Author's note: WELL, this is a looooong chapter. It'll be worth your while. Trust. ANYWAY. A BIGGGG thank you to all those who have reviewed and add to any alerts and favourites! I love you for that! Chapter ten... FINALLY, the Brethern meeting that you all have been anticipating.

Enjoy!

I stood, growing impatient by the minute, turning over the events that led me here, trapped in the brig of the Dutchman.

When suddenly, the door creaked open to reveal Norrington looking hasty. I remained frozen and unmoving as my new crew shot up beside me, waiting for my order.

Norrington exclaimed, "Come with me."

I said nothing and then he motioned, "Quickly."

I gave a small nod to everyone, and they filed out one-by-one. As the crew fled out quietly, I faced Norrington, "What're you doing?"

"Choosing a side."

We were climbing the rim of the ship, and to the deck behind, where we could hop up and climb onto the grand ropes, towing our ship behind. Each man, in single formation was scurrying down the ropes, over the grand distance of water to reach our ship.

Warning, Norrington advised me, "Do not go to Shipwreck Cove. Beckett knows of the meeting of the Brethern. I fear there may be a traitor among them."

I narrowed my eyes and ignored him, while muttering out, "Too late. But thank you anyway."

"Gin, I swear, I had nothing to do with your father's death. But that does not absolve me of my other sins."

Thinking quickly, I made an impulsive decision, "Come with us."

James looked shocked and I pleaded again, "Come with us, please."

Someone called from above, "Who goes there!"

James pushed me behind him, drew out his sword and beckoned, "Go! I will follow."

I glared at him, immediately picking up on his tone, "You're lying."

"Our destinies have been intertwined, but not meant to be joined. Give my best to your sister. Go! Now!"

I swiftly climbed onto the railing and hopped myself up to start shuffling down the long length of the rope across the sailing waters.

Halfway through, I heard a call out, "ALL HANDS! PRISONER ESCAPE!"

Pausing, guilt filled in me, I stopped, and called back, "James!" I had to get back to him, and get him to come with us. I had to.

Then suddenly and shot rang out, and the ropes gave out, letting us fall straight into the waters.

Sputtering up to the surface, I watched James stabbed, and crumple down in death.

"JAMES! NO!"

Panting heavily, I numbingly swam back, shocked.

Tai Huang helped me up on deck, and he asked, "Orders, Captain!"

Biting my lips, I coughed out, "Shipwreck Cove. Now. And mend the gape from the cannon in the Captain's quarters below."

They all hurried about me, setting course. I slumped down on a barrel and continued panting in remorse.

I was in the Captain's quarters, now that the crew has mended the blow. I was sifting through a change of clothes, a dress of some sorts.

Going through layers of oriental silks, I pulled out a dark hue of blue, with silver flowers embroidered into the material.

Stepping into the layers of silk, I left the corset out. Smirking in the memory of how I first met Jack, when Lizzie got caught into trouble with the blasted corset.

Lacing myself up, I turned to a rusted, faded mirror. It was simple enough.

Tai Huang came down, "Captain! We've arrived."

Walking into the room, I hear a pirate call out, "Sparrow!"

"Might I point out that we're still short one pirate lord, and I'm as content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us."

"Sao Feng is dead, he fell to the Flying Dutchman," I called out, walking up from behind, and sticking my sword into the globe.

Elizabeth smiled with relief at the sight of me, while Jack lit up and then blubbered out, "He made you Captain? They're just giving the bloody title away now."

I smirked at him as I joined beside him, and tried to calm down the commotion I've started, "Listen! Listen to me! Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett, they're on their way here."

A dark African called out in a deep voice, "Who is this betrayer?"

"Not likely anyone among us," Barbossa stated.

Noticing Will's lacking presence, I asked, "Where's Will?"

Jack brushed my hand with his gently and stealthily, "Not among us."

Barbossa continued, "It matters not how they found us. The question is, what will we do now that they have?"

I suggested, "We fight!"

Everyone started laughing, and Jack looked about and joined them. I narrowed my eyes angrily at him, and he stopped immediately at my gaze, "Sorry, love."

Another oriental woman piped up, "Shipwreck Cove is a fortress; a well-supplied fortress. There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us."

"There be a third course. In another age, at this very spot, the First Brethern Court captured the sea goddess and bound her in her bones," Barbossa nodded.

Everyone nodded along, familiar with the history.

"…That was a mistake. Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye, but opened the door to Beckett and his ilk! Better were the days when the mastery of seas came not bargains struck with eldritch creatures, but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone. You all know this to be true."

Everyone murmured in agreement, inspired by Barbossa's speech.

"Gentlemen, ladies… We must free Calypso."

There was a moment of silence.

Looking about at the crowd, they erupted into argument and commotion once again.

"Shoot him!"

"Cut out his tongue!"

Jack joined in enthusiastically, "Shoot him and cut out his tongue, then shoot his tongue! And trim that scraggly beard."

Tai Huang stated, "Sao Feng would have agreed with Barbossa."

The African pirate retorted, "Aye, Calypso was our enemy then, she will be our enemy now!"

A french pirate agreed, "And it iz unlikey 'er mood haz improved."

A spanish pirate interjected, "I would still agree with Sao Feng, we release calypso!"

The French pirate came up to the shorter spanish pirate, "You zthreten moi?"

"I silence you!"

A punch in the face led to a fire being shot to the ceiling to which led a physical fight amongst everyone.

Elizabeth got startled, "This is madness."

"This is politics," Jack smirked at the scene before us.

"Meanwhile our enemies are bearing down upon us," I reminded.

"If they not be here already," Barbossa stated.

Jack tapped me on the shoulder and led me away from them all, looking about him. Once we were in our own little corner, he kissed me softly while muttering, "Did you miss me?"

I pulled away ever so slightly, "You'll never know."

He narrowed his eyes playfully, and grinned, "So, just how did you manage to get Sao Feng to name you captain?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Persuasion. Something you taught me."

Narrowing his eyes with jealousy and mockery, he said, "Oh really now? How naughty of you."

I laughed and began to join the rest of them once more, before Jack pulled me back to him again, "Gin."

Glancing at him again, I saw something in his eyes I've never seen before.

"Yes, Jack?"

He paused, silent for a moment before barely whispering past me, "I'm glad you're alive."

Brushing past me, evidently warning me not to say anything, he led us back, where Barbossa climbed up onto the table, with a pair of cannon balls and shot up to the ceiling to calm everyone down once more.

"It was the First Court what imprisoned Calypso. We should be the ones to set her free. And in return, she will see fit to grant us boons!"

Jack titled his head, "Whose boons? Yours? Or Gin's? Utterly deceptive twaddle-speak says I."

"If you have a better alternative, please, share," Barbossa climbed back down.

"Cuttlefish."

We all looked to him, perplexed.

"Aye," Jack notioned for people to make way for him to take a turn about the room, "Let us not dear friends, forget our dear friends, the cuttlefish. Flipping glorious little sausuges. Pen them up together and they'll devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, isn't it? Or… fish nature. So, yes, we could hole up here, well-provisioned and well-armed and half of us would be dead within the month."

Trying to keep up with his blathering, he continued his rambling, "Which seems quite grim to me anyway you slice it. OR, as my learned colleague so naively suggest, we can free Calypso and pray that she will be merciful. I rather doubt it. Can we in fact pretend she's anything but a woman scorned like which fury hell hath no? No, we cannot. Res ipsa loquitur tabula in naufragio. We are left but with one option. I agree with, and I cannot believe the words are coming outta me mouth… Captain Swann, we must fight."

Barbossa exclaimed, "You've always ran away from a fight!"

"Have not!"

"Have so!"

"Have not!"

"Have so!"

"Have not!"

"You have so and you know it!"

"Have not! Slander and calumny. I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit that here now, that is what we all must do. We must fight… to run away."

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"As per of the code, an act of war – and this be exactly that – can only be declared by the pirate King."

"You made that up!"

"Did I now? I call upon Captain Teague, keeper of the code."

I furrowed my brows at the crescent-fallen look upon Jack's face. Who's Captain Teague? No one in this room, surely.

An Indian pirate piped up, "Sri Sumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly! Hang the code! Who gives a—" and then was shot down by someone in the distant corner.

We were all silence as a deep, elder voice said, "Code is the law."

The pirate, who I presumed was Teague, strutted down from behind Jack. My eyes widened immediately at his appearance... It couldn't possibly be... Jack's father, could it?

A wry smile made to my face as I saw the striking similarity between the two and my heart warmed.

"You're in my way boy."

Jack shuffled along to the left as the code was laid with a heavy thud onto the table with richness.

Teague whistled and the prison dog came up with the key in his mouth. Of course, what a neat little trick.

Unlocking the codex, it was flipped to the correct page, "Ah, Captain Barbossa is right."

"Haaang on a minute…" Jack stepped in to read it himself, and mumbled out, "It shall be the duties, as the King, to demand war, parley with shared adversaries… Fancy that!"

The French pirate mentioned, "Zere haz not been a king sinze ze First Court, and zat iz not likely to change."

"Not likely."

"Why not?" I wondered.

Gibbs informed, "See, the pirate King is elected by popular vote…"

"…And each pirate only ever votes for hisself." Barbossa finished stating.

Jack offered, "I call for a vote!"

"I vote for Ammand the corsair."

"Capitaine Chevalle, ze penniless Frenchman."

"Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee."

"Mistress Ching."

"Gentleman Jocard."

"Gin Swann," I rolled my eyes.

"Barbossa."

"Vallenueva!"

Jack's vote was left and he stated, "Gin Swann."

"What?" I exclaimed towards him.

"I know, curious, isn't it?"

A commotion started once more, "You're biased, you love her!"

"You vote for me! You vote for me!"

"It's because she and you are together! Not fair!"

"Am I to understand that you lot will not be keeping to the code then?"

A string broke off from the Spanish guitar Teague was playing in threat. Silence came about, and everyone sat back down. Ching spoke up, "Very well… What say you, Captain Swann, king of the Brethern Court?"

I smirked and looked proud, "Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn, we're at war," finally gazing at Jack.

He nodded back, also smirking proudly at me.

The room erupted in cheers and I circled around to join Jack.

"…It's not just about living forever Jackie… the trick is, living with yourself forever. You might not have Gin by your side for enternity for company," I heard Teague state as I approached.

Jack looked over his shoulder at me and grunted. He turned around and swept me away from him, "It was nice talking with you again."

Well, let me know what you think! I hope it was to your liking! (: