A/N: Thank you for reviewing! I'm sorry, I've run out of creative escape plans... :)

Disclaimer: Disney owns Lizzie, the Pearl, Jack, and others.

"Let me go!" I demanded, as the men removed my weapons. "Let me--" I kicked one of the men aside; the other man held me tighter and half-dragged me down the steps. He untied my bonds and shoved me into a cell as I wondered what I had done to not be on my guard precisely when I should have been.

"You're mad," I hissed as the door clanged shut. I waited until the man had his fill of dangling the key before me and gloating. He left without hurry.

"Stupid... betraying... pirates." I muttered. Fantastic. Now I'll just have to wait for them to fire on the Pearl, I thougt bitterly. Maybe I'll get lucky this time and they'll fire back, right at this spot. I leaned against the bars. We're close enough... for Jack to spot us. Jack, do something!!

I stood, bored out of my wits, in the cell for a while before I could feel that the ship was gaining speed. Finally. And then I felt--and heard--the cannons being fired. Fire, Jack!

I didn't know why I was telling Jack what to do, especially with thoughts. Maybe I was going mad without him. I shook the prison bars uselessly. I had to do something, I would die standing there, listening to the pirates fight.

Shots rang through the air; the Lady was thrown violently on the waves. I let out a small scream as I was tossed back and forth. I grasped the lowest bar to hold steady and flattened myself on the floor as pieces of the Lady's hull were ripped out by cannonballs. I could feel the water soaking into my clothes as it rushed in.

I gathered the air in my lungs and bellowed, "Someone let me out!" I had stopped thinking rationally, not caring if I was wasting my breath.

Splinters rained onto my back as something heavy and strong broke through the hull again and slammed through my cell door, leaving it rattling unsteadily. I cautiously stood up as the ship rocked again. I could hear more wood cracking above deck. My cell door swung on its hinges, the lock having been knocked out by the cannonball. I smiled grimly. So this is how Jack escapes all the time...

I stepped into the aisle and approached the stairs quickly, picking up my weapons along the way. On deck, Henry's men were fighting members of Jack's crew.

"Ye won't be escaping, missy," said one of the men, and I slashed him across the stomach. He fell, groaning. I ran across deck.

"Elizabeth!" exclaimed one of Jack's crewmembers, pausing to stare at me as I passed.

"Yes," I said breathlessly, "Where's Jack?"

"Aboard--aboard the Pearl," said another, hesitantly, before returning to fight. I scrutinized the Pearl, feeling an enormous sense of relief upon seeing it. It looked as if the people still aboard the Pearl were fighting as well. Meanwhile, three men were preparing to swing aboard. I pulled out my pistol and fired at them in quick succession.

"Thank you for that," I said to the first dead man, taking his rope and climbing onto the railing to swing.

"Oi! Prisoner's escaping!" called someone behind me. I slipped off hastily and held on tightly to the rope with one hand, firing back at the man who had been shouting. I turned away quickly and landed lightly on the deck of the Pearl.

I stood away from the center of the battle for a moment, looking up at the black sails flapping in the wind, again wildly, recklessly happy. Then I drew my sword and joined the fight.

Everyone was moving too fast for me to look for Jack. I thought I heard his voice once, and turned, but didn't find him. While I avoided a strike of someone's sword, I thought I saw a man with dreadlocks and a red bandanna, running across the deck, but I had to defend myself, and he disappeared when I looked again. I frowned as my sword met another's. Jack would be fighting, wouldn't he?

I glanced toward the helm, but Cotton was standing there with his parrot squawking curses. I was starting to be worried. Could he be--but I stopped. I couldn't think of that. He couldn't be... No. I denied it, even though I knew it could be true. I didn't want to know, didn't want to admit that it was not impossible--it felt like submitting to some greater, hateful power, to admit that he could possibly be... I tried not to think about it, tried not to think that without Jack--without the provider of my happiness, my light, my freedom--I had no reason to exist.

It scared me how I depended on him, how I needed him to survive. Yet I wasn't surprised. He was my shelter and protection, the source of warmth and comfort in a cold dark night. And I couldn't lose that, couldn't lose him or his love. Not again.

"Ha! I've got ye now!" Someone knocked my sword out of my hand and forced both my arms behind my back.

"Captain'll be pleased," said another man, easily resisting my struggling. "Now where's that Jack Sparrow?"

"It's Captain Jack Sparrow, mate," said a familiar voice, but Jack did not step out from the crowd that had stopped fighting. Hope surged through me, I fought my captors with renewed energy and spirit. Hearing his voice felt like someone had filled me again, I felt whole--as if I had never been slightly empty before.

"Jack!" I called, laughing and gasping with joy. "Jack! It's me! It's Elizabeth!"

"Elizabeth?" he said, and this time he did step out of the crowd. I stared at him, happy beyond belief at seeing his face, knowing he was fine and feeling that seeing him would make everything else fine as well. My captor pointed a gun at me, but I ignored it.

He stared at me as well, but with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and other emotions. I stopped smiling and looked at him worriedly.

"Jack?"

And he turned away.