Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Yay! Chapter 12! This feels a little disjointed to me but i just couldn't find a way to make it any better.

Chapter 12- Traitors and Shrews

I can't face the dark without you

Will was readying the last empty rum barrel and having a hard time of it as dark as it was. For the last eight hours since he broke out of the brig, he'd been leaving a bread crumb trail for Beckett. If he was going to save his father, he had to get the Flying Dutchman close; and to do that, he'd have to draw Beckett to the Cove. It was the only way. He paused to clutch at his father's knife and thought of the vow he made. A lifetime of servitude as captain didn't seem so bad as long as he had his father to face that forever with. It felt good to have a purpose. He didn't consider the fact that he might be dooming them all.

Instead, he finished readying the barrel and then slipped into the darkness, heading for the Captain's Cabin. He'd take care of Jack and then he'd save his father. He'd make Elizabeth hurt as he did when she betrayed him.

JEJEJEJEJEJE

Jack stared out into the night from the window of his cabin. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Barbossa had not left him alone about the kiss and the more he thought of the kiss, the more he thought of how it felt when she shackled him and the more he thought of that, the more he thought of her. Blast it all to hell the woman is driving me to the edge and she's not even here. But you've already fallen over that edge, haven't you? I don't love her. You do. A noise distracted him from his thoughts. Inwardly, he sighed.

"You escaped the brig even quicker than I expected."

Will stared at Jack's back incredulously. How had he heard him? He'd been so careful. His hand flew to his sword hilt. "Half-pin barrel hinges."

"Ah yes." Jack remarked with a small grin and made a mental note to change those.

Will unsheathed his sword. "I'm taking over the ship."

"Are you now? William tell me something…how are you planning to go about doing that? If you haven't noticed, we already have an overabundance of captains aboard this ship."

"I only see one."

"As flattering as that is, mate…" Jack murmured, turning and unsheathing his own sword. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to take over."

"And why not? You've already taken over everything else."

Jack frowned, confused. However, he didn't have much time to ponder before Will was slicing his sword inches in front of his face. He unsheathed his own sword and backed away. "What could you possibly mean by that? I've just come back."

"Oh you know exactly what I mean!" Will spat back, parrying Jack's blow.

"No. I don't believe I do." He disagreed, deflecting Will's swing and sending him backwards into a navigation table. Something flew across the room and slid under his bunk. The rest of the table crashed to the floor under Will's weight.

"Elizabeth!" He exclaimed, jumping up and knocking Jack backwards towards the door.

"Ah. I didn't sleep with her, mate. Her father just died. She needed comforting and her fiancé certainly wasn't falling over himself to do it."

Will grimaced and Jack opened the door and ducked just as Will sent a rather vicious thrust his way. Instead he toppled out of the door and onto his face.

He scrambled towards the barrel. His anger was making him sloppy. He'd just have to be the bread crumb himself and deal with Jack later.

Jack followed after him. "Lead them to the Cove if you must."

Will stopped in his tracks. How is he always one step ahead?

"Here. This might save your life." Jack tossed him the compass.

He stared at it in shock.

"Oh and before you go I've a suggestion for you that I suggest you take. When it comes down to it let someone else stab the heart."

"Who? You?"

Jack smiled. "It's a win win for us both, lad. You get the girl and your father and I get immortality."

"And what if the girl doesn't want me?"

Jack frowned and watched the boy grasp onto the barrel and jump overboard. He started to ask him what he meant but was interrupted.

"Getting rid of the boy early?" Barbossa questioned.

"What do you suppose he meant?"

"What who meant?"

"William. He said what if the girl doesn't want him."

"What do ye think he meant, Jack?"

He turned and looked at the older man. "I'm not certain."

"The only girl I can think of would be Miss Swann. I heard all the commotion. He's mighty angry with you. Perhaps she wants you?"

Jack stared into the dark, churning waters, lost. "She doesn't want me. She'd rather me dead. Same as everyone else."

"Aw now, Jack. Ye know that's not true."

"She left me for dead, Hector."

He sighed. "Aye…we've been over this…she thought it was the only way. You'd all be dead were it not for her."

Jack swallowed hard. It's the only way, don't you see?

"It's more than that though isn't it?" I'm not sorry.

The pirate captain didn't answer.

Barbossa turned and watched William disappear into the distance.

"That scabrous dog, Turner has escaped the brig!" Gibbs spat walking up to the two silent men.

"Aye."

He frowned and followed their gazes to a speck in the distance. "You let him?"

Jack shrugged. "He's a traitor going for his own means to an end and I've a plan that will coincide with those means."

JEJEJEJEJEJEJEJE

"You're nothing like I imagined you to be." Jasmine commented.

"Am I not?" Elizabeth asked from her corner.

"When I heard governor's daughter, I assumed a frivolous ninny playing at pirates that only attracted Jack's cock, but apparently I was wrong."

"I'm glad you thought so highly of me." A few of the men that knew English chuckled.

"Mmmm…he certainly does. I'm seeing some truth to his thoughts too."

"What thoughts?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"You're headstrong, stubborn, a conniving shrew that drives him over the edge with every sentence."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "A conniving shrew?"

"His very words."

She grimaced.

"He also made a comment that Port Royal was his true north now and if it weren't for it he'd be lost. I had only to assume you were there.

Elizabeth's eyes softened. "He said that?"

"He might've."

"I think you're more the conniving shrew. Are you certain he wasn't directing that to you?"

"Please, you're only upset that I've been in Sparrow's bed and you haven't." Elizabeth distinctly heard a growl from Tai Huang's direction.

"And you're only upset that I've been on his mind and you haven't."

Jasmine laughed. "Touché, but he's not my type."

"Mmm…and Tai Huang is then?"

Jasmine looked away with a small smirk. "Perhaps."

Elizabeth smirked and looked in his direction. He had obviously missed the conversation however for he was looking over her shoulder.

"Elizabeth?"

She turned and met James Norrington's steely gaze through the bars.