It was raining.

I turned my face up to the sky, in the crow's nest. I don't know why exactly I had chose to climb the ratlines, up to the wind and the frigid air, but it was certainly refreshing.

There was a maelstrom, forming up ahead. I caught sight of it as Gibbs yelled, and my stomach dropped. The Flying Dutchman was also approaching, off to the West.

I thought of Jack. He was on that ghost ship, presumably in the brig, all thanks to my temper.

I scampered down the ratlines, breathing heavily. I was nervous, a feeling I was unfamiliar with. Confidence seemed to be a given trait for one of my origins.

The rain abruptly intensified, and now it was dumping buckets upon buckets of freezing droplets onto us. Calypso was angry, I figured. She'd been imprisoned for about a century, after all.

At the hands of my breed, really, I recalled with disgust. Bloody pirates.

"Captain Barboussa!" Elizabeth screamed into the wind. I met her and Will about mid deck, panting and tying my hair back frantically. I could tell it would be terribly knotted later. I frankly didn't care.

I grabbed the long ponytail I had gathered, swinging it around so I could see it. It was past my hips, by now.

Without regret, I unsheathed my sword and sliced about a foot and a half off. I felt free. The hair was carried away by the wind.

"We need you at the helm!" Elizabeth continued, looking fierce in the wind.

Barboussa, who stood at the railing as if the sea wasn't tossing the Pearl around like a rag doll, turned slightly. He eyed Cotton, who was currently struggling to man the ship's wheel. "Aye, that be true." He said with a sneer, yanking Cotton back and practically throwing him aside. "Brace up the yards, ye cockeyed deck apes!" He bellowed, spinning the helm, looking like a madman. The three of us -- William, Elizabeth, and I -- grinned at one another. "Dyin' is a day worth livin' for!"

I screamed an agreement in Siren, then whirled around and headed to the deck. I joined the men at the cannons, shouting insults and encouragements in multiple languages. They answered with enthusiasm, screaming over the roar of the sea and the screams of thunder.

"On our stern and gaining!" William called; I barely heard it. He was up with Barboussa, ducking out of the way as the first shot from the Dutchman's front cannons, the annoying ones that protruded from the front of the mossy ship.

Barboussa's eyes were wild. It was frightening. "More speed! Haul yer wind and hold yer water!"

Was Jack as capable with the Pearl as Barboussa? I wondered, stroking the railing of the black ship. I could feel her as if she was alive beneath my feet, and almost heard her protests toward those who crusaded against freedom.

I glanced toward the helm. I had the feeling Jack would be just as competent if not more with his Black Pearl.

"She'll overbear us!" I shrieked in the general direction of the others, referring to the Dutchman as I came back to the present.

"Nay!" Hector called back, fighting the helm as it begged to be released. He appeared to be winning. "Farther in! We'll cut across to faster waters!"

I realized suddenly that we were in the gigantic whirlpool called a maelstrom. I wasn't afraid of water, I told myself. I was a bloody half Siren, for crying out loud. Barboussa was going to cut us across, through the eye of the storm, so we could broadside the bastards.

"Prepare to broadside!" Elizabeth screamed, echoing my thoughts.

Gibbs spoke up, from my left. "Captain the guns!"

"At the ready!" Will and I chorused. I didn't know where he was and therefore had no time to comment upon that.

We were facing the Dutchman, and the broadsides were in position.

"Fire!" We all yelled, at varying times.

"Pro eo!" I yelled, and felt something angry in my chest.

You better be ready, Beckett. I thought. And you too, Davy...

***

"Think like the whelp, think like the whelp...think like the whelp..." Jack told himself, pacing in circles. The two clones that were not part of the ship, part of the crew did the same, speaking nonsense every so often. "Think like the whelp..."

He walked another round, growing increasingly frustrated. "Half-pin barrel hinges." He stared at the bars separating him from the fight above decks. Cannon fire had shuddered the Dutchman repeatedly for the previous ten minutes.

"Leverage!" He exclaimed, spinning around and grabbing a slab of splintered wood that a stray shot had blasted out of the ship. Jack shoved it into the 'walls' of his cell and lifted; the entire barrier fell free.

Jack contained his relief, ducking out of his prison and darting away. "Wish me luck, boys, I'll need it!"

He thought he heard one of them comment on how they would miss him. I most certainly will not miss you...

***

I was screaming.

All I could see was the lead ball hurling toward me, as I stood with my back to the stairs that lead to the helm. There was nothing I could do; I was frozen.

And then someone was tackling me to the deck, and a explosion sounded right beside me. I was spattered with blood, and slivers of wood.

I couldn't tell who had saved me. But I choked back a sob regardless.

Family. Is the crew my family?

"It be to late t' alter course now, mateys!" Barboussa cackled. I breathed out shakily, standing and forcing my gaze from the remains of my savior.

I'll fight for you too, I said to it, before spinning around and heading toward the below decks.

I was blocked by a man, disfigured by the mounds of coral growing into his face. Sparing no thought to the other beasts swinging onto my Pearl, I ran him through and grabbed my own rope. I catapulted myself across, screaming in Chinese.

***

Jack's mood had improved a bit, thanks to those incompetent guards. He had the chest; all he needed was a clear decision to follow up on.

Immortality.

Adeena.

He chose to ignore his inner turmoil for a moment. No point in stressing about it; he was excellent at improvising, anyway. The time would come.

The time seemed to be coming a bit too soon. He yelped as someone crashed into his side, and the two were both knocked to the deck.

Jack let out a string of colorful curses, pushing the body away and drawing his sword. His blade was met by another, and the chest flew from his hand.

He squinted, pushing his hair aside as he was straddled by this new enemy. Anticipating a sword through his chest, he stiffened.

"Jack?"

He blinked, sitting up as she backed away. "'Deena? What're you doing?"

He felt more than saw his hat being shoved onto his head. "Rescuing you, Sparrow!" She snapped, yanking him up and glaring. "You listen here Jack -- I don't care whether or not you stab that bloody heart. But I do care whether you live or die, báichī!"

Having caught his bearings, he took her hand, pulling her away from the railing. Didn't need her falling into the abyss below them. "Flattered, darling. Now would you please -- watch it!"

She ducked and he swung, decapitating the EITC soldier behind her. They were here too? Brilliant. "We're in the middle of a war, love, now is not the time to scold me!"

"It's always the time to scold you!" She yelled back, ducking under his arm to destroy some poor soul. "You just can't keep yourself in my good books, can you, Sparrow?"

He'd done it this time, if she was using the last name. "If you always had your best intentions while besting me, darling, we'd never have any fun, would we?" He yanked her back and stabbed a redcoat who had almost managed to use Adeena as a sword sheath.

She growled. "I can't do it, Jack!" He heard the frustration in her voice.

He spun her around so they could lock eyes. "What? Can't do what?"

"I can't hate you!" She practically screamed. "You just -- you're so -- infuriating, and I should hate you! You've done everything but trust me with things I need to know, Jack, and... and I hate it!" He stared at her, absentmindedly killing a fish-face who ran by, a sinking feeling in his chest. "But I can't hate you!" Her voice broke. "I love you, Jack, but I don't know how this will work!"

He jerked them both out of the way of a stray shot from the Pearl. "We can..." A crazy idea suddenly popped into his head.

"Adeena, let's get married."

She faltered enough in her lunge toward an enemy that said opponent escaped, running off and screaming. He must have seen the fire in her eyes, the beautiful and unnatural flame within her. "Me?" She gaped. "You? Married?"

He kicked some opposing sailor away, off the Dutchman. "Say yes before I change me mind, Adeena!"

I must have already lost my mind anyhow...

***

Adeena Mari Sparrow.

It sounded wonderful, is what I was thinking. That stubborn streak in me was screaming and throwing a tantrum, trying to gain my attention, but I ignored it, focusing my attention on Jack. We were both soaked, tired, and fed up with the world.

I wanted him to smile, instead of gazing at me fiercely with those stupid handsome eyes.

"Do it!" I managed to gasp out, whirling around and killing anyone trying to kill me or my friends.

"Dearly not-so-beloved," I heard him start, as if he were commenting on the weather, "We are gathered here today to -- kill one another for no particular reason, why not --" Out of the corner or my eye, I saw him kick a redcoat out of his way before running his cutlass through the stomach of a less fortunate fish-looking person.

"That's all you know, isn't it?" I snapped at him, noting his silence. He grinned at me, pushing me behind him as someone charged at my back. "Jack Sparrow, do you take me to be your wife, in sickness and in health, with the latter unlikely!"

"Sure!" He called, twirling me around as if we were dancing. I felt the smile unwillingly climb to my lips, and I darted to the side to throw a seaweed man off the ship. "And will you have me, and all that?"

I yelped as he pulled me over to him. "I agreed for a reason, Adeena!"

I ducked under his arm and shrieked into the ear of a nearby soldier; he fell with a gasp. "Skip the rest, I don't think we have time!"

He frantically lunged around me. Jack Sparrow, on dry, even, land, would stumble around like an drunk idiot (true), but on a rough and bucking deck he navigated like the average bloke. Another thing I found endearing. "You can now kiss --" He yanked me away from the railing as I fell to the side. "Kiss the --" He broke off again as I thrust forward to stab an incoming fish-man. "Just kiss me, honestly," He gave up, spinning me around.

I didn't waste any time in becoming Adeena Mari Sparrow.

His lips were chilled, but the heat filled me as usual, starting in my chest and spreading like the tide fills the beach. The faint taste of rum lingered in his mouth, and I gave an uncharacteristic moan.

But it was over as soon as it began, and we broke apart, leaving an unsatisfied ache in my gut. He was grinning his golden smile, something I found very reassuring. I realized I was smiling back, a real smile.

When was the last time I had smiled out of happiness, rather than greed, or relief, or gain? I couldn't remember, and the weight that was lifted off of my chest had me feeling lighter than the feather adorning Hector Barboussa's hat.

Jack pushed me away suddenly, and I kept in the surprised gasp. He was acting, I realized, noticing the glint in his eyes.

But why? I wondered, following his gaze.

"Lookie here, boys," The reason became obvious, as I met the eyes of the terrible Davy Jones, "A lost bird! A lost bird that never learned to fly!"

Jack smiled easily, nodding in acknowledgement. "To my great regret," He said lightly. "But never too late to learn, eh?"

Chest in one hand, Jack grasped a rope and sliced another, shooting himself up and into the air.

I gaped at the empty space in which my...husband had recently stood. I shook my head, no way I was ever referring to him as that. It made me sound old...

When I glanced back, Davy Jones had disappeared. I was staring, wondering how the hell this shit was possible, when the sword entered my stomach.

I screamed.