We were ushered on board the Pearl. Barboussa had ordered that I be left alone, meaning no sexual antics until he said. That I was thankful for -- anyway, if anyone tried anything, I'd deliver a swift punch to their ugly face.

The Black Pearl, I could tell, had been a beautiful vessel before Barboussa and his scumbags took hold of her. Her sails were torn and ripped beyond use, and the black paint was chipping and the wood was rotting away. The figurehead, however, remained a graceful black angle, holding a bird in her hand, releasing it into the world. The Pearl had fallen into disarray.

I shivered as we stood on the deck. Jack had my hand, steadying me, and was staring around his ship. The longing and sorrow was so evident in his face that my hatred for Barboussa grew several sizes.

"Jack, I require an audience with ye in me cabin." Barboussa announced, and Jack released my hand to walk toward the Captain's cabin. I suppose he knew his way around like the back of his hand. I started to follow.

Barboussa put a hand on my shoulder and I froze, my heart beating out of my chest. "Ye are going to the brig." He said.

"I am, really?" I snapped. "Really? Why can't I hear what's happening in your office?"

Jack winced. "She'll shut up if you let her in on it," He told Barboussa. I glared.

"The brig," He said to someone over my shoulder. I let out an exclamation of frustration as I was seized by the arms and led rather roughly to the cells below deck, which to my dismay were as disgusting as expected -- slimy, grimy, wet, mossy.

I let my disgust be known as the bigger of the two holding my elbows unlocked the cell. "Do you even do anything on this ship? I mean, besides terrorizing innocent towns to fix a curse that you all brought upon yourselves in a ridiculous display of stupidity -- hey!"

I tried, in vain, to swat at the one who had tapped by backside. They giggled at one another and pushed me into the cell, hard enough that I toppled over and splashed into a suspiciously green puddle.

"You are both less attractive than a crab, I hope you know!" I barked as they left.

I found a dry patch of ground and waited for something to make my situation less boring and more interesting. It came in the form of an indignant Jack being dragged and thrown into the same cell as me.

"How was your luck?" I asked dryly.

He gave me a look. "Terrible, obviously. I'm nearly positive I insulted his situation and perhaps his age at one point, though."

I raised a hand and we knocked fists. "Twenty minutes well spent."

"That was twenty minutes?"

"More like ten, but doesn't twenty sound more interesting?" I replied, standing and brushing invisible dust off my front. My fingers brushed my locket, and idly I wrapped my fingers around the cold metal. "This is quite disgusting, actually, and I enjoy playing in the mud," I cast the cell a disdainful glance.

He scanned it and scowled. "They've neglected to take care of my lady, they have..."

I nodded solemnly. "They have." I nudged him fondly. "We'll get your Pearl back." I added, a tad hesitantly as I had never said the words, "I swear...on pain of death."

He smirked. "I suppose I'll have to carry out my promises as well, hm, love?"

"That would be preferable," I grinned back.

He strode to the wall and knelt, peering out of a hole rotted into the wood.

"Can you see anything?" I asked, joining him and standing at his shoulder.

"We're gaining on her." Jack murmured. I assumed he spoke of the Interceptor.

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Will was on that ship, along with Elizabeth and Mr. Gibbs and Anamaria. And the Black Pearl was going to blow them to bits.

Jack laughed suddenly and leaned back from the wall, grinning. He had a wonderful laugh, deep and rich. "See if there's a hole over there, love."

I waded through the obnoxious amount of slimy seawater and found my own small hole, squinting and peering out to the sparkling Caribbean water.

I smiled. The water was littered with crates and bottles, there was a goat frantically swimming by, and I realized what they were doing. "They're lightening the ship!" I exclaimed.

Jack chuckled again and I turned to see him gazing out of his hole again. Then he frowned. "Barboussa brought out the oars." He said.

I watched outside again. He was right. "They'll never escape." I said. "They'll have to fight."

Jack nodded grimly. "It's ok to have the fastest ship in the Caribbean, but only when your the one sailing it...wait, look again, love."

I did. The Interceptor had swung around, and was drifting toward us. The oars retracted as Barboussa directed the ship to pull alongside the Interceptor.

We listened to the battle cries and guffawing from the sailors above, and we watched as Jack's crew hastily loaded the cannons and prepared to battle.

"They lowered the starboard anchor!" Jack stated, somewhat proudly. "That's an idea worthy of me..."

We heard cries of Fire! and watched as the cannon fire ensued.

"Get down!" Jack yelled suddenly, and I obeyed. Just in time, too. A cannon ball blew through the wall and blasted our cell door to pieces.

He sat up from his position on the floor and yelled, "Stop blowing holes in my ship!" At who, I wasn't sure, but I laughed.

Jack was searching the floor. I headed out of the cell, not wasting any time, watching with amusement as he picked up Gibbs's flask (they were shooting everything and everything at the Black Pearl) and put it to his mouth. Nothing dripped out, and he looked disappointed.

"Jack," I reminded him. He grinned and hopped up, pocketing the rum canteen and following me out.

We raced above decks, no one noticing us amid the chaos. Jack and I raced to the railing and looked out over to the Interceptor.

An unassuming enemy pirate was swinging back and forth between the ships. He flew over to us and Jack kicked him off the rope. "Thanks very much," He told him as he fell, yelling, into the ocean.

Jack wrapped his arm around my waist, erupting butterflies in my stomach, and swung us over to the Interceptor. We didn't have enough momentum the first time around, so we swung back, me laughing my head off and Jack yelling in my ear.

We finally dropped onto the deck of the Interceptor and almost crushed Gibbs. "Jack!" He exclaimed in disbelief. "Adeena!"

"Nigh empty," Jack commented, and handed the flask to Gibbs. He then ran off and I pulled out my sword to skewer some pirate who obviously didn't think a girl could fight.

I cut through them, aiming to disable rather than kill as they would just jump back up anyway, and yelled insults that would probably make even Jack's eyebrows raise.

I paused for a moment as the main mast crumpled and crashed to the deck of the Black Pearl, allowing Barboussa's crew to board much easier. I pushed an unnamed enemy aside and rushed over to the mast. Elizabeth was crouched over it, trying to move it. She was wearing a dress much like the one I had fallen in love with back home, though hers was more of a deep red-violet.

"What are you doing?" I asked her over the noise.

"Will!" She cried. "He's down below and it's filling up! We're going down!"

My stomach sank and I gazed into the hatch that the mast had fallen on. Will was struggling to move a splintered piece of wood from the opening.

"Adeena!" He yelled. "I'm so sorry, you're a sister to me, please know that!"

I nodded and responded with a sudden burning in my eyes. "I forgive you, Will! As soon as it fills up swim to the very bottom!"

He nodded and I started to stand, but was grabbed, as was Elizabeth.

Angry, I fought back, doing my best to kick them down there, if you get my jist.

The man holding me grunted. "Damn! Help me, will you, Sam!"

Another man joined him and took my sword, then slapped me as hard as he could. My head jerked to the side and I was dazed; I let them carry me back to the Pearl. I guess I knew how Jack felt...

They held me tight, slapping me again to keep me quiet, and I watched dizzily as the crew was tied to the mast, save for Elizabeth, Jack, and me. Why we weren't being laced up beside them crossed my mind, but I didn't dwell on it too much.

Jack was staring out to sea, a frozen expression on his face. I followed his gaze and saw an island. Nothing special, just a sandy beach with a few palm trees. I wondered what had him fixated.

Then it came together. They were going to maroon Elizabeth, Jack, and I.

"If any of you so much thinks the word parlay, I'll have your guts for garters!" Pintel sneered and circled Jack's crew, his pistol out. His pal, I had learned, the one with the pitchy voice, was called Ragetti.

Parley, I thought.

Barboussa was watching the Interceptor expectantly. I noticed we had drifted a considerable distance away...

BOOM!

The Interceptor exploded with a sudden blast and I jumped, almost knocking my head against the chin of the pirate who had a grip on me.

"Will!" Elizabeth screamed. She broke away from her captors and attacked Barboussa, hitting him and screaming at the top of her lungs. "You have to stop it--stop it!"

Barboussa shoved her away as if she were a pesky fly and into his crew's arms. "Ye took advantage of our hospitality the last time, 'tis only fair ye return the favor!" He said. With that the crew began grabbing at her, Elizabeth shrieking and struggling valiantly.

I growled. "You knock it off --"

"She goes free!" A familiar voice demanded.

I stopped and whirled around, back toward the railing. Will was there, sopping wet and looking fierce. I sighed in relief and broke out into a smile, Elizabeth following suit.

"Will!" She breathed.

"She goes free." Will said, his voice low and threatening. He pulled a pistol from one of the Black Pearl's crew members and pointed it at Barboussa.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Jack pleaded to Will.

Barboussa looked bewildered and laughed. "What's in your head, boy? You've got but one shot, and we can't die!"

Will nodded. "You can't." He walked backwards and jumped up onto the railing, putting the gun to his jaw. "I can."

"Like that..." Jack sighed and looked away. I stared around in confusion. What the bloody hell was going on?

"Who are you?" Barboussa asked, looking disgusted.

"He's no one! Distant cousin of my aunt's cousin's nephew, twice removed." Jack hopped over to Barboussa, waving his hands in his face. "Lovely singing voice, though." He lowered his voice. "Eunuch."

Will continued as if Jack weren't there. "My name is William Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins!"

Why did Will's father matter? I was so confused I could barely listen.

"'E's the spittin' image of Bootstap Bill, come back to haunt us!" Ragetti exclaimed fearfully.

Jack, looking humbled, walked back toward his original captors and allowed them to bind his hands. I stared at him, and then attempted to jerk away as someone bonded me.

Barboussa's eyes lit up. "Name yer terms, Mr. Turner."

"She goes free!" He said again, gesturing to Elizabeth.

Barboussa rolled his eyes. "Yes, we know that one. Anythin' else?"

Will caught sight of Jack pointing frantically to himself. As an after-thought, Will added, "And the crew! The crew are not to be harmed."

Barboussa thought for a moment, then walked up to Will and showed him a stained-toothed smile. "Agreed!" He said triumphantly.