A/N: Hello m'dear! I'm back. It's been a while.

For now we see Elizabeth turn into a real pirate and learn some tricks. Meanwhile both Moretti and Norrington are chasing them as they set off to find Atlantis.

And what is Jack's curse exactly? That's for the next chapter.

I've been away for a while and I don't know if people are still reading POTC fics. So please review and I will post the next chapter quickly.

Elizabeth had always prided herself in knowing what she wanted. Being kidnapped by an infamous pirate captain, meeting an inspector who wanted to capture said captain and all the confusing feelings she had been experiencing as of late had been tinkering with that ability.

The darkness of the night had disguised the Black Pearl well and the air was crisper now. Sitting on the moist stairs of the Pearl, hugging her knees, Elizabeth almost believed that she was the only person who was afloat on the sea…drifting under a sea of stars.

Was this how it felt to be free? Was this what Jack was going on and on about?

She could not lose this. Not this. She couldn't go back to that cage. Could Jack insure his freedom? What about Andrew? He was going to help her but would he truly insure her freedom?

It seemed as though she surrounded by lying backstabbing pirates. She could not rely on anyone but herself. A sudden wave of determination overcame her. Yes, she would fight for her freedom. She would play their game and come out on top. She would best Captain Sparrow, Andrew Moretti and James Norrington.

What weapon did she have that they did not? She looked up at the stars. Thousands of them winked down at her and she, in turn, smiled at them ever so slyly. Ah yes! She did have something that they did not.

After all, she was a woman. How many men of the sea had been led to their doom by a siren's song?

"Nice grip Miss Swann," Will smiled, "but now for the footwork. Let's turn clockwise! One foot and then the other. That's it!"

Elizabeth nodded and wiped her brows, which were furrowed, in quiet concentration. She made sure to follow every single instruction swiftly. Learning how to handle a sword would be quite useful and Will had been more than happy to help her during the past few days.

"Set her four degrees Starboard Mr. Cotton," she heard Jack below. She watched from the corner of an eye as he sauntered out of his cabin, compass in hand and looking more a mess than usual, and ordered the crew about.

"Slacken the braces," he ordered, "trim that mooring line! Re-set the course for North instead."

"Which port then Captain?" Gibbs asked.

"Didn't say port. Said North, Master Gibbs," Jack sighed, "you really ought to listen more carefully."

Gibbs looked baffled but didn't question the Captain any further. Looking rather satisfied with himself, Jack brushed Gibbs aside and walked across the deck, inspecting the crew's work as he went along.

"Now anti-clockwise. Nicely done," Will and Elizabeth went on with their practice, ignoring the change in their heading until Jack finally reached them in his turn around the deck.

"Young William, may I inquire as to what you're doing?" Jack smirked with raised brows.

"As you can see Jack," Will said, "I'm showing Miss Swann a thing or two about swords."

Jack's smirked turned into a grin, "I can see that Willy but you are a most terrible teacher…when it comes to swords."

Here, Elizabeth had to jump to Will's defense, "I believe Will is proving to be a most excellent teacher Captain. As a matter of fact, I can't think of anyone who could possibly do a finer job."

"Let's put that to a test," Jack said innocently. Before Elizabeth could agree to the challenge, Jack had drawn his own sword swiftly and swung it effortlessly at Elizabeth's. The sword slipped out of Elizabeth's grip and fell to the deck with a clatter.

"Tsk. Tsk. You haven't even taught her to hold a sword," Jack wagged a finger at Will.

Elizabeth was red with anger, "that was hardly fair!"

"Miss Swann, do you really believe that your attacker is going to tap you on the shoulder and inform you that he is going to attack you? You must be prepared at all times," he said merrily.

Now it was Will's turn to defend Elizabeth, "we've only been practicing for three days! So far, Miss Swann has picked up quickly on all the important techniques."

Elizabeth cast him an appreciative smile.

"Technique won't help in a real fight, will it?" Jack's face lit with an idea, "I have a proposition for you."

"Oh no! Not another one of your propositions," Will rolled his eyes.

Jack swung an arm around Will's shoulder, "wait! You'll find that this is quite an interesting one. If I trained Miss Swann…she could beat you in three days."

Elizabeth's eyes widened, "I'm afraid you've either overestimated me or underestimated Mr. Turner's abilities."

"Not at all. I'm relying on my own teaching abilities. I'm quite confident in them."

"I don't believe you could teach me so much," Elizabeth protested.

"Yee of little faith," Jack scolded, "allow me to make it interesting. If I succeed in making you a most excellent swordswoman…you will stay and help me break the curse."

Elizabeth cocked a brow, "and should you fail?"

"Then I shall abandon our current course and take you to Port-au-Prince promptly," Jack bowed.

Elizabeth smiled and extended a hand, which Jack grasped and shook.

Andrew pulled the note out of the bottle. The elegant slanting handwriting could not belong to anyone but Elizabeth Swann:

He has reset the course. North. I don't know why.

Oh, Elizabeth didn't know why but Andrew certainly did. So Jack Sparrow was looking for Atlantis eh?

Things were getting better and better. Jack would find the book and Elizabeth would give him both Jack and the book on a silver platter. But perhaps he would need a bit of reinforcement if he were to capture Sparrow.

He pulled out some parchment and ink.

Dear Commodore Norrington,

Whether or not you believe the lost city of Atlantis to be a children's myth or a fantastic truth, I do not know. It is, however, my firm belief that Atlantis is Jack Sparrow's current destination. I also have it in my strictest confidence that Elizabeth is still aboard the Black Pearl.

Legend has it that Atlantis may only be found at the heart of the freezing North. That is where I am headed now with a ship and crew.

I hope you have faith in knowledge and that you will join me there.

Best regards,

Andrew Moretti

"Are you going to tell me anything about this curse?" Elizabeth asked as she blocked another one of his attacks. They edged slowly towards the powder station. Elizabeth lunged forward swiftly but instead of blocking her attack Jack had ducked and cut the line, which kept the barrels in place. The barrels rolled across the deck one after the other and one of them managed to knock Elizabeth off her feet.

She rubbed her back with a sour grimace as Jack helped her to her feet.

"You cheated!"

"Pirate," he laughed, "you must learn dearie that everything around can be used as a weapon. Take this mast…used correctly it can be an excellent tool for pluckin' out someone's eye."

Elizabeth only cringed visibly and gave him a disapproving look.

"Don't give me that look missy," he smiled, "anything can be a proper weapon given some imagination. Now," he clapped his hands together, "time to move on to something much more important. We must change the way you handle a sword."

"Pardon?" she frowned as he circled her patiently.

"A sword, woman!" he exclaimed, "you hold with such effort one would think you don't want to be holding it at all. In fact…the sword should be a extension of your arm. Feel it, move it with as little effort as you move your arm."

This made some sense. Elizabeth nodded and registered this information, "how exactly do I manage that?"

Jack stepped behind her with a triumphant smile, which she managed to spot from the corner of her eye and gripped her hand. He adjusted her grip on the sword, "I knew you'd warm up to me."

A trail of dotted lines clouded the commodore's map. Each line traced one of the path's across which he had chased Jack Sparrow in his lifetime. Now Moretti was telling him that he had Sparrow and Elizabeth.

He stared at his map again. The lamp filled the cabin with gentle light and cast his shadow across the map. With his index finger he traced the lines across the map. The latest line was in red ink and stood out in the sea of black. It started somewhere on the coast of Port Royal and went all the way North…until it jumped off the edge of the map.

He thought of Elizabeth and how Sparrow had held a pistol to her head. The thought of Elizabeth being harmed made him angrier than he had ever been at Sparrow.

"Damn him," he muttered to himself and slammed his wig on the desk, "Damn Jack Sparrow!"

Jack swung his sword at Elizabeth head with all his might but Elizabeth ducked and then ducked the next attack as well. Their swords collided and locked together. Both pushed forward until Elizabeth broke the deadlock and threw a punch at Jack's chin. He ducked just in time and did a dive roll across the deck.

She was surprised to see that he didn't immediately spring to his feet but lay there and laughed, "enough!"

He popped up on his elbows and cocked a smile, "I think you're ready."

"But I didn't beat you yet," she said eagerly.

"Pish posh! I taught you that trick. You don't expect to win against me with my tricks," he pointed out as he dusted himself off, "William on the other hand…"

Elizabeth plopped down beside him. Feeling something cold and wet on her cheek, she looked up at the same time as Jack and both stared as a thousand tiny snowflakes floated down.

"So Jack," she smiled, still looking up, "about that curse…"

"Now, now," he coughed meaningfully, "let's not speak of unpleasant things."