Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 18 of Tortured. I want to thank those who have left reviews. It truly does mean a lot to me that you guys are enjoying this story. I'm trying my best to finish this story out strong. Hopefully it will be strong in the end. I hope that you guys will enjoy this next part of the story. There isn't very many chapters left. Just two. Hard to believe that I've been working on this story for a long time and only posting on A03 for not very long when it comes to this series. Without further ado Chapter 18. ENJOY!

Chapter 18

Clouds began to rotate forming a storm like disk in the sky. Lightning striked down upon the sea.

"Maelstrom! Saints preserve us!" Gibbs shouted.

Rose turned her attention to Barbossa. "Captain Barbossa!"

Barbossa looked up at Rose.

"I need you at the helm." Rose said firmly knowing that this was the one thing that they needed to do and act quickly.

"Aye, that be true!" Barbossa said taking the wheel from Cotton. "Brace the yards! Set the stay sails and turn her windward!"

Rose looked at James with a look in her eye.

James nodded his head in trust of his fiancee.

A small smile came to her lips and then she nodded her head knowing that he understood what they were doing at that very moment. She braced herself as she ship began to turn towards the maelstrom.

Will noticed that the Dutchman was gaining on them. Realizing what the plan was he turned sharply. "She's on our stern and gaining!"

"More speed! Angle yard to port!" Barbossa shouted over the noise.

"Take us out! Before they overbear us!"

"Nay, further in! And cut across to faster waters!"

Rose quickly moved down the steps. "Prepare to broadside!"

"Captain the guns! Bear-a-hand!" Gibbs shouted.

Rose watched carefully her hand on her sword in worry.

James joined in beside her slowly reaching for her hand. "We'll pull through this." James said over the wind.

Rose looked over at James and nodded her head slowly. She could only hope that this was going to be something that they could pull through together.

The Dutchman came up beside them.

Barbossa brought the Pearl around. "Fire!"

As they fired upon one another a cannon ball wizzed past Barbossa's head.

"Hah! It be too late to alter course now, Mateys!"

Rose looked over and shouted. "PREPARE TO BE BOARDED! FIGHT!" Rose shouted out as she grabbed her sword drawing it out.

James swallowed the lump in his throat and pulled out his sword. He gripped it tightly in his hand. He knew that this was something that they were going to have to fight together to survive. He just hoped that they would be able to live past this day.

Rose looked at James and nodded her head gripping her sword in her hand as they began to be boarded by the crew of the Dutchman. Her sword clashed with one of the men that came across. She fought back knowing that the carnage would be great and hard to deal with. She knew that they needed to fight for the freedom of the pirates being out on the sea.

James's sword clashed with another man's fighting back. He wouldn't allow them to do this on their own. He made his choice now and that was to be with Rose and fight along side pirates. He knew that his father would disapprove of what he was doing at that very moment and it was the reason he had strived to be the best man that he possibly could to show his father that he wasn't a failure in life.

Rose shoved back one of the men that were after her and huffed in annoyance. This was going to be one long battle that was for sure. Her eyes wandered over to James. "JAMES!"

James blocked off an attack before punching the man in the face. "Rose?!"

"After this is all said and done lets get married." Rose shouted as she fought off another guy off the edge of the ship into the chasm below.

James felt his heart leap into his throat. She still wanted to marry him after everything that he had done. He was surprised that she even wanted that. "You still want to marry me?"

"Yes!"

"After everything I've done."

"James you've made the right choice."

James' heart swelled with joy to know that Rose still wanted to marry him after this. It was something that he was going to look forward to.

She fought her way towards him before wrapping her hand around his arm. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said gripping her arm with the hand of the arm that she was grabbing onto.

The two of them fought together fending off the ever growing hoard of crewmembers off their ship.

Rose felt a jolt beneath her feet as the two ships slammed together at the masts. Rose looked up in worry. "Oh great."

James fought back his attacker his hand loosening on hers. "We'll marry in a church!"

"Wonderful."

Pintel, Ragetti and Gibbs arrived on the deck.

"The masts be tangled! The Dutchman is going down, and us with it!" Barbossa shouted.

Gibbs craned his neck staring at the masts. "Loose a cannon! Use chain shot - blast us free!"

Pintel and Ragett confront Clacker before sending him over the edge leaving Pintel holding iron balls.

"We've got balls!" Pintel shouted.

Rose rushed past them. "Free the sails! Target the mast!" She crouched slashing at the cannon tie down rope.

Gibbs crouched next to her. "I've got it - go!"

Rose moved to help James who was starting to get over ran by men attacking him. Rose puncehd one of them in the face sending him back before attacking with her sword. "Sorry James."

"It's alright, Rose."

Rose smiled softly as she fought along side him. She could only hope that the others were alright.

The cannon went off releasing the two ships from each other.

James grasped at Rose to keep her from falling onto the deck. "You alright?"

"Yes." Rose said softly looking up at him with a soft look in her eyes.

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This is the end of Chapter 18. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I tried my best to add in extra stuff to make the chapter longer. We don't see what happens to Will on the Dutchman because Rose and James are fighting on the Black Pearl. I hope that it turned out well. I'm terrible when it comes to writing out scenes for fighting. I suppose I need to get better at it as time goes on. Who knows I might do a rewrite of this series and add extra things into it to make it longer. I don't know yet. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Reviews help me keep going when it comes to writing. I hope to have the next chapter out soon. Until next time.