Elizabeth had been awake for an entire day now, and the Black Pearl was still stopped in the middle of the water, anchor dropped. You could see the sirens' islands in the distance. Elizabeth scrubbed that railing of the ship for the one hundred and twenty fifth time. It was so clean, she could almost see her reflection in the wood. She was about to put the bucket of water and rag away, but Jack came over and sat on her finally completed project. "Jack!" she groaned, "I just finished cleaning that!" He shrugged, saying, "It don't matter. It's just going to get dirty again anyways."
"Then, why did you ask me to clean it?"
"Because I thought swabbing the deck would be too difficult for a pregnant woman."
"You're impossible!"
"You bet I am. Impossible to resist." The smile he gave her then made her trip.
"Hardly." She set her bucket and rag on her, now ruined, railing.
"Apparently I am. Even the bonds of holy matrimony could not keep you away from me."
She felt her cheeks grow red. She stumbled a bit, accidentally pushing the bucket into the sea. "I cannot believe you just said that!"
"What?" His face looked completely innocent.
"I thought you wanted to pretend like nothing happened!"
"Well, I thought some more about it and decided to hang it over your head for a little while in order to amuse myself."
"That's so... cruel!"
"As I've said before: cruel is a matter of perspective."
"Nevertheless... "
"I was just teasing, love. Having a bit of fun... at your expense, of course."

Elizabeth leaned back on the railing with her arms. She tilted her head back to take in the sun's warm rays. Then, she felt her baby kick inside of her. She gasped. Grabbing Jack's hand, she placed it on her stomach. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, asking, "What are you doing?" "The baby just kicked;" she replied, "feel." She put his hand on the right spot. When the baby kicked again, Jack jumped a little, uttering, "Bugger!"

Jack couldn't believe it. There was actually a little person inside of Elizabeth. As she held his hand to her belly, he felt a strange emotion; something he'd never felt before. The smile on her face had never been so big. She was almost glowing. He couldn't help but smile back. Every time Jack felt the bump of the kicking baby, Elizabeth's smile grew bigger. She sighed, "Isn't it amazing?"
"Aye. Bloody amazing."
"I guess I just never grasped that there's someone alive, inside of me. It's incredible."

After the baby stopped kicking, Jack waited for Elizabeth to release his hand, but she didn't. Her giant smile had faded, leaving only a small grin. A tiny tear slid down her cheek. "Aw, love, don't cry," he murmured. She choked, "I can't help it. Thank you for being here, Jack, at this moment. I can imagine it wouldn't have been so fulfilling if I had gone through it on that island, alone."
"But you don't have to cry."
"I'm happy, Jack."
"Oh. Well then, cry all you like."
She laughed.

Elizabeth still hadn't let go of his hand. She stopped crying now, and Jack was staring at the smile on her flawless lips. The crew was below deck, eating the afternoon meal. Jack and Elizabeth were alone. Elizabeth was staring at her hand on Jack's. She took hold of it and brought it off her stomach. She placed her other hand on his, holding his fingers in her palms.

Jack lifted his free hand up to her face and stroked her cheek with his index finger. Yesterday, when Elizabeth had woken up, she was going to kiss him, and he knew it, though she denied it. He'd stopped her because he knew she'd regret it, just like she had before. In spite of all of this, he couldn't help but wonder why. Why did she want to kiss him if she was married to Will? Not that he cared much, but still, it was something to ponder. He wished very much to kiss her at this moment.

Elizabeth had stopped looking at her and Jack's intertwined fingers and was now looking into his eyes. He was gazing back. Her eyes looked like they were smiling. Was that possible? Desire shined in them. He was going to do it. He was going to kiss her. He couldn't take it any more! He had to. He leaned forward, ever so slowly, and inhaled. "I wish Will was here," Elizabeth spoke. Jack snapped his head back immediately. He sighed, "Really?" He pulled his hand from her grasp, turned around, and walked away.

Elizabeth dropped her arms to her sides and watched Jack storm into his cabin and slam the door. She had wanted him to leave. That's why she had said what she had. She knew he was about to kiss her, and she was going to do the same, but she knew it would have been wrong for them to do so. But, now, she could see how upset he was. THAT was not what she wanted. She followed after him, entering his cabin.

"Knocking is the proper thing to do," Jack scorned her, throwing his compass onto his desk. "I-I'm sorry," Elizabeth stammered, now seeing how upset he truly was. He huffed and took his jacket off, asking, "Do you need something, or can I just pretend like you're not here?"
"Did I do something wrong?" She knew she had, she just wanted to start a conversation.
"Yes." He tossed his jacket on his desk.
"What?"
"You didn't knock." He smirked.
She frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't think pirates cared about proper etiquette when it came to entering a room. They hardly care about anything."
"You know what's interesting? You're standing there, trying to insult pirates in order to annoy me, when, in actuality, you're a pirate yourself. The proof is on your arm."
"You're despicable!"
"Sticks and stones, love."
"Don't call me 'love'!"

Jack stepped towards her, getting extremely close to her face. He raised his eyebrows, saying matter-of-factly, "I'll call you whatever I want to call you." She scoffed, then reached up to smack him across the face, but he caught her wrist in his hand, stopping the blow just in time; an inch from his face. She took her other hand and knocked his hat off of his head. Shock splashed onto his face. He muttered with anger, "Please tell me that you did not just hit my hat onto the floor."
"I just hit your hat onto the floor," she growled.
"Pick it up," he commanded.
"No," she refused, shaking her head.
"Fine," he let go of her and crouched down, "I will."
"Fine."
He picked up his hat and put it back on his head, standing up again.
She knocked it off again, and it fell to the floor.
"Okay, if that's how you want it... " He knocked her own hat off.
"Wretch!"
"Pirate." He grinned with admiration.

Jack was sick of playing these games with her. He loved it when she was like this; annoyed, but determined. She had her mad face on: eyebrows at a sharp angle, nostrils flaring, lips pouting, eyes glaring. She was perfect. He smiled at her. "Stop that," she ordered. "What?" he asked.
"Smiling like that. This isn't funny."
"If it wasn't funny, I wouldn't be smiling."
"You are so... disrespectful! You have no morals!"
He pointed to himself, saying, "Pirate. We're peas in a pod, darling."
"You've said that before. And, it's still as calumnious now as it was then."
"We're very much alike, you and I. I and you. Us. Both pirates, both good-looking, both wanted, both untrustworthy, both selfish-"
"I am NOT selfish!"
"But, you admit the others are true."
She said nothing.
"Peas in a pod, darling."

Elizabeth spun around and stomped outside the cabin, slamming the door. Jack pursed his lips and rolled his eyes, sighing, "Women. They always hate it when they're proven wrong." He picked up his fallen hat off of the floor and placed it back on his head. Then, he picked hers up and set it on his desk. He was about to lay down to take a nap, when her heard a strange noise and a scream. He snatched his pistol and dashed out the door.

Jack arrived on the deck to find Elizabeth and Hoag standing across from each other, pistols drawn. Jack aimed his weapon at Hoag's head, then looked at Elizabeth, asking, "What the bugger are you doing?" She gestured towards Hoag with her pistol, replying, "He tried to attack me!" Jack stepped near Hoag and said, "That's not very nice." The sinister soldier replied, "It's not my job to be nice."
"So, it's you, then. You're the pig-headed Company bilge rat who tried to kill Lizzie."
"I didn't poison her with the intention of killing her, thought that would have been a bonus."
"Seems a bit ruthless to want to kill a pregnant woman."
"I didn't know she was pregnant when I poisoned her."
"Well, now you do. Let's drop our guns and settle this like men."
"Very well."

Hoag dropped his pistol on the ground and balled his hands into fists, ready to fight. Jack had no intention of fighting. "Never trust a pirate," he asserted as he pulled the trigger and shot Hoag in the leg. Elizabeth gasped as Hoag shouted in pain, dropping to the floor. Jack kicked Hoag's pistol out of reach so there would be no back fire. The crew hustled up from below deck to see what the commotion was.

Jack knelt down next to Hoag, who was breathing heavily and sweating as his blood spilled onto the wooden floor beneath him. Jack pointed the barrel of his pistol to Hoag's forehead and growled, "The only reason I didn't kill you is because I want you to suffer. You should have stayed home, lad." Hoag's eyes widened in fear as Jack stood back up.

The captain spotted Barbossa in the crowd and singled him out, "Throw that feather-hatted weasel in the brig for associating with a betrayer of the Pearl." Two crew members took hold of Barbossa, who asked Jack, "How did ye know?"
"When you plotted behind my back to take over my ship and hand me to the Company, you forgot one very important thing, mate... I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Why, you-"
"Take him away! Throw him in the brig! And, when I say 'throw', I mean it!"

After Barbossa was gone, Jack pulled Hoag to his feet. The traitor whimpered from the pain in his leg. The angry captain bellowed to his crew, "Gents! This addled sea dog poisoned Elizabeth, threatened her child's life and planned to rid you of your captain! I say we keelhaul him! What say you?" The pirates sheathed their swords, yelling, "Aye!" Jack shoved Hoag at the eager crew.

Gibbs rushed up to his captain. He whispered in Jack's ear, "Cap'n, we've never keelhauled anyone before. Doesn't this seem a bit harsh?"
"Are you questioning my orders, Master Gibbs?"
"No, Cap'n, but-"
"Belay! Strip that gutless rat and tie his feet!"
The first mate gulped and saluted, "Aye, sir."

Once Hoag was bare and his feet were bound, Jack ordered, "Throw that treacherous pile of monkey feces over the starboard side! And don't drop him!" The crew obeyed and hurled the conspirator over the ship, holding the rope in their hands. "Good job, lads!" Jack demanded, "Now, drag him to the port side!" He could hear Hoag shriek, "No! Please!" Jack did not even blink. He knew what he was doing. Hoag would scrape under the hauls, which were covered with razor-sharp barnacles.

"Now, you scabrous dogs!" Jack charged. The pirates screamed with excitement and pulled the rope along the ship. Jack heard Hoag cry out in agony as his body was sliced to pieces.

Elizabeth sat atop a crate of potatoes with her hands over her ears. She did not want to hear Hoag's dying howls of terror. Unable to believe what had just occurred, she shook her head, hoping to wake up to find that his was all just a dreadful nightmare. Yes, she would wake up any moment now, and she would be arguing pointlessly with Jack in his cabin. No, this was real. This was actually happening.

She'd never seen Jack like that before. Never had Elizabeth seen him so aggressive and violent. Never did she imagine him keelhauling any kind of criminal. But he had. And she didn't like it at all. The Jack she knew would have marooned the evil being or maybe have him walk the plank, but never had she pictured Jack keelhauling anyone.

'No,' she thought to herself, 'that can't be the Jack Sparrow I love... I mean, care about, standing out there, ordering those sinful men to murder a man in the most fearsome way to punish pirates.' But it was. And the taste Jack had left on her lips began to appear bitter.