Author's Note: Such a short chapter! I'm sorry. Hope you enjoy it anyway, and remember to review! We're almost done with this story- there'll be 27 chapters in total. I'm going to post the trailer for the sequel when I post chapter 25.

Chapter Twenty Three: Swords Crossed

Tears brightened amber eyes and golden hair fell, tangled, into a horrified face. Sitting opposite Jack Sparrow in the tiny rowing boat, Carmen felt helpless. She had to try to save herself and Jack; the thing was, without Jack, she had no idea where to start. She stared at his blank face, hoping to find some answers there.

She wondered why they were going alone. This was the worst Carmen had ever felt.

They had reached the cave. Carmen shuddered automatically, drawing her arms around herself, trying to ignore her aching shoulder. This was it- it was now or never. Jack grabbed her and pulled her out of the boat. The cave was full of the bodies of the fallen from the previous fight, and she retched at the smell.

Her eyes spotted a sword. It was lying on the floor, not too far away.

"So, now ends the great freedom Carmen Regalia so longs for," Jack said, in tones that were not his own. His eyes glowed green, looking so wrong in his face. He laughed and walked away a little bit, steadier and straighter than usual.

Her hand reached for the sword.

xXx

"Quickly, now!" Will ordered the people in the rowing boat with him. They were sneaking right alongside the Martyr.

"Are we going to make it?" Elizabeth asked him, brown eyes shining with fear.

"Of course we are," Edward replied, rowing hard. "Carmen's a fighter, through and through. She'll hold out until we get there."

Ana and Norrington did not speak. Ana looked pale, her lips clenched. Norrington's face was shadowed and dark, his eyes bright with some deep emotion that was hard to read. He was silent all the time until the reached the mouth of the cave, when he made a noise that could have been an angry snarl.

xXx

The lovely Carmen Regalia would be his tonight, and he would be free to capture her heart after that. So why did Aron Chiltingham feel so bad? He couldn't understand it. The emotion of guilt was one he had not felt in over a hundred years. He ran a hand back through his curls as he sat at his desk, trying to calm down.

"Captain!" Pussy said, her dark head appearing around the door.

"Yes?" Chiltingham replied. He was too confused to deal with her now as well.

"It's the Pearl, Captain- one of the boats is gone!"

Chiltingham clenched his teeth. This was just going wrong. He brought an angry fist down onto the desk. "Well, then... after them!"

xXx

"And what do you think you're going to do with that, dear Carmen?" Jack asked, eyes still that eerie green, the soft mouth turned into a wicked smirk.

She glared back at him. "I should think that was pretty obvious," she said, trying to stop the hand holding the sword from shaking. She knew, deep down, that she could never kill Jack, but it was still better to have hold of a weapon.

Jack laughed. "Oh, Carmen... don't be a fool. We both know you couldn't kill Jack."

"But I will kill you." She paused, wondering if she was going to spend her last moments making useless threats to an undead pirate. It seemed so long ago that she had promised to kill him the first time. This had all been a horrible, horrible nightmare, and this was surely the climax. She remembered not talking to Jack, the rift between them, and realised how petty it seemed now.

He had pulled out his own sword, his eyes seeming darker and more shadowed. "Don't do this, Carmen." His tone was hard to read. Was it threatening- or caring? She lowered her eyebrows.

"You're a bastard, Chiltingham!" she shrieked at him, a surge of anger forcing her forward, and she swung for him awkwardly with the sword. He moved easily out of the way, laughing. Tears prickled her eyes and she shook with anger. She suddenly felt unable to take another blow at Jack Sparrow's body, and dropped her sword. She loathed Aron Chiltingham, but she loved Jack more.

"Giving up, are we?" Chiltingham asked. "Then come to the slab with me, Carmen." He lowered his voice, stepping forward. "I'll make it quick... I'll make it painless... then we can be together forever."

"Get away from me!" she screamed, darting away.

He caught her easily, one hand on her shoulder, and she turned her head to see chocolate brown eyes instead of the green. This was some trick of Aron's, but her tears fell free at the sight of them. "Carmen," he choked out, and it was Jack's voice.

Her eyes darted downwards, and fell on the pistol at his belt. She licked her lips and looked back up at him. "Jack?" she asked, making her voice high and tender.