Jack and I were locked in the brig on the next voyage. This one, however, was dry. Maybe it's just the ship, but this trip was boring, too. Long after I was tired of being locked up, we came to Port Royal. As soon as we were taken out of the ship we were taken to the jail and locked up there. As the iron door was shut I wanted to scream. But, all I did was lean against the bars and say, "I'm sick and tired of being locked up, Jack."

"So am I, love," he answered.

The next morning, the bars were opened once again and we were dragged up to the fort where two nooses hung from wooden posts attached to a wooden platform. Our hands were tied and we were made to stand there while our charges were announced. "Jack Sparrow and Jane Meurig…"

"Captain," Jack said, "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"…Let it be known that you have been trialed, tried, and convicted for your willful commission of like crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature. The most egregious of these to be cited herewith. Piracy, smuggling…"

"God these last couple days have been boring. I'd hoped the moments before my death would have at least been exciting," I said.

"I know exactly how you feel," Jack answered.

"They're not even listing all of our crimes and it's still taking this long."

"…Impersonating an officer of the English Royal Navy. Impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy. Impersonating a cleric of the Church of England."

I grinned and looked at him to see him smile and say, "Ah, yes." I almost laughed but the loop of rope in front of me looked too depressing.

"…Sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness. And for these crimes, you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul." There was a drum roll and the hangman looped the ropes around each of our necks. I took one last look at Jack before the hangman pulled the lever. Then I noticed Will pushing through the crowd with two swords drawn. Just as we were dropped, he threw each sword into the wood for us to stand on. Though escape hadn't looked possible at first, it was now looking like an option. I slipped a little on the flat of the sword but soon regained my balance. Will ran up the platform and started fighting the hangman, cutting both ropes in the process. I fell and cut my bonds with the sword stuck in the wood. Will threw the hangman off the platform onto Norrington and some of his men. He then did a flip, landing on the ground near Jack. Jack still had a lot of rope attached to the noose, so he handed the other end to Will and they used it for some clever stunts as an escape. In the meantime, I ran after them, almost tripping over one of the guards they knocked out, and caught up with them. However, we were soon surrounded by bayonets. I ran into Will's hat's feather, then Norrington approached.

"I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt. But not from you."

Governor Swann now said, "On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency. And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with them? He's a pirate!"

"And a good man," Will added. He lowered his sword and continued, "If all that I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

I looked at him skeptically. He must not be very good at arithmetic because there's two pairs of boots to begin with.

He understood what the look was for and shrugged saying, "The hangman's not going to want women's shoes." I shook my head and faced away from him again.

"You forget your place, Turner."

"It's right here between you and Jack," I poked him in the back and he added, "and Jane."

Elizabeth stepped forward and stood next to Will and said, "As is mine."

The governor exclaimed, "Elizabeth!" then he ordered the soldiers, "Lower your weapons. For goodness sake, put them down!"

The commodore asked, "So this is where your heart truly lies, then?"

"It is," she nodded and answered.

A parrot flew off the battlements above, then Jack suddenly found the need to speak, "Well! I'm actually feeling rather good about this. I think we've all arrived at a very special place." He approached the Governor, who apparently didn't like the smell of Jack's breath. He continued, "Spiritually. Ecumenically. Grammatically." He moved to the commodore and said, "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that." He walked toward the cliff, then turned and said, "Will." Will turned to show his attention, and Jack finished, "Nice hat." He walked all the way to the edge of the fort and turned yet again, saying, "Friends. This is the day you will always remember as the day that…" but he was backing up as he talked, so he fell the same way Elizabeth had on his first day in Port Royal.

Gillette looked down and said, "Idiot. He's got nowhere to go but back to the noose."

I looked around, then down at Jack. I said, "Well, bye then." I jumped down after Jack, making sure my dress didn't fly up in the process of falling. I splashed into the water right next to Jack. "So, where did you see Cotton's parrot fly?"

"In that general direction," he said.

A shout rang out that sounded like Gibbs, "Sail ho!" Jack grinned and we started swimming toward the ship. Cotton threw a line down, which we both grabbed onto. The crew pulled us out of the water and we landed on the stern. Jack was sitting down and Gibbs came up to us.

Jack remarked, "Thought you were supposed to keep to the Code."

"We figured they were more actual guidelines," he answered.

We stood up and Cotton handed Jack his hat. Then as Anamaria put his coat on his shoulders she said, "Captain Sparrow. The Black Pearl is yours."

He smiled and walked up to the wheel. He looked around then shouted, "On deck you scabrous dogs! Hands to braces! Let down and haul to run free!" Then to himself he muttered, "Now, bring me that horizon." He started humming, then sang, "And really bad eggs. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho."

I smiled and got to work. This was the kind of life I really live. On the Pearl with Jack was where I belonged. Nothing could get in the way of that.