Author's Note: Here is POTC: Dead Man's Chest!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates.

"Do you think she's alright, Will?" Elizabeth glanced over at the girl by the window. They'd been in the sitting room all morning planning wedding details. Will was just there to smile and pretend that he really cared about the details in the silverware. Kate was the one who was supposed to be helping her sister. However, all morning she had been staring out of the window with a goofy smile on her face.

He simply shrugged. Not much was known about Kate anymore. She disappeared for hours on end. Sometimes, she disappeared with William to practice sword fighting and other times she was off with Lieutenant Gillette, which Elizabeth was confused about. Kate didn't like Gillette but she would allow him to court her some days. She claimed that they were just simply friends and she had no romantic interest in him, though.

There was however an hour or so break in most days where Kate was missing. It was only the nice days that she was gone though. And she always came back with a goofier smile on her face than when she had left.

She stood up abruptly swinging her hands back and forth. Elizabeth looked up, confused.

"Well, if you and William no longer need me I will be on my way," she began to make her way out of the sitting room and Elizabeth's mouth fell open.

"But we do still need you! We haven't even picked out which napkin best matches the color scheme!"

But it was too late and the door slammed shut. Elizabeth's face fell before she turned to Will, "What do we do with her? I've been trying to get her involved in the wedding, Will. Anything to get her mind off of him, but she just goes off alone-"

"Elizabeth," he interrupted, "Have you ever thought that perhaps she doesn't want to help plan the wedding? She has feelings for Jack, you know," he paused. This was the most he had spoken all day. As he licked his lips he sighed, "Maybe the wedding makes her miss him. And she seems so much happier when she's out of the house. Whatever she's doing is working for her, Elizabeth. I know you worry about her, I worry about her, too. She's my best friend."

"She's my sister," Elizabeth spoke, ignorant of Will's sympathy, "I just want to protect her."

Will nearly rolled his eyes, sighing, "Okay."

"You know if anyone else found you here they would tell you how highly improper it is for a woman of your stature to be like this," a nearly regal voice spoke up.

Kate glanced up, over her shoulder with a smile, "And you are not a person that would state such a fact?"

She was sitting on the beach clad in one of her more simpler dresses. Her feet were pointed towards the water and her shoes and stockings were long gone, discarded next to her. She had some of her skirt pulled up, so that it wouldn't get wet when the tide came in, but so that her feet would.

Commodore James Norrington stood behind her with a small smile, before sighing and sitting down next to her, "Today, I am not."

"James," she spoke cautiously. There was something different about him. Any other day he'd found her here, he had told her to go home and stayed until she had done so. She used to go swimming out in the water until he found her one day. Now, she just settled for sitting by the shore line.

"Yes, Miss Swann?"

"Please, James. Must I keep telling you to call me Kate?" she smiled softly, sadly. She could tell that the Commodore was upset. "What's wrong?"

"I have resigned my post as Commodore."

She gasped, "What? But James- you, you love being the Commodore! You and Gillette have only just returned last month!

"I couldn't catch him," he glanced out to the sea. James didn't need to tell Katherine whom he was talking about, he knew that she knew exactly who he meant. He had seen her sitting on the beach, far enough away from the docks that she wouldn't be bothered by the marines that were left in Port Royal. He knew that she was waiting for him. That pirate. That…Jack Sparrow. The Captain of the Black Pearl. He had whispered something into Kate's ear before plummeting off the edge of the Fort and swimming to his ship. James didn't know what it was, but it kept Kate sitting on the beach day after day.

"James," she whispered. Kate knew the story well. James had chased Jack into a hurricane off the coast of Tripoli and in turn he had lost the Dauntless and a good lot of his crew. "You can't blame yourself." It felt awkward for her to console the man of which whom her sister had been falsely engaged to and had lost a pirate, her pirate, due to the actions of his former fiancée's new flame.

"I can," he answered her, his voice faltering, "I was a fool to let him go, too blinded by my own emotions. And when I wanted to catch him, I wanted to prove to myself…to everyone…it was all a matter of pride." He laughed softly, shaking his head. Kate put a hand on his shoulder, soothing him. "I tried to continue on, Kate. Really, I have. But at night, I think of the men I lost at sea and how it was my fault. I don't belong here any longer. I'm leaving tonight, I've bartered passage off of a ship leaving."

Kate frowned. Though she had never liked Norrington, and he had never liked her, she assumed that her newfound friendship with Gillette had caused the two to deal with each other, in away.

"Where will you go?" she whispered, glancing at the sea as the sky began to change colors. Another day gone by without Jack keeping his word.

"Tortuga," he snorted. "I feel it's fitting for a person such as myself. I can't catch a pirate, so I should surround myself with them."

"It's only going to be a painful reminder, James."

"Perhaps it is what I need," he nodded. He glanced down at the younger girl. If Gillette and her ever did court properly and end up married, he almost envied his cousin. She was a beautiful girl for being so young. He noticed the saddened look in her eye. "Now that I've told you something," he nudged her, "You tell me. What is it that Sparrow said to you up at the Fort. Surely it is why you stay down here before the sunset."

"He told me he'd come back for me," she whispered. She locked eyes with him for a moment before looking away and going to stand up, "It's stupid, I know. Jack Sparrow is a womanizer and a bloody scoundrel," she stood fully to her feet and brushed herself off. As she grabbed her stockings and shoes and made to walk away, James stood up and grabbed her wrist gently.

"But you still have enough faith in him for you to wait here every day," he continued on. "Why?"

"I don't know," she smiled sadly, "And I don't know why, but I have faith in you, James. I know that you will redeem yourself somehow in this life." She stepped forward, "I'm sorry for however rude I have been to you in the past. And I'm sorry for everything between you and my sister. I wish you luck, James. Be careful in Tortuga, it's a bloody mess." She smiled gently and he let go of her, watching her walk away.

"Elizabeth, I cannot believe you are to be married today," Kate was brushing her sister's hair through. The wedding was in four hours and they had no time to waste.

"On the one bloody day that it rains in the bloody Caribbean!" the eldest sister cried out. Katherine sighed, tugging the brush once more, "Well at least the man you loves is here, Elizabeth," she pursed her lips before handing her sister her brush back. She bent down slightly. "I love you Elizabeth, the maids are going to go off their rocker if I don't let them in however," she kissed her sister on the cheek and left the room quickly. Soon after she left, the maids stormed in and began to re-brush the eldest sister's hair and began to pin it up into painful curls.

As Katherine's own maid helped her into her bridesmaid dress, she frowned at the color. Yellow. How dreadfully cheerful. It was Lizzie's favorite color. And Kate's? Blue, like the sea, of course. After she was all strapped in, it was time for her hair to be shoved into just as painful a position as Elizabeth's to curl a bit more and while it curled, the maid applied Kate's makeup for her.

Kate sighed, glancing at the mirror after her hair had set. The maid was taking the pins out and tight curls bounced all around Kate's face. She was just about to remove the last one, she'd forgotten it and it was at the left side of her head, by the nape of her neck, hidden by the rest of her hair, when the door burst open.

"Nathaniel!" she gasped, turning around in her chair, "I could have been terribly indecent for all you know!"

"The East India Trading Company has dropped anchor at the docks," he gulped, flustered. "And they've come with an army of sorts. I fear that you and your sister aren't safe. Please, Kate, follow me." He grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her down the hall.

"Wait! Nathaniel," she struggled against him, "Elizabeth!"

"Your father said that she wasn't here!" he cried out, "He told me that you were! We have to go, Lieutenant Rhodes told me that they already got to the blacksmith."

"Will," she gasped, pausing. Her pause allowed Gillette to tug her even further along. He shoved her into the carriage that he'd gotten there in and followed suit, signaling the driver to go.

"Where are we going?" she whispered. Her eyes darted up to the horses racing to the fort in the rain. Elizabeth, her eyes watered.

"To the docks. I'm going to put you on a merchant ship before it leaves."

"Nathaniel," she protested, "My sister-"

He merely pursed his lips and turned away from her. Suddenly the carriage stopped and it threw Kate from her seat. She squeaked, remaining on the floor as the carriage door opened. A man in a red coat that she did not recognize grinned evilly, "Katherine Swann?"

"No, she's merely a wealthy citizen-"

"Yes," she interrupted Gillette, she didn't want him to be punished for lying. He was after all, her closest friend now that Elizabeth had taken Will away from her in a sense.

"You're wanted up at the fort," he grabbed her arm and tugged her out of the carriage, throwing her into his own. Gillette began to shout, "Let go of her!"

"You're going to be wanted up there, too, mate," he nodded his head at the carriage and Gillette nodded, switching into the other one. The ride up to Fort Charles was silent and Kate stared out the window at the rain.

"This wouldn't have happened to you if he hadn't lied," Gillette whispered.

"What's done is done, Lieutenant," she spoke back. She tried to seem as short as possible with him so that the man driving the carriage wouldn't overhear anything important. She smiled at him softly before wiping it off her face.

"All I'm saying is-" The carriage stopped abruptly again, however this time it was Gillette that flew off of his seat and onto the floor. The door opened, "Out."

Kate was escorted up to the fort by two soldiers who had stated they were serving under Lord Beckett. She sighed as she was shoved through the crowd of soldiers. In the middle was her father, looking quite upset as he held a piece of paper. Elizabeth and Will were being separated, William looking rather dashing in his wedding day attire and already shackled, as Elizabeth looked radiant in her wedding gown as they put shackles on her own wrists.

"Found the other Swann," the soldier holding Kate's arm spoke up, "Was riding to the docks in a carriage, as it were."

Kate was shoved forward and the petite man smiled, "Well, well. Good afternoon, Miss Swann. I do believe I have a warrant for her arrest as well, but I cannot be bothered to search for it as it were. Arrest her now, I'll find it later." As Kate was put in her own pair of shackles, her father stepped forward, but kept his mouth shut. "I also have a warrant for a James Warrington, is he present?"

"What are the charges?" Elizaabeth cried out.

"What is going on?" Kate looked around wildly, "And what does James have to do with any of this? He resigned months ago."

"I don't believe that is the answer to the question I asked," Beckett glared.

Will took his moment to speak up, "Lord Beckett! In the category of questions unanswered…"

Kate interrupted him at this time, her voice just as strong, "We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what it is that we are charged with!"

Beckett smirked at her, pretty, he mused in his head. He then glanced at her father as he began to read the warrant he held in his hands. "The charge," Governor Swann paused, "Is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the crown and empire and condemned to death. For which the punish-" he stopped.

"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death," Beckett finished for him. "Perhaps you remember a certain pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow."

"Captain," Kate spoke up at the same time as her sister and Will. She finished the rest off by herself, "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Beckett repeated with a smile, "Yes, I thought that you would."

The deck of the Pearl was empty. Save for Gibbs who was stumbling around drunk. "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum," he took a swig from his own bottle, "Drink and the devil have done for the rest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Hahaha!" he laughed. He then paused, as if the very superstitious bone of him could feel that something was not right and he looked up as birds began to fly over head. He gulped, going to find another crew mate.

A coffin in the middle of the ocean bobbed up and down gently. A crow from the flock of birds above landed on it and as it began to peck at it, it was blasted from within the coffin. A pistol emerged through the hole and began to look around like a periscope before it retreated back inside. Then, Jack Sparrow emerged from the coffin.

He dug around inside and pulled out his hat before proudly placing it atop his head. He then dug around some more, "Sorry mate." He frowned as he tugged off his riding companion's skeletal leg. "Mind if we take a little side trip? I didn't think so," and he used the leg to row the coffin to the Pearl.

When Gibbs reached out a hand to help his Captain board the ship, he was handed a skeleton's leg. He frowned, but looked up as Jack climbed on deck.

"Not quite according to plan," Gibbs spoke up as Cotton came over, Parrot on his shoulder and all, and put the Captain's coat on for him.

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome," Jack shrugged it off, moving about deck. Gibbs handed the leg off to Cotton and followed Jack.

There were so many men above deck now that Anamaria had gotten her own ship. And Jack couldn't help but think of the girl in Port Royal every time a woman was mentioned. Part of this venture he was on now was technically, in a sense to him at least, for her. He did have to protect himself for the near future and if anything should happen to him, he knew she would be upset. And the eunuch. What would the eunuch do without him?

"So you got what you went in for, then," Gibbs continued on.

"Mmm-hmm," Jack pulled out a piece of cloth from his inner vest pocket and waved it around proudly.

"Captain," Gibbs paused, "The crew, meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more shiny. What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear shaped and reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it."

One of the new crew spoke up, Leech, Jack had called him. He was always sucking about, Jack said. Whatever that meant. "And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic."

Marty, the shorter man of the crew yelled as well, "And the hurricane!" The crew all yelled 'aye' in unison and Gibbs frowned.

"All in all," Gibbs spoke up, "It seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating."

"Shiny?" Jack frowned.

"Aye, shiny."

"Is that how you're all feeling then?" Jack's frown grew. If Kate were here, she would be fine with whatever ventures Jack yearned to go on. "That perhaps dear old Jack is not serving your best interests as Captain?"

Cotton's bird squawked, "Walk the plank!"

Jack spun around immediately, his pistol aimed at the bird, "What did the bird say?"

"Do not blame the bird," the new member spoke, "Show us what is on that piece of cloth there."

Jack, the monkey, which Jack, the captain, despised, jumped down from out of nowhere and grabbed the cloth. He began to run away and Jack sighed, shooting him. Nothing happened to the monkey seeing as how he had one of the Aztec coins hidden in his little vest. He'd jumped onto the Pearl when they'd gone back to get treasure. However, that was when they discovered all the treasure had gone.

"You know that don't do no good," Gibbs frowned as the monkey dropped the cloth and ran away.

"Does me," Jack shrugged as Marty picked the cloth up to reveal the drawing on it.

"It's a key," he frowned.

"No, much more better," Jack grinned and ran over, taking the cloth. "It is a drawing of a key," he paused, "Gentlemen, what do keys do?"

"Keys, unlock things?" The new member spoke up.

"And whatever this key unlocks," Gibbs grinned, "Inside there's something valuable…so we're setting out to find whatever it is that this key unlocks!" He grinned even wider, proud of himself for figuring out his captain's riddle. Or so he thought.

"No," Jack turned to him and Gibbs frowned. "If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it."

Gibbs paused, pondering, "So we're going after this key then?" He finally picked a response.

Jack frowned, "You're not making any sense at all, mate. Any more questions?"

"So," Jack's head snapped to Marty, "Do we have a heading?"

"Ah, a heading," he opened the compass. He frowned as it pointed one way. He knew where it was pointing. Port Royal. He closed his eyes and begged it to find the key. The compass spun around and Jack moved his finger in a circle. He pointed one way, "Set sail in a general," he pointed the other way, "That way direction."

Gibbs frowned as the compass snapped shut, "Captain?"

"Come on," Jack pocketed his compass, "Snap to and make sail, you know how this works." He moved off deck to find some rum.

"I be noticin' lately that the Cap'n seems to be acting a bit strange," Marty paused, "Er."

"Setting sail without knowing his own heading. Something's got Jack vexed," Gibbs nodded, "And mark my words…what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all."

Author's Note: So what did you think? Let me know!