Fic: The War Within

Rating: M
Characters: Elizabeth/Jack Elizabeth/Will
Chapter Title: Be our own Masters
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney does, no money being made off this.
Summary: Captain Elizabeth Swann, Pirate Lord and King. Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirate Lord, lecherous pirate, son of the Keeper of the Code. What will happen on the eve of battle. JE. Reviews welcome.

Please note that earlier chapters have been revised and re-edited. You may wish to go back and re-read.

"Come on! You know Barbossa doesn't like to be kept waitin'!"

"I'm tryin'. I comin' as fast as I can!" Ragetti stumbled over his feet, cradling a hat in his arms as if it were a babe. "It's hard you know, with only the one eye."

Pintel rolled his own two perfectly good eyes. "You've only ever 'ad jus' the one eye. Just 'cause you have a patch now don't mean you had two eyes afore."

A look of hurt crossed Ragetti's thin face. "Well, it felt like I did you know." They walked hurriedly towards the Black Pearl, Pintel leading the way.

A thin piece of rope caught the tall pirate around the ankle and Ragetti fell onto the wet wood of the short dock. He still maintained his hold on the hat and kept the items held within.

"Oi, careful with those." Pintel hurried back to the lanky blond and helped him to his feet. "Barbossa will have your hide if you lost any of 'em."

Ragetti looked at Pintel's face and smiled, the black patch looking oddly out of place on his face. "I managed to keep 'em. With me one eye an' all! I dunno if I coulda done that with me wooden eye."

Pintel sighed. He needed to get Ragetti to the ship before Captain Barbossa sent out someone else out to find them. "Yes," he said gently as if talking to a child, carefully guiding Ragetti toward the gangplank before the Black Pearl. "With a patch, you're like a real pirate now!" He made to laugh and waited patiently for his mate to catch up with his thoughts.

Ragetti looked at him for a moment, then grinned as he caught up. He laughed and guffawed along with Pintel. "Oh yeah, a real pirate! I'm a real pirate! Arrr…"

"Aye, arrrrr. Now let's get moving. Barbossa's waitin'."

As they moved up the gangplank, Ragetti asked, "Was I not a real pirate before? I mean, I was sailing with all them pirates," he stumbled again, causing Pintel to rush forward to try and catch him, but Ragetti quickly recovered. "And I did all that piratin' stuff. Did you not think I was a real pirate?"

Pintel stopped. Ragetti did too. "Now, what kind of stupid question is that?" Ragetti looked downward, his face looking troubled and sad. Pintel put a bright smile on his round face and in his gruff voice. "A 'course I did think you were a damned pirate."

"Master Ragetti." A forceful voice sounded from the deck of the Pearl, sounding impatient. "Were you coming onboard with them pieces of eight?" The question hung for a moment and then, "Or were you waiting for an engraved invitation?"

Captain Barbossa stood on the deck on the Black Pearl, waiting for the pieces of eight that would enable him to reclaim his own course, his own destiny.

Pintel's grovelling voice floated up toward him. "Yessir, we're a comin' sir. Weren't tryin' to keep your lordyship waitin'." Captain Barbossa rolled his eyes as he heard Pintel say in a quieter voice, "Now, see what you've done, with all your silly questions about whether you're a damned pirate or not. Come on move!"

As Pintel and Ragetti climbed onto the deck, Barbossa reached out to pluck the hat from Ragetti's arms. Quickly, he looked into it and counted the items under his breath. He lifted his head and grinned, yellowed teeth shining in the moonlight. "Tomorrow the mastery of the seas will be ours again!"