Pirates of the Caribbean 1. Pirates

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, ideas, or places. I only own (half) of this plot (which refers to the part about the vampires). Otherwise, I own nothing while writing this story. 

A/N: Thank you to all those readers who are taking the time to read my story. This is the first time I am working with POTC so I hope I do a good job. Enjoy the story!

Vampires of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Chapter One: Pirates 

It was a calm, cool evening on the seas. The waves rolled back and forth and there was not a ship to be seen for miles ahead. A deep, suffocating fog had drifted in, making it even more difficult to see the horizon from a distance. On that evening, young Elizabeth Swan was standing near the bow of a ship, slowly making the journey from England. Her soft, sweet voice was the only sound heard as she sang a song of pirates.

"Drink up me hearties, yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up-" At that moment, a hand caught Elizabeth by the shoulder and she let out a small gasp of surprise.

"Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. If you believe such things, there are even some pirates out there that crave somethin' else besides a spot o' rum. Some say that if you cross such a pirate, they'd rather go for the taste of your own blood—"

"Mr. Gibbs, that will do," commanded Lieutenant Norrington. He stood off to one side, watching the exchange between Gibbs and young Elizabeth with a hard look of disgust on his face. Gibbs made a step away from the young girl.

"She was singing about pirates! Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog! Mark my words," Gibbs assured, pointing a finger in Norrington's direction. Norrington looked a bit amused at Gibbs' warning.

"Consider them marked." Norrington stepped around Mr. Gibbs and glanced once down at Elizabeth. Gibbs trailed off, all the while mumbling about how it was bad luck to have a woman aboard a ship. A sincere look of excitement passed over Elizabeth's face at the mention of these cursed pirates.

"I think it'd be rather fascinating to meet a pirate," she admitted to the Lieutenant. He smirked at her comment, though she did not entirely understand why.

"Think again, Miss Swan. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves—a short drop and a sudden stop." Elizabeth's face twisted into confusion. She turned to look at Gibbs as he pretended to hold a rope around his neck and become hanged. Elizabeth gasped once more, except this time out of concern and swift understanding of what Norrington planned to do.

Behind her, Elizabeth's father stated that he wished Norrington would not tell such stories to his daughter, especially since she was already fascinated. Elizabeth disregarded the two of them and made her way to one of the ship's railings. She glanced down at the calm waves and spotted a white umbrella and a young boy drifting on a piece of wood.

"Look! A boy! There's a boy in the water!" The others immediately gathered around her to see what she was pointing at so insistently. One group of men helped to bring the boy aboard the ship and they carefully laid him on the deck. Elizabeth watched as Norrington and his men tried to figure out who the boy was. She crept up beside her father and looked down at the unconscious boy. Norrington bent down and examined the boy, checking for any sign of a pulse.

"He's still breathing!" All of a sudden, the crew members rushed to the railings of the ship in alarm. They were staring off at something ahead, each one mumbling to another. Elizabeth followed them and spotted the sight of a burning ship not far ahead of the Dauntless. Her eyes widened as she focused on the flames and burning supplies floating around in the water. Gibbs voiced everyone's thoughts from where he stood.

"Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it. Pirates," he insisted in a low voice, as if he was afraid the pirates might still be around. Elizabeth recalled the song she had been singing and Gibbs' warning . Her father came up beside her and carefully grasped her arm.

"Elizabeth, I want you to accompany the boy. Take care of him." Elizabeth headed over to where the boy still lay helplessly. She knelt beside him and he awoke suddenly, gripping her arm desperately. She placed a hand upon his arm and smiled at him.

"It's okay. My name's Elizabeth Swan," she spoke softly, hoping to calm him down.

"W-Will Turner," he said before collapsing unconscious on the deck once more. Elizabeth noticed a chain around his neck. Grasping the chain, she discovered a gold pirate medallion. Her eyes grew wide at the thought that this young boy could possibly be a pirate. He certainly did not look like any pirate and definitely not one of the pirates Gibbs had mentioned earlier. The sound of footsteps behind her caused Elizabeth to jump to her feet, making sure to hide the gold medallion behind her back.

"Has he said anything?" Norrington asked Elizabeth in a stern voice. Elizabeth hesitated for only a moment. The medallion suddenly felt very cool while she rubbed her fingers over it.

"His name is William Turner. That's all I found out," she assured Norrington. She dropped her eyes as soon as the words left her lips. He nodded once and ordered the boy to be brought below deck. Elizabeth returned to the railing and studied the mysterious pirate medallion. Gibbs' words and warnings passed through her mind. Were pirates really that bad?

Elizabeth lowered the necklace and caught sight of the burning ship again. As the _Dauntless_ passed slowly by the shipwreck, Elizabeth noticed a single floating body in the water, that of a woman. Her hair was like gold silk as it drifted in the water, her blue eyes open and unseeing. One arm was caught on a piece of the ruined ship and the body simply floated there like any other piece of debris. The thing that caught Elizabeth's attention the most, however, was the small wound on the woman's neck. It was a fresh wound; Elizabeth could still see some blood trickling down the side of the woman's neck.

Gibbs' warning about worse pirates flashed across Elizabeth's mind, just before her eyes trained on the black ship ahead. Its black flag unfurled in the wind and Elizabeth's heart began beating hard as she realized that this was the ship. The pirate ship that must have caused this destruction. Elizabeth clutched at the pirate medallion in her palm and closed her eyes, wishing everything would disappear like a ship vanishing into the thick, unsettling fog.


	2. A Close Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, ideas, or places. I only own (half) of the plot. 

A/N: Well, here is the second chapter. I decided to skip a few scenes and place this chapter at the time of Elizabeth's kidnapping. I hope the readers will enjoy the next chapter (this is my first POTC fanfic). 

Chapter Two: A Close Encounter 

Elizabeth awoke from the dream with her heart pounding and sweat forming on her forehead. She sat up in her bed and brushed back her long hair. The last images of the dream swam away to the back of her mind where she could not easily reach them. Elizabeth had had this dream countless times ever since she first met Will Turner. Now, she pulled the gold pirate medallion out from under her nightgown and stared hard at it. After all these years, she still could not believe Will might be a pirate. He was always polite to her each time they crossed paths, and he was skilled as Port Royal's blacksmith. He couldn't possibly be a pirate.

Her mind turned to the pirate she had met earlier that day. Jack Sparrow. He had threatened her and then almost escaped Norrington and his men. Almost. Now, he was probably sitting in a dirty, empty cell waiting to be hanged for being a pirate.

That wasn't it, though. No, it was the fact that Sparrow had recognized her medallion after he had saved her from drowning. He had known what it meant, being a pirate himself. Would he also know who the medallion belonged to or did he simply know it as a pirate medallion?

At that moment, the flame of the candle on her bedside table flickered before dying completely. Elizabeth stayed in her bed, in the darkness of her room, listening to the silence. A minute later, Elizabeth heard the first sounds of a cannon.

Elizabeth hurried over to her window and immediately spotted a black ship that looked exactly like the one she saw eight years ago and in her dreams. She instinctively glanced down and saw a line of pirates rushing to the front entrance, each one holding a burning torch that glowed fiercely in the darkness. Dashing out of her bedroom, Elizabeth made it to the foyer just as one of the servants reached the door.

"No, don't!" She cried out to the man, but it was already too late. The man had pulled open the door to reveal a handful of pirates. One of the closer pirates addressed the man before another latched onto his neck with his teeth, crimson blood spilling down his chin. The pirate stepped back and the man fell to the floor, dead. Elizabeth covered her mouth in horror and ran off down the hallway, already knowing that the pirates had seen her.

"Up there!" The same pirate that had spoken to the now dead man bellowed out as they climbed the stairs after her. Elizabeth reached the top room and slammed the door behind her. One of the maids lingered by the doorway and informed Elizabeth that the pirates were after her. After telling the maid to hide and wait for a chance to escape, Elizabeth headed through her bedroom door and she hastily grabbed up the bed warmer from between the sheets of her bed. The pirates were at the door now; she slammed the bed warmer into the face of one of them. The other pirate—the one with wooden eye—grabbed her arm as she raised the bed warmer again.

"Gotcha!" Elizabeth shrieked as she tried to pull free from his grip. His eyes lowered to her neck and she knew what he was thinking. Elizabeth pulled the clasp on the bed warmer and ashes showered over the pirate, burning him. She raced off and strode through the sitting room where she knew there were two swords hanging on the wall. To her dismay, she couldn't unhook the two swords and the pirates' footsteps were fast approaching. Instant banging on the door caused her heart to beat even faster than it already was. Without hesitation, Elizabeth ducked into the closet and closed the doors as tightly as she could. Now she could only wait…

The doors of the sitting room crashed open and she could hear the pirates slowly moving into the room. One of them closed the sitting room doors. Now, she knew they would catch her unless they left the room. She could only hold her breath as the two pirates' shadows covered what little light was coming through the slit in the doorway.

"We know yer 'ere, poppet. Come out and we promise we won' hurt you," one of the pirates called out. They were close to the closet now. Elizabeth took a small step backward, holding the medallion tightly in her hands. "You've got somethin' of ours and it calls to us. The gold calls to us," the pirate whispered as they neared the closet door. Elizabeth glanced down at the medallion. What did they mean when they said this medallion called to them? A shadow blocked the light and Elizabeth looked up to see one of the pirates peering through the slit in the door.

"'Ello, poppet," the pirate whispered as he pulled open the door. The two pirates moved to grab hold of her shoulders, or maybe her neck.

"Parley! I invoke the right of parley! According to the code of the brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you have to take me to your captain," she spoke with confidence, hoping they would listen to her. The two pirates stopped and stared at her. A scowl swept over the face of the smaller pirate while the lanky pirate with the wooden eye simply looked at her.

"I know the code," the small pirate growled at her. The pirate with the wooden eye still looked as though he wanted to reach toward her and grab her neck.

"If an adversary demands parley, you can do them no harm until the parley is complete," Elizabeth said, her voice shaking as she watched the pirate with the wooden eye. She hoped he would get the message and stop inching toward her. A stern look crossed his face.

"To blazes with the code," the man yelled as he started for her again. Elizabeth barely contained a scream before the other pirate caught his arm and yelled back at him.

"She wants to be taken to the captain!" The man with the wooden eye backed away from her, but she could see he wasn't happy about it. The smaller pirate turned to her and showed her a sly grin. "And she'll go without a fuss. We must honor the code," he said as they each grabbed one of her arms and led her out of the room. She could feel the breath of the man with the wooden eye on her neck and she wondered briefly what it was she was getting herself into.


	3. Miss Turner

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or (sadly) any of its characters, places, or ideas. I only own half of the plot. 

A/N: Third chapter and it's a good one! I want to thank **Conni** for your review, and don't worry! I intend to make this a Barbossa/Elizabeth kind of story. I hope all the readers enjoy the chapter! (=

Chapter Three: Miss Turner

Jack Sparrow lounged against the wall of his cell. A cool breeze blew through the hole that was created from the Black Pearl's cannons. Unfortunately, the hole had allowed the prisoners in the next cell freedom, but he was still stuck in his dingy, dirty cell with nothing but the guard dog staring at him intently through the bars. The dog held the keys in his mouth, but Jack knew it would be useless to try to get them; the other prisoners had already tried that one.

He couldn't stop thinking about the girl he had threatened earlier that day. Sure, she had been pretty enough, real good to look at. What really caught his attention was the medallion she wore around her neck. He had recognized it the minute he saw it. Certainly she wasn't Bootstrap Bill's child, was she? If he was right about what Barbossa planned to do, then he was going to try to find her tonight, if he hadn't already. All Jack wanted was his ship back, his beautiful ship that he had lost when Barbossa mutinied against him and left on an island to die. Maybe he could find some leverage, negotiate the return of his ship. But first, he had to get out of this cell. Jack picked up an old bone—hopefully not human—and slipped through the bars of his cell.

"Come on, doggy. Come on. It's just you and me, now. Come on," he said as he waved the bone around. The dog had noticed the keys and hesitantly moved forward a few steps. Jack waved the bone even more and the dog quickly came forward, its eyes on that bone. "Come on, come get the bone. That's it. Come on you slimy, filthy, mangy cur," Jack said as the dog came inches close to him. He grabbed for the keys, but a loud sound caused the dog to run off down the hallway. A man fell unconscious to the bottom of the steps and two pirates appeared. They were Koehler and Twigg, part of Barbossa's crew.

"Well, well, well," Koehler said in a deep, gravelly voice. "Look what we have here, Twigg. Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack smirked at them with distaste as Twigg spit on the ground near Jack's feet.

"Last time I saw you, you were all alone on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance. His fortunes aren't improved much," Twigg claimed. The two pirates laughed among each other, shaking their heads at Jack.

"Worry about your own fortunes, gentleman. The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers," Jack stated. Koehler grunted and thrust his hand through the bars, catching Jack by the throat. Koehler moved into the moonlight, his skin becoming the bones of a skeleton and his eyes burning red instead of the simple black that Jack saw only a moment ago. Jack looked from Koehler's fierce eyes to the bony hand that held him.

"So, there is a curse. Interesting," he said, not the least bit concerned with the pressure on his throat, even though it was getting hard to breathe. Koehler licked his lips almost hungrily and snarled.

"You know nothing of hell," he exclaimed before releasing Jack. The two pirates backed away from the cell, their eyes returning to their original color. They climbed the dungeon stairs and left. Jack, still holding the old bone in his hand, felt the wheels in his mind begin to turn. There was a curse, one that was more hellish than he originally thought. Jack hoped that the girl with the medallion hadn't been kidnapped and taken aboard the Black Pearl. Otherwise, she was in for some trouble.

The moon slipped behind the thick clouds and the immense darkness made the Black Pearl look even more menacing. The cannons had slowed and the attacks on Port Royal were becoming less frequent. Most of the crew had returned from pillaging the town. Two of them, Pintel and Ragetti, were dragging along a young woman. Standing in the shadows on the top deck, Barbossa stroked his scraggly beard as he watched this young girl.

The woman had long, light colored hair that framed her face perfectly. She had ivory skin that glowed even without the light of the moon shining down around her. The only thing she wore was a long white nightgown that was a shade lighter than her skin. And her figure...well, she wasn't a bad catch, was she? A glint of gold shined from around her neck and Barbossa understood at once why it was her that was brought aboard the ship that night. He grinned as his monkey, Jack, landed swiftly on his shoulder.

He made his way down to where the crowd of pirates stood around the girl. The young woman had opened her mouth to speak, but was backhanded by one of the pirates just as Barbossa approached.

"Ye not lay a hand on those under the protection of parley," he warned the pirate, his voice filled with menace. His hand gripped the pirate's arm roughly and it was a minute before he released the man. His eyes turned to the young woman, all signs of bitterness gone from his face. "My apologies, Miss," he said with sincerity. The woman stepped forward and, keeping her brown eyes trained on him, spoke up once more.

"Captain Barbossa, I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal," she said. It was obvious she was trying to hide the fact that she was shaken and nervous. Barbossa impressed at how well she covered her vulnerability after being kidnapped by pirates.

"There's a lot of long words there, Miss. We're naught but humble pirates. What is it ye want?" Barbossa watched her as she hesitated. She lowered her eyes for only an instant. Suffice to say, her vulnerability made her all the more attractive.

"I want you to leave and never come back," she demanded. The pirates erupted into laughter as if this were the most foolish request in the world. The young woman shifted in place, waiting for his response. Barbossa waited until the laughter died before he answered her.

"I'm disinclined to acquiesque to your request," he stated in an amused voice. The young woman's face filled with confusion. "Means 'no'." More uneasy laughter came from the group of pirates as the woman's face filled with anger instead. She took the medallion off her neck and held it over the railing.

"I'll drop it," she threatened. Barbossa glanced from the medallion back to her face. She was serious. Barbossa tried to hide his sudden fear as the medallion swung back and forth in her hand. He shrugged carelessly.

"Me holds are burstin' with swag. That bit of shine matters to us? Why?" The woman's eyes looked around at all the pirates. Clearly, she did not understand how the pirates could care so little about something they killed for.

"It's what you've been searching for. I recognize this ship, I saw it eight years on the crossing from England," she explained in a frantic voice.

"Did ya, now?" Barbossa became even more interested. Everything about this woman fit the description of the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. She looked about the right age and she had the medallion in her possession. She had even been there eight years ago. He would have to reward his crew generously for this night.

"Fine. If it's worthless, then I suppose there's no point in me keeping it." The woman lowered the medallion's chain while all the pirates jumped forward in response. The woman smiled in victory as she realized they were feigning their lack of care for the medallion.

Barbossa figured she was a whole deal smarter than she looked. He grinned nonchalantly at her and came within inches of her. He placed a hand underneath her chin, forcing her face up to look at him. His sharp nails caused a few drops of her blood to fall onto his fingers.

"Yeh have a name, missy?" The woman stared back at him and then lowered her eyes. A piece of her hair fell free and rested against his skin, even though he could not feel it there. Oh, how he wished he could feel the touch of her skin at that moment.

"Elizabeth...Turner," she admitted, her eyes still avoiding those of the captain. He cupped her chin as he turned to the rest of his crew, a smile sliding over his face.

"Miss Turner," he emphasized. Each one of the pirates looked around at each other with excitement written on their faces. One of them whispered Bootstrap's name and their eyes grew wide at the sight of Elizabeth.

"How does a woman such as yerself come to own a trinket such as that? Family heirloom, perhaps?" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. The medallion continued to swing over the depths of the ocean.

"I didn't steal it if that's what you mean," Elizabeth said, her voice becoming slightly bitter.

"Very well. Ye hand it over and we'll put yer town to our rudder and ne'er return." Barbossa reluctantly removed his hand from Elizabeth's face and held out his hand to her. She looked around at the pirates again and slowly lowered the medallion into his open hand.

"Our bargain?" Barbossa turned his back to her and began walking away. She ran to catch up to him, already protesting that he was going against the code. He stopped abruptly and caught her chin again. She tried to turn away, but he forced her to look at him.

"Firstly, your return to shore was not part of the negotiation nor our agreement so I must do nothing," he explained in a sharp voice. "Secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply and yer not. And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules." Barbossa pulled her close, the back of his hand now brushing against one side of her face. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner." With that, he released her and made his way back to his cabin, all the while licking her blood off his fingers.


	4. Midnight Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, ideas, or places. 

A/N: Thank you for the reviews and I am hoping to add in a lot of Barbossa/Elizabeth moments during the next few chapters. Enjoy! (By the way, I'm sorry, this one is kind of shorter than the other chapters!) 

Chapter Four: Midnight Meeting

Elizabeth was taken to a small cabin where she could stay until they reached the island of Isle de Muerta. The cabin had a good sized bed, dozens of candles lit around the room, and a large window. She could see the waves rolling and crashing behind the ship. The town of Port Royal soon became a tiny shadow in the distance. Oh, she wished she could leave this ship, go home, pretend this never happened. It was bad enough she was stuck here with a load of pirates who were only interested in how much rum they could swallow at one time.

Then there was the captain himself. She could still feel his touch and she recalled the way he had gently lifted her face. It wasn't that unpleasant at all. Elizabeth shook her head, trying desperately to rid herself of those thoughts. What was she thinking? He was a pirate, bound to be hanged for kidnapping her if not for simply engaging in piracy in the first place. If thinking about someone like Will was too bold, then this went far beyond any forbidden limits.

Still, the way he had looked at her made her vulnerable, exposed, as if he could see right through her. As if she had been the only one standing there at that moment. Elizabeth combed her fingers through her hair before getting up and pacing. He was a pirate; that was all. After another half hour of pacing, Elizabeth decided that a bit of air would calm her nerves and maybe clear her mind as well.

She stepped out on the deck, the cool night air brushing over her skin. The moon was still hidden behind endlessly dark clouds. The slow rhythm of the crashing waves soothed her. Surprisingly, there were very few pirates around—the few that were on deck mostly gave her odd, hungry looks—and she did not see the captain anywhere on deck. Elizabeth shrugged that thought away and carefully walked along the deck.

Occasionally, the ship would roll to one side and she had to catch the edge to keep from falling. The pirates stared at her intently, watching her as she tried to keep her balance. Bloody pirates. They probably wanted to see her land on her arse or at least get a glimpse of something while she was falling. All of a sudden, Elizabeth felt entirely exposed what with her nightgown being the only piece of clothing she wore. Another large wave hit the side of the ship and the ship once again rolled to the side. Elizabeth wasn't prepared for it and she lost her balance. She dove towards the deck, but stopped in midair when a hand caught hers. The person pulled her back and swung her into a tight embrace. It took her a moment to realize she was currently being held in Barbossa's arms.

"Not a fine place for yeh to be roamin' at this time of night, Miss Turner," he said, his voice smooth and almost irresistible. Elizabeth realized that one of his arms was snaked around her waist and holding her firmly to him. Her hands were placed on his chest and she couldn't find the strength to pull away. When she did not say anything, he continued. "Might I be one to suggest a cabin? T'would be much warmer, I assure you, Miss." Elizabeth could feel the two of them getting closer and she almost disregarded the fact that he said "a" cabin, not specifically "her" cabin. She somehow managed to pull away and crossed her arms. Barbossa seemed to find her discomfort amusing.

"I was just out here to get a bit of fresh air, that's all," she insisted. Barbossa gave a small laugh, for what reason Elizabeth did not know. He came closer, his large hat casting a shadow over his face and making his eyes seem even darker than they were.

"Aye, that night air…be feeling real good on yer skin, Miss Turner." Elizabeth did not know whether he expected her to answer. She supposed so; eyeing her face, waiting and searching for a response.

"Yes. Yes, it does feel quite satisfying," she said, all the while trying to avoid his eyes. It was near impossible to do, especially when his eyes made her feel as if they were slowly pulling her in. A wry grin crossed Barbossa's face as he grazed a hand across face.

"And that…that would feel just as satisfying, aye, Miss Turner?" He slowly traced her jaw line down to her neck. Her heart began racing and a feeling of desire coursed through her body. What was it about him that could instantly make her feel this way?

"I'm sorry. I think it's about time I returned to my cabin," Elizabeth mumbled as she moved past him. She didn't get far before he caught her arm.

"Would yeh mind, Miss Turner, giving me some company tomorrow night? Perhaps a bit of dinner?" Elizabeth was caught off guard by his request.

"I'll have to think about that, Captain Barbossa. I usually make a point of avoiding spending too much time with pirates," she stated, hoping he would get the hint and allow her to leave. Instead, he came close to her, a smile crossing his face.

"I'm sure I could change yer mind, Miss Turner," he spoke with confidence. Elizabeth broke from his grip and almost ran back to her cabin, Barbossa's laughter following her all the way.


	5. An Evening Dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, including its characters, ideas, or places. I wish I did, but I don't.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and encouraged me to continue my story. This chapter is actually very long (to make up for the very short chapter last time). So, enjoy!

Chapter Five: An Evening Dinner

The next day was a very slow one for Elizabeth. Her mind kept returning to the encounter she had had with Captain Barbossa the previous night. No matter what she was doing, her thoughts would always come back around to that one moment.

Elizabeth was free to walk along the deck during the day, free to feel the wind blowing through her hair and the warm sun on her skin. She often observed the pirates as they ran around the deck, too busy following orders to pay her any attention. Not that she minded it all that much. She was still dressed in her white nightgown since she didn't have anything else to wear. The pirates just dashed about, all trying to stay out of each other's way and keep on the captain's good side.

A couple of pirates soon challenged each other to a rum drinking contest to see who could drink the most rum without collapsing. The rest of the pirates cheered as the men swallowed more and more rum each time, the drink falling all over their clothes. Eventually, one of the pirates passed out drunk from the rum, the victorious one attempting to stand up from his chair.

Elizabeth sighed and turned to watch the horizon. The water was such a clear blue that it was almost like a mirror below her. She moved her hands over the smooth black wood of the ship and a smile touched her lips.

"Tis a fine ship, is she not, Miss Turner?" Elizabeth almost jumped at the sound of Barbossa's voice so close behind her. He crossed the distance between them and stopped by her side.

"Yes, I must admit it is a fine ship, Captain Barbossa," she spoke softly. He broke into laughter and turned to face her directly.

"Aye, almost as fine as the lasses that come aboard it," Barbossa said, taking a bite out of the apple he held in his hand. Elizabeth fought the urge to move closer to him, instead turning away in the direction of her cabin. "Have ye thought over my request, Miss Turner?" Elizabeth stopped abruptly. She hadn't forgotten about his request on having dinner with her, but she had hoped he wouldn't mention it so soon. She was still trying to decide whether it was a good idea.

"I'm afraid I need more time to think, Captain Barbossa." Yes, she needed to think alone, somewhere quiet. If she spent any more time here with him, she might just say yes for the sole reason of feeling her heart race and a forbidden urge going through her. Barbossa turned her around to face him, holding her shoulders firmly. For a minute, she almost thought he was angry, but there was no anger in his eyes. It was more like curiosity.

"Are ye afraid of me, Miss Turner?" Elizabeth didn't expect that kind of question. She let her mind roam for a minute. Yes, she was afraid. Afraid that she might go against her honor and come a little closer to him than she should. Afraid of how she might really begin to feel towards him.

"No, I'm not afraid," she said, praying her voice didn't sound shaky. Barbossa let his hands drop from her shoulders and he looked at her with something like pity or sorrow.

"Ye should be," he said in a low voice. It was Barbossa who walked away then, leaving Elizabeth behind to ponder what he had meant.

Late that night, Elizabeth was pacing again in her room. The candles were all lit and they cast a warm shadow over her body. The door to her room banged open and the two pirates that had kidnapped her-Pintel and Ragetti-came striding in. Pintel held a red dress in his arms; it looked very expensive.

"You'll be dining with the captain tonight," he stated even though she hadn't made up her mind yet. Pintel held out the dress as if it had a disease. "And he requests you to wear this." Elizabeth looked from him to the dress and back. She crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Well, you may tell the captain that I am disinclined to acquiesque to his request," she said. The two pirates burst into laughter and nodded at each other enthusiastically.

"He said you'd say that. He also said if that be the case, you'll be dining with the crew," Pintel said. Elizabeth didn't even want to know how that would turn out. She was already thinking about changing her mind. "And you'll be naked," he finished in a voice that suggested he enjoyed that idea. Ragetti laughed as her face turned into one of disbelief and disgust. She grabbed the dress from Pintel's hands. Pintel and Ragetti immediately looked disappointed.

"Fine," Pintel pouted as they stormed out through her cabin door. _Well, this should be interesting, _Elizabeth thought as she began pulling off her white nightgown in exchange for the blood red dress.

When Elizabeth was done dressing and making sure she had no other way out of this meeting, she made her way to the captain's room. Unlike last night, the moon had revealed itself and was shining down on the ocean and the Black Pearl. There were absolutely no pirates on the deck at all and she wondered if Captain Barbossa had wanted it that way. Elizabeth arrived at his room, trying to decide whether to wear her hair up or leave it down around her shoulders. She chose to wear it down; at least it would cover most of her neck, which seemed to be a vulnerable spot when it came to these pirates.

She hesitated before bringing her hand up and knocking on the captain's door. Beyond the door, she faintly heard a request for her to enter. Elizabeth opened the door wide, not knowing what to expect. Captain Barbossa's room, she had to admit, was far more elegant than she had imagined it would be.

`There was a long table in the room, covered with a fine silk tablecloth along with dozens of dishes of food. Candles were arranged on the table, each lit with a nicely burning flame. Captain Barbossa himself was standing at the end of the table, studying her. She could tell he liked the way the dress looked on her. She wondered if he was imagining something more as well. He motioned his hand to one of the chairs next to him.

"A seat, Miss Turner?" Elizabeth crossed the room and settled herself into the chair closest to him. There was already a plate of food prepared in that seat. She could feel Barbossa's eyes roaming over her. "I must admit, I fancy ye more in that dress than yer nightgown, Miss Turner," he said, breaking the silence between them. A mischievous smile formed on his lips as she met his eyes.

"Thank you," she said as she began eating her food in a formal manner. As the governor's daughter, she was keen to always use manners no matter what situation she was in. She carefully brought the food to her mouth and chewed slowly. She noticed then that Barbossa wasn't eating much of anything. Instead, he was gazing at her.

"There's no call to impress. Ye must be hungry." Barbossa watched as Elizabeth dropped her silverware and tore into the food. She was hungry, more so than ever before. She had to admit the food was delicious. Barbossa reached for a goblet and poured some red wine.

"Try the wine," he suggested. She grabbed the goblet from his hands and drank down the wine as if she had spent days on an island, dying from thirst. She finished the last of the wine and returned to the rest of her food. Barbossa picked up one of the apples that he kept in a large bowl on the table and held it out to her. "And the apple's one of those next," he said in a careful voice.

Elizabeth paused as he held out the apple. All this time, she had been the only one eating. The only one drinking the wine. Even the monkey wasn't bothering to touch any of the food. Elizabeth dropped the pieces of bread she was holding in her hand and glared at Barbossa.

"It's poisoned," she exclaimed. Barbossa placed the apple on the table and gave a dry laugh.

"There's no sense to be killing yeh, Miss Turner." Elizabeth almost felt relief as she realized that wasn't the reason he brought her here.

"Then release me. You have your trinket, I'm no further value to you," she stated coldly. Barbossa's eyes seemed to grow darker as he leaned toward her, holding the medallion between his fingers.

"Yeh don't know what this is, do yeh?" Elizabeth stared at the medallion for a long minute.

"It's a pirate medallion," she said in an obvious tone. Barbossa leaned even closer, shaking his head slowly at her.

"This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces, once belonging to Cortez himself. The greed of Cortez was insatiable, so the gods put on the gold a terrible curse," he explained. Elizabeth immediately dismissed what he was saying.

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa." He rose from his chair and walked behind her, one of his hands lingering on her shoulder.

"Aye, that's what I thought when we were first told the tale," he said. He bent down to Elizabeth, his face only inches away from hers. Even so, it was as if he were looking at something, something far away that she could not reach. "There be the chest. Inside be the gold, and we took them all," he continued, motioning with his hands. He switched sides of the chair and leaned down to Elizabeth again, this time closer.

"Spent them we did. On drink and food and pleasurable company. It wasn't long before we came to realize the drink did not satisfy our thirst. We had an even greater thirst, one that could never be satisfied. A thirst for blood. The food turned to ash in our mouths. All the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust," he said. Elizabeth felt chills all over her body as she began to understand what he was saying.

"We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed we were but now...we are consumed by it." Elizabeth stared at him in horror as finished explaining. She recalled what he had said before, on the deck.

_"Are ye afraid of me, Miss Turner? Ye should be..."_ Barbossa turned to his monkey, who was now making a fuss from where he sat. Elizabeth quickly slipped a silver knife under the cloth on her lap. Barbossa walked around the table, keeping his eyes on her. She cradled the knife in her grip, feeling strength fill her just by touching it.

"Thanks to ye, we have the final piece we need. All that's left is the blood to be repaid," he said. Elizabeth felt dread fill her as she asked the question she already knew the answer to.

"And the blood to be repaid?" Barbossa laughed as he stopped next to her, examining her neck.

"That's why there's no sense to be killing yeh, Miss Turner," he stated. As he closed in on her, again holding out the apple she had tossed away, Elizabeth jumped up and made for the doorway. Barbossa was too quick for her. He had leaped over her chair and caught her by the elbow of her right arm.

She wasn't thinking as she instinctively plunged the knife into Barbossa's chest. She was just as surprised as he was by her clever move. Elizabeth saw his eyes lingering on the blade that was sticking out of his chest. She expected him to fall over or begin bleeding heavily, but he did neither. Instead, he easily pulled the knife out as if it hadn't hurt him one bit. Elizabeth could see his red blood oozing over the knife. He stared at the knife before turning his eyes on her.

"I'm curious-after killing me-what it is ye plan on doing next?" Elizabeth gaped at him in horror before running out the door and into the moonlight outside. Barbossa briefly considered licking the dripping blood off the end of the knife. He thought better of it and threw it aside as he charged out the door and went after Elizabeth.


	6. I Can't Feel You

Disclaimer: Awwww…I don't own this magnificently wonderful series. In fact, I don't even own the plot of this story (the majority of it anyway) or any of the characters, ideas, or places. In other words, I (sadly) own nothing while writing this story.

A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! I'm trying to wrap up two of my other stories so that I can focus more on this one. By the way, thanks for the great reviews so far! Now, here is the next chapter! This one is good and it's very long. No worries, though. Enjoy! (=

Chapter 6: I Can't Feel You

Elizabeth, in the hope of escaping that fear she now felt, only encountered something more frightening as she stepped into the moonlight. All the pirates were on deck and working away, but the gruesome sight of them scared her. The pirates were no longer simple pirates, but bony skeletons with piercing red eyes and sharp, dangerous teeth. They all seemed to spot her at the same time, their mouths curving into wicked grins. Some of them reached out their bony hands towards her throat while others grouped around her in an attempt to corner her.

She began to back away from the bloodthirsty pirates, but two strong hands held her by the shoulders so that she couldn't move away. She knew it was Barbossa behind her. She could feel him leaning down to her as his hands caressed her shoulders.

"Look. The moonlight shows us for what we really are," he spoke in a hard voice, gesturing to the deadly pirates around them. Elizabeth had noticed that he said "we" instead of "they". She knew what must be coming next, but she wasn't ready to face it. She was intensely aware of Barbossa's lips against her hair as he continued. "We are not among the living, and so we cannot die but neither are we dead." Barbossa whipped Elizabeth around to face him._ He still appears normal,_ she observed with an internal sigh of relief. His eyes were boring into hers and they were filled with such intensity and desperation, that she didn't think she would move even if she wanted to.

"Too long I've felt this thirst for blood and have not been able to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing, Miss Turner. Not the wind on my face or the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh…"he went on, moving closer to her and stretching out a hand to her in the moonlight so that it transformed into the hand of a skeleton. Elizabeth watched in horror as he carefully took the last step into the moonlight and became another one of the frightening skeleton-like pirates. "Yeh best start believin' in ghost stories, Miss Turner. Yer in one," Barbossa stated before pulling out a bottle of something like red wine.

In her mind, Elizabeth knew it wasn't red wine, but the rich, crimson blood that Barbossa and the other pirates thirsted for. The red fluid traveled along Barbossa's throat and spilled freely over his exposed bones. A wave of dizziness overtook her and she realized she just might faint. She pushed past Barbossa and returned to the cabin with the sound of laughter following at her heels. She threw herself into a corner of the room and, as the moonlight flooded in through a window and rested on her skin, she curled into a tight ball and cried herself into an uneasy sleep.

Elizabeth awoke to find that she was not huddled in the corner anymore, but laying in Barbossa's bed. She sat up straight and wrapped the sheet around herself even though she still had the red dress on. It occurred to her that perhaps he had found her in the corner and decided that she needed a better place to sleep. _If I did sleep here, then where exactly did he sleep?_ Elizabeth wondered about this as she examined the tidy, untouched spot beside her. _Either he spent the whole awake or he must be the most organized pirate I have ever met,_ she thought as she eased herself out of the bed.

She felt a slight hesitation in exiting the cabin. She wasn't entirely sure that she was ready to face the pirates that had scared her so much last night, especially one in particular. She hastily pulled at her hair, figured that there was nothing much she could do with it—besides the fact that she didn't want to tempt the pirates with the sight of her throat—so she left it in messy waves at her shoulders. _I'm stalling,_ Elizabeth realized. She smoothed out her dress, fluffed her hair the tiniest bit, and boldly threw open the cabin door to step into the bright sunlight.

The first thing Elizabeth saw was a group of pirates lurking by the cabin door, talking in hushed tones. She recognized Pintel and Ragetti standing beside one other pirate she didn't know. The minute Elizabeth walked outside, their words halted and she had the feeling they had been talking about her. Pintel grinned mischievously at her, eyeing her figure up and down. Ragetti's wooden eye rolled in hundreds of directions before settling on her.

_Oh, please, don't let them get the wrong idea,_ she prayed as she stared back at the pirates. At the same time that she was thinking this, she also understood that this was the reason for their stares and suspicious looks. After all, she had just come barreling out of the captain's cabin after having spent the entire night there, with her hair rumpled and her dress in wrinkles. She smirked at the pirates and turned her back on them.

"Miss! Oh, Miss Turner!" Elizabeth heard Ragetti's voice calling to her and she wondered whether it was a good idea to listen to what he had to say. He rudely blocked her path before she could consider it. "Miss, please don't be thinkin' bad of us. We can't really help wha' happens to us," he begged her in a gentle voice. This was unexpected and Elizabeth found herself at a loss for words. "It's jus', we're kind of in an unfortunate situation, same as you," he said, his voice almost in a whisper. She instantly felt a bit of sympathy for Ragetti, and maybe for the rest of the pirates as well.

"Thank you, Ragetti," she replied with an encouraging smile as he returned to the group of pirates. He nodded his head once at her, but he would say no more. Pintel gave him a long look of complete disbelief and Ragetti simply shrugged. Elizabeth was about ready to walk away again, but it was Pintel's voice that stopped her this time.

"Poppet!" Elizabeth sighed and rolled her eyes towards the blue sky. _What can it be now? Or do I even want to consider it?_ Despite her instincts, she waited for the pirate to speak. "Oh, Poppet. Us pirates wan' to know. How was it las' night in the captain's bed?" Pintel burst into streams of laughter and the unfamiliar pirate followed suit. Ragetti was the only one who wasn't laughing. _Well, there goes my sympathy for the rest of these bloody pirates!_ Elizabeth cursed in her head as she stormed off, her face blushing to the point where it turned the same color red as her dress.

Elizabeth encountered Captain Barbossa soon after the humiliating scene that had taken place outside his cabin. She was doing what she often found herself doing on deck: staring helplessly out at the ocean's waves and wishing there was some way she could get off the ship. With only a curt nod in her direction, Barbossa took the place beside her and smiled towards the ocean.

"Monrnin', Miss Turner," he greeted her without taking his eyes away from the horizon. Elizabeth found that she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that this man standing beside her was cursed and may well be thirsting for her blood. _It would be best not to go there,_ she reminded herself.

"So, where exactly did you sleep last night? I awoke this morning to find myself in your bed, of all places," she hinted, getting straight to the point. Barbossa laughed at her sudden questioning.

"Aye, that ye did. As for me, I was unable to sleep at all," Barbossa said as he finally looked her in the eyes. There was no bony look to him as there was last night. There was no shade of red in his eyes at all and Elizabeth discovered that they were quite intense and appealing. Barbossa was wearing that cunning smile of his and always the same hat on his head. Charming though he was, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel that Barbossa may be just like every other pirate she had heard about. _Maybe, maybe not. _

"Really? Not one bit of sleep at all?" Her face filled with doubt and suspicion. Barbossa drew closer to her, the smile on his face growing with each step. _What if he is like every other pirate on the seas? I already know I should not underestimate him..._

"Trust me, Miss Turner. I'll not be one to try anythin' too dangerous without yer word," he promised her as he held out his hand to her in invitation. She ignored it and eventually he let his hand drop to his side again. Elizabeth wondered what his terms were when considering what was "too dangerous". _Most likely anything besides removing me from my dress_, she imagined with little hesitation, which surprised her a great deal.

"I suppose you allow your crew to be led on with the idea that you have spent a night with me," she stated. Barbossa broke into steady laughter again. _Oh, no. Please don't tell me he actually saw that entire scene. _

"Me crew needs a bit of something to laugh about, Miss Turner. The curse...you understand, I'm sure." Elizabeth understood, but she didn't want to at all. The image of the cursed pirates with their jagged teeth and piercing eyes came back to her and she felt herself shiver slightly. Barbossa must have known what she was thinking about due to the way his smile slipped for the first time since they had begun talking. "My apologies for last night, Miss Turner." His voice had become soft, almost sympathetic.

Elizabeth shocked herself when she lifted a hand to Barbossa's face and carefully moved her fingertips across his skin. She allowed her hand to rest there, not wanting to take her hand away just yet. His skin felt cool to the touch and it was so different from what she had witnessed the night before. _How can this man possibly be so cursed? _Barbossa brought his hand across Elizabeth's own hand and he held it there as if he never wanted her to let go.

"I'm afraid I can't feel ye, Miss Turner," he admitted in a sorrowful tone. Elizabeth truly felt sympathy for him then. _What a terrible thing it must be, never to feel anything at all,_ she thought, her heart filling with sadness and longing for him. "Ye don't know how much I wish to feel yer touch," he said as he moved his hand down to her wrist and pulled her closer. The space between them became limited and soon their lips were only inches away. Elizabeth let her head fall back a little with her throat exposed and her lips slightly parted as she waited for him.

Barbossa's lips were so close to her skin, she could feel his breath and decided that she liked the way it felt. His lips gently brushed against hers and a feeling of desire rushed through her body. One of his hands stroked her hair while the other still had a firm grip on her wrist. She wondered if he could feel her pulse as it started to race faster and faster. She could sense that he was getting ready to really kiss her as he moved his hand from her hair to below her chin.

At the last minute, Elizabeth felt a sudden hesitation as she pictured the cursed pirates and how they had reached for her throat. She knew what they had wanted; they had wanted to latch onto her throat, to bite into it and possibly drain her as though they were drinking a bottle of rum. The mental image of Barbossa pinning her against him and targeting her throat sent a chill down her back. It wasn't a chill that she particularly enjoyed. _How great is his hunger for my blood? Never underestimate a pirate like him..._

Just as Barbossa was bringing him lips to hers, she turned her face so that his lips rested against her cheek instead. She could automatically feel him stiffen with surprise, and perhaps a little hurt as well. He slowly detached himself from her and tried to catch her eyes, but she wouldn't let him. His expression of confusion changed into annoyance and then shifted once more into harsh anger. Elizabeth figured that he just might do something "dangerous" now, if he hadn't already been tempted to do so before. Instead, he gave her one last, long look and hurried away in the direction of his cabin. All the while, he never once glanced back at her. If he had, he would have seen her frozen in the same spot with her hand shaking against her delicate neck.


	7. Elizabeth

Disclaimer: I do not own the series of Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its great characters, ideas, or places. In fact, I own practically nothing while writing this story.

A/N: I know it's been a little bit since I updated, but I have been so busy with papers and midterm exams. It is exhausting and I haven't had the time to update even one chapter! Hopefully, my chapters will appear more often now that midterms are over. Enjoy the next chapter (trust me, you'll like this one!) and don't forget to leave a kind review at the end! By the way, Jack and Will show up in this chapter (it's been a while since we last saw them, don't you think?).

Additional Note: I am completely frustrated with the lack of separation lines on fanfiction (where you can separate the scenes in your story). So, I will separate them using parentheses from now on. You'll see what I mean when you get there.

Chapter 7: Elizabeth

(_Will)_

Will sat on deck of the Dauntless, staring longingly out at the ocean as the sun was just dipping down into its clear waters. The red sun cast its color into the water, transforming the clear water to a mystifying crimson. It was a spectacular sight; Will only wished that Elizabeth was standing beside him and watching it with him. He knew she would look even more amazing with the shade of the sun lighting up her features and a stunning smile forming on her delicate lips. Elizabeth was so...perfect to him. Perhaps he even loved her, even though their relationship had never been one but friendship and formalities.

At that instant, the atmosphere changed and Will could sense another person standing close behind him. He gave a small nod as Gibbs stepped up beside him and occupied himself with a long swig of rum from his flask. _Not exactly the company I was hoping for,_ Will thought as Gibbs slowly replaced his flask in his pocket. His smile faltered as Gibbs stared at him.

"Don't be worrying, now, boy," Gibbs advised as he decoded Will's expression. "Won't be long before we get there. We'll catch them yet, I swear it." Gibbs nodded enthusiastically before pulling his flask out again, even though it was only thirty seconds ago that he had a drink. _Pirates, _Will inwardly sighed as he watched Gibbs swallow about half the flask. His mind inevitably turned to Elizabeth once more, as it had thousands of times over the past few days.

"So what exactly is Barbossa planning to do with Elizabeth? What use does he have of her?" Will could hear the tension in his own voice as he posed these questions; he couldn't stand the idea of Elizabeth-innocent, sweet Elizabeth-undergoing the torture of having pirates lay their hands on her and make use of her. He repressed the urge to shudder at the thought of what Elizabeth might be going through. Gibbs only shrugged between swallows of rum.

"I tell yeh, it's all about the curse they have. See, those pirates aren't yer ordinary pirates. Not at all, I tell yeh. Those pirates...they're bloodthirsty and thirsty for blood only. The lot of them found some treasure inside Isla de Muerta and cursed they are now," Gibbs explained, his voice slurring due to the vast intake of rum. The sound of bloodthirsty pirates irked Will more than normal pirates did. What was happening to Elizabeth now? Will could only imagine...

"Yes, they're cursed. But what exactly do they plan to do with her?" Gibbs waved Will off as he threw back the last of the rum and gave his flask a disappointed smirk.

"Well...see...what they really want to do is..." Gibbs paused and gave Will a blank look. _He doesn't even know what their plans are, does he? Or has the rum finally gone to his head?_ Gibbs continued to stare unknowingly at Will. There was only silence as Gibbs searched his brain for some kind of answer, but none came.

"They plan to sacrifice her blood in order to lift the curse, mate," a smooth voice interrupted from somewhere behind them. Jack Sparrow was leaning against the opposite side of the deck, holding a bottle of what could only be rum in his hands. There was an amused smile lifting the corners of his mouth and his hat was sitting almost sideways on his head. Will figured he-like Gibbs-had had a little too much to drink.

Still, his words pierced Will in such a cruel way that dark images of Elizabeth wounded, of Elizabeth dying with her blood falling to the floor, began to penetrate his mind. He felt the warmth of fury filling his veins as Jack started forward, tilting a little to one side as he clumsily walked.

"You're lying. That can't happen to Elizabeth," Will growled as Jack reached them, almost collapsing against the railing. Jack winced as he straightened up. Gibbs looked concerned and at the same time also looked as though he wanted to be somewhere else, preferably somewhere with loads of rum.

"Look, mate. I know you like the girl, but let's face the truth, shall we? She isn't exactly havin' tea with the King of England, is she?" Jack stumbled backwards and Gibb forced Jack upright. "Thanks. Like I was saying, Barbossa wants only to lift this curse of his and to do that he'll use her blood once they reach Isla de Muerta. I might warn you though, Barbossa won't be pleased when he realizes that your lass lacks the blood he's been looking for," Jack warned in a low voice. Will shook his head in disbelief as Jack lifted the bottle to his lips.

"The pirates...they'll...kill her. Right? They'll kill Elizabeth when they find out she's not the one they need," Will asked, hating the sound of the word "kill" in the same sentence as Elizabeth's name. Jack pointed and motioned at Will in agreement. _He's definitely had more than enough rum,_ Will observed as Jack opened his mouth to speak again.

"Probably. They've got no use of her after that. Or have they?" Jack grinned mischievously at Will as he spoke these last tantalizing words. Will understood that Jack knew that he liked Elizabeth as more than a friend. He was only saying these things to provoke the anger in Will, to prove that his suspicions were correct. As Will had said to Jack, he would gladly die for Elizabeth.

"How long until we reach the Black Pearl or Isla de Muerta? Whichever one we're going after, now," Will inquired, not bothering to wait until Jack was finished drinking down a few more sips of rum. Surprised at Will's sudden change of subject, Jack almost coughed up some of the rum that no doubt had been making its way down his throat.

"Trust me, mate. It'll be about another day or so before we catch up to the Black Pearl. She's the fastest ship in the water, remember." With that, Jack looked at Gibbs as if he had just realized he was standing there and made his way to his cabin. Gibbs followed closely behind, probably hoping there would be rum wherever Jack was headed. Will was left alone then, left alone with only his miserable and lonesome thoughts of Elizabeth. _I'm coming, Elizabeth. I promise. _

_(Elizabeth)_

It had been a full day since Elizabeth last saw Barbossa. It was almost like he was avoiding her after what had happened between the two of them. She never saw him anymore on deck and the pirates only shrugged whenever she asked them about him. Now, she stood alone on the deck of the ship, watching the angry black clouds circling in the sky. It was surely going to rain, but she didn't care at the moment. Elizabeth only felt the need to apologize to Barbossa for what happened, but that urge quickly disappeared before it could really live. _Why am I the one who needs to apologize? He was the pirate who tried to kiss me! _

By not spending time with Barbossa, Elizabeth found she could really focus on many of the things he had explained to her about his curse. She never had the right mind to do it when she was with him; he always made her head seem foggy and it was hard to concentrate on anything but him. Now, the thoughts flowed freely like water in a rushing stream. She especially recalled what he had said about needing her blood to lift the curse.

Elizabeth lifted her hand to her neck before remembering that Barbossa had the medallion that would have rested just below the hollow of her throat. The mental image of that medallion swam to the front of her mind and she sighed with despair. What was she going to do? She knew perfectly well that she wasn't the one they needed. They were going to find out once the curse remained in place. She felt a small, cold shiver falling down her spine. What would Barbossa do when he found out she wasn't the one they needed? Throw her off the ship like any other careless object?

"Only a day or so until we reach Isle de Muerta now," his voice suddenly came from behind her, making her become startled enough to jump. She clutched her hand at her throat and she could feel her heart beating so fast under her fingertips. Barbossa nodded curtly to her and bit off a large piece of the apple in his hand. He was only a few feet from where she was standing and she wondered how she didn't hear him approaching. She rolled her eyes at the apple in his hand.

"What's the point of eating an apple of you can't even enjoy its taste?" Barbossa gave her a long look and laughed softly. He motioned to the green apple.

"Not to worry, Miss Turner. Another day yet and I'll be able to enjoy as much apples as I want," he said to her. There was a look of longing in his eyes as he stared at the apple in his hand. Elizabeth once again felt that dull ache for him; it must be rough not to feel the world around you. He was so ready to have that curse gone after it had haunted him for years. Maybe that's why the ache was growing harder to ignore.

"What if...what if I lied about being a Turner and having that blood you need?" Barbossa's eyes grew dark as he considered the underlying meaning in Elizabeth's words. For the first time, he looked unguarded and taken by surprise. Elizabeth wondered if it was a bad idea to hint that she was an imposter.

"Did ye, now?" There was a dangerous gleam in Barbossa's eyes now. He must have realized what she meant. _This is it. He's just going to discard me because I'm not who he needs. _Barbossa glanced from the apple in his hand to Elizabeth. "Perhaps I have another reason for keepin' ye on this ship, Miss Turner," he admitted as he tossed the apple away. Elizabeth heard his words swirling around her mind.

It was at that moment that the skies opened up and buckets of rainwater began pouring over their heads. Elizabeth's hair became matted down to her forehead and shoulders. Her dress was soaked already and it was sticking to her skin. The rain was so heavy that it was almost like a curtain; she could barely see Barbossa in front of her. He grabbed onto her arm and led her to the closest room, his cabin.

Once inside, Barbossa slammed the cabin door, blocking out most of the pounding from the pouring rain. Elizabeth collapsed against the door, breathing heavy after rushing to the cabin. Barbossa was leaning against the door and could only gaze at her with a smile. Elizabeth returned the smile and didn't mind at all when he came close to place his hands on her shoulders. At that moment, Elizabeth only felt intense care for him and she was sure her emotions were written in her eyes. Barbossa gently swept a piece of her wet hair from her face. It seemed like déjà vu to Elizabeth due to what had happened the day before, only this time she wasn't sure she would be willing to stop this time.

"Elizabeth," Barbossa whispered. She realized that this was the first time he said her name and she liked the way it sounded, coming from him. He bent his face to hers and only paused long enough to make sure she wasn't going to pull away this time.

Then, with one swift movement, his lips claimed hers. Elizabeth leaned into him as his arms wrapped around her. He started to break the kiss off, but she placed her arms around his neck and kissed him back. The two of them stayed that way for a long time. When they finally managed to pause, they found themselves wandering towards the only bed in the room. Elizabeth found herself lost in Barbossa as he began kissing her once more and then allowed herself to lay back on the soft surface of his bed.

Note: So, how was that? (; Now, I'll let you guys decide. Should I give away all the good details in the next chapter or should I just continue on with the story? You decide! Remember to leave a kind review for me! They really help me to keep going. (=


	8. Betrayed

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the brilliant series of Pirates of the Caribbean, but I don't. In fact, I own nothing while writing this story (except maybe the vampiristic qualities).

A/N: Sorry this chapter took a while to write up; I have been up to my eyeballs in college work. Anyway, here is the next chapter and I hope those of you who are taking the time to read it enjoy it. Also, I think this one is a bit shorter than the others, but I have only so much time to write fanfiction nowadays (which is really sad!). And remember: reviews (no matter how big or small) are loved! By the way, guys: Happy (late) Thanksgiving!

Chapter 8: Betrayed

The two of them fell back on the bed, all the while keeping their arms locked around each other. Elizabeth bent her head back to expose her throat, allowing Barbossa to leave a trail of kisses across her white skin. His mouth lingered near the hollow of her throat and she could feel his breath against her skin. All sensible thoughts had disappeared from Elizabeth's mind; there was only the act of bringing him closer and moving along with his body. He paused as his fingers slid beneath the red cloth of her dress, as though ready to pull the clothing off her.

"I won't be feeling right unless I have yer permission, Elizabeth," he said softly. She opened her mouth immediately, but he waved his hand to quiet her. "Think a minute, lass. T'would not be well to have ye regrettin' it the next day." For his sake, Elizabeth pulled back and thought about what she was planning to do. As she did, the sensible thoughts slowly returned and unraveled before her. Was she actually ready to go this far and especially with a pirate?

"I'm not ready, not yet. I'm sorry," she stated in a shaky, uncertain voice. For a brief instant, it seemed as though he would disregard what she said and do what he would with her anyway. Instead, he scrutinized her face until he was convinced she meant what she said. Then, he smiled down at her and helped her to sit up straight.

The two of them stood and faced each other for a long time without words. Elizabeth could still feel the tension between them and the situation was quickly becoming awkward. The silence seemed to stretch on forever until Barbossa grinned slyly at her.

"A rightful tease ye are, Miss Turner." That was all he said, but it left Elizabeth feeling almost empty. That was it; she was "Miss Turner" again. She knew there was hurt reflected in her eyes. She tried to smile apologetically at him, but even she knew the smile was weak and forced. Barbossa must have recognized the struggle that was taking place inside her for he quickly ceased her discomfort with another kiss.

If it wasn't for the sudden, insistent knocking at the door, Elizabeth was sure she would have lost herself again. Even so, Barbossa made no attempt to release her and answer the door. He simply held Elizabeth, even as the knocking became louder and heavier.

"Aren't you going to see what that knocking's about?" Elizabeth placed her hands on her hips while Barbossa merely laughed.

"And be bothered by a small matter when I can have ye all to myself? I think not," he said, his tone holding a bit of amusement. Elizabeth felt his arm go around her waist and pull her closer to him.

"What if it isn't a small matter and something's wrong? Besides, what's the use of doing this if you can't feel me?" Barbossa gave her a skeptical look and sighed.

"Very well. And as for yer question, just because I may not feel ye, Miss Turner, doesn't mean I fail to take pleasure in knowin' that you can feel me," he explained as he reluctantly removed his hands. The knocking at the door was as insistent as ever it was annoying; Elizabeth pointed her finger at the door and glared at Barbossa until he sidestepped around her and made his way to the door.

Elizabeth could hear Barbossa chuckling as he pulled open the door and he abruptly stopped when he saw who the visitor was. She recognized him as the pirate who had slapped her that first night. She never learned his name and she didn't care to know it, either. The tall, dark-skinned pirate caught sight of her and he bared his teeth at her in disgust. She narrowed her eyes at him until he growled and turned away. All the while, Barbossa's face was serious and grave, and it sent chills down Elizabeth's arms. Something bad must be happening, she knew it.

"Would ye be willing to give us a moment, Miss Turner?" Barbossa addressed her without looking at her. His sharp eyes stayed level with those of the pirate. There was an air of tension in the room, but it was so different from the tension that she felt with Barbossa. This tension was uncomfortable and it seemed to be thriving with unpleasant anger from the two men.

Elizabeth lowered her head so that her hair fell around her face like a curtain. She slipped past the pirate, but not before he gave her one more long, furious look. If Elizabeth didn't know any better, she would have said that the pirate hated her.

She refused to look at him as she moved past Barbossa and began to open the cabin door. Barbossa's hand reached towards her for a moment and she was sure he would have laid his hand gently on her shoulder if that pirate weren't watching so closely. His hand stayed just above her skin for a moment and then dropped by his side again. Without another word, Elizabeth rushed out the door and had already made it halfway across the deck before the cabin door slammed shut.

After taking a walk around the deck of the ship for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Elizabeth decided to see if Barbossa was done with his "meeting" yet. It had been about an hour and all she could think about was Barbossa and the way he had kissed her. She longed to be in his company again and if it hadn't been for that ignorant pirate, she would be there now. _Well, at least the rain stopped,_ she thought as she lifted her face to the sky. A smile formed on her lips as she once again thought about the moment she had recently shared with Barbossa. _They should be done talking by now, shouldn't they? I would think so..._

Elizabeth boldly crossed the Black Pearl's deck and headed for Captain Barbossa's cabin. The few groups of pirates watched her closely as she prepared to enter the cabin for the second time that day. It would be good to spend more time with him, to see him laugh whenever he was around her, to get so close to him that her heart would threaten to jump out of her body. Elizabeth felt that pleasant feeling drift through her as she thought of these things. All she could think about was him...

It was the voices that stopped her from charging into that room. She could hear Barbossa's voice arguing with that pirate. The conversation they were having sounded terribly serious. Elizabeth figured she should give them more time and she spun to leave, but she caught some of their words through the closed door. The little pieces of the conversation she heard froze her in place.

"You know as well as I do that Isle de Muerta is only hours off now," Barbossa's voice argued. She could only imagine the fierce look that he must be wearing at that moment. The pirate's deep voice barked back at him, showing no sign of fear.

"And what of the girl? What is she to you but a way to lift the curse? Is she more than that?" There was a bitter, stinging quality to the man's voice, as if he were mocking Barbossa. The smile that Elizabeth had worn now slipped away as she listened to Barbossa's stern reply.

"Don't be foolish, now. Miss Turner means no more to me than any other wench I might bring aboard this ship. If it were not necessary to keep her in such fine condition, I promise ye I'd have thrown her in the brig. Trust me, her blood will be the only valuable thing about her. Lifting the curse, that's the priority. I assure ye," Barbossa said in an eerily urgent voice. There was no hint of any underlying meaning or laughter in his words; only truth.

Elizabeth suddenly felt cold, as if all the blood had drained out of her body. Her heart slowed until she thought it might stop completely. In fact, she could swear she almost heard the first shrill sounds of her heart breaking and splintering into countless pieces. She couldn't breathe properly. She felt as though she was wearing a corset again, one that was much too tight around her chest. There was some more talking, but she couldn't get herself to focus on anything the two were saying. She could only feel the dull thudding and aching of her heart.

Before she could even complete an actual thought, she spun around and ran off towards her open cabin. She was completely unaware of the cabin door creaking open behind her and the footsteps of the two pirates in the doorway.

Barbossa could only watch as Elizabeth disappeared into her cabin. He knew she had heard everything, and he hated that she had heard what had been said. He knew she would probably think he had spoken the truth, but he certainly couldn't appear weak before his crew, not when he was supposed to be thinking only of lifting this dreadful curse. The pirate next to him only smirked at the sight of Elizabeth running off.

"Women. They're more trouble than they're worth, aye?" Barbossa felt as though he could attack the pirate at any moment. Despite the dilemma that was unfolding before his eyes, he forced himself to appear serene before his crew.

"Aye," was all Barbossa could manage to say. He knew that if he could feel any real pain, he would only feel a deep piercing close to his own heart.


	9. Isla de Muerta

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean. Sadly, that includes all characters, places, and other ideas.

A/N: First, I want to say thank you to those who have reviewed my story. I just got through my first semester of college, which is why the updates have been kind of slow. I will try to update more quickly now. Here's the next chapter and I hope the readers enjoy it! I do have to warn you, though: this next chapter is a bit long…

Chapter 9: Isle de Muerta

Throughout the following day, Elizabeth stayed in her cabin and refused to step out on deck for any reason. She thought that-if she did walk along the deck-she would come across Captain Barbossa and that was something she was not looking forward to yet. She paced around the small room, sometimes sitting down on the edge of the bed and staring absently out the window. It was like that first night; all she wanted was to go home and forget about all that had happened. Forget about him, if that was possible.

Elizabeth barely noticed it when the ship slowed down. There was a sharp rapping on the cabin door, but too lost in her thoughts to pay attention to it. When she failed to open the cabin door, it was flung open by Pintel and Ragetti. They stood there watching her, Pintel with his sly, crooked smile and Ragetti with his miserable wooden eye.

"Time to go, Poppet," Pintel said as they moved carefully into the room. Elizabeth was already standing and she pushed past them before they could corner her. They exchanged confused looks and, shrugging carelessly, led her out on deck to where the Captain was waiting.

From the minute she stepped out on deck, Elizabeth kept up a nonchalant expression. She did not glance at any of the pirates around her, some of which were jeering and slowly gathering around. Most of all, she did not spare one glance at Barbossa, even though he was clearly trying to catch her eye. If she did look at him, she knew that it would be all over. Her calm mask would shatter and there would be nothing she could do to stop it. She simply stared straight ahead and imagined her home at Port Royal with its grand staircase and rich, elegant smells of turkey and pie coming from the enormous kitchen. In her mind, she was not aboard the Black Pearl at all, and that alone gave her the strength to go along with what was happening around her.

Barbossa stepped around the other pirates and came up behind Elizabeth. Her nerves tensed as he laid his hand on her neck and swept back her long hair. He clasped the gold medallion around her neck, the cold feel of it moving across her skin. The medallion suddenly felt like it weighed a ton on her neck. Barbossa's fingers paused on the back of her neck and he slid his hand down to the back of her dress before dropping his hand.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him move to her left and nod to one of the pirates in front of her. The pirate hastily grabbed her arm and almost shoved her onto the ladder that led down to a small boat. She quickly descended the ladder and settled herself on one of the seats. She could not wait for this scene to be over.

She closed her eyes and a mental image of Will floated in her mind. He was so sweet and kind and was most definitely not a pirate. She knew that he had fancied her for some time. Why couldn't she have fancied him as well? It would probably have saved her from all this terrible heartache that she was feeling. She also wondered if she would ever see Will's smiling face again.

The boat gently rocked as someone else dropped down from the ladder. Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw Barbossa with his back to her. _Wonderful,_ she mused as he began guiding the boat away from the Black Pearl. _How could this possibly get any worse?_

Elizabeth soon realized that Barbossa would not look at her. He always kept his back to her and never spoke a word. It was unbearably silent between them and Elizabeth wasn't sure whether she should say something. _Even if I wanted to say something, what could I say to him? _ So, they drifted in silence; at least until they had reached the entrance of Isle de Muerta.

The opening was more like a cave with crumbling walls and massive rock everywhere. Elizabeth could see that there was a short passage that opened up to the main part of the island. Once inside the cave, it became increasingly dark except for a few torches that hung on the walls. It was dark enough so that Elizabeth found it impossible to read Barbossa's expression. She hoped it worked both ways.

"Sorry about what you heard las' night," he said without glancing at her. Elizabeth was not aware that he knew she had listened to the conversation. Now, his words hung in the air between them.

"Why? Because it was the truth?" Her words seemed like knives that were aimed at Barbossa. There was bitterness in her voice that even made her flinch. Barbossa sighed and shook his head.

"I suppose that's yer reason for the cold shoulder." He turned to face her and-before the passage filled with shadows again-she caught some hint of regret in his eyes. By now, they had almost reached the end of the passage. Barbossa stared down at her with such intensity that she felt chills flowing across her skin. "Elizabeth..." he only whispered her name, but it held the emotion that had been lacking in his earlier words.

For a minute, she thought he would say something that would make it better. Perhaps he would say that everything she heard was a lie or that the words meant nothing at all. She waited for him to say something like that, but he said nothing after her name. The boat collided with the rocky end of the passage. Barbossa stepped out of the boat and offered her his hand. She ignored it and helped herself out of the boat.

Once they were inside the heart of Isla de Muerta, the pirates began overturning the contents of various chests they had plundered, most of them containing treasures and gold while Pintel and Ragetti's chest only contained a pile of dresses and parasols. Two pirates—including the one that was speaking to Barbossa the night before—escorted Elizabeth to a massive mountain of gold. At the very top was a large chest filled with many small coins that resembled the medallion around her neck.

The dark-skinned fierce looking pirate next to her gripped her wrist as he pulled her along. He never glanced at her or even acknowledged her presence except for when he was nearly twisting her arm out of its socket. His grip on her wrist only grew tighter as they neared the pile of gold and cursed treasure. Elizabeth winced slightly due to the intense pressure and she was almost tempted to lash out at the pirate for being so cruel—if she wasn't afraid he would slap her again, that is. Or do something entirely worse.

The cavern grew quiet as the pirates gathered around the pile of gold and Elizabeth finally reached the top of the pile. The two pirates released her, although it seemed one of them was reluctant to do so. Elizabeth had to suppress a sigh of relief as the pirate gave her a long, deadly look before joining the others at the bottom. Barbossa stood on the other side of the treasure chest and was gazing at the group of pirates. There was a small smile on his lips as he anticipated what was next to come.

A cold chill swept over Elizabeth as she tried to imagine what was going to happen here. She tried to picture the pirates carelessly spilling her blood over the cursed treasure, the life draining out of her in mere seconds. Another mental image formed in her mind, this one of Barbossa tearing open her neck and letting her blood flow free. Somehow, she couldn't imagine him actually doing that, but maybe that other fierce pirate would.

"Gentlemen, the time has come!" Barbossa's voice echoed across the cave and shook Elizabeth out of her thoughts. The pirates roared in response to the captain's words. "Ten years we've been tested and tried! Each man here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!" The pirates erupted into a round of cheering and excitement. Elizabeth realized that Barbossa was savoring this moment; he was riling the pirates up on purpose in anticipation for the curse to be lifted.

"Here it is!" Barbossa exclaimed as he ran a hand across the pile of cursed gold inside the treasure chest. "The cursed treasure of Cortez himself. Every piece that went astray we have returned…save for this," he said as he lifted the gold medallion around Elizabeth's neck.

"Who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?"

"Us," the pirates yelled in unison. Elizabeth watched as wicked smiles crossed their faces and they jeered at her from below.

"And whose blood must yet be paid?" Barbossa gestured to the group of pirates enthusiastically. Clearly, he was really enjoying the act of leading the pirates on like this.

"Hers!" The pirates yelled even louder as each one of them pointed towards Elizabeth. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that the end of this ceremony was coming fast. Her hands started to tremble as her fingers brushed against the gold medallion. The cruel images of her spilling blood raced faster in her head as she looked around at the pirates that were surrounding the mound of gold.

"You know the first thing I'm going to do after this curse is lifted?" Barbossa turned to Elizabeth with a sly smile. "Eat a whole bushel of apples," he said as he drew closer to her. The pirates began chanting excitedly as he grasped her hand and revealed a dagger. _This is it,_ she thought while she watched the blade move closer to her skin. With one smooth gesture, Barbossa pierced the skin and slid the knife across her palm. Elizabeth gasped and almost winced at the sharp sting of the wound.

"That's it?" she questioned, her mind filling with doubt. Barbossa looked from the fresh blood on her hand to her eyes and smiled that same cunning smile.

"Waste not," he remarked. He pulled the medallion from her neck and pressed it into the center of her palm. He firmly held her hand closed and positioned it over the treasure chest of coins. Elizabeth felt him put pressure on her hand and she instinctively released the blood-stained medallion so that it fell among the other cursed coins. The group of pirates became silent as they waited for the moment when the curse would be lifted. Barbossa had his eyes closed as though he were concentrating and hoping the ritual would work. _It's not going to work,_ Elizabeth remembered as she recalled the conversation she had had with Barbossa, about how they needed specific blood for the curse to be lifted. _It's not going to work…_

Slowly, Barbossa opened his eyes and glanced around at the others. The pirates looking at each other in confusion, as though searching for some sign that the curse was gone. Murmurs filled the cave as each pirate questioned the situation, questioned whether they were mortal once more.

"I don't feel no different," Ragetti commented, his wooden eye spinning in thousands of direction at once. Pintel shrugged next to him and looked to someone else for reference. One pirate—the one that despised Elizabeth—gave Pintel a suspicious, angry glare. Pintel grinned nervously before scooting closer to Ragetti, who was too busy rubbing his eye to notice.

"How do we tell?" Kohler, one of the pirates with long hair near the back, asked. A couple of the pirates next to him nodded their heads in agreement. Barbossa stared at his crew and rolled his eyes before pulling out a gun and—without looking—shot Pintel in the center of his chest. Elizabeth covered her mouth in shock, but no one else seemed the least bit concerned. They were all staring at the hole in Pintel's chest, waiting for blood to start pouring out. There was no blood and appeared oblivious to any pain the wound would have caused.

"You are not dead," Kohler confirmed. Pintel was looking at the wound in disbelief and then smiled up at Kohler before realizing what this meant.

"He shot me!" Pintel exclaimed, pointing at Barbossa. In unison, the pirates began shouting and complaining, not understanding the failure of the ritual.

"The curse is still upon us!" Kohler seemed to get louder each time someone else complained. He was swiveling his head around and repeating his words in case someone did not hear. Elizabeth watched the pirates in wonder as they began to fight against each other, each wanting his words to be heard. The only one who was not listening to this was Barbossa. He stood a few feet from Elizabeth and was studying the dagger intently, as if it was the only thing that held the answer. Elizabeth could still see some of her blood on it and she could almost sense the tension that was hanging around him. As though the realization suddenly entered his mind, Barbossa looked from the bloody knife to Elizabeth, his eyes cold and hard.

"You," he said accusingly. He crossed over to her and gripped her shoulders until she winced from the uncomfortable pressure. "Your father…what was his name? Was your father William Turner?" Barbossa shook Elizabeth when she did not answer him. His nails dug into her skin and she bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Instead, she shook her head and hoped he would release his grip on her.

"No," she whispered. She wanted to look down and avoid his gaze, but she couldn't; it felt as though his eyes were locked onto hers and it was those eyes that were keeping her from looking away.

"Where's his child? The child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where?" He waited for a response for Elizabeth. She knew what the answer was, but it wouldn't feel right handing Will over to these pirates. She had no response to give; she simply gazed back at Barbossa. Without warning, he angrily slapped Elizabeth, causing her to fall backwards into open air. She collapsed against the ground of the cave and she finally lost consciousness.


	10. The Blood of a Pirate

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, ideas, or places. In fact, I own practically nothing while writing this story.

A/N: Thanks to those who are reviewing my story; it really motivates me to keep writing. Here is the next chapter and I think this one is much shorter compared to the last one. I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless and maybe leave a review at the end.

Chapter 10: The Blood of a Pirate

Elizabeth's head was throbbing painfully. The rocky ground felt cool beneath her cheek—she remembered it was the one that had been slapped. She could hear the gentle flow of water and made her feel relaxed just to listen to the continuous lapping against the smooth rock surface.

An attempted effort at lifting her head caused her light hair to fall around her face and a ringing in her ears. It was too painful; she simply put her head back down and listened to the sounds echoing around her. From a distance, she could hear Barbossa arguing with a few of his crew members, but the throbbing in her head prevented her from concentrating on their words. Maybe the pain would subside if she closed her eyes and lay still for a while.

Not two seconds later, there was the sound of movement in the water close to her. Elizabeth heard it distinctly even though it seemed like the person in the water was trying to keep as quiet as possible. _Is there someone there?_ She wondered, not having the energy to make her voice work. She wanted to open her eyes and check, but there was still a dull ache between her eyes, the kind that only makes you want to keep your eyes closed even longer.

A hand latched onto the sides of her face and she forced her eyes open in surprise. It was Will. It was really him; Will, with his warm, brown eyes and tousled brown hair. He smiled the way he always did when he was around her, even though she had dismissed it time and again. He swiftly held up a hand and motioned for her to follow him.

Elizabeth immediately began to shake her head as she recalled the times she had spent with Barbossa, the times he had amused her, listened to her, kissed her…Then she thought about how he might not have really cared at all for her and how he had slapped her, leaving her down here on the cold ground. Without any more hesitation, she slowly dipped her feet in the water.

Before she could allow her whole body to sink into the cool water, a glint of gold caught her eye. It shouldn't have been unusual since she was surrounded by tons of gold treasures, but she noticed that this particular piece of gold was attached to a long chain. _The medallion? But how…Barbossa must have dropped it when he slapped me,_ she realized. Elizabeth quickly lunged for the small gold medallion and followed Will under the water and away from Isla de Muerta.

…

Below the deck of the _Dauntless_, Elizabeth was sitting in a warm cabin with her hand resting on the wooden surface of a table. Will was sitting opposite her, carefully cutting strips of cloth that he wrapped around her wound. The aching in her head had finally gone away, but the memory of Barbossa slapping her replayed again in her mind.

Unlike any pirate she had come across, Will had been so kind and gentle with her, always smiling and asking if she was alright. Again she asked herself why she couldn't have just fancied Will and returned the feelings that he obviously had for her. _Because I had to fall in love with a pirate, that's why,_ she told herself. She was a little surprised at the thought, but she sensed that it was the truth. _Poor Will…I can see he really does care for me._ Will glanced at her again with those brown eyes and she felt the corners of her mouth lift into a smile.

"Ow," she exclaimed as his hand brushed over a particularly painful area of her wound. A worried look passed over Will's face and he pulled his hand away.

"Sorry. Blacksmith's hands…they're really rough," he apologized. Elizabeth wasn't sure about what to say.

"No, no…I mean…yes, they are," she said foolishly. She could feel heat rising to her face as Will once again held her hand in his. Will was so gentle and sweet. Still, the more that Will's hand lingered there, the more she wanted Barbossa to be the one doing this to her. When she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that it was him sitting there with her. She felt him lean towards her, as if to kiss her. More so, she wanted him to do it.

"Don't stop," she whispered. Naturally, that made him pause. Elizabeth kept her eyes closed and waited, but nothing happened.

"Where did you get this?" Will's voice demanded. Confused, Elizabeth opened her eyes to see Will holding the medallion in his fingers, staring at it incredulously. Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't know how to begin to explain the reason she took it all those years ago, about how she feared he was another pirate. _But Will couldn't be…just because he was wearing the medallion that night doesn't mean he is a pirate._

"This is mine," Will was saying. "It belonged to my father; he sent it to me. Why did you take it?" He asked, looking at her with dark, accusing eyes that she had never seen before.

"I was afraid that you were a pirate. That would've been awful," she explained.

"It wasn't your blood they needed." Will looked away from her and down at the medallion. He was speaking as though he were now unaware of her presence there. "It was my father's blood. My blood. The blood of a pirate," he admitted, his tone grim and his eyes unreadable.

Elizabeth was at a loss for words. Will's voice echoed in her head as she tried to make sense of what he was telling her. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry, that it would alright and it wasn't as bad as it seemed. She just didn't know how. The silence and truth shook her, scared her. _Will is a pirate…a pirate…_

"Will…I—"she began. Will suddenly slammed his hand against the surface of the table, causing her to jump. Without another word, she stood and ran for the doorway, leaving Will alone with his thoughts.

...

Okay, I know this one was kind of short. Hopefully, i can write up a longer chapter next time (and maybe Lizzie and Barbossa will be reunited again...(= ). Again, i want to thank all the readers who are taking tiem out of their lives to pay attention to my story; you guys are awesome! (Hint, hint: The next button you want to press is the one that says review).


	11. Return to the Pearl

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, places, events or ideas. In fact, I own nothing at all while writing this story. **

**A/N: I know it's been a while since my last update, but I have been trying to figure out how to write this chapter. So, this is my final product of the chapter and I hope all the readers out there enjoy it. Remember to review afterwards and tell me what you guys think!**

**Chapter 11: Return to the Pearl**

Not even half an hour after Elizabeth's discussion with Will, new problems arose. It had been quiet and calm when Elizabeth emerged from below deck. The pirates on the Dauntless were much different from the ones she had seen on the Black Pearl; these pirates were carefree and not too unruly around her. Gibbs—whom she had known as a little girl—stood in a corner, guzzling down the rum in his bag. A woman by the name of Anamaria had taken control of the ship and she was doing a good job at keeping it steady on the seas. There was no other ship to be seen on the horizon, only endless blue waves.

It wasn't long before that quiet scene changed. Where there was once endless ocean, the Black Pearl had appeared in the distance. Known as the fastest ship in the Caribbean, it had only taken the ship a few minutes to catch up with them. All at once, the pirates jumped to life and began rushing around hastily, wondering what to do. Anamaria barked orders at them one by one, sounding every bit like a true pirate.

Once the Black Pearl was side by side with the ship, the cursed pirates swung over on ropes until they could reach the deck of the _Dauntless. _Elizabeth had a pretty good idea about what they were after. Will had stayed below deck after she left and the medallion had remained there with him. She only hoped he would be able to handle the pirates that were coming.

Gibbs rushed around, ordering a handful of pirates to start their cannon fire, even though there was no gunpowder left. The pirates had tossed everything overboard once they realized that they had the disadvantage against the Black Pearl. Now, they fired silverware and anything else that would fit into the cannons.

More pirates crossed over to the _Dauntless_ with each passing second. Elizabeth searched around for something she could use to defend herself. Nearby, Anamaria punched one of the pirates in the face, causing him to drop his weapon and fall overboard. Elizabeth hurriedly picked up the gun, even though she didn't know how to use it. Annamaria gave her a stern look.

"I hope you know how to use that. We'll need all the help we can get," she said before turning to fight with another pirate. Elizabeth started off towards the other side of the ship, hoping she could find Will and figure out how to properly use her newfound weapon.

…

Below deck, Will was sinking into a foot of water. He had heard the commotion from above deck and the cannon fire confirmed his fears. The blows had created three large holes in the side of the ship and the water was rapidly pouring in. He thought of Elizabeth and hoped she was alright.

He gripped the medallion in his hand—that was probably the item the pirates were seeking—and waded through the water. The table where he and Elizabeth sat just a half hour ago was now lifting with the pressure of the water. He placed a hand on the table for support and kept moving as fast as he could.

There was another round of cannon fire, which caused a ringing in Will's ears. He was surprised the pirates hadn't checked below deck yet. It was fortunate that they stayed above deck since there were no weapons below.

Will crossed to the hatch in the ceiling and pushed on it only to find that it wasn't lifting upwards as it should. _Oh, please no…_Will banged his fists on the grate, praying that someone would hear him. He shouted for help and continued banging relentlessly, but no help was coming. Glancing behind him, he saw the water rising fast and it was almost up to his knees. Will gripped the medallion even tighter and knew there was no other option but to keep calling for help and hoping that someone would eventually come.

…

There was nothing but chaos above deck. Pirates fought each other back and forth while Elizabeth tried to avoid their blows. She had aimlessly fired a couple shots at some of the pirates, but she still didn't have a good handle on the gun in her hands. _Oh, Will…where are you?_

She was so busy looking around the deck that she bumped into one of the pirates. He spun around and gazed at her with a dark glint in his eyes. Elizabeth raised the gun as he stepped towards her and he studied her suspiciously. Smiling, he closed in on her, obviously assuming she wouldn't use the gun or didn't know how to. Nervously, she pulled back the trigger and a blast rang from the gun, missing the pirate's head by a mere inch. Now, he glared angrily at her.

"Shoot at me, will ya?" the pirate muttered as he lifted his hand, as though to strike Elizabeth. Out of nowhere, another hand grasped the pirate's and she saw that it was Jack Sparrow.

"That's not very nice," he commented, raising a finger at the pirate like he was scolding him. Seeing her chance, Elizabeth knocked the gun against the side of the pirate's head and he fell backwards, into the deep ocean. Jack immediately pulled Elizabeth down to the ground and held her by the shoulders. She attempted to squirm out of his grip, but he held her there.

"Where is the medallion?" He asked her, indicating that was what he was searching for. Elizabeth suddenly grew irritated with Jack Sparrow. It was bad enough that he was the last person she wanted to see at the moment—even though he had helped her—but his only real purpose here was to obtain the medallion.

Her anger rose inside her until she could barely contain it. Mimicking the pirate they had just disposed of, Elizabeth raised her hand, preparing to slap him. Jack was much too quick for her and he caught her hand in his own. He stopped to study the bandages on her arm and smiled knowingly at her.

"Ahh…where is dear William?" Elizabeth paused to scan the deck around her, but Will was nowhere to be seen. She pictured him sitting below deck, holding the medallion. Elizabeth focused on the barrels and crates that were positioned above the grate that led below deck. _Will never came up from below deck_, she realized. In an instant, she left Jack Sparrow behind and was off running in the direction of the grate.

…

The water was above Will's waist and it was still rising. He had been rapping his fists against the grate for some time now and they had become slightly raw with the effort. The water almost reached his chest and Will knew there was little time left before it covered his entire body. A soft padding came from above deck, as though someone or something was close to the grate.

"Hello! I need help! I'm trapped down here," he shouted at the top of his lungs. A small face appeared at the corner of the grate and Will recognized it as the monkey. It stretched four fingers into the grate and—faster than Will could see—had gotten a grip on the chain of the medallion. Will stepped back, wrestling with the monkey. He took another step back and lost his balance, falling into the depths of the water and releasing the medallion.

…

Elizabeth knelt by the grate and peered down into the lower deck. It was dark down there and she could see the threat of rising water close to the grate, but there was no sign of Will. She attempted to move the crates off the grate, but they were too heavy; they didn't even budge an inch when she pushed against them. Giving up on that idea, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called out for Will.

"Will? Are you there?" She strained her ears to catch any sound or voice below, but there was only silence. Behind her, a couple of pirates were murmuring to each other, but she caught most of their words.

"You heard the captain's orders. We take her alive and back to the Black Pearl with us," one of them said in a low voice. She heard the approaching footsteps, but before she could think to move, the two pirates grabbed her by the arms and lifted her away from the grate. The water below was filling the rest of the lower area until it almost spilled onto the main deck. Desperately, Elizabeth struggled against the two pirates and screamed Will's name, but she was already halfway across the plank that would bring her back to the Pearl.

…

The water had completely submerged the lower deck by the time Will headed back for the grate. There was no place to bring himself out of the water and his lungs felt like they were going to explode. Everything had gone wrong so quickly; he had become trapped down here, lost the medallion, and he didn't know if Elizabeth was safe.

Will began looking around underwater, hoping that there was another way out. He spotted one of the larger holes made by the cannon fire, but he was unsure about whether he could fit through it. _I have to try something…_

Making his way over to the hole, he used his foot to break away some more of the ship. It made little difference, but there was no other option. Will's lungs burned and were starving for oxygen. His mouth threatened to open and allow the ocean water to flow into his lungs. _Don't breathe in, don't breathe in,_ he told himself. Will gripped the sides of the hole and prepared to swim his way through when a forceful pressure erupted behind him and shoved his body in every direction. He didn't know which way was up or down or whether he had gotten through the hole. Finally, his lungs could take it no more and reflexively his mouth opened, the water tunneling its way down into his lungs. Everything around him was growing dark, although he thought he saw a glimmer of light above him. _Perhaps I've finally died…_

Almost as a last effort, Will stretched his arms out in front of him and swam for the glowing light. It was only when his head broke through the surface and his lungs expanded with the exposure to oxygen that he discovered he still had a chance.

…

For the second time in her life, Elizabeth was escorted onto the Black Pearl as a hostage. Once she was aboard, the two pirates—with a nod from Barbossa—released her arms. She rubbed them lightly and she thought she could feel the beginnings of a bruise on one of them. A shiny reflection caught her eye and she saw that Barbossa was holding the medallion in his hand. He smiled when he noticed what she was gazing at.

"I always get what I want, Miss Turner," he said in a way that caused chills to curve down Elizabeth's spine. "Welcome back." He flashed the medallion in front of her eyes and then turned to watch the Dauntless sink down into the ocean depths.

Jack Sparrow was standing to one side while a pirate watched him suspiciously. Elizabeth recognized the pirate as the one who seriously hated her, even though she still didn't know the reason. He was glaring at Jack Sparrow in a way that was similar to how he glared at her. _So…he isn't fond of you, either?_ Jack gave her a nervous smile, which instantly earned a smirk from the pirate.

"Hello, Poppet," a familiar voice came from directly behind her. _Oh, no…_She spun around to see Pintel and Ragetti staring at her with huge grins on their faces. Ragetti's wooden eye was moving around over her body and she wanted to hit him so that it would fall out.

Pintel took hold of one of her arms and led her to where the other pirates of the Dauntless were standing. The two of them tied thick ropes around Elizabeth and the pirates, even though they were still loose around Elizabeth. She waited until Pintel had walked around to the other side of the group—all the while muttering something about the word Parley—and she ducked under the ropes, still naïve enough to believe there was some way to save Will. That was when the Dauntless exploded into pieces in front of her eyes.

…

I know that chapter was pretty long, but I couldn't see any place where I wanted to cut it off. Actually, I kind of wanted to make it a little longer, but then you guys would be reading seven pages. Anyway, I hoped you guys liked it (sorry for serious lack of Elizabeth/Barbossa) and maybe you could leave me a kind review? (= Reviews are always good; they help me to keep writing so that you guys can keep reading!


	12. Mr Turner's Terms

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (even though I would like to...like every other fan in the world). I do not own any of their ideas, events, places, or characters. **

**A/N: First off, I tried putting more Elizabeth/Barbossa hints in this chapter for you guys. I hope that every reader who is taking the time to go through my story enjoys the next chapter. I also hope that some of those readers will leave me a wonderful (even if it's small) review to tell me their thoughts. Well, get reading! (= **

**Chapter 12: Mr. Turner's Terms**

Barbossa watched as the Dauntless exploded into smithereens, the chinks burning as they were catapulted into the sky. He held the gold medallion tightly in his fingers, his eyes never leaving the doomed ship. If there were any others alive on that ship, they certainly weren't alive now, he figured.

A small gasp came from close behind and he automatically assumed that it was Elizabeth. He could picture her, staring at the scene with wide and surprised eyes. _Sorry, lass...what had to be done is done now and there's no changin' that,_ he thought to himself. Apparently, Elizabeth didn't fully see it that way.

"No, Will. No, stop it," she protested before trying to take out her anger on Barbossa. She started hitting him foolishly, but he spun around and caught her by the wrists. He pulled her close to him and soon her struggling ceased as she laid her head against his shoulder. Noticing the strange looks that he was earning from his crew, he quickly detached himself from her.

"Now, Miss Turner. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. I think it holds fair now that you return the favor," he suggested while tracing his fingers over her skin and near the hem of her red dress. She immediately understood his meaning. He released her gently and turned his back to her to gaze at the burning ship once more. The crew seemed to take this as a cue since some of them grabbed at her arms and dress desperately, clearly interpreting Barbossa's words a completely different way. Elizabeth shrieked as they clawed at her, preparing to handle her in any way they wanted. Hearing the sudden commotion, Barbossa whipped around, opening his mouth to order the pirates to get their hands off Elizabeth. A voice from the side of the ship interrupted him from doing so.

"Barbossa," the boy called out while hanging onto a mast. He stood above the group and aimed at a pistol around in one of his hands. His clothes were soaking wet, implying that he had just gotten out of the ocean.

"Will," Elizabeth said. She sounded as if she were happy to see him, especially because he must have been one of the others on the Dauntless. Barbossa narrowed his eyes at the boy, already not liking him.

"She goes free," Will stated, motioning the pistol to Elizabeth before training it on Barbossa again. Barbossa didn't think the boy would actually fire that weapon. It was foolish enough to challenge pirates, never mind aiming a weapon at one of them. It would be even more foolish since the curse wouldn't allow them to bear wounds.

"What's in your head, boy?" Will was unfazed by the question and he positioned his finger over the trigger. Elizabeth glanced from Will to Barbossa, not knowing what to do. She didn't want to risk losing Will again, but a part of her was reluctant to see Barbossa hurt as well.

"She goes free," Will repeated, this time making sure to hold the weapon steady in front of him. Barbossa stared at the weapon in the boy's hand and shook his head.

"You only have one shot and we can't die," he informed Will. The boy seemed to consider this and lowered the weapon, much to Barbossa's satisfaction. Elizabeth gazed at Will, wondering what he would try to do next. All of a sudden, Will pointed the weapon, this time at himself. Elizabeth covered her mouth in shock, hoping that no one else heard the sharp gasp she just made. Barbossa eyed her for a mere moment, letting her know that he had heard, and focused on the boy.

"You can't die, but I can," Will said. The pirates simply stared at him, their faces absent of the fear or worry that Will was searching for. Jack was the only one who looked concerned—besides Elizabeth, of course—and she had to wonder why.

"Who are you?" Barbossa questioned the boy, finally giving in to his confusion. Will opened his mouth to speak, but Jack jumped out from the crowd, attempting to take the attention off Will.

"No one," Jack assured the captain hurriedly. "He's no one, no one at all," he rambled on, all the while sending warning looks towards Will. Elizabeth watched Jack Sparrow and again wondered what his main intentions were. Barbossa appeared unimpressed by Jack's insistence that Will was unimportant.

"My name is Will Turner," Will announced so all the pirates could hear. "My father was Boostrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins," he emphasized so that the crew would get the idea that he was the one they wanted. Barbossa glared at Jack, who seemed to shrink as he awkwardly stepped away. Elizabeth gazed at Will, all her hopes of getting both her and Will out of this in one piece ruined. _Oh, Will...why did you have to do something like that? Why? _She knew that there would be no way for him to leave this ship now.

"On my word, do as I say or I will pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones's Locker," Will demanded, positioning the weapon directly underneath his chin. Elizabeth folded her hands over her heart, praying he wouldn't do as he said he would. _Please, let him be bluffing,_ she prayed silently. Barbossa took one step closer to Will.

"Name your terms, Mr. Turner," he said with little enthusiasm. Will thought for a moment and motioned to Elizabeth for the third time.

"Elizabeth goes free," he stated loudly. Barbossa rolled his eyes at the boy, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"Yes, we know that one," he said sarcastically. Elizabeth switched her eyes to Barbossa, who looked reluctant to hear Will demanding her freedom. She immediately saw the regret and longing in his eyes as he took a second to glance her way and she understood that he had no choice but to agree to Will's terms. Elizabeth wished she could say something, but she certainly couldn't tell Will that she wanted to stay on the Black Pearl. She knew she could never explain the reason for it. "Anything else?" Barbossa had finally continued. Will now motioned to the crew of the Dauntless. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth could see Jack pointing at himself, hinting that he wanted to be off this ship as well.

"The crew are not to be harmed," Will said. The entire crew breathed a sigh of relief. For a split second, Elizabeth wanted to mention that she could stay on this ship and not be harmed, but Will probably wouldn't want to hear it. Silence was the only thing in the air as Barbossa considered Will's terms.

"Agreed," he said before turning away, giving Elizabeth one last, long look of regret.

…

The Black Pearl had sailed a little ways from the burning wreck of the Dauntless until a small island came into view. Barbossa was standing close to Elizabeth, but not so close as to earn a suspicious look from Will. She gazed at the island in dismay, knowing that this was where she was to be left.

"Sorry about this, lass. You know as well as I do that I wouldn't have it this way, if it were my terms we were obeying," he assured her. Elizabeth nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't think there was anything left to say. _How about the fact that I would prefer to stay on the Black Pearl along with its captain?_ The words existed in her mind, but she couldn't get them to reach her mouth.

The Black Pearl came to a smooth stop near the island and the pirates restrained Will. Elizabeth and Jack Sparrow stood near the front of the crowd. Will eyed the small island and began to struggle against the pirates' tight grip.

"Barbossa, you lied. You swore she'd go free," Will spat out at him fiercely. Instantly, Barbossa crossed over to Will, looking as though he might hit the boy. Elizabeth could tell he was angry and that was never a good thing.

"Don't impugn me honor, boy! I swore she'd go free. It was you who failed to specify when or where," he argued before returning to Elizabeth's side. Will tried to catch her eye, but she turned her head away. She couldn't bear to meet his eyes when she was regretting his terms. One of the pirates found a piece of cloth and stuffed it into Will's mouth, gagging him.

"Though, it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?" Barbossa glanced around at the pirates, who jeered in response. Elizabeth understood what he was doing; if he was going to have to do something like this, he was at least going to do it his way. He gestured to Elizabeth. "So I'll be having that dress back before you go," he said, taking her by surprise. She glared at him, but he only gave her an amused grin in return. Yes, if he had to do it, he would do it his way.

Elizabeth stripped out of her red dress and threw it in Barbossa's direction. A pirate urged her onto the wooden plank and she nervously made her way to the end. Barbossa held onto the dress longer than he should have and then handed it off to one of the crew members.

"It's still warm," he commented, getting a round of laughter out of the crew. In truth, he wished he could feel Elizabeth's warmth more than anything, and he swore against the curse for the thousandth time since he met her.

Elizabeth remained on the end of the plank for a long time, not willing to make the dive into the ocean. The pirates shifted around, impatient for her to fall. Barbossa watched Elizabeth and started regretting the boy's terms even more with each passing second. At the last moment, he decided he couldn't take it anymore and—to hell with the crew—was about to order one of the pirates to let Elizabeth come back on board. Bo'sun, however, had other ideas.

"Too long," he claimed as he banged his foot against the plank, causing Elizabeth to lose her balance. She teetered over the edge and then Barbossa watched with disbelief as she plummeted down into the deep ocean water below.

...

Well, what did you guys think? Reviews (especially from every reader who takes the time to read my story) are awesome and they help me to keep writing. I have gotten so many reviews for my latest chapters and they really make me smile, especially since I know that someone somewhere in the world has chosen to read my story. You guys are great! (= Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up soon! Until then, review, review, review!


	13. Stranded

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, ideas, events, or places. In fact, I own practically nothing while writing this story. **

**A/N: First, I want to thank the readers for giving me so many good reviews for this story. It probably wouldn't have come this far without you guys! Second, here is the next chapter (enjoy!). Remember to review afterwards! **

**Chapter 13: Stranded **

Elizabeth sank deep into the water until the pressure began hurting her head. She tried kicking her legs towards the surface—whichever way that was—but it felt almost impossible to move. She had never been a very good swimmer, a fact that worked against her now. Slowly, she moved her arm and legs until she could feel soft sand beneath her feet.

A sudden disruption in the water caused her to swirl around confusingly. Finding the ground again, she broke through the surface and found that she was close to the shore of the island. The disruption had been Jack plunging from the plank. She glared openly at him as she clumsily waded through shallow water and onto the beach. Behind her, Jack laughed softly and she caught him eyeing her. He didn't need to tell her what he was gawking at; her underdress was pure white and was now dripping wet, allowing the white fabric to become almost transparent.

Ignoring Jack's amusement, she gazed out at the horizon and watched as the Black Pearl inevitably faded into the distance. She glanced around, already coming to the conclusion that there would be no easy way off this island._Wonderful...I'm wet and stranded on an island with a pirate. And not just any pirate; Jack Sparrow of all people,_ she thought to herself bitterly. Even though the Black Pearl had disappeared from view, she kept her eyes on the horizon, foolishly hoping it might come back. She could still picture Barbossa, looking at her with a reluctant expression as he agreed to Will's terms. _Thanks, Will._

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship," Jack commented, his eyes—like hers—remaining on the horizon. The statement he made didn't come as any surprise to her. Especially since Barbossa seemed to be a better pirate than Jack Sparrow, despite his legendary adventures. Without meeting Jack's eyes, she turned and walked off in the opposite direction. The last thing she wanted to do was walk around her new prison, but if it meant getting away from Jack Sparrow, she would gladly do it.

…

After ordering his crew to head towards Isla de Muerta with all haste and to stow the boy in the brig, Barbossa retreated to his cabin. It was much too quiet without Elizabeth on board. Of course, he had been reluctant to see her drop into the water and he was pretty sure some of his crew members read that on his face. Bo'sun sure did, not that Barbossa cared what a pirate like him thought. Still, if he could have whipped Bo'sun for doing that to Elizabeth, he would have.

He lowered himself into a chair at the table and picked up a green apple from the full bowl. He stared at it absently and his mind wandered. Soon they would arrive at Isla de Muerta and the curse would soon be lifted. Then, maybe he could find Elizabeth and for the first time actually feel her there with him. He longed to feel the touch of her skin and not think about drinking the life out of her. He wanted...her.

Barbossa lifted a goblet to his lips and his thirst almost seemed to subside for a brief moment. The red liquid dripped down the side of the cup, but he ignored it. His thoughts inevitably returned to Elizabeth and the overbearing thirst returned as if it had never left. Closing his eyes, he pictured her smiling for him and holding her close.

"Elizabeth," he whispered her name, knowing that it was the closest he would be able to get to her now until he finally broke this curse.

…

When nightfall came on the island, Elizabeth and Jack had started a large fire to keep them warm, but it was not enough for a ship in the distance to see. After she had walked around the island—and it really wasn't that big to begin with—she had come up with a reasonable idea to get off the island. The only problem was that Jack wouldn't approve of it. Her plan involved burning the rum that Jack had stashed on the island; she hoped it would cause a big enough smoke signal to catch the attention of any close ships.

Elizabeth convinced Jack to simply forget their situation and do what he obviously did best: drink rum. Each time he handed her a bottle, she would pretend to drink it and slowly empty it into the sand around her. He soon became too drunk to even notice that her bottle never became empty. She watched and waited while he sang drunkenly and swayed until he finally collapsed against the sand, unconscious.

_Finally, _she thought. Counting to one hundred, she lifted herself quietly off the ground and grabbed both her and Jack's bottles of rum. The fire glowed behind her, casting an eerie shadow on the environment around her, including Jack's sleeping body. Quickly, she followed the footsteps on the ground until they disappeared over one certain spot. Digging in the sand, she caught ahold of the trapdoor buried there and struggled to open it, revealing two whole rows of rum. _Honestly, how can one pirate drink so much rum? _

Sighing, she leaned the trapdoor against a tree so that it stayed open and balanced four rum bottles in her arms. She carried them over to the fire and, one by one, began tossing them in. Some of them made an explosive sound as they hit the fire, but Jack continued to snore, unaware that his rum would be gone by the morning. She went back and forth, carrying numerous bottles from the hidden trapdoor to the fire and tossing them in. Black smoke billowed up from the flames and into the night sky. Now, if she could only keep the fire going until morning, she was sure someone would save them. And so, she kept up her routine far into the night.

…

Elizabeth yawned widely as she tossed the last of the rum bottles into the fire, an explosion erupting from the impact. It was now morning and clear blue sky rested above her head. _Perfect. Some ship is bound to see the smoke._ Behind her, Jack's snores stopped and she stiffened visibly. He somehow managed to get to his feet and he gaped at the large fire that Elizabeth had kept going through the night.

"Wha-...No, not good! Not the rum!" He waved his hands above his head and attempted to get close to the fire, but backed off instantly when he felt its heat. Elizabeth watched him, each second becoming more unbearable as the only thing he worried about was his rum. "The rum...is gone!"

"Yes, the rum is gone," she confirmed in a stern voice. Jack stayed in the same spot, staring at the lack of rum bottles and the fire as if he couldn't quite believe what she had done.

"But...why is the rum gone?" Her patience had ended some time ago and now she had no way of hiding it. She whirled around, prepared to face him.

"One: because it is a vile drink that can turn even the most respectful men into complete scoundrels. Two: That signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me. Do you honestly think there's the slightest chance they won't see it?" Elizabeth raised her voice at him, but he gazed at her as though he had missed every word she had said.

"But why is the rum gone?" Elizabeth stared at him, hatred spreading through her whole body. _I give up, _she thought as she sat down on the sand to watch the horizon.

"Just wait, Captain Sparrow. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and you will see white sails on that horizon," she said. She didn't notice him taking out his pistol and aiming it at her. Instead of shooting it off, he stalked off angrily. She suddenly wished she was once again on the Black Pearl and had Barbossa to talk to. It was funny that she missed his company, but really never thought about Will. A few moments later, she saw Jack Sparrow jumping up and pointing at the horizon. There, close to the island now, was one of the Royal Navy's ships. They would be saved and could finally leave this small island.

…

I know that wasn't very long, but it was the only thing I could come up with. How did you guys like the chapter? Some reviews would be awesome, especially since it is close to reaching the end (but don't worry, the last chapter won't come for a while yet).


	14. A New Dilemma

**Disclaimer: Hey, guess what? I totally own Pirates of the Caribbean...not. I don't even own any of the characters, places, or ideas used in this story (besides the ones I come up with on my own). )= **

**A/N: Wow, those reviews are amazing! As always, they have allowed me to post this next chapter quickly. By the way, I might just be able to update a couple more times this weekend because it is an extra-long weekend for me (I have four days off starting Friday!). I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter (and who can't resist the awesome rum scene?) and I hope you guys will like this one just as much. **

**Chapter 14: A New Dilemma**

The Royal Navy ship spotted the smoke signal on the beach—just as Elizabeth knew they would—and brought her and Jack on board. Norrington lifted Elizabeth carefully onto the deck, but he ignored Jack Sparrow, forcing him to climb up onto the deck by himself. Elizabeth nearly had to beg Norrington to consider helping Will; she even made him the promise of marrying him, like he had asked.

It was difficult for her to even get the words out of her mouth. When she told Norrington that she would marry him, a mental image of Barbossa filled her mind. Still, Norrington agreed to take them to Isla de Muerta after Jack gave up the bearings, which was all Elizabeth had wanted. Neither of them seemed to understand that there might be another reason for Elizabeth's urgency on heading to Isla de Muerta. _It's better if they don't know, _she realized. She wondered what Norrington would say if he learned that she had kissed a pirate, maybe even fallen in love with one. Only one word filled her mind as an answer: gallows.

Norrington ordered Jack Sparrow to be "silent as the grave" for the duration of the journey and then informed Elizabeth that she had a cabin ready for her. She hid herself away in the cabin, trying to understand all that had happened since she was first taken aboard the Black Pearl. So much had happened that she felt it was years since she last saw Port Royal. Her honor certainly seemed to have changed.

Knowing it would be a while until they reached Isla de Muerta, Elizabeth lowered her body on the bed and closed her eyes. Soon, she was dreaming about the captain of the Black Pearl.

…

It was nightfall when the Black Pearl reached its destination. Using the small boats, the pirates slowly made their way into the cave of Isla de Muerta. Will was being held in the second boat, his hands tied behind his back and his mouth gagged. From his fearful expression, he was probably thinking this was where he would die.

Barbossa lifted himself out of the boat and quickly crossed the room to the treasure chest of Cortez. He had brought his crew to this island more times than he could remember, but tonight would be the turning point. Finally, they had the medallion and the right blood. The curse would be lifted and he would be able to appreciate the feel and taste of life. As he ran his fingers through the mound of cursed coins, he pictured Elizabeth again. She was the only thing he wanted after tonight. _Soon, Elizabeth...soon. _

Behind him, he could hear Bo'sun dragging the boy up the mound of gold to the treasure chest. The rest of the pirates, like always, stayed below and loudly rambled on about what they would do when the curse was lifted. Barbossa faced the crowd and lifted one hand as a sign for them to quiet down. And then the ritual began.

…

Elizabeth only slept for a few hours and then awoke only to pace around her cabin. She refused to spend time on deck; for all she knew, Norrington would take it as a chance to accompany his future wife. Elizabeth's stomach twisted at the thought of it. _So I will not think of it, _she told herself, forcing her mind to turn to some other subject. An image of Barbossa filled her mind and with it came a sense of longing. An image of Will followed and suddenly she didn't know which one she longed for the most.

Of course, she didn't feel the same way that he felt for her, but he was a friend. She certainly didn't want to see him get hurt. And Barbossa...well, she was pretty sure she was on the brink of admitting that she had fallen for a pirate. She began pointing these thing out aloud, trying to decide what she should do.

"Will or Barbossa. Barbossa or Will," she murmured aloud, weighing her options. She was so focused on her dilemma, she was unaware that the cabin door had opened and that Jack was watching her with keen eyes. When she finally noticed him, she jumped in surprise and felt heat rise to her face. _How much has he heard? _

"So, that's the reason for Miss Swan's unusual behavior," he commented, leaning against the wall. Elizabeth felt irritation course through her veins as he stood there, laughing down at her.

"Oh, don't you have some rum you ought to be drinking?" The irritation was obvious in her voice and it only made Jack smile widely at her. He staggered a few steps toward her, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Clever, but sorry, love. I've already done that, remember?" Elizabeth recalled the scene on the beach and refused to respond to him. "It seems you have a dilemma," he pointed out. He noticed a small bag on a nearby table and shook it to hear the clinking of coins. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him and he reluctantly put it back down. "Being Norrington's bride, it's certainly a nasty dilemma, don't you think?"

"I'm fine. I can handle my problems on my own, unlike most pirates," she retorted sharply. Jack closed in on her until he was only a few feet away, his breath smelling distinctly of rum.

"To me, it seems this problem is a bit too big for you, love. You're being forced to choose between dear William and the captain of the Black Pearl," he emphasized. There was a dangerous note in his voice that made Elizabeth assume that this knowledge was dangerous in his hands.

"Jack, if you tell Norrington or anyone else about this—"

"Norrington just might have to send his bride walking to the gallows. Not to worry, Elizabeth. On my word, your secret is safe with me," he promised her before leaving the cabin. Elizabeth had to wonder just how good Jack Sparrow's word really was.


	15. Bloody Pirates

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, places, events, or other relative ideas. **

**A/N: Ok, I am definitely handing out cyber cookies to all those who reviewed my last chapter (and there were quite a few). Those reviews are inspiring me to keep writing and updating quickly. As a result, here is the next chapter for all of you to enjoy! **

**Chapter 15: Bloody Pirates**

It wasn't too long after Jack left Elizabeth's cabin that Gillette—one of Norrington's men—barged in with another soldier following behind. Elizabeth jumped up from where she was sitting on the bed, shocked by the intrusion. Gillette stared down at her for some time, smiling in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. The soldier blocked the doorway, as if Elizabeth had the intention of escaping.

"Sorry, Miss. We have orders from the Commodore to seclude you in his office," Gillette informed her. Elizabeth glanced from Gillette to the soldier behind him, who stood with an unreadable expression on his face. She figured Jack had something to do with this, though she knew he did not tell her secret; these men would never be so calm if they knew.

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you I have no intention of hiding away in the Commodore's office," she replied, crossing her arms boldly. Gillette raised his eyebrows in amusement at Elizabeth's refusal of Norrington's orders.

"Understood, Miss," he said. Elizabeth thought he might actually leave and dismiss Norrington's orders. She was foolish to believe that for a second. Without warning, Gillette grabbed Elizabeth's arm and pinned it behind her back. The other soldier grasped her other arm and the two dragged her away through the cabin door.

She struggled to get out of their grip, but it was practically impossible as they towed her across the deck. The heads of Norrington's soldiers turned to watch the scene as the two men urged Elizabeth forward, her efforts useless against their iron grip. The doors of the office loomed ahead and she realized there was nothing she could do to get away.

"Sorry, Miss, but it's for your own safety," Gillette said to her. She blocked out his words as the soldier reached forward to open the double doors.

"No! You don't understand. The pirates are cursed; they can't be killed," she tried reasoning with them, but it seemed they weren't listening. Once they had the doors open, they tossed Elizabeth inside like a prisoner being thrown into the brig. She spun around, hoping for another small chance.

"The Commodore's already been informed of that," Gillette assured her, moving to close the double doors and lock her in. She propelled her body towards the door, but it slammed shut before she could reach it. She banged her hands against it, not willing to admit defeat.

"No! This is Jack Sparrow's doing!" Elizabeth called out, but no one answered. She wrapped her hands around the handles of the doors and pulled only to find that it was locked just as she feared. Retreating from the door, she looked around her new prison, wondering if there was anything she could use to escape. _I didn't return to Isla de Muerta for the sole purpose of being locked in an office. Far from it, _she thought, studying the details of the room.

There was a long table in the center of the room that reminded her of the table where she had once sat down with Barbossa to have dinner. An old map covered this table with fresh ink marking the bearings of Isla de Muerta. A large bay window was across from her, but she knew she couldn't simply drop into the ocean; someone would definitely hear her body hitting the water.

Beyond the interior of the office, Elizabeth could see a separate and smaller room that must contain the Commodore's bed. Hurrying over to the adjoined room, she found that she was right. Stripping off the thin sheets from his bed, she once again formed images in her head of being the Commodore's wife and she nearly shuddered at the thought. Carefully, she twisted and knotted the sheets into one long rope until she felt that it was long enough to reach the water below. Opening the bay window, she tossed the rope out and watched as it came to a stop inches above the water. _Wonderful._ She tied the other end to one of the legs of the table, hoping it would support her weight as she climbed down.

Elizabeth lowered herself down the rope and easily dropped into the ocean without making much noise. Once again, she regretted the fact that she wasn't entirely experienced with swimming. Treading her body through the water slowly, Elizabeth started heading in the direction of the Black Pearl.

…

The pirates roared excitedly as the ritual came closer to its climax. Every second meant that the curse would closer to being lifted and Barbossa could almost taste the sweet flavor of a green apple on his tongue. The thought of being free of the curse had taken him over so completely, he was unaware of the strange disruption in the crowd as the pirates moved aside. Barbossa gripped the boy's hair and pulled his head back, positioning the knife next to his throat.

"Begun by blood," he said the words as he had said them time and again. He anticipated the sight of the boy's fateful blood spilling down over the treasure chest, finally releasing the pirates from their circle of hell. The pirates were no longer paying attention to the ritual; they were staring as a figure pushed through to the front.

"By blood un—" Barbossa's voice trailed off as he spotted the one and only Jack Sparrow at the front of the crowd, looking up at him. The last time had had seen Sparrow, he had abandoned both him and Elizabeth on that puny island. Now, he was standing here—alive, no less—and acting as if he hadn't a care in the world. "It's not possible," Barbossa whispered more to himself than anyone else. If Jack Sparrow had gotten off the island, then it must mean that Elizabeth had gotten away as well. Then again, if Sparrow managed to only save himself, Barbossa would surely kill him tonight.

"It's not probable," Jack Sparrow corrected the captain. He moved to isolate himself from the pirates of the Black Pearl who were glaring at him.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will spoke up, voicing his immediate concerns. Barbossa narrowed his eyes at him, but returned his attention to Jack. He, too, was wondering the same thing.

"She's safe, just like I promised," Jack assured Will. Barbossa felt a brief feeling of relief at this news; the only thing he wanted for the time being—besides getting rid of this bloody curse—was for Elizabeth to be safe. However, Jack wasn't finished, not by a long shot. "She's all set to marry Norrington just like she promised and you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really, except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman," Jack ranted, striking a nerve in Barbossa. He imagined Elizabeth being lost to him, and irritation filled every being of his body.

"Shut up. You're next," he told Jack Sparrow before holding the knife to Will's throat, already prepared to spill his blood. _Now is the time,_ he thought.

"You don't want to be doing that, mate," Jack warned him, still standing at the bottom with the pirates surrounding him. Barbossa felt even more annoyed at Jack's constant interruptions.

"No, I really think I do," he said, his voice revealing some of his anger. When no response came from Sparrow, Barbossa turned back to the boy, once again aiming the knife so that it would cut across the boy's neck.

"Your funeral," Jack finally retorted carelessly, somehow knowing Barbossa would take the bait. Rolling his eyes, Barbossa dropped the knife and gave Sparrow his full attention. If he could kill Sparrow then, he would have. In fact, it was on the tip of his tongue to give orders to his crew. A curiosity as to what Sparrow had to say kept him from giving in to that desire.

"Why don't I want to be doing it?" Jack Sparrow climbed halfway up the mound of gold. Will was watching him suspiciously, as was Barbossa.

"Because the entire Royal Navy is floating just offshore, waiting for you."

…

Elizabeth swam as close to the Black Pearl as she could and grabbed onto a rope that was hanging off the side. She slipped the first time she tried climbing it, but managed to wrap herself tightly around it the second time. Once she lifted herself onto the deck of the Pearl, she glanced around and breathed a sigh of relief when there were no pirates around. Still, she knew there must be one or two on the lookout, just in case.

A shrill cry cut through the air as the undead monkey swung down in front of her face. It was holding a set of keys, most likely to the cell that held the pirates of the Dauntless. Elizabeth didn't react to it like she had the first time she saw it for what it was. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at it and—before the monkey knew what was happening—pulled the keys away from it and flung it over the side of the ship.

A small splash reached her ears as the monkey fell into the water. She rushed down a flight of stairs that led below deck. On the landing, she could hear footsteps approaching from below and she hid beneath the stairs until two pirates unknowingly passed by her. She continued down the stairs and caught sight of the crew locked in a cell as her feet hit the bottom.

"It's Elizabeth," Gibbs announced, only to be shushed by Elizabeth. She hurried over to the cell and inserted a key into the lock only to find that it was the wrong one. Studying the keys, she tried another one, but it was no use. The footsteps of the pirates could be heard on the deck and she knew it was only a matter of time before they returned.

"Hurry," Anamaria urged her, to Elizabeth's displeasure. At random, she chose one more key and smiled when she felt the cell door loosen. The crew pushed out of the cell, some practically trampling over each other. "You're becoming quite the pirate," Anamaria told her as they climbed the stairs.

Elizabeth convinced them to halt at the top and they watched as the two pirates wandered around, searching for the sound of the commotion. There was no way of sneaking past them without the risk of getting caught.

"What now?" Gibbs voiced their main concern, glancing around at the others for help. Each one looked blank and lacking ideas. Elizabeth noticed a set of small boats attached to ropes, swinging lightly with the breeze. She nudged Anamaria's shoulder and pointed to the boats. It took her a minute to understand, but then a spark of excitement entered her brown eyes. She smiled brilliantly down at Elizabeth and nodded.

"See what I mean?" Anamaria whispered to Elizabeth, referencing her comment about Elizabeth being pirate. _Like that would ever happen,_ Elizabeth thought to herself. The group somehow snuck over to the boats and—in unison—swung the boats up high and sent them flying towards the pirates. The boats knocked into the two men, causing them to fly over the side of the Black Pearl. The pirates yelled victoriously.

"Alright, all of you with me. Will is in there and we have to save him," Elizabeth ordered as she crossed the deck to one of the small boats. In truth, the most she wanted was to get into Isla de Muerta, period. There was complete silence and she turned to see that no one was following her lead. "Please, I need your help," she begged them, but no one relented.

"Any port in the storm," Cotton's parrot squawked loudly. Anamaria was staring at her sympathetically. Gibbs was the only one who took one step forward.

"Cotton's right, Elizabeth. We've got the Pearl. And there's the Code to consider," he explained, speaking up for the rest of the pirates. Elizabeth stared in disbelief as each one nodded in agreement.

"The Code? You're pirates! Hang the Code and the hang the rules. They're more like guidelines anyway," she added, remembering what Barbossa said to her after she had been brought aboard the Black Pearl for the first time. The pirates stood there, not convinced by Elizabeth's words. Discouraged, she lowered one of the small boats into the water and got into alone. "Bloody pirates," she muttered angrily as she rowed the boat as quickly as she could into the mouth of Isla de Muerta.

…

Wow, I wrote almost seven pages for this chapter (again!). So, to all the readers, I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are loved, remember! (=


	16. Too Late

Diclaimer: Would you believe me if I told you I owned Pirates of the Caribbean? I didn't think so...and I don't. Nor do I own any of the characters, places, events, or ideas involved in this series.

A/N: Well, I hate to say it but it's getting closer and closer to the end of this story. Every person that has taken the time to read/review my story is amazing and the story probably wouldn't be here without you! (= Keep on reading until the end!

By the way, I want to especially thank **poty90 **and **SusanPevensie394 **for reviewing my last chapter.

**Chapter 16: Too Late**

Barbossa listened with growing interest to Jack Sparrow's argument. He suggested that Barbossa allow his crew to kill the Commodore's men and then lift the curse when they were no longer vulnerable. Barbossa imagined Elizabeth and thought it would be a shame if he became wounded so soon after lifting the curse. Reluctantly, he agreed to Sparrow's deal and ordered his crew to take a walk to the Royal Navy's ship.

Now, he leaned against a sturdy pile of gold, waiting for the crew to be done with their mission. Granted, he would have to wait a little longer before he was free of the curse, but it would be worth it in the end. Sometimes, it wasn't so bad listening to Sparrow after all.

Jack was across the cave, digging and pondering through a large mound of treasures. He occasionally picked something up—usually gold—to examine it and then moved along. The boy was still tied up near the cursed treasure, looking more uncomfortable with each passing second. They were alone except for a small handful of pirates from his crew, no more than five. It was extremely quiet in the cave, the only sounds coming from Jack throwing items around.

"I must admit, Jack, I thought I had ye figured," Barbossa admitted, his voice echoing through the near empty cave. Jack paid little attention, he was sifting through another pile of gold. Will watched the exchange with a suspicious expression. "It turns out you're a hard man to predict," he continued as Jack finally met his eyes. Barbossa suspected that Jack might be up to something else as well; he was acting much too calm.

"Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest," he said, walking steadily towards one of the other pirates. The pirate was doing the same as Jack and toying around with some gold. Barbossa narrowed his eyes at Jack. "Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for because you can never predict when they're going to do something really stupid," he explained, gesturing to Will.

Barbossa made the mistake of following Jack's eyes to Will. In a mere second, Jack disarmed the naïve pirate beside him and tossed a sword to Will, who caught it swiftly in one of his hands. Barbossa grunted and charged for Jack, already holding his sword in front of him. The true battle had just begun.

…

Elizabeth landed the boat against the rocky surface of the cave. There was a dull thud as it rocked for a moment and she held her breath, waiting to see if someone would hear. Up ahead, she could hear voices and then a crash. She drifted along the wall until she reached an opening that allowed her to view the scene that was taking place below.

Barbossa and Jack were fighting against each other, going back and forth with their swords. Patches of moonlight caused Barbossa's skin to change into his cursed form. Across the room, a pirate was trying to attack Will, but Will managed to spin around in time for the pirate to unintentionally cut Will's ropes away. The two began fighting, a mirror image of Barbossa and Jack. Ducking behind a wall, Elizabeth started downwards and headed for the main area of the cave.

…

Barbossa and Jack kept on with their fighting, each matching the other's moves. Ironically, Barbossa felt confident knowing that he had not yet lifted the curse. Jack had no chance of winning, but he certainly kept trying.

"You can't beat me, Jack," Barbossa told him with a smug expression. Without warning, Jack plunged his sword into Barbossa's chest, as if trying to prove him wrong. Barbossa stared down at it and the sighed. He was thankful now that he was still cursed, for he was sure he would have died right then. He pulled the sword from his body and sank it to the hilt into Jack, finishing off their battle.

Instead of falling away dead, Jack gazed down at the sword in shock. Barbossa waited for the red blood to pool through Jack's clothing, but it never came. Jack stumbled backwards into the moonlight, the sword glinting from the light. All of a sudden, Jack's body shifted into a skeleton form and Barbossa stared at him in disbelief. Jack tugged the sword from his body and then showed off a gold coin that was flipping over his bony knuckles.

"I couldn't resist, mate," Jack stated with a mischievous smile. Barbossa tossed him an angry glare and rushed at him, realizing the battle was far from over.

…

Will faced his opponent openly now, his hands free instead of tied uselessly behind him. The pirate moved this way and that, attempting to catch Will off guard. He remained steady and the pirate lifted his sword threateningly.

"I'll teach you the meaning of pain," the pirate said fiercely. Will held up his own sword in defense, not knowing what move the pirate would make next. He backed up until he bumped into the treasure chest behind him and it became an opportunity for the pirate.

"You like pain?" A voice came from close behind the pirate and he spun around to attack his new enemy, but he never got the chance. Elizabeth swung the oar that she held tightly in her hands and it connected with the pirate's jaw, knocking him to the ground painfully. "Try wearing a corset," she added before running to Will's side.

"Elizabeth, you're safe," he said, wrapping his arms around her. He released her and noticed the fight between Jack and Barbossa. "We have to end this now," he told her, motioning to the chest of cursed coins. Before she could reply, he started off down the pile of gold. Elizabeth looked from Will to Barbossa, realizing this was when she had to make her choice. Dropping the oar in her hands, she followed in the same direction and ran at full speed for Barbossa.

Jack paused in his fight when he spotted Will close to him. He hastily placed the coin in his hand and slit his hand so that blood poured over the coin. Elizabeth was near Barbossa now, but she knew it was almost too late.

Jack tossed the coin in Will's direction and—at the same time, Barbossa aimed his pistol at Elizabeth, causing her to stop in her tracks. He turned his head and, seeing that it was Elizabeth, lowered his gun. Just then, a shot rang out and echoed piercingly throughout the cave.


	17. He's A Pirate

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, places, events, or relative ideas. If I said I did, I would be lying.

A/N: First off, this will be the last chapter of this story. Don't worry, though: I might be doing a sequel based on the third movie. Maybe you guys could also check out some of my other stories as well. For now, I want to thank everyone who has read through or reviewed my story. It means a lot to me to know that my story is being read by someone in the world. The end is close now...

Chapter 16: He's A Pirate

The echo from the shot slowly diminished, but it left Elizabeth's ears ringing. Her breath stopped as she witnessed the scene and she feared the worst. Barbossa had lowered his gun, but Jack took the chance and used his one shot on Barbossa. She waited for the blood to come from Barbossa's chest, but he didn't appear to have felt anything at all. _He didn't lift the curse, _Elizabeth realized with a surge of hope. Barbossa glanced down at the hole in his chest and then shook his head at Jack.

"Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot," he said. He turned his eyes to Elizabeth, who was staring at him and not moving as she watched what was happening. Her lungs burned and she finally took a breath in, thinking the worst was over.

"He didn't waste it," Will called out from where he stood next to the treasure chest. Elizabeth never saw him retreat back to that spot; she had been so preoccupied with worry over Barbossa. Will's hand was hanging above the chest, his fist closed tightly over the last coin. Elizabeth watched as he opened his palm, the blood-stained coin falling until it landed against the other coins. Swiveling her head back to Barbossa, her fears came true.

A deep blood stain was showing beneath Barbossa's coat. He released his sword—the weapon clattering on the rocky ground—and tore open his coat, giving Elizabeth a better view of his wound. The red blood spread across his chest and Barbossa's hands were visibly shaking. Elizabeth's body stayed frozen in place, her eyes wide and her heart barely beating. _No, this can't be happening,_ she told herself. She even tried closing her eyes and opening them again only to find that it wasn't a nightmare. Still clutching at his jacket, Barbossa met her eyes and in them were regret, disbelief, and pain. She was sure the same emotions were written on her face.

"I feel...cold," he whispered, the effect of the wound setting in. Barbossa started to reach a hand out to her and then collapsed against a small mound of gold. Elizabeth forced her legs to run and she knelt beside him, not caring what Will or Jack thought now. Nothing mattered anymore; only him.

Barbossa stared up at her, the light in his blue eyes fading. He lifted a quivering hand to her face and she held it there with her hand. "At least...I can feel ye now...Elizabeth," he said to her in a strained voice. The last of his strength disappeared and his hand dropped from her face. The life in his eyes quickly faded until he was staring at her but not really seeing her. She stayed there, not wanting to accept the fact that Barbossa—the man she had fallen in love with—was gone.

The tears finally fell from her eyes then. They overwhelmed her until she was practically shaking with sobs. Jack gazed down sympathetically at her as she laid her head against Barbossa's body. Footsteps approached her from behind, but she didn't think she had the strength to face Will at the moment. He knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Your fiancé will be wanting to know you're safe," Will told her in an emotionless voice. Elizabeth raised her head to glance at him for a long moment and then picked herself up from the floor. Without looking at either Will or Jack, she left the cave and in doing so left behind the only person she had ever truly loved.

…

The unforgiving heat of the sun fell down over Elizabeth's head as she stood in the crowd, watching with pity as Norrington's men placed a noose around Jack Sparrow's neck. It was only a day after Barbossa's death and she still felt as empty as a shell inside. Despite her pain, she had returned to Port Royal, her promise to marry the Commodore no hanging over her head like a punishment for allowing Barbossa to die. She had pretended like nothing was wrong, that she was happy it was over and no one had been the wiser. Now, being a witness to Sparrow's death, she should be satisfied since he was the one who shot Barbossa. But even she had to admit that this wasn't proper at all.

"This is wrong," she said, more to herself than to Norrington or her father. Norrington spun his head around to glare at her in shock instead of hearing the approval he anticipated. Her father stared blankly ahead, not wanting to admit that he wasn't extremely fond of the tradition either.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law. As are we all," he said. Norrington eventually refocused on Jack Sparrow, who was being read his last words. _This is wrong,_ she emphasized in her mind instead of out loud. _It's wrong for Jack to be punished this way, it's wrong for Will to have found out about my real feelings the way he did, and it's wrong for me to be standing here dressed elegantly and acting as though I'm not heartbroken and screaming inside..._

Elizabeth returned to reality when she spotted Will moving towards her, a serious look on his face. _Oh, please, not now...I can't handle anything else._ Will stopped on the steps below her, gazing at her.

"Elizabeth. I should have told you from the moment I met you. I love you," he admitted, much to her and everyone else's surprise. Without another word, he walked away into the crowd. Elizabeth felt her throat close up, tears threatening to spill over her eyelids. It was worse than anything else he could have said; it was even worse than if he had said he hated her. It was worse because she knew she could never really return the same feelings. Then, she noticed a familiar parrot sitting on a ledge and she recognized it as belonging to one of Jack Sparrow's crew. Something clicked in her mind, and she understood why Will seemed to be in a hurry. _He's going to save Jack,_ she realized with wonder.

"I...I can't breathe," she stated with a shaky voice, holding one of her hands to her throat and the other urgently waving a white lacy fan in front of her face. Norrington reluctantly moved his eyes to her as the soldiers were getting prepared to let Sparrow hang by the neck. She allowed her body to drop to the ground, hoping they would be convinced of her acting.

Norrington leaned over her just as a sharp sound reached her ears, the sound of a body being dropped to hang. Lifting her head up, she prayed Will had done what he needed to do to ensure Jack's survival. Norrington followed to where she was looking and saw the commotion that was taking place further ahead in the crowd. Whirling back around to Elizabeth, he suddenly figured out what she had done. He dashed off in search of Will and Jack in the crowd and her father looked down at her disapprovingly.

After struggling to get to her feet, Elizabeth picked up her skirts and ran through the crowd, following the direction of Jack and Will. Soldiers marched past her holding weapons. The crowd was led to the spot where Norrington first proposed to Elizabeth. The sun was beginning to set in the sky and it seemed to melt into the ocean far below.

Up ahead, she could see Will and Jack surrounded hopelessly by dozens of soldiers. Norrington broke through the circle and glared at Will and Jack. Her father came along and stood by him, looking every bit as disappointed as he had with Elizabeth.

"I thought we might have to endure some ill-conceived escape attempt...but not from you, Mr. Turner," Norrington was saying. Elizabeth pushed farther ahead to get a better view. Will saw her and a frown filled his face.

"When we returned to Port Royal, I granted you clemency and this is how you repay me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate," her father argued, causing the lines in Will's face to deepen. Norrington sighed as if he had expected this to happen.

"And a good man," Will replied to everyone's surprise. Elizabeth wondered if she was the only one who felt the truth in those words. She may have had a bleak outlook on Jack Sparrow, but she could tell he meant well. He was now gesturing to himself in front of the soldiers, emphasizing Will's point. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, then so be it. At least my conscience will be clear," Will said. Elizabeth glanced to Norrington, who appeared as if he might take Will at his word.

"You forget your place, Mr. Turner," Norrington warned him threateningly, prepared to turn and leave. Will leaned close to him.

"It's right here, between you and Jack," he said to the Commodore. Elizabeth thought about his words and felt them in her heart. It was the same for her; she would now always be torn between her honor in Port Royal and the memories of her experience aboard the Black Pearl. Realizing this, she went to stand next to Will, which caused her father to look as though he might have a heart attack.

"As is mine," she declared boldly. Norrington stared at her in disbelief and she simply stared back, not showing any signs of letting down. The soldiers kept their weapons aimed at their heads until her father ordered them to stand down. Reluctantly, the soldiers lowered their weapons one by one. Norrington refused to look her in the eye.

"So, this is where your heart truly lies, then?" he asked her, studying Will from top to bottom. Despite this new revelation, she still did not share the same feelings for Will, but their destinies would now be intertwined, as would Jack's.

"It is," she admitted and Norrington nodded as though he knew that was the answer before she said it. Jack suddenly moved past her with a cunning smile on his face. _Oh, now what is he up to,_ she wondered.

"I'm actually feeling rather good about this," he said to the crowd. He turned to Norrington, who was eyeing him in disgust. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate," Jack assured him, which only resulted in Norrington becoming more disgusted than before. Jack spun around and faced Elizabeth and she was still trying to figure out what Jack might do next. "Elizabeth...it never would have worked out between us, darling," he told her, earning a roll of the eyes from her as he pushed past the group. Jack positioned himself above the crowd on the ledge and tipped his hat.

"Friends," he called out to them. "This is the day you will always remember as the day that you—"Jack fell back into open air and everyone rushed to the ledge to watch him fall into the water. Norrington and Gillette stood side by side, Gillette with a smug look on his face.

"What's your plan of action, sir?" Gillette was gazing at Norrington expectantly, obviously assuming he would place Jack back in the noose. Instead, a smile crossed his face and he gave no answer. Elizabeth's father laughed behind him.

"Perhaps, on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?" Gillette stared at Norrington, shocked that this might be true. Elizabeth gazed at Norrington in respect for the first time in a long time. Finally, Norrington turned back to the crowd and descended down the few steps until he was standing close to Elizabeth.

"Mr. Turner," he addressed Will while pulling out one of the swords that Will created. "This is a beautiful sword. I would the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life," Norrington said to him. Will understood that he wasn't being punished for his actions and he looked back at Elizabeth with a wonderful smile. "As for Sparrow, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start," he said to his surprised soldiers. He walked away with the crowd, leaving Elizabeth alone with Will.

Will glanced at her and she had the feeling that this was the moment where they would have the talk she had been expecting for an entire day. His smile dropped just a little, but it was enough to confirm her suspicions.

"So, you loved him, then?" She knew Will was referring to Barbossa and she nodded lightly.

"I did. I didn't realize it until recently. I'm sorry, Will," she apologized, but he shook his hand in dismissal. Those brown eyes of his held a little bit of the warm light that she loved.

"Elizabeth, I learned something a long time ago, when I met you. The heart wants what it wants. I always suspected you might not have the same feelings as I have for you. I just didn't want to accept it," he explained to her. "After all, I am a blacksmith," he said to her. Elizabeth smiled at him and took his hand.

"No, you're a pirate," she said. Will lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Then, the two looked out to the horizon and watched the beautiful sunset as it blended with the vast ocean. All the while, Elizabeth never gave a thought as to what might come next; she would simply embrace it when it came. In the back of her mind, she knew she would always remember Barbossa, her real love and the captain of the Black Pearl. The rest could wait for another day.

The End!

...

Thank you guys for reading my story. I am thinking about doing a sequel based on the third movie, so watch out for that next! In the meantime, some reviews would be nice and maybe you could check out some of my other stories. (= until next time, readers!


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