Thanks Kairi's-twin and Aurora Borealis - Polar Lights for your reviews! Your comments are always very professional.

Author's Note: By the way, the pairing is, technically, Jack and Laura…however, as I am seeing that their relationship is going nowhere far too soon, just think of this as more of an adventure story than romance, although I would like to pair them up somehow at some point. Feel free to review and give suggestions.

4: Betrayal and Confusion,

As she crawled onto the lonely beach, shaking the ropes off of her wrists, Laura took in her surroundings as Jack complained,

"That's the second time I've watched that man sail away with my ship."

The island was probably small enough to easily walk around with palm trees in the middle, creating an agreeable shade.

Elizabeth was looking longingly after the Pearl as it sailed off into the horizon.

Laura strolled over to her brother's love interest and put on a friendly, carefree smile.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced, Miss Swann," she said, trying to have an at least somewhat good start with Will's apparent love. "I am Laura Lark, Jack's companion and friend of five years."

"Although I don't believe this is exactly the proper time for formal introductions, Miss Lark," Elizabeth answered, "I suppose there hasn't been any time like that for the past several days."

"I have to agree. And, by the way, you can call me Laura. My reputation isn't that far spread," Laura responded.

"Well, in that case, you may call me Elizabeth."

Laura was delighted to make a new friend who didn't just see her as a pirate, at least on the outside.

"See?" she said. "We'll be inseparable friends before the day is done!"

"I wouldn't quite go that far," the governor's daughter countered as she began following Jack into the thin forest.

-Well, that just made me feel guilty-

Laura took in one last gaze at the horizon before slowly following the other two prisoners.

According to what Jack had told her while confiding in her, he had been able to barter his way off last time.

Unfortunately, no one seemed to be home.

By the time Laura caught up, Elizabeth was arguing with Jack.

-This is going to be a long day-

"But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you? So we can escape in the same way you did then," she disputed.

"To what point and purpose, young missy?" Jack countered. "The Black Pearl is gone and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice…unlikely…young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him."

Elizabeth kept harping on the captain as he knocked on tree trunks and hopped up and down on the ground.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow. You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot. Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?"

Laura barked a laugh at this. The other woman was not going to like the explanation.

"Last time…I was here and drunk a grand total of three days, all right? Last time," Jack continued while opening a hidden cellar full of rum, "the rumrunners used this island as a cache. Came by, and I was able to barter a passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that."

Jack promptly emerged from the cellar with three full rum bottles, handing one to Laura and another to Elizabeth.

Laura instantly popped the cork off and took a swig.

"So that's it, then?" Elizabeth stated in disbelief. "That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days lying on a beach, drinking rum?"

"Welcome to the Caribbean, luv," Jack answered, walking back towards the beach.

Lark followed next to the grouchy Elizabeth.

"You should know that many stories are exaggerated over a time of telling," she encouraged the other woman with small effort. "If a story stays the same, it gets boring…so, new chapters are added to it."

She was utterly ignored.

-So much for being friends-

--

Later that night, they built a fire and drank rum to their hearts' content.

Jack and Elizabeth began running around singing "A Pirate's Life for Me", while Laura tended the fire.

After a few verses, the two runners collapsed on the ground.

"When I get the Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew," Jack bragged, suggesting the song they had just been singing, "and we'll sing it all the time!"

"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," Elizabeth joined in.

If she had been a bit more sober, Laura would most likely have caught the fact that Elizabeth was almost too enthusiastic over the whole situation.

"Not just the Spanish Main, luv," Jack said. "The entire ocean. The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs but what a ship is...what the Black Pearl really is...is freedom."

"Jack," Elizabeth addressed the pirate, "it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island."

"Oh, yes," Jack said, putting his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder. "But the company is infinitely better than last time. The scenery has definitely improved."

Laura felt something welling up inside of her that she couldn't identify as she stared at Jack and Elizabeth.

"Mr. Sparrow," Elizabeth finally interrupted, partially getting up before sitting down again, "I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk."

Laura chugged the rest of her rum and passed out before she could hear the rest of the conversation and the toast.

--

The piratess awoke to the smell of smoke in the air.

Sitting up, she saw Elizabeth tossing kegs of rum into a gigantic fire among the trees.

Turning around, she witnessed Jack just sitting up from being passed out himself.

Both of them bounded up, waving their arms.

"No! Not good! Stop! Not good!" Jack cried out. "What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade, the rum!"

"Yes, the rum is gone," Elizabeth confirmed.

"We have no way off of this island, Elizabeth," Laura said, trying to keep from yelling, "and you're burning the only thing that keeps Jack from going completely crazy?"

"Why is the rum gone?" Jack continued.

"One," Elizabeth countered the captain, "because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me, do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?"

"That's almost exactly why I avoided thinking of a signal in the first place, you half-witted slip-of-a-girl!" Laura yelled.

-What am I talking about? I'm barely an adult, myself.-

"But why is the rum gone?" Jack repeated.

Sitting down on the sand, facing the ocean, Elizabeth explained,

"Just wait, you pirates. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon."

Boiling with frustration, Jack pulled the pistol out and pointed it at Elizabeth, who completely ignored him. After a second, he relented and put his gun back before walking off along the beach.

Laura found herself watching his every step. Then, shaking herself, she glared at the other girl and stalked off in an ever so slightly different direction than the captain.

From a distance, she heard Jack mimicking,

"Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must've been terrible for you," prior to yelling generally at Elizabeth, "Well it bloody is now!"

Laura walked up next to Jack, unnoticed.

When she looked to where her friend was gazing, the British ship called the Dauntless could seen at a distance.

"There'll be know living with her after this," he whined.

Laura simply sighed at Jack's new obsession.

--

"But we've got to save Will," Elizabeth complained after the group had been picked up by the British and they had just arrived on the ship.

"No," the man who appeared to be the governor argued as the pirates followed the group to the helm's stairs. "You're safe now. We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!"

"Jack," Laura whispered to her leader, "Port Royal means back to being hanged. I hope you have a couple of ideas."

"Then we condemn him to death," the governor's daughter contradicted.

"The boy's fate is regrettable," the older man replied, "but, then, so was his decision to engage in piracy."

"To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me," she continued.

"If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion," Jack interrupted. "The Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it," he continued, turning to the Commodore. "The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?"

"By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself," Norrington responded.

"Commodore," Elizabeth pleaded, "I beg you, please do this. For me. As a wedding gift."

Laura took a slight step back.

"Elizabeth," Mr. Swann said. "Are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?"

"I am," she answered.

"A wedding!" Jack exclaimed. "I love weddings…drinks all around!"

Then he noticed the sailors staring at him.

"Ah, I know. "Clap him in irons," right?"

"Mr. Sparrow," the Commodore replied, "you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearing to Isla de Muerta, while your partner here stays in the brig for a little while. You two will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase "silent as the grave." Do I make myself clear?"

"Inescapably clear," was the reply.

"Thanks, Jack," Laura muttered as she was shoved off to the brig.

Once she was alone in her cage, a conversation with herself quickly commenced.

"Out of all the pirates in the entire Caribbean, why did I have to be stuck in this bloody cell? Oh, probably because I idiotically decided to trust Captain Jack Sparrow for the hundredth time with unfortunate consequences!"

Laura continued to ramble like this until two of the British came to fetch her and brought her to the deck.

Climbing into the boat which she was directed to, next to Jack and behind Norrington, Laura began to stare at the water as their British-filled craft floated towards the Isla de Muerta cave.

-If those pirates are "undead", than is there a reason why they couldn't just walk under the water?-

As the sailors stationed the boat, among others, near the entrance, Norrington began talking.

"I don't care for the situation. Any attempt to storm the caves could turn into an ambush."

"Not if you're the one doing the ambushing," Jack argued.

Laura purposefully decided to not try deciphering the rest of Jack's explanation.

-Not my day-

"Nothing I'd lament being rid of," she heard the Commodore answer.

"Now, to be quite honest with you," Jack continued, "there's still a slight risk for those aboard the Dauntless which includes the future Mrs. Commodore."

-Well, I guess I'm stuck with Jack. I might as well just go with the flow-

Jack and Laura were allowed to take one of the boats into the cave.

"Jack," the girl began, "I suppose I should apologize for not trusting you. I ought to know better than anyone that you tend to do the unexpected."

"You have always shocked me with your trust of me, luv. I guess it's about time you had a few doubts," Jack replied.

"Yes, well you earned it."

Even Laura didn't know whether she was saying that he earned the trust or the doubt.

Grounding the boat, the duo walked towards the cave's main room.

It was almost exactly like the last time, except it was Will standing behind the chest instead of Elizabeth.

Jack begun pushing through the crowd muttering apologies, followed by Laura.

"Begun by blood…" Barbossa preached.

"Pardon me," Laura whispered as she bumped into one of the pirates.

"…by blood un…"

Barbossa never finished as he noticed the intruders.

"Jack!" Will exclaimed.

"S'not possible," Barbossa stated.

"Not probable," Jack corrected, making his way to the front of the group.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will queried.

"She's safe," Jack answered, "just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman. So is Laura, except I'm not aware of her making any promises during this little venture."

"Shut up!" Barbossa scolded. "You're next. And your new partner, Miss…Lark, hasn't exactly been helpful either, so I may just kill her too."

"You don't want to be doing that, mate," Jack warned as Barbossa bent over, about to slit Will's throat.

"No, I really think I do," Barbossa argued.

Laura rushed forward as Jack's former first mate was once again leaning over Will with the knife in his hand, only to be held back by one of the pirates.

"Your funeral," Jack relented.

Clearly annoyed, Barbossa stood up and looked at Jack.

"Why don't I want to be doing it?"

"Well, because," Jack started before slapping off the hand of the pirate holding him back, "…because the HMS Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore, waiting for you."

-I hope Jack's plan involves me not getting killed-

"Just hear me out, mate," Jack continued. "You order your men to row out to the Dauntless. They do what they do best. Robert's your Uncle, Fannie's your Aunt, there you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. 'Course you'll take the grandest as your flagship, and who's to argue? But what of the Pearl? Name me Captain, I'll sail under your colors, I'll give you ten percent of me plunder and you get to introduce yourself as…Commodore Barbossa. Savvy?"

"I s'pose in exchange, you want me not to kill the whelp?" Barbossa asked, motioning to Will.

"No, no, no, not at all by all means, kill the whelp," Jack answered.

-I can't let that happen! I know I just apologized for not trusting him, but I will not let my brother be killed by some madman-

Jack continued talking.

"Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment. For instance…after you've killed Norrington's men…every…last…one."

Jack had picked up and dropped several of the cursed coins, but Laura and, she noticed, her brother saw that he had kept one.

"You've been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name," Will accused.

"Yeah," Jack replied.

"And you didn't tell me?" Laura burst out. "So everything you explained to me was a lie?"

"No," Jack pretended offence, "I just left things out."

"And what of your dear friend, here, Jack?" Barbossa questioned.

"Oh," Jack replied, "well if she could be my first mate, I would be quite content, but she isn't exactly part of the negotiations, as she made so clear."

-Alright, maybe it's not what I think. Maybe this is just part of his little scheme. I hope-

"I want fifty percent of your plunder," Barbossa demanded.

"Fifteen," Jack haggled.

"Forty."

"Twenty-five. And I'll but you the hat. A really big one…Commodore?"

"We have an accord," Barbossa agreed, shaking Jack's hand.

"All hands to the boats!" Jack called out, only to be met by silence. "Apologies. Your give the orders."

"Gents…" Barbossa lazily said, "take a walk."

-I was right about that?-

"Not to the boats?" Jack worriedly asked as most of the pirates walked away and Laura's arms were tied behind her back.

-Definitely not my day-

Jack didn't even object to his partner being tied up.

Two pirates stood to guard Laura and Will, who had stood next to her.

Barbossa then walked up to the girl and casually began,

"Well Miss…Lark, it seems that you get to be my prisoner for a little while longer, anyway."

Before he strolled over to lean on the chest, the pirate appeared to study his captives.

-Oh, don't even-

Thanks for reading! R&R, please.