A/N: I spent way too much time researching the historical availability and era-appropriate types of fruit and vegetables in 1730s Jamaica for this chapter. Fun fact, the Granny Smith apple was not invented until the late 1800s so that's why I retcon Barbossa's apples from being those to Pott's Seedlings. In the three sentences the food appears, please take a moment to appreciate the accuracy.

Also, for those of you who are reading this on FFN, I have finished moving all the chapters over to AO3 if that is the platform you prefer.

My God, how did it take me over two months to write this chapter? I really hate writing chapters that are nothing but characters simply just having emotional conversations to wrap everything up to move onto the next major plot point. Like they are needed, but I really wish I could just write three sentences and be done with it.

Birds of a Feather

The Curse of the Black Pearl

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Elizabeth's Word

It was easy for Elizabeth to see why her father wanted her to marry Norrington simply by the way he stocked his ship galleys. Efficiency, organization, and forethought ran supreme. There was the usual staples of salted beef and pork, ship biscuits, and plenty of beer. However, Norrington's ships also ran better stocked than most of the British navy.

Neatly stacked next to the barrels of flour and raisins were a dozen cages of clucking chickens. The hens would regularly lay eggs for the crew and when they stopped producing, it would be slaughtered and served for dinner.

Norrington also showed quite the regard for his crew's health and the economy of Port Royal. The galley was filled with barrels of fruits and vegetables like apples, oranges, lemons, bananas, and yams. There was an overabundance of produce due to a deal Norrington had cut with local merchants. Due to the difficulty of transporting produce across the Caribbean, most fruits and vegetables were only sold locally. This meant that a lot of produce that went to waste, so Norrington had arranged to buy the surplus at a deeply discounted rate. The quality may not have been the greatest but hands down the men were happy to eat slightly spoiled apples over another dinner of biscuits and salted beef.

Not only was the produce available, but the men were actively encouraged to eat it. While meat, drink, biscuits, and other food stuffs were strictly rationed, the men could help themselves to the barrels of produce at any time. This was also because Norrington had noticed the correlation between the men who ate the produce and the men who typically avoided health issues. He especially noticed that on the ships that had citrus fruit readily available, the cases of scurvy were low. While it would be another decade before the connection between vitamin c and scurvy was officially made, Norrington was astute enough to suspect it.

Elizabeth wasn't exactly sure what to feel as Norrington ordered away the men in the pantry so the pair of them could be alone. Even more awkward was how Norrington turned away from her, arms folded formally behind his back, mind collected in thought as he silently composed the conversation they were about to have. A conversation Elizabeth knew the barest theme of but had no idea how it would play out.

Not wanting to be the one to speak first, Elizabeth reclined against one of the produce barrels. Trying to busy herself as she waited, Elizabeth glanced down at the barrel. She was surprised to find it contained Pott's Seedling apples: a yellowish green variety from England.

As her eyes fell on the pale green apples, her mind was brought back to another pile of them: those on the table of Barbossa's feast. Elizabeth thought of how much he spoke of his craving for them, the strong desire coating every syllable. Then she thought of the apple he had pulled from his pocket only to cast it aside so he may indulge in his true greatest treasure and desire in his final moments. She thought of how tightly Syrena had held onto him and how desperately she had sobbed.

The world may not always understand Barbossa and I, but it's not for them to understand.

Elizabeth smiled and tucked the greenest apple among the bunch into her jacket pocket. Perhaps she could understand that strange mermaid just a little.

When Norrington finally turned to face Elizabeth, he let out a great sigh. There was something odd in his eyes: a great pain and a decision made. And was that… a surrender?

"Elizabeth, why did you agree to marry me?" Norrington asked. "The honest answer."

She sighed knowing there was no use in fighting, "It was the only way I could convince you to save Will and Philip."

He nodded, "You love them?"

"In very different ways, but equally as strong."

The hurt shone in his eyes but his voice was as strong as ever, "It's always been Turner, hasn't it?"

Elizabeth shrugged, "Yes, but that doesn't mean I couldn't grow to love another. I was not telling falsehoods when I said you are a fine man."

"Maybe you were. After all, my duty was to save Misters Turner and Swift, loyal British subjects, and instead I used it to leverage a marriage."

"If it makes you feel better, Will is technically Scottish."

"Elizabeth," that serious tone was a stark reminder about how little room in his life James Norrington had for teasing.

"I'm sorry," she hung her head.

And he watched her: that submissive, unnatural position of subservience. That was not Elizabeth Swann: that was a cygnet trapped in a cage who would only hit iron bars whenever she tried to stretch her wings. It was against her nature and it killed that spark he loved so much.

This was what he would put her through if he held her to her word.

"Elizabeth, I need to ask you this plainly," Norrington said. "Do you want to marry me?"

She looked up and met his eyes. Her gaze was steady, cold, steely, pained, but sympathetic towards him.

"No," came the blunt answer.

It struck his heart as he struggled not to flinch. But he knew the reason he had brought her down here; the choice he would have to make.

"Do you wish to break off our engagement?" Norrington asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth admitted. "…but I won't do it. I will not put my family through another Beckett Incident."

He gazed at her so curiously why contrary to her entire manner, it was her family's reputation she would not risk. Elizabeth couldn't blame him; it was hard to explain the grip the Beckett Incident had on the Swann family.

From a young age it had both fascinated and horrified Elizabeth. While she loved the romantic angle of choosing one's own true love and taking a stand against the restrictions men pinned women down with, it had also scared her.

When it was said that Rebecca and Nathaniel had not seen their family for five years after their marriage, it wasn't an exaggeration. They literally could not see either sides of their beloved families for five long years. The pair couldn't even send so much as a letter postmarked from another country for fear of being tracked down and separated. The thought of being removed from her own family like that terrified Elizabeth, especially now that she had experienced such a separation from Father and Philip for a month. Half a decade would simply drive her mad to be away from a loved one, or worse, even longer.

But it wasn't just the thought of separation that scared Elizabeth: it was the impact on her future such a thing as the Beckett Incident could do. Elizabeth didn't care what the world thought of her, but she did understand the impact such views could have. She had heard all the stories of her family's mistakes and what ruin they had led to.

Aunt Rebecca had been courting a respectable upper-class man by the name of Roger Waters for three years, the pair nearly set to marry. Then one black mark against the Swann family due to an incident between Grandfather Swann and Elizabeth's mother, and the Waters family broke off any possibility of a marriage, destroying Rebecca's prospects and putting them in the position where Bartholomew had to choose such a lowly figure as Cutler Beckett.

Elizabeth's mother had been the absolute darling of the Skylark family: the only daughter among five sons. Katherine Skylark was the precious jewel in their crown as the absolute model of their perfect family: rich, noble, proper, obedient, warm, charming, a good conversationalist, and having started her fertile cycles at a young age. Charles Skylark was only willing to wed his daughter to the absolute best of the best as no doubt she would be as fertile as her mother.

But then came the miscarriages, the stillborns, and the children who died before their first birthdate. Within two years of marriage, Katherine had become the humiliation of the Skylark family, and all around London they whispered about her cursed womb that must have been punishment from God for a corrupt and sinful life. It was such whispers that led to Katherine's quest to attempt time and time again to bear more children until her body could not take it any longer.

Uncle Nathaniel had been called the most respectable man to ever come out of Black Hill Cove, and several parishes had begged the Church of England to place him with them. Then he eloped with Aunt Rebecca, and Uncle Nathaniel's reputation was so destroyed that he couldn't even get a placement in the worst of the colonies. He was forced to essentially abandon his son with his in-laws – and barely even have time to give so much as a thought to his mother and sisters – as missionary work was all he could land.

And of course, look where that got him in the end.

Yes, the Beckett Incident had an icy grip over Elizabeth's heart. Things had never quite added up right for her in all the retellings, no doubt her mind trying to logic its way out of it ever possibly happening to her. But in the past two days the Beckett Incident grew control over her as she learned more and more secrets, finally adding up to why her family's stories seemed to miss details.

Now, that wasn't to say Elizabeth ever thought her father would drag her by the hair up to her room and board her into it like a prison. (Least of all reasons being Elizabeth was pretty sure she could outmatch him physically.) But that didn't make the choice set before Elizabeth any less important. To let history repeat itself would do the same thing it did to the Swann family last time: drag all of them down with the scandal, not just the bride. And after everything Father and Philip had sacrificed for her, Elizabeth couldn't do that to them.

No, she didn't want to marry Norrington… but she wanted the weight of another Beckett Incident upon her family even less.

As Elizabeth let all of those thoughts coalesce in her mind, Norrington watched her silently: knowingly. Then, as she came to the end of her musings, James' face softened and he looked down at the sword on his hip.

"This is a beautiful sword," he drew it out so they could both admire it. "I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."

Elizabeth winced, eyes slipping shut as she fought to hold back the tears.

"It would be a true sin to stand in the way of it."

Her eyes snapped open.

"What?" Elizabeth stared at him in shock, not entirely sure she heard that right.

"I won't stand in the way," James said. "You love him and being with him is what will make you happy. And your happiness is what matters the most. I will step aside."

"No, James, you won't. I can't put my family through that. I can't break off our engagement!"

"You're not.Iam."

She blinked, "…What?"

He righted his shoulder, "Miss Swann, after reviewing all of the facts, I have decided to withdraw my offer of marriage. You are free to pursue whomever you wish and you will not have your family go through the shame of you breaking an engagement."

"Are you serious?" she whispered.

"Absolutely. I will speak to your father about it first thing in the morning. He did not seem… to be in the most fit condition to have such a conversation. While this isn't exactly how I wished for our betrothal to end, I assure you that I part with you on the best of terms. I wish you and Turner the best of luck."

Elizabeth smiled the widest smile James had ever seen on her face. Before he could say another word, she launched herself at him and pulled him in a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you, James," she cried onto his shoulder. "Thank you so much."

He had to admit, he soaked up every second of that hug, committing every detail to memory. He revelled in it… and then let it pass. When he released her from the hug, James was surprised that though it did certainly hurt to be rejected by Elizabeth… his heart still soared from seeing her so happy.

It was only too bad he was about to break it.

"Now that said," James shifted on his feet, "there is a… slight favor I must ask you."

Elizabeth frowned; there was a nervousness in his face that unsettled her.

Sure enough, before he spoke, James took a moment to clear his throat, "While indeed our engagement is broken off… I think it is best if that doesn't become public knowledge quite yet."

Elizabeth just stared at him. In fact, she stared at him blankly for so long, James wasn't sure if her brain hadn't just shut down out of self-preservation from hitting her limit of drama for the day. He had to admit, to had been a rough few days for Elizabeth.

Utterly shocked and confused, Elizabeth had to replay those words in her head a few times before she registered she had heard him correctly, "I'm sorry. What did you just say?"

Norrington sighed, "Elizabeth, let's not pretend we don't know what the whispers will be when we return to Port Royal. The whispers that have already begun to slither their way through the crew. You have been alone with Turner for a month-"

"He literally only found me yesterday."

"Yes, but as far as the rumor mill is concerned, it was a full month that the pair of you were alone."

"But Philip was also-"

"It won't matter," Norrington cut her off not sharply but in the commanding tone of a high-ranking naval officer. "The affection between yourself and Turner is no secret in Port Royal and the pair of you have spent time alone together. You also very publicly accepted my proposal in front of the crew, so everyone on this ship knows that as of this morning you and I were engaged. If you were to so suddenly cast me aside, not only would that embarrass me in front of my crew, but it may raise questions of what exactly transpired between yourself and Turner when alone."

Elizabeth didn't realise how pink her cheeks were turning as she thought about how such rumors wouldn't be unfounded.

"Even worse there may be question involving how intact your… virtue is after this adventure."

She openly rolled her eyes at that. Elizabeth knew that Philip had worked so damn hard at feeding Will the gospel of no sex before marriage. She was certain that even if she undressed and crawled into his lap, Will might turn her down.

…Then again the eager way his hands had snaked down her bodice might rival that claim…

"I assure you, my virtue is the business of myself and no other, and I don't actually care what the people of Port Royal would think about me potentially going to bed before marriage. Though if you are so concerned with the topic, I'm sure Will is more than happy to set the record straight."

"Regardless of the truth of the matter, the public's perception is what will count here," Norrington reminded. "In fact it might even be worse than a Beckett Incident."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, "That's a dirty trick."

Norrington shrugged, "Merely using your own logic back at you."

"That's not fair. Only Philip is allowed to do that to me, and that's only because I get to kick him in the shins in return."

Norrington shook his head, but there was still a smile on his face.

Elizabeth sighed and accepted that James did have a point. It was bad enough that she had used his feelings for her to manipulate him into getting what she wanted and then went back on it before even the next sunrise. But to turn around and humiliate him in the process and potentially wreck Will's own reputation in the process was something she couldn't do. Her reputation was hers to do with as she saw fit, but she wouldn't drag Will and James through the mud when she didn't have to.

"Alright," Elizabeth conceded. "What is it that you wish for me to do?"

"I would ask that you and I continue to act as if we are engaged for a little while longer," James explained.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. I would like to make it look like we did attempt to give this engagement a shot, but that we came to learn we are not compatible. That way all three of us can save face around town."

"I don't know… I'm not sure how Will would feel about that. Or even my father."

"I will explain it all to your father, and I will not push your generosity, but merely require the occasional walk on my arm and maybe escorting me to a function or two-"

"Functions?" she gaped at him."How long are we to play pretend?"

"Perhaps a month or two."

"TWO MONTHS? Are you serious, James?"

"Elizabeth," he said sternly. "Please. I'm asking you for a small boon to save face. This will protect yourself and Mister Turner far more than it will me. If you're not willing to do it for my sake, then do it for his."

Elizabeth sighed. She had to admit as much as she hated the thought of playing pretend for two months, it would be selfish to make Will and James suffer over this. She needed to think long term, even if the short term seemed unpleasant.

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll do it. Just let me explain things to Will and Philip, and then I'll-"

"About that…" James cleared his throat, "I was actually hoping we could keep those two out of the loop on this matter."

The deathly glare on her face was a stellar imitation of one she had seen on a certain mermaid far too many times.

"WHY?" she demanded flatly.

"I do not wish this ruse be found out prematurely when yourself and Turner are caught in an embrace one definitely should not be in with a woman engaged to someone else. I know Turner to be generally an honourable man, but I fear that temptation might arise if he knows that you are available."

"Will would know better than try to proposition me when I'm supposed to be pretending I'm engaged to you."

"With all due respect… It's not Mister Turner I'm concerned about doing the propositioning. It would just be easier for him to say no if he doesn't know he has a chance to say yes later."

Norrington knew by the look on Elizabeth's face that if she hadn't been willing to pull a Beckett Incident earlier, she would easily be okay with it now.

"It's not forever," James assured her. "Just a little while and then the two of you can go have your happily ever after. But please, Elizabeth, can we just hold off on telling Turner and Swift right now?"

"Why Philip?"

"Because the second you tell Swift, five minutes later Turner knows."

"…Ok, fair point."

Norrington sighed, "So will you do it?"

Elizabeth bit her lip and thought hard, "…Just two months?"

"Likely even less."

"And I can be with Will the second it's over?"

"As long as your father agrees, and I feel like any no to that would be easily shouted down by yourself and your cousin."

Elizabeth took a deep breath, "Alright, fine. I'll do it. I'll pretend to be engaged to you for just a little longer."

Norrington smiled; it was a kind of smile that under different circumstances could have stolen her heart had it not been claimed by a blacksmith years ago, "Thank you, Elizabeth."

"No. Thank you, James." She glanced out the door to the galley to where beams of moonlight shone through cracks in the ship. "It's getting late. I should retire for the evening."

"Of course," he bowed his head and stepped aside.

Elizabeth was almost out of the room when James' voice stopped her once more.

"Oh, and Miss Swann?"

She looked back at him.

"I wish the very best for you both."

And in her heart, Elizabeth knew he meant it.

Elizabeth was not at all surprised when she returned to Norrington's cabin to find Syrena had changed back into Philip's long white shirt as what Elizabeth presumed to be her bedclothes.

Syrena stood at the desk, speaking to Jack the Monkey on her shoulder. She fussed with what looked like lining some linen into an open drawer – the desk was not the one which contained the hand – to create a makeshift bed for Jack.

What Elizabeth was surprised at was when Syrena looked up at her and said with a smile, "Well, that whole Beckett thing ended up having quite the easy resolution."

Elizabeth scowled for a moment but then remembered, "Oh right. Full moon mermaid powers. You heard the whole thing, didn't you?"

"I did," Syrena nodded. She gave Jack a little pat, and he clamored off her arm, settling in the drawer for sleep. Looking down at him in a motherly way, Syrena stroked his fur and pulled a handkerchief over him as a blanket. "In fact, I can hear what anyone on this ship is saying right now. Would you like me to tell you what Will and Philip are discussing? It's something about experience and a woman named Rachel?"

Elizabeth wanted to glower but chose not to, lest Syrena think it was directed at her again. Elizabeth did not want to hear anything about beautiful, smart, clever, 100% in Will's league Rachel Brown.

Don't get her wrong, Elizabeth liked the woman well enough, and once thought she could have potentially been friends. But the day Rachel moved in on Will was the day Elizabeth decided she no longer was interested in the woman's life, except for when she got the news of Rachel's departure two years previous.

"I'll pass," Elizabeth said quickly. "I don't really want to hear about Will's romantic history with another woman."

Syrena chuckled, "How could you be so irrational? Will is going to be yours. What does it matter if he once had affection for another?"

"You know, Philip had a crush on her for the longest time. Called her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen."

A long silence stretched across the room as Elizabeth watched the news fall over the mermaid.

Syrena blinked.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Would you like me to kill her and eat her?" Syrena asked in the most serious tone Elizabeth had ever heard.

The query took Elizabeth aback, "Is that an option on the table?"

Syrena shrugged, "I won't tell anyone if you won't."

"I…" Elizabeth thought about it for a minute. "Not at this moment, but that is definitely something I'll keep in my back pocket."

"Of course. The offer is also good for more than just Will's ex-lover."

"What does it say about me that I already understood that?"

Syrena chuckled, and Elizabeth couldn't help but join her in the laughter. It was kind of strange, Elizabeth had always wanted a friend who would be an accomplice in her rebellion, but the boys would only stretch so far. In a weird way, it was comforting to know she had someone in her life now that would literally help her dispose of a body if need be.

"You know, I'm surprised that you remembered the whole what happens to mermaids during a full moon thing," Syrena admitted.

"Look, I may have betrayed you in the end, but we did spend a month in confined quarters together," Elizabeth replied. "Naturally I remembered your stories. Did you remember mine?"

"Of course. Though I do wonder how much of it you altered in your falsehoods."

"Surprisingly, not a lot. We can go over it tomorrow."

"Sure, after I sleep in a bucket tonight," Syrena snapped.

Elizabeth cocked her head. "…You know I didn't actually mean it when I said it?"

Syrena blinked, "What?"

"I was joking around."

"But why?"

"Because... that's what I do with my friends," Elizabeth explained. "I playfully mock them. I do it to Will. I do it to Philip... I do it to you. It's a sign of affection to me."

Syrena's eyes softened, a strange feeling of hope sparking in her heart, "Really?

"Yeah," Elizabeth smiled warmly. "I do it to my friends and my friends do it to me."

"Well, that's- That's wonderful. Here let me try!"

She dramatically cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, the student soaking in the proud look her mentor of mockery gazed upon her. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a bit of gratification at Syrena's eagerness to play her game.

"Elizabeth Swann..." Syrena proudly declared her first friendly tease, "You're a horrid bitch who I should have drowned.

A heavy and thick silence of awkwardness filled the room. Syrena's proud smile slowly slipped off her face as she saw the way Elizabeth looked at her. Even in his drawer, Jack the Monkey covered his face with his little paws out of embarrassment.

Syrena cocked her head, "Too much?"

"We'll work on it," Elizabeth assured her. "Here, I got you something."

She pulled out the green apple from her pocket and handed it to Syrena. The mermaid looked so touched at the gesture.

"Thank you," Syrena whispered.

"I know what it means to you," Elizabeth placed a sisterly hand on Syrena's shoulder. Her voice was heavy with the burden of a woman who lost a parent far too young. "I'm sorry he's gone."

"I'm sorry he tried to shoot you. I could not tell you why he made the choice."

"It's not up to us to explain the actions of our parents. We get the gift of knowing the consequences and learning how to avoid their path."

"Still," Syrena ran a thumb over the green flesh, "I wish he had not made it."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say so simply offered, "Well, enjoy the fruit he could not."

"Of course… but tomorrow. I am quite full for tonight."

Elizabeth frowned, "Did someone bring you something to eat while I was gone?"

"Oh yes, I had my dinner." Syrena wiped the corner of her mouth where Elizabeth hadn't noticed a spot of blood. "Now, let us speak about this Norrington situation. You're not seriously going to keep it from Philip and Will, are you?"

"Well, you heard our conversation. James wants this to keep quiet for the sake of everyone's reputation."

"You humans are a ridiculous bunch," Syrena rolled her eyes, exhausted with human antics. "Why do you care what others think of you? Do you think I care what other mermaids think of me?"

"I think you probably did once upon a time."

Syrena's silence made Elizabeth knew she was correct in her assessment.

"Not to the degree you humans do," Syrena admitted, "but yes, I did. Now I have learned not to."

"I've learned not to either, but it's not for my sake that I would keep this a secret."

"But why? I don't understand. What is the problem if someone thinks something has happened? Why does human society care about gossip and the actions of others?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and thought about how to best describe it to the naïve mermaid, "One thing you're going to find very quickly in human culture is that when there are certain opportunities in life, the people providing them want a certain image to be projected by the one who is rewarded with it. If you don't have that image, opportunities are taken away."

Syrena's brows knit together as she turned the words over in her mind, "I don't… follow."

Elizabeth sighed, "Take Philip for example. He wants to be a minister. A man who people go to for religious counsel. What do you think would happen if Philip suddenly went around proclaiming that God isn't real?"

"He would not be ordained."

"Exactly. Because people want a man of God to be a Godly man who follows the laws of the Lord. Just like with James. He's a Commodore. He shouldn't be bartering marriage for the lives of citizens. He should have gone to rescue Will and Philip because they were citizens of the Crown, and it's his duty to protect them. If he immediately sets me aside and I take up with Will, then it's clear exactly what happened."

"And he could lose his position?"

"Now you got it." Elizabeth asked, "So you understand why we have to keep this a secret and pretend, right?"

Syrena sighed, "I get that part, I just don't understand why you are not telling Will and Philip."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to explain.

"No, no," Syrena held up her hand. "I heard the conversation. I know the reasoning, but I find it silly. It sounds like unnecessary heartache you're inflicting."

"Syrena, please," Elizabeth begged. "For the sake of everyone, can't you keep this quiet?"

She let out a loud breath as she turned the choice over in her mind, "Do you honestly want to do this, much less keep Will and Philip in the dark?"

"No, but I kind of just went with when James asked. I didn't think about it much, I just trusted him to know what to do."

"All right, I can understand that."

"Really? You're not going to judge me on that fact?"

Syrena shot her a look, "Elizabeth, I've completely rearranged my life to go home with a guy I just professed as my one true love …and I met him yesterday. I'm not in any position to judge anyone over impulse control issues and rash decisions."

"So… will you keep this quiet?"

"On one condition: if this gets convoluted and ridiculous and keeping it quiet no longer makes sense and would threaten worse consequences than admitting the truth, I'm going to tell them. So if this goes smooth, I'll be silent as a clam, but if this goes terribly wrong and telling the truth is somehow the only thing stopping Will from going into a noose, then I'll be as chatty as a swordfish."

"…Are swordfish particularly talkative?"

"They are a surprisingly catty bunch."

"Huh. So we have a deal?"

"Deal," Syrena shook her hand… from side to side because she still didn't really understand the whole human custom of handshakes.

"Alright, we should probably turn in for bed. Do you mind if I change into my bedclothes?"

"Of course not. Your father put your items behind the dressing screen. He brought you and Philip a whole wardrobe."

"I know. I had to bribe Murtaugh and Mullroy into pretending they lost mine so I could get into a pair of pants for once. You get into the bed and I'll join you shortly."

"Hey, if you don't feel comfortable sharing with me, I left a bucket for you in the corner."

Elizabeth smiled, "Better."

Syrena shimmied her shoulders with pride like a bird ruffling her feathers.

The room dimmed as Elizabeth changed and Syrena put out the candles before crawling into bed. When Elizabeth emerged in her shift and stockings, the room was filled with only the faint glow of the moonlight. It was still rather bright, so Elizabeth crossed the room to pull the curtains across the large windows she had made her escape from earlier that night.

Right before she pulled the curtains, Elizabeth noticed Syrena had neatly placed her apple on a nearby table. The sight pulled at something in her brain that hadn't registered as odd before.

She looked around the room, searching for the dishes from Syrena's dinner. They were nowhere to be found. Her first thought was that the dishes had already been cleared away, but that couldn't be right. Elizabeth hadn't been gone long enough for Syrena to be brought food, finish it, and have someone come take all evidence away. Yet as Elizabeth looked around, she couldn't find even so much as a latent crumb left behind.

And then she caught sight of the desk on the other wall.

"Syrena," Elizabeth's voice wavered nervously. "…You ate that hand, didn't you?"

"Yes. Yes, I did," Syrena replied brightly.

Elizabeth sighed heavily, pulled the curtains, and climbed into bed with Syrena without another word.

When they woke in the morning, they found at some point in the night they had wove their arms around each other and cling in a tight embrace.

And yet… neither girl found the urge to let go as they closed their eyes and sought five more minutes of sleep.

A/N: There! It's done! You happy now story? Can we move onto the next plot point fic? I could have just summed up this chapter by having Elizabeth and Syrena have a whispered conversation next chapter of Syrena being like "hey I know that off-screen chat you had with Norrington resulted in you two breaking up, but in order to protect your reputation you're not telling the boys, and I overheard and you made me swear to secrecy, but like, are you sure we shouldn't tell Philip and Will?"

So, I know I'm going to get a few reviews sounding like Syrena, questioning why on earth I would have the engagement undone and yet Elizabeth does not tell the boys. The honest truth is that originally I was going to have Norrington end the engagement in the proper place at Jack's execution. However, when I had Will and Elizabeth get together sooner, it only felt proper that James step back sooner. That said, before I made that decision, I had thought of some plot stuff for Will to do in the interim between Isla de Muerta and the execution. That stuff is intriguing, something I really want to write, and have spent a few years in this story setting up. It's why I'm having Will and Philip think that the engagement is still on so I can have my cake and eat it too. So Will will have the plotline I've been planning, but Syrena is waiting in the background to throw a flag on the field. And yes, I promise, the revelation will be the result of Syrena just being like "Fuck this, I'm done."

That's Barbossa's girl after all.

Yeah, one of the things I'm looking forward to most in this story is the presence of Philip and Syrena having no patience for the Willabeth dramatics and throwing flags on the field when the pair are being dumb. I promise, the Jack kissing stuff is legitimately going to be resolved before they even leave Tia Dalma's shack. Philip Swift and Syrena Barbossa have no time for your lack of communication bullshit.

Honestly, this pair is going to put more work into the Willabeth relationship than Will and Elizabeth themselves.

Oh, and for those who have been asking, COTBP won't be wrapped up in the next couple of chapters. The current tally is actually ten chapters until Jack's almost execution. After that, don't think it's a quick hop, skip, and jump to DMC. I've got at least thirty chapters of content that plays out between movies.

Yeah, this is going to be a long ride.