the man falling to the deck with blood spurting out of him before I turned to fight the other man. He would heal in just a few seconds, but a few seconds would be enough.

I scrambled up the rigging with the pirate right below me. I managed to block a few strokes of his sword, but as I climbed up more, he raised his sword and slashed me across the right arm with inhuman speed.

And explosion of pain shot through my arm. I dropped my sword, which narrowly missed the pirate, and held onto the ropes desperately with my left hand. It was too high to fall. I could feel the warm blood gushing out of my wound, and it was difficult to keep the tears from my eyes. I couldn't afford to have blurred vision at the moment. I could see the man I had "killed" already rushing toward the ropes, ready to aid the other man in killing me.

I took a deep breath and made sure my feet were firmly on the rectangular rigging before clamping my teeth on a rope. Cautiously but quickly I let go of the rope and pulled out my pistol with my left hand, cocking it. I looked below at the two men scrambling toward me with increasing speed, and fired. One of the men let go of the rigging and fell overboard. I cocked the pistol again and fired. The other man fell as well. I sighed with relief and bit down on the rope harder as another wave of pain washed over my arm. I put my pistol back in my belt, took hold of the ropes with my left hand again, and surveyed the battle scene below with nearly all my energy drained.

Jack was fighting Merlow and continuously stabbing him to gain a few seconds' advantage, while a few other crew members, including Anamaria, were parrying strokes quickly.

I looked around and with a little more relief noticed the twins working spells by the mast. I saw the result of them as I slowly descended. None of Merlow's crew could harm Jack or his crew. There were invisible barriers around them, but they could still reach out of it.

At last, my feet touched the deck. Merlow's crew was surrendering and it looked like Merlow and Jack were parleying--finally.

"This isn't fair!" protested Merlow. "You've got two witches working for you!"

"Pirate," said Jack, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, you're immortal. And you broke our treaty."

"All right, so I did," said Merlow. "What of it? I thought we were pirates!"

"To an extent," agreed Jack. "Now listen here--I want you to leave me, my ship, my crew, and Elizabeth alone from now on."

"I thought I get part of your treasure."

"Ah, we'll see about your behavior," said Jack in a voice suggesting that he was speaking to a young child. "I'm not giving part o' me plunder to a no-good traitor whose crew wounded me girl. Savvy?"

Merlow gave Jack a strange look and said, "I still want something."

"Aye. And I know what it'd be that you want."

"Jack?" I said. "You failed to mention this."

"Not now, love," said Jack, and turned back to Merlow. "I'll see about that too. But only if you behave. Now get off me ship."

Merlow rolled his eyes but collected his crew and swung back.

My shirt was now wet and disgustingly warm as well. I didn't even want to see what color it would be now.

"Jack," I said. "How long will this take to heal?"

"You'll be fine in no time, darling," he said assuringly. "I swear I will kill that damned Merlow."

"No! Not like--that--"

"Don't worry," said Jack, sweeping me off my feet. "You must be tired."

In fact, I had only enough energy to wrap my arms around him as he carried me with one arm under my neck and one arm under my legs.

"I'll tell Tia Dalma to come to my cabin."

"No," I whispered up at him, my eyes half-closed even in the intense pain, "I don't want to disturb you again."

"Lizzie, you will never disturb me." He leaned down and gave me a soft, tender kiss.

"I'm... tired..."

"I know. You can have my bed. You're... mine."

My eyelids were heavy. Could one battle cause so much fatigue?

"Or vice versa," I whispered, collapsing in his arms.