Authors Note:

special apology in that it took me over a week to post, I had essays and other work to do so I couldn't write! And apology that it is so short, for the same reason. I wanted to though! I can hear nick laughing in the background but you can go and be mean Nick! Any way. Thank you again to all my loyal readers. You guys are really fantastic!

By the by A certain someone that I really don't like shall be reappearing in this chapter.. shivers God I feel so dirty!

DISCLAIMER: My psychiatrist tells me that I don't own these characters; she also tells me that Jack Sparrow is only a fictional character...which can't be true…I Won't LET IT BE TRUE! NOOO! Wait…no! the nice men in the white coats, they really aren't that nice, they are coming for me! NOOOOO! They will say awful things like Jack Sparrow is a character, they are so mean! But you! You can live out the dream that I failed too! Gets dragged away by the nice men in the white coats

Chapter 18: The Pursuit

It hadn't taken long for the crew to re-assemble on the decks of The Black Pearl, though that really depended on what you thought. In a manner of speaking they were all there, yet they weren't. 90 of them didn't even know where they were, they had been dragged from tavern and bar by slightly more sober friends at Jacks hasty request. Looking at them Jack had a small feeling that pirates where…well pirates, not really the most reliable of folks. But the thought left as quick as it came. The drunken states of these men would wear off soon enough, once they got moving and working. Jack looked at the group of swaying and leaning men. Some were passed out on the deck already, but Jack would wake them up soon enough.

"Right you pack of no good sculliwags, we have a boat that wishes to be caught. There will certainly be plunder for all, so get to work and get the Pearl out to sea again, Savvy?"

There were a few enthusiastic 'Ayes' from the crowd of drunken pirates infront of him, but the rest simple mumbled or groaned their replies. But all got to work as quickly as their captain expected them too. Jack went about waking up the passed out crew members and getting them to work on slightly less demanding chores and far less important ones.

Even drunk the crew looked like a well set out ballet. Each doing their own task, none attempting the same one, and even drunk no one bumped into eachother. The Pearl ran like clock work and they were soon out of the harbour and back on the open seas.

Mr. Gibbs came wondering up Jack. "What be the bearing cap'an?" he asked with slur that was much more recognizable when he was drunk.

"England, Mr. Gibbs, though I doubt we'll get there. We have a ship to catch"

"Aye Cap'an. What sort of ship, if ye don't mind me askin?" He leant against the stair railing that was close by and offered sturdy and reliable support.

"She's a merchant ship, Gibbs. We'll know her when we see her."

Knowing that that was about as much answer that he was going to get, Mr. Gibbs took over the controls and let Jack slaunter off down to the cabin.

Inside Jack sank into his deep comfortable chair and stared at the cabin door. If he stared it down enough maybe Lizzie would come back through and all of this would be a bad dream. Sighing deeply he leant over and got a bottle of rum for the cabinet next to his chair, taking a swig he settled further down and enjoyed the burning sensation as the rum made it's way down to settle in his gut, warming him from the inside out. No matter how many ways he twisted his actions they all came back to him being an arrogant pig. Obviously he had placed far too much trust in his ability to jump to correct conclusions. But where had he got that idea any way? Somewhere along the line he must have made correct decisions.

It took the Pearl three days to catch up to the slow merchant ship. Jack had been standing at the hull when the call was made from above. Looking up at the crows nest Jack got a pang of guilt and sadness as that was the last place that Lizzie had been before he had ordered her out of his sight and off his ship. Jack doubted that he would be rid of this sense of guilt for a long time, and no doubt Lizzie would rub It in when she felt an argument could be won by such a mention. The pang was soon lost though as he looked past his ship to the horizon and there blazing like a sending from god where the white sails of the merchant ship. His heart lifted and he almost cried out with joy. They had finally caught up with her.

It took them another couple of hours before they were close enough to the ship to see it's name. Artemis.

Well Artemis, Jack thought, you have something of mine that I want back. He was smiling, he had never felt so happy before, maybe it was because here was his chance to redeem himself, to right a wrong, to do something good for once.

And then as quickly as the joy came it left him again. His plan for rescuing Elizabeth had only been thought as far as catching up with the merchant ship that she was on. Well he'd caught up with her. Now what?

Would the Artemis slow down and allow a pirate captain to board its ship? Unlikely. But jack hoped so because he didn't want to fire on it, that could harm Elizabeth.

But what was even more important than all that was, Did Lizzie want to come back to him? Is it possible that he had hurt her so much that she didn't want to see him again?

That couldn't be possible. Of course she was waiting on that ship so that he could rescue her and sweep her away so that they could create the family that they had already begun.

Wouldn't she?