Author's Note: Sorry about the wait for this. Eeep! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Please do keep them coming, you guys make my day. This chapter's for MJ-Skywalker.

Chapter Nineteen: Battle In The Caves

Sweat formed a light sheen on his tanned cheeks as he raised his sword to block the blow of the enemy pirate. He heard his own hair clicking as he lunged forward and caught the enemy around the neck with his arm, then stuck his sword through his stomach.

Jack sighed as the other pirate dropped dead to the floor, stopping to wipe his blade on the man's shirt. He turned around, checking on his own crew. He could make out Will kicking another man, see Edward and Ana attacking a group of Chiltingham's men. Chiltingham himself wasn't standing too far from Jack, but his attention was focused on a pirate standing before him. Jack cocked his head. Was that one of his own?

Norrington ran past him, locked in a fight with an ugly pirate. Jack raised his eyebrows but stared at Chiltingham. There was something awfully familiar about that pirate standing before him. Jack moved forward a little as Chiltingham began to speak.

"You're the pirate who shot me?" he asked, green eyes twinkling.

The other pirate inclined his head, but remained silent.

"I hate to break it to you, my dear fellow, but I cannot be-"

"Killed," broke in the pirate in a voice that made Jack's heart skip a beat. He pulled out his compass without thinking and snapped it open, mouth open in horror as it pointed towards the pirate. He was going to kill Carmen if they got out of this. "Yes, I am rather sick of hearing about that, so please, spare me." She reached up with fingers Jack should have known were feminine, and swept her hat off her head. Her long golden-brown hair tumbled down and Jack could see her defiant smirk.

"Miss Carmen!" Chiltingham said with that disturbing smile. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

Jack cried out in pain as he was suddenly kicked. As he fell to the ground, he looked up into the cold eyes of Tobias Hawke. He held his sword at Jack's throat and grinned.

"That was easy," he sneered. "So ends the great Jack Sparrow."

Jack made his eyes round with surprise. "Pussy!" he gasped, addressing someone behind Tobias. Tobias turned automatically to see nobody, and Jack leapt up, grinning, some of his hair stuck to his neck. Tobias turned back to him and snarled, and their swords met with a loud clang.

Jack watched over his shoulder, licking his lips, searching for Carmen and Chiltingham. He saw them at last, and made a face as he watched him drag her towards the slab. She was kicking and screaming, trying to free herself.

"You're going to die at the end of my sword," Tobias smirked. "How does that feel?"

"Positively heartbreaking," Jack said hotly back, eyes narrowing as they fell on Tobias. He didn't have time for this. He needed to save Carmen.

Tobias leaned forward, moving as though to run him through, but Jack kicked the sword from his hand, and without hesitation, ran his own sword through his stomach. For a long moment they stood still, looking into each other's eyes. Then Tobias dropped to the floor. Jack pushed his sword back into it's sheath and looked up at the platform. Around him, people were fighting, but his eyes were fixed only on Carmen, tied to the slab, and Chiltingham, reading from his book.

Jack ran towards the side of the cave, grabbing one of the flaming torches that lit the place. Then he ran back towards the platform, face set. Carmen's eyes fell on him as he approached, and he saw them widen. Chiltingham did not look up until Jack was standing right before him. In one smooth moment, Jack brought down the torch and set the book alight.

He looked at Jack with evil green eyes, but Jack merely grinned and placed his torch towards Chiltingham's arm, watching in satisfaction as he started to burn. Chiltingham, flames lapping at him, moved away, stumbling, calling his crew to help him. Jack turned back to Carmen.

He wasn't sure what to say to her. He was in love with her... His eyes avoided her face as he cut her free with his sword. She sat up, pulling the rope from her wrists.

"Go back to the ships," he said finally.

"No." She was glaring at him, eyes flashing dangerously.

"What are you trying to prove, Carmen?" he demanded, becoming very tempted to drag her all the way back to the Pearl. "Why are you doing this?"

Her eyes looked back at him, and they softened a little. "Do you not know?"

There was a loud groan, and they both turned to see James Norrington locked in a fight with a large, black-haired man. Norrington's sword was lying on the ground several feet away from him, and the black-haired man kicked him to the ground, raising his sword.

Jack reached for his pistol, but he was too slow. A gun went off next to him, and the black-haired man crumpled to the floor. Jack and Norrington both turned to stare at Carmen, who was holding the smoking pistol.

"Carmen!" James exclaimed, and she blushed, standing up and walking to him. Jack looked away, deciding he didn't have it in him to watch another sickening scene between them.

All of Aron Chiltingham's men were moving over to him. Now would be a good chance to make an escape. "Abandon the caves!" Jack said. "Head for the ships!" His own men started to move without question, and Jack tried not to count how many he'd lost. He was unsurprised to find that the Marines were less keen to answer to him, but he was quite surprised to hear Norrington shout,

"Follow Captain Sparrow's orders, men!"

Jack turned around, eyes wide, and saw Norrington incline his head gravely. His arm was around Carmen, who was looking calmly at the wall behind Jack. Jack sighed and turned to leave, heading back towards their boats with the streaming mass of pirates and Marines. He looked back to see Chiltingham, now a mere fireball. But Jack knew he wouldn't die.

They needed to escape, and quickly.