Fic: The War Within

Rating: M
Characters: Elizabeth/Jack Elizabeth/Will
Chapter Title: Through The Looking Glass
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.

Pintel and Ragetti stood looking out across the water. Pintel was breathing heavily and leaning into the taller man as Ragetti held up the looking glass to his one good eye. He wriggled his nose, blinked his eyes, twitched his cheeks until the looking glass fitted into the socket of his good eye and he could see clearly the figures as they made their way to the sand bar.

"Well?!" demanded Pintel, his rotund belly pushing against the emaciated frame of Ragetti. "Can you see 'em?"

The shorter man was breathing heavily and he tried to get his round head next to Ragetti's, in the hope of being able to see something, anything. His head crashed into the side of Ragetti's head, but the pain was soon forgotten as the younger man cried out excitedly.

"Oooh, I see them." Ragetti paused for a moment. "Captain Barbossa is doing the rowing. He don't look too happy about it. Miss Elizabeth is just sitting there. I think she's trying to avoid talking to Old Jack." Ragetti's tone became more conversational as he continued. "They should really have patched things up. I think Miss Elizabeth and Old Jack might have had words in the Captain's cabin afore they left you know. I say it's not good for us to turn against one another. Makes for the possibility of damning us all. We needs to work together against the likes of Beckett."

Pintel looked incredulously at Ragetti. At the sudden silence, Ragetti pulled the looking glass from his eye and looked at his fellow crewmate.

"What?" he asked genuinely confused.

Pintel rolled his yellowed beady eyes. "And I say that you should just explain what you see."

Ragetti swallowed nervously and once more raised the eyeglass. "I think the boat is nearing the shallows. Oh, and Jack got out. Barbossa ain't looking too happy about it. He's got hisself out of the longboat too. He's pulled it up to shore. Miss Elizabeth hasn't moved. Come to think of it, she looked a mite peaky afore they hit shore. I wonder if she's got consumption."

"I think that you think too much. Let's see then!" Pintel made to grab Barbossa's looking glass out of Ragetti's long fingers.

"Oy! Yous is supposed to be askin' proper like not grabbing off with them things. Might take someone's eye out."

"Oh boo hoo," said Pintel. He glowered at Ragetti and roughly pulled the looking glass out of the other man's hands. Ragetti sidled out of the way so that Pintel could take his spot.

Pintel squealed like a girl after lifting up the glass to his eye. "Oooh I can see them! They're not moving though." He squinted both eyes as if it would make him see any clearer. It did not help. Subconsciously trying to get closer he leaned forward. With zeal, his body leaned over the ship's railing, the tip of his tongue at the corner of his mouth as he grinned manically; his rotund body held only in place by the gap between his round stomach and his legs. "Hey look there's Barbossa and ol' Jack. Looks like they're havin' a parlay of their own…"

Ragetti peered up at the sky worriedly. "What do you think is takin' so long? The sun's up high and time is passin'." Ragetti's Adam's apple bobbled in his throat as he wrung his hands.

"Oh them Captains are getting all physical! Jack's manhandling our ol' poppet!"

Ragetti looked around quickly before pulling out Jack's spyglass. He knew there'd be trouble if they were caught with either item. The two of them stood there, looking out to the sand bar.

"That's not the right way to treat a lady you know," Ragetti commented as they watched Jack pulling Elizabeth from the longboat.

"She's not a lady," said Pintel scathingly. "She's the Pirate King."

"Well, lady or Pirate King, I says there's protocols that shoulda been observed. It's only proper."

"Well, perhaps old Jack will recall that the next time 'e decides to manhandle the Captain Swann while she's decidin' to be picky."

A cough from behind them made them turn their heads. Pintel roughly grabbed the other glass from Ragetti. Gibbs stood imposingly, his eyebrows raised as he took in both Barbossa's and Jack's looking glasses that Ragetti and Pintel held. They both smiled wincingly at him.

"Well, it's not how it looks. It's more like we was just…"

"We was just watchin' out to make sure nothing went wrong. That was all. We had their welfare in mind."

Gibbs stood assessing them quietly. They fidgeted under his gaze. Finally he spoke.

"Well, best we keep checkin' that their welfare is fine then I say," Gibbs said cheerily.

They looked at each other, grinning madly. Pintel handed one glass to Ragetti as Gibbs joined them at the railing. Gibbs held one hand open, palm up, in front of Pintel. Ragetti and Pintel looked at his open palm, then at each other, their eyes questioning.

"One of them glasses is Jack's so I best be taking care of it."

"Oh aye! Of course, you should be lookin' after it." Pintel slapped the looking glass onto Gibbs' palm. He muttered under his breath and scowled darkly. Gibbs looked at him and raised a single brow. Pintel grinned sickeningly at him.

"Why's he standing in a barrel?" asked Ragetti, as he peered through the other looking glass.

"Well Davy Jones is technically not allowed on land for nigh on another 8 or 9 years, I'm guessing," explained Gibbs. "This would be their way of circumventing that little annoyance," he shrugged his broad shoulders.

Pintel looked up at Gibbs, eyes squinting against the bright light, his lip curling. "Well, that sounds right screwy if you ask me. Land is land, even if ye are standing in some bloody water."

Ragetti nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. "Aye."

Gibbs nodded in agreement, "Aye, mightily daft now don't it? But surprisingly enough, nobody'd thought of it until now."

"So why's it taking so long?" Ragetti's voice was quavering.

"Well the parlay had to be accepted and that meant one ship had to send up the flag that meant they wants to talk. Then it's accepted, you both send out boats to meet with the place in mind. If that's agreed upon, I guess then you have to go to where ever it is decided on. Then it's all about the parlay…negotiating skills come to the fore and it's the best man or in this case, woman who can bargain their way." Gibbs adjusted the glass to suit him and peered through.

"Sounds like a lot of planning and waitin'," commented Ragetti.

"More like a lot of hassle if you ask me." Pintel grumbled. They looked at each other and sniggered.

The three of them stood at the railing and continued to watch the meeting.

Sorry for the short chapters. More chapters to come and they will be longer! Reviews welcomed! TJ