A/N: Well I promised you battle and I shall not disappoint! This chapter's pretty long, at least in comparison with the others so far, but then I guess that's a good thing. More for your metaphorical money, if you get me. My kinda logic, guys!

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Chapter 5: A Speck Of Honest Pirating

The false colours Jack had ordered run up fluttered at the edge of Elizabeth's vision as she stood at the Pearl's railing, watching the French merchant vessel, l'Oiseau Noir, as she approached. Her hand strayed to Jack's flintlock, hidden under her jacket. She glanced round at Mullroy and Murtogg who were poised to run up the Jolly Roger when the order was given, then to Jack, standing at the helm surveying l'Oiseau. She climbed the stairs and stood beside him.

"You ready for this, love?"

They looked at each other. Jack grinned and looked back at the ship.

"Stupid question,"

Elizabeth snorted, "Very," She ran her tongue over her teeth and once again found her fingers searching for the butt of the pistol, reassuringly solid. Jack saw her slide her hand into her jacket out of the corner of his eye and chuckled, quietly. Just then Gibbs joined them.

"Cap'n, they're hailing us,"

Jack's lip twitched in annoyance. He addressed Elizabeth without taking his eyes from l'Oiseau.

"I don't suppose you speak French…?"

Elizabeth looked surprised.

"You want to negotiate with them?"

"It's always a good idea to give the enemy a chance to surrender,"

Elizabeth's grin widened. Moving so that her face was close to his ear, she breathed;

"I'll remember that,"

Then stepping forwards she shouted in perfect French. As she addressed those on board the ship she heard a rustle behind her and spoke with renewed confidence, knowing that she was once again sailing openly under the Black Flag. Jack stepped up beside her as she finished her speech.

"Say me name in French again," he murmured. She leant towards him.

"Capitaine Jaques Sparrow," She rolled the Rs, her voice taking on the deep, guttural tones of the language.

"Ahh…" Jack closed his eyes.

Elizabeth leaned even closer and whispered something in French to him.

"Say that again…" Jack breathed.

"You don't know what it means," Elizabeth smiled.

"Exactly…"

Gibbs hastily cleared his throat. Jack's eyes snapped open and he turned to face his first mate, trying to ignore Elizabeth's muffled laughter behind him. Gibbs directed Jack's attention back to the ship.

"They're surrendering," Jack turned back to Elizabeth, who had just about managed to control herself. "What did you say to them?!" he asked, incredulously.

"Never mind that now, hadn't we better get over there?"

And with that she sauntered past Jack who, for the second time in two days was left feeling very confused.

That night the crew of the Black Pearl gathered on the decks of the two ships for celebrations of their easy victory. The officers and crew of the French ship had been confined to the officers' mess of l'Oiseau to await the coming morning when they would be put on a longboat somewhere suitable close to shore. That is, quite far away. As Jack said, a little work never hurt anyone, though Elizabeth found this rather ironic as he sent her off to get more drink while he sat in the captain's cabin of the French ship with his feet up. Admittedly he had got the first bottle.

Elizabeth had told herself, as the rest of the crew prepared to get blind drunk, that someone ought to stay sober, just in case, but Jack had come across some French wine on l'Oiseau and she hadn't been able to resist. However one bottle hadn't lasted long, so Elizabeth was sent down to fetch another, grumbling to herself that she hadn't even drunk half of the last one.

Nevertheless, the wine was strong and she was feeling light-headed. She stumbled on the first set of stairs to the hold, stuck one hand out to steady herself on the wall, slipped and cracked her head on a low beam. Cursing, she blinked away the stars that danced before her eyes and froze as she heard hushed voices.

Hushed French voices.

She stepped back into the shadows as two French sailors crept into sight. As they approached she saw they were armed and realised there must have been a trap-door in the officers' mess and of course! When they had taken the enemy's weapons they had left them in the hold. Elizabeth swore silently. As they drew level with her she stepped forward, kicked one in the crotch, caught his gun and dealt the other a sharp blow to the head with the musket-barrel. She looked up at the sound of more footsteps. Turning, she ran back up to the deck, drawing her cutlass as she went. Opening her mouth she yelled at the top of her lungs;

"The prisoners are escaping! Prepare to fight!"

There was a long silence, then chaos broke out.

Sitting in the captain's cabin, Jack heard Elizabeth's shout. Cursing, he jumped up, grabbed his sword and slammed open the door, hitting a passing Frenchman in the face. Jack watched him as he fell, his own surprise mirrored on the man's face, then quickly stabbed him and looked up.

He saw Elizabeth engaged in furious combat with an officer. He grinned but his grin vanished a moment later when he noticed another officer approaching her from behind, his sword held high. Jack ran towards her, kicking a man in the gut as he passed. The Frenchman had just got to Elizabeth when Jack reached him and ran him through. Looking down, he was confused to se a blade sticking out of the man's back, towards him. The Frenchman sank to the ground revealing Elizabeth, looking equally puzzled, with her sword through the man's chest. The other officer lay dead behind her, blood seeping from a deep gash across his neck. Jack and Elizabeth both laughed for a moment, a laugh that almost had words but didn't. Still, it said all that needed to be said. Then they both drew their swords and turned back into the fight.

Jack clashed blades with a young midshipman and was immediately battered backwards by a maelstrom of blows.

Damn, this one knows what he's doing, Jack thought as he desperately parried and dodged the barrage that threatened to finish him. He hit the stairs that lead to the poop deck and fell back. His sword clattered from his hand and he reached frantically for his gun – which wasn't there. He stared up into the Frenchman's eyes as he raised his sword. Sound filtered away, so when he heard a familiar click it seemed to echo in the silence. He looked past the man and saw Elizabeth holding his gun and aiming at the midshipman. In that one moment the sight of her was burned into his mind; the wind was behind her, blowing her black hair into her face, her jaw was set, her lips pressed together, her eyes smouldering with determination.

For god's sake, love, please don't miss,

The midshipman noticed Jack glance past him and faltered. He started to turn but was cut short by the bullet that ripped into his back and through his heart. His sword hit the deck with a clatter that brought sound back sharply into Jack's world as the man fell sideways. Jack snatched up his own sword and nodded to Elizabeth.

OK, I have recently realised that battles are not my forte, so I have decided that I shall stick to what I know. That is, tantalising Sparrabeth scenes – yay!

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xWho-Wouldn't-Waver-With-Jackx, formerly XJackAlmostTooMuchX, formerly RoseTheLuckyOne.