Pirates of the Caribbean 4: Aqua de Viva

By: Eriksleadinglady

WARNING: SPOILERS BE AHEAD FOR AT WORLD'S END. READ AT YOUR OWN CAUTION.

Summary: Jack's out on a quest for the Fountain of Youth and the Black Pearl; Will has to deal with being the Captain of the Flying Dutchman; Elizabeth is a Captain herself; and Barbossa is trying to beat Jack to the finish line. Now, their fates are intertwined, but how do they join?

Disclaimer: POTC does not belong to me. Sad, because it is such a successful franchise... darnnit. However, any OC's or plot lines are all mine, mine I tell you! They'll get me somewhere, someday...

Chapter 2: Singapore

"Cut out his tongue!"

"Chop off his head!"

"Hang him from the noose!

Elizabeth Swann looked around her in amazement and bewilderment. Sometimes, people could be so cruel. Especially people who were pirates.

"Silence!" Elizabeth yelled, causing the entire square to go exactly that: silent. Elizabeth summoned an Asian man from her left, and he brought the tainted scroll to her. Opening it up, she quickly read over its contents.

Without looking up, she called, "It says here that you went to Lord Cutler Beckett, cut a deal with him, and betrayed your Captain, causing the death of many of your fellow workers. Is that true?"

The man being charged gave a weak smile. "No."

Captain Swann plopped the scroll onto her lap. "You can't be serious. I was there you fool. I saw you in the bath and when the Royal Army attacked Singapore that day. You dare to deny these charges?"

"Well, now I don't," he replied quickly.

Rising from her seat, she declared, "Then, before all these people, you are affirming your guilt?"

"Yes?" he said somewhat hopefully.

"Then off with his head!" she cried as she turned around and left the square. Behind her, she could hear all the people cheering and jeering at the convicted. She did not want to be there to see the man killed, after all, it was the people who really wanted him dead. As a Captain, that was her duty, to please her crew. She stole a quick glance behind her, saw the men smiling and laughing, and then turned back around – they were happy, all right. Her happiness, however, was another matter entirely.

It had been but a week since Will had become Captain of the Flying Dutchman. Now, she wouldn't be able to see him for another ten years, and ten years was such a long time. Adding up all the years, she might only be able to see her husband five or six more times. Then, she would be dead. The thought alone made tears swell up in her eyes.

Fiercely blinking them away, she stormed into her quarters. She knew that this was Will's choice, knew what would happen when he did it, knew that it had saved his life, but at the same time, she hated him for it. She hated the fact that they could never truly be together like they should be. Hated him for leaving her here alone. But it had saved his life, hadn't it? Wouldn't she rather see him a couple more times then never again?

"Yes," she whispered quietly to herself. She took out the locket from around her neck and opened it. "Yes," she said once more as she touched the picture of William Turner. Her Captain William Turner.

Smiling weakly, she replaced it around her neck and walked out to the bridge. From there, she went to the docks and onto her ship, and what a weird feeling it was, realizing that she had a crew, a ship, and loyal followers. Honestly, it was all so surreal. But looking about her, she could only think of Will and how he would never be there.

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"Argh, you traitorous scum!"

"I ain't no traitorous scum!"

"Yeah! Me neither!"

"Maybe not," accused Barbossa, "but you sure are no pirates."

"We'll be loyal to ye, we swear it!"

Barbossa eyed the squabling men with malice. These no good, turned bad, previous army officials had stole away on his ship, disguising themselves as pirates. Now, there would be hell to pay.

Crying out, Barbossa leaned back and gutted the first, fatter fraud. Then he pulled away his sword and did the same to next man, even as he pleaded for mercy.

Then he turned around and faced his crew. "Let this be a lesson to all of ye. If any of ya try and disguise yer selves as fraud, this is what you'll become." There was only silence. "Now get back to work! There be a fight up ahead."

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Jack stood aboard the Flying Dutchman, feeling a bit unusual, to say the least. It still felt like it was Davy Jones's ship, and not Will's. But there were no tentacles or fishy beasts, just the regular, dead pirates. Jack frowned and shrugged his shoulders in indifference. That was all right.

A crewmember walked passed Jack and snarled at him. Jack crinkled his nose and fingered the hilt of his sword.

"What are you looking at, fish face? At least I'm not dead!" he called after the crewmember, but he never turned back. Jack swiveled around carelessly. "How rude." Then he spotted what he wanted, smiled gleefully, and bent over to pick it up. "Peanut," he declared as he popped it into his mouth.

Still crunching his treat, he walked over to Will who was standing at the railing of the ship, looking at the Black Pearl through his gold telescope.

Noticing the new presence, Will said, "At sunset, I'll have a job to go do."

Jack clapped his hands together. "Barbossa died. I knew it!"

"No," Will immediately said. "It was two former army officials that had survived the attack."

Jack swayed. "Well, not any more." He walked behind Will and to the other side. "So, are we going to attack or just stand here like lily whites?"

"They have spotted us already…"

"So?" the pirate argued. "All of us are dead already!" He got that constipated look again. "Well, all but one of us." Then he returned to his mood of glee and said, "But that's quite alright. I like being alive!"

Cpt. Turner pondered his own thoughts for a moment, whilst Jack just stared at him, smiling idiotically. "Jack," Will said, "before we go, I want you to tell me where we're going."

As Jack pointed a dirty finger upon Will's head, he responded, "No!"

"Do you think that I will go back upon my word?" Will uttered, moving away from the touchy pirate.

"Yes," quickly said Jack. "Yes, I do."

Will rolled his eyes. Turning around, he ordered, "Men, prepare for battle!"

In response, his dead crew thrust their weapons into the air and yelled ferociously.

To himself, Jack just moved happily and stared at those that would help him overcome Barbossa once and for all.

0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o00o0o0o0o

The sun beat down upon them, making little beads of sweat drip down their faces and off their noses. It was going to be a grim battle; they all knew it.

Well, the live pirates expected the worst, but the dead ones didn't mind so much. They were itching for a fight, or maybe a slaughter; it depended upon the Captain and how many he wanted to kill. If it had been Jones, they knew it would have been a massacre. But with this new Captain - Turner - who knew how he would be in battle. No one knew if he would favor life or death in these situations.

Barbossa's crew, on the other hand, did not really want to fight. Most of them relatively liked Jack Sparrow, the former Captain of their ship. Contrary to that statement, however, they would not mind having him back as Captain again. Of course, they were not ill fated toward Barbossa either. He was a strong leader, with what they believed the best intentions for them in mind. He wanted treasure; he wanted to pillage, plunder, filch, and sack. Jack, on the other hand, seemed to have gone soft. When they were with him, they never attacked the good, innocent citizens. Within a week of sailing with Barbossa, they had pillaged a little town and took all the treasures with them!

Now, though, they didn't know where they were going. Barbossa seemed to be at a loss of where exactly to go without the charts. Perhaps in this fight, he could get them back. Or even better, get that compass of Jacks. Yes, that was what they would fight for: the route to what would surely be fortune and fame! They all smiled in excitement.

"What a minute!" called Gibbs, just after he had pulled out his pistol and sword. "How are we expected to kill what is already dead?"

Barbossa snarled and rolled his eyes. "You'll fight because I tell ya to fight."

"But I don't want ta die!" yelled Pintel as he clutched Ragetti for safety.

"Just cut them before they cut you!"

Still, no one was convinced. Someone yelled out, "But they'll come back after we cut em!" The entire group "Ayed" in agreement.

Barbossa upped his nose in their direction, squinting just one eye. "So are ya telling me that ya don't want to fight? Ya just want to give up the ship to Jack and Cpt. Turner?"

Everyone was silent. They didn't want to just give up. They just wanted to live and have a ship. Ragetti was the first to speak. "B-but they don't want us to leave, do they? Jack Sparrow'll still need a crew. He just wants to be Cpt'n."

Barbossa reared his sword toward the lot of them. "So you're going to give me up, are ya? I'll take down anyone who dares try!"

"Why don't you just sail under Jack, too?"

"What?" snapped Barbossa.

"You know," continued Ragetti fearfully, "just become part of the crew, like."

"I'd just as soon get shot!"

"That can be arranged," came a voice from behind them. Everyone swung around to look upon the one and only Jack Sparrow.

"Fire!" cried Barbossa, aiming his weapons at Jack. No one moved a muscle. The only sound was the wind softly howling past them. Barbossa looked behind and around him. "Well?" he dragged. Still, no one moved. Barbossa slowly lowered his weapons. "Are we surrendering?" Everyone was silent. He took that as yes. "It would appear as though my crew has abandoned me, Jack. The ship is yours."

Smiling gaily, Jack turned and looked behind him at Captain Turner. "See?" he said arrogantly, "I told you I could mutiny Barbossa all by me onesies!"

Will just shook his head, baffled by the fact that Jack had just stated.

A/N: Thank you so much to all the reviewers! I was quite surprised at the good response I got. Because of the reviews, I updated very fast for my standards. I hope you likey-ed and leave me another fantastic inspirer called a review!

With all me love,

E.Ll